How Latino-owned businesses and entrepreneurs are driving the U.S. economy

• October 14, 2023

For 27-year-old Irán Sanchez Salazar, being a Latino entrepreneur in Los Angeles is a source of immense pride.

The Bell resident, who spent two years in Mexico waiting for his permanent residency paperwork to come through, took that time to hone his craft and pursue a career in specialty coffee. Now Sanchez Salazar co-owns a coffee brand called “Malcriada,” with a menu inspired by Mexican and Chicano heritage and culture. In 2022, Sanchez Salazar and his girlfriend started making and selling the beans and blends at pop-ups across southeast L.A.

“I think for me, being a Latino-owned business is something I really take with me everywhere I go,” Sanchez Salazar said. “For us, it’s very important. It’s part of our mission: to preserve the culture that we inherited and also share it with other people.”

Sanchez Salazar is among a growing number of Latino Americans pursuing entrepreneurial dreams — and whose demographic has become a major driver of U.S. economic growth. New reports, released in mid-September and October during Hispanic Heritage Month, show that Latinos in the U.S. are propelling the economy forward — both as consumers and business owners. As older, non-Latino workers retire, research shows younger Latinos stepping into the labor market, contributing through personal businesses, spending and tax revenues.

With nearly 5 million Latino-owned businesses nationwide, Latinos generate more than $800 billion in annual revenue, according to a report card from the U.S. Treasury Department and the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, released Oct. 12. The U.S. is home to over 62.5 million Latinos — 19% of the U.S. population, the report says.

An annual study, from UCLA Health’s Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture and California Luthern University, shows the total economic output of U.S. Latinos was $3.2 trillion in 2021 — up from $2.8 trillion in 2020 and $1.7 trillion in 2010.

The report also noted Latinos in the U.S. have the fifth largest GDP — gross domestic product, a measure of the overall value of goods and services — in the world, larger than that of India, France or the U.K. It represents a growth of 7.1%, adjusted for inflation, and surpasses the $3 trillion mark for the first time, researchers said. Researchers said the numbers are driven by rapid gains in Latino income.

California also had the largest Latino economic output in 2021, amounting to $682 billion — followed by Texas and Florida, according to the latest U.S. Latino GDP report by the Latino Donor Collaborative, published in late September. With a growing consumption and purchasing power, the California Latino economy alone would rank the 21st largest in the world, between Poland and Switzerland.

Despite economic challenges, businesses shuttering and high unemployment rates during the coronavirus pandemic, more Latino entrepreneurs are starting their own businesses.

Nearly 25% of all new entrepreneurs in 2021 were Latino, research shows. Areas with a higher proportion of Latino and Black residents saw large increases in business application rates in 2020. Also, from 2019 to 2022 — during the pandemic and as businesses continued to recover — median weekly earnings increased 2.4% for Latino workers, accounting for inflation. Unemployment rates in this community also hit a record low last September, at 3.8%, according to the Department of Labor.

Notable among the numbers: younger Latinos are joining the workforce, spending and starting businesses.

The Latino Donor Collaborative report emphasizes this demographic as “significantly younger” than other groups. The majority are under age 25, with the most common age range being 10-to-14 years, compared to 60-to-64 years among non-Latinos.

A combination of “robust population growth, high labor force participation, and increasing human capital will continue to drive the dynamic growth witnessed so far,” the report says.

More Latinos are also graduating — though at lesser rates than their White peers — and becoming employed. This influx of younger, working-age Latinos, alongside economic advancements, is what’s making a difference, said Sol Trujillo, co-founder of the Latino Donor Collaborative.

“The Latino GDP is growing bigger every year, simply because of age. It’s a youthful cohort. If you took all Anglo Americans in the country, aged zero to 100, the most populated age for that cohort would be 58. If you took all the Latino Americans in the zero to 100 category, the most populated age would be 11,” said Trujillo. “There’s a million Latinos in the country turning 18 every year… they’re now supplying almost 80% of all workers in our economy.”

With overall “youthfulness, strong work ethic, deep family values, entrepreneurial spirit, healthy lifestyle and patriotism… Latinos are poised to power the U.S. economy into the mid-21st century, continuing to be a source of economic strength and resilience that benefits all,” researchers from the 2023 U.S. Latino GDP Report said.

Latinos’ growing purchasing power, representation

Being able to express themselves and pursue passions, while making a living, is top of mind for many Latino small business owners. These young creatives are just getting started.

Coffee connoisseur Sanchez Salazar was proud to hear about the growing Latino GDP. He and his business partner hope to one day open up Malcriada cafés of their own around southeast L.A.

“I think this information is good to see how much of this country we carry on our shoulders,” he said. “I like to believe I’m one of those people who are really hard working and do things without expecting. For generations, we don’t necessarily expect the best working conditions, the best benefits… Latinos are here to contribute. We’re not freeloaders.”

Seis Solis Wine Co. owner Christopher Rivera sells wines wholesale in Orange, Santa Ana and across the region, with dreams of opening up a tasting room in Orange County. The Northern California native said that grapes are grown Lodi, but the coronavirus shutdown made him redirect business online.

The company’s name — Seis Soles, the “sixth sun” — is inspired by Aztec ancestry and lore, respecting traditional Mexican family values while promoting new ideas. It represents the growth of “a new generation’s culture and values,” according to the website. Rivera’s business model supports representation and inclusivity which, he said, the wine industry needs more work on. He hopes to create a brand “that Latinos can identify with” and can be shared.

