Irvine realtor arrested at LAX on suspicion of spying for China

• October 5, 2026

A suspected Chinese agent who lives in Irvine was arrested by federal authorities at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, Oct. 4 on suspicion of spying on a relative of a Taiwanese government official on behalf of the Chinese government, authorities said.

Wanying Zhang, also known as “Heather,” allegedly conducted surveillance on the relatives of a high-ranking Taiwanese official last year, according to an affidavit. Zhang and another unnamed individual, who is described as someone employed in the construction field in the Los Angeles area, reportedly traveled to Seattle in September 2025 and rented an SUV to drive to a home and take videos.

The affidavit accuses Zhang, an Irvine-based realtor, of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.

Federal law requires foreign agents to notify the U.S. attorney general.

WeChat messages obtained by the FBI showed extensive communication between Zhang and two Chinese government officials before the surveillance operation. Messages that Zhang exchanged with Chinese officials following the trip to Seattle reportedly included videos, photos and license plate information related to the person who Zhang was spying on, according to the affidavit.

CBS News reported Sunday, citing law enforcement sources, that the target was Ting-Yu Lai, the son of Taiwanese President Ching-Te Lai. Ting-Yu Lai, the station reported, works for the Dutch multinational electronics firm Philips.

“If the (People’s Republic of China) were to wish to obtain leverage over the President of Taiwan during any potential conflict, the location and pictures of the close relatives of a high-ranking Taiwanese government official, including pictures of their homes and cars, could be useful to the PRC,” federal authorities wrote in the affidavit.

It claimed that the messages “make clear that Zhang was acting at the direction and request of one or more PRC officials,” though she had never notified the attorney general that she would be acting as an agent of a foreign government.

Images from a neighbor’s security camera included in the complaint allegedly show Zhang and the other person appearing to film Ting-Yu Lai and his family as they arrived home on Sept. 1, 2025.

The affidavit cited Zhang’s last minute bookings and her brief use of a rental car during the trip to Seattle as further evidence of Zhang acting on behalf of the Chinese government, describing these actions as “tradecraft methods used by foreign intelligence officers.”

Zhang is scheduled to appear in federal court on Monday, Oct. 5, in Los Angeles for her initial appearance, according to a statement from United States Attorney Bill Essayli, who added that Zhang was attempting to travel to China when she was arrested.

Zhang’s arrest comes four months after Eileen Wang, then mayor of Arcadia, was arrested on suspicion of acting as an agent of the Chinese government.

Wang was charged on May 11 and resigned from the Arcadia City Council the same day. From 2020 to 2022, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun of Chino Hills operated the U.S. News Center, a website claiming to be a news source for local Chinese Americans.

During that time, they received and executed “directives” to post content on the website from government officials within the People’s Republic of China. Chinese officials used WeChat to send prewritten articles to post on the website, including one in 2021 that denied the existence of forced labor camps in the Xinjiang region.

Wang pleaded guilty to the charge on May 29 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. She was scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday, Oct. 6.

Sun, Wang’s former fiancé and campaign adviser, is serving a four-year federal prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to the same charge.

​ Orange County Register 

Alexander: Is this familiar? Bullpen puts Dodgers in a hole

• October 5, 2026

LOS ANGELES — In a text discussion with a friend about the Dodgers’ playoff chances a couple of weeks ago, I made the following observation:

“I’m a lot more comfortable with the bullpen than I was a few weeks ago. (Assuming that Diaz’s recent outings weren’t a mirage.)”

Oh, but comfort is relative. It’s easier to assume the best before the important games start, the ones that decide a season – and, in this case, possibly a team’s place in history.

So where is that Dodger bullpen today? Feel free to shudder, as you are pondering what could be a much earlier playoff exit than anyone, even the haters, expected.

Yes, the best-of-five National League Divisio Series is tied 1-1, so their backs aren’t firmly planted against the wall yet. But Sunday night’s 3-2 loss in Game 2 was achieved with Dodger relievers allowing Atlanta’s second and third runs. And the Dodgers will see the Atlanta Braves’ ace, Chris Sale, on something approximating full rest – or what passes for it at this time of the season – in Tuesday’s Game 3 at Truist Park.

