LA Times - 19 May 2024

$3.66 DESIGNATED AREAS HIGHER © 2024 WST SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 latimes.com Mobilization law divides Ukrainians Russia’s new offensive is straining Kyiv’s military and pummeling the second-largest city of Kharkiv. WORLD, A3 Tough choices at L.A. restaurants Mom-and-pops struggle to survive. At Wax Paper, an owner says, “We can’t even afford to close.” WEEKEND, L6 Weather Clouds, then sun. L.A. Basin: 70/55. B10 Printed with soy inks on partially recycled paper. WEST COAST 101 A special section on the best West Coast experiences is part of today’s newspaper for print subscribers. It’s also available for purchase at latimes.com/store. THE 101 BEST EXPERIENCES Essential things to do in Baja, California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia Photographs by Christopher Reynolds, Dania Maxwell, Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times; Nic Coury For The Times; and Prisma by Dukas via Getty Images SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 For the latest news, go to latimes.com. JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — To understand the scope of Saudi Arabia’s ambitions in the sporting landscape, don’t look just to the Formula One race in Jeddah — which ended with a predictable one-two win for the Red Bull team in March. The revealing action was at the after-party. Amid a bloom of fireworks over Jeddah’s coast, dozens of drones buzzed in synchronicity to spell out the kingdom’s goal: “Saudi Arabia. Home of Sporting Events.” It’s a vision that increasingly seems within reach. Backed by funds from the state-owned oil giant Aramco and the vast endowment of its Public Investment Fund, the autocratic monarchy has in only a few years steamrolled its way onto the sporting world’s most hallowed grounds. SAUDIS STEAMROLL INTO SPORTS Kingdom’s oil riches provide a push into soccer, golf and Formula One MERCEDES driver George Russell steers his F1 race car in practice ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Darko Bandic Associated Press By Nabih Bulos [See Saudi Arabia, A4] NEW YORK — Pat Swinney Kaufman may have enough ceremonial shovels in her office to start a small construction firm. As commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, based above the Ed Sullivan Theater in Manhattan, Kaufman helped break ground on a number of studios and soundstages to accommodate the TV and movie producers shooting in the region. Next year, Sunset Pier 94 Studios will open on the west side of Manhattan, adding six state-of-the-art soundstages blocks from midtown and the theater district. In Queens, a new facility called Wildflower, backed in part by Robert De Niro, will add 775,000 square feet of stage space. And East End Studios, which has four soundstage facilities in California, is scheduled to open a space in Sunnyside, Queens, in 2025. “We are the creative and artistic capital of this country, and we are very committed to building on that,” Kaufman said. “We want it to flourish.” The aggressive studio expansions signal New York’s continued determination to double down on the film business and compete with its main rival, Los Angeles, for a bigger slice of the Hollywood pie — even as the industry is struggling to rebound nationwide. Last year, the New York state Legislature boosted the annual film tax credit allocation to $700 million from $420 million. It also raised the credit on qualified expenses (including actors’ salaries) to 30% (with an extra 10% for upstate productions) and accelerated the timeline for claiming credits — a big issue for producers. Sets and the city: NYC’s surging studios Big Apple doubles down on TV and film to compete with L.A. for a bigger slice of the production pie. By Stephen Battaglio [See Studios, A11] The rain was pounding in the Mojave Desert on the Saturday before Easter when the first call came in about a crash along Interstate 15. Details were sketchy: head-on collision, Mercedes versus another car, a 7-year-old not breathing, a nurse on scene performing CPR. San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Capt. Dan Tellez and his crew were more than a half hour away. The next closest responding ambulance was more than 70 miles away, and the nearest trauma center was more than an hour away by road — if there was no traffic. Fire Station 53 in the tiny town of Baker, home to the “world’s tallest thermometer,” has the only dedicated emergency medical services to cover a 93-mile span of the four-lane highway between Yermo and the Nevada border. The freeway draws more than 15 million vehicles a year through an immense, mostly empty land of extreme heat and occasional bitter cold between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Every day, well over a hundred times Baker’s own population of 422 people blazes by — often at very high speeds, sometimes intoxicated — and the rescuers in this little blip out their windows will be the ones who try to save them in a wreck. “The freeway is our population,” Tellez said. “When somebody crashes out here, when somebody needs help, we are it.” At any one time, there are only five people assigned to the station, set on the edge of a sandy basin speckled with yucca and scrub. The crews work four-day shifts and cover roughly 5,000 square miles, an area larger than Los Angeles County. And this arJEFF GARCIA, Dan Tellez, Brian Bement, Ray Barron and Eric Butikofer, from left, of San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Station 53 in Baker, stabilize an accident victim who was thrown from her car on Interstate 15 at Mountain Pass. Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times A lonely desert lifeline for many Vegas travelers Expect a long wait for help if you crash along I-15 from L.A. to Sin City. There’s only one fire station for a 93-mile stretch. By Rachel Uranga [See Station, A8] VATICAN CITY — In an opulent hall in the Apostolic Palace framed in marble and adorned with Renaissance murals, Gov. Gavin Newsom waited in a line of governors, mayors and scientists for an opportunity to greet Pope Francis. The queue wasn’t the ideal setup envisioned by the governor’s advisors. Newsom traveled more than 6,000 miles from California to the Vatican to give a speech before — and hopefully talk with — the pope about climate change. Francis, however, had other topics on his mind besides the warming planet. “I was struck by how he immediately brought up the issue of the death penalty and how proud he was of the work we’re doing in California,” Newsom said afterward. “I was struck by that because I wasn’t anticipating that, especially in the context of this convening.” The talk was brief and informal. But the politically astute head of the Roman Catholic Church still took advantage of the moment to support one of Newsom’s most controversial actions as governor. Through executive order two months after his inauguration, Newsom issued a temporary moratorium on the death penalty and ordered the dismantling of the state’s execution chambers at San Quentin State Prison. Families of murder victims criticized the decision, and legal scholars called it an abuse of power. Pope lauds Newsom’s pause of death penalty Francis commends moratorium on executions, one of governor’s most controversial acts By Taryn Luna [See Newsom, A10] Subscribersget more in theapp. Download nowtoexperienceall of TheTimes.

A2 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM PERSPECTIVES Home Delivery and Membership Program For questions about delivery, billing and vacation holds, or for information about our Membership program, please contact us at (213) 283-2274 or membershipservices@ latimes.com. You can also manage your account at myaccount.latimes.com. Letters to the Editor Want to write a letter to be published in the paper and online? E-mail [email protected]. For submission guidelines, see latimes.com/letters. Readers’ Representative If you believe we have made an error, or you have questions about our journalistic standards and practices, our readers’ representative can be reached at readers.representative @latimes.com, (877) 554-4000 or online at latimes.com/readersrep. Advertising For print and online advertising information, go to latimes.com/mediakit or call (213) 237-6176. 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Future Premium issues may include: Shohei Ohtani’s Journey 3/17/24, Books in Hollywood / Festival of Books 4/14/24, 101 Best West Coast Experiences 5/19/24, Our Queerest Century 6/23/24, The Best Tacos of LA 7/28/24, Climate 9/15/24, Holiday Gift Guide 11/3/24, and 101 Best Restaurants 12/8/24. Printed with soy-based ink on recycled newsprint from wood byproducts. Los Angelesbased Wonderful Co. — the world’s largest pistachio and almond grower, the purveyor of Fiji Water, Pom pomegranate juice and Justin wines, and owner of the Teleflora flower service — wants you to know that it’s committed to “sustainable farming and business practices” and sees its employees as “a guiding force for good.” Wonderful’s owners, the Beverly Hills billionaires Lynda and Stewart Resnick, say their “calling” is “to leave people and the planet better than we found them.” Here’s another side of the company. Since February, it has been engaged in a ferocious battle with the United Farm Workers over the UFW’s campaign to unionize more than 600 Wonderful Nurseries workers in the Central Valley. Having lost a series of motions before the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board to delay a mandate that it reach a contract with the UFW as soon as June 3 or have terms imposed by the board, Wonderful on Monday unleashed a nuclear attack: a lawsuit seeking to have the 2022 and 2023 state laws governing the unionization process declared unconstitutional. If it succeeds, California’s legal protections for farmworkers could be rolled back to conditions that prevailed before César Chavez’s campaigns for farm unionization in the 1960s. “This is an attack on farmworkers’ rights,” says Elizabeth Strater, the UFW’s director of strategic campaigns. Farm employers “will do everything they can to prevent workers from empowering themselves and lifting themselves out of poverty.” The company disputes the claim and says its relationship with agricultural workers “is rooted in mutual trust, collaboration and respect,” in the words of Wonderful Nurseries President Rob Yraceburu. Wonderful’s lawsuit takes a page from arguments made against the National Labor Relations Board by Trader Joe’s and Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Both companies, facing NLRB regulatory actions, are contending that the NLRB, which Congress established in 1935, is unconstitutional. Wonderful contends that provisions of the state’s agricultural labor code violate its rights of due process guaranteed by both the state and U.S. constitutions. At issue is a UFW drive to represent more than 600 Wonderful Nurseries employees that began in early 2023. The UFW ultimately presented the labor board with signed cards from more than half the employees giving the UFW authority to represent them in collective bargaining on a contract, a process known as a “card check.” The board certified the union as the workers’ representative on March 1, triggering a tight deadline aimed at prompting the union and the company to reach a contract. As often happens in hard-fought union campaigns, this one has generated a cross fire of allegations of unfair labor practices from both sides — the company asserting that the union defrauded workers into signing the representation cards, the union asserting that the company browbeat more than 100 workers into revoking their authorizations to drive the approval rate below the required 50%. Accounts from the workers themselves vary. As my colleagues Rebecca Plevin and Melissa Gomez have reported, there have been complaints about poor working conditions at Wonderful along with hope that a union would help upgrade standards. Other workers say they misunderstood that signing an authorization card was tantamount to joining the UFW. Some workers said they had second thoughts about signing the cards after meetings with a companyhired union-buster, Raul Calvo, who told them the union would take 3% of their pay for dues. In late March, some 100 Wonderful workers staged an anti-union protest at the ALRB offices in Visalia, but the UFW has alleged that the rally was the product of company coercion. Wonderful said at the time that it had no involvement in the protest and didn’t pay the workers for their time. “These workers are so vulnerable,” the UFW’s Strater says. Many are undocumented or have other reasons to worry about job security, arguably making them receptive to management directives. In this case, another party has weighed in — the Agricultural Labor Relations Board, an independent state agency. After an investigation, the board’s general counsel, Julia Montgomery, alleged that Wonderful trampled its workers’ unionization rights through numerous anti-union actions, including coercing them to submit declarations rescinding their authorizations. Wonderful has denied most of the allegations. Wonderful says that the workers submitted their declarations — nearly 150 of them — voluntarily, “without any request having been made” by the company. Montgomery’s allegations, however, are mighty specific. She cites a series of meetings that were overtly aimed at persuading the workers to back away from the union. That process began with employee meetings addressed by Calvo and proceeded to sessions in which workers met with Wonderful human resources personnel, Montgomery alleged. At those meetings, the company representatives read from a Spanish-language script stating that the union could have obtained workers’ signatures without their knowledge, that they would be deprived of the opportunity for a secret vote on unionization and encouraging them to sign a declaration revoking their authorization cards. “We ask each of you firmly not to sign an authorization card,” the script read. In a line that sounds as if it came fresh out of the playbook of anti-union companies such as Starbucks, the script stated that the company wants “to be able to work one on one with you without the interference of a union.” Some workers were led into a large conference room, where company representatives were assigned “to help the worker draft the declaration” revoking the authorization cards, Montgomery asserted. Some agents typed up declarations for the workers and handed them to the workers to sign. A few words about the plaintiffs in this lawsuit: The Resnicks are prominent philanthropists and political donors (mostly to Democrats). Their companies’ effects on the environment and California agriculture generally are checkered. Indeed, their most eye-catching charitable donation, a record-breaking $750-million pledge to Caltech in 2019 for research into climate change and “environmental sustainability,” isn’t inconsistent with a desire to “greenwash” some of their other activities. As I previously wrote, while it might be churlish to suggest that the gift was devoid of genuine altruistic impulses, it would be naive to assume that altruism is the whole story. A few years earlier, the Resnicks’ Justin Vineyards had been caught clearcutting an oak forest near Paso Robles to make room for new grape plantings. The work was halted by San Luis Obispo County authorities, and the firm eventually agreed to donate the 380- acre parcel to a land conservancy. Although the Resnicks say they are “dedicated to our role as environmental stewards,” their Fiji Water subsidiary looks like the antithesis of environmental sustainability. It profits from transporting water in plastic bottles more than 5,500 miles from the island nation to California and beyond, places that already have abundant water. Wonderful’s pistachio and almond orchards have complicated efforts to apportion water among the state’s competing stakeholders. Because the trees require watering in wet years or dry, their acreage can’t be fallowed during dry spells. That has made the water demand of the agricultural sector less flexible, and arguably has contributed to the devastating decline of the state’s salmon fishery and the drying out of rivers and streams that once supported a diverse population of fish and birds. This isn’t the first time that the Resnicks have wrapped themselves in the U.S. Constitution to fend off a regulatory agency. In 2010, they asserted that the Federal Trade Commission infringed their 1st Amendment rights by holding that they made “false and misleading” and “unsubstantiated” representations about the health benefits of their Pom pomegranate juice, which amounted to unlawful marketing. The company pitched the juice as “health in a bottle.” Wonderful put up billboards with the words “Cheat Death” next to a picture of the bottle. Its ads claimed Pom has beneficial effects on prostate cancer (“Drink to prostate health”), cardiovascular health and even erectile dysfunction — all of which claims were judged scientifically dubious by regulators. The company fought the FTC up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which rejected its appeal. The 2022 and 2023 laws that Wonderful is challenging — indeed, the very creation of the ALRB in 1975 — reflect a reality known in California for more than a century: Bringing labor rights to farmworkers is notoriously difficult. The first major farm union organizing drive in the state, among hops pickers in Wheatland, north of Sacramento, was broken up by four companies of the National Guard called out by Gov. Hiram Johnson in 1913. A statewide dragnet for organizers from the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies, ensued, followed by hundreds of arrests. No further significant farm organizing took place for 16 years. In 1975, a state law passed at the urging of César Chavez’s UFW gave union organizers the right to meet with workers on the farms where they toiled. But the Supreme Court, voting on partisan lines, struck it down in 2021—the law allowed organizers to “invade the growers’ property,” as Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote. To address the heightened difficulty agricultural unions faced, the state Legislature established the card check process in 2022 and 2023. The laws incorporated a tight timeline governing certification and contract bargaining, and stipulated mandatory mediation if no contract is reached with a set period. The goal was to address “the basic failing of labor law both at the federal and state level, which is delay,” said William B. Gould IV, professor emeritus of law at Stanford and a former chairman of the National Labor Relations Board and the state Agricultural Labor Relations Board. “Delay works against the interests of workers and unions, because employers hope that they’ll grow weary,” Gould told me. The tight deadlines were designed to place the burden of delay on the employers. Wonderful maintains in its lawsuit, filed in Kern County state court, that the accelerated process has deprived employers of constitutionally protected due process rights by allowing a union to be certified by card check before the employers have a chance to object — effectively rendering the certification and the negotiating deadline faits accomplis. That’s not quite true, however. The law allows anyone to file objections within five days of certification. After that, any certification can be revoked if the employers’ objections are later upheld at a hearing, and any mandated contract can be invalidated. Indeed, Wonderful filed its objections in time, citing the workers’ declarations; an ALRB hearing on its objections has been underway for weeks. What appears especially to irk Wonderful is that the board has twice rejected its motions to suspend, or stay, the certification and negotiation procedure until after it rules on the company’s objections. The board responded that the law doesn’t provide for such a stay. The company’s lawsuit thus amounts to an end run around the law. Gould is skeptical that Wonderful’s constitutionality claims will win much favor from California judges, but the case may be aimed at the notoriously anti-union U.S. Supreme Court majority. “This Supreme Court has indicated that they want to reverse much of what was done in the 1930s,” a high-water mark for progressive labor and public interest laws, he said. In its lawsuit, Wonderful “has thrown buckets of paint against the wall in the hope that something will stick. Maybe they’ll be right on some of it.” Hiltzik writes a blog on latimes.com. Follow him on Facebook or X, @hiltzikm, or email michael.hiltzik @latimes.com. Respect for workers? Suit says otherwise STEWART AND LYNDA RESNICK are the billionaire owners of Los Angelesbased Wonderful Co., the world’s largest pistachio and almond grower. Ryan Miller WireImage Wonderful Co., which calls itself a ‘force for good,’ wants to kill state laws protecting farm laborers. MICHAEL HILTZIK “Lady in the Lake”: In the Calendar section of this edition, a list of summer TV shows said that Moses Ingram’s character in “Lady in the Lake” is named Cleo Sherwood. The character’s name is Cleo Johnson. The error was discovered after the section was printed. FOR THE RECORD DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip — Benny Gantz, a centrist on Israel’s three-member wartime Cabinet, threatened Saturday to resign from the government if it doesn’t adopt a new plan for the war in Gaza, a decision that would leave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more reliant on farright allies. The announcement deepens a divide in Israel’s leadership more than seven months into a war in which Israel has yet to accomplish its stated goals of dismantling Hamas and returning scores of hostages abducted in the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack. Gantz, who gave a June 8 deadline, spelled out a sixpoint plan that includes the return of hostages, ending Hamas’ rule, demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and establishing an international administration of civilian affairs with American, European, Arab and Palestinian cooperation. The plan also supports efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and widen military service to all Israelis. “If you choose the path of fanatics and lead the entire nation to the abyss — we will be forced to quit the government,” he said. Netanyahu in a statement reported by Israeli media responded by saying Gantz had chosen to issue an ultimatum to the prime minister instead of to Hamas, and called his conditions “euphemisms” for Israel’s defeat. Gantz, a longtime political rival of Netanyahu, joined his coalition and the wartime Cabinet in the early days of the war in a gesture of national unity. His departure would leave Netanyahu even more beholden to farright allies who take a hard line on negotiations over a cease-fire and hostage release, and believe Israel should occupy Gaza and rebuild Jewish settlements there. In what will be seen by many as a swipe at Netanyahu, Gantz said, “personal and political considerations have begun to penetrate into the holy of holies of Israel’s security.” Netanyahu’s critics accuse the prime minister of seeking to prolong the war to avoid new elections, allegations he denies. Polls suggest Netanyahu would be replaced in elections, with Gantz the most likely candidate to be the next prime minister. That would expose Netanyahu to prosecution on long-standing corruption charges. “The people of Israel are watching you,” Gantz said in his prime-time address to Netanyahu. Netanyahu is under growing pressure on multiple fronts. Hard-liners want the military offensive on Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah to press ahead. Top ally the U.S. and others have warned against the offensive on a city where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million had sheltered, and they have threatened to scale back support over Gaza’s humanitarian and hunger crisis. Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 others hostage. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, local health officials say. Israeli official says he’ll quit without new war plan associated press Download the app. Discover more.

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 A3Photo by Flavien Carlod and Baptiste Le Quiniou, for advertising purposes only. Llotja de Sant Jordi (Alcoi), Architect Santiago Calatrava. Setup. Eco-designed, fully recyclable modular sofa, designed by Sacha Lakic. THE WORLD KYIV, Ukraine — A divisive mobilization law in Ukraine came into force on Saturday, as Kyiv struggles to boost troop numbers amid a new Russian offensive that some fear could close in on Ukraine’s second-largest city. The legislation, which was watered down from its original draft, will make it easier to identify every conscript in the country. It also provides incentives to soldiers, such as cash bonuses or money toward buying a house or car, that some analysts say Ukraine cannot afford. Lawmakers dragged their feet for months and passed the law only in midApril, a week after Ukraine lowered the age for men who can be drafted from 27 to 25. The measures reflect the growing strain that more than two years of war with Russia has had on Ukraine’s forces, who are trying to hold the front lines in fighting that has sapped the country’s ranks and stores of weapons and ammunition. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed two other laws Friday, allowing prisoners to join the army and increasing fines for draft dodgers fivefold. Russia enlisted its prisoners early on in the war, and personnel shortages compelled Ukraine to adopt the new, controversial measures. Concerns about the law Oleksii, 68, who runs a car repair shop in Kyiv, worries that his business will have to shut down as he expects 70% of his workers will be mobilized. He asked that only his first name be used to allow him to speak freely. “With the new law, people will be mobilized and we will have to shut down and stop paying taxes,” Oleksii said Saturday. He said it’s very difficult to replace workers because of their specialized skills. Most of them are already in the armed forces, he said, adding that the law is “unfair” and “unclear.” Viktor Kaminsky, head of a municipal service department in Kyiv that fits households with heating and repairs utilities in public buildings, said he will struggle to replace mobilized staff and meet demand, even though the law allows him to retain half of workers deemed fit for service. Kaminsky said 60 of the 220 people working in his department will be eligible to be called up. “If they take 30 people from what we have, the problem is we don’t have anyone to replace them,” he said. “There are pros and cons to this law,” Kaminsky said. “It’s hard to avoid the mobilization process now, compared to before when people were trying to get around it.” Meanwhile, Oleksii Tarasenko, a deputy commander of a Ukrainian assault battalion, told AP that his men felt “awful” about the law’s failure to address the issue of demobilization. Although many troops have been fighting since the war’s early days, it remains unclear when they might be relieved. “It feels like a cruel injustice towards people who have been fighting for two years, and of course, it has a highly negative effect on the psychological state of soldiers and their families,” Tarasenko said. Tarasenko said that despite their weariness, his comrades know they are needed. “We already see how many people are lacking, especially professional troops in the units. And simply allowing such professional people who have been through a lot to demobilize would be wrong,” he said. Ukrainian forces under strain Ukraine has struggled for months to replenish depleted forces, as Russian troops push ahead with a ground offensive that opened a new front in the northeast. Moscow launched the new push knowing that Ukraine suffered personnel shortages and that its forces have been spread thin in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Moscow’s forces have pummeled Kharkiv with strikes in recent weeks, hitting civilian and energy infrastructure and prompting angry accusations from Zelensky that the Russian leadership sought to reduce the city to rubble. Mayor Ihor Terekhov said five people were injured Saturday in a Russian airstrike that hit a residential area. On Friday, he said, Russian guided bombs killed at least three residents and injured 28 others . Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, but thousands have died or suffered injuries in the more than 27 months of fighting. Kharkiv regional Gov. Ihor Syniehubov on Saturday said that nearly 10,000 civilians had to be evacuated from front-line areas near the Russian border. Only 100 residents remain in Vovchansk, the border town at the center of Moscow’s grinding push that’s now largely in ruins. The town had a pre-war population of more than 17,400. The U.S. last week announced a new $400-million package of military aid for Ukraine, and President Biden has promised that he would rush badly needed weaponry to the country to help it stave off Russian advances. Still, only small batches of U.S. military aid have started to trickle into the front line, according to Ukrainian military commanders, who said it will take at least two months before supplies meet Kyiv’s needs to hold the line. Volunteers and runaways Rusyn is the head of recruitment for the 3rd Assault Brigade, one of the most popular among Ukrainian volunteers. He told AP that he saw a 15% increase in men joining the brigade, which fights in eastern Ukraine, in the last months. Most recruits are between 23 and 25, he said. Speaking at a training session in Kyiv, Rusyn and his recruits asked to be identified by their call signs only, citing security concerns. “There is no alternative [to mobilization],” said Rohas, a 26-year-old recruit. “One way or another, I believe that most men will end up in the ranks of the armed forces and by joining as a volunteer, you still get some preferences.” “Those who are afraid of being mobilized are not the ones hostage to this situation, it’s those [soldiers] who are standing in formations of three where there should be 10,” Rohas said. “Those guys are hostages to this situation and they should be replaced, so that’s why we are here.” Many Ukrainians have fled the country to avoid the draft since Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022. Ukraine’s Supreme Court last month said that 930 people had been convicted of avoiding mobilization in 2023, a fivefold increase from the previous year. About 768,000 Ukrainian men aged 18 to 64 had been granted temporary protection in European Union countries as of last November, according to data from the bloc’s statistical agency, Eurostat. Kyiv has barred men under 60 from leaving the country since the start of the war, but some are exempt, including those who are disabled or have three or more dependents. The Eurostat data do not specify how many of the men who have qualified for protection belong to these categories, nor how many others reached the EU from Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories in the east and south. Unable to cross the border legally, some Ukrainian men risk death trying to swim across a river that separates Ukraine from Romania and Hungary. Late on Friday, Ukraine’s border service said that at least 30 people have died trying to cross the Tisza River since the full-scale invasion. Kullab reported from Kyiv, Kozlowska from London for the AP. AP writer Alex Babenko contributed. Ukraine’s divisive mobilization law takes effect A NEWLY RECRUITED soldier of the 3rd assault brigade trains in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday. A new troop mobilization law in Ukraine took effect Saturday. Efrem Lukatsky Associated Press Troop mobilization edict comes into force amid Russia’s new offensive straining Kyiv’s military. By Samya Kullab and Joanna Kozlowska

A4 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 WST LATIMES.COM In soccer, it has lavished its local clubs with hundreds of millions of dollars, courted superstar players to its league and successfully lobbied to host the 2034 World Cup. Its bid to create a rival golf tournament rattled the genteel PGA Tour enough to force it into a reluctant union. Tennis, boxing, cricket, pro wrestling, even esports — all have been rocked by the sheer scale of investment the kingdom is wielding to transform itself into a sports and entertainment powerhouse. But it is in motorsports, and Formula One in particular, where Saudi Arabia has made some of its most audacious and expensive moves, outpacing its regional rivals — Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all host F1 races — amid a wider push to establish the gulf as a racing hub. “It’s amazing what they’re doing here,” said Jefferson Slack, commercial and marketing director for Aston Martin Aramco. “No country in the world is investing in motor sports as much as Saudi Arabia.” Slack would know. An executive with three decades of experience in sports investments and management of athletes such as Michael Jordan, he joined the team before Saudi Arabia came on board, when Canadian billionaire Lance Stroll bought the defunct Force India Formula One team and rebranded it as Aston Martin in 2021. Since then, Aramco, the kingdom’s flagship oil company, has plowed money into the team, while the Saudi Public Investment Fund increased its stake in car manufacturer Aston Martin to more than 20%. As of January, Aramco became exclusive title sponsor and is signed on as a strategic partner until 2028. Rumors abound that Aramco may try to buy the team outright. Critics charge that the massive investments are an attempt at “sportswashing,” calculated to distract from an abysmal human rights record — imprisonment and violence against commentators and activists, travel bans, and male guardianship laws over women. The kingdom says it is merely modernizing and diversifying its economy, with F1 as an eager partner. Less than two years after Saudi henchmen killed and dismembered a Saudi Washington Post columnist and monarchy critic, F1 and the kingdom’s flagship oil company entered into a 10-year partnership deal. The deal, which began in 2020, is believed to have cost the Saudis some $45 million a year. Some whisper it’s only a matter of time before Saudi Arabia bids for the race series franchise as a whole, which Liberty Media Corp. bought for $4.6 billion in 2017 and whose valuation has since risen many times over — in no small part because the Netflix series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” has supercharged the sport’s international popularity. In addition, there’s a halfbillion-dollar racing circuit under construction in the city of Qiddiya, a mega project near the capital, Riyadh, intended to be part city and part tourism, sport and entertainment zone. Plans are also in place to develop racing at a grassroots level, said Martin Whitaker, head of the Saudi Motorsports Co., the PIFowned commercial entity charged with bringing motor sport events to the country. “We’ve raised the bar in how the sport is seen globally,” he said. “Now we have to produce a concrete set of foundations and platforms so we can build it here.” Creating that sort of ecosystem for racing is harder than it sounds. Soccer, for example, can be played just about anywhere: Find an empty lot or quiet street, use whatever is available for goalposts, and that’s largely it. Racing, on the other hand, requires infrastructure and major investment. Starting a pipeline of kids in karting — the gateway into circuit racing — can be painfully expensive; move up the ranks to the higher classes and you’re looking at $80,000 a race. Without serious sponsorship, drivers have little hope of sustaining a career, restricting the sport to what Mercedes driver and F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton (who comes from a workingclass background) said in 2021 was a “billionaire boys’ club.” Even with that advantage, the odds of getting a seat in an F1 car are astronomical. One afternoon this spring, visiting journalists were given a tour of a new regulation karting circuit in Jeddah — the first of its kind in the country that could host internationally sanctioned events. The idea, according to Prince Khaled bin Sultan Al-Faisal, chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, was to have many more such circuits across the country, with a focus on drawing children as young as 5. “We’ve hosted events and championships, but we have to focus on the sport itself and serve its practitioners, and start with a young generation. A circuit like this is the first step,” he said, adding that he was expecting a 15- to 20-year-long timeline before a Saudi F1 driver appears on the grid. Whitaker, standing nearby, said it wasn’t just about finding drivers of the future. “It’s engineers, technicians, placing kids with internships with other teams, talking to international teams to base themselves here,” he said. “It’s developing career paths for young people.” That puts the endeavor in line with Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s all-encompassing plan to diversify the oil-rich kingdom’s economy and change its reputation from strict religious realm to tourism and sports hot spot, all while providing jobs for young Saudis. But first you have to get people interested in F1. :: Soccer remains far and away the most popular sport in Saudi Arabia and throughout the region, but Liberty representatives have identified the Middle East as one of F1’s fastestgrowing markets. About a third of F1’s roughly 1.55 billion fans worldwide became interested in the sport in the last four years, according to Salesforce data. Meanwhile, analysts at the World Economic Forum predict sport industries in the Middle East will grow by 8.7% in 2026 — more than double the global average. The region, meanwhile, has gone all-in with Formula One. Races in the gulf bookend the season — Bahrain in the beginning, Abu Dhabi at the end. The gulf region is home to four races, the second most after Europe’s nine. At F1’s top administrative levels you find Emirati former rally driver Mohammed Ben Sulayem heading the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, or FIA, the sport’s governing body. Bahrain’s Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa serves as the FIA’s vice president of sport for the Middle East and North Africa. :: Almost anyone who attends an F1 race, if they’re honest, will tell you it’s easier to understand what’s happening if you watch it on TV. But it’s not just about who’s leading the field. In Jeddah, the rich and connected watch the race from the premium lounge, with a commanding view of the track and “grazing tables” loaded with precisionprepared pastries and concoctions such as caviar cheesecake. Extra perks include traversing the pit lane as the teams prepare or paddock access, all the way up to meet-and-greets with F1 ambassadors. The price tag on that sort of package? $13,999. In the cheap seats — which at a cost of at least $200 for a three-day pass are hardly cheap and allow only the occasional glance at the cars as they scream by — the fans didn’t seem to miss the caviar cheesecake. Before the Jeddah race, a DJ bounced among fans, riling up the crowd with impromptu quizzes or throwing F1 merch, and some of the drivers passed by and signed shirts. Above, the Saudi Falcons, the country’s jet aerobatics team, roared back and forth over the circuit. Even in the stands farther from the track, the sound of an F1 car is a multisensory affair: Speed takes on physical proportions, the engine roar passes through your body. “My friends and I are really into it. In my community, at least, there are a lot of F1 fans,” said Sireen Fataani, a 16-year-old wearing a Ferrari jacket. Beside her was Ibaa Qattan, also 16, and her sister, Shumookh Qattan, 22. The three were walking around the pit lane after one of the non-F1 races at the track that weekend, gazing at the cars and hoping to catch a glimpse of some of their favorite drivers — McLaren’s Oscar Piastri for Sireen, Mercedes’ George Russell for Ibaa, and McLaren’s Lando Norris for Shumookh. “I wanted something to be obsessed about one summer, and for me it was F1,” Ibaa said. She insisted she didn’t get into it because of “Drive to Survive.” “Too much drama,” she said dismissively. Both of the teens were enrolled in “F1 in Schools,” an Aramco-sponsored program that has students establishing and managing their own racing team as part of STEM and other lessons. Ibaa had taken on the role of head engineer for her team, while Sireen was doing marketing. “Ours is called Fennec,” she said. “It’s a desert fox that lives in Saudi Arabia.” :: Not everyone is convinced that the region’s plans to build up its racing bona fides are a good thing. There have been grumblings over how the infusion of gulf money has changed F1. Hosting a race is prestigious and a calling card for countries, but the high fees —Saudi Arabia pays an estiU.S. DRIVER Logan Sargeant of the Williams Racing team tests his Formula One race car during qualifying ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in March at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Jakub Porzycki NurPhoto/Getty Images FANS raise cutouts of King Salman, left, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah in 2019. Associated Press WITH OIL FUNDS AND F1, SAUDIS ENTER SPORTS’ HALLOWED GROUNDS [Saudi Arabia, from A1] Paul R. Minshull #16591. BP 15-25%; see HA.com 76716 ILLUSTRATION ART Signature® Auction | August 8 Robert McGinnis (American, 1926) James Bond: Thunderball, 1965 Original movie poster artwork Sold for: $275,000 HA.com/IllustrationArt Inquiries: 310.492.8600 Now Accepting Consignments Deadline: June 13 | | | | Sarahjane Blum Meagen McMillan ext. 1549 ext. 1546 [email protected] [email protected]

