20-year-old Marine dies during pre-deployment training at 29 Palms

• April 27, 2023

A 20-year-old Marine, Lance Cpl. Jackson Forringer, died during pre-deployment training at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, officials confirmed, saying his death is under investigation by the Navy Criminal Investigation Service.

The Marine from Chesnee, S.C., was part of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment based at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He and his unit were at the Southern California base as part of routine training.

“I can confirm that NCIS is conducting a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Lance Cpl. Forringer, as we do in response to any non-combat, medically unattended fatalities of Department of the Navy service members,” said Jeff Houston, a spokesperson for NCIS. “Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS will not comment further while the investigation remains ongoing.”

Forringer was killed on April 20, while taking part in Integrated Training Exercise 3-23 at the base, said Sgt. Alexa Hernandez, a spokesperson for the 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. The training exercise is designed to provide large forces the opportunity to put Marines through a live-fire program incorporating the various elements of an assault – including both units on the ground and aircraft in the sky – simultaneously.

Forringer enlisted in the Marines in July 2021. He had just turned 20 on April 9. His awards and decorations consist of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

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Marines unveil city-size urban warfare training at Twentynine Palms
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First lady Jill Biden visits Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms

Forringer’s death follows a separate all-terrain vehicle crash at the base at the end of March in which three Marines, also from the 2nd Regiment, were injured.

In an online obituary posted by Andrea and Todd Foringer, the couple said their son graduated from Chesnee High School in 2021 and that serving in the Marine Corps was his “lifelong dream.”

“He never met a stranger and was one of the humblest, kind-spirited individuals you could meet,” they said. “He loved to give back and help others. Jackson loved his family and his friends unconditionally.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Montana House spat: ‘Blood on your hands’ not that unusual

• April 27, 2023

By Paul J. Weber and Amy Beth Hanson | Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. — The swift punishment brought down on Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker in Montana, began over words that others in American politics have used without hesitation or consequence: saying opponents have “blood” on their hands.

The governor of Texas. A GOP congressman in Florida. A city councilwoman in Denver. Just in the past few years, they are among the elected officials who have chastised colleagues in government with the same pointed rhetoric almost word for word — accusing them of bearing responsibility for deaths — over everything from immigration policy to gun laws.

None faced blowback, let alone retribution. But not Zephyr, who on Thursday began legislative exile after Montana Republicans barred her from the state House floor a week after saying those who voted to support a ban on gender-affirming care would have blood on their hands.

“I don’t remember until now that there’s been a controversy over that cliche,” said Republican Lou Barletta, a former Pennsylvania congressman who used the same words to attack the state’s Democratic governor in 2021 over nursing homes. “I’ve never had anyone make a huge issue out of it.”

In retaliating against Zephyr, Montana Republicans accused her of crossing a line that is faint at best in political debate that happens daily in the U.S., particularly in statehouses where it is not uncommon for legislators wading into heated issues like abortion or gun rights to be scolded about “blood on your hands” by protesters or even fellow representatives.

The case that Zephyr went too far in her remarks is a stretch, said one scholar who studies American political speech, even though the Republican majority in Montana had the power to impose discipline. The confrontation is the latest example of lawmakers punishing dissent, an increasingly prevalent move.

“The phrase ‘there’s blood on your hands’ is not necessarily that controversial,” said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor at Texas A&M University who studies political rhetoric. “It’s not necessarily an insult. It doesn’t cross the line. In fact, it’s a polite way of saying that there are consequences to these decisions.”

The fallout began April 18, when Zephyr made a reference to the body’s opening prayer while speaking against what is part of a wave of Republican efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ rights across the country this year.

“I hope the next time there’s an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” she said. The remark provoked outrage from Republicans who said the language was belittling and an affront to civil discourse.

In an interview with The Associated Press after losing her access to the House floor on Wednesday, Zephyr said she expected the House’s majority leader to object in the moment but did not think the pushback would escalate. By that point, she said opponents had “closed their ears” to the harms posed by the bill.

Multiple studies have shown that transgender youth are more likely to consider or attempt suicide in general but are less at risk for depression and suicidal behaviors when able to access gender-affirming care.

“So you say what is on your heart, which is this bill is going to kill people, and if you vote for it, you are complicit in that,” she said.