More on that later, and at least that one should be a fair fight, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting for the Dodgers.

But if you are experiencing flashbacks to last season, when it took starters pitching in relief to help get the Dodgers to the finish line – or to various points this season when relief pitchers caused still more stress – you likely aren’t alone.

Manager Dave Roberts wasn’t quite ready to put Edwin Diaz back in the closer’s role, which he had surrendered after his return from surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow corresponded with a series of bad outings stemming from out-of-whack mechanics. That included back-to-back outings in Arizona in August, when he blew a lead in the ninth and lost the first night, then blew a lead in the ninth but earned the win in the 10th the next night.

But he is now, especially given Diaz’s efficient performance in the sixth inning on Sunday night: Two swinging strikeouts and a fly ball that Kyle Tucker caught on the warning track. Diaz needed 12 pitches, hitting 99 to 101 mph on his four-seam fastball and 91-92 on his slider.

“Edwin was great,” Roberts said. “I think if you look at tonight, try to find some silver linings, that was a silver lining and certainly a positive.

“… I think I’ve been very consistent in the fact that I wanted to get him an outing, and this was a big spot. He did what he needed to do. It looked great. So absolutely, you could see him closing.”

As for the rest of the bullpen? On a night when the result was all that really mattered, it wasn’t nearly good enough. Kris Bubic gave up a triple to Michael Harris II in the fifth – though Teoscar Hernández couldn’t get to the fly ball down the left field line and played it into a triple – and then wild-pitched Harris home.

And Edgardo Henriquez, who spent the last two weeks of the regular season on the injured list with back discomfort, gave up a seventh inning single to Matt Olson and then served up a 95 mph cutter – a cookie, right down the middle – that Harris jumped on for an RBI double to left center and a 3-1 Atlanta lead. That was one of only six pitches Henriquez threw among his 20 in that inning that didn’t top 100 mph. But it did damage.

And that’s all layered on top of the two-run home run that Tanner Scott served up to Ozzie Albies in the ninth inning on Saturday afternoon in Game 1. That blow didn’t change the outcome in the Dodgers’ 5-3 series-opening victory – but if you’re a Dodger fan, didn’t that bring back some old, bad memories from Scott’s 2025 season, his first in L.A.?

Even Roki Sasaki, a bullpen savior last fall and a member of the rotation this season, looked ragged when he came out of the bullpen on Sunday night. He walked Rowdy Tellez leading off the inning and hit Austin Riley with a pitch, but escaped when Ronald Acuña Jr. hit into an inning-ending double play.

Is it an overreaction to say Game 2 might have damaged the chances for that historic three-peat? Probably, but consider: Braves manager Walt Weiss waited until Sunday morning to make the decision on his team’s Game 2 starter, and he decided it wouldn’t be Chris Sale, who pitched an inning and a third in relief on Thursday night to close out a 6-2 victory over Philadelphia in the Wild Card Series.

Which means Sale, the best the Braves have, will start Game 3 on Tuesday in Atlanta with an opportunity to put the Dodgers in a huge hole. Yes, the Dodgers will counter wtih Yamamoto, last year’s World Series MVP – but how many times does a guy have to save his team’s season, anyway?

“Look, at the end of the day, we want full-strength Chris Sale,” Weiss said before Sunday’s game. “I know him at 80 percent is really good, but that’s what it came down to. We’ve given him extra rest all year, and it’s served him very well. It allowed him to do what he did the other night, I think, (with) all the extra rest he’d gotten.

“Not sure you’re getting the best version of him pitching today. We’re certain we will pitching Game 3.”

The Braves used two bullpen games this weekend. Sunday night they limited the Dodgers to two solo home runs, by Freddie Freeman in the fourth and Max Muncy off Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias with two outs in the ninth.

And consider this: The Dodgers have not had a hit with runners in scoring position in this series – they were 0 for 8 on Sunday night and are 0 for 10 for the series – and they have not scored a run that wasn’t produced by a homer.