“I launched (Seis Soles Wine Co.) because Latinos are growing in purchasing power, in political power and in representation, especially in California,” Rivera, 38, said. “People always kind of pigeonhole us and act like we’re a monolith. They have almost a caricature of what a Latino or Mexican might be in California. Now, our disposable income tends to be increasing, as we’re expanding out from just manual labor jobs… we’re coming into our own, learning new things and participating in the economy.”

After finding a lack of inclusive children’s clothing to gift to her expecting uncles, L.A. resident Jessica Sosa-Cardenas co-founded a children’s clothing brand called PeaTree, selling hand-sewn, organic onesies and children’s clothes at pop-up markets and retailers across the region.

Now the small business, started by two second-generation Mexican sisters in 2019, carries a range of children’s clothes that represent being Latinx. PeaTree’s collections also celebrate LGBTQ+ parents and those with children through in vitro fertilization, surrogacy or adoption.

Sosa-Cardenas said PeaTree contributes to the community through local partnerships. She feels it’s important to uplift other women of color and their businesses.

“To work on this brand that is representative of my culture is so huge because it’s the double layer of not only being Latino, but also being a woman, and knowing that I was able to achieve all of this. I want it to be an example of what true commitment and hard work can do,” Sosa-Cardenas, 38, said. “The love for my family, the love for my culture, the love for our traditions is what it’s all about.”

Related links

Latino family businesses thriving in Inland Empire
8 Latino financial influencers to follow in 2023
LA program helping small, diverse businesses land construction contracts
Latino entrepreneurs fill a niche in Whittier commerce
Report shows widening gap between Latino and White students who graduate college
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pitches tough immigration policies to LA Latinos

Staff writer Allyson Vergara contributed to this report. 

​ Orange County Register 

Peter Gabriel delivers ‘So’ hits and new ‘i/o’ songs in powerful Kia Forum show

• October 14, 2023

At the end of the night, after old songs and new, Peter Gabriel wrapped up a gorgeous night at the Kia Forum with a challenge to the audience.

“What happens next is up to you,” Gabriel said as he left the stage followed by members of his band, one by one, until only Manu Manu Katché’s booming drumbeats remained, echoing through the arena as the crowd sang the final haunting refrain of “Biko.”

In one way, his words reflected the message of the song just finished: Can you find the courage of Steve Biko, the South African anti-apartheid activist, whose fight against that evil cost him his life?

But in the broader sense, Gabriel could have been talking about every song in the set on Friday, and the themes that he’s explored in his music throughout his life: “Birth and death, with sex in the middle,” as he’s described the songs on his new album, “i/o,” but also war and peace, humankind and nature, kindness and love.

Be brave, and our world thrives, the 73-year-old English singer-songwriter said in words and music throughout 22 songs and three hours on Friday. Be blind, and do we even survive?

The concert in Inglewood was Gabriel’s first in the Los Angeles area since 2016 at the Hollywood Bowl when he and Sting, who made his own return at the Bowl a week ago, shared the stage for two nights at that venue.

Unlike then, when the set included hits from both artists’ catalogs, this stop was something quite different. Yes, it included some of Gabriel’s best-loved songs – he played five of nine songs from the 1986 album “So,” perhaps his biggest critical and commercial success.

But Gabriel also played 11 of 12 songs from “i/o,” his first album of new material in 20 years; it hasn’t even been formally released yet, though nine of the new tracks have been released as singles, arriving one by one on the full moon every month since January.

That’s a big ask of any audience, and if you came hoping to hear “Shock the Monkey,” “Games Without Frontiers,” or deeper album tracks, well, you went home disappointed. But Gabriel’s audience isn’t like others, and for the most part, went with him wherever he chose to go on Friday.

The night, which was divided into two sets with an intermission, opened softly with Gabriel walking on stage alone to introduce the show to come. We’re going to travel through time tonight, he said, and consider our lives and our world and the power we have, for good or ill, to change things.

Bassist Tony Levin, who’s played in Gabriel’s band for 47 years, joined him; sitting before a huge circular screen on which a closeup of the moon was depicted, they began to play “Washing the Water,” an old song, during which the other seven members of Gabriel’s band took their places in a semi-circle beneath the moon, then “Growing Up,” older songs from “Us” and “Up” respectively. (The man loves his two-letter titles.)

A trio of new songs followed, each with introductions by Gabriel, each with the work of a different contemporary artist chosen by Gabriel to illustrate the single and be used in the videos on screen.

“Panopticom” was inspired by the rise of AI, which holds the power to either kill us off more quickly or help us see and know our world in a clearer, positive way. The title track “i/o” reflects the manner in which modern life overwhelms and devours the natural world.

And sure, those are fine messages, but the songs don’t work because of that. They, and most of the new stuff, work because they arrived unfamiliar but finished like classic Peter Gabriel tunes. “i/o” was a catchy, fun upbeat rock song. “Four Kinds of Horses” might have been about war and peace, but to the ears, it’s a gorgeous moody piece carried by the cello, violin and French horn on stage.

