Trump ups competition with DeSantis in planning trip to Iowa

• April 29, 2023

By Thomas Beaumont | Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa — The competition between Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis is intensifying as the former president is scheduling a return trip to Iowa on the same day that the Florida governor was already going to be in the state that will kick off the Republican contest for the White House.

A Trump campaign official said Saturday that the former president plans to be in Iowa on May 13 to headline an organizing rally at a sprawling park in downtown Des Moines. That’s when DeSantis was already slated to headline Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra’s annual summer fundraiser in northwest Iowa and speak at a party fundraiser later that evening in Cedar Rapids.

The Trump campaign official, who requested anonymity to discuss the trip before it was announced, said the Des Moines organizing rally has been in the planning stage for weeks and is aimed at identifying caucus supporters and volunteers.

The move is a sign of the escalating competition between the two men who, at least for now, are leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Trump and his allies have become increasingly emboldened in their efforts to attack and marginalize DeSantis, who is expected to announce his White House bid sometime after the Florida Legislature wraps up its work in the coming week.

But Trump’s trip is also notable for its emphasis on the type of ground-level organizing that is vital in Iowa politics and was often missing during his 2016 campaign, when Texas Sen. Ted Cruz overtook him and won the state’s GOP caucuses.

Trump has been almost singularly focused on swinging at DeSantis, whom he has attacked for policy positions on entitlement reform, his loyalty to conservative causes, even his character. While DeSantis has largely ignored Trump’s jabs, a pro-DeSantis super political action committee, Never Back Down, began to respond in paid ads this month.

Meanwhile, the super PAC promoting DeSantis is hiring Iowa staff to begin organizing support for the governor before he enters the race.

The stakes for both men are particularly high in Iowa, where the caucuses in February offer opportunities for them to cement their status atop the GOP. A poor performance, however, would give an opening for other Republicans to mount an upstart campaign.

Trump’s 2016 Iowa campaign was a seat-of-the-pants operation disparately managed by campaign newcomers who, including the candidate, had little idea what the caucuses are. The roughly 1,700 precinct-level Republican political meetings, vestiges of prairie civic life, include a presidential preference question but require in-person participation on a typically frigid winter evening.

Eight years ago, Trump’s Iowa team had left contact information for roughly 10,000 Iowans interested in supporting him unprocessed before the caucuses, where Trump had led in lead-up polls, but fell short against Cruz’s more organized campaign.

Armed with not just refined 2016 caucus data but information collected during two national campaigns, Trump’s advisers says they are building a data and digital engagement strategy they say would put him in position to win the caucuses. It’s an expectation Iowa GOP strategists say is an absolute must for the former president, who carried Iowa comfortably in the 2016 and 2020 general elections.

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Meantime Never Back Down, run by DeSantis’ 2022 Florida re-election campaign senior strategist, Phil Cox, has named Iowa Republican operatives to its roster as it seeks to tap into interested GOP activists as the Iowa 2024 campaign gets underway. Among them are Ryan Koopmans, the former chief of staff to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The group has been airing TV advertisements in Iowa and other early-voting states, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, for weeks, and plans to launch a new one Monday.

​ Orange County Register 

US conducts first evacuation of its citizens from Sudan war

• April 29, 2023

By ZEKE MILLER, COLLEEN LONG, MATTHEW LEE and ELLEN KNICKMEYER

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of Americans fleeing two weeks of deadly fighting in Sudan reached the east African nation’s port Saturday in the first U.S.-run evacuation, completing a dangerous land journey under escort of armed drones.

American unmanned aircraft, which have been keeping an eye on overland evacuation routes for days, provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 500 miles to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, U.S. officials said.

The U.S., which had none of its officials on the ground for the evacuation, has been criticized by families of trapped Americans in Sudan for initially ruling out any U.S.-run evacuation for Americans who wanted out, calling it too dangerous.

U.S. special operations troops briefly flew to the capital, Khartoum, on April 22 to airlift out American staffers at the embassy and other American government personnel. Several thousand U.S. citizens were left behind, many of them dual-nationals.

