Pac-12 Tournament: USC women upset by Oregon State

• March 2, 2023

LAS VEGAS — The USC women’s basketball team couldn’t close out a victory and the Trojans now find themselves heading home early from the Pac-12 Tournament.

Raegan Beers scored 18 points and went 8 for 9 from the free-throw line and Adlee Blacklock added 15 points as 11th-seeded Oregon State upset sixth-seeded USC, 56-48, on Wednesday night in a first-round game at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay.

Jelena Mitrovic added 12 points for Oregon State (13-17), which advances to face No. 3 seed Colorado on Thursday night. USC is still projected to make the NCAA Tournament, which would be its first appearance since 2014.

Oregon State outscored USC 21-5 in the final 6:53 and made all eight of its final foul shots at the end to secure the win.

Kadi Sissoko scored 16 points and Destiny Littlejohn scored 12 for USC (21-9).

The Trojans swept the regular-season meetings with Oregon State, winning 69-58 in Corvallis and 60-56 in overtime at the Galen Center.

Beers’ layup with 4:41 left in the third quarter gave Oregon State a 30-26 lead, but the Trojans responded with an 11-4 run to close the quarter for a 37-34 advantage.

USC created some cushion when Okako Adika’s 3-pointer put the Trojans ahead 43-35 with 7:11 left, but Oregon State went on an 11-0 run with six points coming from the free-throw line. AJ Marotte made a pair of foul shots and followed with a layup for a 46-43 lead and the Beavers led the rest of the way.

UP NEXT

USC awaits the reveal of the NCAA Tournament bracket, which will be announced on Sunday, March 12.

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​ Orange County Register 

Surf City goes all in to push NIMBY agenda

• March 2, 2023

Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland has apparently forgotten that he no longer serves in the state Legislature given his plan to defy state laws that make it easier for developers to build housing. Strickland and the GOP council majority voted 4-3 to direct the city attorney to challenge Senate Bills 9 and 10 – setting up Surf City for a costly and doomed legal battle.

We have no problem with realistic legal challenges to state laws, but we only support those lawsuits that uphold some high-minded or liberty oriented principle. SB 9 allows property owners to build duplexes on a “by right” basis in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes. SB 10 allows developers to build higher-density housing along transit routes. They promote property rights and deregulation.

The Legislature isn’t known for loosening up regulations, but the depth of the state’s housing crisis convinced lawmakers to do the right thing. They reduced onerous California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) restrictions and eliminated subjective criteria by which localities reject development proposals.

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“Really the issue is a matter of local control,” said Councilman Casey McKeon, according to published reports. “It should be incumbent on the residents who live here to decide how they zone their city, and if they want to allow ADUs.” That is a perfect encapsulation of the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) position, which uses “local control” to empower local bureaucrats rather than property owners.

It also shows why the state passed these laws. The Legislature realized that cities, in an attempt to placate existing residents who oppose new construction, are a prime cause of the state’s unaffordable housing prices. Previously, Mayor Strickland whined about efforts to “urbanize Huntington Beach.”

Councilman Dan Kalmick, who opposed the challenge, wrote that, “the city has not received a single SB 9 application for a lot split.” The law isn’t changing the character of Huntington Beach – but it has provided slow-growthers with a soapbox. Strickland and his allies ought to spend more time tending to the city’s problems and less time pretending to be state legislators.

​ Orange County Register 

Commercial fire in Laguna Hills causes $2 million in damage

• March 2, 2023

Orange County firefighters battled a three-alarm blaze Tuesday at an electric bicycle company in Laguna Hills for five hours before getting it under control.

The blaze broke out around 1:15 a.m. in the 23000 block of Alcalde Drive and was brought under control at about 6:08 a.m., Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

Firefighters were still on the scene Wednesday night as they overhauled stubborn heat areas in debris piles removed from the building, said Capt. Sean Doran.

A warehouse and offices “sustained significant damage,” Concialdi said.

About 75 firefighters battled the blaze, which was fueled by cardboard boxes containing the bikes, Concialdi said.

No one was injured in the blaze, he added.

The fire caused $1 million in damage to the building and $1 million in damage to the bikes, Concialdi said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

​ Orange County Register 

Ducks’ win streak ends with OT loss to Capitals

• March 2, 2023

ANAHEIM — How about taking a brief pause in the non-stop trade activity/rumors/speculation to spend a moment appreciating goaltender John Gibson?

