How two Navy SEALs died in rough seas off Somalia

• January 23, 2024

By Lolita C. Baldor | Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Under the darkness of night, in the roiling high seas off the coast of Somalia, members of the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team 3 began to climb aboard an unflagged ship that was carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen.

Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers.

As Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram began climbing the ladder onto the boat, he slipped, falling into a gap the waves had created between the vessel and the SEALs’ combatant craft. As he went under, Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers jumped into the gap to try to save him, according to U.S. officials familiar with the incident.

It was an instinctive act, honed by years of training, one teammate going to another’s aid. But weighed down by their body armor, weapons and heavy equipment, the two SEALs plunged into the depths of the Arabian Sea and died, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details of the Jan. 11 raid.

The mission came as the interdiction of weapons to Yemen takes on new urgency. The Yemen-based Houthis have been conducting a campaign of missile and drone attacks against commercial and Navy ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. And U.S. retaliatory strikes have so far not deterred their assaults.

The 11-day search and rescue mission to locate the two SEALs was called off on Sunday and became a recovery effort. And on Monday, the Navy released their names, after their families were notified.

“Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities,” said Capt. Blake Chaney, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, which oversees SEAL Team 3. “This loss is devastating for NSW, our families, the special operations community, and across the nation.”

At the White House, President Joe Biden said in a statement that, “Jill and I are mourning the tragic deaths of two of America’s finest — Navy SEALs who were lost at sea while executing a mission off the coast of East Africa last week.” He said the SEALs represent “the very best of our country, pledging their lives to protect their fellow Americans. Our hearts go out to the family members, loved ones, friends, and shipmates who are grieving for these two brave Americans.”

The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is conducting an investigation into the incident. That probe is expected to examine whether the SEALs were properly equipped and trained for the mission, whether procedures were followed, and any decisions regarding the timing and approval of the raid, including the weather and the state of the seas.

According to officials, the commandos launched from the USS Lewis B. Puller, a mobile sea base, and they were backed up by drones and helicopters. They loaded onto small special operations combat craft driven by naval special warfare crew to get to the boat. It was the type of boarding for which SEALs train routinely, and illegal weapons moving from Iran to Yemen-based Houthis have been a persistent concern, particularly as the rebels continue to target commercial vessels in the region.

Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram.

The team boarding the dhow was facing more than a dozen crew members. They ultimately seized an array of Iranian-made weaponry, including cruise and ballistic missile components such as propulsion and guidance devices and warheads, as well as air defense parts, Central Command said.

The raid was the latest seizure by the U.S. Navy and its allies of weapon shipments bound for the rebels, who have launched a series of attacks now threatening global trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The seized missile components included types likely used in those attacks.

Chambers and Ingram, who were assigned to a West Coast-based SEAL unit, “were exceptional warriors, cherished teammates, and dear friends to many within the Naval Special Warfare community,” said Chaney.

Chambers, 37, of Maryland, enlisted in the Navy in 2012, and graduated from SEAL training in 2014. His awards include the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat “C” and three Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals. Ingram, 27, of Texas, enlisted in 2019, and graduated from SEAL training in 2021.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County girls soccer Top 10 rankings, Jan. 22

• January 23, 2024

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O.C. GIRLS SOCCER TOP 10

(Records through Sunday, Jan. 21)

1. Capistrano Valley (15-1-1)

Previous ranking: 1

2. Santa Margarita (9-1-2)

Previous ranking: 2

3. Los Alamitos (11-4-5)

Previous ranking: 3

4. Huntington Beach (12-5-3)

Previous ranking: 4

5. Mater Dei (5-6-2)

Previous ranking: 5

6. JSerra (7-3-4)

Previous ranking: 9

7. Pacifica (10-1-4)

Previous ranking: 7

8. Rosary (13-3-3)

Previous ranking: 6

9. Woodbridge (10-3)

Previous ranking: 10

10T. Edison (11-6-2)

Previous ranking: 8

10T. Newport Harbor (13-4-3)

Previous ranking: not ranked

Please send feedback to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @ocvarsityguy on X and Instagram

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​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS girls basketball polls, Jan. 22

• January 23, 2024

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This week’s CIF-SS high school girls basketball polls, released Monday, Jan. 22.