The first part of the show did include a few old faves. “Digging In The Dirt” from “Us” remains a slightly under-appreciated companion to “Sledgehammer,” the No. 1 single from “So,” which closed the first half of the show with a joyful, energetic performance by Gabriel and the band, and a loud, enthusiastic response from the audience. (Guitarist David Rhodes, who’s played with Gabriel for 44 years, displayed an easy familiarity with the singer as they did a little synchronized step-and-kick dance during “Sledgehammer.”)

Even before the stop-motion animation of the “Sledgehammer” music video, Gabriel has explored the visual side of performance from his days in Genesis to his solo career, and the stagecraft on Friday was subtly beautiful as evidenced by the opening of the second set.

A stagewide transparent scrim obscured a clear view of Gabriel and the band as they opened with “Darkness,” from “Up,” and “Love Can Heal” from the new album. Gabriel sang behind it, sometimes in silhouette, sometimes, as the spotlights shifted, like a ghost behind the screen. At one point he seemed to “paint” on it, moving his hand to create swirls and streaks of green and red light that followed his onscreen shadow as he walked the width of the stage.

The bespoke artwork for each new song also added elements of happiness, sorrow, sometimes joy and laughter. “Love Can Heal” included a moody painting of a couple cocooned in an embrace by British artist Antony Micallef. It was followed by “Road to Joy,” one of the most fun and upbeat tracks on the new record with artwork by Chinese artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwei, who contributed a piece titled “Middle Finger in Pink.”

The back half of the show delivered more hits, including a trio from “So.” “Don’t Give Up” was lovely as ever, with cellist Ayanna Witter-Johnson singing the duet part that Kate Bush did on the album. “Red Rain” was as powerfully thrilling as ever. And “Big Time,” the offbeat, upbeat bookend to “Sledgehammer” was pure, joyful fun.

Not much from Gabriel’s earliest solo albums was included in the set, though “Solsbury Hill” closed out the main set. “In Your Eyes” served as the first encore, done in a slightly rearranged version with a longer intro and outro to the gorgeous melody of the main track.

And then “Biko,” a song about suffering and injustice and the will to resist. Not tied to any particular conflict in the world, but clearly as relevant today as it was in 1980 when it arrived three years after his death. What happens next is up to you.

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County football standings: Through the Week 8 games

• October 14, 2023

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

Orange County football standings through games of Friday, Oct. 13:

TRINITY LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

St. John Bosco
3-0
1.000
126
34
7-1
.875
296
119

Mater Dei
2-1
.667
91
28
7-1
.875
304
71

Orange Lutheran
2-1
.667
78
78
5-3
.625
196
186

Santa Margarita
1-2
.333
62
101
5-3
.625
238
228

JSerra
1-2
.333
55
90
4-4
.500
189
156

Servite
0-3
.000
60
141
4-4
.500
270
226

SUNSET LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Los Alamitos
3-0
1.000
180
38
6-2
.750
377
166

Edison
3-0
1.000
99
55
5-3
.625
206
162

Corona del Mar
1-2
.333
62
97
4-4
.500
179
201

Newport Harbor
1-2
.333
101
114
3-5
.375
217
253

Huntington Beach
1-2
.333
71
119
4-4
.500
205
241

Fountain Valley
0-3
.000
30
120
3-5
.375
201
259

SOUTH COAST
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

San Clemente
1-0
1.000
20
10
7-1
.875
241
96

Tesoro
1-0
1.000
37
22
5-3
.625
204
138

Mission Viejo
0-1
.000
10
20
5-3
.625
257
146

Capistrano Valley
0-1
.000
22
37
7-1
.875
275
143

SEA VIEW LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

San Juan Hills
1-0
1.000
57
7
8-0
1.000
304
113

Trabuco Hills
1-0
1.000
58
24
5-3
.625
233
180

Aliso Niguel
0-1
.000
24
58
5-3
.625
220
150

El Toro
0-1
.000
7
57
2-6
.250
118
249

CRESTVIEW LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Yorba Linda
1-0
1.000
58
7
6-2
.750
295
155

Foothill
1-0
1.000
22
21
5-3
.625
264
230

Villa Park
0-1
.000
21
22
7-1
.875
292
98

Brea Olinda
0-1
.000
7
58
5-3
.625
218
242

NORTH HILLS LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

El Dorado
1-0
1.000
41
0
4-4
.500
281
209

El Modena
1-0
1.000
41
20
4-4
.500
224
196

Esperanza
0-1
.000
20
41
3-5
.375
232
268

Canyon
0-1
.000
0
41
1-7
.125
121
302

EMPIRE LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Tustin
3-0
1.000
110
7
8-0
1.000
309
137

Cypress
3-0
1.000
115
28
5-3
.625
212
128

Crean Lutheran
2-1
.667
91
56
6-2
.750
267
122

Pacifica
1-2
.333
48
113
2-6
.250
126
275

Kennedy
0-3
.000
26
95
5-3
.625
226
144

Valencia
0-3
.000
42
133
3-5
.375
235
239

FREEWAY LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Troy
3-0
1.000
83
62
5-3
.625
271
223

Sonora
3-0
1.000
106
62
7-1
.875
241
161

La Habra
2-1
.667
129
53
4-4
.500
280
193

Sunny Hills
1-2
.333
41
93
4-4
.500
160
180

Fullerton
0-3
.000
97
106
2-6
.250
206
190

Buena Park
0-3
.000
46
126
4-4
.500
253
188

ORANGE COAST LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Santa Ana
5-0
1.000
257
52
7-2
.778
395
177