Or two.

The Ducks and Gibson were outshot 39-23 – a season-long trend – but came away with a point in a 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night at Honda Center with Tom Wilson scoring the winner, shooting a bouncing puck between Gibson’s legs at 1:09 of overtime, for his second goal of the game.

A five-hole finale.

Tom Wilson scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner for the Washington Capitals. pic.twitter.com/83K7JeoXg8

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 2, 2023

“Wilson came in with a lot of speed on that one,” Ducks forward Trevor Zegras said. “Tried to get my stick on it. But he goes five-hole. Pretty unlucky. Probably could have played it better.”

The loss denied the Ducks’ bid for their first four-game win streak of the season.

Gibson made 36 saves – practically a light night for him – and Troy Terry continued his torrid run with his fourth goal in as many games, and Zegras ended a goal-scoring drought, scoring his first goal in nine games.

Zegras finished off a quick passing play with Mason McTavish to pull the Ducks to a 2-2 tie at 4:17 of the third period and celebrated like someone who hadn’t scored since Feb. 10.

@BudLight | #BudLightCelly pic.twitter.com/WiffYwhFf3

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 2, 2023

Sitting out the game for trade-related reasons were defensemen John Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov, pending unrestricted free agents who could be moved ahead of Friday’s noon PT deadline. Defenseman Scott Harrington, claimed on waivers from the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, made his Ducks debut and played 13-plus minutes.

“We’ll see what the next few days bring but that was a great opportunity for (Colton) White and Harrington to get in there and show what they can do,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said of the two defensemen, who drew into the lineup.

The Ducks twice fought back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits to push the game to overtime.

Terry’s goal from the right circle, beating Capitals goalie Darcy Kuemper to his stick side came at 13:01 of the first period, tying it 1-1. It was his 17th goal of the season.

If anything, Terry is on a better run in his return from an upper-body injury, which forced him to miss seven games. Terry has scored a goal in each of the four games since returning.

“When you have a guy that can possess the puck and skate like he can through the neutral zone and penetrate their defense and that can shoot like he can, it’s really irreplaceable,” Ducks forward Ryan Strome said of Terry. “Our difference-maker every time he is on the ice. He’s obviously a fantastic player. Maybe playing in Anaheim he doesn’t get the credit as he probably deserves around the league. I hope he keeps progressing because the sky’s the limit for him.”

So, returning to Gibson, who was named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week, for the week ending on Sunday. Eakins asserted the other day that Gibson should have been “first,” but it’s a tough ask when Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (first star) and Boston’s Linus Ullmark (second star) are in the conversation. It’s also hard to ignore the fact Ullmark became the 13th goalie in NHL history to score a goal.

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Gibson had wrapped up his impressive week with a 51-save against Carolina and became the first goalie to record three 50-save performances in a single month. The first to do so was Gump Worsley in January of 1963 with the New York Rangers.

There was an element of the past and future – in the goalie category – because, by coincidence, retired goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere happened to be on hand for the Ducks-Capitals game. Giguere is in town on a family trip.

“On the Gibson Watch. He’s creeping up on my stuff,” Giguere said, smiling, after the game.

Gibson is in pursuit of several franchise records that belong to Giguere, the goalie who has played the most games (447), won the most games (206) and recorded the most shutouts (32) in Ducks history. Gibson stands third in games played (420) behind Giguere and Guy Hebert (441), second in wins (178) and third in shutouts (24) behind Giguere and Hebert (27).

​ Orange County Register 

Gov. Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency for LA, San Bernardino counties due to severe winter storms

• March 2, 2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, and 11 other counties, Wednesday evening as the region grapples with a spate of rare and severe winter storms.

In the declaration, Newsom directed the Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, to provide local governments with additional assistance if necessary. He also activated the State Operations Center, which will “bring state support to county-led emergency response efforts and coordinate mutual aid from neighboring jurisdictions, especially in San Bernardino County, ” a statement from the governor’s office said.

The declaration came the same day several California Republicans requested such a declaration.

Additionally, Newsom ordered the state Department of Transportation to request federal assistance for road and highway repairs. The California National Guard and Calfire resources were also activated.

“Significant numbers” of state personnel will be on the ground in San Bernardino County, where mountain communities have been pummeled with severe snowfall, the statement read.