CIF-SS GIRLS BASKETBALL POLLS

(Selected by the CIF-SS Girls Basketball Committee)

OPEN DIVISION WATCH LIST

(Schools in alphabetical order)

Bishop Montgomery

Brentwood

Centennial/Corona

Etiwanda

Mater Dei

Moreno Valley

Ontario Christian

Orangewood Academy

Sage Hill

Sierra Canyon

St. Anthony

Windward

DIVISION 1

1. Sierra Canyon

2. Etiwanda

3. Ontario Christian

4. Sage Hill

5. Mater Dei

6. Bishop Montgomery

7. Brentwood

8. Centennial/Corona

9. Windward

10. Orangewood Academy

11. Santiago

12. Orange Lutheran

13. La Salle

14. Redondo Union

15. Esperanza

16. North Torrance

DIVISION 2AA

1. Moreno Valley

2. Mira Costa

3. St. Anthony

4. Fairmont Prep

5. Buena Park

6. Glendora

7. Flintridge Prep

8. Rancho Christian

9. Ventura

10. San Clemente

11. South Pasadena

12. Los Osos

13. Rialto

14. Crean Lutheran

15. Claremont

16. El Dorado

DIVISION 2A

1. Lakewood

2. Louisville

3. Buena

4. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks

5. Shadow Hills

6. Aquinas

7. Los Alamitos

8. Pacifica Christian/Orange County

9. Burroughs/Burbank

10. Chino

11. Beckman

12. South Torrance

13. Diamond Bar

14. Santa Margarita

15. Xavier Prep

16. Whitney

DIVISION 3AA

1. Oak Park

2. Anaheim

3. Dos Pueblos

4. Notre Dame Academy

5. Crossroads

6. Oak Hills

7. Silverado

8. Saugus

9. Glendale

10. Cantwell – Sacred Heart of Mary

11. La Habra

12. Temescal Canyon

13. Providence/Burbank

14. La Canada

15. Irvine

16. Burroughs/Ridgecrest

DIVISION 3A

1. JSerra

2. St. Margaret’s

3. Jordan

4. Villa Park

5. Dana Hills

6. St. Monica Prep

7. Heritage

8. Oakwood

9. California

10. Segerstrom

11. California Lutheran

12. Millikan

13. Huntington Beach

14. San Jacinto

15. Godinez

16. La Serna

DIVISION 4AA

1. Rancho Cucamonga

2. Canyon/Anaheim

3. Pacifica/Garden Grove

4. Gahr

5. Ramona Convent

6. Corona

7. Newbury Park

8. Montclair

9. Fontana

10. South Hills

11. Marshall

12. San Marino

13. Beverly Hills

14. Pasadena

15. Capo Valley Christian

16. El Rancho

DIVISION 4A

1. Eastside

2. Palos Verdes

3. Whittier Christian

4. West Ranch

5. Immaculate Heart

6. Apple Valley

7. Ramona

8T. Chaffey

8T. Diamond Ranch

10. St. Joseph (Lakewood)

11. United Christian Academy

12. Hesperia Christian

13. Palm Desert

14. Magnolia

15. Tahquitz

16. Schurr

DIVISION 5AA

1. Savanna

2. Grand Terrace

3. La Mirada

4T. Adelanto

4T. Colton

6. Katella

7. Loara

8. Marymount

9. Indian Springs

10. Ontario

11T. Estancia

11T. Hemet

13. Desert Hot Springs

14. Fullerton

15. Lucerne Valley

16. Santa Ana

DIVISION 5A

1. Antelope Valley

2. St. Pius X – St. Matthias Academy

3. Hamilton

4. Samueli Academy

5. Southlands Christian

6. Temecula Prep

7. Desert Christian Academy

8. Vasquez

9. St. Lucy’s

10. Sherman Indian

11. Norte Vista

12. Sultana

13. Bloomington

14. Hawthorne Math and Science Academy

15. Morningside

16. Los Amigos

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​ Orange County Register 

Harley Rouda: Character matters. That’s why Katie Porter is unfit for the United States Senate.