So maybe their bullpen isn’t the only obstacle separating them from history.

jalexander@scng.com

​ Orange County Register 

Braves hold Dodgers in check with bullpen game to even NLDS in Game 2

• October 5, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he got the word from his Atlanta Braves counterpart on Sunday morning – the Braves would be going with another bullpen game in Game 2 of their National League Division Series and the Dodgers wouldn’t see ace Chris Sale until Tuesday in Atlanta.

As many times as Roberts has had to be on the other end of that text in Octobers past, his Rice Krispies must have had an extra snap, crackle and pop after that. Roberts had another one of his four aces lined up to start Sunday night.

“Felt great, felt great,” Roberts said of his morning matchup. “Any time I have Blake Snell lined up against any pitcher I feel good.”

But Blake Snell didn’t pitch like an ace. He threw 90 pitches to get only 10 outs, lasting just two outs longer than the Braves’ opener (left-hander Ray Kerr) and Roberts found himself in the same boat as Walt Weiss. The two managers cycled through 12 pitchers in all.

It took a village, but the Braves evened the best-of-five series with a 3-2 victory in Game 2.

Game 3 will be at Truist Park on Tuesday with Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled to start against the late-arriving Sale.

Snell was moved ahead of Yamamoto in the NLDS rotation despite having pitched just five innings in a little over three weeks – one inning before leaving his Sept. 16 start with a groin muscle issue and four in his final regular-season start on Sept. 26. He did face hitters during an intrasquad game on Wednesday.

The inactivity showed as Snell reverted to an early-career version of himself – running deep counts and walking batters.

He walked two in the first inning and gave up a run on an infield single. He walked another with two outs in the second and two more in the fourth, bringing Roberts out of the dugout to end Snell’s struggles.

“He just was fighting himself with his delivery all game,” Roberts said. Snell did not make himself available to the press due to a family matter, according to Dodgers PR.

Roberts said it did not appear to be a physical issue with Snell because “the fastball was really good. The change-up was good at times. I think in total he didn’t have fastball command, didn’t have slider command, and the change-up wasn’t there. He was pulling it.

“I think that just overall it wasn’t the groin. He just wasn’t sharp tonight.”

The Dodgers’ offense had its own struggles against the five relievers Weiss called upon.

Freddie Freeman regained his power stroke with a home run off Grand Holmes leading off the fourth inning. It was his first homer since Sept. 2 and only his second since – yes, this is not a misprint – July 4, a stretch of 283 plate appearances.

But the Dodgers wasted a leadoff double by Miguel Rojas in the third inning, stranded two runners in the fourth after Freeman’s homer, put the first two on base in the fifth and did nothing with it.

They Dodgers went 0 for 8 with seven runners left on base in the first five innings – then Didier Fuentes entered the group chat.

Fuentes entered the game in the sixth inning and retired 11 straight Dodgers until he gave up a solo home run to Max Muncy in the ninth.

“I think it was just the fastball,” Roberts said of Fuentes who threw two scoreless innings against the Dodgers during the Braves’ three-game sweep in Atlanta in August. “Tonight you could see the fastball, it was 99, 100. There was a lot of balls we were just missing as far as lazy fly balls, and we just couldn’t hit the ball flat against him. Then he was mixing in his split once in a while.

“Tip my hat to him, two days off (since pitching in the Wild Card Series) and doing what he did was pretty impressive.”

No one from the Dodgers’ army of relievers was able to step up like that.

Roberts turned to lefty Kris Bubic in the fifth inning. He retired the first two batters, but Michael Harris II reached out to get a pitch well off the plate and send a drive into the left-field corner. Teoscar Hernandez did not play it well, didn’t get there in time then let it get by him after the ball bounced off the wall.

Harris rode all the way to third for a triple and scored when Bubic sailed a pitch high and away to Mauricio Dubón. The ball clipped Will Smith’s glove and went to the backstop.

In the seventh, Edgardo Henriquez made his first appearance since Sept. 13 (due to a lower back injury). He gave up a one-out single to Matt Olson then Harris got him as well, one-hopping a two-out RBI double off the wall in right-center field.