More than a dozen other nations had already been carrying out evacuations for their citizens, using a mix of military planes, navy vessels and on the ground personnel.

A man walks by a house hit in recent fighting in Khartoum, Sudan, April 25, 2023. The U.S. conducted its first organized evacuation of citizens and permanent residents from Sudan, the State Department said Saturday, April 29, two weeks into a conflict that has turned Khartoum into a war zone and thrown the country into turmoil. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali, File)

A wide-ranging group of international mediators — including African and Arab nations, the United Nations and the United States — has only managed to achieve a series of fragile temporary cease-fires that failed to stop clashes but created enough of a lull for tens of thousands of Sudanese to flee to safer areas and for foreign nations to evacuate thousands of their citizens by land, air and sea.

Since the conflict between two rival generals broke out April 15, the U.S. has warned its citizens that they needed to find their own way out of the country, though U.S. officials have tried to link up Americans with other nations’ evacuation efforts. But that changed as U.S. officials exploited a relative lull in the fighting and, from afar, organized their own convoy for Americans, officials said.

Without the evacuation flights near the capital that other countries have been offering their citizens, many U.S. citizens have been left to make the dangerous overland journey from Khartoum to the country’s main Red Sea port, Port Sudan. One Sudanese-American family that made the trip earlier described passing through numerous checkpoints manned by armed men and passing bodies lying in the street and vehicles of other fleeing families who had been killed along the way.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the convoy carried U.S. citizens, local people employed by the U.S. and citizens of allied countries. “We reiterate our warning to Americans not to travel to Sudan,” he said.

From Port Sudan, away from the fighting, the Americans in the convoy can seek spots on vessels crossing the Red Sea to the Saudi port city of Jeddah. U.S. officials also are working with Saudi Arabia to see if one of the kingdom’s naval vessels can carry a larger number of Americans to Jeddah.

U.S. consular officials will be waiting for the Americans once they reach the dock in Jeddah, but there are no U.S. personnel in Port Sudan, officials said.

Two Americans are confirmed killed in the fighting that erupted April 15. One was a U.S. civilian whom officials said was caught in crossfire. The other was an Iowa City, Iowa, doctor, who was stabbed to death in front of his house and family in Khartoum, in the lawless violence that has accompanied the fighting.

In all, the fighting in the east African country has killed more than 500 people.

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Angels’ José Suarez might be pitching for his job Sunday

• April 29, 2023

MILWAUKEE — José Suarez is going to get the ball again Sunday, with his job on the line.

While Manager Phil Nevin won’t publicly say that Suarez is going to lose his spot in the rotation if he doesn’t pitch well against the Milwaukee Brewers, he did concede earlier this week that they are now going “start to start” with Suarez after he began the year with four disappointing outings.

Suarez, a 25-year-old lefty who had a 3.86 ERA over 207 1/3 innings in the previous two seasons, has a 10.26 ERA this season. Opponents have hit .382 with an OPS of 1.184 against him.

Nevin oversaw the work the pitching coaches did with Suarez during his bullpen session Thursday. A manager would not normally be around for a routine bullpen session.

“Working on being more consistent with his location, more consistent with his delivery,” Nevin said. “That’s the only thing we see. I stood down there, watched film, everything.”

Suarez’s poor command has led to him throwing a first-pitch ball 43% of the time, up from 35% last year.

When he has gotten ahead, he’s still gotten hit hard, because his put-away pitches have missed their spots. Opponents are hitting .379 with a 1.276 OPS when Suarez is ahead in the count. Last year it was .184 and .489.

In his seven-run debacle Monday, Suarez gave up homers on a 1-and-2 pitch and an 0-and-2 pitch. The latter was a hanging sweeper to No. 9 hitter Kevin Smith, who at that point was hitting .171.

“I think that when you’re trying to put a hitter away and throwing harder, you’re losing your mechanics,” Nevin said. “When he’s trying to bury one and he doesn’t quite get it there and he leaves it in the middle, those are the balls that get hit.”