• January 23, 2024

When you get a Google notice and your name is associated with a news article, and you’re out of political office, you take notice. So of course, I read the San Francisco Chronicle’s article comparing the memoirs from the top three democrats running to become the next senator from California – Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter – with interest. Why was my name mentioned when I’ve retired from politics? Why was I mentioned at all? Much to my extreme surprise, in the last part of the article according to the reporter, Katie Porter said I asked her to valet my car at a fundraising event. 

As opposed to the memoirs of my former colleagues Lee and Schiff, Porter’s book reveals a lot about what makes her tick. Oh, and you’ll discover as I did, a very deep hatred of my family and me. It’s personal, and surprising. I’m referenced numerous times to illustrate points about privilege and class. Her anecdotes about me mistaking her for a valet, or about my real estate purchases, or airline seats, indicate she spent a grotesque and inordinate amount of her time in the House of Representatives keeping notes, keeping score, and lying about her peers.

Katie, as you were watching and judging my family and, as you say, “comparing myself to Harley,” I was busy working, writing, passing legislation, and bringing home resources to Orange County. It cost my family money for me to serve, quite the opposite of what you imply. After writing a paragraph about your peers who traded stock while in Congress, you conclude the chapter with me. You write: “Before he was in office, Harley was a rich guy. In Congress, he ballooned into Representative Rich Guy. That transformation changed my occasional envy of him into institutional outrage.”

That’s your outrage? Me? With all the enormous issues facing our country and the world, and your ability to address these issues head on, this is where your outrage lies? Really? It is shallow beyond the pale.  

Katie Porter built her brand around being a minivan driving, single mom, but the truth of the matter is she’s a boarding school, Harvard, and Yale grad. Katie had more choices and more privilege than virtually everyone else. She lives in a deeply subsidized home – worth about two million dollars – courtesy of UCI and California taxpayers, because she is on “leave” from being a professor.

Porter boasts about taking on powerful special interests – using her whiteboard prop to scold executives – but after pledging to reject their campaign contributions, she “has accepted tens of thousands of dollars worth of contributions from powerful people with influence at the highest echelons of Wall Street.” Talk about hypocrisy. Her whiteboard everywoman act is a fake. She is, at heart, an accomplished actor who stages classless photo opps on the House floor.  

But she doesn’t want you to see her that way. Instead, she’s the victim. Always. 

Drama is great for reality TV, but what we desperately need in Washington D.C. is leadership, people who will reach across the aisle to get things done. Not show people like Katie Porter and Marjorie Taylor Greene who use the office as their own personal promotional outlet. In the 2022 election, Katie had to spend $29 million – 9 times more than her opponent and 99% of it from donors outside the district – and still barely won the seat. Yet Katie still managed to cost our party a seat in LA by backing a primary challenger to Christie Smith, and likely cost Democrats two more seats in Orange County by her musical chairs conducted solely for personal gain. After winning, what does Katie do? She served a total of three days before announcing she was abandoning her constituents and running for the U.S. Senate, and hand-picked a convicted drunk driver as her hopeful replacement. 

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Katie, because I know you will read this, let me say a few things to you directly: I never asked you to valet my car, I didn’t get rich from my time in Congress, and I didn’t purchase a, “DC penthouse for millions weeks after the election.” Those are all unadulterated lies and that makes you a liar. My wife, who you claim I flew “to Washington,” is an international best-selling author and can fly herself anywhere she wants. And she chose to join me in D.C., often, because we are a team. Trying to view our motives and our lives through your lens of isolationist outrage is unfair, and untrue. Projection doesn’t look good on anybody, but especially not someone who wants to be elected to the U.S. Senate. 

As I read your book, one thing became very clear through all your lies. You say you want to be our next senator to provide, “a voice for the minivan drivers and parents who silently lament $20 field trip fees.” But that’s not your true desire. Like your own staffers have said, you’re in this for power and position, the ability to bully, and be in the spotlight. Your book revealed your true nature. Your minivan is a prop, and your life is of your choosing. As they say, you made your bed. But Californians still have a choice. 