Muncy’s home run made it a one-run game and Roberts sent rookie Josue De Paula to the plate to face Braves closer Raisel Iglesias. He popped out to end the game.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Taylor Suarez scores late as Angel City FC earns draw with Gotham FC

• October 5, 2026

HARRISON, N.J. — Taylor Suarez scored in second-half stoppage time Sunday as Angel City FC rallied for a 1-1 draw against first-place Gotham FC at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

Suarez entered in the 83rd minute and scored eight minutes later, redirecting a low pass from Emily Sams inside the near post. It was Suarez’s third goal as a substitute in her past four appearances.

The result extended Angel City’s unbeaten streak to seven matches as it continues its push for an NWSL playoff berth.

Gotham took the lead in the 66th minute. Midge Purce played a pass to Rose Lavelle, whose low cross found Jaedyn Shaw in the penalty area. Shaw finished from close range for her 10th goal of the season.

Angel City continued to press for an equalizer before Suarez delivered in the first minute of stoppage time.

The draw kept Gotham atop the NWSL standings and extended its home unbeaten streak to 12 matches. Angel City remained in playoff position with three regular-season matches remaining.

Angel City returns from the international break Oct. 17 against Denver Summit FC.

​ Orange County Register 

Joseph Paintsil scores in return as Galaxy fall to Cruz Azul in friendly

• October 5, 2026

CARSON — With the MLS regular season on pause during the FIFA international break, the Galaxy found competition in Liga MX’s Cruz Azul on Sunday.

The friendly, played at Dignity Health Sports Park, was played before a predominantly pro-Cruz Azul crowd, but gave Galaxy coach Greg Vanney a chance to get some key pieces back onto the field and give a chance for some younger players to get some valuable experience.

Thanks to a pair of first-half goals, Cruz Azul prevailed 2-1.

Perhaps the biggest return was forward Joseph Paintsil. Paintsil, who last played in an MLS game Sept. 5, came on as a second-half sub in the 74th minute. Paintsil had been sidelined with a thigh injury.

Paintsil capped his return with one of his patented runs through the Cruz Azul defense before slotting the ball in for the goal.

Elijah Wynder, who had been sidelined with an ankle injury, made his return, coming on as a second-half sub. It was his first game action since Aug. 15. Wynder was on the bench in the Galaxy’s 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids, Sept. 26, but did not see any time.

Maya Yoshida, Emiro Garces, Lucas Sanabria and Pablo Ruiz were other established pieces that saw time. As Vanney said Thursday, the goal of Sunday’s friendly was to get some guys minutes before the regular season resumes.

“We need everybody ready to go,” Vanney said Thursday. “Down the stretch, we’re going to need everybody ready to go, you never know who’s going to get balled upon.”

Cruz Azul’s Luka Romero opened the scoring in the ninth minute.

The Galaxy will return to MLS play Sunday and will immediately face a busy, important stretch. The Galaxy will start Sunday on the road against St. Louis CITY SC, then return home for a Wednesday clash with the Portland Timbers, followed by a Saturday home date with San Diego FC.

The Galaxy currently sit in the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference (36 points).

Mason Vanney, son of Galaxy coach Greg Vanney, started at right back and went 60 minutes. Mason Vanney plays for the Galaxy’s second team, Ventura County FC.

Lozano injured

Chucky Lozano departed the Mexican national team camp after suffering a hamstring injury. Since joining the Galaxy on loan from San Diego FC, Lozano has made eight appearances, with a goal and an assist.

Lozano started and played 64 minutes in Mexico’s game against Colombia on Sept. 26. He didn’t make an appearance in the Sept. 29 game against Peru.

​ Orange County Register 

Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman homers in NLDS Game 2 after 2nd-half power outage

• October 5, 2026

LOS ANGELES — If the Dodgers are going to quiet the skeptics who saw their offense go into hibernation while losing 14 of 16 games against would-be playoff teams in the second half of the season, getting Freddie Freeman back to his old self would be a good step.

There wasn’t much to celebrate in their performance at the plate in a 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of the National League Division Series on Sunday night, but at least they could take some hope from the fact that Freeman hit a homer.