Zephyr, a first-term Democrat, has plenty of company among both parties in her choice of words.

When Texas Democrats broke quorum in 2021 in protest of new voting laws, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott fumed that their absence was also stopping passage of a crime bill. “The Democrats have blood on their hands for failing to step up and do their job,” he said.

When Alabama last year moved toward ending state permits to carry concealed handguns, then-state Rep. Merika Coleman, a Democrat, spoke to her colleagues directly. “And I tell you, some of you are going to have blood on your hands because this piece of legislation passes,” she said.

The comment doesn’t always slide. When Grant Cramer, a Colorado high school freshman whose schoolmate was killed in a shooting, spoke in support of a sweeping ban on semiautomatic firearms earlier this month, he addressed four Democrats on the committee who would help decide the bill’s fate: “Our blood is on your hands,” Cramer said.

The chairman gently admonished the teenager.

“I thought you were going to call out all 13 of us, which I would have allowed,” Rep. Mike Weissman said, referring to the rest of the committee. “I want people to have their say, and that kind of testimony is on the line of what I feel is appropriate.”

In Florida, state Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Democrat, said he has heard remarks about blood on hands many times in debate, sometimes more than once a day. He said language is often ignored, including once when he cursed at a state agency head giving testimony.

Florida Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she didn’t know whether Zephyr’s comment was inappropriate to use in floor debate.

“It’s probably not senatorial,” she said. “I’ve heard it from different people, but we just move on.”

Weber reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press writers Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and Jesse Bedayn in Denver contributed to this report.

​ Orange County Register 

Jeremy Roenick breaks down Kings vs. Edmonton going into Game 6

• April 27, 2023

Every playoff series has had its singular degrees of separation and intersections, and ahead of Saturday’s Game 6, the Kings and Edmonton Oilers were no exception.

Edmonton winger Zach Hyman and Kings forward Trevor Moore forged deep mutual respect as teammates with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

Kings captain Anze Kopitar and Edmonton’s top playoff producer, Leon Draisaitl, played together at the World Cup of Hockey for Team Europe while sharing the blessings and burdens of being the face of their respective national programs in Slovenia and Germany.

There’s also the mentor-protege relationship between Kings head coach Todd McLellan and Edmonton bench boss Jay Woodcroft. At the outset of their careers with the San Jose Sharks, not only did they work together, they coached former Kings center Jeremy Roenick and current Kings general manager Rob Blake, then a defenseman, as they wound down their pro tenures.

“They’re different but they’re very similar. They both have the same kind of mannerisms and the same kind of mentality in terms of their coaching styles. They’re very poised,” said Roenick, a nine-time All-Star. “Todd was one of my favorite coaches, unfortunately it wasn’t until the last year of my career.”

Roenick also lauded Blake’s ability to construct a deep, balanced roster, even making key adjustments on the fly within the season. Such meticulous preparation proved necessary when facing Edmonton, however, as the Oilers were also aggressive at the trade deadline despite getting career years from forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman and, among others, their two brightest stars, Draisaitl and Connor McDavid.

“They’re built better now, and I think the coaching is fantastic. There’s a very, very smart guy behind that bench that knows the game extremely well,” Roenick said.

Roenick, whose career spanned the two decades from 1989 to 2009, estimated that Woodcroft’s captain, McDavid, would have been capable of scoring “300 points” in the ’80s and ’90s. Roenick described his prime years as an era when scoring was higher, goalie equipment was smaller, and methods of improving skating, strength and overall fitness were nowhere near where they were in the contemporary game.

“I’ve just never seen a player of his magnitude, and I’ve played against the greatest. Mario, Wayne, Messier and all the guys who are Hall of Famers and on the top of the all-time scoring lists. Not one person has the traits and the abilities of Connor McDavid on two blades,” Roenick said.

“It’s incredible to watch his speed, his accuracy, his edge work and his ability at extremely high speeds to not only handle a puck, but turn on a dime and also make plays in very, very tight quarters, to do things that most guys have trouble doing standing still.”

Yet McDavid was held off the scoresheet in the Kings’ Game 1 win and didn’t get his first even-strength points in the series until Game 4. Though he’s been effective, like his two power-play goals in 100 seconds during a Game 3 Kings victory, McDavid hasn’t flat-out terrorized the Kings or provided any signature moments where he burst across three zones and five defenders for a goal. Compared with his nearly two-points-per-game pace of the regular season, he’s been relatively well-contained.