St. Margaret’s
3-1
.750
163
89
4-4
.500
251
218

Orange
2-1
.667
80
57
3-4
.429
175
197

Calvary Chapel
2-2
.500
120
105
4-4
.500
234
213

Estancia
1-2
.333
73
94
4-3
.571
202
126

Costa Mesa
1-3
.250
64
150
2-6
.250
112
257

Saddleback
0-5
.000
6
216
0-8
.000
22
339

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Northwood
1-0
1.000
35
7
4-4
.500
188
168

Dana Hills
1-0
1.000
21
20
6-2
.750
230
166

Laguna Hills
0-1
.000
20
21
7-1
.875
237
120

Portola
0-1
.000
7
35
4-4
.500
166
159

PACIFIC HILLS LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Beckman
1-0
1.000
31
7
7-1
.875
303
83

Irvine
1-0
1.000
13
9
5-3
.625
194
146

Woodbridge
0-1
.000
9
13
1-7
.125
91
190

University
0-1
.000
7
31
3-5
.375
176
183

ORANGE LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Western
3-0
1.000
171
14
7-1
.875
367
104

Santa Ana Valley
2-1
.667
69
82
3-5
.375
129
280

Anaheim
2-1
.667
97
63
4-4
.500
179
169

Savanna
1-2
.333
48
118
1-7
.125
110
320

Magnolia
1-2
.333
88
143
1-7
.125
115
408

Century
0-3
.000
67
120
1-7
.125
143
285

GARDEN GROVE LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

La Quinta
3-0
1.000
101
80
6-2
.750
237
142

Los Amigos
2-1
.667
68
46
4-4
.500
160
205

Rancho Alamitos
2-1
.667
54
43
5-3
.625
153
159

Bolsa Grande
2-1
.667
99
77
5-3
.625
224
250

Santiago
0-3
.000
76
97
3-5
.375
171
227

Loara
0-3
.000
57
112
0-8
.000
91
289

BIG 4 LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Segerstrom
1-0
1.000
64
0
5-3
.625
259
165

Marina
1-0
1.000
28
21
4-4
.500
139
173

Garden Grove
0-1
.000
21
28
2-6
.250
139
275

Katella
0-1
.000
0
64
1-7
.125
54
352

PAC 4 LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Laguna Beach
1-0
1.000
64
0
7-1
.875
352
142

Westminster
1-0
1.000
47
13
6-2
.750
261
74

Godinez
0-1
.000
13
47
3-5
.375
147
180

Ocean View
0-1
.000
0
64
4-4
.500
146
186

MESQUITE LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Capistrano Valley Christian
3-0
1.000
117
51
6-1
.857
226
118

Linfield Christian
2-1
.667
91
24
5-3
.625
234
110

Arrowhead Christian
2-1
.667
76
61
7-1
.875
248
129

Western Christian
1-2
.333
109
84
5-3
.625
289
205

Riverside Prep
1-2
.333
74
136
3-5
.375
182
285

Trinity Classical Academy
0-3
.000
38
149
2-6
.250
145
313

COTTONWOOD LEAGUE
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Whittier Christian
3-0
1.000
134
14
5-3
.625
275
148

Maranatha
3-0
1.000
93
40
7-1
.875
281
152

Santa Rosa Academy
2-1
.667
141
67
5-3
.625
327
145

Vasquez
0-2
.000
8
47
0-7
.000
35
248

Desert Christian Academy
0-2
.000
12
84
2-5
.286
104
112

Hamilton
0-3
.000
18
154
0-8
.000
90
328

PREP LEAGUE (8-man)
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA
W-L
Pct.
PF
PA

Chadwick
1-0
1.000
40
21
6-0
1.000
228
113

Flintridge Prep
1-0
1.000
55
22
6-0
1.000
297
127

Sage Hill
0-1
.000
21
40
4-2
.667
286
165

Windward
0-1
.000
22
55
1-4
.200
104
150

Related Articles

​ Orange County Register 

Rams look to put it all together against the Cardinals

• October 14, 2023

THOUSAND OAKS — In Week 2, the Rams’ offense had enough firepower, but the defense couldn’t get the requisite stops to win. In Week 3, the defense stymied Cincinnati, but the offense couldn’t convert on third down. In Weeks 4 and 5, the offense disappeared in the second half after strong starts to the game.

After a Week 1 in which they beat the Seahawks in every facet of the game, the Rams have yet to put together a complete performance again. And it’s cost them, going 1-3 across the past four weeks, only a throwback Matthew Stafford overtime drive getting the Rams back in the win column.

“I think guys are playing good football. I think we still haven’t put it all together,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “I think once we do that, we’re going to be the team that we want to be. I think we got the talent here. I think we got the coaches. We just got to go out there, execute it and do it.”

The Rams (2-3) will try to put together that perfect game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals (1-4), with a few key corrections to make.

On the defensive side of the ball, tackling was an issue last week against the Eagles. The Rams missed several key tackles on third downs that allowed Philadelphia to keep the ball moving on critical drives.

Though the Rams can’t take their own teammates to the ground in practice, Donald and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said tackling was a point of emphasis this week, getting some thuds in at practice and discussing the issue in meeting rooms.

On top of that, the Rams are trying to eliminate the mistakes that allowed the 49ers and Eagles to put together quick drives to take the lead before halftime in each of the Rams’ previous two home games.