Suarez, like many pitchers nowadays, throws a harder slider and a sweeper. Last year he threw his slider an average of 81.7 mph, and opponents hit .167 against it. This year it’s averaged 83.9 mph. The extra effort he’s putting into the pitch to get the extra velocity could be affecting his mechanics, causing the poor command. Most pitchers this side of Shohei Ohtani also lose movement as they add velocity, and Suarez is getting about three inches less drop on his slider this year.

Less break plus poor location have led to opponents hitting .588 against his slider.

“I wasn’t executing (the slider) at all,” Suarez said through an interpreter Saturday. “That’s what I’m working on.”

The other issue with Suarez was possible pitch-tipping during his last start against the A’s. Nevin said they investigated that and dismissed it.

“I don’t think that’s real,” he said.

The pitches Suarez was burned on in that game were simply poorly located. In the final two innings, he located better and didn’t give up any more runs.

There was no suggestion of tipping from Suarez’s first three starts, but he was still hit hard simply because his location was bad.

Nevin said they have made some changes that they believe will help Suarez have more consistent mechanics, which will help him get the ball where he wants it.

“We’re just getting him to repeat and repeat,” Nevin said. “I think he took a different approach to his last bullpen.”

Suarez said he understands what has been going wrong and he said he was happy with the work since his last start.

“I feel really good,” Suarez said. “I feel 100% confident. I feel it coming back.”

If it doesn’t work, the Angels will likely have no choice but to send him to the bullpen, putting either Tucker Davidson or Chase Silseth in the rotation.

WARD MOVED

Nevin moved Taylor Ward down from the leadoff spot to No. 7, a recognition of the slump that he’s been in for most of the first month of the season. Ward was hitting .216 with a .649 OPS. Rookie Zach Neto moved up to the leadoff spot.

“It’s just more trying to find the right fit for the moment,” Nevin said. “Nothing’s etched in stone with any spot in the lineup. Net’s been swinging the bat great. Wardo, let’s get him more at-bats maybe with runners on in front of him. His at-bats have been a little better in those situations. So maybe that’ll be something to get him going.”

Ward said he was cheating to get to inside pitches and that was causing him to come off the ball instead of having an approach to hit the ball up the middle or to right center.

DEVENSKI ARRIVES

Right-hander Chris Devenski joined the Angels, replacing left-hander José Quijada. Devenski, 32, was an All-Star reliever with the Houston Astros in 2017, but two surgeries in the past three years sent his career off the rails. He had pitched nine innings so far at Triple-A, allowing four runs.

“I felt like I was throwing well,” Devenski said. “I felt like I was executing my pitches. (The Pacific Coast League) is a tough league to pitch in. Every league’s tough to pitch in. Pitching is hard. But I felt like I was throwing well.”

Devenski is a product of Gahr High and Cal State Fullerton who grew up rooting for the Angels.

There is no timetable for Quijada’s return. He felt some discomfort in his elbow when he woke up Friday and underwent an MRI later in the day. He was traveling back to Southern California on Saturday to be evaluated by Angels doctors, Nevin said. They are expecting more information in the next couple days, Nevin said.

NOTES

Right-hander Ryan Tepera (shoulder inflammation) “felt good” a day after pitching a perfect inning for Class-A Inland Empire, Nevin said. The plan is for him to pitch another inning Sunday and be re-evaluated. He would be eligible to be activated for the start of the Angels’ series in St. Louis on Tuesday. …

The Angels moved catcher Logan O’Hoppe to the 60-day injured list to create a spot on the 40-man roster for Devenski. O’Hoppe is going to be out at least four months after undergoing shoulder surgery. …

The Angels don’t have a day off planned for Ohtani. Nevin said he would play Sunday and they would then talk about when he might need a day off.

UP NEXT

Angels (LHP José Suarez, 0-1, 10.26) vs. Brewers (RHP Colin Rea, 0-1, 5.17), 11:10 a.m. Sunday, Angel Stadium, Bally Sports West, 830 AM.