“The fact that the Kings were able to shut him down in his own building said a lot,” Roenick said. “But they’re now down, in part, because Connor got his game back.”

McDavid and his mates have been even better than advertised on the power play, where they were only the most efficient team in NHL history this season. They’ve upped their percentage from 32.4% to an incomprehensible 57.1% during the playoffs. And yet here are the Kings, hanging tough for a second straight season in a seven-game series.

“They’ve gone through another year where they haven’t gotten a lot of attention because of other teams that have played really well,” Roenick said. “But the Kings have done a good job of putting themselves in a good position and now they’re playing a team that everybody thinks could possibly win the Cup, and they’ve played them pretty strong.”

The Kings will try to extend their campaign Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena as they seek to stave off elimination and send the series back to Edmonton for a decisive seventh game. They’ll have every player available to them with spark-plug center Blake Lizotte’s return to practice Thursday after missing three games, and were excellent this season with two or more days off, posting a 14-4-1 record in such situations.

Though home ice didn’t offer any assurance in last year’s Game 6, a potential clincher, the Kings have often made good on that advantage, both recently and historically. They had the best home record in the Western Conference this season and hoisted their 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cups on home ice.

“I think the L.A. fans are vastly underrated. People don’t understand how awesome that building can get going and how loud it can be and how passionate they are,” Roenick said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Mike Pence testifies before election probe grand jury, source tells AP

• April 27, 2023

Former Vice President Mike Pence testified Thursday before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The person requested anonymity to discuss the private appearance before the grand jury.

Pence’s appearance before a grand jury in Washington scrutinizing the president he once loyally served is a milestone in the Justice Department’s investigation and likely gives prosecutors a key first-person account about certain conversations and events in the weeks preceding the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. It also carries significant political implications, coming as Pence hints at entering the 2024 presidential race and a potential run against Trump, the Republican front-runner.

The testimony came hours after a federal appeals court in a sealed order rejected a bid by Trump’s lawyers to block Pence’s appearance.

Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trump’s lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns. A judge in March refused to block Pence’s appearance, though he did side with the former vice president’s constitutional claims that he could not be forced to answer questions about anything related to his role as presiding over the Senate’s certification of votes on Jan. 6.

“We’ll obey the law, we’ll tell the truth,” Pence said in an interview with CBS News’ “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday. “And the story that I’ve been telling the American people all across the country, the story that I wrote in the pages of my memoir, that’ll be the story I tell in that setting.”

Pence has spoken extensively about Trump’s pressure campaign urging him to reject Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory in the days leading up to Jan. 6, including in his book, “So Help Me God.” Pence, as vice president, had a ceremonial role overseeing Congress’ counting of the Electoral College vote but did not have the power to affect the results, despite Trump’s contention otherwise.

Pence, a former Indiana governor and congressman, has said that Trump endangered his family and everyone else who was at the Capitol that day and history will hold him “accountable.”

“For four years, we had a close working relationship. It did not end well,” Pence wrote, summing up their time in the White House.

Lawyers for Pence had raised their own, more narrow challenge to the subpoena. They argued that because Pence was serving in his capacity as president of the Senate as electoral votes were being counted in Congress on Jan. 6, he was protected from being forced to testify about that process under the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, which is intended to protect members of Congress from being questioned about official legislative acts.

A judge agreed with that argument, effectively narrowing the scope of his expected testimony.

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The Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides, including ex-White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former adviser Stephen Miller.

Smith is separately investigating Trump over the potential mishandling of hundreds of classified documents at his Palm Beach, Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as well as possible efforts to obstruct that probe. On Wednesday, Trump’s lawyers in that investigation called the Department of Justice investigation “severely botched” and “politically infected” and urged the House Intelligence Committee to step in by holding hearings and introducing legislation to correct classified document handling procedures in the White House and to standardize procedures for presidents and vice presidents for when they leave office.

“DOJ should be ordered to stand down, and the intelligence community should instead conduct an appropriate investigation and provide a full report to this Committee, as well as your counterparts in the Senate,” the lawyers wrote.