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 A5 mated $55 million for the honor — mean storied tracks in Europe (where the most die-hard fans reside) have to compete in ways they didn’t before, and without the coffers of a petrostate backing them up. Aside from the fees, tracks such as Belgium’s Spa have been forced into upgrades and expensive face-lifts or risk being dropped from the F1 calendar. Corruption charges have also been leveled at the FIA’s leadership under Ben Sulayem. He was accused in March of trying to block the Las Vegas circuit from being certified ahead of last year’s Grand Prix. That followed a previous accusation that he had interfered in the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in favor of Aston Martin. The FIA’s ethics committee cleared him of both charges. And then there are the accusations of sportswashing, as wealthy nondemocratic countries try to lure more sporting events to the gulf. During the last soccer World Cup, host Qatar, which had already bought the French team Paris Saint-Germain, was accused of trying to launder its repressive reputation. The monarchy’s human rights record and labor rights nevertheless edged into the spotlight. Saudi Arabia’s efforts in soccer, Formula One and golf, among other sports, have kicked up similar criticism as Saudi money has continued to flow. “The leaders of these autocratic nations strategically utilize sports, leveraging major events such as Formula One to operate beyond the conventional political stage,” said Stanis Elsborg, a Danish researcher with Play the Game, an initiative to promote democracy and transparency in international sports. “While immediate changes may be subtle, the long-term ownership by an autocratic state poses substantial threats to the sport’s integrity and introduces conflicts of interest.” Others allege that Saudi Arabia is leveraging its influence on F1 officials to have them lobby governments to weaken legislation that curbs usage of internal combustion engines and fossil fuels. “If your goal is to diversify into other industries, it’s a little inconsistent that your sponsorship is all about the oil business,” said Frank Huisingh, founder of Fossil Free Football, a campaign organization that aims to remove high-polluting companies from soccer sponsorship. “They need to work on their image to keep selling a product that is becoming very unpopular, but also because they’re a country with a bad reputation for both human rights and climate reasons.” In an interview with Fox News in September, Bin Salman dismissed such accusations, insisting his main concerns are domestic growth. “If sportswashing is going to increase my GDP by way of 1%, then I will continue doing sportswashing,” he said. “I don’t care. ... I’m aiming for another 1.5%. Call it whatever you want, we’re going to get that 1.5%.” In that same interview, Bin Salman expressed shame at the country’s repressive laws, but said that dozens of laws had been amended and that he was “trying to prioritize the change day by day.” “Do we have bad laws? Yes. Are we changing that? Yes,” he said. F1 portrays its involvement in Saudi Arabia and the gulf in general as a driver for that change. During the race weekend, F1 Academy, an all-women’s race series and training program run by Scottish former racing driver Susie Wolff, had its season opener in Jeddah. Wolff called the event “iconic.” “I think to open here in a country where just six years ago women couldn’t drive really shows incredible progress,” she said at a panel on sports’ role in Saudi Arabia. “Sometimes in life, you have to see it to believe it. And we are out there to show that this sport wants to provide opportunity to women and wants to make the sport more diverse in the long term.” Drivers were also encouraging. “We are not going to change the world at the end of the day as a sport, but we try to share positive values. And then, of course, it’s also up to the country to make positive changes,” Max Verstappen said at a post-race news conference. The Belgian-Dutch Red Bull driver added that he had already seen change in the kingdom and that it was a “work in progress.” Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who is from Monaco, said F1 needed to go to different countries “in order to hopefully open minds.” Red Bull driver Sergio Pérez said it was important to expand beyond its traditions. “I feel like in the past, Formula One was very centralized in Europe, not just with drivers, but also the people working in the paddock,” said Pérez, who is from Mexico, adding that now there were more nationalities at different levels of the sport. :: Some in the gulf are already on the years-long journey to score a place on the F1 grid. Sisters Amna, 24, and Hamda Al Qubaisi, 21, started karting in their home country of the United Arab Emirates as children with their father’s encouragement and are now part of F1 Academy. In 2021, Hamda became the first woman to win a podium finish in the history of the Italian F4 series. When they started competing in races, they’d hear grumblings and anger from the gulf region. “In the beginning, people were very unsupportive. They didn’t like the fact there was a girl competing in a male-dominated sport. We’d hear, ‘Women belong in the kitchen. Women aren’t supposed to be playing a sport, they should focus on studies or something else,’ ” Amna Al Qubaisi said. Now “everything switched, and people are happy and supportive of what we’re doing,” she added. Their racing careers have encouraged other women and girls, Hamda Al Qubaisi said. “They tell their father ‘Amna and Hamda are racing,’ and then he says ‘Why not?’ ” “Every time we go back to visit our karting team, we’re seeing it grow more and more with girls from the Middle East, which makes it even more special.” When Saudi Arabia’s first female racer, Reema Juffali, 32, got her first regular driver’s license while studying in the U.S. in 2010, women in the kingdom weren’t allowed behind the wheel. Seven years later, King Salman, Bin Salman’s father, issued a decree overturning the ban on women driving. That same year, Juffali — then working a finance job in the U.K. — got her racing license, the first Saudi woman to do so. She made her professional debut at the TRD 86 Cup in Abu Dhabi in 2018 — the same year the kingdom began issuing driver’s licenses to women. Nearly six years later, Juffali sped through the turns in front of a home city crowd in the first F1 Academy race in Jeddah, also a significant and emotional milestone for her. “I’ve been wanting to be able to share what I do with my friends, family, fans, people who have never really been able to come to my races,” she said. But while there is progress on the track and some restrictions against women have been eased to much fanfare, women in Saudi Arabia are far from enjoying equal rights. Under the patriarchal government, women need a male guardian’s approval to get married or divorced. They are required by personal status laws to obey their husbands, and the law places fathers as the default guardians for children, among other limitations on women. Although women are now able to drive, one activist who campaigned to overturn the driving ban is still caught up in Bin Salman’s crackdown on dissent. Loujain al-Hathloul, who was imprisoned from 2018 until 2021, remains barred from leaving Saudi Arabia. Manahel al-Otaibi, 29, another women’s rights activist who had spoken in favor of Bin Salman’s reforms but called for more change to the male guardianship laws, was sentenced in January to 11 years for what the government labeled “terror offenses.” Though Juffali acknowledges the criticism of her country, she says people need to come to Saudi Arabia and see the changes happening themselves. “We’re not just advancing on sports, which speaks to me personally, but also to see young people who are so much more ambitious, so much more hungry and happy — I feel that when I’m here,” she said. Juffali aims to boost Saudi participation in racing through the team she founded, Theeba Motorsport, named for her childhood nickname, which roughly translates as “shewolf.” She hopes Theeba will become the first Saudi team to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “The aim is to one day be a Saudi team — not just drivers, but mechanics, engineers, for all facets of the team to be Saudi,” Juffali said. “These events we have, they’re for Saudis as well. This is serving a bigger purpose than anyone realizes.” MEMBERS of the Saudi Hawks aerobatics team perform after a practice session ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in March. Giuseppe Cacace AFP/Getty Images ‘It’s amazing what they’re doing here. No country in the world is investing in motor sports as much as Saudi Arabia.’ — JEFFERSON SLACK, commercial and marketing director for Aston Martin Aramco *For terms and conditions, please visit www.CleanOrigin.com/Promo-Codes for more information. 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A6 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM An Exciting Double Bill! May/June 2024 Scan for Tickets Photo: Ethan Gulley Firebird & Serenade Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center May 25 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm Royce Hall at UCLA June 1 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm Firebird Possokhov|Stravinsky Serenade Balanchine|Tchaikovsky 2023/2024 SEASON ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY CARE INDEPENDENT LIVING HOME CARE There’s a perfect place for your mom or dad. And we’ll help you find it. We know that finding the right senior care for your mom or dad is a big decision. That’s where A Place for Mom comes in. Our senior living advisory service ensures you’ll get a full understanding of all the options in your area based on your loved one’s care needs and budget. You’ll get more than just expert advice and recommendations. You’ll also get peace of mind. Start the conversation with one of our expert Senior Living Advisors today. Our service comes at no cost to your family. Connect with us at 866.333.4907. ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Flash floods from heavy seasonal rains have killed at least 68 people in Afghanistan, Taliban officials said Saturday, adding that the death toll was based on preliminary reports. Afghanistan has been witnessing unusually heavy seasonal rains. In the hard-hit western province of Ghor, 50 people were reported dead, said Abdul Wahid Hamas, spokesman for the provincial governor. He also said the province has suffered significant financial losses after thousands of homes and properties were damaged and hundreds of hectares of agricultural land were destroyed following Friday’s floods, including the capital city, Feroz Koh. Meanwhile, 18 people in the northern province of Farayab were killed and two others injured Friday, according to Esmatullah Moradi, the provincial governor’s spokesman. Damages to property and land were reported across four districts and more than 300 animals were killed, he said. The United Nations food agency posted on social media platform X, saying Ghor was the most affected by the floods where 2,500 families were affected. World Food Program assessment teams are on the ground to deploy assistance, the post said. The Taliban’s government chief spokesman mourned “the loss of our fellow Afghans,” and urged “responsible authorities ... to provide all necessary support to alleviate the suffering,” in a post on X. He also called on “our benevolent donors” to help and humanitarian organizations to provide the affected communities with aid. Recently, the World Food Program said exceptionally heavy rains in Afghanistan had killed more than 300 people and destroyed thousands of houses, mostly in the northern province of Baghlan, which bore the brunt of devastating floods on May 10. Survivors have been left with no homes, no land and no source of livelihood, the World Food Program said. Most of Baghlan is “inaccessible by trucks,” the aid organization said, adding that it is resorting to every alternative it can think of to deliver food to the survivors. The latest disaster came on the heels of devastating floods that killed at least 70 people in April. The waters also destroyed about 2,000 homes, three mosques and four schools in western Farah and Herat, and southern Zabul and Kandahar provinces. Flash floods from seasonal rains kill at least 68 in Afghanistan associated press PEZINOK, Slovakia — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in serious condition Saturday after surviving multiple gunshots in an assassination attempt, officials said, as the suspect appeared at a hearing. Fico, 59, was shot in the abdomen as he greeted supporters following a government meeting Wednesday in the former coal mining town of Handlova, officials said. Video showed Fico approach people gathered at barricades and reach out to shake hands as a man stepped forward, extended his arm and fired five rounds before being tackled and arrested. Government ministers outside the hospital where Fico is being treated said his condition Saturday looked promising after two hours of surgery Friday removed dead tissue from his gunshot wounds. “Several miracles have occurred ... in the past few days, coming from the hands of the doctors, nurses and entire medical staff,” Defense Minister Rober Kalinak said outside University F. D. Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica, where Fico was taken by helicopter after the shooting. “I can’t find words of gratitude for the fact that we are steadily approaching that positive prognosis.” The suspect’s hearing was held in Pezinok, a town near the capital, Bratislava, under tight security by heavily armed police. Reporters were not allowed on the grounds of the courthouse. Officers carrying rifles wore flak jackets, helmets and had balaclavas covering their faces. They guarded a gate that opened only when a vehicle presumably carrying the suspect came and later left with a two-car police escort. Little information about the suspect has been disclosed after prosecutors told police not to publicly identify him or release details about the case. Unconfirmed media reports have named him and said he was a 71-year-old retiree known as an amateur poet who may have once worked as a mall security guard. Government authorities gave details that matched that description. They said the suspect didn’t belong to any political groups, though they said the attack was politically motivated. A day earlier, police took the suspect to his home in the town of Levice and seized a computer and some documents, Markiza, a Slovak television station, reported. Video showed the graybearded man being escorted out of the building while holding a shopping bag full of items in his cuffed hands. He was wearing a helmet and protective vest. Police didn’t comment on the apparent search. With authorities remaining largely silent about the case, it was not clear how the suspect got a gun. Slovakia has strict rules on firearms; gun owners must show a good reason to possess one and must pass a test. Slovakia has one of the lowest gun ownership rates in Europe. It was ranked 23rd out of 27 European Union countries, with a gun ownership rate of 6.5 per 100 people, according to the Assn. of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the EU. World leaders have condemned the attack and offered support for Slovakia and Fico, who has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. His return to power for the fourth time last year on a pro-Russia, anti-American platform led to worries among fellow European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization members that he would abandon his country’s pro-Western course, particularly neighboring Ukraine. Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, but Fico halted arms deliveries when he returned to power. Fico’s government has also made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting — a move critics said would give the government full control of public TV and radio. That, coupled with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special prosecutor that deals with organized crime, corruption and extremism, have led opponents to worry Fico would lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path. Before Fico returned to power, many of his political and business associates were the focus of police investigations, and dozens have been charged. Thousands of demonstrators have repeatedly rallied in the capital and around the country of 5.4 million to protest his policies. Fico said last month on Facebook that he believed rising tensions in the country could lead to the killing of politicians, and he blamed the media for fueling tensions. Despite no temporary leader being named, there was nothing imminent that needed the premier’s attention and the government was operating as planned and moving forward with Fico’s agenda, Kalinak said. Communication with Fico was limited given his condition, Kalinak said. The next government session is planned for Wednesday and Kalinak will be in charge, he said. Gebert writes for the Associated Press. AP reporters Karel Janicek in Vsetin, Czech Republic, and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report. Slovakia leader’s condition improving, officials say A CAR believed to be carrying the suspect in the shooting of Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico leaves the courthouse in Pezinok on Saturday. Tomas Benedikovic Associated Press The prime minister is treated for gunshot wounds as the suspect in the attack appears at a court hearing. By Jan Gebert

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 A7 THE NATION Today we discuss travel, leisure, sunsets and presidential debates. Goody! Looks like we’ll have two BidenTrump debates to tide us over this summer. It seems that way. But who knows. Wait. I shouldn’t cancel my dream vacation just yet? I wouldn’t. I mean, I don’t want to pop your party balloon. If a political debate is your idea of a good time — rather than, say, sitting on the sugary sands of some beach watching a dappled sunset play on the water, more power to you! But we’re still a long way from the moment President Biden and former President Trump share a debate stage. I thought it was all settled. The prospective debates did come together rather quickly after Biden issued a taunting challenge and Trump immediately agreed to two face-to-face meetings. The first is scheduled for June 27 on CNN. The second is set for Sept. 10 on ABC. However, there are still a lot of details to be worked out, and plenty of opportunity for one party or the other to walk away. Remember, in 2020 Trump bailed on a debate with Biden because the terms — a remote set-up, taken as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic — weren’t to his liking. I thought all the details were ironed out by an independent debate commission. That’s how it used to work. Starting in 1987, the Commission on Presidential Debates — a nonprofit entity with a bipartisan board of directors — worked with the television networks to set up three presidential and one vice presidential debate each election cycle. Matters such as the format, the choice of moderators and the seating (or standing) arrangements were settled ahead of time. All the candidates had to do, apart from cramming for the 90-minute sessions, was show up. So what happened? The commission laid out its plans for four debates this fall, starting on Sept. 16 and ending on Oct. 9. But Biden and Trump chose to disregard the commission and ignore its proposed schedule. They can do that? Yes, indeed. There’s absolutely no requirement the candidates abide by the commission’s recommendations, or debate at all. Jeepers. Actually, the move wasn’t all that startling. Trump was unhappy with the commission for several reasons. He complained about the moderators chosen in 2016 and again in 2020. He also didn’t like a decision to mute candidates’ microphones during parts of the second 2020 debate after he persistently talked over Biden in their first meeting. Two years ago, at Trump’s behest, the Republican National Committee officially withdrew from the debate commission. So Trump blew it up. No. Biden had issues with the commission as well. Two of his top political advisors, Anita Dunn and Ron Klain, were part of a bipartisan panel that issued a 2015 report calling for an overhaul of the presidential debate process by, among other things, expanding the pool of potential moderators and eliminating on-site audiences. The bottom line is both campaigns thought it better suited their interests to bail on the commission and work out a debate schedule by themselves. So it’s a win-win for Biden and Trump? You could look at it that way. Biden doubtless would have preferred to come nowhere near Trump. If he was running away with the contest, the president might have gotten his wish. But debates have come to be expected of the two major party candidates, and if Biden refused it would have invited further unwanted questions about his health and stamina. By agreeing to two debates, and no more, Biden limits the risks of a campaign-jeopardizing stumble. Also, by holding the debates earlier than usual — the last takes place nearly two months before election day — it allows the president plenty of time to recover politically if he turns in a less than stellar performance. That said, Biden could be boffo — or at least perform decently enough. He’s shown a penchant for rising to important occasions, such as his well-received State of the Union speech in March. What’s in it for Trump? He’s been salivating to get onstage with Biden, repeatedly saying he’d debate the president anytime, anywhere. So Trump couldn’t very well refuse when Biden replied, OK, let’s do it. More than that, Trump and his strategists are thoroughly convinced that Biden is a walking, or rather, doddering disaster. In fact, while it’s typical for a candidate to downplay expectations — the better to crow about their performance once the debate is over — Trump has done the opposite. He’s described Biden as “the WORST debater I have ever faced” and a man who can’t “put two sentences together.” So if he puts two sentences together, Biden wins? I wouldn’t say so. It doesn’t matter how high, or low, Biden or Trump set expectations. Voters can watch and judge their performances independent of any pre-debate spin. That’s why tens of millions of people tune in. The debates offer one of the few occasions during a campaign where the candidates can be seen unscripted and thinking and acting on their feet. What about other candidates? Trump and Biden would both be happy to exclude Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the leading independent candidate, since neither side is certain whom he helps or hurts more. Regardless of how Kennedy performed, standing on the same stage as Biden and Trump would automatically elevate his candidacy. That’s another reason the two major party candidates agreed to their own arrangements — though Kennedy could still qualify under the criteria put forth by CNN and ABC. His participation is among the open questions surrounding the debates and something that could end up nixing one or both. So should I stick with or cancel my summer plans? Go ahead. Get out there and see the world. It’s summertime! If you’re that concerned about missing the political action, just make sure your cabana or mountain aerie has reliable Wi-Fi. Biden-Trump summer debates are no sure thing MARK Z. BARABAK TRUMP and Biden have set up their own schedule for two debates this summer, but details are not finalized. Patrick Semansky Associated Press ST. PAUL, Minn. — Former President Trump used a day off from his hush money trial to headline a Republican fundraiser in Minnesota, a traditionally Democratic state that he boasts he can carry in November. Trump took the stage late as he headlined the state GOP’s annual Lincoln Reagan dinner in St. Paul after attending his son Barron’s high school graduation in Florida. He declared his appearance to be “an official expansion” of the electoral map of states that could be competitive in November. “This November the people of Minnesota are going to tell Crooked Joe Biden — right? ‘The Apprentice’? ’You’re fired!’ ” Trump said, referencing his former reality television show and the catchphrase he used on it. Trump boasted that the steep tariffs he imposed on foreign steel while serving as president brought the Iron Range, the mining area of northeastern Minnesota, “roaring back to life.” The area, with a heavy population of blue-collar workers and union workers, used to be solidly Democratic, but the region has been trending Republican in recent elections. He also made a profane attack on President Biden and called him “a horrible human being,” then attacked his golf game. Trump was using part of the day granted by the trial judge for the graduation to campaign in Minnesota, which no Republican presidential candidate has won since Richard Nixon in 1972. In 2016, Trump fell 1.5 percentage points short of Democrat Hillary Clinton. Biden beat Trump by more than 7 percentage points. Trump on Friday night repeated a false claim that he won Minnesota in the 2020 election, wrongly declaring he won “a landslide in your state.” There’s no evidence that there were any serious irregularities in the state. Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, a Biden ally, said the Trump campaign is “grasping at straws” if it thinks he can win the state. “The Biden campaign is going to work hard for every vote.” The dinner coincided with the party’s state convention and the roughly 1,400 attendees included former U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz and MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, who has been a prominent promoter of false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Tickets for the dinner started at $500, ranging up to $100,000 for a VIP table for 10 with three photo opportunities with Trump. Trump’s youngest son, Barron, graduated Friday morning from the private Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Fla. The former president, who attended the graduation with his wife, Melania Trump, and her father, Viktor Knavs, had long complained that Judge Juan M. Merchan would not let him attend the graduation before Merchan agreed not to hold court Friday. On Saturday afternoon, Trump was in Texas to address members of the National Rifle Assn. Trump declares he’ll again win Minnesota On day off from trial, he falsely claims he won the traditionally Democratic state four years ago. associated press WASHINGTON — The landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling that desegregated schools was about more than just race in education, President Biden said as he commemorated the 70th anniversary of the decision. It was about the promise of America being “big enough for everyone to succeed.” “The work of building a democracy ... worthy of our dreams starts with opening the doors of opportunity for everyone, without exception,” Biden told Black leaders Friday at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington. “Education is linked to freedom.” The Topeka, Kan., case Brown vs. Board of Education determined that separating children in schools by race was unconstitutional. Though progress has been made, more needs to be done, Biden said, contending that former President Trump and his allies are seeking to roll back that progress. Biden’s speech was part of a stepped-up effort to highlight his administration’s commitment to racial equity and to Black voters more generally in the midst of the 2024 election campaign. Later Friday, he hosted leaders of the “Divine Nine” historically Black sororities and fraternities. Biden met with plaintiffs from the Brown court case Thursday in the Oval Office and courted voters in Atlanta and Milwaukee via a pair of radio interviews. On Sunday, he’ll give the commencement speech at Morehouse College in Atlanta, one of the historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs. Biden, facing sagging poll numbers, is seeking to shore up his support within a critical bloc that helped deliver his 2020 victory. In an AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in March, 55% of Black adults approved of the way he was handling his job as president — well below approval ratings from earlier in his term. Biden told the cheering museum crowd that his administration has invested $16 billion in HBCUs, that he has forgiven $160 billion in student loan debt and that the Department of Education has spent $50 million on teacher diversity. He said he knows there is more to do, but Trump and his allies want to gut his administration’s progress and go further by “taking away other fundamental freedoms, from the freedom to vote and the freedom to choose.” “It’s a really important thing to continue,” Biden said. “We have a whole group of people out there trying to rewrite history, trying to erase history.” In the decades since the Brown decision, American schools have been segregating again. The country is more diverse than it ever has been, yet about 4 in 10 Black and Hispanic students attend schools where almost every one of their classmates is another student of color. Biden courts Black leaders on anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education associated press WASHINGTON — Hundreds of protesters rallying within sight of the Capitol chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and voiced criticism of the Israeli and U.S. governments as they marked a painful present — the war in Gaza — and past. The rally Saturday commemorated the 76th anniversary of what is known as the Nakba, the Arabic word for “catastrophe,” and refers to the 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced from what is now Israel when the state was created in 1948. The rally drew about 400 demonstrators amid steady rain at the National Mall. In January, thousands of pro-Palestinian activists flooded the Mall in one of the larger protests in recent memory in the District of Columbia. On Saturday, there were calls in support of Palestinian rights and an immediate end to Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. Cries of “No peace on stolen land” and “End the killings/stop the crime/Israel out of Palestine” echoed through the crowd. Reem Lababdi, a George Washington University sophomore who said she was pepper-sprayed last week when police broke up a campus protest encampment, acknowledged that the rain seemed to limit the number of attendees. “I’m proud of every single person who turned out in this weather to speak their minds and send their message,” she said. This year’s event is fueled by anger over the war that began when Hamas and other militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Palestinian militants still hold about 100 captives; Israel said Friday its troops in Gaza had recovered the bodies of three Israelis killed by attackers near a music festival. Israel’s military has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry. There is widespread anger, too, over the violent crackdown on pro-Palestinian protest camps at universities across the country. In recent weeks, long-term encampments at more than 60 schools have been broken up by police. In addition to pressing Israel and the Biden administration for an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza, the protesters are expected to push for the right of return for Palestinian refugees — a long-standing Israeli red line in decades of start-andstop negotiations. After the Arab-Israeli war that followed Israel’s establishment, the country refused to allow the refugees to return because it would have resulted in a Palestinian majority. Instead, they became a seemingly permanent refugee community that now numbers 6 million, many in urban camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In Gaza, the refugees and their descendants make up around three-quarters of the population. DEMONSTRATORS gather Saturday in support of Palestinian rights. The rally marked the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, which refers to the mass displacement of Palestinians when Israel was created in 1948. Jose Luis Magana Associated Press Pro-Palestinian activists protest in D.C. Hundreds rally at the National Mall to commemorate the anniversary of what is known as the Nakba. associated press

A8 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM rangement is an improvement from years past, when the station didn’t exist and convicts from a nearby prison, under the supervision of a fire captain, responded to highway crashes. Tellez, a veteran firefighter who was in charge of Station 53 that rainy day, pulled up to the scene 40 minutes after the call. They were just seven miles from the station, at mile marker 145, near Halloran Springs. But the reality of Station 53 is that rescuers are often elsewhere, sometimes far away. Tellez had been near the Nevada border, about 25 miles from the scene of the accident, when the call came through. He arrived behind the unit’s two-man ambulance with his engineer and firefighter. They were the first paramedics to arrive. Had the incident happened in Los Angeles or Las Vegas, paramedics, police and other emergency personnel would have swarmed the area in minutes. Television crews likely wouldn’t have been far behind. The wind was howling and people were strewn along the highway amid the wreckage of a Mercedes GLE 350 and a Kia Sorento. He had expected three or four injured people. There were 10. “It was one of the worst-case scenarios,” Tellez said. Other drivers had pulled over to help. An emergency room doctor, a pediatric anesthesiologist, some nurses and others were tending to the injured. Witnesses said the Kiahad been speeding toward Los Angeles. William Coddington was at the wheel with his partner, Alicia Ramos, at his side and their two children and his two stepchildren in back. The couple’s relationship had been on the rocks and this trip was an attempt to repair their relationship, family members said. “Her mother begged her not to go,” said Marie Hernandez, Ramos’ cousin. Driving the opposite way were Cristobal Cortes Castillo, 37, his girlfriend, Iliana German, 35, and her two children — taking advantage of the kids’ spring break to visit family on a road they regularly traveled. As they approached mile marker 145, German turned around to ask the kids if they had their seat belts on. They did. Coming toward them, Coddington lost control and the Kia hydroplaned, then barreled over the median, according to the California Highway Patrol. In the Mercedes, German came to with her body crushed under the dashboard. Trapped, she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Then a woman opened the door and took off her belt. She asked for her children, and was assured they were fine. She heard her daughter Danna, 12, scream, “Mi pierna, mi pierna!” My leg. But she never heard her 11- year-old son, Derek. “I felt like so much time was passing,” she said. “I didn’t know if anyone was going to help us.” She didn’t know people were trying to resuscitate Derek — her sweet, generous boy who played soccer and was learning to box. He died before the sirens arrived. In the Kia, Ramos — beloved at the Madera nursing home where she worked — was fatally injured and would die in a hospital that day. Her teenage son Isaac, 13, was already dead. Coddington was lying on the ground bleeding, alive but staring blankly. His 3-year-old boy, Liam, lost an arm. Between 2019 and 2023, at least 112 people died in crashes along the span, often the result of speeding or intoxicated drivers, CHP data show. Station 53 responded to nearly 1,000 calls on that roadway last year, at least half of which were crashes. Those incidents involved just a fraction of the more than 41,000 cars and trucks that barrel along the stretch of highway every day, according to state data analyzed by Ben Hodgson and Natan Euol at the Road Ecology Center at UC Davis. Tellez, who has a handlebar mustache and soft eyes, has been with San Bernardino County Fire for more than three decades and, like most firefighters, has seen his share of twisted metal, charred earth and human agony on the asphalt. Working in Baker is different, he said. There is no backup at the station. There’s no hospital in town. There’s no night crew. There’s miles and miles of road and desert. The blistering heat — with an average high temperature that’s above 100 degrees four months of the year — only heightens the sense of desolation. Pedestrians hit at night can be struck so many times, their bodies become unrecognizable. Competing calls force firefighters to make impossible trade-offs, choosing their emergency. “It’s a beautiful desert,” he said. “But it will kill you.” Beyond I-15, the station covers, to the north, the majestic Dumont Dunes, popular with off-roaders, and Highway 127, a main gateway to Death Valley. To the south, its territory extends to Interstate 40, a major transcontinental trucking route; its 140-mile stretch from Barstow to Needles has no first responders stationed between the two cities. Station 53 is closest to the middle of that expanse, about 57 miles away on Kelbaker Road. Depending where they are when the call comes in, it can take up to 1½ hours to arrive at an accident on Interstate 40. Cars regularly overheat, big rigs catch fire on the side of the road. Motorists get stuck deep in the desert, dehydrated and without water. And in winter they spin out or crash in icy conditions on I-15 through Mountain Pass — elevation 4,700 feet. Few understand how isolated the route can be, Tellez said. “What took you so long?” Tellez frequently hears when he arrives on the scene. “And I’m like, ‘Do you know where you are?’ “Many people think there’s a hospital here in Baker, a police department here,” he said. “No, this is not that type of town.” There’s not even a major grocery store, only a handful of truck stops, fast-food restaurants, gas stations, trailers, some homes and a single traffic signal installed nine years ago in front of Baker Travel Plaza. And then there are other emergencies, including massive wildfires threatening the area’s sensitive habitat, and train derailments. Brightline West recently broke ground in Las Vegas to build a high-speed rail line to connect the Strip to Southern California. It hopes to open by 2028, which will make the area an active construction zone for years. The specter of a train going up to 200 mph in the solitude of the desert raises many unanswered questions, said San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey. How would the district deal with a major emergency should the train stop or crash when it’s 120 degrees outside? Even more basic, how will communications with first responders work? Rescuers could also lose even more time than they do now, because they will have to wait for designated railroad crossings to get across the median to opposite lanes. Munsey said the district has reached out to Brightline to talk through some of these issues, and the conversations are pending. But for now, there are no plans for adding services or personnel. The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District is largely funded by property taxes, and in the Mojave much of the land is owned by the federal government and untaxed. The result is often triage on the highway. The hardest calls for the crew are those involving children. At mile marker 145, the responders declared the two children dead and scrambled to save the others. The blanket of clouds overhead made it nearly impossible for medical helicopters to land nearby. Tellez called for more backup. Paramedics came from Las Vegas, another from Helendale and one was dispatched from a nearby Marine base. But the backup from the crash and the holiday weekend traffic slowed them down. At first, dispatchers refused to send air medics because of the weather, but after some negotiations, five helicopters landed 30 miles south, at Afton Canyon Road. It was about two hours past the initial call. The closest trauma center was in Las Vegas, but the weather was so bad the victims were flown to Antelope Valley Medical Center, in the opposite direction. “The farther you get away from the trauma center, the clock starts ticking down there,” Tellez said. “And when you run out of that time, you are on borrowed time.” The golden hour, as it is called, refers to the first 60 minutes after a crash in which critically injured patients have the greatest chance of survival. “Out here, it’s almost impossible to stay within that hour,” Tellez said. It’s hard to tell if any more lives might have been saved by getting to a trauma center faster that day, Tellez said. But you can’t escape the what-ifs. “If we had the airships there sooner, they could have … just offloaded patients right into the airships to go to the trauma center.” The California Highway Patrol shut down the highway for hours, and more than a month later continues to investigate. “Everybody did everything they could,” said one woman who posted an emotional TikTok video about the hours she spent on the side of the road. “Everybody who was there restored my faith in humanity.” German and her daughter were airlifted to Antelope Valley Medical Center. She was in the intensive care unit for five days and still can’t walk because of the bones broken in her foot. Her daughter is also recovering. “It’s difficult to understand why, why did this happen,” said her partner, Castillo, who replays the crash in his mind. “It is just emotionally devastating for families to realize that when they hopped into their car, everyone was well and happy and looking forward to wherever they were headed,” said Dr. Deborah Kuhls, head of trauma at the University Medical Center Southern Nevada. The center is the closest trauma center for crash victims along the interstate. Last year, doctors there treated at least 40 patients involved in collisions along the highway. “They have no idea that in a moment their lives can either be ended or changed forever.” After the Easter weekend crash, there was an internal support team there to check on responders. Still, the next day it weighed heavy on many. “It was an ominous gray kind of mood that hovered over us,” said San Bernardino County Fire Engineer Jeff Garcia. The rains kept the crews racing up and down the highway during that shift. The engine logged more than 800 miles. “We didn’t sleep that night.” There are always those calls you remember, Tellez said. But then you must quickly collect yourself and go to another. “I have seen enough trauma to last a lifetime,” he said. ‘Many people think there’s a hospital here in Baker, a police department here. No, this is not that type of town.’ — DAN TELLEZ, a captain with the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District PARAMEDIC Brian Bement, left, emergency medical technician Ray Barron and Capt. Dan Tellez, right, load an I-15 accident victim into a helicopter in Primm, Nev. Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times A single station covers a 93-mile span of highway AN ACCIDENT victim is taken by ambulance to Primm. At any one time, there are only five people assigned to Fire Station 53 in Baker, on the edge of a sandy basin speckled with yucca and scrub. Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times ILIANA German was injured and her son Derek, 11, killed in a head-on crash on I-15. Iliana German [Station, from A1]

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 A9 “Our social enterprises provide purpose and meaning to thousands through quality jobs, and we have partnerships with many employers throughout Los Angeles County. These partners understand that hiring our people not only makes good business sense, but also makes for a healthier community”,” said Thomas Vozzo, Homeboy Industries CEO. Central to Homeboy’s model is investing in leaders from within. Nearly 90% of the social /)#/%&%,$/ $#6' 6%/ .(%*/% 1+,/)#$ who participated in the 18-month reentry program. “Prior to being at Homeboy, I spent years in industry running large companies. After a decade at Homeboy, I can say that ("% $#6' ,$ 6$ #6+/)#/0 6$ 6)4 2 have worked with. Our people just needed the opportunity and the investment that good businesses can provide.” Cynthia Zuno-Godinez is a former client who now manages the Homeboy Bakery,a$2.5 million business with 75 employees and many wholesale customers throughout the County. Like most people who walk through Homeboy’s doors, Cynthia came to Homeboy seeking a pathway to healing and a better life after years of incarceration and gang involvement. “I needed help getting outofmy addiction, anddiscovering the best version of myself that I could then give to others. During my journey at Homeboy, I also discovered that work provided me an identity that represents the best of me. I have come a long way because of so many people at Homeboy who have invested in me,” said Zuno-Godinez. ‘Father Greg Boyle Day’ is May 19th and will now forever be, as the City of Los Angeles has proclaimed it so. This honor %/7/1#$ #-/ #%6)$.(%*6#,!/ ,*&61# Father Greg’s ministry of boundless compassion, forgiveness and second chances has had on the lives of thousands of individuals and families in Los Angeles and thought leaders and organizations globally. This honor comes after Father Greg was the recipient of The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in a White House Ceremony on May 3rd. Jobs for the Future launched in 1988, with Father Greg’s unconditional commitment to standing with the most marginalized. This led to Homeboy Industries, and now 36 years later it is the largest rehabilitation and reentry program in the world, where the doors swing open and services are provided for 10,000 formerly incarcerated and gang involved people annually. Father Greg launched Homeboy’s 8%$# $(1,6+ /)#/%&%,$/ 5"$,)/$$3 Homeboy Bakery, in an abandoned bakery across the street from Dolores Mission Church where he was pastor. Homeboy Industries now operates 13 social enterprises. In addition to job training and a purposeful work model, Homeboy Industries provides relationally based, holistic services in a therapeuticcommunitywherewhole person healing and alternatives to gang life create more inclusive, safe, and healthier communities. Father Greg Boyle Day in Los Angeles “ ” We stand w ith t he marginalized and demonized and those who are easily dismissed so that o ne day w e w ill stand t ogether knowi her knowing that w e b elong to each other. We stand with the marginalized and demonized and those who are easily dismissed so that one day we will stand together knowing that we belong to each other. To expand its social enterprises, Homeboy Industries launched The Homeboy Venture and Jobs Fund, 6 )()&%(8# !/)#"%/ .")0 #-6# makes investments into current and new social enterprises for job growth. “Homeboy Electronics Recycling, an IT Asset Disposition 5"$,)/$$ -6$ 5/)/8#/0 .%(* #-/ Venture Fund,” according to Chris Zwicke, CEO of Homeboy Electronics Recycling. “With Venture Fund support we have been able to move into a larger facility and acquire equipment to make us more competitive, while creating more quality jobs in the information economy. We help many large customers properly retire their computers and other IT assets, redeploying them wherever possible. This protects the environment while creating training and job opportunities for nearly 100 people annually, a double bottom line impact.” None of the visionary work at Homeboy Industries would have been possible without Fr Greg’s unwavering dedication to the hundreds of thousands of people who have sought out Homeboy Industries as the beacon of hope it has been in Los Angeles for 36 years and counting. – Cusenza Family Foundation honoring 36 years of exquisite mutuality at Homeboy Industries Fr. Greg receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Biden on May 3, 2024. The business of second chances is everybody’s business. We don’t hire homies to bake bread, we bake bread to hire homies. There is no us and them, only us.

A10 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM STONECREST, Ga. — Hundreds of Air Force members in dress blues joined Roger Fortson’s family, friends and others at a suburban Atlanta megachurch to pay their final respects to the Black senior airman, who was shot and killed in his Florida home this month by a sheriff’s deputy. People lined up well before the start of the service Friday at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest to file past the open coffin. The 23-year-old airman was shot six times on May 3 by a deputy responding to a call about a possible domestic violence situation at Fortson’s apartment complex in the Florida Panhandle. Fortson’s face and upper body were visible in his Air Force uniform, with an American flag draped over the lower half of the coffin. After viewing the body, many mourners paused to hug one another. “As you can see from the sea of Air Force blue, I am not alone in my admiration of Senior Airman Fortson,” Col. Patrick Dierig told mourners, referring to the rows of airmen who took up nearly an entire section of the sprawling church. “We would like to take credit for making him great, but the truth is that he was great before he came to us,” said Dierig, who commands the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Air Force Base in Florida, where Fortson was stationed. The Rev. Jamal Bryant opened his eulogy with a story about how civil rights icon Medgar Evers joined the Army during World War II even though he and other Black American service members were fighting for freedoms abroad that they didn’t enjoy at home. The 1963 killing of Evers, a Mississippi NAACP leader who was gunned down by a white supremacist, “showed all of America that you can wear a uniform and the uniform won’t protect you, that regrettably sometimes the skin you wear is more of a magnet to opposition than the uniform that you bear,” Bryant said. “Because in America, before people see you as a veteran, as an airman in the United States Air Force, they’ll see you as a Black man.” Bryant also called for justice in Fortson’s killing. “We’ve got to call it as it is — Roger died of murder,” Bryant said. “He died of stone cold murder. And somebody has got to be held accountable. Roger was better to America than America was to Roger.” A police officer “came to his door and shot him up like a dog in the street, as if he was not defending the rights of America all over the world,” Bryant added. The Fortson family’s lawyer, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, told the gathered: “We will remember him for the American patriot he was.” “He was the best from East Atlanta. ... He was one of the best this world had to offer,” Crump said. In a recorded video played at the service, the Rev. Al Sharpton also highlighted Fortson’s military service and called for his death to not go unpunished. “He as a young Black man stood up, signed up to fight for this country. The question now is will the country stand up and fight for him? ... That is the question and that is what we intend to get an answer to,” Sharpton said. After the service, airmen saluted and Fortson’s mother embraced mourners outside the church as the casket was carried to a horse-drawn carriage draped on the inside with gold curtains. The black horse pulling the carriage was adorned with red, white and blue flowers around its mane. On Thursday, Fortson’s mother vowed to get justice for her son, who had served in overseas combat zones. At a news conference held by the family and Crump, Meka Fortson spoke glowingly about how her son had always stayed on a positive path and had never been in trouble. She also had a message for Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden: “You’re going to give me justice whether you want to, Sheriff Aden, or not.” On the day he was killed, Fortson opened the door while holding a handgun pointed toward the floor, according to the deputy’s body camera footage. The deputy shouted, “Step back!” and then shot Fortson six times. Only afterward did he shout, “Drop the gun! Drop the gun!” The deputy then called paramedics on his radio. Fortson’s family and Crump said the shooting was unjustified and that the deputy had gone to the wrong apartment. Fortson was home alone and talking to his girlfriend on FaceTime when he grabbed his gun because he heard someone outside, Crump has said. The deputy, whose name has not been released, shot Fortson within moments of the airman responding to the knocking and opening his door. Sheriff’s officials say the deputy acted in selfdefense. Two weeks after the shooting, the sheriff has yet to release an incident report, any 911 records or the officer’s identity, despite requests for the information under Florida’s open records act. The case is among many around the country in which Black people have been shot in their homes by law enforcement personnel. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating and the deputy has been placed on administrative leave. AP writer Martin reported from Stonecrest, Anderson from St. Petersburg, Fla. CHANTEMEKKI FORTSON, mother of slain airman Roger Fortson, along with family watch Fortson’s casket as they leave for a cemetery during his funeral. Brynn Anderson Associated Press Hundreds pack funeral for airman killed in his home Family and Air Force members gather at service for the Black senior airman slain by a sheriff’s deputy. By Jeff Martin and Curt Anderson ther have no death penalty or paused executions due to executive action — including California, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Newsom’s moratorium might not play well with voters in some swing states in a potential presidential campaign, adding to perceptions that leftist California and the Democratic governor are soft on crime and misaligned with the rest of the nation. The governor has repeatedly dismissed speculation that he’s eyeing the White House, and he has actively campaigned for President Biden’s reelection. Kevin Eckery, a political consultant who has worked with the Catholic Church in California, said the death penalty isn’t going to be a deciding factor in an election. “Nationally, the death Newsom’s refusal to impose the death penalty could hurt him politically if he runs for president. As a Catholic, however, the governor’s decree is in line with the church and the pope’s teachings. In an interview with The Times after he left the Vatican, Newsom said he has yet to propose a statewide ballot measure to abolish the death penalty because he doesn’t have confidence that it would pass. California voters rejected measures to ban executions in 2012 and 2016. Newsom said recent polls conducted by his political advisors show soft support for a ban. “We constantly put it in our surveys that I do,” Newsom said in an interview with The Times. “It’s in the margin. But I’m thinking a lot about this beyond that because we’re reimagining death row. I’m thinking about when I’m leaving; I mean, I’ve been pretty honest about that. I’m trying to figure out what more can I do in this space.” There were more than 730 inmates on death row when Newsom took office. Death row at San Quentin was largest of any prison in the Western Hemisphere. Under his plan to reform the prison to emphasize rehabilitation, Newsom said California is just weeks from emptying death row entirely. The governor said he was outspoken about his opposition to capital punishment when he campaigned in 2018. He endorsed the 2012 and 2016 ballot measures to abolish the death penalty. “I campaigned very openly as lieutenant governor, as governor. I went out of my way to say, ‘If you elect me, this is what I’m going to do,’ ” Newsom said. “And also I have the legal authority. So I wasn’t challenging that.” Currently, 21 of the 50 states impose the death penalty. The remaining 29 eipenalty has been carried out so infrequently for the last 50 years that I don’t see people voting based on your position on [the] death penalty,” Eckery said. “They are going to vote on pocketbook issues. They are going to vote on other things, but not that issue.” The Catholic Church has long said the death penalty could be justified only in rare situations. Francis updated church doctrine in 2018 to say “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.” Newsom lunched in an arched courtyard covered in jasmine at the American Academy in Rome after he, in a speech at the Vatican, accused former President Trump of “open corruption” by soliciting campaign donations from oil executives. Sitting in a weathered wood chair under the shade of a tree, the governor explained how his Catholic background and the inequities in the criminal justice system influenced his refusal to sign off on executions as governor. His paternal grandparents were devout Catholics, and his late father, William Newsom, who served as a state appellate court justice, went to church every day growing up, he said. Later in life, Newsom’s father considered himself “a Catholic of the distance,” the governor said, and “kind of pushed away” because of the politics of the church. Newsom said Jesuit teachings at Santa Clara University, where he attended college, spoke a language he appreciated “of faith and works.” His own religious beliefs, he said, have always been exercised “around a civic frame.” “The Bible teaches many parts, one body,” Newsom said, mentioning a quote he often references. “One part suffers, we all suffer, and this notion of communitarianism. “You can’t get out of Santa Clara University without the requisite studies and sort of a religious baseline: God and common thought type frames,” he said. As a Catholic and San Francisco native, Newsom said his beliefs follow “the Spirit of St. Francis” and the idea of being good to others, but not necessarily a strict religious doctrine. The governor said he attended the private Catholic school École Notre Dame des Victoires in San Francisco for a short time during early elementary school. He said his family often attended Glide Memorial, a nondenominational church in San Francisco. The governor said he attended church on Easter with his family. Newsom mentioned religion at other points during his trip, telling reporters outside the hall where he spoke at the Vatican about the importance of the bridge between science and the pope’s moral authority on climate change. “As we know from church, it’s faith and works,” Newsom said. “So, as we pray, we move our feet. It’s that action with our passion.” Daniel Philpott, a professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, said it’s smart for politicians in either party to talk about faith. “We’ve learned over the last 30 years that presidential candidates in general benefit when they can be shown to be religious, or practicing their religious faith,” Philpott said. Newsom said he didn’t want to overplay the influence of religion on his position on the death penalty, which his father also opposed. His father and grandfather were involved in the case of Pete Pianezzi, a friend who was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting and killing of a gambler and busboy in Los Angeles in 1937. Pianezzi escaped the death penalty by a single vote and served 13 years in prison. He was later exonerated. Even if it were possible to limit inequity and wrongful convictions in the criminal justice system, Newsom said he would still be against the death penalty. “It just never made sense to me, the basic paradigm, that we were going to kill people to communicate to the general public that killing is wrong,” he said. “I could never understand that. I could never sanction that.” Pope lauds Newsom’s pause of executions GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM attends a climate conference Thursday at the Vatican. Joining him at the three-day summit were Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, center left, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, center right. Riccardo De Luca Associated Press [Newsom, from A1] WASHINGTON — U.S. officials have developed specific and highly credible intelligence suggesting that an American citizen who disappeared seven years ago while traveling in Syria has died, the man’s daughter said Saturday. Maryam Kamalmaz said in an interview that during a meeting in Washington this month with eight senior American officials, she was presented with detailed intelligence about the presumed death of her father, Majd Kamalmaz, a psychotherapist from Texas. The officials told her that on a scale of one to 10, their confidence level about her father’s death was a “high nine.” She said she asked whether detained Americans had ever been successfully recovered in the face of such credible information and was told no. “What more do I need? That was a lot of high-level officials that we needed to confirm to us that he’s really gone. There was no way to beat around the bush,” Kamalmaz said. She said officials told her they believe the death occurred early in her father’s captivity. In 2020, she said, officials told the family they had reason to believe he had died of heart failure in 2017. But the family held out hope, and U.S. officials continued their recovery efforts. “Not until this meeting did they really confirm to us how credible the information is and the different levels of [verification] it had to go through,” she said. She did not describe the nature of the intelligence. Representatives of the White House and the FBI, which investigates abductions in foreign countries, did not immediately return messages seeking comment Saturday. Majd Kamalmaz was 59 when he disappeared in February 2017 while traveling in Syria to visit an elderly family member. The FBI has said he was stopped at a government checkpoint in a suburb of Damascus and had not been heard from since. He is not the only American to have disappeared in Syria. Among them is the journalist Austin Tice, who went missing in 2012 at a checkpoint in a contested area west of Damascus. Syria has publicly denied holding Americans in captivity. In 2020, in the final months of the Trump administration, senior officials visited Damascus for a meeting aimed at negotiating the release of Americans. But the meeting was not fruitful, with the Syrians failing to provide any proof-oflife information and making demands that U.S. officials deemed unreasonable. U.S. officials have said they are continuing to try to bring Tice home. The New York Times first reported on the presumed death of Majd Kamalmaz. Tucker writes for the Associated Press. American who vanished in Syria has died, intel says U.S. officials have informed the family of Majd Kamalmaz, who disappeared in 2017, of his presumed death. By Eric Tucker