“I was mad about that. That lingered on me until about Monday night, honestly,” Donald said. “We gave up some plays and with some penalties that hurt us and some things that we could’ve done better. We got to try to eliminate that type of stuff, but we can’t have that as a defense. That’s not us, that can’t be acceptable. That just doesn’t sit well with me.”

As for the offense, consistency will also be key.

The Rams scored two touchdowns in three possessions in the first half against the Eagles last week. But Philadelphia pitched a second-half shutout. Across the past four weeks, the Rams are averaging 4.75 points in the second half.

And when the Rams have fallen into two-possession holes, the hurry-up offense that’s been such a big part of the team’s success hasn’t been able to sustain scoring drives.

“The execution is just a little bit off,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “We got to be better as coaches and make sure that the guys know exactly what we’re asking from them in those situations. It’s so close in so many circumstances.”

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It’s still early in the season, with the Rams’ hopes of a playoff bid still alive. And the mistakes aren’t a matter of lack of talent, but execution. That’s why the Rams remain encouraged, though they know they can’t afford many more of these kinds of mistakes.

“Definitely in the NFL, you make two mistakes, you give up too many big plays, you tend to be the team to lose the game,” Donald said. “I think we got the talent here. I think we got the coaches. We just got to go out there, execute it and do it.”

CARDINALS (1-4) at RAMS (2-3)

When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday

Where: SoFi Stadium

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 386, 227

​ Orange County Register 

Angel City FC playoff berth on the line in season finale

• October 14, 2023

In its inaugural season, Angel City Football Club made it to the penultimate game of the season with a shot at making the NWSL playoffs, but ended up on the outside looking in.

This season, the second-year club heads into the final game of the regular season with another opportunity to make the six-team postseason.

“I think we’ve approached the last five games or the last part of the season in the same mindset that we have to approach Sunday,” ACFC defender and captain Ali Riley said. “We knew to stay in it (playoff chase) after being in 11th place, we were trying to win every game. We weren’t winning every game, but I think you were able to see that mentality, never give-up and we wanted to get a result out of every single game.

“We were really disappointed to drop those points at home (1-0, Oct. 2) against Orlando, but you saw that fight come out in Houston (2-1, Oct. 8).”

There are a lot of scenarios at play for Angel City (7-7-7, 28 points) in Sunday’s regular-season finale at home against the first-place Portland Thorns (10-6-5, 35 points). Entering the final day, only Portland and San Diego Wave FC have clinched a spot and Chicago and Kansas City are the only teams that have been eliminated from contention.

That means eight teams are still vying for four spots in the playoffs. Angel City, tied for seventh place, has a chance to move all the way up to third or the potential to end the season in 10th.

To clinch a playoff spot, ACFC will have to defeat the Thorns, who will be trying to win the NWSL Shield as the best team in the regular season. Angel City will also need a win or loss by Washington or a loss or draw by Orlando. Another path to the playoffs: an ACFC win, a draw or loss by OL Reign or a loss by Gotham FC.

“The away win was massive for us,” Angel City interim coach Becki Tweed said. “You can see the resilience and the belief in this team and if there’s one thing that I think you know from this season is that you can’t count us out.”

Angel City has never defeated the Thorns in NWSL play. The two wins have come in Challenge Cup last year (1-0, April. 24, 2022) and this year (2-1, July 29).

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“We know that obviously Portland is a quality side,” Tweed said. “We’ve played them three times season already, the last time we played we came away with a good performance and three points. Even though it was in the Challenge Cup, it was still part of our streak and our second half (run) and we’ll be looking to duplicate that performance.

“They have threats all over the field, so we’ll be looking to negate their quality and also play to our best potential on the ball. We want to remain being us, that’s what’s got us here and we just have to be the best versions of ourselves.”

Portland (10-6-5, 35 pts) at Angel City FC (7-7-7, 28 pts)

When: 2 p.m. Sunday

Where: BMO Stadium

TV/radio: Paramount+/iHeart Radio

​ Orange County Register 

Arizona Cardinals at Rams: Who has the edge?

• October 14, 2023

CARDINALS (1-4) at RAMS (2-3)

When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday

Where: SoFi Stadium

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 386, 227

Line: Rams by 7

Notable injury designations: Cardinals: S Jalen Thompson (out; hamstring), WR Marquise Brown (questionable; illness), TE Elijah Higgins (questionable; illness), DL Jonathan Ledbetter (questionable; finger), LB Jesse Luketa (questionable; shoulder), LB Myjai Sanders (questionable; thumb), CB Garrett Williams (questionable; knee), LB Josh Woods (questionable; ankle), OL Dennis Daley (questionable; ankle). Rams: LB Ernest Jones (questionable; knee), RG Joe Noteboom (questionable; groin), DT Larrell Murchison (questionable; knee)

What’s at stake? For the Cardinals, a chance to claw out of the NFC West cellar and draw even with the Rams for third in the division. For the Rams, the ability to climb back up to .500 and then, if they beat Pittsburgh next week, finish their three-game homestand with a winning record. Plus, the first home victory of the year would be a nice feather in the Rams’ caps.

Who’s better? In fairness, both teams have surpassed preseason expectations, especially the Cardinals, who have been competitive in every game after outsiders questioned whether they were even trying to build an NFL roster. But the Rams are healthier, especially with their starting quarterback available as Cardinals QB Kyler Murray continues to recover from a torn ACL. And the Rams are deeper overall across the roster, giving them the edge.