The state will coordinate with private contractors to clear roads and speed-up snow removal, the statement added. As of Wednesday, March 1, roads were still heavily impacted and Caltrans had to suspend its escorts on Highways 18 and 330 because even chained vehicles were getting stuck.

On Wednesday evening, Caltrans’ snow removal efforts were still in effect, according to a tweet, which said it will “continue to remove large amounts of snow from our state highway system ….”

#Caltrans8 will continue to remove large amounts of snow from our state highway system with the goal to open the highway for all who wish to visit the beautiful mountain communities. @CA_Trans_Agency @CAgovernor @Cal_OES @CaltransHQ pic.twitter.com/vLauwtapLV

— Caltrans District 8 (@Caltrans8) March 2, 2023

Prior to the official declaration, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said Monday it was operating alongside local officials and Caltrans in San Bernardino County.

These efforts included bringing in  “additional snow plows and road crews, opening a shelter for residents unable to get home and coordinating with law enforcement to escort essential services providers, such as power companies, food and water deliveries, as well as, services providers for vulnerable populations,” an update from the Cal OES website said.

Cal OES is coordinating closely with @SBCounty to provide assistance to the communities impacted by ongoing winter storms. Including working with @CaltransHQ for snow removal, opening shelters & providing resources to vulnerable populations.

Read more: https://t.co/hVjIb3nmzp pic.twitter.com/ZNKEpLjNGE

— California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (@Cal_OES) February 28, 2023

Wednesday’s emergency declaration was also issued for Amador, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Sonoma and Tulare counties.

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​ Orange County Register 

USC men’s basketball can cement status vs. Arizona

• March 1, 2023

LOS ANGELES — The USC men’s basketball team has the chance to add a couple feathers to its cap Thursday against Arizona.

A win would give the Trojans their 15th consecutive victory at home, tying the second-longest home winning streak in program history. And a victory would put USC one away from going undefeated at home in conference play for the first time since 1991-92.

Not bad for a team that lost its season opener at Galen Center to Florida Gulf Coast, a defeat that looks more like a misdirection than the dour foreshadowing it felt like at the time.

But the game against the eighth-ranked Wildcats represents more to USC than a couple of historical footnotes. A victory would likely eliminate all bubble speculation about the Trojans, putting them firmly in the NCAA tournament field.

USC (21-8, 13-5 in Pac-12) and Arizona (24-5, 13-5) are tied for second place in the conference. Win, and the Trojans control their destiny for the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 tournament entering the season finale against Arizona State on Saturday.

That would have been hard to believe entering the season, with USC having such a young roster. But here the Trojans are.

“This is why you came here. This is why you came to USC, to play in these situations. What are you going to do about it?” Trojans head coach Andy Enfield said of his message to the team. “Step up and play your best basketball, compete at the highest level. Everybody makes mistakes, but if you play smart and together for 40 minutes, you have a chance to win every game you play.”

That is easier said than done against a team like Arizona, which jumped out to an early lead on the Trojans in Tucson last month and coasted to an 81-66 win.

USC was all kinds of discombobulated in that game. It could not score consistently at any level of the court, struggling in the paint against the Wildcats’ front court of Oumar Ballo and Azuolas Tubelis while shooting 4 for 17 from 3-point range.

And the Trojans’ normally effective defense allowed Arizona to shoot 48.3% from the floor and 50% from 3.

“We just didn’t play well on the road,” Enfield said. “We didn’t move the ball offensively, we missed a lot of open shots, defensively we made some mistakes. We just have to play better.”

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With Arizona and USC one win or one Arizona State loss away from being locked into the second or third seed, it is likely these teams will face each other again in the Pac-12 semifinals next week in Las Vegas.

No time for USC to build confidence for that rematch like the present.

Arizona at USC

When: 8 p.m. Thursday

Where: Galen Center

TV/Radio: ESPN/AM 790

​ Orange County Register 

Make your credit cards less vulnerable to fraud

• March 1, 2023

Last year, one of my family’s credit cards was used to rack up hundreds of dollars in bogus charges at Apple.com. Another card was compromised four times in a row, as thieves repeatedly charged merchandise and Uber rides.

We ultimately got our money back, but repeated credit card fraud can be frustrating and disheartening. Dealing with the aftermath taught me to prize security over convenience, and to change some bad habits that made me an easier target.