LATIMES.COM WST SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 A11 The changes were intended to help the state compete with others, including neighboring New Jersey, which also is adding studio space and pulling work from New York. New York’s film industry expanded rapidly after the state enacted its first credit in 2004. Production jobs grew at an average rate of 3% annually over the following 15 years — outpacing New York City’s overall job growth in that time and adding about 35,000 positions, according to the mayor’s office. But the last year’s strikes of writers and actors brought production to a standstill when the region was in the midst of recovering from the pandemic. As in Los Angeles, work has been slow to return since the new labor deals were signed in the fall, creating jitters in an industry that accounts for 6.5% of New York’s economy. In a sign of the slowdown, Brooklyn-based Broadway Stages, in operation since 1983, was at 50% capacity in April, the lowest level in memory, according to its communications director, Barbara Leatherwood. “Before the pandemic, everybody was just packed,” Leatherwood said in an interview. “We were packed. We were at 95%.” And more studio space is coming online. Great Point Studios, which has locations in Atlanta, New Jersey and Buffalo, N.Y., recently completed a facility in Yonkers, 15 miles north of midtown Manhattan. Kaufman acknowledged that production work isn’t back to the level it was at before the strikes. “We’re watching with bated breath,” she said. She pointed out that the number of permits to shoot in New York has grown steadily since the Writers Guild of America strike ended in September. The commissioner’s office counted 212 projects shooting in the city during April, up from 187 for the same month in 2023. Still, the new studio space comes at a time when there is concern that television and movie production is at an inflection point in the streaming age. While broadcast and cable TV series once provided a reliable number of episodes each season, 13 to 22, season orders from streamers typically are shorter. One long-running New Yorkbased hit, CBS’ “Blue Bloods,” will end this year after 14 seasons. Broadcast networks that once stocked up on such shows now rely more on reality competitions, game shows and live sports to fill their schedules. As media companies such as Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery face headwinds, further consolidation seems likely. After a spending spree on content in recent years, media executives are talking about making fewer films and shows in an effort to reduce costs and improve profitability. Amid the industry challenges, some veteran soundstage owners question whether there will be enough production for the new studio spaces to thrive in the long term. Doug Steiner, who opened Steiner Studios at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1999 and recently broke ground on a 15-acre location in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, believes newcomers will face challenges. “There is an explosion of proposed new studios both nationally and globally,” said Steiner, whose soundstages provided homes for Amazon’s hit “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and movies such as “The Joker.” “People who have never done it have no idea what they are getting into, and it’ll be a disaster for most of them.” The studio entrants say their expansion is based on increased demand for larger spaces that can handle elaborate and expensive productions. “What we saw in 2019 is an acute shortage of modern infrastructure for how films are made today,” said Robert Halmi, founder of Great Point Studios. “The shows that are being made for the streamers are much bigger than the shows that were being made for broadcast television 10 years ago.” Andrew Kimball, president of the New York City Economic Development Corp., believes employment levels in the film and television business will be back to pre-pandemic levels within six months; the city pegs that at 185,000 jobs. “The forms of content creation are evolving as technology changes,” Kimball said. “Having the talent and stages is absolutely fundamental to the industry, and we remain very bullish, even with the changes.” The corporation partnered with Vornado Realty Trust, Hudson Pacific Properties and Blackstone to develop Sunset Pier 94 Studios, the first facility in Manhattan built specifically for film and TV production. The site, with six soundstages totaling 85,000 square feet, is set to open next year. Halmi and others attribute the slow recovery to uncertainty surrounding the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Production’s talks with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents film and TV crew members. Some productions have decided to set up in Canada, rather than risk a holdup from another possible job action. “I think we’re just in a place where the industry is right-sizing itself,” Leatherwood said. “The thirst for good entertainment that we produce in the United States has not gone away.” One factor that soundstage owners believe they have in their favor is the support of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul, who backed the 66% increase in the state tax credit last year even as critics have questioned its effectiveness. “The New York credit is completely competitive in all respects,” Steiner said. Production stages are at the core of the state’s tax credit. While Hollywoodbased film and TV studios own their lots, most of the New York production spaces are independently owned. If a production wants to benefit from the tax credit, it must use one of the stages recognized by the state. “You don’t get the incentive if you come here and spend three weeks shooting outside,” said Kaufman, who helped develop the first tax credit when she was executive director of the state’s film office. “You must shoot in one of our soundstages. In our opinion, this is how we build an industry.” It took decades for New York to establish itself as the largest production hub outside of Los Angeles. While feature filmmakers always sought out New York when needed for a backdrop, it wasn’t easy to attract costconscious TV series. New York City was a mecca for TV during the golden age of the 1950s. Playwrights and theater-trained actors were based in the city and provided a steady flow of talent for live original plays, which made up much of prime-time programming in those early years. Once Hollywood became involved in TV, production headed west. Studios such as Warner Bros. and Universal had expansive lots and crews with experience on feature films, providing the scale and convenience needed for TV to grow. Filmed TV series dwindled in New York in the 1960s and ’70s, as the city and its residents were not always cooperative. The streets became more unruly and crime-ridden. ABC’s gritty late-1960s cop series “N.Y.P.D.” used members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang to provide security around its East Village studio space. Producers found that doing business in Los Angeles was simply less trouble. As New York’s economy rebounded in the 1980s and ’90s, TV production started to trickle back in. More stars and filmmakers with roots on the East Coast wanted to work near home, which has remained the key reason for filming in the city. (When inveterate New York actor Tony Randall did the NBC sitcom “Love, Sidney” in the early 1980s, his contract guaranteed that the show would be produced in the city.) Filming in New York “will always be a bottom-line decision,” Steiner said. “But there is some very soughtafter talent that lives here and that will only work on a project if it’s here.” Producer Dick Wolf is the trailblazer for the New York production scene. He was insistent about making New York his base for “Law & Order” when it launched in 1990. Wolf even negotiated his own deal with craft unions so he could keep “Law & Order” in the city while under pressure from NBC to cut the show’s budget in the early 1990s. When HBO became a major producer of original series in the late ’90s, the premium cable channel generated hits based in the New York area, such as “Sex and the City” and “The Sopranos.” The shows became cultural touchstones that enhanced the city’s image as a place to film. (The Max “Sex and the City” sequel “And Just Like That ...” now shoots in New York.) But the enactment of the state’s film production tax credit in 2004 was the true catalyst for production growth. The credit was designed to allay the economic impact of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on New York, which jolted the city’s economy and led to a slump in motion picture and video production jobs. Prolific producers who set up shop in New York tend to stay put. Wolf’s three “Law & Order” shows and three FBI-themed series for CBS are in production at Broadway Stages. Robert and Michelle King made their long-running CBS hit “The Good Wife” and sequel “The Good Fight” in New York. Their newest series, “Elsbeth,” a quirky police-legal drama recently renewed by CBS, is New York-based, as is the fourth and final season of their Paramount+ horror series “Evil.” The city wants to remove any barriers to production coming in. It has a free “Made in NY” training program for production assistants, which has seen more than 1,200 participants since its inception. “We’re working hard to stay ahead of the game and make sure we’ve got enough workforce here,” Kaufman said. Bright lights, big productions in NYC ACTOR Carrie Preston rides through New York’s Times Square while filming “Elsbeth” for CBS. Elizabeth Fisher CBS [Studios, from A1] Scan the QR Code to open your new account, today! EARN 3.00% APY1 WITH YOUR PREMIER PLUS CHECKING ACCOUNT! $20 Per Month in ATM Fee Rebates3 Early Pay Day with Direct Deposit4 Free Payments with Zelle® PLUS! A penny of every swipe goes back into the community. 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BUSINESS A12 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM Last summer, when the Hollywood writers’ strike shut down film and television production, a crew of scenic painters at the Fox Studio Lot took advantage of the lull to mess up New York City. Work had recently been completed on a set of facades meant to mimic Manhattan streets, but the result was too pretty and clean. Even the smooth, gray concrete curbs looked suspiciously fresh. “After the curbs were perfectly poured, we had a gentleman with a jackhammer come in here and chip away at them,” said Gary Ehrlich, president of studio operations. “It was slightly heartbreaking to see.” Today, the curbs are suitably beaten up, with dings and black smears as if tires had been rubbing against them for decades. Fire escapes look corroded; other metal fixtures, such as banisters, have been coated to look old or rusty; and walls appear water-stained. A patina of age has settled over this faux city. The painstaking besmirchment of New York Street was one twist in the long saga of one of filmdom’s most famous outdoor sets. Looming near the front gate like an adult-size playhouse, the set and an earlier version serve notice to visitors that they have arrived at a movie studio that is itself a leading character in Hollywood lore. Its lineage is suitably rich in Hollywood flavor: In 1967, Fox was preparing to shoot the film version of “Hello, Dolly!,” a Tony-winning musical set in 1890s New York City that ran for years on Broadway. The script included a spectacular outdoor parade with thousands of extras, and studio executives determined that it would be impossible to shoot on location in New York because the city had changed too much. Fox production designer John DeCuir, who had won Academy Awards for his work on “The King and I” and “Cleopatra,” came up with a streetscape that required more than 500 workers to labor for four months. At the time, the $2.25-million price made it the most costly movie set ever built, the UPI news service reported. The set required more than 300,000 feet of board lumber and 22 miles of telephone wire strung between poles, the way it was in old New York. A painted 11-story office building facade obscured the view of the Century Plaza Hotel looming next to the lot, according to Barbra Archives, which chronicles the career of “Hello, Dolly!” star Barbra Streisand. Dominating the street was a replica of an elevated train station and a steam locomotive acquired from a sugar plantation in Hawaii, where it had been used to transport workers. On July 16, 1968, the Valley Times reported, the parade “stretching one-fifth of a mile and comprised of 675 persons in 16 units passed through a crowd of 3,108 film extras” in period costumes. Among the performers were the UCLA marching band and the Budweiser Clydesdales. The director was actor and dancer Gene Kelly. As impressive as the set was, it was intended to be temporary, said Michael Whetstone, a production designer who worked on building the new version of New York Street. The original “was supposed to be torn down but wasn’t because it was too expensive” to remove, he said. At the time, the studio was reeling from financial setbacks, including a $30-million loss on “Hello, Dolly!,” according to the New York Times. The set enjoyed a second, money-making act in the years that followed as Fox rented it out for use on pictures that included Warner Bros.’ comedy “Up the Sandbox,” starring Streisand, and MGM’s musical “New York, New York,” starring Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro. Among the television shows that used it were “Charlie’s Angels” and “Moonlighting,” while Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and others used it for music videos. But a few years ago, with the set showing its age, the studio started considering its replacement, Ehrlich recalled. “It had been exposed to the elements for five decades and was past its useful life,” he said. Fox tapped Culver City architect Nathan Moore of House & Robertson Architects to design something sturdier. Construction required 49 tons of rebar and more than 1,000 cubic feet of concrete. The set is held up by 260 tons of structural steel and is backed inside with 4,400 square feet of catwalks. Lighting and other electrical functions are supported with 21,000 square feet of conduit and wire, allowing productions to hook up to house power instead of rolling in generators. The set had to comply with building codes and was tracked by city building inspectors. The new New York Street was made to look like the city in the mid 20th century, a decision that required detailed craftsmanship. Window heads and sills that in years past had to be carved out of wood were instead fabricated from plastic foam and finished with plaster. The windows themselves were installed to be easily replaced so productions could break them when scenes call for it. Whetstone oversaw the project and, as part of his research, made several trips to New York, spending long hours on foot trying to get a sense of how light plays on the buildings at night. “I was literally walking lower Manhattan from 10 p.m. to 4 in the morning, taking pictures,” he said. Whereas the original “Hello, Dolly!” set was based on a commercial section of 1890s New York suitable for a parade, Fox elected to make the new one feel like a neighborhood from a later era. “It’s more lower Manhattan, more Bowery,” Whetstone said. “Definitely the Lower East Side.” While the set is “a default vision of New York City,” said Whetstone, it is intended to stand in for any major city. Through the years, Fox’s New York Street has subbed for Chicago, Pasadena and Washington. Even though improving camera technology through the years has made it easier to shoot on location, there are reasons some filmmakers choose to shoot on studio lots, according to Jason E. Squire, entertainment podcaster and professor emeritus at USC School of Cinematic Arts. As filming equipment and cameras got lighter and more portable, the more free-flowing New Wave cinema that emerged in the late 1950s and ’60s employed provocative camerawork. “This liberation led to people shooting off the studio lot,” Squire said. “Filmmakers wanted to get away from the studio.” But it has remained expensive to shoot a largescale production in the real world, with all the vehicles, equipment and personnel required to be transported and managed on-site. “One of the key decisions early in any production is whether to build sets on a lot or shoot in a real location,” Squire said. “That depends on how intricate the sequences are going to be, how intimate. It’s a judgment call and a money call, and the money usually wins.” Shooting behind studio gates has the advantage of preventing uncomfortable collisions between fantasy and reality. “On the lot, you don’t have interference from civilians,” Squire said. “You can control traffic, you can control lighting. All of the equipment is at your beck and call.” Whetstone recalled having to flee location shooting in downtown L.A.’s Arts District when working on Season 1 of “New Girl,” a Fox television comedy starring Zooey Deschanel that premiered in 2011. “We started out shooting in downtown Los Angeles, and by the end of our fifth night shoot, we had angered so many of the neighbors around in the community that we ended up building downtown L.A. on the Fox lot,” Whetstone said. The makeover of New York Street came in addition to a planned $1.5-billion upgrade of the Fox Studio Lot announced last year by Fox Corp. that is to include more soundstages and offices. Fox Corp. retained ownership of the lot when Walt Disney Co. bought most of 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets in 2019. The upgrades come as the real New York mounts an aggressive effort to lure TV and movie producers from L.A. by building new studios and soundstages. On New York Street in Los Angeles, Fox also was able to transform the set behind the facades, adding 4,000 square feet of interior space that makes it easier to meld outdoor and indoor action. The studio declined to reveal the exact cost of the multimillion-dollar set. But Fox wants it to stand for another half-century, at least. “This project was approached not just as temp architecture but as something more permanent,” Whetstone said. “We want this to last a long time.” A CREW MEMBER waits to set up for a shoot March 26 at the revamped New York Street set at Fox Studios in Los Angeles. The original set was built in the late 1960s for the parade scene in the film “Hello, Dolly!” Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times It’s New York, it’s L.A., and what was old is new again A legendary Manhattan street set on the Fox Studios backlot gets a makeover but loses none of its gritty, urban charm By Roger Vincent A New Mexico judge is weighing whether to dismiss involuntary manslaughter charges against Alec Baldwin for his alleged role in the 2021 shooting death of the “Rust” movie cinematographer. Baldwin’s attorneys argued during a court hearing Friday that special prosecutor Kari T. Morrissey had abused her power by allegedly withholding “significant evidence,” including witnesses favorable to Baldwin, during a January grand jury proceeding. The 66-year-old actor’s lawyers said he was a victim of an “overzealous prosecutor” who steered grand jury proceedings in an effort to win an indictment in the high-profile case. At issue is whether the grand jury had been fully advised that they could hear from Baldwin’s witnesses during the proceedings. The grand jurors spent a day and a half questioning witnesses who were introduced by the prosecutors. “The fix was in,” Baldwin attorney Alex Spiro told the judge Friday. The grand jury indicted Baldwin on an involuntary manslaughter charge in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins, the 42-year-old cinematographer who was rehearsing a scene with him on Oct. 21, 2021. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty. At the conclusion of Friday’s hearing, New Mexico 1st Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said she would issue her ruling this week. Should she dismiss the case, it would mark the second time that the felony charges against Baldwin were dropped. Marlowe Sommer’s decision is expected less than two months before Baldwin is scheduled to go on trial in a Santa Fe courtroom. During the hearing, which was conducted virtually, Morrissey denied that she had acted in bad faith. She said she didn’t prevent jurors from getting answers to their questions or from seeking additional information. She told the judge that grand jurors had been given written instructions that outlined their ability to quiz other witnesses, including those favorable to the defense. But because the jurors didn’t ask to hear from the witnesses who were on a list supplied by Baldwin’s lawyers, several key figures in the tragedy, including film director Joel Souza, property master Sarah Zachry and assistant director David Halls, were not called to testify. Instead, jurors heard from police officers, a crew member who was in the church and expert witnesses hired by prosecutors. On the day of the shooting, Hutchins, Baldwin, Souza and about a dozen other crew members were gathered in an old wooden church at Bonanza Creek Ranch, south of Santa Fe, preparing for a scene. Hutchins, according to the actor, told him to pull his Colt .45 revolver from his holster and point it at the camera for an extreme close-up view. That’s when the gun went off. Hutchins died from her wounds. Souza was injured and recovered. Last month, Marlowe Sommer sentenced the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez, to 18 months in a New Mexico women’s prison for her role in the shooting. Morrissey argued that Gutierrez was criminally negligent by allegedly bringing the live ammunition to the movie production and unwittingly loading one of the lead bullets into Baldwin’s gun. Gutierrez denies bringing the ammunition on set. Baldwin’s prosecution has long been fraught. Morrissey and her law partner Jason J. Lewis joined the case last year after the first team of prosecutors was forced to step down due to missteps, including trying to charge Baldwin on a penalty enhancement that wasn’t in effect at the time of the tragedy. “The government looked a little sophomoric and unprofessional when they charged him for a crime that wasn’t a crime at the time,” said Los Angeles litigator Tre Lovell, who is not involved in the “Rust” shooting matter. “That was embarrassing.” The original prosecutors also displayed bluster in media interviews, making statements about the need to hold Baldwin responsible for his actions. Defense attorneys have argued that such commentary was out of line and prejudicial against the actor. Shortly after Morrissey and Lewis joined the case, they dropped the charges against Baldwin. At the time, they said they needed more time to review evidence and address issues raised by Baldwin’s team. Morrissey and Lewis reserved the right to refile the charges. Immediately after the charges were dropped, Baldwin traveled to Montana to finish the filming of “Rust.” On Friday, Morrissey said last year’s decision to drop the charges was made at the request of Baldwin’s lead attorney, Luke Nikas, who had presented evidence that the gun Baldwin was using had been modified. Subsequent tests showed the gun was functional that day, but during FBI testing in 2022, the gun was broken by forensic analysts who wanted to see how much pressure needed to be applied for the hammer to drop. The damaged gun is one of several complications that prosecutors are facing. Legal experts have said that winning a conviction in Baldwin’s case is expected to be more difficult than in the trial of Gutierrez, whose job was to make sure the weapons were safe. Baldwin was handed the prop gun that day and was told that it was “cold,” meaning there was no ammunition inside. In reality, the chamber of the revolver contained six rounds — five socalled dummies and the lead bullet that killed Hutchins. “The state has not even alleged that Baldwin had a subjective awareness of a substantial risk that the firearm held live ammunition,” Nikas argued in the motion to dismiss the charges. “Without a subjective awareness, he could not have committed the crime of involuntary manslaughter, which requires that the defendant consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk that his actions could cause another person’s death.” Baldwin has argued, with support from Hollywood’s performers’ union SAG-AFTRA, that it wasn’t his job to be the gun safety officer on set. The actor has said he was relying on other professionals to do their jobs to ensure a safe production. Prosecutors have an obligation to present evidence in a “fair and impartial manner,” Baldwin’s attorneys said. The judge grilled Morrissey on her thinking at the time, including an instance when she had interrupted a sheriff’s deputy and prevented her from answering a question about gun safety measures on set. Morrissey said that deputy was not an expert in film set protocols and that she instead wanted jurors to get “the most accurate information,” which would come from a veteran film crew member who was an expert witness. Lovell, the L.A. entertainment attorney, said he believes the case will go to trial and that efforts to throw out the indictment will be unsuccessful. “Courts are really reluctant to dismiss cases brought by a grand jury,” Lovell said. “Courts have limited ability to review what goes to a grand jury unless it was provided in bad faith.” Baldwin’s lawyers ask judge to dismiss charges in ‘Rust’ shooting Defense team claims prosecutor withheld evidence favorable to the actor. Ruling is expected this week. By Meg James

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 A13 NEW YORK — Relentlessly rising auto insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation. Auto insurance rates rose 2.6% in March and are up 22% from a year ago. Premium costs have been marching steadily higher since 2022, even as inflation at the consumer level steadily cooled from its 9.1% peak in the middle of that year. Consumers have had some relief as the rate of cost increases for food and energy, two key components of most budgets, has eased greatly. But auto insurance and car ownership costs have become a sticking point for consumers and the Federal Reserve in its battle to rein inflation back to its goal of 2%. Typically, individuals would see a noticeable increase in their premiums because of speeding tickets and other moving violations. Adding new drivers or a general increase in claims in the area were other reasons. But the persistent rise in rates over the last two years has been far more sweeping. New vehicle prices started spiking during the pandemic, mainly because of a worldwide shortage of computer chips amid production cuts and supply chain bottlenecks. Dealers spent much of 2021 with few or no cars in stock. Car price increases eased heading into 2024, with the average at $47,338 in January, down from a peak of $48,516 in late 2022, according to Edmunds.com. Higher value for cars, along with more advanced technology and intricate parts, has raised the overall cost of repairs. Overall maintenance and repair costs jumped 8.2% in March from a year ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s eased a bit over the last year. The rate of increase was as high as 14.2% in early 2023. “The severity is really the thing that has influenced rates more over the last two years than anything,” said Greg Smolan, vice president of insurance operations at AAA Northeast. “A fender bender in the past didn’t have all the sensors and cameras.” Higher overall auto prices and auto repair costs prompted insurers to start raising premiums as overall car values jumped. Price increases for insurance rates, like many other increases from food to clothing, have been sticky and are less likely to drop at the same rate as broader inflation, if at all. That has been beneficial for insurers who have seen profits surge. Wall Street is expecting bigger leaps in 2024. “Our sole concentration last year was to get the right rate,” said Progressive CEO Tricia Griffith, during a fourth-quarter earnings conference call. “We feel like we’re in a really great position now.” Progressive’s profit jumped 50% and its revenue surged nearly 18% to $62.1 billion in 2023. Wall Street expects its profit to skyrocket nearly 80% in 2024 on a14% jump in revenue. Allstate reported a modest profit in 2023 after reporting a loss a year earlier. Wall Street expects its profit to surge 13-fold as revenue rises 10% to $62.9 billion in 2024. “Companies are getting a lot closer to rate adequacy now,” Smolan said. “I think you’ll see some flattening out of the real large increases.” The process of obtaining auto insurance can be confusing and overwhelming, considering the differing mix of requirements in each state, extra options and the confusing industry and legal jargon used by insurers. The first step should be gaining a better understanding about auto insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Consumers should shop around by getting at least three different quotes and from different types of insurance companies. Also, comparing costs before buying a car could help give consumers a better sense of the true cost of owning a specific car. Premiums are based in part on a car’s price, along with prospective repair costs and safety data. Deductibles could be a major factor in determining monthly premium costs. That’s the amount of money that a driver is responsible for paying toward a claim. Higher deductibles usually mean lower premiums. Bundling multiple policies under one insurer could come with a discount. This is common for homeowners using the same company for their home and auto policies. There may also be discounts for insuring more than one vehicle under the same company. Defensive driving courses also help give drivers discounts on insurance. The timing and standards vary by state, but courses are usually offered in-person and online. Companies including Progressive and Geico often offer multi-year discounts for taking such a course. They can usually steer policy holders toward reputable companies offering the course and certificate. Troise writes for the Associated Press. PERSONAL FINANCE Surging auto insurance rates pinch drivers, fuel inflation RISING AUTO insurance rates are squeezing car owners and stoking inflation. Above, traffic is seen at O’Hare International Airport last month in Chicago. Nam Y. Huh Associated Press Prices of new vehicles started spiking during pandemic. Advanced technology has raised overall cost of repairs. By Damian J. Troise Dear Liz: My husband and I are newlyweds and looking into purchasing a home. However, many homes in our area sell for $50,000 and more over the asking prices, which already are pretty high. We have stable jobs, but our dilemma is whether we should go into the market now or continue to save and wait a year or two. Answer: The best time to buy a home is when you can afford to do so. It’s hard to time any market, but that’s especially true for real estate. If you put off buying a home hoping for a correction, you could be waiting a long time. The supply of houses for sale is low in many areas. Often homeowners are reluctant to sell, even if they want to trade up, downsize or move, because they don’t want to give up their lowrate mortgages. A drop in mortgage rates likely will induce more people to put their homes on the market, but also could increase competition as buyers get access to more affordable loans. Also, many homes for sale in tight markets are deliberately underpriced. Sellers hope to spark a frenzy of offers over asking price. You’d be smart to get clear on how much you can afford to pay — consider consulting a fee-only financial planner — and to enlist the services of a good real estate agent who understands your local market. More drama over a missed payment Dear Liz: You responded to a woman who was concerned that a missed payment had hurt her credit score. My situation is also about a missed payment. In fall 2018, I received a dunning letter from a bill collector. I did a ton of research because I never received the bill that ruined my previously stellar credit rating (840). My rating sank by 200 points even after the retailer involved acknowledged that I never received the bills. Their office showed all the bills, although addressed correctly, were returned as undeliverable. The executive with whom I had lots of interaction wrote all the bureaus explaining the error was the retailer’s. The credit bureaus did nothing to restore my credit rating. It has been six years and I continue to pay in full on time as I had for the 45 years before 2018. My payment behavior has done little to improve my low score. Maybe 2025 will bring relief, as that will be seven years since the collection letter. Answer: Your situation offers the opportunity to clarify a few things that confuse many consumers. The first and most important: We are responsible for paying our credit card bills whether we receive those bills or not. Mail goes astray, emails wind up in junk folders, but if there’s a balance on our credit cards, we’re supposed to pay at least the minimum when the due date rolls around. As mentioned in the previous column, setting up automatic payments can prevent missed payments. At a minimum, you should mark your calendar with your cards’ due dates and submit your payments, preferably electronically, in time to avoid late fees. Having online access to your credit accounts can help you track balances, and you can set up email or text alerts to remind you to pay. Next, the executive you talked to either didn’t understand the credit reporting system or wasn’t entirely frank with you. The credit bureaus’ files reflect what creditors tell them. It’s a dynamic system, with information constantly updated. If the retailer agreed that the late payments shouldn’t be reported, then it should have stopped reporting the erroneous information. Instead of corresponding with the bureaus, the executive should have been talking to the retailer’s finance arm. If the executive provided you with a copy of the letter sent to the bureaus, however, you can use that to correct the record. Dispute the late payments with the bureaus and use the letter to back up your claim. By now, your scores should have regained most of the ground lost to this unfortunate incident. If that’s not the case, something else is wrong with your credit reports. You should request free copies of your reports from AnnualCreditReport.com and scrutinize them closely. (If you’re asked for a credit card, you’re on the wrong site.) Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner®, is a personal finance columnist. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the “Contact” form at asklizweston.com. Lazy Bear/stock.adobe.com MONEY TALK Newlyweds wonder if they should wait to buy a home A couple wrestles with the timing of their purchase, while undelivered bills lead to a credit rating saga. 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A14 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM/OPINION HOW TO WRITE TO US Please send letters to [email protected]. For submission guidelines, see latimes.com/letters or call 1-800-LA TIMES, ext. 74511. OPINION EDITORIAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Executive Chairman Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong News: Executive Editor Terry Tang • Managing Editor Hector Becerra • Editor at Large Scott Kraft • Deputy Managing Editors Shelby Grad, Amy King, Maria L. La Ganga • Assistant Managing Editors John Canalis, Steve Clow, Angel Jennings, Iliana Limón Romero, Samantha Melbourneweaver, Craig Nakano, Ruthanne Salido, B.J. Terhune • General Manager, Food Laurie Ochoa • Opinion: Editorials Editor Mariel Garza • Op-Ed Editor Susan Brenneman • Business: President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Argentieri • Chief Human Resources Officer Nancy V. Antoniou • Chief of Staff; Head of Strategy and Revenue Anna Magzanyan • Chief Information Officer Ghalib Kassam • General Counsel Jeff Glasser • V.P., Communications Hillary Manning FOUNDED DECEMBER 4, 1881 A Publication C alifornia lawmakers passed a bill eliminating money bail in 2018, but voters overturned the important reform in tumultuous 2020 after a fear-stoking referendum campaign led by the bail bond industry. The state is now slowly picking its way through more modest improvements set in motion by court policies and lawsuits, leaving us with a piecemeal system that is too slowly and inconsistently rolling back the role of wealth and poverty in determining who gets out of jail before trial. That left leadership to other states. The Illinois General Assembly passed a law in 2021 that made the state the first in the nation to eliminate money bail. Opponents (again, supported by the bail bond industry) sued, but the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law last year. Now people who are arrested stay in jail, regardless of how much money they have, if they are deemed by a judge to be too risky to public safety to be released. Those not considered a risk are set free, sometimes with conditions such as ankle monitors, no matter how empty their wallets may be. Bail reform opponents predicted mayhem. Too many criminals would be caught, ticketed and turned loose to commit more crimes, they said. They were wrong. Nearly a year later, data show Illinois’ no-money-bail program is working out quite well. Arrests for new crimes by people released pending trial are coming in so far at about 4% in Cook County, which includes Chicago and much of the state’s crime. That’s about on par with or slightly better than the pre-reform rearrest rate over the last several years. Defendants who promise to show up for their hearings do, for the most part. Warrants are issued for the approximately 10% who don’t — again, about the same as the proportion previously released before trial with or without having posted bail. Numbers of rearrests and failures to appear across Illinois’ other 101 counties range from similar to sharply lower. There are some costs to the no-moneybail program — for example, in court time. Judges who in the past might have decided to hold or release defendants based on their ability to pay are now spending more time in pretrial hearings to weigh arguments and evidence. That’s as it should be. Imagine a system in which a court hands out convictions or acquittals based on how much money the defendant pays, rather than on the weight of witness testimony and other evidence. Such a system would be the very definition of corruption and injustice. Yet that’s what money bail systems do during the period before trial. There are also benefits. Billions of dollars in bail bond payments that were previously extracted from families, usually from those who could afford it the least, can be used for housing, food and other daily expenses. The burdens of poverty that are borne disproportionately by people of color now no longer turn automatically into disproportionate pretrial incarceration. Jail populations in Illinois are declining, meaning less taxpayer money spent to feed and house people who would be safe to release. The biggest losers in Illinois are, predictably, members of the bail bond industry, including agents and the sureties — in effect, insurance companies — that work with them. Illinois’ no-money-bail system is leaps and bounds ahead of Los Angeles County’s extremely modest program. For one thing, the program designed and operated by the Superior Court only applies to low-level crimes. Anyone accused of a serious felony is ineligible for no-money-bail release, yet ironically can still be set free — and in some cases must be set free — if they pay their bail, even if they are at high risk to public safety. For another thing, L.A.’s program only applies in the short pre-arraignment phase — the period between arrest and the defendant’s initial appearance before a judge, which is usually only two or three days. A defendant who is freed at the police station might be out for 30 days, then at the arraignment ordered into custody all over again — or even ordered to pay money bail. More than two dozen cities are suing the Superior Court in the wildly misinformed belief that using risk factors to determine which defendants to detain and which to release, instead of payments, somehow makes the public less safe. City officials may believe, falsely, that defendants out on bail will forfeit their money if they are arrested again while waiting for trial. Defendants forfeit their money only if they fail to show up for hearings, and usually not even then. Bail does not provide much of a financial incentive to alter behavior. Or they may believe that people with money are just naturally better risks than people without, although there is no evidence to support that. Or they may be just too eager to listen to fairy tales told to them by members of the same industry that defeated bail reform in California four years ago, but was thankfully unable to do the same in Illinois. California blew it on bail reform. Now Illinois leads Data show that the nation’s first no-money-bail program actually works as promised. This should assure those taken in by fearmongering. As the Associated Press article you published on the Nakba notes, 700,000 Palestinians were displaced by the 1948 Arab-Israeli War; now, their community numbers 6 million. Many live in refugee camps supported by the United Nations, clinging to their perceived right to return to their homes, lands and villages. I am sure some Native Americans would also like to reclaim their lost lands. However, it has been accepted that this is an impractical solution. Over the last 76 years, multiple attempts to implement a two-state solution have been foiled by the Palestinian demand for the right of return. This is synonymous with a demand for Israel to self-destruct. The population of Israel is about 9.8 million, of which 2 million people are Arab. Think of what would happen if 6 million more Palestinians, many of whom militantly want to displace Jews, were added. Needless to say, the only place left for the Jews would be the sea. Let us hope for a better solution. Michael Telerant Los Angeles :: Re “How can my medical team get out of Gaza?” Opinion, May 17 Dr. Mahmoud Sabha is one of many medical heroes in the Gaza Strip risking his life to help the wounded. Hospitals have been destroyed by Israeli forces making the disputed allegation that they were being used by Hamas. The health system in Gaza is all but nonexistent, and the food shortage is causing starvation. This inhuman destruction of Gaza must stop. Yes, Hamas started this war, but most of the killed and suffering in Gaza are not Hamas, nor do they have a say in what Hamas does. I spent 30 years in the U.S. Army. When American forces in Iraq went into Fallujah and Ramadi to root out opposition fighters, they did not carpet-bomb those densely populated cities and kill several thousand Iraqis. Yes, going building-tobuilding presented more risk to U.S. forces, but it was the humane thing to do. Israel is destroying all of Gaza to crush Hamas. If that isn’t genocidal, it’s a crime against humanity. Destroying homes, infrastructure, schools and hospitals will not bring Israel peace; it will, however, develop more fighters. There is no military solution. Israel has to stop the war, exchange hostages and work to allow the creation of a Palestinian state. Palestinians deserve to be free, and Israelis deserve to live in peace — but continued occupation will bring future endless wars. George Mouro Rancho Mirage Go lower to beat Trump Re “Policy is not Biden’s problem. ‘Vibes’ are,” Opinion, May 15 In 2016, First Lady Michelle Obama famously said, “When they go low, we go high,” referring to Republican nominee Donald Trump’s bullying tactics during the presidential campaign. The catchphrase was a message for Democrats to behave differently than someone who treats others with disdain. Unfortunately, that’s a recipe for political suicide in the Trump era. To the MAGA minions, including many Republicans in Congress, civil discourse is a thing of the past. Despite having a robust economy, the electorate, particularly in crucial swing states, seems unimpressed with President Biden’s accomplishments. A record of consequential legislation has done little to offset this lack of enthusiasm. Can it be that “going low” is paying dividends? Trump is winning the messaging game. The time has come for the Biden camp to launch an overwhelming counteroffensive, highlighting the former president’s personal and professional failings, or risk losing in November. Jim Paladino Tampa, Fla. :: Please don’t confuse me for a Trump supporter. Not even close. But Biden frightens me. Not in the chaotic, threatening way Trump does, but still. He seems to believe he is the best president since FDR but is leaving a trail of wreckage in foreign policy and domestic affairs. In foreign affairs, he is always half in, half out, as with Israel and Ukraine. We have too many simmering domestic crises. The expansion of presidential power continues apace, so much that Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s request for Biden to force lower grocery prices seems unexceptional. That he has managed to block any viable Democratic challengers to his reelection is frightening. Biden’s speeches are rude and crude, often having a “make my day” or “get off my lawn” feeling to them. His selling point for reelection is a sad “I’m not Trump.” That’s not enough for me. William N. Hoke Manhattan Beach Moving on from Vietnam War Re “ ‘Hanoi Jane’ saved U.S. lives,” letters, May 14, and “ ‘Jane Fonda Day’ ignites furor,” May 16 As a citizen who was affected by the Vietnam War, I agree with the letter writer in The Times, a Vietnamese American, who wrote that “many Vietnamese ex-pats ... don’t understand the history of Vietnam.” He went on to cite several facts about Vietnam under French colonialism and its arbitrary partition into north and south. The writer also mentioned that the U.S. intensified its military activities after fabricating an attack on Navy ships in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964. It’s time for people with very strong feelings on Vietnam and their political leaders in Orange County to abandon their delusional narrative of the war. They should accept the fact that Vietnam and its people, who managed to overcome and survive French colonialism and American military power, have evolved into a modern market-driven economy with the investment assistance of the United States. One only has to shop at Costco to find clothes made in Vietnam to understand its socioeconomic and political evolution since becoming a unified country bent on self-determination. Larry Naritomi Monterey Park :: As a citizen of the U.S., Jane Fonda certainly had the right to speak out against our war effort in Vietnam in the 1960s and ’70s. Her support for the enemy, however, with a trip to Hanoi in 1972 that included her sitting on the seat of an enemy antiaircraft gun, was significantly beyond the right. She played the role of a traitor. It was an act that gave aid and comfort to an enemy. It violated her responsibility as a citizen. I was the pilot of an American airplane who willingly put himself in harm’s way as directed by our commander in chief, and my resentment is profound. Fonda’s success playing roles on screen did not give her the right to glorify those who put me or any of my comrades in the sights of that gun. She behaved in a way that violated the moral obligation of American citizenship. Stephen Sloane Lomita SMOKE RISES from an Israeli airstrike near Rafah in the Gaza Strip on May 7. Ramez Habboub Associated Press Accepting an imperfect peace Re “Palestinians mark 76 years of dispossession,” May 15 I t is really very simple: Does Israel have the right to exist as a national homeland for the Jewish people? Yes. Those who argue otherwise reveal a profound ignorance of Middle Eastern and Jewish history, an ignorance so profound and willful that it more than hints at antisemitism. Therefore, Israel has the right of self-defense, and Hamas, an enemy dedicated to the total destruction of Israel, must be destroyed. Who will do this? Only Israel. That said, this question needs to be asked: Do the Palestinians have a legitimate grievance? Yes. They had been living in Palestine for centuries when Jews started arriving in great numbers in the late 19th century. There is ample room for acrimonious excursions into history, ethics and politics, but the essential conflict is two peoples contesting the same land. Therefore, compromise ought to be possible, no doubt a compromise odious to both sides. But compromise does not require goodwill; it merely needs enforcement. Accusations and intransigence must be set aside. The obstructions of those holding extreme positions, on both sides, will need to be overcome. The alternative is endless hatred, war and suffering. Alan Engelberg, Beverly Hills LETTERS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 A15 OP-ED M y resident describes our next emergency room patient — a 32-yearold female with severe, crampy mid-abdominal pain, vomiting and occasional loose stools. The symptoms have been present for nearly a week, and there is tenderness to both sides of the upper abdomen. It could be a gallbladder problem, the resident says, hepatitis, pancreatitis, diverticulitis or an atypical appendicitis. She proposes routine blood tests along with an ultrasound and an abdominal CT scan. This is the time-honored approach to an undifferentiated patient complaint: Generate a list of possible diagnoses, decide which represent a “reasonable” concern and use the results from further testing to conclude what’s going on. Yet increasingly the second phase of this process — evaluating which diagnoses represent a reasonable concern — is getting short shrift. It is the heavy lift of any patient encounter — weighing disease probabilities, probing for details. It’s often simpler, and faster, to cast a wide net, click the standard order for blood work and imaging, and wait for the results to pop up. The issue of the “busy doctor ordering too many tests” has plagued medicine for decades. Now, as hospitals inject algorithms and technology into their workflow, it’s much worse. Medicine is moving inexorably away from the deductive arts, becoming more technology- and test-dependent and less patient-centric. Go to an emergency room today and you will likely be met within minutes by a doctor whose sole role is to perform a “rapid medical evaluation.” The provider asks a few questions, ticks boxes on a computer screen and, shazam, you are in line for the most likely series of tests and scans, all based on typically a less than 60-second encounter. This strategy seems obvious. When workups are initiated as soon as the patient arrives, wait times go down, patient satisfaction goes up and fewer patients leave out of frustration before even being seen. These are the metrics that put smiles on administrators’ faces and give hospitals high marks in national surveys. But is it good doctoring? Without the luxury of time, these gateway providers typically lump patients into broad, generic categories: the middle-aged person with chest pain, the short-ofbreath asthmatic, the vomiting pregnant patient, the septuagenarian with cough and fever, and so forth. The diagnosis is then reverse-engineered with tests to cover all possible bases for that particular complaint. In essence this is flipping the script on traditional doctoring while incentivizing doctors to use testing as a surrogate for critical thinking, dumbing down the practice of medicine and throwing gasoline on the problem of overtesting. Since rapid evaluation became the norm, use of laboratory, CT and ultrasound services at my hospital has increased nearly 20%. Just the other day, a pregnant woman in my ER went through a full battery of time-consuming, expensive and invasive tests even though she’d been through all of them at another hospital the day before. As far as I can tell, the only reason we did that was because that’s what an algorithm told us to do. This has real effects on patients. Contrary to popular perception, more tests may not supply more answers. That’s because the accuracy of any test depends on the likelihood that the patient has the disease in question before the test is performed. Testing performed without the appropriate indication or context can produce incidental or even spurious results that may have your doctor looking in entirely the wrong direction. The basic problem with hospitals’ growing obsession with efficiency is this: Algorithmic systems treat all patients the same, expecting precise, like-for-like responses to every question with just the right amount of detail. Except every patient is unique. And they tend to give up their stories at their own pace, in broken, nonlinear fits and starts, sometimes conflating truth and fiction in ways that can be counterproductive and frustrating, but also uniquely human. I am often reminded of Jack Webb in the old TV series “Dragnet” imploring a witness to offer “just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.” In real life, whether from situational stress, self-delusion, superstition, health illiteracy, mental illness, drugs or alcohol, my patients’ initial version of their complaint is rarely “just the facts” or the final word on the subject. A colleague recently described her role in a clinical encounter as 9 parts translator to 1 part doctor. One question leads to another, and then another, and another until she successfully translates the patient’s lived experience into a language modern medicine and its algorithms might begin to understand. My experience is similar. Properly choreographed, the doctor-patient interaction becomes a pas de deux — two people in sync, jointly trying to solve a puzzle with each sharing their perspective and expertise. In the transition to front-loaded care, I worry health decisions will be made with information that may be incomplete or, at times, totally unreliable. Algorithmic medicine also seems tailor-made for an AI takeover. The logic is obvious. Use “big data” to assist doctors and nurses struggling to keep up with the demands of modern medicine. AI can ensure a level, consistent floor of care that avoids errors of omission by considering a deliberately broad list of diagnostic possibilities. In an ideal world, a synergy of human and machine intelligence could amplify the patient-doctor encounter. As likely, AI will lead doctors to abdicate judgment and responsibility to the automated response of the machine. And so, I complimented my resident on her list of concerns but suggested that we spend a little more time with the patient. The story of her symptoms didn’t feel complete. I recommended my resident grab a chair and simply ask the patient about her life. What emerged was the chaotic picture of an exhausted part-time student by day, working two evening waitressing jobs and surviving on pizza, pasta and energy drinks. She had always had a “fragile stomach.” Our list of reasonable diagnoses was expanding and contracting, replaced with irritable bowel syndrome, food intolerances, gut motility issues, all overlying a stressed individual barely keeping it together. The labs, ultrasound or CT scan initially proposed now seemed irrelevant. The result: The patient got out of the hospital faster. She received helpful suggestions about stress reduction, diet and sleep habits. She got an appointment with a primary care physician and avoided thousands of dollars in tests. Had we just relied on tests instead of asking a few more questions, there is a good chance we would have missed the best approach to her problem entirely. ER waiting rooms and wards are bursting at the seams, and the streamlining of care has never felt more essential. But this is not an excuse for doctors to relinquish their humanity or their “method.” We could tweak the process: Allow more time for doctors to get the story right, do less testing until we have weighed the risks and rewards, prioritize asking questions rather than merely looking for answers. Sociologists coined the term “pre-automation” to describe the transitional phase in which humans lay the groundwork for automation, often by acting in increasingly machine-like ways. As providers, we must not fall in line. Put another way, with AI primed to take on a substantial role in how doctors deliver care, we should remind ourselves: If we behave like machines, we certainly won’t be missed when machines replace us. Eric Snoey is an ER doctor at Alameda Health SystemHighland Hospital in Oakland. Less waiting. Happier patients. Why shouldn’t AI run the ER? Trading doctors’ humanity and deductive powers for algorithms has a high cost: dumbed-down medicine. By Eric Snoey Rape is a welldocumented tool of war. So it’s hard for me to understand the raging controversy over whether Hamas terrorists who killed more than 1,100 Israelis on Oct. 7 also inflicted rape and other sexual crimes on their victims as a “practice.” If soldiers are depraved enough to tie families together and burn them, to behead corpses and kidnap helpless civilians, why, despite repeated denials from Hamas, would anyone think they would refrain from sexual violence? There is general consensus that women were raped during the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants, although many have questioned whether the sexualized violence was “systematic,” as an explosive New York Times investigation put it in December, and have accused Israel of “weaponizing” rape allegations to justify its extreme response in Gaza. A tremendous amount of journalistic energy has been devoted to debunking stories about the rape-related carnage of the Oct. 7 attacks. The Intercept ran a long, and in my view misguided, piece that tried to undercut the New York Times report, mainly by attacking one of the reporters, who had “liked” pro-Israel social media posts. In February, the United Nations weighed in, finding “reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred during the 7 October attacks in multiple locations across Gaza periphery, including rape and gang rape, in at least three locations.” Two widely circulated reports of rape and sexualized violence, the U.N. report noted, were misinterpretations by untrained observers. In one case, a first responder said a pregnant woman’s baby had been cut out of her womb. As it turned out, the woman was not pregnant but had been disemboweled. There is a sentiment in proPalestinian quarters that any accounting of Hamas’ sexual atrocities is being used by Israel to gin up outrage to justify the destruction of Gaza and the killing of so many thousands of civilians. And that a wave of stories calling out feminist groups for failing to condemn the sexual crimes of Oct. 7 was orchestrated by the Israeli government. An open letter signed by more than 1,000 feminists accused Israel of “a cynical attempt to incite public fury and deflect attention from the genocide it is perpetrating.” On Tuesday in Santa Monica, I had coffee with two women from the Assn. of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel — Orit Sulitzeanu, the group’s executive director, and Tanya Gilboa, its director of community relations. They were here to visit the pioneering Santa Monica Rape Treatment Center and to meet with the center’s founder, Gail Abarbanel. They wanted to learn about how she has helped change laws in California, including ending the statute of limitations on rape. Inevitably, our conversation turned to their recent report, “Silent Cry: Sexual Violence Crimes on October 7,” and its conclusion that “sexual abuse was not an isolated incident or sporadic opportunistic case but rather a clear operational strategy.” Sulitzeanu vehemently rejected the idea that the report was part of an Israeli government plot to justify the destruction of Gaza and the death of thousands of Palestinian civilians. “We see it as our mission to tell the story, to fight for this narrative, to explain the complexities and to tell the story of the victims who will never speak,” she said. “We don’t represent the country. We are in the human rights business.” As reports of sexual violence began flooding in, she and her colleagues decided they had a responsibility to compile all the information they were getting: “What happened, and how did it happen and where did it happen?” Their sources were local and international news reports, interviews with first responders and other professionals and, because of their unique position, lots of confidential information. To be considered a “practice,” Sulitzeanu said, a particular behavior — gang rape, rape in presence of family members, mutilation of sexual organs — had to have been reliably reported taking place at least three different times. There is a lack of forensic evidence of sexual violence on Oct. 7, but that has been plausibly explained: In the chaos that followed the attacks, the imperative was to identify slain victims and bury them as soon as possible in accordance with Jewish tradition. Rape kits, which generally are effective for only 72 hours after an assault, were never going to be a viable way of collecting evidence. But there are abundant reports from people who witnessed sexual violence. And while Sulitzeanu said she believes there are dozens of actual rape survivors, she has not made an attempt to find them because to do so would violate her principles and the Murad Code, a global voluntary code of ethics and conduct for those who interview and work with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. It was developed by Nadia Murad, an Iraqi-born Yazidi human rights activist who was kept as an Islamic State sex slave for three months in 2014, and who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2018. “Horrific things happened, people are embarrassed, people don’t want to share,” said Sulitzeanu, who was deluged with requests from reporters around the world to produce victims for interviews. “Usually, I am very patient and I understand what a journalist needs,” she said. “But sometimes I became very angry. I said to them, ‘Why do you think a survivor should talk to you?’ A survivor who has suffered the most terrible trauma ever has to heal. It will take her weeks, months, years.” So far only one survivor of alleged sexual assault, a freed hostage, has stepped forward to tell her story. Amit Soussana, a 40-year-old Israeli lawyer who was held for 55 days, told the New York Times she was beaten and sexually assaulted while in captivity. She was also interviewed by Sheryl Sandberg for the documentary “Screams Before Silence,” which focused on accounts of sexual assault by Hamas. The focus of the world right now is rightfully on horrific conditions in Gaza and the suffering of its civilian population and Israel’s human rights abuses. But to minimize the trauma that Hamas inflicted on Oct. 7, including reports of sexual violence, is to forswear one’s very humanity. As Sulitzeanu told me, “How can I be a human being if I only see one side?” @robinkabcarian THE SITE of a music festival in southern Israel, near the border with Gaza, after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants. Ohad Zwigenberg Associated Press Don’t discount reports of Hamas’ use of sexual violence on Oct. 7 Hamas denies it, but the U.N. found ‘reasonable grounds to believe that conflict-related sexual violence occurred.’ ROBIN ABCARIAN