It is unclear when either of the special counsel’s investigations will end or who, if anyone, will be charged.

​ Orange County Register 

Tableside bong service? A Denver weed lounge aims to reinvent nightlife

• April 27, 2023

When Denverite Arend Richard looks at the local and national landscape for cannabis lounges, he sees a homogenous smattering of spaces designed for men. That’s why when Richard opens his own hospitality establishment this fall, the aesthetic and amenities will be specifically curated to attract women and gay individuals, as well as the canna-curious looking for a comfortable environment where they can try some of Colorado’s locally grown herb.

Cirrus Social Club, opening in Denver, combines Richard’s experiences teaching people to smoke weed on YouTube under the moniker The Gay Stoner and working in high-end restaurants. And the way he describes it, the 420-friendly lounge is posed to be unlike anything else in Denver with lavish decor, custom furniture and florals, and a pink Steinway & Sons player piano to help set the ambiance.

Arend Richard is founder of Cirrus Social Club, a lavish new weed smoking lounge coming to Denver in fall 2023. (Provided by Coryn Nelson Photography)

Think of the aesthetic as the “Ritz Carlton of the cannabis industry,” he said. The club will offer a tea service during the day and shared plates at night, both of which come with “seshware” like bongs and volcano vaporizers served tableside.

“I love cannabis, I love everything about the plant,” he said. “But my one true love and my one true specialty has always been getting people high and making sure they have a great time.”

Cirrus Social Club will be among the first marijuana hospitality lounges to open in Denver and while patrons will not be able to purchase cannabis products there (you bring your own), they can receive a discount on their check by shopping at one of Cirrus’ partner dispensaries. (His partners are TBA, Richard said.)

While Cirrus Social Club isn’t expected to open until September, a recent pop-up he held in Los Angeles offers some insight into what’s to come. Cirrus Social Club’s 4/20 High Tea welcomed cannabis enthusiasts to enjoy finger foods while puffing on bongs and vapor bags. The place was glamorously adorned with pink, white and yellow flowers, long colorful candlesticks, stemware and artisanal-looking china.

Locals can expect the vibe to be similar at Cirrus Social Club permanent home in Denver. The 1930s building will feature a communal lounge with personal living room spaces around the edges that fit up to six people, Richard said. One of the walls will feature a big bar, but instead of displaying liquor, it will display handblown glass smoking pieces, including several Cirrus has custom-made for its brand.

The lounge’s centerpiece will be a 10-foot floral arrangement overflowing with flowers like a fountain, Richard said. He’s working with floral designer Conner Nesbit, who recently won the HBO competition series “Full Bloom,” to bring his vision to life.

Additionally, Cirrus Social Club will have a private room that holds up to 12 guests and another 3,000-square-foot ballroom, deemed the Rose Room, where Richard anticipates booking private events and hosting vendor pop-ups.

“I am pretty uncompromising in bringing something beautiful to the world. It’s not just trying to develop a beautiful business for the cannabis industry, I’m trying to take over social nightlife,” Richard said. “I’m literally trying to convince the world there’s an alternative to alcohol and socialization, and it’s a better one.”

Cirrus Social Club will offer high tea service from 11 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. daily, during which time guests can sample three teas and then choose one to pair with snacks like scones and miniature sandwiches, including a peanut butter-and-jelly-and-Cheetos sandwich – one of Richard’s original recipes he invented when he was a kid. After 4:20 p.m., the lounge will offer snack and seshware pairings in three tiers. (Seshware is a term Richard coined to describe the tools used for a smoking session, akin to dinnerware or flatware.)

The first tier is expected to include one shared plate and access to one volcano or bong, including PuffCo products for patrons who bring concentrate. The middle tier includes two shared plates, plus chocolate fondue for dessert, and access to two pieces of seshware. And the top tier features the same food offerings plus access to Cirrus’ premium glassware collection with pieces exceeding $1,000 each.

Instead of paying a cover, patrons pay a flat fee for the experience they want and close out at the end of their session. Cirrus Social Club will not permit smoking joints or blunts, but will allow flower for smoking in pipes and bongs.

If a lot of this plan sounds like a dance club, Richard assures there will be no dress code. And while Cirrus Social Club will be a safe space for LGBTQ+ locals, it’s not billed as a gay club.