The clock is ticking on credit card fraud

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, consumers have 60 days after bogus charges show up on a statement to report them to the credit card issuer to avoid most liability, says attorney Amy Loftsgordon, legal editor at Nolo, a self-help legal site. (The law limits a consumer’s liability to $50 per series of unauthorized uses, but most issuers waive that, Loftsgordon says.)

So my heart sank when I realized that the fraud on our Apple.com account had started at least six months earlier.

I’d noticed that the Apple.com charges had been ticking up, but assumed my husband was buying more audiobooks and my daughter was downloading more games. I’d grouse at them occasionally, they would proclaim innocence and the charges would continue.

Finally, the thief went too far and charged over $300 in a single month. I contacted Apple and discovered our card had been used to purchase dating apps and virtual phone numbers, which were likely being used to scam other people. The electronic receipts for these purchases were sent to an email address I didn’t recognize.

A new card didn’t stop the fraud

The kicker: The thief was using a credit card number that had already been reported as compromised. Normally, credit card issuers will deny new charges on a compromised number. But according to the card issuer, the thief started their crime spree during the few days that my replacement card was in the mail. Since we already made regular purchases at Apple.com, the card issuer assumed the charges using the old card were legit and allowed them to go through “as a courtesy” — month after month. (I was assured that this sequence of events “is extremely rare and hardly ever happens.”)

An Apple customer service representative deleted the most recent month’s charges and the issuer removed the rest — even those well past the 60-day mark.

My takeaways: Sites where you make multiple purchases each month need to be monitored carefully for bogus transactions. Compare what your credit card statement says you’ve charged with your purchase history on the site. You may have to search online for how to find that history; Apple certainly doesn’t make it easy or intuitive to find your charges. And if you find fraud, report it — even if it’s beyond the 60-day deadline.

Make fraudsters work harder

It’s still not clear why my other card was repeatedly compromised. I’d no sooner get a replacement card than I would receive a text from the issuer asking about another suspicious transaction.

I removed the card from the browsers and websites where it had been stored. We may like the convenience of not having to type in our credit card numbers, but every place we store our cards is another place where they can be stolen, says security expert Avivah Litan, a distinguished vice president analyst with research firm Gartner Inc.

The mobile app for this card allowed me to see many of the places where my card was saved. But the list wasn’t complete. After the fourth hack, a phone rep said my card was stored at Airbnb, Walmart.com and Uber — three places that didn’t show up in my app and that I hadn’t authorized. The rep disconnected the card from those accounts. In the future, I’ll call in to report fraud so I can ask for this review rather than merely responding to a text warning or going online. I also learned that I could “lock” my card in the mobile app to prevent unauthorized use. Unlocking it when I want to make a charge just takes a few seconds. I wish more issuers offered this feature.

At the issuer’s suggestion, I ran antivirus and anti-malware software (my devices were clean) and changed the passwords on my email accounts as well as my financial accounts, in case a thief had broken into those. I already had two-factor authentication, which requires a code and a password to sign in, on my financial and email accounts. I added it to my most-used retail sites as well.

I’ve also started using a mobile payment system wherever possible. These systems — which include Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay — create a “token” that’s transmitted to merchants so that your credit card number is never exposed or stored. Similarly, some credit card issuers will provide virtual numbers that you can use instead of your real account number when making purchases online.

I don’t imagine all this will make me fraud-proof, because that’s impossible. I’m just trying to make the thieves work a little harder next time.

This article was written by NerdWallet and was originally published by The Associated Press.

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Liz Weston, CFP® writes for NerdWallet. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @lizweston.

The article Make Your Credit Cards Less Vulnerable to Fraud originally appeared on NerdWallet.

​ Orange County Register 

Dozens dead in Greece’s worst rail disaster

• March 1, 2023

By Costas Kantouris and Nicholas Paphitis | Associated Press

TEMPE, Greece — Rescuers searched for survivors Wednesday in the mangled, burned-out cars of two trains that slammed into each other in northern Greece, killing at least 38 people and crumpling carriages into twisted steel knots in the country’s worst-ever rail crash.

The impact just before midnight Tuesday threw some passengers into ceilings and out the windows as their train smashed head-on into a freight train. Emergency workers found several bodies 100 to 130 feet away from the cars, according to state broadcaster ERT, which said the passenger train was traveling at 87 mph.