A16 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM OPINION BOOKS & IDEAS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- M any of the past century’s “great” novels have taken as their subjects middleaged men who wake up one morning to discover that their boring, midlevel management jobs, their mediocre children and their aging wives are bumming them out, man. In the mid to late 20th century, literary lions such as Saul Bellow, John Updike and Philip Roth wrote fat novels about domestic life and American masculinity, and critics lauded them for their “universal” themes of upper- and middle-class men straining against the shackles of duty while undergoing midlife crises. Now it’s American women’s turn. Miranda July’s novel about an unnamed Los Angeles woman’s reckoning with midlife brims with vivaciousness. It’s a novel that imagines the end of fecundity as joyful. “All Fours” envisions perimenopause as a second flowering. The 40-something white protagonist, an affluent artist whose work across genres brought her early fame, contemplates the life she and her husband have made with their child. The wheels are set in motion when, at a cocktail party, her husband muses that there are two kinds of people, parkers and drivers: “Drivers are able to maintain awareness and engagement even when life is boring. They don’t need applause for every little thing. ... Parkers … need a discrete task that seems impossible, something that takes every bit of focus for which they might receive applause. … The rest of the time they’re bored and fundamentally kind of … disappointed.” Stung by his criticism — “what he called disappointed was really just depressed” — she decides that rather than flying to upcoming engagements in New York, she will instead set off on a cross-country journey, returning to her family in just under three weeks. Determined to “maintain awareness and engagement,” in the car she finds it impossible to get out of her own head. Unable to find anything of interest on the road, she doesn’t travel far before she stops for lunch and ends up checking into a cheap motel. What results is a deliciously bawdy, emotionally rich novel about the whirligig that results when the physical and emotional upheavals of middle life collide. Surprised at her own choice to stay in the motel, the narrator considers going back home. “This was the thinking that had kept every woman from her greatness,” she thinks. “There did not have to be an answer to the question why; everything important started out mysterious and this mystery was like a great sea you had to be brave enough to cross. … You had to withstand a profound sense of wrongness … my more seasoned parts just had to be patient, hold their tongues — their many and sharp tongues — and give the new girl a chance.” At first, she sees the time as an opportunity to start a new creative project but feels stymied in the dingy motel room. She has it redecorated, but still inspiration for work does not strike. Instead she finds herself seeking escape from the long twilight of her emotions, a life stripped of color that has become a continuous cycle of gritting her way through waves of panic and depression. In her nowluxurious cave, she can reckon with continuing grief from her child’s tragic and traumatic birth, her blocked creative work and her marriage. She initially thinks an affair will bring new life, and she indulges a crush on a local man she has met. Her new room, with its richly colored walls and soft furnishings, serves as a metonym for this reconnection to her physical self. A friend challenges her as she spins out her fantasies of romance with this man, Davy. “What happens after that? … Take Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. If he gets the bird, then who is he? What’s the cartoon about?” Thus July realistically explores any magical resolution offered by any love interest. To choose Davy would mean giving up her marriage, and more important, her child. Mother love — the rush of emotions the artist feels when thinking about her child — reminds her that she cannot simply abandon her old life in pursuit of something new. The thwarted Odysseus returns home to her unsatisfying domestic life. Complicating matters is the news that she is entering perimenopause, ending her “childbearing years.” Convinced that this signals the end of all desire, she focuses on enjoying desire while she still has it. Her insistent libido finds no release in her husband; instead, she fantasizes about Davy. She joins a gym, determined to create a body that Davy will enjoy. She longs to hold the male gaze. She reaches out to other women, talking to them about sexual desire and their experiences with fertility, hysterectomy, menopause. How can marriage, contracted when young, accommodate the ways that partners change and grow? Each of her friends’ stories, in intimate and ribald detail, offer companionship in a phase of female life often experienced alone and with few resources. Reading such details in a literary novel was thrilling. What if a woman’s midlife crisis is not a tale of decline? What if women’s 40s are about moving into a new cycle, one in which the constant governor of reproductive concerns is removed. What then? Miranda July queers these questions with a profound and earthy frankness, approaching them from the perspective of her privileged, white narrator. But July’s book opens up the possibilities for other women to tell these stories with a multitude of voices, exploring what it means for a woman to fully inhabit her middle-aged body. May a thousand flowers bloom. Lorraine Berry is a writer and critic in Eugene, Ore. @BerryFLW AT LAST, A MIDLIFE-CRISIS NOVEL THAT’S NOT ABOUT A MAN By Lorraine Berry Miranda July’s book ‘All Fours,’ about a Los Angeles woman’s reckoning with perimenopause, imagines the end of fecundity as a joyful second flowering All Fours by Miranda July Riverhead T o begin, a confession: I’ve never read much Lemony Snicket, neither the 13-book sequence “A Series of Unfortunate Events” nor the four-volume followup, “All the Wrong Questions.” This is not a matter of aesthetics but pragmatics. When my kids were young, their tastes ran in other directions: Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, “Twilight.” Although we read “The Bad Beginning” and perhaps part of “The Reptile Room” — I can’t remember — they never warmed to the author’s Gothic sensibilities or allusive style. This, I fully accept, represents a parental failing on my part. Let me admit, too, that I had a little difficulty at first with “And Then? And Then? What Else?” by Daniel Handler, the writer behind the Snicket franchise — “aka Lemony Snicket,” he identifies himself on the cover. This has to do with the nature of the writing, which can feel diffuse before it grows into one of the enduring charms of the book. The reason? “And Then? And Then? What Else?” is a bit of a grab bag, starting in the middle and ending in the middle, while telling a series of stories that both connect and overlap. That something similar might be said of the Lemony Snicket novels is the whole idea. Handler is skilled and nuanced as a writer, with a developed voice and point of view. He has never fit the categories, so why would we expect him to start here? As an example, there’s the question of form or genre. “And Then? And Then? What Else?” comes positioned as a memoir, but that’s not quite accurate. Neither is “craft book,” although there are a lot of notes on craft. More accurately, it’s what I want to label a process book, walking us through the author’s process as writer and reader. It is also a book that means to tell us how to make a life. Handler gets at this from the outset: “What am I doing?” the book begins. It’s not a rhetorical question but a reflective one, and it opens a line of free association, of opinions and observations, that push back against our expectations. Yes, the author recognizes, we will have preconceptions; how, after all, could we not? Regardless of whether we’ve read the saga of the orphaned Baudelaire children, Handler’s reputation, the work he’s produced, carries its own cultural weight. “I’m hunched over, headphoned,” he explains, describing himself writing on a legal pad in a cafe not far from his San Francisco home, “I look like a lunatic, which is likely the wrong word. It feels right, though.” There it is, right from the get-go, a conditionality that might feel like a gimmick were it not also true to life. Likely the wrong word but it feels right? Here we get a glimpse of how Handler works. Throughout “And Then? And Then? What Else?” he highlights the tension between thought and feeling, the way we can infer something without fully knowing it. That’s a sensation familiar to every kid who reads “A Series of Unfortunate Events”: What adults are saying and what they’re doing are very different things. For Handler, such suspicions didn’t disappear with childhood. Early in “And Then? And Then? What Else?” he recalls a party he attended where “real estate and traffic were the mandatory conversation topics,” all the boredom of the grown-up world. Eventually, he met a 6-year-old “and asked him what was up, in the hopes of a better conversation.” The child answered: “Last night I dreamed I was a horse.” It’s an instructive anecdote, Handler insists, because children “generally have a firmer grasp on what is interesting to say.” By way of elaboration, he continues: “If you had to sum up lasting literature in a single sentence, you could do worse than ‘I dreamed I was a horse’ — prophetic dreams and animal transformation appear much more frequently in the old epics than, say, which neighborhoods have the best schools.” A perception of the world, in other words, as magical, as inexplicable, as full of wonder, fear and awe. Isn’t this the reason so many of us started reading? Isn’t that what we look for most when we pick up a book? In “And Then? And Then? What Else?” (the title, fittingly, comes from Baudelaire), Handler returns repeatedly to this notion, whether he’s discussing his books or the details of his life. He is frank without being overly revealing and always seeks out some larger integration, a place where thought and feeling might intersect. As an undergraduate, he suffered from recurring nightmares, populated by ghost-like figures, “naked, bald, painted or powdered white.” The resulting sleep deprivation led to seizures, as well as hallucinations in which these characters began to appear in the waking world. Or perhaps, Handler conjectures, “hallucinations” is not the proper word. “Nabokov,” he writes, “famously said that reality was ‘one of the few words which means nothing without quotes,’ and this was an idea that kept visiting, bringing me comfort and bliss.” What he means is that we never know anything, not truly, and that what we think of as the real world is just another construct, built out of our desires and preconceptions (that word again), as subjective as the angle of our minds. That’s the craft lesson here, and the life lesson also: Be curious. Accept nothing at face value. Why couldn’t the figures from his dream exist — an acceptance that ultimately frees Handler from their influence — even if most of us don’t see them? Of course, to believe that requires a creative leap. That disposition, that openness leads Handler to an especially acute critique of the pieties of cancel culture, with its distrust of work that some might suggest is “problematic” — a word, he explains, that “describes the entire human condition, which is to say it describes nothing.” Given the subjects and scenarios of his fiction, Handler has found himself in the cross-hairs of various self-appointed cultural guardians on more than one occasion, but while he shares some of those details, that is not what interests him. Rather, it is the question of human personality, human weirdness, which is, as it has ever been, the only source of art. “The peculiarities of individual works,” he argues, “come from the peculiarities of the individuals who make them. All these peculiarities — all of them — are problematic to somebody or other. Luckily, your own choices about preferences, dictating what you decide to read, are problematic, too.” If that’s the case, “And Then? And Then? What Else?” counsels, why not opt for joy? This, Handler wants us to understand, is the most important component of storytelling — of reading and writing — and of living too. I keep thinking of the conversation with the 6-year-old at that stultifying party, and the unalloyed pleasure of both the teller and the listener as they discover in the moment their own shared humanity. “Last night I dreamed I was a horse. You don’t say. Tell me more.” That is everything and all we need to know. David L. Ulin is a contributing writer to Opinion. He is the former book editor and book critic of The Times. Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) charts his process, in writing and in life By David L. Ulin The man behind the Snicket franchise asks, ‘What am I doing?’ before imparting these lessons: Be curious. Accept nothing at face value. Opt for joy. And Then? And Then? What Else? by Daniel Handler Liveright

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 A17 OPINION BOOKS & IDEAS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aquatic memoir: A headline on May 5 misstated who directed the film “My Octopus Teacher.” It was directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, not by Craig Foster, who was the subject of the film and who wrote the new book “Amphibious Soul.” FOR THE RECORD I n his new book, M.K. Asante, a recording artist and bestselling author of the 2013 memoir “Buck,” details the history of his older half-brother Uzi. Asante’s latest memoir, “Nephew,” is framed as a letter to Asante’s nephew Nasir, who is on the verge of death in a Philadelphia hospital after being shot nine times. Asante’s intent is to tell his nephew the story of Uzi, the estranged father whom Nasir never knew. What follows is an emotionally powerful family history that explores the essential role of music and language in healing old wounds. “Nephew” bears the intriguing subtitle “A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony,” which points to the book’s strongest element: the layering of multiple first-person voices to create a compelling rhythm and flow. In addition to Asante’s voice, which combines an emotional directness with insightful reflections on Black history and music, the book features letters and writings from several of Asante’s family members, including Uzi, their mother, Nna, and Uzi’s father, Bob. These direct first-person accounts not only create the narrative’s complex harmony but also add a raw authenticity. A fifth voice, meanwhile, is Nasir, whose rap lyrics are interspersed throughout the text, providing additional commentary on the story. These voices, each of them rhythmically distinct, are brilliant in how they play off one another, but it is in Bob’s letters, which begin to appear halfway through the book, that the raw emotion reaches a perfect pitch. Bob, Uzi’s estranged father, is a heroin addict desperate for salvation who begins writing letters to God. “Dear God,” the first letter begins, “here’s my situation as it stands now.” Such directness makes these confessions beautiful and achingly vulnerable, and they provide a wonderful complement to the other voices in the memoir. In an example of Asante’s insightful ability to draw connections between different generations and historical contexts, he notes that Bob’s first letter was written in 1971, just as Apollo 15 was landing on the moon. Asante links this to a song Uzi wrote called “NASA” and uses the famous saying from Neil Armstrong, who was on the moon-landing mission of 1969, to draw a thematic connection between Bob’s letters and Nasir himself. “Bob passed before you were born,” Asante writes to Nasir, “but I don’t think he ever imagined that you or anyone would one day read his words, yet here we are, two generations and nine shots later. … The letters may have been a small step for Bob, but they were a giant step for us.” In this way, Asante gives the letters a sense of historical weight, and we read in them not just the words of one man struggling for absolution but also a necessary link between the past and the present. Throughout the book, Asante deftly contextualizes his family’s story within the larger history of the Black American experience. Every chapter is full of a wonderful mix of references that link the present and the past in a complex web of thematic relations. In the second chapter, for example, Asante analyzes the lyrics of Nasir’s music and brings up Ancient Egypt, the Greek god Apollo, Aretha Franklin, W.E.B. DuBois, Langston Hughes, Fannie Lou Hamer, Malcolm X, Assata Shakur and eventually George Moses Horton, who becomes the focus of the chapter. A poet who was born enslaved and who taught himself to read, Horton began writing poetry, which helped him eventually buy his freedom. This chapter is just one illustration of Asante’s use of history to provide an insightful thematic commentary on the present. The story of Horton also functions as a symbol for Asante’s larger thoughts on the essential role of art and music as a path to liberation. “Horton’s poetry,” Asante writes, “is the North Star that delivered his freedom.” For Uzi and Nasir, their music and lyrics play the same role. In one of the book’s more memorable scenes, Asante describes how, when he was 10 and Uzi was incarcerated in Arizona, Asante played the rapper Nas’ “N.Y. State of Mind” for his brother over the phone. This is 1991, and Asante has to hold the corded phone to his boombox speaker. The music is so revelatory that the other inmates gather to listen with Uzi over the phone. They react to Nas’ “bars as if they were NBA dunks,” Asante writes. “I hear the click boom clank of Black fists beating on stone and metal. I can feel their heads nodding, their arms flying in approval and solidarity.” It is, for Asante, a mystical, magical moment, connecting with his brother via music through prison walls on the other side of the country. The other major character in the novel is Asante’s mother, contemporary dance choreographer Kariamu Welsh Asante, whom he affectionately refers to as Nna. Her voice is once again different from the others, and the distinctive rhythms give the book its tonal and musical complexity. As with the other characters, though, hers is a story of a passion for art and music, in her case through dance. You can feel Asante’s love for his mother in the way he relays her story, and their relationship is a key emotional foundation of the book. There are moments toward the end of the book when one might wish for more detailed scenes, and some parts of Uzi’s story can feel a little rushed. But the way Asante ends his journey is so emotionally powerful that you can easily forgive any minor flaws. It’s a gut-punch of an ending, bringing together all the threads of this complex family history that he’s been setting up, and it completes the story on the perfect note. As with a great piece of music, the emotions and rhythms of that final chapter lingered in my mind long after I’d put down the book. Aatif Rashidis a writer in Los Angeles and author of the novel “Portrait of Sebastian Khan.” After a family tragedy, finding healing in rhythm and flow By Aatif Rashid F or almost 150 years, Los Angeles has been an idea as much as a place. Even before the growth of Hollywood, newspaper publishers and land developers sold a carefully constructed image of the region to the world. These boosters promoted Los Angeles as a suburban paradise to an audience of middleclass white families in the Midwest. Perhaps surprisingly, as both a concept and an immigrant enclave, Chinatown was crucial to developing this image and forming L.A.’s identity. Following the completion of the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railways in the late 19th century, city leaders, boosters and land speculators began transforming this former small Spanish-Mexican village into a major metropolis. Railroads hired journalists to promote the region. The city’s population exploded from 11,000 people in 1880 to more than a million in 1930. Yet beneath this vision of what booster Charles Fletcher Lummis dubbed the “land of sunshine” lay a violent and exclusionary process that was racialized from the start. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, reports portrayed Chinatown as a neighborhood of filth, violence and vice. The district lay on a street known as Calle de los Negros, which the Los Angeles Times and other papers routinely referred to in print using a more racist moniker. In 1871, an angry mob rampaged through Chinatown attacking immigrants, destroying property and lynching 18 people. This event would come to be known as the Los Angeles Chinese Massacre, part of a wave of anti-Chinese actions that swept the North American West toward the end of the 19th century. If the threat of violence wasn’t enough, by the 1920s most neighborhoods across the city were covered in restrictive covenants, language in housing deeds that prevented people of color from buying homes. Middle-class white residents, however, considered the urban core less desirable, leaving these homes available. Alongside French, Italian and Mexican immigrants, Chinese Americans thrived in the city’s bustling multiethnic central core. Chinatown featured restaurants, curio shops, two Chinese temples and a Chinese theater; on Los Angeles Street, the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Assn. occupied the top floor of the Garnier Building, which today stands as one of the last remaining structures of Old Chinatown. For a while, the community even supported a Chinese newspaper. But by the early 20th century, the English-language press and regional boosters increasingly constructed L.A.’s image of suburban idyll against representations of Chinatown. Depicting Chinatown as a pariah, newspapers applied outsize scrutiny to the community’s relatively small population. The 1930 census identified about 3,000 Chinese in a city of more than a million people. During this decade, the Los Angeles Times mentioned Chinatown more than 1,100 times — compared with just 200 mentions of Little Tokyo, even though the Japanese American community was seven times larger. Coverage even surpassed that of the Mexican American community near the Plaza, nearly all of which predated the arrival of Anglo settlers. Alarmist media depictions contributed to the city’s decision to build Union Station on the site of Old Chinatown, displacing most of the immigrant community. In the summer of 1938, two neighborhoods emerged as replacements to Old Chinatown. Known as New Chinatown and China City, they pushed back against leering representations of Chinatown by using nonthreatening commercialism, surface aesthetics and racial performance to shape popular perceptions of Chinese Americans. Both districts’ commodification of racial differences shaped L.A.’s image as a complex multiethnic metropolis. Under the leadership of Peter SooHoo, Chinese American merchants created New Chinatown — the Chinatown we still have today near downtown. SooHoo was a Los Angeles-born graduate of city schools and USC and one of the first Chinese Americans hired by the Department of Water and Power. He partnered with attorney Y.C. Hong, the first Chinese American to pass the bar in California, to form a corporation through which Chinese merchants bought land for their Chinatown. To contrast with portrayals of Old Chinatown as riddled with secret underground passages and opium dens, they designed their district as an urban mall with neon lights, wide walkable streets, a wishing well and pagoda-style roofs. That same summer, Christine Sterling, the white philanthropist behind the pedestrian-friendly Olvera Street, built China City close by, around Hollywood myths. Backed by the publisher of the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood producers, the district included a re-creation of the House of Wang set from the MGM film “The Good Earth,” a 1937 blockbuster set in China, and the Chinese Junk Cafe, a bar fashioned as a pirate ship run by movie performers Luke Chan and Johnson Sing. While China City has been dismissed by some as culturally exploitative, the workers there formed a real community. To run the stalls, Sterling hired local Chinese Americans, many of whom supplemented their income working as background extras in Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s. China City, with all its artifice, offered a safe haven and camaraderie for many who felt ostracized by the merchant elite running New Chinatown. These included Swan Yee, the son of a Pennsylvania laundryman, who ran the rickshaw stand with his brother Johnny; Camille Wing, née Chan, a mixedrace Chinese American whose father was a vaudeville performer; and Tsin Nan Ling, the merchant who ran Chekiang Importers and hailed from outside the Pearl River Delta region that most Chinese immigrants called home. China City eventually was destroyed by fire in 1948. But in the coming decades, New Chinatown continued to allow Chinese Americans to wrest control of their image away from city boosters and create their own representation. Of course, the local papers and elite continued to cast Los Angeles against the idea of a racialized urban core, increasingly by stereotyping Black and Latino communities as urban threats. The ties between Los Angeles’ suburban identity and racial exclusion proved to be stubborn. Today, Chinatown is one of many Asian neighborhoods across Southern California. From Little Saigon in Westminster to Artesia’s Little India and the ethnoburbs of the San Gabriel Valley, Asian American neighborhoods help define the region. Within this context, it’s easy to forget the distinct role that Los Angeles’ Chinatown has played. Too many people dismiss Chinatown’s pagoda-style roofs, fortune cookies and wishing well as inauthentic representations of Asia and Asian Americans. Instead, we should embrace them as reminders that neither the popular image of Los Angeles nor the city itself would have developed as they are today without Chinatown. William Gow is an assistant professor at Sacramento State and a community historian with the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California. How L.A.’s Chinatown helped reinvent Southern California A WALKWAY on North Broadway Street in New Chinatown circa 1938. Los Angeles Daily News Negatives via UCLA Library Special Collections Three Chinatowns have been instrumental in the region’s transformation from suburban fantasy into multiethnic metropolis By William Gow “Performing Chinatown: Hollywood, Tourism, and the Making of a Chinese American Community” by William Gow Nephew: A Memoir in 4-Part Harmony by M.K. Asante Amistad