Matchup to watch: Rams OLB vs. QB Joshua Dobbs. The Rams have faced dual-threat quarterbacks in each of the past two weeks. The Colts’ Anthony Richardson rushed 10 times for 56 yards and a touchdown, and the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts rushed 15 times for 72 yards and, you guessed it, a touchdown. Dobbs is averaging 5.3 yards per carry this season, including a 44-yarder. The Rams will need outside linebackers Byron Young, Michael Hoecht, Ochaun Mathis and Zach VanValkenburg to keep contain and not allow Dobbs to escape the pocket.

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Rams win if: The offense avoids any of the second-half letdowns that have plagued it the past few weeks and scores twice on both sides of halftime. … The Rams take advantage of RB James Conner’s trip to injured reserve and limit the Arizona run game to less than 75 yards.

Fantasy sleeper: RB Kyren Williams was quiet last week with just 53 yards and 13 carries in a 23-14 loss to Philadelphia, but the Cardinals are 29th in fantasy points allowed to RBs. If the Rams start playing from ahead, expect them to feed Williams a healthy portion of handoffs.

Prediction: Rams 34, Cardinals 17. Beat reporter’s record: 3-2 for the season; 3-2 against the spread.

​ Orange County Register 

Palestinians in Gaza struggle to follow Israeli evacuation order and face dire water shortage

• October 14, 2023

By WAFAA SHURAFA and JOSEPH KRAUSS

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinians struggled Saturday to flee from areas of Gaza targeted by the Israeli military while grappling with a growing water and medical supply shortage ahead of an expected land offensive a week after Hamas’ bloody, wide-ranging attack into Israel.

Israel renewed calls on social media and in leaflets dropped from the air for Gaza residents to move south, while Hamas urged people to stay in their homes. The U.N. and aid groups have said such a rapid exodus would cause untold human suffering, especially for hospitalized patients, older adults and others unable to relocate.

The evacuation directive covers an area of 1.1 million residents, or about half the territory’s population. The Israeli military said “hundreds of thousands” of Palestinians had heeded the warning and headed south. It gave Palestinians a six hour window that ended Saturday afternoon to travel within Gaza without being harmed along two main routes.

A week after Hamas’ attack, Israel was still working to assess the casualties. With special rabbinic approval, workers at a military base in central Israel continued the grueling task of identifying the bodies of the Israelis and foreign nationals who were killed, mostly civilians. Work is normally halted on Saturday, the Jewish sabbath.

On Saturday night, the Israeli military said in a statement it was preparing a coordinated offensive in Gaza using air, ground and naval forces. Israel has not said when the offensive will begin.

It was not clear how many Palestinians remained in north Gaza by Saturday afternoon, said Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. “What we know is that hundreds of thousands of people have fled. And that 1 million people have been displaced in total in one week,” she said.

An estimated 35,000 displaced civilians have crammed into the grounds of Gaza City’s main hospital, sitting under trees in the empty grounds, as well as inside the building’s lobby and corridors, hoping they will be protected from the fighting, medical officials said.

“People think this is the only safe space after their homes were destroyed and they were forced to flee,” said Dr. Medhat Abbas, a Health Ministry official. “Gaza City is a frightening scene of devastation.”

Families in cars, trucks and donkey carts packed with possessions crowded a main road heading away from Gaza City as Israeli airstrikes continued to hammer the 40-kilometer (25-mile) long territory, where basic necessities like food, fuel and drinking water were running low because of a complete Israeli siege.

Water has stopped coming out of taps across the territory. Amal Abu Yahia, a 25-year-old pregnant mother in the Jabaliya refugee camp, said she waits anxiously for the few minutes each day or every other day when contaminated water trickles from the pipes in her basement. She then rations it, prioritizing her 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter. She said she is drinking so little herself, she only urinates every other day.

Near the coast, the only tap water is contaminated with Mediterranean Sea water because of the lack of sanitation facilities. Mohammed Ibrahim, 28, said his neighbors in Gaza City have taken to drinking the salt water.

The Israeli military’s evacuation would force the territory’s entire population to cram into the southern half of Gaza as Israel continues strikes across the territory, including in the south.

Rami Swailem said he and at least five families in his building decided to stay put in his apartment near Gaza City. “We are rooted in our lands,” he said. “We prefer to die in dignity and face our destiny.”

Others were looking desperately for ways to evacuate. “We need a number for drivers from Gaza to the south, it is necessary #help,” read a post on social media. “We need a bus number, office, or any means of transport,” read another.

The U.N. refugee agency for Palestinians expressed concern for those who could not leave, “particularly pregnant women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities,” saying they must be protected. The agency also called for Israel to not target civilians, hospitals, schools, clinics and U.N. locations.

Al-Shifa hospital was receiving hundreds of wounded every hour and had used up 95% of its medical supplies, hospital director Mohammad Abu Selim said. Water is scarce and the fuel powering its generators is dwindling.

“The situation inside the hospital is miserable in every sense of the word,” he said. “The operating rooms don’t stop.”

Patients and personnel from the Al Awda Hospital in Gaza’s far north spent part of their night in the street “with bombs landing in close proximity,” the medical aid group Doctors Without Borders said.