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Looted monastery manuscripts rediscovered during office renovation

• April 29, 2023

NEW YORK — In 2008, Swann Auction Galleries in Manhattan sold three Greek-language manuscripts from the 16th and 17th centuries to an antiquities dealer who returned them two years later after concluding they might have been looted.

The dealer was reimbursed, but the auction house, its officials said, was unable to reach the person who had consigned the items. So, they sat on a shelf for more than a decade, all but lost in the shuffle of daily operations.

Three months ago, though, the manuscripts resurfaced when Swann’s chief financial officer went through his office before a renovation. There on a shelf in a long-forgotten plastic bag were the manuscripts, which are believed to have been stolen from a Greek monastery in the midst of World War I.

They are thought to have been lost in 1917 when Bulgarian combatants are said to have plundered nearly 900 items from the Theotokos Eikosiphoinissa Patriarchal and Stavropegial Monastery, often called Kosinitza, in northern Greece.

The manuscripts will be sent back to the monastery, and their return was commemorated Friday in a repatriation ceremony in lower Manhattan. After the ceremony, arranged by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America was planning to travel to Constantinople to deliver the manuscripts to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church. From there, the items will go back to Kosinitza.

“It is a blessing for the monastic sisterhood at the monastery of Theotokos Eikosiphoinissa to see the contents of their former library slowly being returned to them,” Elpidophoros said in a statement. He said the church hopes that other organizations with manuscripts stolen from the monastery would also return them.

The sweeping scale of systematic looting during World War II by Nazi forces tends to overshadow the fact that artworks were routinely plundered during other conflicts. Roman generals, Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte were known to have looted artworks during military campaigns, said Leila Amineddoleh, a lawyer who specializes in art and cultural heritage law and who has been serving as a consultant for lawyers seeking the return of documents they say were taken from the monastery.

But although some looting efforts are carried out in an organized fashion on behalf of an empire and its aspirations, Amineddoleh said the turmoil of war also provides cover for thefts by fighters who act on their own, not on orders.

“Sometimes, looting is done nation to nation,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s done by individuals as a crime of opportunity.”

The plundering of Kosinitza would appear to fall into the second category. The monastery was founded in about the fifth century and, by the 18th century, was said to have a collection of about 1,300 volumes, an Eastern Orthodox Church official wrote in a letter in 2015. The official added that the monastery was attacked in 1917 by “marauding Bulgarian guerilla forces” who sacked its library.

Four days after the attack, a letter from a local official to the Greek Foreign Affairs Delegation of Sofia said about 60 bandits had entered the monastery, assaulted men there and used 24 mules to cart off their spoils.

After being rediscovered recently at Swann, the yellowed manuscripts made their way to the desk of Devon Eastland, a senior specialist in early printed books at the auction house.

One, titled “Commemoration List of the Venerable and Patriarchal Monastery of Our Most Glorious Lady and Mother of God, of Kosinitsa,” contains a list of former monks at the monastery and people who had donated to the monastery — names that would be included by a priest in a special prayer after a liturgy. Another document included signatures of monastery officials.

“I wanted to find out where the manuscripts should go,” Eastland said recently during a phone interview. “If they were stolen, they needed to go back to the people they were taken from.”

Her task was made easier, Eastland said, by research notes that the antiquities dealer had sent, saying that writing within the manuscripts identify their source as Kosinitza. After reading the notes, Eastland wrote to George Tsougarakis, general counsel for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, telling him about the manuscripts.

Tsougarakis, while in private practice, had sued Princeton University in 2018 on behalf of the monastery, saying a collection at the school included manuscripts plundered from Kosinitza. The university responded that it was confident that its provenance research had established the manuscripts were not looted. The lawsuit is ongoing.

Over the past several years, the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago have returned items that could be traced to the 1917 thefts from Kosinitza. The Morgan Library & Museum in New York said in 2021 that it had agreed to an extended loan to the monastery of a 12th-century manuscript that it had received through a donation in 1926 and that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople said had been looted.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

​ Orange County Register 

Sweet pit bull mix Mulligan just needs a chance – won’t you give him one?