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CALIFORNIA S UNDAY , MAY 19 , 2024 :: L ATIMES.COM/CALIFORNIA B Despite a recent uptick in population, California still has a long way to go to make up for the exodus that began in 2019 and accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the state population grew 0.17% in 2023 — the first year of growth since the pandemic — California is still 1.2% smaller than it was in 2019, according to a Times data analysis. If the state continues to grow at the same pace, it would take almost eight more years for California’s population to reach its prepandemic high-water mark. But experts said it’s still hard to know how quickly the state can rebound. California’s population declined largely because of a drop in international migration linked to pandemic travel restrictions, deaths from COVID-19 and a large number of people leaving for states with more affordable housing. Some factors that led to the exodus are easing. Companies have been calling employees back to the office, making remote work situations more difficult. Major cities such as San Francisco saw some of the biggest increases in population last year, but they were also the hardest hit by the exodus. Yet high housing prices remain a huge barrier and show no signs of easing. A new poll underscores the challenges. The survey, conducted by the Los Angeles Business Council Institute in partnership with the Los Angeles Times, found nearly three-quarters of renters and those younger than 35 have given consideration to moving out of L.A. About 37% of homeowners and 26% of those 65 or older have also considered moving, the poll found. Is California’s population on the rebound? Though the state saw a slight gain in 2023, it’s still down 1.2% from before pandemic. By Terry Castleman [See Population, B9] When Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Biden on May 3, I thought about dropping by to talk to him, but then I hesitated. He’s not one to take bows, and I knew he’d credit everyone but himself. So it would be tough to come up with a new angle, even with the city of Los Angeles proclaiming in a Friday morning City Hall tribute that May 19 will be Father Greg Boyle Day in honor of the man who started the world’s largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program. But then I got an idea. What if I talked to former gang members and inmates rather than to the patron saint of second chances, who turns 70 on Sunday? They know him better than anyone, and maybe I’d find out things I didn’t know. My timing was perfect, because Boyle was out of the country. “Go for it,” he said in an email from Ireland. I dropped by Homeboy on Tuesday and spent a few minutes with Pamela Herrera, 39, who arrived in 2011 after her release from prison. “When I walked into his office, he asked me, ‘Hey, kiddo. What are you here for?’ ” Herrera said. “I told him I wanted to change my life.” And she did. Herrera is general manager of Homegirl Cafe, and although she had never heard of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, she said Boyle is a worthy recipient. I asked if she’d seen him wearing the medal, because I know that if I had won one of those, I’d wear it everySTAFFERS and program enrollees at Homeboy Industries, along with founder Father Greg Boyle, center, march to City Hall on Friday for a ceremony marking May 19 as Father Greg Boyle Day in Los Angeles. Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times GOLDEN STATE Homeboy staff give the scoop on Father Boyle PRESIDENT BIDEN awards the Medal of Freedom to Jesuit Catholic priest Father Greg Boyle during a ceremony at the White House. Kevin Dietsch Getty Images HECTOR VERDUGO, associate executive director for Homeboy Industries, smiles as he shares stories about Father Greg Boyle. Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times Former gang members say it’s time the priest is honored [See Lopez, B4] STEVE LOPEZ The citation that Andrew Rice received in the mail looked like a traffic ticket, including a photo of his license plate. But the mail didn’t come from any police or city agency he recognized. Back in July, one of his adult kids visited Temescal Canyon park near Pacific Palisades. A camera recorded Rice’s Prius rolling through a stop sign at the park’s parking lot, resulting in a $100 fine for Rice, the registered owner of the car. Yet it was not a violation of the vehicle code. It won’t affect Rice’s driving record, and it was not a traffic citation. Instead, it was a fine for violating park rules, issued by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority — a local public agency dedicated to protecting local parkland. Rice is not alone. The agency collects more than $1 million a year from such tickets. “This agency that is ostensibly all about land preservation and public access, things I totally support, is sending fake $100 tickets to the people they claim to serve,” Rice said. But the citations are real and can have real consequences. If they’re not paid on time, the debts are sent to a collection agency, and unpaid fines can affect credit scores. Rice missed the iniLocal parks agency rakes in $1 million a year in traffic fines By Salvador Hernandez [See Fines, B9] Sean “Diddy” Combs chased, kicked, dragged and hurled a glass vase at his then-girlfriend Cassie in 2016, newly surfaced surveillance video from a Los Angeles hotel shows. The video, obtained and published by CNNon Friday, seemingly confirms at least some of the physical abuse allegations against the singer detailed in a lawsuit filed in November — accusations Combs has denied. That lawsuit was settled a day after it was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In it, Cassie, a singer whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleged that Combs “became extremely intoxicated and punched” her in the face, “giving her a black eye” during an attack in March 2016. “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” Douglas H. Wigdor, Ventura’s lawyer, told The Times in a statement Friday. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.” A representative for Combs did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment on the video. The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office issued a statement Friday saying the images were “extremely disturbing and difficult to watch.” Recording shows Combs attacking Cassie at hotel Surveillance video confirms claim by then-girlfriend that he beat her in 2016. By Alexandra Del Rosario [See Combs, B9] SEAN Combs denies the claims brought by his ex. Jordan Strauss Invision/AP Representatives of the UCLA Academic Senate have voted against censuring and making a “no confidence” statement toward Chancellor Gene Block, rejecting a call for formal disapproval of his leadership amid criticism over the university’s response to a pro-Palestinian campus encampment and a violent attack against it. On a “no confidence” resolution, 43% of representatives voted against UCLA’s top leader: 103 faculty members opposed it, 79 approved it, and five abstained. Seven members were present but did not vote. On censure, 88 faculty members opposed the measure and 88 approved it; three abstained, and 15 were present but did not vote. Since the vote was split in half, the measure did not pass. The vote was conducted by a legislative assembly of more than 200 members across UCLA departments who are elected to represent 3,800 tenured and tenuretrack faculty. Block declined to comment on the vote. In a letter to faculty Friday, academic senate Chair Andrea M. Kasko said it was “clear that we are not united in how we view the major events of the past weeks and the campus response to them.” Kasko, a professor of bioengineering, said she hoped “we can try to find common ground as colleagues and have the courage to listen with open minds and open hearts even when we do not agree.” After the vote, UC President Michael V. Drake said: “These are extraordinarily complex and unprecedented times for American universities. I appreciate Chancellor Block’s dedication and commitment to the university during these difficult times. We will continue to provide our chancellors with the support and resources they need to respond to these ever-evolving situations.” Any decision by the senate would have been a largely UCLA won’t censure chancellor ‘No confidence’ vote over campus protests fails to pass in the academic senate. By Jaweed Kaleem and Teresa Watanabe UCLA Chancellor Gene Block escaped censure. Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times [See UCLA, B10]

B2 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM I t sounds like a climate solution everyone should be able to support: Let’s make it easier and cheaper for farmers with dwindling water supplies to convert their lands from crop production to solar energy generation, if that’s what those farmers want. So why did the California Legislature just reject such a bill? “Change can be difficult,” said Shannon Eddy, executive director of the Largescale Solar Assn. Tell me about it. Even as coal, oil and gas combustion fuel an everdeadlier rise in global temperatures, finding a spot to build a solar or wind farm where no one will object is damn near impossible. Some concerns are legitimate, such as safeguarding wildlife habitat and sacred Indigenous sites. Others, not so much. Take, for example, false claims that living near renewable energy projects can cause health problems — claims that have been spread by groups with ties to the fossil fuel industry, and by former President Trump. The misinformation campaigns, unfortunately, aren’t going anywhere. But in the American West — where pristine landscapes are treasured and dry times are getting drier with climate change — the region’s abundant agricultural lands seem like a great place to put solar panels while minimizing environmental conflicts. In California in particular, groundwater levels have fallen dramatically after decades of overpumping, especially by Central Valley farmers. Global warming, meanwhile, is sapping the river flows that also supply large amounts of water to agribusinesses. So it’s no surprise that a growing number of farmers are converting some of their fields to solar. “In one case we’re growing an agricultural product that has value, and in another case we’re producing electrons that have value,” Steven Swartz, an executive at Wonderful Co., which is owned by billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick, told me in 2019. For some farmers, though, there’s a financial obstacle: the Williamson Act. Also known as the California Land Conservation Act of 1965, the law gives property tax breaks to landowners who sign contracts agreeing to keep their land in agricultural production or open space for at least 10 years. Landowners who make those deals are taxed based on the value of their land for what it’s currently being used for (i.e. farming), rather than the full market value of the land (which would be a lot higher, since the landowner could otherwise sell to a residential or commercial developer). The Williamson Act’s goal — as explained to me by Chris Scheuring, senior counsel for California Farm Bureau Federation — was to preserve farms and ranches as property values rose in the 1950s and ’60s, sending suburbs sprawling in all directions. The law has had climate benefits too: Keeping new housing more tightly packed in cities can limit long freeway commutes. Plus, “working lands” such as farms and ranches can be useful for absorbing heattrapping carbon emissions if handled with care. “The Williamson Act is an important statute. It’s a successful statue,” Scheuring said. The challenge can arise if a grower wants to switch from vegetables, nuts or other crops to solar energy. To get out of a Williamson Act agreement, a landowner typically must wait out the 10-year contract or pay an upfront fee — often 12.5% of their land’s full market value, to account for the fact that they’ve benefited from years of reduced tax payments. That makes sense in a nutshell. But here’s the thing: We’re in a desperate hurry to stave off the worsening heat waves, floods and fires of the climate crisis. And under the state groundwater law, there will almost certainly be huge amounts of farmland fallowed in the San Joaquin Valley. So why not tweak the Williamson Act to make it cheaper for those growers to switch to solar? That was the idea behind Assembly Bill 2528 from Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno). Here’s how it would have worked: In eight San Joaquin Valley counties with groundwater basins that state officials consider to be in “critical overdraft,” landowners could have asked local politicians to cancel their Williamson Act contracts for a fee of just 6.25%, half the normal rate, if they wanted to use their properties for solar farms, wind turbines or batteries — or transmission lines that hook up to renewable energy projects. A portion of the fees would have paid for local “community benefits packages.” Arambula told me the Williamson Act has proved especially challenging for landowners who want to go solar because the 10-year contracts renew every year unless a farmer decides to cancel — a process that takes a decade, or else that hefty upfront fee. “This bill allows us to begin to site and build these solar projects sooner,” he said. The legislation cleared the Assembly’s utilities and agriculture committees with no dissenting votes, powered by supporters that included solar developers, agriculture industry groups and unions whose members build solar and wind farms. But on Thursday, the legislation was “held” by the Assembly’s appropriations committee — a mysterious maneuver that offers little public transparency, and which makes it unlikely the bill will advance this year. A spokesperson for Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (DOakland), the chairperson, had no comment on why Wicks held this particular bill. Divisions within the agricultural community may help explain why. One major backer was the Irvine-based Western Growers Assn. Matthew Allen, the group’s vice president of state government affairs, told me it was crucial that the legislation left final decision-making to local governments. If a county board of supervisors decided it didn’t want to see farmland converted from crop production to solar generation, it would have been allowed to say no. “The county is essentially in charge,” Allen said. Although nobody voted against the bill at first, a few Democrats declined to vote “yes.” To help overcome skepticism, Arambula watered down the original bill, which would have zeroed out cancellation fees entirely for solar farm conversions. He also limited the bill to the San Joaquin Valley, to avoid confrontations with some lawmakers in other agricultural regions. Alas, thus far it’s all been for naught — at least partly because of opposition from the farm bureau. When I asked Scheuring why the farm bureau opposes AB 2528, he told me California has some of the world’s most fertile soil — and there’s only so much of it. Once a landowner goes solar, he said, their farm ground may never be the same. “If we pave it over, there it goes,” he said. The group’s opposition runs deeper than that, though. As I learned during a visit to the Imperial Valley, another agricultural empire in California’s southeastern corner, some growers — like many of us — simply don’t like change. These are folks whose families have enjoyed quiet, agrarian existences for a century or more (even if their workers haven’t always had it so good). So when industrial solar projects move in next door, many farmers see the developers as a threat to their way of life — even as their neighbors eagerly sell their land or take lease payments. Scheuring assured me the farm bureau isn’t opposed to solar, and I believe him. He also said he’s sympathetic to family farmers who don’t feel confident they’ll have enough water to keep investing in crop production. I believe him on that front, too. When I asked him what would be so bad about making it as easy as possible for growers in water-stressed areas to get out of their Williamson Act contracts, he responded that “getting out of the Williamson Act was not intended to be as easy as possible.” If we want to protect farmland and open space, he said, we should protect farmland and open space. Don’t weaken the law. Even for the sake of building climate-friendly energy, which is so hard almost everywhere else? And this was when I really began to understand. Scheuring cited the text of the Williamson Act, which highlights the value of avoiding “discontiguous” development, with urban areas leapfrogging open space. He also mentioned the importance of “orderly” development — a point raised on the California Department of Conservation’s website, which says the Williamson Act has helped promote “orderly patterns” of development. “The Williamson Act is a commitment to move deliberately,” he said. “To me, that’s what promoting orderly growth means.” Landowners who want to go solar can make it happen, he added. They just might have to wait 10 years or pay a fee. “I don’t buy the argument that if it’s going to happen someday [with solar], let’s just open the floodgates right now,” he said. That might be fine, if not for the climate crisis. With scientists telling us we’ve got six years to cut global carbon pollution nearly in half — with the fate of human civilization hanging in the balance — moving deliberately is not an option. We have no choice but to open the floodgates. If we don’t embrace some scary changes, and fast, the outcome will be far worse. For everyone. I don’t mean to sound unsympathetic to farmers. I don’t grow my own food. I doubt I could if I tried. But for California lawmakers, this should have been an easy one. Help farmers feed us solar power, if they want to do so. The bill may get another chance this summer, through more legislative chicanery — especially if Gov. Gavin Newsom makes it a priority. Eddy, whose solar industry group sponsored AB 2528, called it “key to meeting state climate targets.” “We need leadership on these issues and plan to pursue whatever options we can this session,” she said. Newsom was at the Vatican last week talking about climate change. Here’s hoping he keeps putting those words into action. This column is the latest edition of Boiling Point, an email newsletter about climate change and the environment in California and the American West. For more climate and environment news, follow @Sammy_Roth on X. Why not help California farmers go solar? A CHECKERBOARD of farmland and orchards near Maricopa at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, where the California Aqueduct brings water from the north. Some farmers are in the process of converting acres of farmland to solar farms. Al Seib Los Angeles Times BOILING POINT Unfortunately, a bill in Sacramento has split the agricultural community. SAMMY ROTH

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 B3 CITY & STATE The president of Sonoma State University has retired from his role after being placed on leave for issuing a controversial campuswide message on the IsraelHamas war. California State University Chancellor Mildred Garcia said in a statement Thursday that President Ming Tung “Mike” Lee informed her of his decision. Garcia placed Lee on leave for “insubordination” on Wednesday, one day after he released a message in support of a boycott against Israeli universities and said that the university would pursue “divestment strategies.” Garcia said Lee did not receive approval for the message. In a letter to the community, Lee apologized for the “unintended consequences of my actions” and acknowledged that his message had not been reviewed by CSU officials. “I want to be clear: The message was drafted and sent without the approval of, or consultation with, the Chancellor or other system leaders. The points outlined in the message were mine alone, and do not represent the views of my colleagues or the CSU,” Lee wrote. Amy Bentley-Smith, Cal State director of strategic communications and public affairs, said “there is no written policy” when it comes to approval from the chancellor’s office over campus leadership’s communications related to the Israel-Hamas conflict. “The chancellor and presidents have been in constant communication during protest activities on campuses with the intent that decisions at the university level are made in consultation with the chancellor’s office and align not only with shared university values and mission, but with applicable CSU system policies, and state and federal laws,” Bentley-Smith said. While the university system’s 23 campus presidents report to the chancellor, they are considered the executive officers of their respective campuses and have some autonomy over campus decisions. Also Friday, Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) sent a letter to Garcia and University of California President Michael V. Drake, calling for accountability when a campus leader appeals to “antisemitic demands of encampments.” “There is an urgent need for system-wide action in both the UC and CSU systems to restore order on campus, stop the adoption of [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions] policies, and, where appropriate, appoint new campus leadership,” wrote Kiley, who previously called on Lee to resign. Other state lawmakers had raised concerns over Lee’s message. Sen. Bill Dodd’s (D-Napa) office reached out to the chancellor’s office Wednesday to ask if Garcia had approved the message, press secretary Paul Payne told The Times. Sen. Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco) also expressed opposition. “This is horrific and wrong,” Wiener told KRON-4 last week. The chancellor said she will continue to work with acting President Nathan Evans and the Board of Trustees during this “transitional period.” In a statement to the Sonoma State community, Evans said that Lee’s retirement would not overshadow Saturday’s commencement activities. “We will create spaces and places to process President Lee’s retirement and other recent developments as a community in the coming days and weeks. For now, I encourage all of us to focus on our graduates and their supporters,” Evans said. Times staff writer Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this report. Sonoma State chief is out after calling for boycott By Colleen Shalby T.J. Cox, a former Democratic congressman from Fresno, is finalizing a plea deal in a sweeping federal casein which he is accused of campaign contribution fraud and stealing from his own companies, his attorney said Friday. Cox, 60, previously pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of wire fraud, 11 counts of money laundering, one count of financial institution fraud, and one count of campaign contribution fraud. On May 15, Cox’s attorney, Mark Coleman, filed papers in U.S. District Court seeking to schedule a change-of-plea hearing for July. “We expect to reach an agreement in the relatively near future,” Coleman told The Times. He did not provide details about the agreement but said Cox “is taking this very seriously.” A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment on a potential deal because an agreement had not yet been filed. “Things can change,” she said. In August 2022, Cox, a one-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was arrested by FBI agents and briefly jailed after the federal government unsealed an indictment accusing him of swindling at least $1.7 million from business partners and multiple companies that he owned. Some of the money allegedly was used as illegal straw donations to his 2018 congressional campaign. In that race, Cox narrowly defeated three-term Rep. David Valadao, a Hanford Republican, and flipped the Central Valley’s purpling 22nd Congressional District from GOP control. Cox unseated Valadao by just 862 votes amid the socalled anti-Trump “blue wave” when Democrats took control of the House. In 2020, Cox lost by 1,522 votes in a rematch against Valadao, who later became one of 10 House Republicans to vote for former President Trump’s impeachment after the Jan. 6 insurrection. Cox is expected to have a change-of-plea hearing in federal court on July 29. After his 2022 arrest, Cox emerged from the Fresno County Jail and told reporters that he was innocent and a victim of political persecution. “Politics is a tough game,” Cox said. “I wouldn’t be in this position today but for the politics, and I think we all know that.” Cox’s alleged crimes, according to the federal complaint, involved three businesses: an almond-processing company that he partially owned; a sports nonprofit, for which he was a co-director, that operated an ice skating and hockey rink in Fresno; and a Fresnobased business he partially owned that helped other companies get loans and federal tax credits for development in disadvantaged areas. Cox defrauded the tax credit company and its clients of more than $1 million, prosecutors allege. The indictment accuses Cox of opening an unauthorized bank account using the company’s name “without the knowledge of the other owners” or its accountants, tax preparers or auditors. He allegedly diverted checks and wire transfers intended for the company and used the money to pay for personal expenses, to fund other business ventures and to pay off personal and business debts. Cox is accused of causing losses of $750,000 to lenders and investors in the almond company. He allegedly diverted funds using another unauthorized bank account opened without knowledge of his business partners or the company’s accountants. Prosecutors say that in April 2017, Cox fraudulently solicited a $100,000 loan said to be for almond processing equipment, deposited it into a personal bank account, and did not pay it back. Some of that money allegedly was used for private school tuition, credit card and mortgage payments, and a $7,000 payment to Cox’s political consultant. The indictment also alleges that Cox lied to secure significant loan funds. As a business partner in a Fresno sports nonprofit that applied for a $1.5-million construction loan to develop land in the city’s Granite Park, he fabricated a board resolution that stated his tax credit company would guarantee the loan, prosecutors said. The loan was approved, but the sports nonprofit eventually defaulted, and the tax credit company bought the debt after Cox had left the company. During his 2018 run for Congress, prosecutors said, Cox took money from the fraudulent almond company account and from the sports nonprofit and gave it to business associates and family members who donated to his campaign under their names. If convicted, Cox faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for wire fraud and money laundering, 30 years in prison and a $1-million fine for wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for campaign contribution fraud. Ex-congressman finalizing plea deal in fraud case FORMER Rep. T.J. Cox previously pleaded not guilty to wire fraud, money laundering and other crimes. Tom Williams CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images Fresno Democrat is accused of campaign contribution fraud, theft from his firms. By Hailey Branson-Potts and Laura J. Nelson California will receive more than $35 million in federal funding to help address the scourge of abandoned oil wells that are leaking dangerous chemicals and planet-warming methane in areas across the state, including many in L.A. The investment from the Biden-Harris administration is among the “largest ever in American history to address legacy pollution,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said Friday during a joint announcement with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Deputy Secretary for Energy Le-Quyen Nguyen. California will use the funding to plug and remediate 206 high-risk orphaned oil and gas wells and decommission 47 attendant production facilities with about 70,000 feet of associated pipelines. “Capping hazardous orphaned wells and addressing legacy pollution across our country will have a profound impact on our environment, our water quality, and the health and well-being of our communities,” Haaland said. The Golden State is home to at least 5,300 abandoned or orphaned oil wells —or wells for which there are no legally liable parties to plug them — according to estimates from the California Geologic Energy Management Division. There are more than 35,000 known idle wells, with thousands more that will soon come to the end of their lives. Many are located in and around communities where residents have been sickened by their toxic emissions. What’s more, many unclogged wells leak methane, a planet-warming gas that is more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. “The funding that was announced today by Secretary Haaland will continue our momentum in plugging these orphaned wells in California, as well as remediating those sites and removing that legacy pollution,” Nguyen said. California’s award is part of a larger, $660-million formula grant pot that will be released to states on a rolling basis, Haaland said. As part of its award, California will also work to detect and measure methane emissions from orphaned oil and gas wells, screen for groundwater and surface water impacts, and prioritize cleaning up wells near disadvantaged communities. The grant program stems from an overall $4.7- billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to plug orphaned wells nationwide. Other buckets of funding include more than $565 million in initial grant funding that has already been awarded to 25 states, including $25 million to California. A planned matching grants program will also award up to $30 million apiece to states that commit to increasing their spending on cleaning up orphaned wells. Bass said it was too soon to specify how much of the state’s latest award will go to Los Angeles. However, state officials said some of the initial funding is being used to plug 19 wells that remain uncapped at the AllenCo drill site in South Los Angeles, which stand among more than 370 high-priority wells identified in the first round of planning. Residents who live near the AllenCo site have complained for years about headaches, nosebleeds, respiratory diseases and other health issues. Among them is Nalleli Cobo, who grew up about 30 feet from the site and was diagnosed with reproductive cancer at age 19. “I’ve lost my childhood to the fossil fuel industry and I’ve also lost my future to the fossil fuel industry, and that’s not the reality that our community should be facing,” Cobo said. She noted that about 18 million Americans live one mile or less from an active oil or gas well. Friday’s federal investment is “a step in the right direction,” she said, “but we need to make sure we are prioritizing communities like sacrifice zones, because we are the front-line communities that live day in and day out breathing these toxic emissions.” Officials said the latest round of funding advances Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver at least 40% of benefits from certain climate, housing and energy investments to disadvantaged communities. “This is an issue of environmental justice,” Bass said. “Today we are locking arms across the city, state and federal governments to continue our work to end neighborhood oil drilling in the city of Los Angeles to protect the health of Angelenos and advance our vision of environmental justice.” Since the enactment of Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, states have plugged more than 7,700 orphaned wells and reduced about 11,530 metric tons of potential methane emissions, according to the Department of the Interior. Gov. Gavin Newsom in October approved AB 1167, legislation that will require companies that acquire oil wells to secure bonds to properly seal the wells once their use has ended. Although the federal support is encouraging, there is still much work that remains, said Brenda Valdivia, a lifelong resident of the Vista Hermosa Heights neighborhood in L.A. Valdivia said she developed an autoimmune disease and had two strokes after exposure to nearby wells. “We could always do more,” she said. Times staff writer Tony Briscoe contributed to this report. State gets federal aid for pollution STUDENTS WALK past an active oil drilling field near Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School in the Westlake neighborhood of L.A. in September. For years, residents living around fossil fuel sites have faced health issues. Mel Melcon Los Angeles Times INTERIOR SECRETARY Deb Halaand speaks Friday in L.A. with California Deputy Secretary for Energy Le-Quyen Nguyen, left, and Mayor Karen Bass. Hayley Smith Los Angeles Times Biden administration provides $35 million to address derelict oil wells that leak toxins. By Hayley Smith

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The former gang member, who arrived 18 years ago and now helps run Homeboy as associate executive director, knew what he would do if he were to win the hardware. “I would wear it,” he said. “I would cruise down Whittier Boulevard on my motorcycle.” I can’t begin to tell you how much I love that visual, but unfortunately, that’s not Boyle’s style. In fact, Verdugo said, the padre is in the habit of giving away things that are gifted to him. “The only time you’ll see him keep a gift is if it’s a bottle of whiskey,” Verdugo said. Now we’re getting somewhere. Boyle likes single malt Scotch, and Verdugo has observed a tradition in which clergy imbibe at an evening “social.” I knew I liked the Jesuits. I asked Verdugo and others if Boyle, behind the scenes, is a tough boss. Nobody had any beans to spill, but Verdugo said there is one rite of passage at Homeboy in which Boyle is inflexible. “He takes you to a steak dinner,” Verdugo said, “and then he says, ‘How would you like your steak, son?’ Or the waiter will ask. And homies are, ‘Well done?’ He’ll say, ‘Order a hamburger. You’re not going to have a steak that’s well done. That just ruins it.’ ” Who would have thought that a man so generous and accommodating — so famously nonjudgmental — could be so particular when it comes to how you order your steak? I tested Verdugo’s account with Jarvis Thompson, 30, who told me he traveled to Texas with Boyle to make a speech about his transformation at Homeboy, where he works in community relations. Texas is a cattle state, I said. Did you go out for a steak, and if so, did Father Boyle offer any advice? “I wanted it well done,” Thompson said. And what did Boyle tell him? “You’re going to mess the steak up,” Thompson said. Stefanie Rios, 39, assistant cafe manager, had one more tidbit of interest. “I mean, he kind of cusses sometimes,” Rios said. I hope he’s coming clean in confession. To be honest, though, all anyone wanted to talk about was a man who created a place that feels like home. Thompson calls Boyle “Pops,” as do many others, including Verdugo. I sat with him in Boyle’s office, where there’s a photo of President Biden putting the medal around Boyle’s neck. “This one’s special. Our nation’s leader is honoring our Pops, our father, and I don’t say father in a priestly way,” Verdugo said. “I say father like he’s our father. And I’m honored that that’s my Pops right there. He calls me. I call him. He calls me his son, you know what I mean? And now he’s getting accolades from one of the most powerful people in the world. As it should be.” Homeboy hasn’t worked for everyone over the years. Some have fallen away, some can’t surmount the damage they’ve absorbed or inflicted on others, and too many have died young. But it’s worked for thousands, largely because Boyle understands the deep layers of their troubles and the countless roadblocks to recovery. “He always told me to never stop coming back,” said Rios, who was in and out of lockup for years. “He said, ‘I don’t care how many times it takes you. I don’t care if you mess up. My doors will always be open to you, and never give up.’ ” Noel Rubio, 62, a kitchen worker at Homeboy, said he sold drugs as a youngster and used to see Boyle riding through the neighborhood on his bicycle. “I wanted to steal his bike because I wanted a beach cruiser,” Rubio said. “He said, ‘You need to quit selling drugs and come work with us.’ ” Rubio ignored Boyle and spent half his life in prison. “Thank God he was able to find me,” Rubio said. “Since I’ve been here he taught me how to love people, how to respect people.” Father Boyle had a radical idea, said kitchen worker Manuel Ornelas, 50, who heard about Homeboy while in prison. I asked what that idea was. “That we deserve a second chance. That he believed in us when nobody else did,” Ornelas said. “If you know his history, he went into the middle of shootouts. … He was willing to put his life on the line to get through to us.” Line cook Taloma Miller, 51, said she spiraled into addiction and incarceration after her 14-year-old son, basketball prodigy Semaj, was murdered in 2020. One day she saw Boyle in a TV news clip and he looked like Santa Claus to her. “I was like, ‘He has a beautiful spirit. I wanna be there,’ ” Miller said. “When I walked through the doors and I saw him, he was just smiling. … He hugs me, he tells me, ‘I love you.’ He prays for me. … I ask him, ‘Am I in the right place?’ He says, ‘You’re here, right? How do you feel?’ I feel so good being here, because there’s nothing like home.” Verdugo said he’s been awed by Boyle’s patience and generosity but used to wonder if the new arrivals needed a firmer hand. “I would say, you have more patience than I do. … They’re taking advantage of you,” said Verdugo. “And he’d say, ‘No, son. I’m giving them the advantage.’ ” A few years ago, I asked Boyle if he ever considered retirement. He told me Jesuits retire in the graveyard, and that seems to be what his Homeboy family expects. “I think that man has a purpose on this earth,” said Steve Montoya, 36, who doesn’t see Boyle hanging it up. “To be honest, I think he’s going to do this until the end,” said Thompson. “When he’s in heaven, he’s going to be doing this,” said Miller. “He’s going to be sending his special workers, his special elves and his little angels to take care of this foundation. This is a foundation that will never be shaken.” It looked that way Friday morning, when Boyle — just off a plane from Ireland — was cheered by his massive Homeboy family. He led the morning prayer, then marched with his teeming, whooping crew to City Hall for the Father Boyle Day proclamation. Back on May 3, true to form, Boyle’s official reaction to being one of 19 people to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor was to say the recognition “honors many thousands of men and women who have walked through our doors ... since 1988.” He added that it “acknowledges their dignity and nobility and the courage of their tenderness” and marks the need to “invest in people and to create together a community of cherished belonging.” A Scotch and a steak to that. Medium rare, of course. [email protected] The honors keep coming for Father Boyle FATHER GREG BOYLE, center, appreciated birthday wishes and a cake while being welcomed back to Homeboy Industries on Friday after a trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Los Angeles City Council named May 19 to forever be Father Greg Boyle Day. Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times BOYLE holds a proclamation at City Hall stating that May 19 will forever be Father Greg Boyle Day in L.A. He was also recognized for being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Biden. Genaro Molina Los Angeles Times [Lopez, from B1] A motorist led police on a high-speed chase through Santa Monica and Brentwood early Friday before driving the wrong way on the 405 Freeway and crashing into multiple vehicles. The incident began around 4:45 a.m. when police responded to reports of a woman acting erratically near 4th and Rose avenues in Venice, the Los Angeles Police Department said. The woman rammed her white van into a police cruiser and drove away, sparking a chase along the northbound 405, police said. Police pursued the driver, who crashed into several police vehicles, according to video from KTLA-TV. At one point, the driver turned the van around and drove at a high speed toward a police cruiser that was driving in reverse in the middle of an intersection. The officer narrowly avoided a head-on collision with the van after the cruiser spun around. Video shows the van then struck the police vehicle in the rear. The driver of the van then headed onto the 405 in the wrong direction, striking several vehicles coming the other way before crashing into a semitrailer cab near the Wilshire Boulevard onramp, police said. One motorist suffered minor injuries, police said. The suspect then climbed on top of the big-rig cab and sat on the hood for a short time, video showed. She was put into an ambulance with what appeared to be blood over her face, video showed. Five officers also suffered minor injuries. Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report. Pursuit ends in wrong-way crash on the 405 By Nathan Solis