“It’s going to take all of us so you can’t just worry about one person, but obviously having Freddie going is definitely a huge help,” shortstop Mookie Betts said.

Freeman finished the regular season with exactly one homer in his last 66 games and 277 plate appearances, a jarring power outage for a player who has homered about once every six games throughout his career.

His fourth-inning homer against right-hander Grant Holmes was his first homer since Sept. 2.

Freeman said he had done some good work during the five off days the Dodgers had leading up to this series.

“Just more consistently getting myself in a good spot, with the good swings on it,” Freeman said. “Even the strikeout in my last at-bat, I’m OK with that. Those were some nasty pitches dotted at the bottom of the zone. There’s nothing sometimes you can do about it. So I feel good, my swing feels good, so hopefully I can carry it over to Tuesday.”

On Tuesday, Freeman and the Dodgers will have to deal with Braves ace left-hander Chris Sale, who shut them out in Atlanta in late August. Freeman had one of the Dodgers’ five hits that night.

Freeman had two of the Dodgers’ six hits on Sunday night, including a single in the second inning against Braves left-handed opener Ray Kerr.

After the homer, he had a chance to do some damage again when he came up with two on and one out in the fifth, but he hit a flyout to left. Freeman struck out in the eighth.

He’s started this postseason with three hits and a walk in his first eight trips to the plate.

The Dodgers are used to having Freeman be an October hero, with much of the damage coming via homers. Freeman hit six homers during the Dodgers’ championship runs in 2024 and 2025, including his iconic walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.

He went on to win the MVP of the 2024 World Series.

He did all of that while dealing with a bad ankle that required hours of prep each day just to get him on the field.

This time around Freeman had been nagged by a sore right knee in September. He said it’s nothing compared to the ankle injury, but it’s still fair to wonder if the knee issue led to any swing changes that impacted his swing, reducing his power.

Freeman, 37, insisted after Sunday’s game that he’s fine.

“I feel good,” Freeman said. “So I think we can be done with those questions. I’ve had a good work week and obviously the first couple of games have been good, so hopefully I can carry it into the into the road series.”

​ Orange County Register 

Darius Garland, Rui Hachimura shine as Clippers win preseason opener

• October 5, 2026

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue already had an inkling on how well point guard Darius Garland pairs with Isaiah Jackson. He had seen plenty during the team’s weeklong training camp and got confirmation early in their preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors, as the duo combined on two thundering alley-oop plays to kickstart Sunday’s game.

But it was the combined play of Rui Hachimura and Garland that grabbed Lue’s attention Sunday as the former Lakers forward scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting (4 for 5 from 3-point range), four of his baskets coming off passes from Garland, during the first half of a last-second 104-101 victory at the University of Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu.

Garland connected on all four of his shots from the field, including three 3-pointers and went 4 for 5 at the free-throw line, finishing with 15 points, six assists and three rebounds.

After Garland hit three free throws, Hachimura scored on a turnaround jump shot and followed that with a step-back jumper with 4:38 left in the first half. The starters took a seat at halftime with the Clippers holding a 55-43 lead.

The Clippers’ reserves struggled to stay ahead as Golden State took advantage of mistakes and poor shooting to push the game to the final seconds.

Rookie guard Keaton Wagler, who labored to make shots in his Clippers preseason debut, made a 19-foot jumper to give the Clippers a 102-101 lead with 14 seconds remaining. Cam Christie knocked down two free throws with three seconds left to seal the victory.

Wagler scored 15 points despite his 3-of-15 shooting from the field (1 for 11 from 3-point range) to go with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and one blocked shot. He was 8 for 9 from the free-throw line.

Four-time NBA champion Steph Curry had 10 points and two assists in 13 minutes. Charles Bassey led the Warriors with 12 points.

Max Strus, who came to the Clippers in a five-team trade, started the game but left the court at the 7:10 mark of the first quarter with a foot injury and did not return.

The Clippers return from Hawaii this week before heading to Vancouver to play the Toronto Raptors in their second preseason game on Saturday night. Kawhi Leonard, who the Clippers traded to the Raptors last month, will not play as he ramps up his training.