• April 29, 2023

Breed: Pit bull terrier mix

Age: 6 years

Sex: Neutered male

Mulligan’s story: Mulligan came to the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center right after the first day of 2023, but this hasn’t been a good year for him. No one has been interested in adopting him. No applications, no phone calls … nothing. Why has he been overlooked for four months? Maybe it’s his breed, or his age. Maybe no one is interested in a little brown dog. That’s all a shame. Someone really needs to get to know this boy, because he’s sweet and mellow, loves walks, and would make a great companion for nearly anyone. Mulligan is a very good boy who deserves a warm bed and loving home of his own. Won’t you give him a chance to show you what a terrific dog he is?

Adoption procedure: Application and screening of potential adopters is required to ensure they are the right fit for Mulligan. Visit him at the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center, 28095 Hillcrest, Mission Viejo; call 949-470-3045; or email [email protected]. More information on Mulligan and other dogs in need of homes can be found online.

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Chester is a curious cat who loves to explore

• April 29, 2023

Breed: Domestic shorthair

Age: 5 years

Sex: Neutered Male

Chester’s story: Chester is a curious cat who loves to explore new places in and around his home. He loves to race up and down his cat tree; his favorite place to hang out and nap is at the top. He enjoys scratching posts filled with catnip. Chester warms up to new places and people easily and likes to be near his humans. He can be a lap cat once he gets comfortable. He is mostly tolerant of the kids in his foster home, who are 8 and 10 years old. However, he may not be the best fit with very young children since he can get over-stimulated and retreats around high-energy youngsters. He gets along well with the female foster cat in his home. Chester is much bigger than her, but lets her boss him around at times. Apply today to meet Chester.

Adoption fee: $225, includes vaccines, FIV/FELV test, microchip and flea and worm treatments

Adoption procedure: DREAM Animal Rescue’s adoption process includes an application, home visit, adoption fee and adoption contract. Complete the rescue’s adoption application on its website.

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Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (April 20-27)

• April 29, 2023

Restaurants and other food vendors ordered to close and allowed to reopen by Orange County health inspectors from April 20 to April 27.

Oji Sushi & Sake Bar, 1870 Harbor Blvd., Suite A-100, Costa Mesa

Closed: April 26
Reason: Rodent infestation
Reopened: April 27

Tacos & Co., 6620 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine

Closed: April 26
Reason: Cockroach infestation
Reopened: April 26

JT’s Bagel Co., 5840 Edinger Ave., Suite B, Huntington Beach

Closed: April 26
Reason: Rodent infestation

Kitchen at Irvine High School, 4321 Walnut Ave., Irvine

Closed: April 25
Reason: No water supply
Reopened: April 25

The Flame Broiler, 28121 Crown Valley Parkway, Suite E, Laguna Niguel

Closed: April 25
Reason: Insufficient hot water
Reopened: April 26

La Bodega, 918 N. Glassell St., Suite C, Orange

Closed: April 25
Reason: Rodent and cockroach infestation
Reopened: April 27

Soup Shop, 214 S. State College Blvd., Anaheim

Closed: April 25
Reason: Cockroach infestation
Reopened: April 26

Yoshiharu Ramen at The Source OC, 6970 Beach Blvd., Suite F-206, Buena Park

Closed: April 21
Reason: Insufficient hot water

Circle K, 111 Del Mar Ave., Costa Mesa

Closed: April 21
Reason: Rodent infestation
Reopened: April 24

University Food Mart, 480 N. Glassell St., Orange

Closed: April 20
Reason: Rodent infestation
Reopened: April 21

Alpine Market, 11911 Euclid St., Garden Grove

Closed: April 20
Reason: Sewage overflow
Reopened: April 20

Shiho & Mao at The Source OC, 6924 Beach Blvd., Suite K-329, Buena Park

Closed: April 20
Reason: Insufficient hot water

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This list is published weekly with closures since the previous week’s list. Status updates are published in the following week’s list. Source: OC Health Care Agency database.