An Israeli military spokesperson, Jonathan Conricus, said the evacuation was aimed at keeping civilians safe and preventing Hamas from using them as human shields. He urged people in the targeted areas to leave immediately and to return “only when we tell them that it is safe to do so.”

“The Palestinian civilians in Gaza are not our enemies. We don’t assess them as such, and we don’t target them as such,” Conricus said. “We are trying to do the right thing.”

Thousands of people crammed into a U.N.-run school-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah, a farming town south of the evacuation zone. Many slept outside on the ground without mattresses, or in chairs pulled from classrooms.

“I came here with my children. We slept on the ground. We don’t have a mattress, or clothes,” Howeida al-Zaaneen, 63, who is from the northern town of Beit Hanoun, said. “I want to go back to my home, even if it is destroyed.”

The Israeli military said its troops conducted temporary raids into Gaza on Friday to battle militants and hunted for traces of some 150 people — including men, women and children — who were abducted during Hamas’ shocking Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday that over 2,200 people have been killed in the territory, including 724 children and 458 women. The Hamas communications office said that Israel has “completely demolished” over 7,000 housing units so far.

Hamas’ surprise attack killed more than 1,300 people on the Israeli side, most of them civilians, and roughly 1,500 Hamas militants died during the fighting, the Israeli government said.

Egyptian officials said the country’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza would open Saturday for the first time in days to allow foreigners out. One official said both Israel and Palestinian militant groups had agreed to facilitate the departures, but by Saturday evening there had been no movement.

There were believed to be some 1,500 people in Gaza holding Western passports and additional people with passports from other parts of the world.

Fearing a mass exodus of Palestinians, Egyptian authorities erected “temporary” blast walls on Egypt’s side of the crossing, which has been closed for days because of Israeli airstrikes, two Egyptian officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

Israel’s raids into Gaza on Friday were the first acknowledgment that Israeli troops had entered the territory since the military began its round-the-clock bombardment in retaliation for the Hamas massacre. Palestinian militants have fired more than 5,500 rockets into Israel since the fighting erupted, the Israeli military said.

Israel has called up some 360,000 military reserves and massed troops and tanks along the border with Gaza. A ground assault in densely populated Gaza would likely bring even higher casualties on both sides in brutal house-to-house fighting.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh on Saturday, and both called for Israel to protect civilians in Gaza.

“As Israel pursues its legitimate right to defend its people and to trying to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for for civilians, and we’re working together to do exactly that,” Blinken said.

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Hamas said Israel’s airstrikes killed 22 hostages, including foreigners. It did not provide their nationalities. The Israeli military denied the claim. Hamas and other Palestinian militants hope to trade the hostages for thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

In the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Health Ministry says 53 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war, including 16 on Friday. The U.N. says attacks by Israeli settlers have surged there since the Hamas assault.

The U.S. and Israel’s other allies have pledged ironclad support for the war on Hamas. The European Union’s foreign policy chief, however, said Saturday that the Israeli military needed to give people more time to leave northern Gaza.

“You cannot move such a volume of people in (a) short period of time,” Josep Borrell said.

Krauss reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Samya Kullab in Baghdad, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Ashraf Sweilam in El-Arish, Egypt, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Matthew Lee in Riyadh contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Did you see the ‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse over Southern California?

• October 14, 2023

By CLAIRE RUSH and KATIE OYAN

PORTLAND, Ore.  — A rare “ring of fire” eclipse of the sun that has millions across the Americas waiting with anticipation Saturday has at last appeared into view.

With the presence of cloudy skies, a NASA livestream of the phenomenon reported it in Eugene, Oregon, shortly after 9:15 a.m. local time. This came over an hour after a partial eclipse set in.

The eclipse could be viewed over Southern California skies at 9:30 a.m., and the moon continued its path across the sun at 9:40.

By 10:34 a.m., the moon was taking just a nibble of the sun’s light. An even smaller “nibble” could be seen over Los Angeles at 10:44 a.m.

For the small towns and cities along its narrow path, there was a mix of excitement, worries about the weather and concerns they’d be overwhelmed by visitors flocking to see the celestial event, also called an annular solar eclipse. Clouds and fog threatened to obscure the view of the eclipse in some western states, including California and Oregon.

CAN YOU SEE IT? What time is the solar eclipse? Check this site to know when to look up

We’re getting our first views of the “ring of fire”!

Here’s a look at the annular solar eclipse from Albuquerque, N.M., as the Moon nearly (but not completely) covers up the Sun. pic.twitter.com/SCW8r77FG4

— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2023

Come watch the eclipse with us!