The Clippers close out the preseason against the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 14 at Intuit Dome.

Kobe Sanders, who is viewed as a solid backup to Hachimura, did not play after suffering a hip impingement this week during training camp. He did not take part in Saturday’s practice but did individual work. No timetable has been given for his return.

​ Orange County Register 

Endorsement: David Penaloza for Assembly District 68

• October 5, 2026

Given Democratic Party dominance of California politics, in the Nov. 3 election it’s crucial to elect moderates to push policy toward the center. A good place to start is in Assembly District 68, which encompasses most of Santa Ana and portions of Anaheim and Orange. 

Santa Ana Councilmember Jessie Lopez and Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza, both Democrats, are vying for the seat vacated by Assemblyman Avelino Valencia, who is in turn running for state Senate.

Lopez and Penaloza have often been on different sides of key issues in Santa Ana. 

Perhaps the biggest area of agreement we’ve had with Lopez is on her willingness to stand up to the city police union, especially its former leader Gerry Serrano. 

In November 2023, Lopez fended off a Santa Ana Police Officers Association-backed recall attempt. The POA sought revenge because she rejected excessive pay demands for officers. We opposed the recall, writing at the time, “if the POA gets away with another recall, no councilmember would dare resist it in the future. It would become the dictatorship of Santa Ana.” Penaloza originally backed the recall. But just before the election, he rescinded his endorsement of the recall campaign. Point to Lopez.

In 2021, Lopez supported Santa Ana becoming the first city in Orange County to have rent control on the books, while Penaloza opposed it. As cities from Los Angeles to San Francisco have proven, rent controls might deliver real benefits to those in rent-controlled units, but they also distort the broader rental market and in the long run do more harm than good. Penaloza recognizes this and also pointed out the waste of resources in having to enforce such a counterproductive policy. Point to Penaloza.

As candidates for the Legislature, both candidates expressed harsh criticism of the California high-speed rail project, which we deeply appreciated, as well as skepticism of environmental mandates without concern for their actual impacts. And they have both vowed to stand up to federal overreach in California. 

Both candidates stressed the inflation crisis that’s especially acute in District 68, which includes many of OC’s poorest neighborhoods. Accordingly, both voted against putting Santa Ana Measure N on the Nov. 3 ballot. If approved, it will make permanent the city’s “temporary” Measure X sales tax increase voters passed in 2018. 

But from there, their relative approaches diverge. 

Lopez is a proud progressive, with the backing of Sen. Bernie Sanders, Insurance Commissioner candidate Jane Kim and far-left Assemblyman Alex Lee. Hence, her support for things like rent control and most notably the CalCare proposal to establish a single-payer healthcare system in California. Lopez’s expansive views on the power of government are at odds with what California needs. 

Penaloza stands out as the pragmatic moderate choice in this race. Penaloza opposes the wealth tax, supports Proposition 13, and speaks critically of lawmakers who chase headlines and bring forward proposals without considering their long-term ramifications. 

Penaloza’s strongest asset is that he is senior regulatory manager for Santa Ana-based Color Science Inc., where he started as a part-time office clerk in 2008. He has a real job, in other words, and sees the impact of government regulations. “I work with a number of different government regulations that are being introduced daily,” he said. “They can break a small business, many of which leave the state.” It’s that kind of experience with the real effects of California’s excessive regulation and taxation that’s needed in Sacramento. 

Penaloza said the state needs to be realistic about regulations that drive up costs. He pointed to a Feb. 18, 2025 resolution he sponsored opposing the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s Proposed Amended Rules 1111 and 1121. The rules would have gradually shifted sales toward zero-emission furnaces and water heaters through manufacturer targets and fees on gas models. The AQMD rejected the proposals that June. 

One ironic wrinkle in this race is that it was the progressive Lopez who spoke critically of Assembly Bill 1383, which aimed to boost pensions for public safety employees, while it was the moderate Penaloza who was more inclined to support it. As much as we lament Penaloza’s alignment with police unions, Lopez’s clarity of thinking about police unions doesn’t seem to extend to other public employee unions.

We endorse David Penaloza for Assembly District 68.

​ Orange County Register