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NFL draft: Rams select Georgia QB Stetson Bennett to start Day 3

• April 29, 2023

Stetson Bennett will get a chance to deliver for the Los Angeles Rams.

Georgia’s two-time national championship-winning quarterback was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the NFL draft on Saturday, uniting him with coach Sean McVay and fellow former Bulldogs signal-caller Matthew Stafford on the West Coast.

The 25-year-old Bennett’s unlikely route from junior college to the pinnacle of collegiate success has been well documented, but the NFL worthiness of the quirky quarterback known as “The Mailman” has been hotly debated for years. The Rams clearly believe in the 5-foot-11 passer with a proven knack for winning and making big throws in big games, even if his measurable talents don’t match other prospects.

“I love competing against the best, and it helps when you’ve got the best on your team,” Bennett said. “I think we do, not that I know that much. But obviously, if you’ve won a Super Bowl in the past few years, you know what you’re doing. I’m excited to learn. It’s an honor that those coaches and GM thought enough of me to pick me, and now it’s my job to go and get better every day.”

Bennett is the first quarterback drafted by the Rams since McVay became their head coach in 2017. He will join Stafford, the Super Bowl winner who is under contract for the next four seasons.

Bennett met Stafford for the first time at the College Football Playoff championship game at SoFi Stadium last January, but he grew up watching Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and their fellow Bulldogs. Bennett remained a fan of Stafford after he landed with the Detroit Lions.

“Everybody is watching Calvin Johnson highlights on YouTube, and he was the one throwing to him,” Bennett said. “He’s obviously extremely smart. He’s one of the most talented quarterbacks that’s ever played the game, and he’s tough as nails. I’m excited to just go in there, be quiet, take notes and learn.”

Picking Bennett in the fourth round was a reach in many draft prognostications, but the Rams clearly didn’t want to lose out: Three more quarterbacks were drafted in the 12 picks after they grabbed Bennett.

Los Angeles hadn’t drafted a quarterback since trading up to get Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in 2016.

The Rams’ two backup quarterbacks last season – John Wolford and Bryce Perkins – both struggled behind a poor offensive line after Stafford was injured. Los Angeles turned in desperation to waiver-wire pickup Baker Mayfield, who beat the Raiders two days after joining the team and eventually started the final five games.

Bennett is headed back to SoFi, where he won his second national championship by leading the Bulldogs’ 65-7 victory over TCU in January. He had a typically crisp, productive game in his collegiate finale in Inglewood, passing for 304 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions while rushing for 39 yards and two more scores.

Bennett also will be a teammate of Horned Frogs guard Steve Avila, the Rams’ second-round selection.

In other Day 3 picks:

Fifth round

The Rams used the first of four fifth-round picks on Appalachian State outside linebacker Nick Hampton. The two-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree is a bit undersized for the edge at 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, but his high-motor play led to 9.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three forced fumbles last season.

The Rams later wound up with back-to-back picks. The first went to Georgia tackle Warren McClendon Jr., a  three-year starter at right tackle for the two-time national champions. The 6-4, 306-pound All-SEC first-teamer started all 14 games last season. The second pick was 6-6, 245-pound Clemson tight end Davis Allen. The All-ACC third-teamer and team captain recorded 39 receptions for 443 yards and 5 touchdowns last season.

Two picks later, the Rams selected BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua, who was the only FBS player to run for 5 touchdowns and catch 5 touchdowns last season. The 6-2, 201-pounder, who transferred to BYU from Washington after the 2020 season, led the Cougars in receptions in each of his two years, finishing with 91 catches for 1,430 yards.

Sixth round

With three picks in the sixth round, the Rams began by taking TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. Despite being undersized at 5-8 and 178 pounds, the nephew of former Chargers great LaDainian Tomlinson had a tremendous 2022 season, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and being named a first-team Associated Press All-American with a team-high three interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 50 tackles.

More to come on this story.

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