“I want everyone and their mother – literally their mother – to come be able to experience and I want them to come as they are,” Richard said. “As a gay business owner, as a person with a team led mostly by women and queer people, we understand what being judged is like and we want every single person who walks through the door to feel very much embraced however you come.”

Richard and his partners are currently in the midst of a $3.5 million build out to bring Cirrus Social Club’s historic building up to the cannabis hospitality code in hopes of opening in late September. Until then, Cirrus will be hosting pop-ups in other states where marijuana is legal to build hype. Eventually, Richard wants to expand the brand beyond Denver, too.

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Cirrus Social Club joins JAD’s Mile High Smoke, Tetra Lounge and The Coffee Joint in allowing locals and tourists access to a public place where they can smoke weed. (Tetra Lounge is currently closed to upgrade its ventilation system to permit smoking inside) Bed-and-breakfast The Patterson Inn is also in the midst of building an onsite cannabis lounge.

Other hospitality companies are also popping up in Denver, such as The Cannabis Experience tour bus, which takes patrons toking tours around the city.

The city of Denver is issuing new marijuana business licenses exclusively to social equity applicants, meaning folks who have been directly impacted by a marijuana arrest or conviction; individuals who have lived in an economic opportunity zone for at least 15 years between 1980 and 2010; or those whose household income falls 50% below the state median.

Richard previously co-founded and co-owned WeedTube, one of the largest social networking platforms for the marijuana community, which registered significant losses during the pandemic before folding permanently earlier this year. Richard qualified under the social equity income stipulation.

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​ Orange County Register 

Powerful new obesity drug poised to upend weight loss care

• April 27, 2023

As a growing number of overweight Americans clamor for Ozempic or Wegovy — drugs touted by celebrities and on TikTok to pare pounds — an even more powerful obesity medicine is poised to upend treatment.

Tirzepatide, an Eli Lilly and Co. drug approved to treat type 2 diabetes under the brand name Mounjaro, helped people with the disease who were overweight or had obesity lose up to 16% of their body weight, or more than 34 pounds, over nearly 17 months, the company said on Thursday

The late-stage study of the drug for weight loss adds to earlier evidence that similar participants without diabetes lost up to 22% of their body weight over that period with weekly injections of the drug. For a typical patient on the highest dose, that meant shedding more than 50 pounds.

Having diabetes makes it notoriously difficult to lose weight, said Dr. Nadia Ahmad, Lilly’s medical director of obesity clinical development, which means the recent results are especially significant. “We have not seen this degree of weight reduction,” she said.

Based on the new results, which have not yet been published in full, company officials said they will finalize an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for fast-track approval to sell tirzepatide for chronic weight management. A decision could come later this year. A company spokeswoman would not confirm whether the drug would be marketed for weight loss in the U.S. under a different brand name.

If approved for weight loss, tirzepatide could become the most effective drug to date in an arsenal of medications that are transforming the treatment of obesity, which affects more than 4 in 10 American adults and is linked to dozens of diseases that can lead to disability or death.

“If everybody who had obesity in this country lost 20% of their body weight, we would be taking patients off all of these medications for reflux, for diabetes, for hypertension,” said Dr. Caroline Apovian, a director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “We would not be sending patients for stent replacement.”

Industry analysts predict that tirzepatide could become one of the top-selling drugs ever, with annual sales topping $50 billion. It is expected to outpace Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic — a diabetes drug used so commonly to shed pounds that comedian Jimmy Kimmel joked about it at the Oscars — and Wegovy, a version of the drug also known as semaglutide approved for weight loss in 2021. Together, those drugs made nearly $10 billion in 2022, with prescriptions continuing to soar, company reports show.

In separate trials, tirzepatide has resulted in greater weight loss than semaglutide, whose users shed about 15% of their body weight over 16 months. A head-to-head trial comparing the two drugs is planned.

Mounjaro was first approved to treat diabetes last year. Since then, thousands of patients have obtained the drug from doctors and telehealth providers who prescribed it “off-label” to help them slim down.

In California, Matthew Barlow, a 48-year-old health technology executive, said he has lost more than 100 pounds since November by using Mounjaro and changing his diet.

“Psychologically, you don’t want to eat,” said Barlow. “Now I can eat two bites of a dessert and be satisfied.”