If you’re not Katie Porter, I hope you vote for someone with character, stability, and wisdom. To me, Katie’s not that person, she’s no better than a bully. A bully with a white board who is in this for power and her ego. The last thing we need is more self-centered politicians like Katie Porter. 

Harley Rouda served in the House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021. He lives in Laguna Beach.

​ Orange County Register 

CIF-SS boys basketball polls, Jan. 22

• January 23, 2024

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This week’s CIF-SS boys basketball polls, released Monday, Jan. 22.

CIF-SS BOYS BASKETBALL POLLS

(Selected by the CIF-SS Boys Basketball Committee.)

OPEN DIVISION WATCH LIST

(Schools listed in alphabetical order)

Centennial/Corona

Damien

Etiwanda

Harvard-Westlake

JSerra

Mater Dei

Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks

Roosevelt

Sierra Canyon

St. John Bosco

St. Pius X – St. Matthias Academy

West Ranch

Windward

DIVISION 1

1. Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks

2. Mater Dei

3. Sierra Canyon

4. Roosevelt

5. Harvard Westlake

6. St. John Bosco

7. Centennial/Corona

8. JSerra

9. St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy

10. Windward

11. Etiwanda

12. Damien

13T. La Mirada

13T. Redondo Union

15. Santa Margarita

16. Los Alamitos

DIVISION 2AA

1. Crespi

2. Campbell Hall

3. Heritage Christian

4. Vista Murrieta

5. Rolling Hills Prep

6. Trabuco Hills

7. Thousand Oaks

8. Dana Hills

9. St. Anthony’s

10.San Juan Hills

11. Fountain Valley

12. Maranatha

13. Oak Park

14. Loyola

15. Calabasas

16. Saugus

DIVISION 2A

1. Pasadena

2. Westlake

3. Cypress

4. Newport Harbor

5. Long Beach Poly

6. Corona del Mar

7. Lakewood

8. San Gabriel Academy

9. Chaminade

10. Marina

11. Palm Springs

12. Upland

13. Glendora

14. Oak Hills

15. Temescal Canyon

16. Palos Verdes

DIVISION 3AA

1. La Habra

2. Serra

3. Arcadia

4. South Pasadena

5. Wiseburn Da Vinci

6. Pilibos

7. Hesperia

8. Oaks Christian

9. Hillcrest

10. St. Bonaventure

11. Bonita

12. Leuzinger

13. Camarillo

14. Palm Desert

15. Mark Keppel

16. Troy

DIVISION 3A

1. San Clemente

2. Lynwood

3. Northwood

4. Woodbridge

5. Don Bosco Tech

6. North Torrance

7. San Marino

8. Santa Barbara

9. St. Monica Prep

10. Arlington

11. Alemany

12. Huntington Beach

13. Arrowhead Christian

14. Laguna Beach

15. El Dorado

16. Servite

DIVISION 4AA

1. Price

2. Elsinore

3. Burroughs/Burbank

4. Royal

5. Cerritos

6. Milken

7. Golden Valley

8. Western Christian

9. Hemet

10. Yeshiva (YULA)

11. Valley Torah

12. Corona

13. Moorpark

14. Fontana

15. Santiago

16. Diamond Ranch

DIVISION 4A

1. Temecula Valley

2. Mary Star of the Sea

3. Northview

4. Glendale

5T. Estancia

5T. Irvine

7T. Rancho Mirage

7T. Santa Paula

9. Pacifica/Garden Grove

10. Long Beach Cabrillo

11. La Salle

12. California

13. Carter

14. Hillcrest Christian/Thousand Oaks

15. Redlands

16. Norte Vista

DIVISION 5AA

1. El Segundo

2. Dunn

3. Godinez

4. Buckley

5. Hoover/Glendale

6. Castaic

7T. Cal Baptist

7T. Westminster

9. Vistamar

10. Valencia/Placentia

11. Silver Valley

12. Ventura

13. Granite Hills

14. Paloma Valley

15. Savanna

16. San Jacinto

DIVISION 5A

1. Notre Dame/Riverside

2. Bellflower

3. Ontario

4. Firebaugh

5. Los Amigos

6. Big Bear

7. Rancho Alamitos

8. Pioneer

9. Lancaster

10. Cantwell

11. Vasquez

12. Serrano

13. Montebello

14. Carpinteria

15. Foothill Tech

16. Nogales

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​ Orange County Register 

Ruling allows Border Patrol agents to gain control of border again

• January 23, 2024

By Mark Sherman and Paul J. Weber | Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed Border Patrol agents to resume cutting for now razor wire that Texas installed along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border that is at the center of an escalating standoff between the Biden administration and the state over immigration enforcement.