LATIMES.COM S WST SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 B5 Unscramble these Jumbles, one letter to each square, to form six ordinary words. Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon. PRINT YOUR ANSWER IN THE CIRCLES BELOW Get the free JUST JUMBLE app • Follow us on Twitter @PlayJumble CONHOH TTEGNO GNOLUC SLYOGS CIOINR FIPYSF THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek ©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) TO PROVIDE CANINE CONTRABAND DETECTION SERVICES FOR THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES PROBATION DEPARTMENT The County of Los Angeles Probation Department is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals for a Contract Legal Notices CABIN IN THE WOODS Beautiful 1.9 acres, 20 miles to Yosemite. Lofty pine, oak, lilac & creek on cul-de-sac. Quaint 1482’ semi furnished home, 400’ guest house. Vacation/rental/retirement. Call for video, no agents $505K (559) 683-2707 Pp Lake Tahoe, NV 1306 Cave Rock Dr #B 777K [email protected] 530-545-8102 agt HOMES FOR SALE VACATION PROPERTIES MOVING TO TEXAS? FSBO- Secluded 16.5 wooded acres near Tyler, Texas. Private stocked spring fed lake. Beautiful 3900 sq ft custom built 2 story house. Polysteel insulating concrete form construction with 3 or 4 bedrooms,41/2 baths. Inlaw suite wheelchair accessible. $879,900. phone 903- 780-5281 or 903-360-2698 FLORIDA GETAWAY! DIRECT INTRACOASTAL VIEWS! 2 BED 2 BATH PENTHOUSE CONDO WITH PRIVATE OCEAN ACCESS! COMPLETELY RENOVATED! TURNKEY! PRIME LOCATION ON PALM BEACH ISLAND! $570,000 JACQUELINE SALVATO, WATERS EDGE REALTY OF THE PALM BEACHES, 561- 706-0503 brk Out of State North Hermosa Strand Duplex Imagine building your dream home on this premier beachfront property, located on the exclusive 7-block stretch of The Strand north of the pier and south of 22nd St. Shawn Dugan 1614TheStrand. com 310-265-3428 agt HOMES FOR SALE LA COUNTY SOUTH BAY FOR SALE KONA COFFEE Distribution Opportunity KonaElite Company Mr. David J. Maffeo Sr. (808) 585-1518 Email: [email protected] EARN UP TO $1350* PER MONTH *depends on location BECOME A HOST FOR AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT gssusa2020@ protonmail.com Text 310-612-7663 www.global-studentservice.com Business Opportunities FreonWanted Certified buyer looking for R11, R12, R22 & more! Call Xiomara at 312-697-1976 Miscellaneous Merchandise 2001 Rexhall Motorhome - Located near Joshua Tree Nice class A motorhome. 31ft. 107K miles. Ford V10 engine. Hydraulic levelling jacks, on board generator, 1slide out, queen bed, corner shower, 3 way fridge, 2 roof A/C’s, 50 amp. Runs great. $23,500 OBO. Call or text (443)904-2461 after 1pm. Toyota Camry SE 23 has 7000 m. by private party 818.269.0365 AUTOS FOR SALE M A R K E T P L ACE JOBS latimes.com/placead To place an ad call 1.800.234.4444 Financial Quantitative Analyst (San Marino, CA) evaluate, interpret, & analyze fin’l & investment risks about available bus. opportunities & operations. Bachelor’s deg in finance, economics, or rltd field; 2 yrs’ work exp analyzing a Co.’s fin’l data to help evaluate risk mgmt; Proficiency in MS Excel, SQL, & Python. Send resume [email protected] or Sky Vision Management Corp c/o Tiffany Xu, 2390 Huntington Dr, San Marino, CA 91108. Accounting manager: Compute taxes owed and examine financial statement. Inspect account books and accounting systems. Master’s degree in BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION or related field Req’d. Resume to Auluna, LLC, 1100 West Town and Country Road Suite 1250 - #7574, Orange, CA 92868 ACCOUNTANT F/T, Bachelor’s +2yrs of exp. Mail resumes to: Mixed Reality Systems, 600 Sonora Ave, Glendale, CA 91201. Accountant-LA Win Corp (City of Industry, CA). At least a Master’s degree in acctg, fin, or a closely reltd field; min 1 yr exp in acctg or a rltd field; knowl of financial statements & risk mgmt; proficiency in QuickBooks & Microsoft Office Excel & Word; strong comm & organization skills. Email res: fang@sohoapparelgroup. com, 15025 Proctor Ave, City of Industry, CA 91746; $75,088.00/Yr. Accountant for healthcare facility mgmt. @ $75,088/yr. Mail to Eva Care Group, 1937 Pontius Ave., LA, CA 90025. Employment PHLEBOTOMY CLASS Allied Professional Institute 562-808-2152 www.apiedu.net Vocational Schools Intent to Contract for a Family Home Agency (FHA) Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center (ELARC) is releasing a Notice of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to start-up a new Family Home Agency within the ELARC catchment area. This RFP is to identify, vet and obtain a service provider to develop and operate a Family Home Agency to provide services and living supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. View the RFP online at: Grant Opportunities | Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center (elarc.org) Deadline of submissions July 8, 2024, by 4:00 p.m. to Stephanie Gonzalez Community Services Specialist Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center P.O. Box 7916 Alhambra, CA 91802-7916 Stephanie Gonzalez 626-299-4649 [email protected] with an organization that can provide Canine Contraband Detection services. Interested and qualified Proposers that demonstrate they meet the minimum requirements for this solicitation are invited to submit proposals. Deadline for submitting a proposal is June 27, 2024, 12:00 p.m., PT. A copy of the RFP #6402401, which establishes guidelines, criteria, and procedures for proper application can be accessed from the following websites: http://camisvr.co.la.ca.us /lacobids https://probation.lacoun ty.gov/currentsolicitations/ A Proposers' Conference is scheduled for Thursday, May 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. PT. Those planning to attend must notify Ms. Joanne Lee via email at [email protected] acounty.gov by 12:00 p.m., PT, May 29, 2024. Prospective Proposers who RSVP for the virtual conference will receive an email invitation with the Microsoft Teams meeting URL. CN106557 May 19, 2024 Legal Notices Parsons Transportation Group Inc. has an opening in Pasadena, CA for an Architect/BIM Coordinator to review the Building Information Modeling (BIM) models of transportation and critical infrastructure projects for clashes, maintain clash reports, and resolve clashes. Review and verify that the BIM models follow project standards, clean up nonstandard elements, provide a model health report, and meet with the design team to review file clean up. May be assigned to various, unanticipated sites throughout U.S. Position requires travel. $102,801.21 to $123,400.00. Apply online at jobs.parsons.com. Must reference job 11863.439.9 / R154101. Project Designer- Perkins & Will, Los Angeles, CA - Req B Arch (5yr) or foreign equiv + 5yrs exp. Salary: $97,000 to $100,000 per year. Pls review addl reqmts&apply online at https://perkinswill. com/careers/ for Req. No. PROJE004434 Fashion Designer: Associate’s in Fashion, Apparel Design, Fashion Design, or related. Mail Resume: EK LINE, INC., 341 W. 31st St., LA, CA 90007 Architectural Designer (LA, CA). Assist with architectural design duties. Bachelor’s in Architecture. $70000/yr. Resumes to: INI Investment Corp. 928 S Western Ave #300, LA, CA 90006 3D Technical Animator sought by Snap Inc. (Santa Monica, CA) *Hybrid work permitted - Snap practices a “default together” approach & expects team members to work in Santa Monica ofc at least 80% of time (avg 4 days/wk). Animation of 3D characters & props in Autodesk Maya. Base salary: $106,288-$156,000/ yr. Eligible for discretionary performance-based bonus award. Eligible for equity in form of RSUs. Our Benefits: https://careers.snap.com/ benefits. Email Resume: [email protected]. Ref. Job Code #3DTA-SM-0524- TN. EOE. (JC5) Sr. Security Anlyst -MS/ equiv & courswrk in Distributed & Multiprocessor OSs, Statisticl Machin Learning, Data Processing at Scale, Artificial Intelligenc, Data Mining, Multimedia & Web Databases, & Data Visualization. $127,504/yr. Position requires travel / relocation to various unanticipated U.S. locations. Send résumé w/JC# to Saviynt, Inc. 1301 E El Segundo Blvd, Ste D, El Segundo, CA 90245 Market Research Analyst (San Marino, CA) Apply quantitative & qualitative analysis methods & tools to comprehensively examine factors, such as price, mkt demand, competition, economic trends,&potential risks, that affect our bus. efficiency&our growth. Bachelor’s deg in mktg or a rltd field w/ coursework in econ; 6 mos’ work exp analyzing mkt data to identify mkt demands & bus. opportunities; Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, & Powerpoint). Send resume [email protected] or Sky Vision Management Corp c/o Tiffany Xu, 2390 Huntington Dr, San Marino, CA 91108. Data Optimization Analyst sought by Spokeo, Inc. for a position based in Pasadena, CA. Must have Master’s degree in math, statistics, business analytics, computer science (or related). Duties include: Research and develop analysis, predictive modeling, and optimization methods to improve our people data and identity resolution. Must have experience with SQL, Data Visualization, Big Data Management, Spark, and Python. Can telecommute from any location within the U.S. Salary: $100,282- $103,282. Send resumes to: [email protected] Business Data Analyst (City of Industry, CA): Responsible for supporting the company’s overall data strategy by working with other business units to develop periodic in-depth reporting, metrics, and measurements to determine business success. Collect, cleanse, and analyze large datasets from diverse sources to identify patterns, trends, and correlations. Requirements include: Master’s degree in Business Analytics, Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, or relevant field. 12 months of experience in the job offered or inaclosely related role. Proficiency in SQL and data querying languages with the ability to write complex queries and optimize performance required. Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R required. Advanced knowledge of data visualization tools such as Power BI, Tableau, and similar tools required. Familiarity with statistical analysis, data mining, and machine learning techniques required. Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex datasets and extract meaningful insights. To apply with C&S Transportation Inc., send resume to Zhaohui Zhang, Manager, at 730 Epperson Drive, City of Industry, CA 91748. Employment GERMAN SHEPHERD Beautiful. puppies for sale. 4 boys 4 girls. Puppies with big paws .With papers to register, mother and father are full breed. mother and father full champion blood 4 years back history. Please only contact if serious if need more information. Please contact me if you need more pictures. HaveaBless day.(310)767-6391 Ask for Leon $1,500. (310)767-6391 BULLDOG English Bulldog puppies for sale. One male and one female 3 1/2 months old. AKC registered. Father is a Grand Champion Multi Specialty Best in Show winner. $2000 with limited registration. 951.204.4774 Dogs PETS To advertise your pets, log on to placeanad.latimes.com/pets-for-sale MARKETPLACE CHURCH Associate Pastor Ko. Gospel Presby. Ch. of OC seeks a FT Associate Pastor. Assist Sr. Pastor in conducting reli. acti. Master in Div. or Theo. or its Equiv. req’d. Send resume to KGPCOC @ 1751 W. La Habra Blvd., La Habra, CA 90631, Kwanghyeong Lee Caregivers for the elderly in Los Angeles County. Send resume to ALAL, LLC Kei-Ai, Los Angeles Healthcare Ctr., 2221 Lincoln Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90031. Amgen Inc.; Executive Director Business Performance; Thousand Oaks, CA; Lead the overall end-to-end product development and commercialization framework, including the interface between Research & Development, Commercial and Operations. May telecommute. Supervises direct reports. Interested candidates email resume to Talent-Mobility@ amgen.com. Must reference, Attn: Talent Mobility Job # 20516.786. The annual salary range for this position in the U.S. is $250,161.00 – $296,400.00 per year. Also, this position offers stock, retirement, medical, life and disability insurance and eligibility for an annual bonus or for sales roles, other incentive compensation. For more details visit https:// careers.amgen.com/life-atamgen/benefits/. Business Planning Asst. Mgr. in Los Angeles, CA: Send resume to Coway USA, Inc. 4221 Wilshire Blvd. STE 210 Los Angeles, CA 90010 wages ($123,240-$150,000) Accordion Partners, LLC (Santa Monica, CA) seeks VP, Transaction Execution Services to prepre companies for sale&supprt them thrghout the deal process. Reqs BS in Finance, Economics or a rltd field & 6yrs of exp prfrmng trnsctn advsry srvces at a private equity firm, invstmnt bank, consltng firm, or corp dvlpmnt group. In the alt, the emplyr will accpt MBA & 4yrs of exp prfrmng trnsctn advsry srvces at a private equity firm, invstmnt bank, consltng firm, or corp dvlpmnt group. Domstc travel reqd up to 20% of time once evry 2-3 months, to clnt sites. Exp must incl the follwng, which may be gained concrrntly: 4yrs of exp prfrmng extnsve finc’l anlys, incl valuatn & trnsctn modls & cash flow anlys; 4yrs of exp utilzng excel&busnss intellgnce tools to dvlp a variety of granular finc’l, opratnl, & busnss segment anlys (profitablty, trendng, etc.); 4yrs of exp prfrmng busnss & finc’l due dilignce; 4yrs of exp evaluatng & benchmrkng trnsctn structures & deal terms; 4yrs of exp leadng finc’l prjcts w multple cmplx wrkstreams w/ company mgmt, private equity teams, investment bankers, & other third parties; 4 years of experience analyzing & explainng finc’l statemnts, pro forma finc’l statemnts, & finc’l restatemnts typcally in connctn w/ trnactns; 4yrs of exp preprng & presntng board&clnt presntatns; & 4yrs of exp partcpatng in clnt pitch engagemnts & busnss dvlpmnt initiatves. Salary: $200,000-$210,000/ year. Apply online at https:// www.accordion.com/ careers/current-openings. Ref #NK24 Amgen Inc.; Senior Associate Commercial Analytics; Thousand Oaks, CA; Perform secondary data analytics leveraging multiple internal and third-party data sources in conjunction with primary data insights to support brand teams in marketing and strategic decisions. May Telecommute. Interested candidates email resume to Talent-Mobility@ amgen.com. Must reference, Attn: Talent Mobility Job #20516.4056. The annual salary range for this position in the U.S. is $86,362.00 – $104,261.00 per year. Also, this position offers stock, retirement, medical, life and disability insurance and eligibility for an annual bonus or for sales roles, other incentive compensation. For more details visit https:// careers.amgen.com/life-atamgen/benefits/. Farmers (Woodland Hills, CA) seeks Strategic Assistant to the CEO resp. for strategic admin support by providing specialized knowledge in planning/organizing & controlling activities to meet strategic objectives & financial targets. Occ. travel w/in the U.S. Remote work option. Salary $170,000/yr. Apply at Farmers.com/Careers, Job ID: 24246 Art Outsource Director. Maintained best practices, & owned quality control, cohesive visual style,&schedule of all incoming outsourced art. Req. Bach. in Entertainment Tech., Digital Design, or rel. field or foreign equiv. &2yrs exp in job or 2 yrs exp as Director, Production Mgr. or in rel. occup. Any suitable combo of educ., training &/or exp. is acceptable. Wage range: $170,000/yr to $249,000/yr. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Send resume ref#22112 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623. Employment Head of Learning & Development. Determine & implementacompany-wide learning & development strategy & approach as part of an integrated talent & capability strategy. Req. Bach. in Mgmt., Advertising, Educ., or rel. field or foreign equiv. &2yrs exp in job or 2 yrs exp as Program Mgr., or rel. occup. Any suitable combo of educ, training &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Wage range: $215,000/ yr to $241,200/yr. Send resume ref#23293 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623. Farmers Group (Woodland Hills, CA) seeks Agile Developer Team Member V resp. for designing & building solutions at multiple levels of the technology stack. Remote work option 40% of the time. Salary: $140,784/ yr. Apply at Farmers.com/ Careers, Job ID: 24297 AR Designer, R&D (4) - Multiple Openings sought by Snap Inc. (Santa Monica, CA) *Hybrid work permitted - Snap practices a “default together” approach & expects team members to work in Santa Monica ofc at least 80% of time (avg 4 days/ wk). Set up new processes around A/B testing of new use cases of AR Lenses. Base salary: $167,523-$228,000/ yr. Eligible for discretionary performance-based bonus award. Eligible for equity in form of RSUs. Our Benefits: https://careers.snap.com/ benefits. Email Resume: [email protected]. Ref. Job Code #ARDRD4- SM-0424. EOE. Rte Logistics Mngr for Bread Winner in Santa Ana. Devise efficnt logistics rtes, invntry & cost mngt. FT. Need BA/ BS in Bus. or CS +6 mos exp in job or Sales Territory Rep. Email res & 3 refs to Mr Lowe: [email protected] DATA SCIENTISTS: TikTok Inc, Platform Product Manager, Copyright (Mult.Pos.), Culver City, CA. Work on all elements of the data analytics aspect of the copyright platform, including both the internal data reporting & the client-facing Analytics module. Work with a crossfunctional team to launch data-related products/product features by identifying the problem through user research, defining requirements, then guiding the work of design & engineering to deliver upon those requirements. International travel up to 10% required. Salary Range: $146744 - $234080 per year. To apply & info. on benefits offered visit: careers.tiktok.com&type Job ID A87719 in search bar. Contact lpresumes@ tiktok.com if you have difficulty applying. CONSTRUCTION Harry H. Joh Construction, Inc.in Paramount, is hiring “Civil Engineer Technician”. Full-time. Contact:Dale Jung, dj@ hjconst.com. Manager, Risk Management and Compliance Solutions Technology (Mult Pos), PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisory Services LLC, Los Angeles, CA. Gain an undrstndng of the org’s objctvs, regulatory & risk mgmt envrnmnt & the needs of their crtcl stakeholders in order to help improve & embed cntrls. Req Bach’s deg or foreign equiv in Info Sys, Comp Sci, Engg, Bus Admin or rel+5 yrs post-bach’s, prgrssv rel work exp; OR a Master’s deg or foreign equiv in Info Sys, Comp Sci, Engg, Bus Admin or rel+3yrs rel work exp. 80% telecommtng permitted. Mst be able to commute to designated local office. Domestic and/or intl travel up to 80% req. Salary: $156,000/yr. Please apply by sending your resume to US_PwC_Career_ R [email protected], specifying Job Code CA4160 in the subject line. Computer game studio seeks a Character Tech. Director/Rigger to design, create, test, & maintain character rigs/setups. Reqs. 4 yrs. exp. in job offered, or as a Lead Character SW Developer, Digital Artist, Rigging, Rigger Tech. Director, or rel. Exp/knowledge must includ. feature film; indepth knowledge of Maya; Progm exp. with scripting languages such as Python & MEL/C++; exp. setting up production pipeline while follow guidelines; complex character/vehicle rigging exp. in Maya; animation pipeline & workflows. Salary $136,950 to $145,000 / yr. Job site: Santa Monica, CA. Work from home in Greater LA area permitted. Work Auth. req’d if hired. Send resume to: Naughty Dog, 2425 Olympic Blvd, Ste. 3000 West, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Principals only. CHURCH Director of Elementary Min. Disciple Community Ch. seeks a FT Dir. of Ele. Min. Direct the ele. min. Master in Div. or Theo. or its Equiv. req’d. Send resume to DCC @ 17502 Daimler St., Irvine, CA 92614, Rev. Hyun J. Ko Employment SHICHON A litter of 6 Beautiful well socialized Little fur bundles.Well Socialized and upto date on vaccine and Dewormer.Microchipped and 30 day health guarantee.Contact Ruthann Today @ 330 432 3188 for additional pictures or email us at [email protected] and have puppy delivered to your doorstep for 1499 330 432 3188 BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG Puppies! 3 females, 3 males, AKC, Health checked, early shots. Parents Hip, Elbows, and Heart checked 559 280 0029 MINIATURESCHNAUZER 4 females & 2 males,9weeks old, first shots, and family raised, is cute and smart, ready for a new home. CALL NOW 714-801-5235 Dogs AI Engineer. Work with the AI engineering team to craft best-in-class AI technology for AAA game titles. Req. Masters in Comp. Science, Entertainment Arts & Engineer., or rel. field. Jobsite: Woodland Hills, CA. Wage range: $121,222/yr to $201,880/yr. Send resume ref#22311 to K. Finnsson, Activision Publishing Inc, 2701 Olympic Blvd, Bldg. B, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Mechanix Wear LLC seeks National Account Rep. in Santa Clarita, CA for product and brand sales. Salary $100K - $160K. Email resumes to [email protected]. Merchandising Planner (multiple positions) (Newegg, Inc.; City of Industry, CA): Develop effective merchandising programs to help marketplace sellers promote brands & products. Salary: $48,838.00 to $80,000 /yr. Email resume to: Talent [email protected]. Amgen Inc.; Commercial Insights Manager; Thousand Oaks, CA; Define relevant business problems and address through advanced data and analytics approaches and projects. May telecommute. Interested candidates email resume to Talent-Mobility@ amgen.com. Must reference, Attn: Talent Mobility Job #20516.4274. The annual salary range for this position in the U.S. is $121,872.00 – $151,692.00 per year. Also, this position offers stock, retirement, medical, life and disability insurance and eligibility for an annual bonus or for sales roles, other incentive compensation. For more details visit https:// careers.amgen.com/life-atamgen/benefits/. Bank of China seeks Associate (Los Angeles Branch) in Los Angeles, CA to timely perform Know Your Customer (KYC) Review and/or Refresh on customer profiles in line with the Bank’s policies and procedures and in accordance with the review schedule by efficiently using Fenergo/T24/ systems and/or other sources. Salary: $52,790—$90,000/year. Email resume to HR_recruit [email protected] and reference 20383.360. EOE: M/F/D/V. Cognosphere LLC d/b/a HoYoverse seeks a Senior Pipeline Technical Director in Santa Monica, CA to conduct necessary tools & pipeline development to support character facial performance from Digital Content Creation (DCC) Software to the game engine. Continue developing&maintaining an existing DCC-agnostic tech art pipeline&tools. Position is based in our Santa Monica, CA office but role holder is eligible to work remotely w/ manager approval. SALARY RANGE: $252,000 - $260,000 per year. APPLICANTS: Email resume to: recruiting_na@ hoyoverse.com. Reference code # 7760375 when applying. BBDO USA, LLC (Los Angeles, CA) seeks Creative Directors to asst in mngng end-to-end prcess of copywrtng, dsgng & creatng high-qlty, creatve advrtsng cmpgnsthat are on brand & on brief for sevrl of our most imprtnt clnts. Reqs Bach in Advrtsng or Mrktng (will accpt 2yrs of exp as Creative Directr or Sr Art Directr at advrtsng agncy in lieu of Bach) +5yrs of exp in offrd pos, anothr Creative Directr pos, or Sr Art Directr pos at advrtsng agncy. 5yrs of reqd exp mustv incld provdng creatv ovrsght on projs acrss all mediums (TV, print, radio, outdoor & intractve); overseeng shoots & prdctns (TV, video, photogrphy, evnts & activatns); mngng clnt rlatnshps; cncptualzng orgnl ideas for clnt prods, srvces & brands; dsgng cmpgn dlvrbls (TV, print, radio, outdoor & intractve); dvlpng 360 cross-pltfm cmpgns; creatng agncy case studies to showcse wrk to prspctve clnts & award show entries; partcpatng in agncy new biz actvties, from conceptng thru dsgn, excutn & presntatn; wrkng w/ Adobe Creatv Ste (Photoshop, InDsgn, Illustratr, Keynote) & MS Offce Ste (Word, Excel, PP, Outlook);&leadng creatv teams (art dirctrs, copywritrs, dsgnrs). #LI-DNI Pos reqs apprx 10% domstc travel for clnt meetngs, commrc’l shoots & festivls. Role entails hybrd wrk w/ time split btwn wrkng in LA, CA offce & flexblty to telecmmte from anothr US locatn. Mult pos open. Salary $265,000/yr. Email res to: anna.lee@bbdo. com. Registered Dietitian (Santa Monica, CA): Conduct nutrition screenings, assessments, education, and therapy according to physician’s orders. Position supervises twenty-four (24) employees. Salary: $82,000 - $93,000/yr. Resumes: HR, Cantaloupe Holdings, LLC DBA Beachwood Post Acute&Rehab, 1340 15th St., Santa Monica, CA 90404. Prophecy Tech. Seeks Development Engineer. Must have MS in Computer Sc., Software or Electrical/Electronics Engr. or related, or a BS and 5+ years of experience. Work site: Irvine, CA. Apply: [email protected] Employment Sr. Comp. Systs Engr -MS/ equiv & courswrk in Inet & Higher Layer Protocls, Discret Event Dynamic Systs, Wireless Netwrks, Progrmming Data Structurs & Algorithms, Linear Systs, Comp. Netwrk Dsgn & Anlysis, Projct Mngmnt,&Comp. Systs Arch. $117,894/yr. Travel/ reloc req’d. Send résumé to Vedainfo, Inc. 3868 W. Carson Street, Ste 204, Torrance, CA 90503 Senior-Big Data Engineer needed by DIRECTV, LLC in El Segundo, CA [and various unanticipated locations throughout the U.S.; may work from home] to define data requirements, gather and mine large scale of structured and unstructured data, and validate data by running various data tools in the Big Data Environment. Our Senior-Big Data Engineers earn between $161,587 to $183,700 yearly. DIRECTV, LLC offers amazing benefits from health insurance to tuition reimbursement and paid time off to discounts on products and services. Apply at https:// jobs.directv.com/, select JOB SEARCH and APPLY and select Search by Requisition Number at the left bottom of the page and enter Job Number: R240101. Senior Project Engineer in Garden Grove, CA: Send resume to Exbon Development, Inc. 13831 Newhope St. Garden Grove CA 92843 Wage($129,046-$140,000/ yr) Farmers Group (Woodland Hills, CA) seeks Senior Data Engineer to provide high level of expertise in the design & functionality of business apps./understand business objectives & how best they can be supported by IT. Remote work option. Salary: $155,413/yr. Apply at Farmers.com/Careers, Job ID: 24129 Project Engineer in Garden Grove, CA: Send resume to Exbon Development, Inc., 13831 Newhope St. Garden Grove CA 92843 wage ($72,322-$85,000/yr) Full Stack Cloud Engineer positions (WarnerMedia Services, LLC; Burbank, CA). Build & enhance current solution offerings rltd to Global Privacy Rights Platform & Consent Services. Position is fully remote & may be performed from anywhere in U.S. Salary range is $121,222/yr - $132,000/ yr, based on qualifications. Email resume to WBDI@wbd. com. Ref: 7233266FSCE1. ENGINEERING Heliogen Holdings, Inc. has multiple job opptys for: Sr. Process Engr, REF#6767537 -$149,800.00/yr to $210,000.00/yr; Prncpl Engr – Bulk Mtrl Hndlng Sys Dsgn, REF#7477564, $173,600.00/ yr to $210,000.00/yr. Above job opptys may wrk from our HQ office in Pasadena, CA or reside anywhere in the US & wrk remotely from home. May wrk at other US locatns not prsntly known. Job oppty also available in Long Beach, CA for a Dsgn Engr, REF#7741456 - $117,420.00/ yr to $132,000.00/yr. Create & execute mech. designs for high-volume production & automation. Email Resume w/Ref# to People-Ops@ heliogen.com. Must be legally auth to work in the US w/o spnsrshp. EOE Western Alliance Bank seeks Engineer III in Thousand Oaks, CA. Collaborate with the company’s Project Management Organization (PMO) group to work with project managers on project requirements, timelines and deliverables. Remote work opportunity available for position. Salary $118,664 - $148,737 per year. For full info & how to apply, visit: bit.ly/wab094 Engineer. Develop, modify, & debug UI software in script and C/C++. Req. Masters in Comp. Science, Entertainment Arts&Engineering, or rel. field. Jobsite: Woodland Hills, CA. Wage range: $121,222/yr to $201,880/yr. Send resume ref#22353 to K. Finnsson, Activision Publishing Inc, 2701 Olympic Blvd, Bldg. B, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Affiliated Engineers W, Inc. seeks Electrical Project Engineer – Healthcare in Pasadena, CA. Required: B.S. in Electrical Eng. or Electronics Eng. & 5 yrs. exp. as electrical eng. in Healthcare or Science & Tech., incl. exp. w/ electrical power systems dist.; building systems & interpreting design codes, design standards & specification reqs.; and using AutoCAD, AutoDesk, Revit, SKM & Easy Power. Or, will accept M.S. in same&3yrs. exp. in same. Up to 40% domestic travel req. Salary: $162k163k per yr. Send resume to: [email protected]. Ref job title. Farmers Group (Woodland Hills, CA) seeks Cloud Platform Engineer to provide expertise in design&functionality of business apps. for financial reporting needs around key metrics w/Premiums/Exposures&Enforce policy counts. Remote work option 40% of the time. Salary: $177,029/yr. Apply at Farmers.com/Careers, Job ID: 24111 Employment HOW TO PLACE AN AD ADVERTISING POLICIES For Los Angeles Times advertising terms and conditions go to: www.latimes.com/about/la-ads-terms-20181105-htmlstory.html Self-service 24/7: latimes.com/placead Contact us by phone 24/7: 800-234-4444 swer: An HONCHO TEN GOT OG UNCL SY GLOS IC ON IR FFY SPI fter r a ve d be o ul wo ge sa as e m Th ew — a f ING SH NI FI ES UCH TO Farmers Group (Woodland Hills, CA) seeks Sr. Cloud Platform Engineer to work in Systems Engineering & Development/incl. Systems Engineering&Data Center & Network Engineering. Must be AWS certified. Remote work option. Salary: $152,518/yr. Apply at Farmers.com/Careers, Job ID: 24130 Private National Mortgage Acceptance Company LLC) seeks Software Development Engineer in Test in Moorpark, CA to define scope&procedures for quality eng’g of the app, include devlpmt & maintnce of autom’td test scripts. Reqs. Master’s degree or foreign equiv in Comp Sci, Info Sys or rel. field & 1 yr of post-bacc. exp. as SW Test Engr, QA Engr or rel. role. Exp. must incl. JavaScript, Python, AWS S3, AWS CloudWatch, AWS DynamoDB, Selenium WebDriver, GitLab, GraphQL, Rest API & Jira. Pos’n HQ’d in Moorpark, CA but is telecom pos’n, allowing remote employ from various unanticipated worksites t/o the U.S. Salary fr. $85,862 to $143,000/yr. Email resume: [email protected]. Riot Games, Inc. seeks Associate Software Engineer in Los Angeles, CA: Create automated tests for implemented features or tools that prevent bugs from being released. Role is based on Riot Games’ campus, telecommuting from w/in a commutable distance of the campus is permitted 40% of the week. Riot Games reserves the right to make future amendments to this arrangement, including adjusting to a fully remote model or eliminating the opportunity for telecommuting. Req’s: BS(or equiv.). Salary: $129,800-$181,700 per yr. Submit resume w/ refs to: Req.# 22-17736 at: riotgames.job.applications@ riotgames.com. Amgen Inc.; Principal Software Engineer; Thousand Oaks, CA: Develop high-level architecture, design patterns, and capability assessments to provide real-time sensing key insights for the business. May telecommute. Interested candidates email resume to Talent-Mobility@ amgen.com. Must reference, Attn: Talent Mobility Job #20516.3948.6.Job type: Full Time position. The annual salary range for this position in the U.S. is $156,832.00 - 190,516.00 per year. Also, this position offers stock, retirement, medical, life and disability insurance and eligibility for an annual bonus or for sales roles, other incentive compensation. For more details visit https:// careers.amgen.com/life-atamgen/benefits/. Scopely, Inc. has the following openings in Culver City, CA: Director, Business Operations (CIPED): Responsible for key divisional strategic processes including the divisional mission pyramid, product franchise planning & quarterly business reviews. Annual base salary range: $190,000 – $195,000. Sr. Data Engineer (CIPDK): Design, implement, test, document, debug & maintain computer code & systems for ingestion, transformation, storage, & analysis of data from one current and multiple future games & millions of players. Annual base salary range: $160,053 - $165,053. Both positions based at HQ and may be assigned to unanticipated worksites throughout the U.S. as determined by management. Telecommuting permitted. Send resume to: [email protected]. Must reference job title and job code. Mobile Tools Engineer. Design, implement, and iterate on development tools for various disciplines. Req. Bach. in Comp. Science, Comp. Engineer., Mechatronics Engineer., or rel. field or foreign equiv. Any suitable combo of educ, training &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Santa Monica, CA. Wage range: $118,500/yr to $185,730/yr. Send resume ref#22404 to K. Finnsson, Activision Publishing, Inc, 2701 Olympic Blvd., Bldg. B, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Mattel HQ, Inc. has the following positions available in El Segundo, CA: Lead Quality Engineer (CIPGE): Evaluate product concepts&determine appropriate requirements&oversight. Develop alternative design suggestions where necessary to meet compliance and/or safety requirements. Annual salary range for this position is between $130,894 and $140,894. Manager IT (CIPIS): Facilitate and/or review overall performance and effectiveness of the dayto-day operations of IT infrastructure services&technologies (VDI, Citrix, VMWARE, Active Directory, Dell open management, iSeries, O365, Exchange, Daas&Azure, etc.). Telecommuting permitted. Annual salary range for this position is between $220,626 and $240,626. Send resume to: talentac [email protected]. Must reference job title and job code. Employment Senior Oracle EBS Developer. Design, build, customize&support Oracle EBS for Finance & Sales & Supply Chain modules, troubleshooting, identifying issues, performing root cause analysis, documenting & providing best solution to problem. Req. Bach. in Comp. Science, Comp. Engineer., Electronics Engineer. with concentration in Comp. Sci. or rel. field or foreign equiv. &5yrs exp in job or 5 yrs exp as Engr., Application Engr. &/ or Project Lead, or rel. occup. Any suitable combo of educ, training, &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Santa Monica, CA. Wage range: $177,029/yr to $194,500/yr. Send resume ref#22234 to K. Finnsson, Activision Publishing Inc, 2701 Olympic Blvd, Bldg. B, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Financial Analyst: financial analyses for motion pictures and videos production: analyze budget efficiency; advice re cost-budget adjustment; forecast economic and social conditions affecting investment; recommend risk protection and financial control systems. Req.: US MS in Finance/ Financial Eng.; 1-year prior work exp. involving budget-cost analysis and control for motion pictures and tv programs production; skilled w/Quantitative Analysis, Financial Modeling, Database Mgr, Budgeting and Forecasting. $86,100/yr. Job site & contact: HR of Stars Collective Films, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., #300, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 / email [email protected] FINANCIAL ANALYST Global Financial Analyst. Review & report financial status for corporate & global markets. BA+2yr exp req. Salary: $67,475-$75,000/yr. Company: JAKKS Pacific, Inc, 2951 28th Str, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Email resume to: Attn: P.Santiago/RE: GFA, [email protected]. Fashion Designer: Prepare rough sketch and detailed drawings etc. Annual Salary: $52,978.00. Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design or its Foreign Equivalent Degree is rqr’d. Resume to Gilli, Inc.: 2939 Bandini Blvd Vernon, CA 90058 Executive Manager sought by Frame LA Brands LLC for the Culver City loc. Candidate must have 2 yrs of exp providing admin support for C-suite executives & exp supporting int’l public figures & C-suite executives in int’l relocations. Must have exp in: Working w/ dept heads to create & dvlp materials for board meeting presentations, Co. town hall presentations. Compiling sales data using bus. intelligence prgrm (Looker, Power BI, or Tableau). Gathering data in collaboration w/ the dept heads for board meetings & mthly board update meetings. Salary range for this position is $75,358.00- $110,000.00/yr. To apply: Send resume to careers@ frame-brand.com. Executive Administrative Assistant for property mgmt. Mail to Citify Management Group LP, 724 S Spring St., #801, LA, CA 90014. Artisan Vehicle Systems, Inc. in Camarillo, CA seeks a Systems Engineer II (Job Code R0064837) to design, develop, and implement electrical systems and test sets for battery and module testing for BHEV batteries used in mining vehicles. Salary: $105,000 - $136,620/ year. Apply online at https:// www.home.sandvik/en/ careers/ under job openings in United States of America for the Systems Engineer II (Job Code R0064837). EOE. No recruiters. Software Engineer – Player Platform (multiple positions available) Riot Games, Inc. has multiple positions available for Software Engineer – Player Platform in Los Angeles, CA: Dvlp & support Erlang based distributed services used by millions of players. This position is based out of Riot Games, Inc.’s office in Los Angeles, CA. Telecommuting permitted w/in commutable distance of this location. Periodic on-site attendance will be required. Req’s: MS(or equiv.) +1yr. exp. Salary: $129,800 - $216,200 per yr. Submit resume w/ refs to: Req.# 20-7156 at: riotgames. job.applications@riotgames. com. Senior Engineer. Design, implement, debug & optimize systems in C/C++ & other languages. Req. Bach. in Comp. Science, Software Engineer., or rel. field or foreign equiv.&2yrs exp in job or 2 yrs exp as Engr., Software Engr., or rel occup. Any suitable combo of educ, training &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Los Angeles, CA. Wage range: $149,800/yr to $201,880/yr. Send resume ref#22201 to K. Finnsson, Activision Publishing Inc, 2701 Olympic Blvd, Bldg. B, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Employment