“The glass in the windows shattered and fell on top of us,” Stefanos Gogakos, who was riding in a rear carriage, told ERT. “My head hit the roof of the carriage with the jolt.”

The train from Athens to Thessaloniki was carrying 350 passengers, many of them students returning from raucous Carnival celebrations. It was not immediately clear what caused the collision. While the track is double, both trains were traveling in opposite directions on the same line near the Vale of Tempe, a river valley about 235 miles north of Athens.

STATIONMASTER ARRESTED; MINISTER RESIGNS

Authorities arrested the stationmaster at the train’s last stop, in the city of Larissa. They did not release the man’s name or the reason for the arrest, but the stationmaster is responsible for rail traffic on that stretch of the tracks.

Transportation Minister Kostas Karamanlis resigned, saying he was stepping down “as a basic indication of respect for the memory of the people who died so unfairly.”

Karamanlis said he had made “every effort” to improve a railway system that had been “in a state that doesn’t befit the 21st century.”

But, he added, “When something this tragic happens it’s impossible to continue as if nothing has happened.”

WRECKAGE MAKES RESCUE EFFORTS DIFFICULT

On Wednesday, rescuers turned to cranes and other heavy machinery to start moving large pieces of the trains, revealing more bodies and dismembered remains. Many bodies were so badly disfigured that they required DNA identification.

“There were many big pieces of steel,” said Vassilis Polyzos, a local resident who said he was one of the first people on the scene. “The trains were completely destroyed, both passenger and freight train.”

Rescuer Lazaros Sarianidis told ERT that crews were “very carefully” trying to disentangle steel, sheet metal and other material that was twisted together by the crash. “It will take a long time,” said Sarianidis.

Greece’s firefighting service said 57 people remained hospitalized late Wednesday, including six in intensive care. More than 15 others were discharged after receiving initial treatment.

More than 200 people who were unharmed or suffered minor injuries were taken by bus to Thessaloniki, 130 kilometers (80 miles) to the north. Police took their names as they arrived, in an effort to track anyone who may be missing.

Eight rail employees were among those killed in the crash, including the two drivers of the freight train and the two drivers of the passenger train, according to Greek Railroad Workers Union President Yannis Nitsas.

PASSENGERS SAY TRAIN CRASH WAS LIKE AN EXPLOSION

A teenage survivor who did not give his name to reporters said that just before the crash he felt sudden braking and saw sparks — and then there was a sudden stop.

“Our carriage didn’t derail, but the ones in front did and were smashed,” he said, visibly shaken. He used a bag to break the window of his car, the fourth, and escape.

Gogakos said the crash felt like an explosion.

He said some passengers climbed through windows after smoke entered the carriage. He said initially the doors were closed but train staff were able to open them after a few minutes and let people out.

Multiple cars derailed and at least one burst into flames.

“Temperatures reached 1,300 degrees Celsius (2,372 Fahrenheit), which makes it even more difficult to identify the people who were in it,” fire service spokesperson Vassilis Varthakoyiannis said.

A man who was trying to ascertain the fate of his daughter, who was on the train, saying he had a harrowing phone conversation with her before she was cut off.

“She told me ‘we’re on fire. … My hair is burning,’” he told ERT, without giving his name.

GREECE GOES FROM CARNIVAL TO MOURNING

Many of the passengers were students returning to Thessaloniki from Carnival, but officials said but no detailed passenger list was available. This year was the first time the festival, which precedes Lent, was celebrated in full since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

The government declared three days of national mourning from Wednesday, while flags flew at half-staff outside all European Commission buildings in Brussels.

Visiting the accident scene, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the government must help the injured recover and identify the dead.

“I can guarantee one thing: We will find out the causes of this tragedy and we will do all that’s in our power so that something like this never happens again,” Mitsotakis said.

Tuesday’s was Greece’s worst rail crash since 1968, when 34 people were killed in a crash in the southern Peloponnese region.

Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou broke off an official visit to Moldova to visit the scene, laying flowers beside the wreckage.

Pope Francis offered his condolences to the families of the dead, in a message sent to the president of the Greek bishops conference on his behalf by the Vatican’s secretary of state,The pontiff “sends the assurance of his prayers to everyone affected by this tragedy,” the message said.

Paphitis reported from Athens, Greece. Derek Gatopoulos in Athens and Patrick Quinn and David Rising in Bangkok contributed to this story.

​ Orange County Register