The 5-4 vote clears the way for Border Patrol agents to cut or clear out concertina wire that Texas has put along the banks of the Rio Grande to deter migrants from entering the U.S. illegally. Some migrants have been injured by the sharp wire and the Justice Department has argued the barrier impedes the U.S. government’s ability to patrol the border, including coming to the aid of migrants in need of help.

None of the justices provided any explanation for their vote. The one-page order is a victory for the Biden administration while the lawsuit over the wire continues.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had authorized the wire, one of a series of aggressive measures the three-term Republican has taken on the border in the name of curbing illegal crossings from Mexico. His spokesman said the absence of razor wire and other deterrents encourages migrants to risk unsafe crossings and makes the job of Texas border personnel more difficult.

“This case is ongoing, and Governor Abbott will continue fighting to defend Texas’ property and its constitutional authority to secure the border,” Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said.A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

A federal appeals court last month had forced federal agents to stop cutting the concertina wire.

The concertina wire stretches for roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) near the border city of Eagle Pass, where earlier this month the Texas Military Department seized control of a city-owned park and began denying access to Border Patrol agents.

Eagle Park has become one of the busiest spots on the southern U.S. border for migrants illegally crossing from Mexico. Abbott has said Texas won’t allow Border Patrol agents into Shelby Park anymore, having expressed frustration over what he says are migrants illegally entering through Eagle Pass and then federal agents loading them onto buses.

Abbott also has authorized installing floating barriers in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass and allowed troopers to arrest and jail thousands of migrants on trespassing charges. The administration also is challenging those actions in federal court.

In court papers, the administration said the wire impedes Border Patrol agents from reaching migrants as they cross the river and that, in any case, federal immigration law trumps Texas’ own efforts to stem the flow of migrants into the country.

Texas officials have argued that federal agents cut the wire to help groups crossing illegally through the river before taking them in for processing.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor sided with the administration. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas voted with Texas.

Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writer Valerie Gonzalez in McAllen, Texas, contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

HOA Homefront: Is your HOA’s corporate status current?

• January 19, 2024

The law requires that HOAs keep their corporate status current, and failure can be disastrous.

Most California HOAs are set up as nonprofit mutual benefit corporations. To determine whether an association is incorporated, look at the first page of the HOA’s bylaws.

If the HOA was not established as a corporation, the bylaws will usually refer to it as an “unincorporated association.”

Per Civil Code Section 4805, unincorporated associations may exercise the various powers under Corporations Code Section 7140 and the powers granted by the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act. Generally, unincorporated associations must comply with that Act and also Corporations Code Sections 18000 and following.

Incorporated associations are required to file at least every other year the SI-100 and SI-CID informational forms with the Secretary of State and annually file tax returns with the Franchise Tax Board.

The SI-100 form lists the HOA’s mailing address, address of its agent for service of legal process and the names and contact addresses of the top three officers.

The SI-CID form lists the manager’s contact information, the total number of homes in the HOA and the physical location of the property.

Both forms can be filed online, and the fees for filing are a combined $35. The failure to timely file these forms and file tax returns can result in the corporation’s status being “suspended.”

The state has a user-friendly site, bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov, where anyone can check the status of any corporation. If a board or manager discovers that an HOA is suspended, the SI-100 and SI-CID forms can be filed online once the corporation opens an online account.

Corporate suspension is a very serious matter.

Suspended corporations are not recognized by the law as existing. So, they cannot defend themselves in court and cannot bring lawsuits to protect their rights. A judge could dismiss a suspended corporations lawsuit against other parties, or could declare a suspended corporate defendant to be in default as a party.

Contracts entered into by corporations during the time of their suspension due to failure to file tax returns are voidable at the election of the other party to the contract.