B6 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM It’s been known for years that cooking indoors can taint the air in homes and cause health problems, especially when there is a lack of proper ventilation. But a new study has found that emissions from cooking may degrade air quality outdoors as well. “If you can smell it, there’s a good chance it’s impacting air quality,” researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Chemical Sciences Laboratory wrote about a study looking at the “unrecognized and underappreciated sources of urban air pollution.” Researchers quantified the chemical compounds released when food cooks — volatile organic compounds, or VOCs — along the restaurant-dense streets of Las Vegas, finding high concentrations similar to the amounts released by gaspowered cars. The researchers found that “on average, 21% of the total mass of human-caused VOCs present in Las Vegas’ outdoor air were from cooking activities,” according to the NOAA report. “Twenty percent is coming from cooking, and that’s about the amount that we saw coming from tailpipes,” said Matthew Coggon, a research chemist at NOAA and lead author on the study. “So basically, cooking is putting out as many volatile organic compounds as your tailpipe emissions.” VOCs are known to react with nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere to form smog, diminishing air quality. The researchers focused on data from Las Vegas but included testing in Los Angeles and Boulder, Colo., according to the study, which was published last month in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. “We’re measuring one half of the, if you will, ‘recipe’ for smog formation,” Coggon said. As cars have become cleaner in recent decades, Coggon and his team have been working to track down other contributors to poor air quality — which led them to emissions from cooking. “You can pick [the aroma] up and know, ‘Oh, that’s a grill that’s cooking,’ ” Coggon said. “But we’ve never really been able to quantify the volatile organic compounds that come out of that.” The study found similar levels of emissions surrounding dense restaurant areas to those found in laboratory cooking studies. But there’s a caveat, which is that researchers aren’t sure how often these compounds undergo the reactions required to form ozone or particulate matter, which can damage human health. Nevertheless, Coggon said, they know that the compounds are reactive. “So if something is very reactive, we expect that it will be a ozone precursor.” Coggon said research to understand the full effect of the compounds is underway. Each step that helps explain the effect of cooking’s emissions on the atmosphere is important so regulators and policymakers can have the most accurate picture of what’s driving air pollution. “Models drastically underestimate how much cooking is in the atmosphere,” he said. “We can now make more informed decisions.” Maybe try a salad? Cooking emissions degrade air quality STREET VENDORS in Fontana prepare tacos al pastor. Emissions from cooking are similar to those released by gas-powered cars, researchers have found. Gina Ferazzi Los Angeles Times By Grace Toohey HOUSEKEEPERS (SEVERAL POSITIONS): Clean equip. Clean rooms/linens. Replenish supplies. Level supplies in carts. Dispose of trash. Salary $16.50 per hour. Send Resume to Work site: Sik Hotel Management dba Hollywood Celebrity Hotel , 1775 Orchid Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028-4302 Amgen Inc.; Specialist Quality Assurance; Thousand Oaks, CA; Serve as Quality Assurance Contact for initiation, implementation, and completion of Change Control records related to computerized systems. May Telecommute. Interested candidates email resume to Talent-Mobility@ amgen.com. Must reference, Attn: Talent Mobility Job # 20516.3300. The annual salary range for this position in the U.S. is $106,463.00 – $125,223.00 per year. Also, this position offers stock, retirement, medical, life and disability insurance and eligibility for an annual bonus or for sales roles, other incentive compensation. For more details visit https:// careers.amgen.com/life-atamgen/benefits/. Consumerinfo.com, Inc. in Costa Mesa, CA is seeking to fill the position of Software Development Engineer I to prototype, develop, test and integrate best-inclass responsive Angular components; Turn requirements such as wireframes, prototypes and interactive user interfaces into fully functional and highly performing web components, utilizing storybook. May telecommute. Pay range for this role is $121,222.00- $135,027.00, with actual pay based on work location, jobrelated skills, experience and education. Role incl. variable pay and comprehensive benefits. Send resumes and benefit inquiries to Amy Harmon, HR, via email at amy. har [email protected]. Must reference job code: 20596.455 Amgen Inc.; Senior Manufacturing Systems Engineer; Thousand Oaks, CA; Support automation systems for drug product formulation and drug product fill, assembly and packaging plant operations. Interested candidates email resume to Tal [email protected]. Must reference, Attn: Talent Mobility Job # 20516.3594. The annual salary range for this position in the U.S. is $135,728.00 – $159,431.00 per year. Also, this position offers stock, retirement, medical, life and disability insurance and eligibility for an annual bonus or for sales roles, other incentive compensation. For more details visit https://careers. amgen.com/life-at-amgen/ benefits/. Amgen Inc.; Senior Associate Software Engineer; Thousand Oaks, CA: Develop and deliver robust technology solutions in a regulated environment by collaborating with business partners, IS colleagues and service providers. May telecommute. Interested candidates email resume to Talent-Mobility@ amgen.com. Must reference, Attn: Talent Mobility Job # 20516.3767. Job type: Full Time position. The annual salary range for this position in the U.S. is $111,550.00 – $ 131,845.00 per year. Also, this position offers stock, retirement, medical, life and disability insurance and eligibility for an annual bonus or for sales roles, other incentive compensation. For more details visit https:// careers.amgen.com/life-atamgen/benefits/. ServiceTitan, Inc. seeks Accounts Payable Manager in Glendale, CA 2 ovrse th ownrshp of Accnts Paybl inclu train & mangng paybls team. Telcom is avail 4 ths pos. Slry Offrd: $118k to $176k. Send Resume to: glo balmobility@servicetitan. com, Subject: Ref# AMP0324 Food Preparation Workers: Prepare seafood and vegetables as instructed; Clean and sanitize work areas. $18/ hour. Mail Resume: Gabine & Yoons Corp, 6215 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 AmeriHome Mortgage Company, LLC seeks Operations Data & Reporting Analyst in Thousand Oaks, CA. Produce financial & market intelligence by querying data repositories & generating periodic reports. Salary: $86,362.00 - $98,445.64 per year. For full info & how to apply, visit: bit.ly/wab122 Employment M A R K E T P L ACE JOBS latimes.com/placead To place an ad call 1.800.234.4444 MANAGEMENT: TikTok Inc, Global Monetization Lead (Mult.Pos.), Culver City, CA. Conduct organizational studies to identify actionable insights from productrelated performance data, conduct market-facing research to understand competitor & customer landscape, & collaborate with cross-functional teams to assist management in developing overall strategic directions related to monetization opportunities to help creators & publishers develop sustainable revenue streams on our platform. International travel up to 10% required. Salary Range: $125400 - $229140 per year. To apply & info. on benefits offered visit: careers.tiktok. com & type Job ID A16795 in search bar. Contact [email protected] if you have difficulty applying. American Girl Brands LLC has the following position available in El Segundo, CA: Sr. Associate Product Manager (CIPVV): Gather & review requirements for new features & functionality related to American Girl ecommerce and digital experiences. Telecommuting permitted. Annual salary range for this position is between $103,900 and $123,900. Send resume to: talentacquisition@mattel. com. Must reference job title and job code CIPVV. Micro World Corp. seeks Logistics Analyst. Salary $70,762/yr. Mstrs. in Bus., Logistics or closely related reqd. Coordinate deliveries, increase process efficiency. Worksite: Pomona, CA. Mail resumes to: 855 Towne Center Dr., Pomona, CA 91767 MULT. POS. AT WESTLAKE SERVICES, LLC DBA WESTLAKE FINANCIAL, LOS ANGELES, CA: SR MANAGERS OF RISK: Lead the development, implementation, & monitoring of credit scoring & statistical models (logistic regression model, experiment design, etc.) for diverse lending types. Construct a comprehensive cash flow & IRR model from the ground up to evaluate portfolio performance across diverse loan structures. Provide advanced analytical support for credit policy, risk, & marketing initiatives. Effectively develop, mentor, & manage a skilled team of risk analysts (1-4). Salary: $144,144-$146,000/ year. COMPUTER SYSTEMS ANALYSTS: Provide robust & timely financial & business analytics decision support. Utilize various reporting & analytics tools such as Tableau, OpenText, & JavaScript visualization. Use tools such as SQL, Oracle SQL Developer, Apache Kafka, Google BigQuery, & Snowflake. Lead & conduct app design & rev. Telecomm permitted. Salary: $93,309 to $95,000/year. Send res to: WESTLAKE SERVICES, LLC DBA WESTLAKE FINANCIAL at recruitment@ hankeygroup.com Landscape Designers SWA Group, Los Angeles. Full-Time. BLA. Knowledge of simulated natures in digital media. $68,349/yr. Apply: [email protected] for Job #8 Multiple Positions – Rios Inc., Los Angeles, CA - Designer – Req B Arch (5yr) or foreign equiv + crswk, interns, or exp. Salary $59,238 to $72,000 per yr.; Senior Landscape Designer – Req Bach in Landscape Arch or foreign equiv + 3yrs exp. Salary $85,779/yr. Pls review addl reqmts and apply online at https://recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/ Details/2275849/RCH/Designer & https://recruiting. paylocity.com/recruiting/ jobs/Details/2445472/RCH/ Senior-Landscape-Designer Job Captain sought by RDC-S111, Inc. for Long Beach, CA office. Competent in all conventional aspects of architectural practice w/ an emphasis on the technical implementation of the project design. Telecommuting ok. $60,000 - $80,000. Apply to: Job # 10, 245 E 3rd St, Long Beach, CA 90802 or Jordan.brown@rdc-s111. com. Aerobics Instructor: f/t; instruct fitness; Req. Associate’s Deg. in Dance or Related; Resume: FIT PILATES @ 440 Shatto Pl., #407, Los Angeles, CA 90020 IT King’s Hawaiian Holding Company Inc. has an oppty for a Mngr, Tch Strgy and Apps. $137,500.00/yr to $187,500.00/yr. May wrk from our HQ office in Gardena, CA or reside anywhere in US & wrk remotely from home. May wrk at other US locatns not prsntly known. Email resume w/Ref# 6516888 to gerry.plata@ kingshawaiian.com. Must be legally auth to work in the US w/o spnsrshp. EOE Employment Vision enhance’t & tech. manufacturer looking for Sales Analyst to collect & evaluate sales data & analyze mkt data to measure attainment of sales objectives. Req: Bachelor’s in Mkt, Bus. Admin, Bus. Analytics, Acct, or rel., plus 2 yrs. exp. in job offered, or as a Financial Analyst, Intern for Student Affairs, or rel.; exp./techniques/ proficiency with bus. analytics techniques, advanced spreadsheet, financial forecast process, proficiency in SQL & data mgmt., exp. with Tableau & MS Excel. Salary range $50K- $75K. Jobsite: Monrovia, CA. Work Auth. req’d if hired. Send resume to STAAR Surgical Co at [email protected]. Principals only. Market Research Analyst: Apply by mail only KNT Global, Inc., 14115 Pontlavoy Ave., Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, attn. CEO Pluto seeks Technical Program Manager, Accessibility & Compliance in West Hollywood, CA to write, edit & distribute technical documents to meet accessibility compliance laws & the company’s guidelines. Salary: $149,350 - $154,350/yr. Send resume: diana.icaza@paramount. com. Must reference job code AW. Quality Manager Mng the qual assur & analyt lab tstng. Reqs: Master’s in Chem or rltd fld & 2 yrs exp in job offrd or rlts pstn. May subs w/ Bachelor’s in Chem or rltd fld & 5 yrs exp in job offrd or rltd pstn. Skills/knwldge in tst equip such as liquid chroma machines, ciscometers, homogenizers, Fourier-trans infrared spectro, & MS Word, Excel, & PwrPnt. 40hrs/wk. Salary: $103,563.00/year. Job Site: Walnut, CA. Send Resume to: KDC/ONE SoCal Laboratories, LLC at [email protected] Administrative Assistant. Mail Resume: California Victor University 708 W Holt Ave. Pomona, CA 91768 ACCOUNTING Industrial Accountant in Commerce, CA: Resp for collecting info, calculating cost of products, & presenting periodic accounting reports related to the departments, production, warehouse, & raw materials to the CEO to help make effective financial decisions. Bach Accounting, or For’n Equiv. + 2+yrs exp in job offered. Must have in-depth knowl of auditing, Strong skills in utilizing accounting s/w & preparing accounting reports for mfg company. F/T, $57,949.00/ yr; Email Res w/ copy of ad to: Indio Products, Inc., Attn: Olivia Luengas, HR olivia@ indioproducts.com RentSpree, Inc. has the following multiple openings in Sherman Oaks, CA: Data Analytics, Sr. Manager I (#DA) $190K to $230K/year; Sr. Product Manager (#SPM) $155K to $190K/year. All positions eligible for telecommute. Email resume to Attn: Sally (Job #) at [email protected]. Farmers Group (Woodland Hills, CA) seeks Enterprise Data Management Program Manager II resp. for ensuring Enterprise Data Management (EDM) solutions, such as data governance & data quality standards/data stewardship & external regulatory statistical reporting are integrated into business & IT. Remote work option. Salary: $133,630/yr. Apply at Farmers.com/Careers, Job ID: 24131 MACHU PICCHU ENERGY LLC is seeking a CEO in Santa Monica, CA to work with the board of directors and other executives to establish short-term objectives and long-range goals, and rel. plans and policies. Supervise bookkeeping, Reqs: BS Industrial and Operational Engineering or Rel., 12 mths exp, in job offered, Global Manager, or Rel. Resumes to [email protected] Mattel HQ, Inc. has the following position available in El Segundo, CA: Associate Manager Supply Planning (CIPDM): Plan, direct, or coordinate purchasing, warehousing, distribution, forecasting, customer service, or planning services for multinational toy manufacturing company. Partial telecommuting permitted. Must be available to work on projects at various, unanticipated sites in the U.S. and internationally. Annual salary range for this position is between $133,910 and $153,910. Send resume to: talentacquisition@mattel. com. Must reference job title and job code. Employment Product Manager, Mobile. Define the strategy for our live operated monetization & engagement systems. Req. Masters in Info. Systems, Bus. Admin., or rel. field. Jobsite: Santa Monica, CA. Wage range: $150,000/yr to $194,500/yr. Send resume ref#22365 to K. Finnsson, Activision Publishing Inc, 2701 Olympic Blvd, Bldg. B, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Product Designer sought by Snap Inc. (Santa Monica, CA) *Hybrid work permitted - Snap practices a “default together” approach & expects team members to work in Santa Monica ofc at least 80% of time (avg 4 days/ wk). Conceive of innovative end to end exps for AR wearables. Base salary: $167,523- $228,000/yr. Eligible for discretionary performancebased bonus award. Eligible for equity in form of RSUs. Our Benefits: https://careers. snap.com/benefits. Email Resume: apply2snap@snap. com. Ref. Job Code #PD-SM0524-DK. EOE. Game Producer. Drive the completion of project goals & facilitate communication, organization, & accountability across a multi-discipline team. Req. Bach. in Interactive Media, Film Studies, or rel. field or foreign equiv. & 2 yrs exp in job or 2 yrs exp as Producer, Creative Producer, Promo Producer, or rel occup. Any suitable combo of educ, training &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Wage range: $101,753/ yr to $124,000/yr. Send resume ref#22195 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623. Pediatric Physician for St. John’s Community Health to provide medical services for pediatric patients. Reqs: MD + CA medical license. Jobsite: Compton, CA. Salary: $221,000 to $250,000/yr. Email CV: [email protected] Senior Operations Supervisor (Area Supervisor). 2 yrs of exp. required. Salary: $130,000/yr. Mail CV to Jacqueline Vasquez, Urth Payroll Services, Inc., 451 South Hewitt St., Los Angeles, CA 90013, or [email protected]. Operations Analyst: oversee operational efficiency; Master of Business Administration, Economics or related; Go Investment Group, LLC. 3450 W. 6th Street, Suite #103, Los Angeles, CA 90020. OPERATIONS RESEARCH: ByteDance Inc, Key Account Operations Manager (Mult. Pos.), Culver City, CA. Create an execution plan, define project goals, priorities, & successful metrics for our ecommerce platform, & build a mechanism to educate onboarded merchants/distributors to ensure repeatable processes. Develop new merchants/distributors according to growth priorities & business rationale for our e-commerce platform. International travel up to 20% required. Offered Salary: $215408 per year. To apply & info. on benefits offered visit: jobs.bytedance.com/ en/ & type Job ID A224057 in search bar. Contact [email protected] if you have difficulty applying. S&L Medical Group seeks an Office Manager. Salary $75,317/yr. Oversee medical records, billing, coding, etc. Worksite: Van Nuys, CA. E-mail resumes to: [email protected]. Office and Administrative Support Worker for steel & metal fabrication co. @ $ 57,075/yr. Mail to Bobco Metals LLC, 2000 South Alameda St., LA, CA 90058. Nanny to provide care for children in a private home & ensure a safe & stimulating envir for their growth & dvlpmnt. Reqs 2 yrs exp as a Nanny. Must be proficient in seizure first aid & CPR. Valid CA driver’s license rqd. Worksite: Los Angeles, CA. Salary: $38,522. Email resume to Daryn Towle at daryntowle@ gmail.com Principals only. EOE Medical Transcriptionist: Req’d: Bachelor’s degree in Pharmaceutical Science or rltd. $35,797/year. Send resume to Better LIfe Adult Day Health Center, Inc., 13550 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91405 Medical & Health Services Manager: Req’d: Doctor of Pharmacy & Pharmacist License in CA. $168,002/ year. Send resume to Better Life CBAS, Inc, 1616 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 Associate Pastor: Req. M. Div. or rel. Wage: $49,483/year Mail resume: Bethel Korean Church 18700 Harvard Ave. Irvine, CA 92612 Employment RESTAURANT A Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles is seeking for a restaurant manager. Must have a minimum of 3 years of experience as a restaurant manager. Job includes supervising the operation of the restaurant, customer service, menu development, quality control, and other service matters. Send resume to Vortex International Food Inc: 123 Astronaut ES Onizuka Street 203, Los Angeles CA 90012 Policy Research Analyst: Assess the impact of existing & changing immigration policies. App. must have a Bachelor’s deg. in Public Policy, Political Science, Social Sciences, or related. Mail resume to Law Offices of Kyung Hee Lee, PC. at 3435 Wilshire Blvd. Ste1110, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Attn: Mr. Lee. Quality Assurance Therapist (Anaheim, CA)- Prvde culturally sensitive counsel’g to individuals & families from diff bckgrnds & ethnicities. Prfrm reg audits of processes, documnt, & client recs to assess adherence to quality stndrds. Reqs: Master’s deg + 6 mos of exp + license. Interested appls contact Ms. Jeanette Barreto, Villages of California, Inc., 4079 Governor Dr, Ste 3003, San Diego, CA, 92122. AMPURE seeks a Program Purchasing Specialist for a position in Monrovia, CA. Successful candidates must have a MS in Industrial Eng, Mechanical Eng, or related field or foreign equiv & 2 yrs exp. The salary range is $90k-$100k. E-mail or send resumes ATTN: Kristy Lake to:kristy.lake@webasto. com or AMPURE, 1333 S. Mayflower Ave Monrovia CA 91016. Include reference code WCS206 Sr. Tech. Project Manager. Maximize the impact of the cross-functional ‘pod’ team running the live ops lifecycle for our games. Req. Master’s in Comp. Science, IT or rel. field. Jobsite: Santa Monica, CA. Wage range: $135,000/yr to $185,730/yr. Send resume ref#22331 to K. Finnsson, Activision Publishing Inc, 2701 Olympic Blvd, Bldg. B, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Project Engineer. Apply standard engineering skills, (gravity, seismic & wind design) knowledge (wood, steel, concrete, & masonry), & techniques to complete Engineering tasks. Req. Bach. in Civil Engineering or rel. field or foreign equiv. Jobsite: Costa Mesa, CA. Send resume: T. Burke, Burke Structural Engineers P.C., 151 Kalmus Dr., Bldg. E-140, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Project Consultant, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc., Los Angeles, CA: Structural Engineering Div- Provide strctrl engnring services w/ emphasis on new design, repair & rehab of constructed works under direct sup. of a licensed engineer. REQ: MS in Civil/Structural Engnring & 2 yrs’ exp. in structural analysis & design of materials such as concrete, steel, masonry, & wood-frame structures. Eligible to telecommute 3 days/wk w/in normal commute dist. of Los Angeles, CA. Periodic travel to proj. sites req’d. Anticipated annual base salary: $89,010 - $125,000. Review full job descr. & reqts. & apply at https://www.sgh.com/ careers/job-openings/ Principal Project Controls Specialist sought by Fluor Enterprises, Inc. in Aliso Viejo, CA: Dvlp & implmt a project controls plan as part of the Project Execution Plan (PEP) for the project execution. Salary: $157,470 - $213,047/yr. Must have unrestricted right to work in U.S. To apply email resume to: US.recruiter@ fluor.com. Must ref job code CA0615MR. Product Manager: Mng the dsgn, dev, & test of new prod featrs for automtv s/w prods. Reqs: Master’s in Comp Sci, Comp Eng, Elec Eng, or rltd fld & 2 yrs exp in job offrd or rltd pstn. May be subs w/ Bachelor’s in Comp Sci, Comp Eng, Elec Eng, or rltd fld & 5 yrs exp in job offrd or rltd pstn. Skills/knwldge: MS Office, MATLAB, JIRA, & Confluence. Lttl trvl –24%. 40hrs/wk. Salary: $127,504k -$140k/year. Job Site: Long Beach, CA. Send Resume to Kaarya, LLC d/b/a myKaarma at [email protected]. Sr. Segment Producer sought by Mythical Entertainment, LLC in Burbank, CA. Req Bachelor’s in Producing, Video Prod, Entertainmt, Media or rel, + 1 yr exp in TV or digital media prod. Salary for this position is $100K/yr. To apply, send resume to: recruitment@ mythical.com Employment Sr. SW Eng - Supervise engrs to plan & execute dev of software & infrastructure, write software for new/existing features to create/improve functionality. Min Req: Bach deg in Comp Sci, SW Eng or related + 5 yrs of post bach progressive exp as SW Eng or related & demonstrated proficiency in Java, SQL, NoSQL (MongoDB) & Git & Knowledge of REST, Spring, Gradle/Maven. Salary Range: $185,000 - $220,000. Job Site: Sherman Oaks, CA. Mail resume to: SnapPays Mobile, Inc., 8605 Santa Monica Blvd. #52841, West Hollywood, CA 90069, Job #SW304, Attn: Jason Meltzer Software Engineer. Improve the way that online game functions through design, implementation & support of various software advances & tools. Req. Bach. in Comp. Science, Software Engineer. or rel. field. & 2 yrs exp in job or 2 yrs exp as Engr., Software Dev., or rel occup. Any suitable combo of educ, training, &/ or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Wage range: $118,996.80/yr to $155,000/ yr. Send resume ref#22335 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623. Software Engineer. Write technical design documents for new game features. Req. Bach. in Comp. Science, Games & Playable Media, or rel. field or foreign equiv. & 2 yrs exp in job or 2 yrs exp as Engineer, Programmer, Assoc. Programmer, or rel. occup. Any suitable combo of educ, training &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Wage range: $120,827.20/yr to $155,000.00/yr. Send resume ref# 22144 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623 Software Engineer. Implement & design software systems through collaboration with engineers, designers, & artists. Req. Bach. in Comp. Science, Software Engineer., or rel. field or foreign equiv. & 2 yrs exp in job or 2 yrs exp as Engineer, IOS Lead, or rel. occup. Any suitable combo of educ, training, &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Wage range: $129,376/yr to $155,000/yr. Send resume ref#22239 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623. Senior Software Developer, API sought by Spokeo, Inc. for a position based in Pasadena, CA. Must have Master’s degree in Computer Science (or related) and 36 months of experience as software developer, software engineer (or related) or Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (or related) and 60 months of experience as software developer, software engineer (or related). Duties include: Write clean and performant code for our backed data services REST API to ensure data flows from our 3rd party vendors; Support data access needs for multiple databases to support our critical infrastructure. Must have experience with Java, Python, HTML, CSS, Linux, and JavaScript. Can telecommute from any U.S. location. Salary: $188,700-$190k. Send resumes to: [email protected] Java Developer in Los Angeles, CA. Design, code, test, debug, configure and document software programs and applications. Req: Bachelor’s degree in Comp Eng., Elect. Eng., S/W Eng., related + 5 yrs exp. Wage: $178k/ yr. Mail resume to: Caryn B. Wernecke, Ad.Net, 10100 Santa Monica Blvd Suite 110, Los Angeles, CA 90067 Parsons Transportation Group, Inc. has an opening for Senior Construction Scheduler in Pasadena, CA to review engineering specifications and drawings for multiple substation and transmission distribution projects. May be assigned to various, unanticipated sites throughout U.S. PMP certification required. $151,500 to $168,700. Apply online at jobs.parsons.com. Must reference job 11863.512.3 / R153336. Retail Sales Manager in Los Angeles, CA: Send resume to Coway USA, Inc. 4221 Wilshire Blvd. STE 210 Los Angeles, CA 90010 wages ($50,000-$60,000) Restaurant Manager: f/t; High School Diploma or Equiv.; Perform managerial duty; Resume: CH HANGARI INC @ 3470 W. 6th St., Suite 9 & 10, Los Angeles, CA 90020 Employment Mattel HQ, Inc. has the following positions available in El Segundo, CA: Technical Product Manager (CIPPE): Plan, initiate, & manage information technology (IT) projects. Telecommuting permitted. Annual salary range for this position is between $147,140 and $167,140. Send resume to: talentacquisition@mattel. com. Must reference job title and job code. Senior Technical Project Lead (Valencia, CA)– Lead Software QA across Neuromodulation software product team. May require to travel/telecommute. Salary: From $135,720 - $145,000/ yr. Send CV: Susan Cardinal, Boston Scientific, [email protected]. Ref: H4872-00910. EOE Tax Senior sought by Gursey Schneider LLP for Los Angeles, CA ofc. Under supervision, prep & rev. Indiv. & Entity Tax Returns. Telecommuting OK. Salary: $90,000 - $111,000. To apply, send resume to Daniela Tsudik, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1300, Los Angeles, CA 90067 or email: dtsudik@ gursey.com and reference Job#1003. Amgen Inc.; Specialist IS Business Systems Analyst; Thousand Oaks, CA: Perform data analysis across multiple areas of data to drive understanding and documentation of business logic behind key metrics. May telecommute. Interested candidates email resume to TalentM [email protected]. Must reference, Attn: Talent Mobility Job # 20516.3607. Job type: Full Time position. The annual salary range for this position in the U.S. is $113,672.00 – $137,507.00 per year. Also, this position offers stock, retirement, medical, life and disability insurance and eligibility for an annual bonus or for sales roles, other incentive compensation. For more details visit https://careers.amgen. com/life-atamgen/benefits/. Senior Outsource Supervisor, Character. Manage communication, provide feedback to artists, & help maintain a strong creative relationship between external & internal art teams to meet deadlines. Req. Master’s in Animation, Game Design, or rel. field. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Wage range: $135,850/yr to $161,500/yr. Send resume ref# 22174 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623. Job Captain/Staff Architect (Montecito, CA): Prep constr. plans & arch. designs; plan layout of structural projects w/ environmental/safety/ other regs; create 3D CAD & scale drawings; monitor engineers/designers/specialists; direct technicians w/ drawings & specs for luxury estate residential projects. Bachelors Architecture or related field reqd. 2 yrs exp Design or Architecture; 1 yr exp developing constr. drawings; 1 yr exp interior & exterior arch. details; 1 yr exp constr. admin; knowledge of planning/zoning process; prior exp code research & working with Zoning Depts; prior exp 3D CAD software & Enscape. Full-time onsite position $75k. Studio William Hefner. Resumes: [email protected] Software Engineer. Develop & maintain reliable, scalable, well-tested code. Req. Bach in Comp. Science, Software Engineering., Telecommunications Engineering, or rel field or foreign equiv. Any suitable combo of educ, training &/or exp is acceptable. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Wage range: $100,006.40/yr to $125,000/yr. Send resume ref#22366 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623. Software Engineer III: Impact Tech, Inc, Santa Barbara,CA. Req. Bachelor’s in comp.sc. or related fld and 5 yrs progressive postbach exp as a software eng. or software devel. Req.4yrs exp in building social media marketing systems; w/ Java & Spring; w/cloud platforms GCP or AWS; in agile/ iterative processes: Kanban/ Scrum; in large scale processing, continuous integration, and delivery methods. Hybrid position, 2days in office/per mo. No agencies please. [email protected] Software Engineer. Collaborate with designers, artists, & engineers to ensure a robust & reliable game experience on a wide range of mobile devices. Req. Bach. in Comp. Science, Software Engineer., or rel. field or foreign equiv. Jobsite: Irvine, CA. Wage range: $113,838.40/yr to $155,000/yr. Send resume ref#22346 to K. Finnsson, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, PO Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623. Employment Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.) has the following positions in Los Angeles, CA: Solutions Architect: Act as a technical consultant and subject matter expert on Meta’s messaging and marketing solutions for some of the most innovative companies in the world. (ref. code REQ-2404-136686: $185,981/year - $205,920/ year). Individual pay is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus or equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base salary, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta at this link: https:// w ww.metacareers.com/ facebook-life/benefits. For full information & to apply online, visit us at the following website http://www. metacareers.com/jobs & search using the ref code(s) above. Scopely, Inc. has the following opening in Culver City, CA: Principal Game Designer (CIPAA): Leverage profound judgment & discretion to implement forward-thinking policies & programs that shape the Scopely game design landscape. Position based at HQ and may be assigned to unanticipated worksites throughout the U.S. as determined by management. Telecommuting permitted. Position requires up to 20% of domestic & international travel. Annual base salary range: $205,000 - $210,000. Send resume to: [email protected]. Must reference job title and job code CIPAA. Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.) has the following positions in Los Angeles, CA: Partner Solutions Manager: Work crossfunctionally to drive and deliver scalable solutions for video creators. (ref. code REQ-2405-136872: $155015/ year - $174900/year). Technical Program Manager: Develop and manage crossfunctional programs, facilitating relationships across multiple teams to identify risks, manage dependencies and optimize resources. (ref. code REQ-2405-136928: $234,689/year - $265,540/ year). Software Engineer, Graphics: Develop real-time graphics prototypes and products for future AR and VR products. (ref. code REQ-2405-136961: $210,255/year - $240,240/ year). Research Scientist: Perform research and develop solutions to computer software and computer hardware problems. (ref. code REQ2405-136909: $179,562/year - $200,200/year). Individual pay is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus or equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base salary, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta at this link: https:// w ww.metacareers.com/ facebook-life/benefits. For full information & to apply online, visit us at the following website http://www. metacareers.com/jobs & search using the ref code(s) above. IT: ADP Technology Services, Inc. seeks an Associate Application Developer at our Pasadena, CA loc to participate in SDLC incl planning, constructions, testing, reviews, & demos. Bach’s deg in Comp Sci, Comp Engg, Info Sys or a rel’d field + 1 yr of rel’d exp reqd. ADP will accept a Master’s deg + 0 yrs rel’d exp. Exp or coursework must incl: Angular or React; JavaScript; TypeScript; HTML/CSS; OOP; Data structures & Algorithms; Visual Code or IntelliJ IDE; & Restful svcs incl JSON. Annual base salary range for this position is $100,121 to $122,000. To apply, please respond to req. 251310 at http://jobs.adp. com. Alternatively, applicants may mail their resume to the following address referencing req. 251310: 1 ADP Blvd., MS 248, Roseland, NJ 07068. Criteo Corp seeks Technical Solutions Engineer, Product Incubation in Culver City, CA to handle evolution of new products. $122,960- $184,440 per year. Telecommuting permitted. Apply at jobpostingtoday.com/ Ref# 40022. Employment Warehouse Worker (Carson, CA). Receive, inspect, unload, unpack, and store pneumatic goods. High school diploma. $40000/yr. Resumes to: GKC Enterprise Inc., 1330 E 223rd St #505, Carson, CA 90745 TRANSLATOR Legal translator - Law Office of Muky Dai, San Marino Resume and cover letter to [email protected] Riot Games, Inc. has the following job opportunities in Los Angeles, CA (Positions based out of Riot Games, Inc.’s office in Los Angeles, CA. Telecommuting is permitted w/in commutable distance of this location. Periodic on-site attendance will be req’d): Sr. Manager, Rules & Compliance (Req# 21-9124): Sets global strategy for Riot esports policies & compliance, in addition to providing inhouse counsel on integrity, ethics, disciplinary & regulatory matters. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+6 yrs. exp. Salary: $207,979-$245,700 per yr. Publishing Operations III (Req# 22-20923): Partner w/ teams at Riot HQ on behalf of regional teams to advocate for their needs & drive outcomes for local players. Req’s: BS(or equiv.)+2 yrs. exp. Salary: $127,300- $179,000 per yr. Game Producer II (Req# 21- 4075): Accountable for the SCCP strategy, outcomes & drive for key results. Req’s: 3 yrs. exp. Salary: $158,700- $221,700 per yr. Associate Game ProducerVALORANT (Req# 21-14123): Lead day-to-day Cosmetics team production operations as directed by Production Mgr. to drive the organization & delivery of team’s work. Req’s: MS(or equiv.). Salary: $104,000-$145,995 per yr. Game Producer (Req# 20- 2596): Work closely w/ multiple Riot dvlpment & marketing teams to conceptualize, improve & deliver esports features. Req’s: MS(or equiv.). Salary: $129,200-$179,700 per yr. Product Manager III (Req# 21-2608): Oversee & improve game production projects specific to China market. Req’s: 5 yrs. exp. Salary: $142,900-$199,600 per yr. Concept Artist II (Req# 22-19933): Sketch, brainstorm & iterate new/rework champion concepts in collaboration w/ the Product Owner, Game Designer & Narrative Writer. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+2 yrs. exp. Salary: $104,000-$146,000 per yr. Insights Analyst III (Req# 22-21121): Utilize advanced quantitative analysis methods including segmentation/clustering, regression analysis, portfolio optimization & financial analysis/forecasting. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+2 yrs. exp. Salary: $142,700-$198,500 per yr. Researcher III (Req # 21- 4073): Design protocols & moderate playtest labs, guiding participants through a set of tasks & prompting them for sincere, relevant feedback. Req’s: BS(or equiv.)+4 yrs. exp. Salary: $153,400-$213,500 per yr. Product Manager III (Req# L22-131435): Own the content & feature dvlpment roadmap, driving alignment & visibility across both VALORANT & our partnership teams. Req’s: MS(or equiv.)+2 yrs. exp. Salary: $176,300-$245,700 per yr. Submit resume w/ refs to:(include Req. # for position applying to) at: riotgames.job.applications@ riotgames.com Employment

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 B7 To place an obituary ad please go to latimes.com/placeobituary or call 1-800-234-4444 Honor a life Glen Arthur Holden A Life Well Lived - The Legacy of Glen Holden: A Life of Leadership, Innovation, and Passion for Polo It is with great sadness that we share with you the passing of Glen Holden on April 18, 2024, at the age of 96. Glen was surrounded by his loving family his son; Glen Holden Jr. (Jeep) and daughter Geannie Holden Sheller. Ambassador Glen Holden was a passionate family man, distinguished business leader, prolific polo player, a US diplomat, a champion of student success and leadership, and a great friend. Glen Arthur Holden was born in Boise, Idaho and spent most of his youth on a ranch in McMinnville. After his Honorable discharge from the Navy in 1947, he enrolled at the University of Oregon and quickly became a pillar of the community. He found his calling while working at a campus clothing store. It was there he met a local insurance agent who sparked his interest in the industry. He took classes in insurance and finance, graduating with a BS in Business Administration in 1951. He became president of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and President of the Interfraternity Council. During his time as a student, Ambassador Holden worked to reclaim the charter for the fraternity, which earned him the title of Man of Principle, and later, the Oxford Cup—Beta Theta Pi’s most prestigious alumni award. In 2014, the fraternity’s chapter house was renamed Holden Hall. The University of Oregon not only provided the foundation for his professional career, but more importantly, his family. There, he met Gloria Ann McClintock. Shortly after meeting Gloria, Glen drove back to McMinnville to break up with his McMinnville girlfriend, so he could properly ask Gloria on a date and pin her with his Beta pin. The beginning of their storied romance. They married shortly after graduation. Considered one of the principal innovators and leaders of change and development of the variable annuity and life insurance industry in the nation, Ambassador Holden is world renowned for successfully leading the sale of insurance products through major New York Stock Exchange member companies, as well as issuing the first interest-sensitive life insurance products in the United States. He spearheaded the variable annuity product in the US and helped develop laws and regulations in all fifty states. This led to him becoming the inaugural recipient of the Variable Annuity Industries Hall of Fame honor. In 1973, he founded Security First Group (later renamed The Holden Group), where he acted as chair, CEO, and principal stockholder. He built a large financial services company across the country, managing more than $10 Billion in assets. The company provided investment and insurance services to public employees, including those in Florida, Tennessee, Texas and California. After nearly three decades, he sold the company, and THG is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Ambassador Holden’s strong commitment to private enterprise led to his nomination by President George H. W. Bush as United States Ambassador to Jamaica. President Bush, with bipartisan support, appointed Holden to be the U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica from 1989-1993, playing a key role in formulating U.S. policy in the Caribbean. While serving, Holden was able to attract more than $400 million of American private capital and implemented the Enterprise for Americas Initiative Policy—a policy that served as a basis for the North American Foreign Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During his tenure as Ambassador, he traveled to 29 countries representing the United States. Glen’s belief that “all obstacles and controversies have reasonable and valuable solutions” is best evidenced through his philanthropy, service, and engagement in so many communities. It would be challenging to identify all the initiatives that Ambassador Holden helped launch or organizations he was involved in. His numerous civic, cultural, and educational activities included Pepperdine University’s Board of Regents, The Performing Arts Center Board of Governors, Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation Board of Governors, founder of the Citizens for American Educational Foundation, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges member, and the International Foundation for Learning Disabilities of Los Angeles member. He received two honorary doctorates from Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology. He received the American Humanities Hand to Youth and Exemplar Award in 1986. Following his service as Ambassador to Jamaica, he served as the Chairman of American Friends of Jamaica for 14 years. Outside of his career, Ambassador Holden was a steadfast horseman. His love of horses began when his dad brought home a pony for him when he was only three. He helped train horses to earn spending money during the Great Depression. He was a long time member of The Rancheros Visitadores (Los Bustardos), an invitation-only riding group, considered the most elite equestrian organization in the world that annually gathered for a week of horsemanship activities, food and entertainment culminating in a 60-mile ride from Santa Barbara to Solvang through the Santa Ynez valley. Glen shared the trail with hundreds of horsemen from in and out of the US including President Ronald Reagan and General PX Kelley, former Commandant of the Marine Corps. On a trip to Washington, DC, General Kelley invited Glen to recreate the ride that Thomas Jefferson took in 1801 when selecting a site for the location of the Marine Barracks in Washington, “albeit with a lot more traffic,” Holden would joke. Holden loved horses, but his passion was polo—a time-honored sport in which teams on horseback compete to drive a ball into the opponent’s goal. Along with his Gehache team -- Holden’s initials in Spanish -- he won the Pacific Coast Open, the Governor’s Cup, America Cup, and in 1993, the crown jewel of US Polo - the US Open Polo Championship. His impact on the polo world is remarkable. Ambassador Holden played alongside royalty such as King Charles, and the Maharajah of Jaipur and many great polo players including Bob Skene, Ruben Gracida, Daniel Gonzalez, and Alfonso Giannico, all who became lifelong friends. After retiring from playing, he played host to the Prince and Princess of Wales as part of their US Honeymoon trip. His success on the field is only outdone by his contributions off the field. Soon after playing at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club in Carpinteria, he joined the board of trustees. The club was facing financial hardship, and Holden played a pivotal role in restoring its stability by personally guaranteeing its debts. He served as Pacific Coast Circuit Governor for 11 years and was a founding member and later its President of the Federation of International Polo. In recognition for his outstanding contributions to the sport, Ambassador Holden was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2002. Nothing was more important to Glen Holden than his family. He is survived by his son, Glen Arthur Holden Jr, his daughter Geannie Holden Sheller and son-in-law Michael Sheller, eight grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. He was predeceased in death in 2019 by his beloved wife Gloria, his second daughter, Georgianne Holden Stone, and his first grandchild, Holden Richard Stone in 2020. He will be remembered for his legacy and missed by his family, the international polo community, and friends throughout the world - anyone who encountered his affability, integrity, generous hospitality, and deep sense of friendship. Ambassador Glen A. Holden, a true gentleman who was the embodiment of a life well lived. Obituaries Placeapaid notice latimes.com/placeobituary Search obituary notice archives: legacy.com/obituaries/latimes 1935 The year that was Although a primitive, two-color process was first used in 1922, audiences weren’t impressed by Technicolor until a threecolor system appeared in “Becky Sharp.” latimes.com/archives Judith Kay Perez March 29, 1941 - April 30, 2024 City of Industry, California – Dorothy has gone home to Kansas! Judie Perez passed peacefully in West Covina, CA surrounded by her loved ones on Tuesday, April 30th. Judie was born in Colby, KS to Wanetta “Tootsie” Wycoff and Riddell G. Challis. She resided in Russel Springs, then Wichita until, at the age of 5, Wanetta packed the car and drove to Monterey Park, California. Judie and Wanetta finally settled in Hacienda Heights, where Judie would graduate as a Warrior from Puente High School in 1959. Following High School, Judie attended the University of Southern California, where she remained very active through social clubs like, Amazons, Chimes, the Panhellenic Council, ASSC Senate, and the Mortar Board, even becoming the President of her sorority Gamma Phi Beta (ΓΦΒ). She would graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies, spring of 1963. During her final semester at USC, Judie married the love of her life, Manuel Vincente Perez, at the Old St. Joseph Church in Old Town Puente, Groundhog Day 1963, a loving union of 52 years until his death in 2015. They had four sons, Vincent, Christopher, David, and Peter. Most of her time working was down the street from the family home at St. Joseph’s Catholic Elementary, where she taught 4th grade students until her retirement. Judie remained an active member of St. Joseph’s Parish by becoming a Eucharistic Minister. Judie led a life of generosity, service, and gratitude. She donated her time and resources to many philanthropic causes, the Los Angeles Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) being chief among them. Judie attended every ACCW meeting across the Archdiocese’s 5 pastoral regions as East San Gabriel Valley District President, before serving as Executive Council President from 2005-2007. She was remembered as a member always willing to lend a hand to whatever project needed help. Judie’s appreciable creative talents were evinced in her love to sing, dance, play the piano, and especially her love of poetry. Her deep appreciation of the Great American West was apparent in the attention to detail she took when planning road trips with her boys. She was very proud of her boys and grandchildren, taking delight in their interests and sharing time together during Sunday dinners at her home. Judie especially loved visiting her and Tootsie’s native home of Kansas, making it a point to never forget her roots. In her final months, Judie was lovingly cared for by the exceptional professionals at the El Encanto Healthcare and Habilitation Center. She is survived by her sons Vince, Chris (Michelle), Dave (Alma), Pete (Michelle), and 7 grandchildren. A Celebration of Judie Perez’s life will be held at St. Joseph’s Parish, 550 Glendora Avenue, La Puente, with the Rosary and Vigil on Thursday, May 30th at 7:00 pm, and the Funeral Mass on Friday, May 31st at 10:00 am, with interment at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Rowland Heights immediately following. Rememberances can be made by contributing to: • The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles at https://carmelitesistersocd.com/support/ and scroll down to the donation section titled ‘In Memoriam’ • The El Encanto Healthcare and Habilitation Center, City of Industry, CA • St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish, La Puente, CA Darius Aaron Morris January 3, 1991 - May 2, 2024 Professional basketball player Darius Aaron Morris, 33, of Los Angeles, California sadly left us on May 2, 2024. He is survived by his parents De Wayne and Robin Morris Sr, brother De Wayne Jr, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. A funeral service will be held in Darius’ honor to celebrate his life on May 23, 2024, at 11:00 am at Faithful Central Bible Church, located at 321 Eucalyptus Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90302. Following the service, Darius will be laid to rest at Inglewood Park Cemetery. If you’d like to send flowers, please have them arrive on May 22, 2024, at Angelus Funeral Home, located at 3875 S. Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, California, 90008. Darius’ legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew him. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten. Shirley Shubin Miller November 15, 1937 - May 11, 2024 Amidst the historic geomagnetic storm that lit the world with spectacular northern lights, Shirley Shubin Miller, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, left us early on Saturday morning, May 11, 2024 at the age of 86. She died at home, peacefully, after a year-long battle with cancer, surrounded by her family and an abundance of love, in the same bedroom she shared with her husband Howard for 57 years. Shirley was born on November 15, 1937 in Winnipeg, Canada, to Abraham and Brina Shubin, and was a resident of Los Angeles for most of her life. But she was first and foremost a citizen of the world, whose extensive travels resulted in longstanding relationships with devoted friends across the globe, all of whom join her family in mourning her departure. Shirley graduated from Los Angeles High School, where she was active in speech and debate, and was the 1955 national champion in Dramatic Interpretation. She then attended USC for two years on a debate scholarship, followed by a year at UC Berkeley and a year at UCLA, where she graduated with a degree in anthropology. Shirley met Howard when they were both 19 years old, and from that first meeting their fate was sealed. Married just six months later, they embarked on a 67-year-long adventure together, rarely apart, and forever an example to their children and all who knew them of what a wonderful, happy marriage looks like. Shirley and Howard joyfully welcomed three sons into the world: Marc Louis (1959), Alex Edward (1962) and Craig Andrew (1966). Her three daughters-in-law Christina Cutshaw (Marc), Renata Miller (Alex) and Katherine Weinstein Miller (Craig) all adored her. The lights of her life were seven grandchildren and two grandchildren-in-law: Jacob Clarke (1993, married to Isabelle), Emily Grace (1997, married to Daniel), Owen Augustus (2002), Miles Franklin (2003), Oliver Henry (2005), Evelyn Dolores (2006), and Wyatt Elias (2008). For her children and grandchildren, she was present for countless band concerts, dance recitals, basketball games, birthdays, and graduations. She arranged yearly vacations at Pajaro Dunes on Monterey Bay, and at the family home in Mammoth Lakes, where everyone lived together for weeks at a time, and where she effortlessly kept her family fed and watered. Shirley was always up for family singalongs, beach bonfires, cross-country skiing, desert hikes, and rousing games of Trivial Pursuit. She was always there for her whole family in moments of joy and of grief, whether it was the birth of a baby or an illness, providing practical guidance mixed with loving support and care. And none of us will forget the ever-present Droste chocolate wafers that materialized from her magic purse for any challenging moments in life. Shirley’s avid curiosity about other cultures was a driving force in her life. Studying anthropology at UCLA led to her eventual career as a travel agent, focusing on anthropological travel. With her cousin Rheta Resnick, she created TravelSource, an agency which guided tours to unusual archeological sites in far-flung locations around the world. Through the creation of TravelSource, Shirley was able to take her family on many memorable trips all over Europe, Central and South America, Asia, Australia, and Africa, sparking in all her children and grandchildren a thirst for travel, as well as an understanding and empathy for all peoples and cultures. Throughout their marriage, Shirley and Howard traveled together to fifty-five countries, many more than once, including to India nine times, and others more than half a dozen times. While family and travel were Shirley’s passions, she also was a loyal and enthusiastic sports fan, with particular devotion to her beloved Golden State Warriors. Tennis was also a source of delight; Shirley rarely missed watching televised matches, and was no slouch on the court herself, beating her teenage grandsons (with Howard as her partner) in a memorable summer match at Pajaro Dunes. And Shirley was a formidable Scrabble opponent, more often than not besting Howard in the daily games that punctuated their last year together. No summary of Shirley’s life would be complete without mentioning her extraordinary embrace of the positive in all things. Her joy in the smallest treasures -- a bird singing in the backyard, a little bat that made its home outside of her bedroom window, a gorgeous mountain view on a road trip -- was ever-present and inspiring to all who loved her. She was legendarily optimistic and cheerful, so much so that her family often wondered what magic informed her brain chemistry; if only we could bottle it. During her last year, as she battled cancer, she amazed both her medical team and family with her joyful, brave focus on the future, and her refusal to dwell on anything except the delight that she felt in living to the fullest and being with her family. Shirley is survived by her adoring and grieving spouse, Howard, her three loving sons, Marc, Alex and Craig, her devoted daughters-in-law Christina, Renata and Katy, and her seven grandchildren and two grandchildren-in-law: Jacob (Isabelle), Emily (Daniel), Owen, Miles, Ollie, Evelyn, and Wyatt. She is also survived by her sister Donna Baron, numerous nieces and nephews and cousins, as well as scores of loyal friends all over the world. She was pre-deceased by her parents Abraham and Brina Shubin, brother Herbert Shubin, sister Naomi Atrubin, nephew Richard Shubin, and sister-in-law Hilde Shubin Rosenbluth. A celebration of life and graveside service will take place on Sunday, May 26th at 10 a.m. at Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California. Two San Bernardino sisters who sued their insurance company for failing to pay to repair flood damage on their home are now $18 million richer after a jury found in their favor and imposed emotional and punitive damages on the insurance company. The $18-million verdict announced April 18 by a San Bernardino County jury was a far cry from the $5,000 an insurance adjuster initially offered the women. Jennifer Garnier’s and Angela Toft’s home in Piñon Hills was flooded by rainwater in February 2019. Muddy water damaged their home, including the heating and air conditioning ducts. The rainwater also damaged the electrical system in their prefabricated home, according to their attorney, Michael Hernandez. The sisters estimated they needed more than $100,000 to fix the damage, but when they filed a claim with their insurance company, American Reliable, an adjuster instead offered Garnier and Toft only $5,000, Hernandez said. The sisters sued American Reliable in September 2020 for breach of contract, claiming that the adjuster did not conduct a proper inspection of the home. The home was uninhabitable, according to their lawsuit, but Garnier and Toft continued to live there because they did not have anywhere else to go. Arizona-based American Reliable and its parent company, Pennsylvania-based Global Indemnity Group, did not respond to requests to comment. But in court filings, American Reliable argued that Garnier and Toft repeatedly delayed inspection of their home and, after they filed their lawsuit, they were slow to respond to requests made by the company’s legal team. The women also repeatedly asked for all communication from the insurance company to be made in writing, Hernandez said. After a six-week trial, a jury found in favor of the women and awarded them each $3 million for emotional damages. They were awarded $2 million in punitive damages from American Reliable and $10 million in punitive damages from Global Indemnity Group, according to court documents. Sisters awarded $18 million for storm damage By Nathan Solis