We’re streaming today’s “ring of fire” eclipse—also known as an annular solar eclipse—with live updates from Oregon to Texas. #AskNASA your questions! https://t.co/m69JrxrMKS https://t.co/CRMmOdx9Fg

— NASA (@NASA) October 14, 2023

You know it @NASASun! Everywhere I’m looking now, I’m surrounded by your embrace. Baby, I can see your halo.#Eclipse https://t.co/EBAyTmTJPn https://t.co/KxFZDHy5pg

— NASA Moon (@NASAMoon) October 14, 2023

The Ring of Fire! #eclipse pic.twitter.com/a3rDXB3bGd

— Justin Davenport (@Bubbinski) October 14, 2023

My trees acted like a natural camera obscura and made little eclipses with their shadows #eclipse pic.twitter.com/DmmIS3d0Z8

— Roberto Villalpando (@daddyrobot) October 14, 2023

The eclipse from the temple of the sun and moon! pic.twitter.com/iaIFnArXRn

— Bray Falls (@astrofalls) October 14, 2023

Since everyone else is posting their peak eclipse photos, we thought we would join in on the fun #SolarEclipse #txwx #sjtwx pic.twitter.com/C9sPQBJGdq

— NWS San Angelo (@NWSSanAngelo) October 14, 2023

What a morning in the East Mountains! Our BCSO deputies had the honor of celebrating the rich culture, history, and immense value the East Mountains bring to Bernalillo County. Plus, witnessing the annular eclipse was a spectacular experience! Grateful to be a part of such an… pic.twitter.com/B8CrjFbcBF

— BCSO (Sheriff) NM (@BCSONM) October 14, 2023

Members of a crowd at the Eugene Science Center in Eugene were desperately wishing for the clouds on the horizon to clear. Dozens of people set up telescopes and cameras with special filters in the hopes of capturing the celestial event.

Shuumei Kodama, 11, woke up at 4:30 a.m. to make the drive from Portland, Oregon, with his dad. Eclipse glasses in hand, he explained that he’s been obsessed with space since he was 5.

“It seems like one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard of,” he said of the annular eclipse. “I want to see every type of eclipse possible one day. That’s my goal.”

Unlike a total solar eclipse, the moon doesn’t completely cover the sun during a ring of fire eclipse. When the moon lines up between Earth and the sun, it leaves a bright, blazing border.

Saturday’s path: Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas in the U.S., with a sliver of California, Arizona and Colorado. Next: Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Brazil. Much of the rest of the Western Hemisphere gets a partial eclipse.

The celestial event brought eclipse watchers from around the U.S. to remote corners of the country to try to get the best view possible. At Bryce Canyon national park in southern Utah tiny lights could be seen along a well known trail that snakes through a valley of red rock hoodoos as eclipse enthusiasts hit the trail before sunrise to stake out their preferred spot

“I just think it’s one of those things that unites us all,” said John Edwards, a cancer drug developer who traveled alone across the country to try to watch the eclipse from Bryce Canyon. “I just think it’s seeing these unique experiences that come rarely is what got me here. This is about as rare as it gets.”

Viewing all depends on clear skies — part of the U.S. path could see clouds. NASA and other groups planned to livestream it.

Tens of thousands were getting a double treat in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the eclipse coincided with an international balloon fiesta that draws close to 100,000 spectators for early morning mass ascensions of hundreds of colorful hot air balloons. Organizers gave out 80,000 pairs of viewing glasses Saturday morning.

Allan Hahn of Aurora, Colorado, has been attending the festival for 34 years, first as a crew member and then as a licensed balloon pilot. His balloon, Heaven Bound Too, was one of 72 selected for a special “glow” performance as skies darken during the eclipse, where pilots use their propane burners to light up their balloons on the field.

“It’s very exciting to be here and have the convergence of our love of flying with something very natural like an eclipse,” he said.

Viewers on the East Coast were prepared to see less of the event — close to a quarter eclipse around midday in some areas, such as New York City — but were nonetheless geared up to watch the skies. In Maine, viewers expected to see only about 12% of the sun covered, but the Clark Telescope on the grounds of the Versant Power Astronomy Center at the University of Maine was open to the public.

The planetarium was selling safety glasses for $2 Saturday to encourage safe viewing, said Shawn Laatsch, director of the Versant Power Astronomy and the Maynard Jordan Planetarium

“As the Moon passes between the Earth and the sun, it casts its shadow on our planet,” said Laatsch. “In a very real sense, solar eclipses are ‘made in the shade’ of the moon.”

Colombia’s Tatacoa desert was playing host to astronomers helping a group of visually impaired people experience the eclipse through raised maps and temperature changes as the moon blots out the sun.

At the Cancun Planetarium, young visitors built box projectors to indirectly and safely view the ring of fire. The ancient Maya — who called eclipses “broken sun” — may have used dark volcanic glass to protect their eyes, said archeologist Arturo Montero of Tepeyac University in Mexico City.

Towns and national parks in the path braced for a huge throngs. Officials in Oregon’s Klamath County urged residents to stock up on groceries and fill their gas tanks in case traffic backs up on its two-lane highways. Utah’s Bryce Canyon expected Saturday to be the park’s busiest day of the year, spokesperson Peter Densmore said. Brazil’s Pedra da Boca state park, known for its rocky outcrops for climbing and rappelling was also expecting crowds.

The entire eclipse — from the moment the moon starts to obscure the sun until it’s back to normal — is 2 1/2 to three hours at any given spot. The ring of fire portion lasts from three to five minutes, depending on location.

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Next April, a total solar eclipse will crisscross the U.S. in the opposite direction. That one will begin in Mexico and go from Texas to New England before ending in eastern Canada.

The next ring of fire eclipse is in October next year at the southernmost tip of South America. Antarctica gets one in 2026. It will be 2039 before another ring of fire is visible in the U.S., and Alaska will be the only state in its direct path.

Oyan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. AP reporters Patrick Whittle in Portland, Maine; Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Brady McCombs in Garfield County, Utah; Astrid Suarez in Bogota, Colombia; María Verza in Cancun, Mexico; and Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo, Brazil, contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register