This means that the HOA vendor can unilaterally cancel its contract with the HOA and the suspended HOA can do nothing to prevent it. Note: this consequence does not apply if the HOA has filed its tax returns and has only failed to file the SI-100 and SI-CID forms.

Another consequence of suspended corporations is the corporation’s name is no longer considered by the state to be reserved. Therefore, someone else can reserve the HOA’s name while it is suspended. When the HOA reactivates its status, it must find another name!

Imagine how embarrassing it would be to have to explain to your HOA neighbors that the HOA must amend its governing documents to change its legal name because the board or management didn’t keep those filings current.

For more information about the consequences of corporate suspension, go to ftb.ca.gov/help/business/my-business-is-suspended.html. The Franchise Tax Board has much helpful information on its site.

When beginning to work with any HOA, managers should check to confirm the HOA’s corporate status is “active.” The major problems described above are easily prevented.

The official site of the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act is eginfo.legislature.ca.gov.

Kelly G. Richardson, Esq. is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers and Partner of Richardson Ober LLP, a California law firm known for community association advice. Submit column questions to [email protected].

​ Orange County Register 

Ludacris will headline Yaamava’ Resort & Casino next week

• January 19, 2024

Next week’s entertainment at Southern California casinos includes an American-born regional Mexican music performer, a South Korean singer-songwriter, an Atlanta rapper and actor, an Australian comedian, and one of Australia’s most popular rock bands.

Here are the acts performing the week of Jan. 22-28. Be sure to check the official websites for the latest event information.

Roberto Tapia

Roberto Tapia is banda and norteño singer from San Diego, but he was raised in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. Tapia made his television debut as one of three coaches on the first two seasons of “La Voz Kids,” a Spanish-language version of “The Voice” featuring American Spanish-speaking children. Some of Tapia’s biggest hits include, “Las Edades, “El Niño De La Tuna” and “Los Amigos Del M.”  8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26 at Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon. $39-$69. 951-849 3080.morongocasinoresort.com.

Jim Jefferies

Comedian Jim Jeffries has been one of the prominent comedians on Netflix. His last special on the service, “High N’ Dry,” was released last February. Jeffries also starred in the FX series “Legit,” which he wrote, executive produced and starred in, as well as Comedy Central’s “The Jim Jefferies Show,” which ran for three seasons from 2017-2019. He currently hosts the podcast “I Don’t Know About That.” 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio. $59-$129. 800-827-2946. fantasyspringsresort.com.

Lee Mujin

South Korean singer-songwriter Lee Mujin rose to fame after winning the South Korean music audition show “Sing Again” in 2020. Mujin blends jazz, rock and folk with heartfelt lyrics and powerful vocals with songs such as “Traffic Lights,” “Rain and You” and “When it Snows.” The performance at Pechanga Resort Casino marks the 23-year-old’s first time performing in America. 6 p.m. Jan. 27 at Pechanga Resort Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula. $80-$240. 877-711-2946. pechanga.com.

Little River Band

Little River Band officially formed in England, but its core foundation was Melbourne, Australia. The group, along with  AC/DC, INXS and Men at Work, is one of the most notable rock bands to come out of the Australia who also found shared success in the United States with their west coast harmonies. Some of the band’s biggest hits include “Reminiscing,” “Lady” and “Cool Change.” 8 p.m. Jan 27 at Spotlight 29 Casino, 46-200 Harrison Place, Coachella. $20-$70. 760-775-5566. spotlight29.com.

Ludacris

Ludacris earned his clout rising through the rap and hip-hop scene emerging out of the south in the late ’90s and early’00s. Last year, the Atlanta rapper, known for hits such as “My Chick Bad,” “Get Back” and “Act a Fool,” received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also has been featured on TV shows like “Law & Order: SVU” and in films like the “Fast & Furious” franchise. His most recent film, “Dashing Through The Snow,” was a Christmas movie with comedian Lil Rel Howery playing Santa Claus. 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28 at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, 777 San Manuel Blvd., Highland. $45-$345; 21-and-older only. 909-864-5050. yaamava.com.

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​ Orange County Register