Rather than relying solely on diet, exercise and willpower to reduce weight, tirzepatide and other new drugs target the digestive and chemical pathways that underlie obesity, suppressing appetite and blunting cravings for food.

“They have entirely changed the landscape,” said Dr. Amy Rothberg, a University of Michigan endocrinologist who directs a virtual weight loss and diabetes program.

Research has shown that with diet and exercise alone, about a third of people will lose 5% or more of their body weight, said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. In the latest tirzepatide trial, more than 86% of patients using the highest dose of the drug lost at least 5% of their body weight. More than half on that dose lost at least 15%, the company said.

​ Orange County Register 

Douglas Schoen: America’s primary system needs reform

• April 27, 2023

The likely prospect of Donald Trump – an extreme, twice-impeached, unpopular ex-president – winning the Republican Party’s presidential nomination for the third time in a row is illustrative of a broader problem with the U.S. primary election system that goes far beyond Trump himself and the Republicans who still support him.

Most states adhere to the first-past-the-post principle in primaries, which requires candidates to win only a simple plurality of the vote in order to win their party’s nomination. Many also have a closed primary system, which prevents Independent and unaffiliated voters from participating, ensuring that only the most partisan voters have a say in the nominating process.

This ultimately paves the way for extreme politicians with loyal followings to prevail over consensus candidates with whom most voters can find common ground, especially in primary races with three or more candidates. The end result? Gridlock instead of good governance, chaos instead of conciliation, and partisan rancor instead of results.

There is no one individual whose political ascendancy is more emblematic of this flawed system than Donald Trump. While Trump certainly has more baggage now than when he first sought the nomination in 2016, he was still vastly outside of the mainstream of the GOP at the time, and won the nomination by appealing to a small plurality – not majority – of the Republican Party against a crowded primary field.

Since then, Republican leadership has kowtowed to the Trump-wing of the party, clearly cognizant of the electoral consequences of not doing so. Indeed, most Republicans – i.e., Liz Cheney – who spoke out against the MAGA movement lost their subsequent primary elections.

To be sure, Trump is just one embodiment of this flawed primary system. In last year’s midterm elections, many Republican candidates who were either outside the mainstream or unqualified for office advanced to the general election by winning a small plurality in the primary, only to lose to a Democrat.

The Pennsylvania Senate race provides one glaring example of this. In the closed-primary state, the Trump-endorsed Senate candidate, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who was widely viewed as inexperienced and held extreme positions on issues like abortion, won the Republican primary with just 31.2% of the vote. Put another way, Oz was able to advance to the general election even though two-thirds of Republicans didn’t vote for him.

Furthermore, Oz garnered just 951 more votes than the 2nd place finisher, David McCormick, a hedge fund manager who was seen as a more moderate Republican and stronger general election contender. In the end, despite facing a relatively weak Democratic opponent in John Fetterman, Oz ended up losing the general election by five-points.

To be sure, this system has impacted Democrats as well. Had the Democratic Party not made the decision to coalesce around Joe Biden following his victory in South Carolina in 2020, the party very well could have been left with a far-left progressive – the likes of Sen. Bernie Sanders – at the top of the ticket, likely handing the general election to Donald Trump.

Ultimately, both parties should be motivated – if not to help democracy, then at the very least to help their party win more general elections – to implement changes to the primary system that put an end to the elevation of extremists, and instead, elevates consensus-builders.

Ranked choice voting – which some states and localities have already adopted – would be a starting point. This is a more democratic and representative system because it allows voters to rank candidates in an election, rather than select only one, thereby ensuring that no candidate is able to win their party’s nomination without being ranked by a majority of voters.

This system incentivizes consensus-building, discourages negative campaigns, and forces candidates to campaign by appealing to the broadest majority of voters, not just their base.

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Additionally, every state should allow open primaries. Allowing Independents to vote in one of the party’s primaries would ensure that general election candidates are more representative of the electorate, and would blunt the ascendancy of extreme candidates.

So many of the problems with the U.S. political system – ranging from extremism to gridlock – stem from our flawed primary election system, which has been hijacked by extreme candidates who feel no need to appeal to a majority of voters.

This is part of the reason why the majority of Americans believe democracy is broken, and on the brink of collapse.

These proposed reforms are a significant – but necessary – step in the right direction. They are necessary to blunt the growing power of both the far-left and the far-right, and to reverse the hollowing out of our nation’s political center.

Douglas Schoen is a longtime Democratic political consultant.

​ Orange County Register 

Lakers take another crack at closing out Grizzlies in Game 6

• April 27, 2023

OK, let’s try this again.

The Lakers need a victory in Game 6 on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena to eliminate the Memphis Grizzlies from their first-round playoff series. They’re roughly in the same position they were in going into Game 5 on Wednesday in Memphis, and you might remember how that turned out.

Poorly.

So, after five games, where do things stand?

The Lakers lead the series 3-2 and can dispatch the Grizzlies with one more victory and advance to face either the Golden State Warriors or the Sacramento Kings in the second round next week. The Warriors also hold a 3-2 lead going into their Game 6 on Friday.

The Grizzlies seized back the momentum in the series with a 116-99 victory in Game 5 at FedEx Forum after the Lakers had taken control with victories in Games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles. Now, is the pressure on the Lakers to close out the Grizzlies? Or is it on the Grizzlies to force a Game 7 on Sunday?

“There’s no pressure,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “It’s just basketball.”

Said Lakers center Anthony Davis when asked the same question: “I think the pressure is on both teams. Obviously, we’re looking not to come back here for a Game 7. In Game 7, anything can happen. Who knows? We’re still in control right now and we’ve got to take care of business on Friday.”

In fact, the Lakers have been in a pressure cooker for months, rallying from a 2-10 start to the season to a play-in game victory that gave them a 10-2 mark going into their first-round series against the Grizzlies. The Lakers advanced as the seventh-seeded team against the second-seeded Grizzlies.

The Lakers haven’t lost two in a row since March and haven’t dropped three consecutive since February. Their third straight loss coincided with the Feb. 9 trade deadline, when their roster makeover was complete and they began a charge to the playoffs that has them where they are presently.

Close-out games are the toughest of them all, especially on an opponent’s home floor. The Lakers acknowledged the difficulty of eliminating a team as young, talented and spirited as the Grizzlies (the best home team in the NBA this season), who turned a close game into a rout in a matter of minutes in the third quarter of Game 5.

The Grizzlies exposed some of the Lakers’ glaring weaknesses, especially their inability to contain Memphis’ guards Desmond Bane, who had 33 points Wednesday, and Ja Morant, who had 31. The game turned in the Grizzlies’ direction when they scored on 15 of 16 possessions during a 26-2 run.

“Those guys were spectacular tonight,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said after Game 5. “We’re going to need even more and better from them in Game 6.”

Bane promised the Grizzlies would beat the Lakers in Game 6 and return Sunday for Game 7.

“I’ll say it again, we’re going to be back for a Game 7 in front of the best fans in the NBA,” he said.

Davis scored a Lakers-leading 31 points on 14-for-23 shooting and tied his career high for rebounds in a playoff game with 19 in Game 5. LeBron James was “(expletive),” in his words, after scoring only 15 points on 5-for-17 shooting, including a 1-for-9 showing from 3-point range.

James, who is 6 for 36 from behind the arc in the series, also had a team-high five turnovers.

“We got to make shots,” Davis said of winning Game 6 and avoiding Game 7. “I think a lot of the guys struggled tonight shooting the basketball. But … we’re going back home. Guys are going to make shots. LeBron will play better. After Game 2, when I played like crap, I had my head down and he was telling me to keep my head up. And I kind of just relayed that same message to him: ‘You have the most points scored ever, you’re the best basketball player to ever touch the court.’

“So, it’s fine. He’ll be fine. He’ll adjust. He’ll get better. Our team will get better and Friday is another opportunity to close the series.”

INJURY UPDATE

Davis said his achy hip was “fine” and gave him no trouble during Game 5.

“Just trying to get treatment around the clock and to make sure that I’m able to go,” he said. “I would play regardless, but where it’s feeling good and where I’m not in so much pain, going out there and limping. So, I’m doing everything I can to make sure I’m able to play and be on the floor to help the team.”

MEMPHIS AT LAKERS

When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Crypto.com Arena

TV/radio: Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN, 710 AM

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