B8 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM Firsttransatlanticjetpassenger service started by BOAC, with a New York to London route. 1958 The year that was latimes.com/archives To sign a guest book please go to latimes.com/guestbooks Share a memory John Edward Anderson Jr. March 8, 1950 - May 8, 2024 John Anderson Jr. was born on March 8, 1950 in Los Angeles, to parents John and Margaret “Peggy” Anderson. John had four siblings: Susan, Judith, Deborah and William. The family lived in the San Fernando Valley before moving to the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles during John’s elementary school years. He attended Third Street School and Harvard Boys School for grade school and middle school, respectively. John’s family were members of Beverly Vista Presbyterian Church (later merged with Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church), where his maternal grandfather, Dr. James K. Stewart, served as the minister. As a child at Beverly Vista, John met Doreen “Dori” Dodson, who would later become the love of his life and wife of 48 years. John’s high school years were spent at The Thacher School in Ojai, California. He played on the school’s soccer team, and excelled in history and music. John developed a love of horses while at Thacher, and enjoyed a great deal of success in the school’s gymkhana competitions. As a horseman, he had special intuition and “great hands” – which served him well on the golf course in his later years. Throughout his life, John (and his family and close friends) considered him an honorary cowboy of sorts. During his time at Thacher, John experienced several family tragedies, with the passing in close succession of his mother Peggy, his grandmother Margaret, and his sister Debbie. After completing his studies at Thacher, Ojai remained a special place to John, and he enjoyed spending time over the years there on his family’s citrus and avocado ranch. John graduated from Rutgers University with a degree in History, and earned a second undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. While living in Santa Barbara, John worked in a hands-on role, helping children with special needs. After moving back to Los Angeles, John began dating his childhood sweetheart, Dori Dodson, and they were married in 1975. Both earned MBA degrees from the business school at UCLA, which would later be renamed “UCLA Anderson School of Management” after John’s father, John E. Anderson. In the years that followed, John and Dori had four sons: John III, Michael, James and Kevin. John worked for Arthur Andersen LLP, before joining his father in their family business, Topa Equities Ltd. (now “Anderson Holdings”), in 1978. John led Ace Beverage Co., Topa’s Los Angeles-area Anheuser-Busch distributorship, for over 35 years. Ace experienced significant growth during John’s tenure, as the Budweiser brands became global leaders. John oversaw the acquisition of several local distributors, consolidating much of the greater Los Angeles market, and led the expansion of Ace’s brand portfolio to include many leading domestic and imported beverage brands. John was President of the California Beer Wholesalers Association and was a respected industry leader. John also served as Topa’s Vice Chairman, overseeing its real estate, insurance, and automotive retail subsidiaries, in addition to its growing beverage division, which expanded to include businesses in Hawaii, the US Virgin Islands, and Los Angeles. John was a respected and beloved leader at Topa, who conducted himself with integrity and humility. He was very active in non-profit organizations throughout his career. He served as President of the Hollenbeck Youth Center, Chairman of the Board of Carlthorp School, and was involved in Young Presidents Organization (YPO), among other non-profit and community affiliations. John had an active Christian faith, and served in various leadership roles in churches and ministries. He was a truly devoted husband and father. Over the years, he coached his sons (and many other young people) in various sports, and enjoyed teaching his children and grandchildren to play golf. When John took a step back from day-to-day responsibilities at Topa in 2017, he and Dori moved to Indian Wells, California. John finally had time to enjoy longer visits to his beloved Sun Valley, Idaho, where his extended family had vacationed for over forty years. Most importantly, he continued to focus on his role as a loving husband, father and grandfather, and on giving back to the local community. Despite a difficult battle with ALS over the last two years of his life, John’s faith remained strong, and he never lost his sense of humor and fun-loving nature. John passed away on May 8, 2024, peacefully and with family by his side. He is survived by his devoted wife Dori, three siblings (Susan McKinley, Judith Munzig, and William Anderson), four sons and daughters-in-law (John III and Shannon, Michael and Jillian, James and Laura, and Kevin and Lauren), and nine grandchildren who will miss their “Bumpa” tremendously. For those who wish to make a donation in John’s honor, his family requests that it be made to: Target ALS Foundation (targetals.org). Dana Schwartz January 30, 1935 - May 9, 2024 Dana Schwartz, loving wife, mother, grandmother, philanthropist, Holocaust survivor and matriarch, died peacefully in her sleep surrounded by loved one’s Thursday, May 9 in Los Angeles. She was 89 years old. Born Danuta “Danusia” Szapira on January 30, 1935 in Lvov, Poland, she immigrated to the United States in late 1949 and settled in Los Angeles. Dana’s earliest experiences shaped her future. She was just 4 when World War II broke out. Forced to separate from her father after escaping a horrific ghetto, she and her mother hid in forests and farm buildings, concealing their Jewish identities and narrowly avoiding capture and death many times over. Enduring unspeakable evil, physical and emotional trauma, they miraculously outlasted the war. Many years later, she confirmed her father’s murder in the Janowska death camp. Soon after relocating to Los Angeles, she tragically lost her mother to cancer, leaving her an orphaned teenager. A graduate of UCLA, Dana later earned an MFCC and counseled many people through the years. From the 1970’s to the present, Dana was involved with Holocaust education. Her commitment to “never forget” the atrocities of the Holocaust, and to make the world a better place through education, generosity of spirit, and hospitality grew with each passing year. A very active member of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust, she was one of the original members of the Holocaust Museum LA and served on the Board of Directors and as Vice Chair of the Board. In 1994, she became the first interviewer and subsequently the first trainer-evaluator of interviewers for the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. Now known as the USC Shoah Foundation, its “mission is to develop empathy, understanding and respect through testimony,” which dovetailed perfectly with Dana’s mission in life. She spent thousands of hours lecturing students from middle school through graduate school about her inspirational personal story, garnering thousands of thank you letters. Together with her late husband, Dr. Wilbur Schwartz, and eight other like-minded couples, she co-founded the Concern Foundation – dedicated to funding cancer research in Israel and around the world. She was awarded an Honorary Fellowship at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. Her ultimate passion was celebrating life with family and friends. Her favorite saying was, “The best revenge against evil is to fill the world with love and live a great life.” Dana loved the greater Los Angeles community and was grateful for the dream that America allowed her to manifest. She literally made the world a better place for all, and will be greatly missed. She is survived by sons Steven, Richard and Jonathan Schwartz, daughters-in-law Jennifer and Rebecca, granddaughters Lana and Sara, and grandsons Harrison, Sidney, Wilson and Micah. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Holocaust Museum LA, The USC Shoah Foundation, or the Concern Foundation. Obituaries Placeapaid notice latimes.com/placeobituary Search obituary notice archives: legacy.com/obituaries/latimes latimes.com/placeobituary Larry Brent LeGras August 6, 1936 - April 29, 2024 Larry LeGras, the son of Mildred and Jack Le Gras, was born in Fresno and raised in Visalia until moving to Los Angeles to pursue his career in Fashion Design. Larry inspired all who knew him with his love of Art, Costume Design, Fashion & Interior Design, Travel, Archaeology, Color, Animals, Gardens . . . . an angel of the first degree who planted ideas and inspiration that will grow for generations to come. A man of the world, his life’s journey was amazing. A talented, kind, generous man, sharing his knowledge of clothing design and art. His artistic talent visible in every aspect of his life, which led him to many awards. Handsome vibrant leader,. Professor of Fashion Design at L.A and Orange County Universities. He served on his Alma Mater Alumni Board at Cal Arts, before retiring at the beach in Cayucos, CA. He was unforgettable. Survived by: husband John Paul Drayer, niece Toni Le Gras-Price, nephew Steven LeGras, cousin Opal Blake, 2 Siamese cats Harvey and Bernie. And many beloved friends. GRAVESIDE SERVICE: May 24, 2024 at 2PM, Cayucos Cemetery Richard Charles Biscay November 1, 1947 - April 17, 2024 Richard Charles Biscay, born November 1, 1947, passed peacefully, surrounded by his family, on April 17, 2024. The son of Jeanne Biscay and St. Jean Biscay, a first-generation French immigrant, Rich was born and raised in Oakland, California. Rich graduated from Bishop O’Dowd High School and attended UC Berkeley. He graduated from UCLA Medical School, and proudly shared stories of his days as a student--like when he lived off of a single canned ham for weeks at a time to make ends meet! While at UCLA, Rich met his wife Brooke; they were celebrating their 50th year of marriage this year. For 42 years, Rich dedicated his life to serving as an emergency room physician in the South Bay, with 27 of those years spent as Director of the Emergency Department at Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center. His work ethic and care for his patients inspired many, not the least of which were his daughters, Hillary and Cameron. Rich likewise took great pride in their accomplishments, and cherished visiting and rooting for the University of Michigan, USC and Harvard, where they studied and competed in sports. Rich’s other passion was golf.Along-time member of Palos Verdes Golf Club and Spyglass Hill Golf Club, Rich’s friendships and memories from both were a source of great joy for him. Rich’s legacy of love, dedication, and service will live on through all those whose lives he touched. Rich is survived by his devoted wife Brooke, daughters Hillary and Cameron, son-in-law Maik Twelsiek, four grandchildren, and six grandpups.Aprivate family mass will be held in his honor. Donations may be made in his name to the Peninsula Committee for the Children’s Hospital, PO Box 801, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274. To place an obituary ad please go online to: latimes.com/placeobituary or call 1-800-234-4444 Jean Culbert Burnside Life is like a party, and for a lucky few, the party is organized with a combination of elegance, conviviality and grace. For Jean Culbert Burnside, who departed this world peacefully on Feb. 21st, 2024, the life that she shepherded was always cloaked in beauty, thoughtfulness, honesty and charm. Parties that she hosted left guests feeling happy to have had a seat at her table. Her presence commanded respect and her kindness knew no bounds. Born on Jan 27, 1929, in Fremont, Ohio, Jean was filled with an adventurous spirit from a very young age. She became accustomed to exploring new places as her family regularly moved to follow her father’s career throughout the east coast of the United States. Blessed with an ability to skillfully traverse unknown roads throughout her life, Jean navigated challenges and opportunities with curiosity and determination. The eldest of three siblings, she was always quick to forge a path forward for everyone in tow. It was at Hyattsville High School in Maryland that Jean met the love of her life, Waldo Burnside. From there, she attended the University of Maryland earning her degree in education. Married in 1950, Jean taught nursery school and kindergarten until she and Waldo started their family. Together, they raised their four children in Bethesda, MD as Waldo progressed on his career path as a department store executive at Woodward and Lothrop and later at Carter Hawley Hale. Her love for her husband and her commitment to their mutual ambitions made her an integral part of their unstoppable team. Throughout their 73 years of married life they embarked on new territories together and gained a strong footing in the local communities that they served. Jean stayed committed to working in partnership with Waldo to raise an incredible family and together they lived their lives dedicated to personal integrity and generosity. Aided by a profound intellect Jean savored everything life offered her: travel, food, art and design, adventure, and nature. She was smart and observant and encouraged others to embrace the world with open eyes and gratitude for a life filled with opportunity. Possessed with impeccable style, she had an ability to create an environment of inspiration that captivated all who crossed her path. Jean’s laugh was infectious, her poise and sophistication admirable, and her beauty effortless and undeniable. Above all Jean was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend. Her wisdom and guidance will be sorely missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her. Though Jean may no longer walk among us, her spirit will live on in the hearts and minds of those she touched. Jean is preceded in death by her husband Waldo Burnside, father Don Culbert, mother Edna Hilbish Culbert and brother Jim Culbert. She is survived by her four children: Diane, Leslie (Joe), Arlene (Greg), and Bill; her eleven grandchildren: Gretchen, Drew, George, Lauren, Jaime, Katie, Tony, Michael, Brian, Phil, Rachel, her ten great-grandchildren and her sister Mary Faw. Join us in a celebration of Jean on June 1st at 11:00 am at Gawler’s Funeral Home at 5130 Wisconsin Ave, Washington DC. May her soul rest in eternal peace. M emorial contr ib utions may be made to the University of Maryland C. P. Foundation (giving.umd. edu/giving) or Saint John’s Health Center Foundation (saintjohnsfoundation.org). 19 Although a primi 35 tive, two-color process was fi rst used in 1922, audiences weren’t impressed by Technicolor until a three-color system appeared in “Becky Sharp.” latimes.com/archives The year that was Mary Gillespie Jordan Smith March 25, 1922 - May 13, 2024 Our beloved mother, Mary Gillespie Jordan Smith, died May 13, 2024. She was 102 years old. Mary was the heart and soul of our family. Born in Quito, Ecuador, she immigrated to the United States with her family at 14. She was married to James O. Jordan until his death in 1976. In 1983, she married Frank M. Smith, successfully blending their ten children into one wonderful family. She was known for her kind heart, generous nature, great spirit of adventure and epic Christmas Eve parties. She was a wonderful role model for always living life to the fullest, sharing what you have, and never forgetting the less fortunate. We were so lucky to have her as our mother and will miss her dearly. Mary is survived by her children Peggy Phillips (Norton), Jim “Rocky” Jordan (Claudia), Cynthia Jordan, Karen Jordan (Charles), Paul Jordan (Teresa), Ricki Harvey (Ralph), Cindi Langendoen, Brian Smith (Jill), Kevin Smith (Jan), twenty grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husbands and Craig Smith. Mary always said she had an amazing life. She would enjoy it if we all poured a glass of wine, preferably red, and toasted her celebration of a life well lived. Funeral arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to Immaculate Heart High School, 5515 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028, or the school’s website www. immaculateheart.org. Shirley Ellen Richter Mount Sinai Mem Parks - H. Hills 800-600-0076 www.mountsinaiparks.org Kathleen Dahlgren Kathleen Dahlgren, a pioneer in the development of computer systems that understand natural language, was born to James and Halstead Goldsmith in Los Angeles, California. Kathleen had multiple passions, her professional work in natural language; her family, husband James, son Charles, and daughters Megan and Mollie; and her work in progressive politics. Kathleen went to college at UCLA, where she obtained a B.S. degree in mathematics. She worked as a programmer, then did graduate work at the UCLA Department of Linguistics. Her book, “Naive Semantics for Natural Language Understanding,” was published by MIT Press in 1988, and reprinted three times. She founded Cognition, Inc. in Santa Monica CA in the early 1990’s, where she and her team developed a natural language-based search engine that foreshadowed some of the capabilities of recent artificial intelligence methods. Cognition was later acquired by Nuance, Inc. Kathleen was proud of protesting the Vietnam War at UCLA, and her political work in Los Angeles and San Francisco. To place an obituary ad please go online to: latimes.com/placeobituary or call Ms. Phillips 1-800-528-4637 Ext. 77242 Dolores V. Padilla June 13, 1927 - April 5, 2024 Dolores V. Padilla (Dody) was born to Olympia Velarde and Francisco Velasquez in Los Angeles. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband (Henry), sisters (Gloria and Teresa), her brother (Steven), and her son (Steven). She was a deeply spiritual person who strongly believed in the power of prayer. Gardening was her passion and she loved camping, music and parties. She is survived by her sister, Barbara Lucero, her children, Henry, Jr., and Dorothy, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, and many family members and friends who will cherish her memory always. She cared deeply for children in need. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in her name to Children’s Hospital, Los Angeles. Stephen Matthew Sherrill Stephen Matthew Sherrill, a hotelier, resort developer, and lifelong San Marino resident who was active in Republican national politics, died peacefully on May 7 at MonteCedro Retirement Community after a brief decline. He was 93. A man of exuberance and many passions, including thoroughbred horse racing, roulette wheels, old movies, Chuck Barris custom-designed cars, and fireworks displays — he was a licensed pyro-technician for 47 years — Mr. Sherrill also had a gift for making friends and keeping them. His love of cool jazz and “straight ahead sounds” became his calling in later years when he introduced younger family members to the Los Angeles jazz scene by taking them to clubs such as the great, now shuttered Charlie O’s in Van Nuys and sharing his old vinyl records. At 89, he launched a private e-newsletter, The Jazz Machine, offering his favorite tunes to a list of 200 avid subscribers. Mr. Sherrill graduated from South Pasadena/San Marino High School in 1949 and Cornell University School of Hotel Management in 1954 where he was a member of the Zeta Psi Fraternity. He was stationed in France with the U.S. Air Force from 1955-1957. His inclusive, gregarious nature led him to a job as a social host at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel when he was still in college, acquiring skills that served him through-out his life. After a 20-year career in sales and marketing strategy for luxury and convention hotels in Europe, Hawaii and California, he worked as a real estate broker, advisor to resort developments, and pyrotechnic expert and event-planner with White House Advance Operations for presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. As the colorful patriarch of a large fanbase of family, friends, and assorted followers, he was a supreme organizer of lively gatherings at the Santa Anita Racetrack and the Rose Parade. After dinner at his home — he loved to cook — a roulette wheel or slot machine was brought out for kicks. When he visited you, his arrival and departure were announced by a police siren that he’d had installed in his car, a gag that, like Steve himself, never got old. He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Marilyn Patton Sherrill. Survivors include two daughters, Theresa Eason of Park City, Utah, and Leslee Sherrill (Stephen Talt) of San Marino; five grandchildren, Brantley Eason (Tristin), Trent Eason, Glover Talt, Peyton Talt, and Thayer Talt and three great-grandchildren, Patton Eason, Gwen Eason, and Charlotte Eason. A private burial was held this week. A memorial service with jazz and fireworks is as yet unscheduled.

LATIMES.COM S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 B9 “If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted,” the statement said. “As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs.” The recording, dated March 5, 2016, shows Ventura with a hoodie and a duffel bag as she walks toward an elevator in a hotel hallway. Combs can be seen running down the hallway, shirtless and holding a towel around his waist. Security video recorded from another angle shows him grabbing Ventura’s head and throwing her on the ground, where he kicks her multiple times. Combs can also be seen picking up her bags and trying to drag her back to the first hallway. Ventura’s November lawsuit detailed the attack, which occurred at the InterContinental hotel in Century City. After Combs fell asleep, Ventura attempted to leave the room, the lawsuit said, but he awoke and “began screaming” at his then-girlfriend. “He followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her,” the complaint said. “He grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw them at her, causing glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape.” The newly surfaced video shows Ventura using a hotel phone by the elevators, as well as Combs going back to his hotel room and then separately seemingly shoving Ventura into a corner. He is also seen throwing a vase in her direction. The 2023 complaint said Ventura, “stuck in this vicious cycle of abuse,” took a cab to her apartment after the attack but returned to the hotel seeking to apologize for running away from Combs. The hotel’s security staff encouraged her to go back home, the lawsuit said, informing her they had seen video of “Mr. Combs beating [her] and throwing glass at her in the hotel hallway.” Ventura, 37, and Combs, 54, dated for about 11 years before breaking up in 2018. In her lawsuit — brought under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act — Ventura also accused Combs of rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking. “He signed her to his label, Bad Boy Records, and within a few years, lured Ms. Ventura into an ostentatious, fast-paced, and drugfueled lifestyle, and into a romantic relationship with him — her boss, one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry, and a vicious, cruel, and controlling man nearly two decades her senior,” the lawsuit said. Combs’ lawyer Ben Brafman said in a November statement to The Times that his client “vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations” and accused Ventura of being “persistent” in demanding more than $30 million from Combs. He said the complaint was “riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’ reputation and seeking a payday.” Shortly after Ventura’s lawsuit was settled, Combs faced further allegations of sexual abuse. Joi DickersonNeal alleged in a November 2023 lawsuit that the hiphop artist and music executive drugged and sexually assaulted her in the 1990s, when she was 19. Combs recorded and shared a video of that assault, the document said. In December, Combs and former Bad Boy label president Harve Pierre were accused in another lawsuit of gang rape and sex trafficking. Pierre has denied the allegations, which he called “disgusting,” “false” and a “desperate attempt for financial gain.” Then in February, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones sued Combs, accusing him of sexual assault and harassment. Jones also accused several of the mogul’s associates of illicit behavior and likened Combs’ inner circle to a “RICO enterprise.” Combs, through attorney Shawn Holley, rejected Jones’ allegations. “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30- million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday,” Holley said in a February statement. “His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines. We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.” Amid all that turmoil, U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents conducted searches of Combs’ Holmby Hills and Miami mansions in March as part of a federal inquiry into sextrafficking allegations involving Combs. Aaron Dyer, one of Combs’ lawyers, called the raids a “witch hunt” in a March statement. “There was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Dyer said. “This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations.” Times staff writers Nardine Saad and Richard Winton contributed to this report. Video shows Combs assaulting singer [Combs, from B1] tial notice in the mail, he said, possibly tossing out the letter thinking it was junk mail. He discovered the fine in March, seven months later, after it was sent to a collection agency. Like Rice, thousands of other drivers are receiving similar citations from the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority after visiting their parks. The controversial practice was first reported by KTLATV. Tasked with preserving and managing open space and parkland, the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority is a local government organization that manages more than 75,000 acres of land and more than 100 parks. It was created in 1985 in a partnership between state and local park and recreation agencies. With seven cameras installed in four parks, the organization issues about 17,000 citations a year, bringing in about $1.1 million every year, said Dash Stolarz, spokesperson for the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority. That means that the agency tasked with preserving free open space, parkland and coastal access issues about 47 stop sign citations a day. “It’s set up like a turnstile to generate money,” Rice said. “It’s a money machine for the park.” The cameras were installed at Temescal Gateway Park, Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park, Top of Topanga and Franklin Canyon Park in 2007. Stolarz, the agency spokesperson, said the cameras were not installed to make revenue but as a safety measure and to enforce the park rules. “How are you supposed to keep people safe if you can’t enforce the rules of the park?” she said. “If you don’t get the cars to stop, everyone thinks they don’t have to stop.” The $1.1 million generated from the fees is only a fraction of the agency’s multimillion-dollar budget. This year, the 2023-24 budget showed the agency expected to see more than $77 million in grants. The money from the fees goes back into maintaining the parks, she said. However, the citations generated more revenue than parking fees ($920,000), more than double the revenue from leases and licensing ($460,000), and nearly as much as the funds generated from filming fees ($1.25 million), according to the agency budget. With the thousands of citations issued each year, however, Rice said he feels the $100 fine is similar to a “regressive tax on their user base.” “For a lot of people who go there to go hiking or have a picnic, $100 is a lot of money,” he said. Rice is also concerned that, like him, many people toss out the initial citation thinking it is junk mail. He’s also concerned that, unlike traffic cameras used by cities and law enforcement agencies, the tickets are issued to the owner of the vehicle, not the driver. Because the citations are rule violations, instead of traffic tickets, the park agency is not required to meet vehicle code requirements for operating traffic cameras and identifying drivers when it issues the citations. Red light cameras, for example, require law enforcement agencies to confirm the identity of the driver when tickets are issued. The citations also state that, despite the similarity, it’s “not issued for any violation of any provision of the California Vehicle Code.” “Neither the issuance of this citation nor its non-payment will be reflected in your official driving record,” it reads. Not paying, however, can result in “an adverse report on your credit rating.” The Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority has been sued by ticketed motorists over the citations and was named in a class-action lawsuit challenging the tickets’ validity. In July 2015, however, the California 2nd District Court of Appeals ruled that the agency could issue the tickets under the Public Resources Code and it can enforce its own rules to manage park lands. “This [ruling] affirms that the MRCA has the authority to enforce its ordinance, including the photo enforcement program,” Stolarz said in an email. In an interview, Stolarz said tickets are issued by park rangers for violations such as parking, speeding and stop sign violations. She added that the cameras were placed in locations identified in traffic studies as “hot spots” — places with repeat violations. The intersections with cameras, she said, also include multiple signs that alert drivers about the stop signs and the camera enforcement. “It’s very well marked,” she said. Real tickets with real consequences [Fines, from B1] FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT Allen J. Schaben Los Angeles Times Caoimhe Cook, 2, enjoys a day on the sand Friday as his dad, professional volleyball player Seain Cook, competes in the first round of the 2024 AVP Huntington Beach Open. The weather should be fine for Sunday’s tournament final, with partly cloudy conditions. “The state has experienced a chronic housing shortage for decades,” said Sarah Karlinsky, research director for the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley. The housing squeeze has put people “in substandard housing conditions,” and “a little bit of a breather in the housing market might allow someone who is doubling, tripling, quadrupling up to find a place of their own,” she said. So many are “teetering on the edge or have fallen into homelessness,” Karlinsky said, and for them the state will need more subsidized affordable housing. When the state adds to its housing stock, she said, it shouldn’t just be adding high-rises, but also “more affordable multifamily housing options” that might be smaller and cheaper. Cities may begin to boost their population as businesses end work-from-home policies, but Karlinsky cautioned that “if everybody is driving back into their jobs, then that is going to be incredibly unpleasant.” On a numeric basis, Los Angeles County has the most ground to make up: It still has about 340,000 fewer people than it did in 2019. San Francisco, San Diego and Santa Clara counties are each around 40,000 people short. Of the 58 counties in California, 25 counties gained population since 2019, representing a total of just under 12 million people, or 30% of the state population. Three counties reported more than 5% population growth: San Benito, Yuba and Trinity, all rural areas with relatively few residents. San Francisco County, the biggest percentage loser among large counties in the five-year span, had 5% fewer people than it did in 2019. Los Angeles County saw its population shrink by 3.3%. In 2023, San Francisco County grew by 0.1% and Los Angeles County grew by 0.5%, far from making up for the losses of the last few years. The Public Policy Institute of California projects that “it is unlikely that California will return to a period of rapid population growth.” “Improving housing affordability through residential construction will be crucial to stemming outmigration, especially among middle- and low-income households,” the institute wrote last year. In addition to lower population growth, the state will have an aging population, limiting a workforce “which is likely to shrink as many workers retire,” according to the institute. The consequences of those two trends would be widespread and could include issues such as “fewer healthcare personnel to care for the growing number of older Californians,” the institute wrote. Despite California’s overall diminished population, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last month that the state’s exodus was over, referencing new data showing the state’s population grew in 2023. The report showed “people from across the nation and the globe are coming to the Golden State,” Newsom wrote on the social media platform X. But the growth has not been substantial, according to experts, who say longtime population trends have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The winners and losers of population change over the last five years are largely defined by the urban-rural divide. Sutter County in Northern California and Imperial County along the Mexican border each reported growth of almost 2% in 2023, leading the state. On the other end of the spectrum, Mono County, along the border with Nevada, lost 2.5% of its population in a year. “It’s right to make note of this change in the direction of our population,” said Hans Johnson, a demographer at the Public Policy Institute of California, “but, by historic standards and compared to the population growth rate in the rest of the U.S., it’s a small number.” If California continued its anemic growth from 2023, the state would be outpaced by most other states and would lose representation in the House of Representatives again in 2030, he said. Even amid the turmoil of the pandemic, population trends persisted: Exurbs far from job centers “have long been the focus of growth in California” and continued to grow in the last five years, Johnson said. In contrast, major urban centers such as Los Angeles County still “have room to get back to where they were,” he said. During three consecutive years of population loss, “there were a lot of stories about how California was so dysfunctional that no one wanted to be here,” Johnson said, but the state is returning to “a more normal pattern of population change.” State 1.2% smaller than in 2019 L.A. COUNTY has about 340,000 fewer people than in 2019. Above, pedestrians on 7th Street downtown. Irfan Khan Los Angeles Times [Population, from B1]

B10 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM Pressure: L Low C H High Warm Front old Front Jet Stream Trough –0 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100+ Rain T-storm Snow Ice Temps ◗ ▲ Monterr Monterrey 100/72 Chihuah Chihuahua 102/66 Los Angeles 70/55 Washington shington 75/57 New York 69/56 Miami 94/78 Atlanta Atlanta 79/62 Detroit 84/63 Houston Houston 91/72 Kansas City 87/67 Chicago 77/60 Minneapolis 75/58 El Paso El Paso 99/68 Denver 81/48 Billings 57/38 San Francisco 66/51 Seattle 63/45 Toronto 76/57 Montreal Montreal 79/61 Winnipeg Winnipeg 68/49 Monterrey 100/72 Chihuahua 102/66 Los Angeles 70/55 Washington 75/57 New York 69/56 Miami 94/78 Atlanta 79/62 Detroit 84/63 Houston 91/72 Kansas City 87/67 Chicago 77/60 Minneapolis 75/58 El Paso 99/68 Denver 81/48 Billings 57/38 San Francisco 66/51 Seattle 63/45 Toronto 76/57 Montreal 79/61 Winnipeg 68/49 Good Moderate Unhealthful for: Sensitive people All Not Available South Coast Air Quality Management District forecasts air quality Air quality Today in Southern California Today in North America 5-day forecasts High/low temperatures are average forecasts for entire zone. L.A. Basin Valleys Beaches Mountains Deserts Surf and sea POINT CONCEPTION TO MEXICO California cities* Tides Almanac UV index Sun and moon L.A. Outer Harbor, in feet. County Height Period Direction Temp Saturday Downtown readings Minutes to burn for sensitive people Temperature Los Angeles Fullerton Ventura* Today’s rise/set May 23 May 30 June 6 June 13 Los Angeles Co. Orange Co. Ventura Co. VENTURA CO. LOS ANGELES CO. RIVERSIDE CO. SAN BERNARDINO CO. SANTA BARBARA CO. SAN DIEGO CO. ORANGE CO. Santa Barbara Ventura Oxnard Ojai Camarillo Santa Paula Westlake Village Woodland Hills Santa Monica Torrance Long Beach Newport Beach Santa Ana Laguna Beach San Clemente Mission Viejo Irvine Oceanside Escondido Poway Ramona San Diego Temecula Hemet Palm Springs Fullerton Chino Riverside Ontario Pomona/ Fairplex San Bernardino Yucca Valley Hesperia Whittier Hills UCLA Simi Valley Chatsworth Burbank Monrovia Santa Clarita L.A. Downtown Key: Su sunny; Pc partly cloudy; Cy cloudy; Fg foggy; Prcp precipitation; Dr drizzle; Hz hazy Sh showers; Ts thunderstorms; R rain; Sn snow; Sf snow flurries; I ice; Rs rain/snow; W windy; Tr trace. Notes: National extremes exclude Alaska and Hawaii. * - data estimated. Saturday’s readings as of 2 p.m. U.S. cities City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Sky City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Sky World City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Hi Lo City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Hi Lo City Hi Lo Prcp. Hi Lo Hi Lo Sun 5:49a/7:51p 5:48a/7:49p 5:52a/7:56p Moon 4:29p/3:35a 4:28p/3:34a 4:34p/3:39a Sunny 67/55 Clearing 71/56 Sunny 70/59 Sunny 70/58 Partly sunny 66/52 Warmer 76/54 Less clouds 74/55 Less clouds 69/54 Sunny 64/55 Sunny 66/54 Sunny 65/58 Mostly cloudy 66/56 Mostly sunny 62/34 Sunny 64/35 Mostly sunny 66/42 Mostly sunny 67/32 Breezy 90/62 Sunny 96/69 Breezy 97/64 Breezy 92/59 Clouds, then sun Partly sunny; cool Sunny Windy Windy in the p.m. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Today Inner waters: Wind variable, becoming west 10-15 knots. Wind waves 3-4 feet. Mixed swell west 2-3 feet at 11 seconds; southwest 3 feet at 18 seconds. Surf zone: The risk of strong rip currents will be high at all area beaches but low at S.B. County beaches. Santa Barbara 1-3’ 17 sec SSW 58 Ventura 3-5’ 17 sec SSW 58 Los Angeles 3-5’ 17 sec SSW 60 Orange 3-5’ 17 sec SSW 60 San Diego 3-5’ 17 sec SW 63 Today 7:48a 3.6 Hi 1:58a 0.9 Lo 7:44p 5.2 Hi 1:18p 1.3 Lo Mon. 8:33a 3.6 Hi 2:32a 0.4 Lo 8:06p 5.5 Hi 1:43p 1.5 Lo High/low 68/59 72/61 62/54 Normal high/low 74/58 76/59 69/52 High/low a year ago 74/60 73/60 76/55 Record high/date 99/1892 95/2008 87/1978 Record low/date 45/1880 53/2011 44/1974 24-hour total (as of 2 p.m.) 0.00 0.00 0.00 Season total (since Oct. 1) 22.15 16.59 24.73 Last season (Oct. 1 to date) 28.02 21.31 26.96 Season norm (Oct. 1 to date) 14.03 11.59 15.87 Humidity (high/low) 77/60 86/51 100/65 Precipitation Los Angeles Fullerton Ventura* Las Vegas, 10 Los Angeles, 10 Phoenix, 10 San Francisco, 25 70/55 70/52 66/56 70/39 96/64 65/50 69/49 64/53 67/54 69/52 70/55 69/53 71/52 65/57 68/58 64/58 63/56 67/55 69/57 70/52 66/54 67/57 71/49 73/51 67/54 67/57 67/59 66/56 71/55 69/55 73/53 75/49 96/64 74/49 70/55 66/54 71/51 70/51 72/49 67/52 71/53 85/49 70/53 72/53 76/52 85/58 Forecasts by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2024 High 105 in Del Rio, Texas Low 21 in Stanley, Idaho Saturday Today Saturday Today Albany 75 56 -- 78 54 Pc Albuquerque 86 56 -- 87 55 Pc Anchorage 57 40 Tr 54 42 Cy Aspen 62 38 .14 66 41 Ts Atlanta 77 67 .34 79 62 Cy Austin 93 66 -- 92 70 Su Baltimore 65 59 .38 75 55 Cy Boise 74 41 -- 63 40 Pc Boston 60 54 .05 56 51 Pc Bufalo 75 60 .09 79 57 Pc Burlington, Vt. 75 61 .04 79 58 Pc Charleston, S.C. 78 73 .14 78 63 Ts Charlotte 79 68 .22 73 58 Cy Chicago 84 59 -- 77 60 Pc Cincinnati 80 59 Tr 85 62 Su Cleveland 74 57 -- 79 62 Su Columbia, S.C. 80 68 .02 72 60 Ts Columbus 81 60 .12 86 61 Pc Dallas/Ft.Worth 92 68 -- 90 72 Su Denver 72 53 .04 81 48 Pc Detroit 74 60 -- 84 63 Ts El Paso 98 66 -- 99 68 Su Eugene 67 42 -- 65 40 Sh Fort Myers 93 77 -- 91 75 Ts Hartford 69 57 .01 71 50 Pc Honolulu 83 74 .13 80 71 Sh Houston 91 65 -- 91 72 Su Indianapolis 81 60 -- 86 65 Su Jacksonville, Fla. 88 73 .68 91 67 Ts Kansas City 87 60 -- 87 67 Pc Knoxville 79 66 .85 81 60 Pc Las Vegas 96 78 -- 94 69 Su Louisville 82 62 -- 87 65 Su Medford 77 46 -- 69 42 Su Memphis 79 65 .40 88 67 Su Miami 94 81 .05 94 78 Ts Milwaukee 80 51 -- 71 54 Su Minneapolis 81 64 .40 75 58 Cy Nashville 79 67 .02 86 63 Su New Orleans 83 70 .34 90 74 Su New York 69 59 .08 69 56 Pc Norfolk 61 60 .34 65 57 Ts Oklahoma City 87 60 -- 88 69 Su Omaha 82 66 Tr 82 63 Ts Orlando 96 73 .14 89 71 Ts Philadelphia 68 56 .23 74 55 Pc Phoenix 104 77 -- 100 72 Su Pittsburgh 81 63 1.31 83 58 Pc Portland, Ore. 65 49 .05 66 48 Cy Providence 59 54 .27 58 49 Pc Raleigh/Durham 82 69 .86 75 59 Ts Reno 85 55 .02 76 44 Su Richmond 63 60 .59 73 54 Ts St. Louis 87 64 -- 92 69 Pc Salt Lake City 81 51 -- 73 52 Pc Acapulco 90 77 -- 91 77 Su Amsterdam 75 55 .02 71 54 Su Athens 81 59 Tr 79 64 Pc Bangkok 93 82 .14 95 83 Ts Barcelona 67 57 .16 70 59 Pc Berlin 69 54 .02 69 52 Sh Cabo San Lucas 90 65 -- 93 72 Su Cairo 102 77 -- 101 79 Pc Dubai 100 90 -- 98 79 Su Dublin 66 52 -- 66 49 Su Havana 93 76 -- 95 75 Su Ho Chi Minh City 95 82 .67 96 82 Ts Hong Kong 83 76 1.03 78 74 Ts Istanbul 72 57 -- 70 59 Cy Jerusalem 85 64 -- 86 66 Pc Johannesburg 74 43 -- 74 52 Su Kuala Lumpur 92 77 .52 92 77 Ts Lima 67 62 -- 70 63 Cy London 66 55 -- 72 49 Pc Madrid 73 45 -- 70 46 Su Mecca 113 77 -- 109 83 Hz Mexico City 89 61 .03 87 60 Pc Montreal 75 64 .02 79 61 Su Moscow 68 45 -- 68 48 Su Mumbai 93 86 -- 96 85 Pc New Delhi 111 87 -- 112 88 Su Paris 71 52 .26 68 52 Pc Prague 61 52 .32 68 49 Ts Rome 75 55 .02 76 62 Ts Seoul 79 57 -- 81 56 Cy Singapore 89 82 .09 89 80 Ts Taipei City 84 66 .02 88 74 Pc Tokyo 79 64 .01 74 60 R Vancouver 58 46 .20 61 46 Su Vienna 68 52 -- 74 55 Pc Seattle 55 47 .27 63 45 Pc Tampa 91 79 -- 87 77 Ts Tucson 98 67 -- 95 66 Su Tulsa 89 62 -- 91 69 Pc Washington, D.C. 64 62 .54 75 57 Cy Wichita 87 60 Tr 88 65 W SATURDAY’S EXTREMES FOR THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES Anaheim 68 57 -- 69 55 69 55 Avalon/Catalina 72 52 -- 57 52 57 51 Bakersfield 89 59 -- 89 57 84 58 Barstow 94 63 -- 93 60 86 56 Big Bear Lake 64 40 -- 70 39 62 34 Bishop 86 48 Tr 87 50 81 44 Burbank 68 54 -- 67 52 66 52 Camarillo 71 55 -- 70 55 66 55 Chatsworth 71 52 -- 71 51 66 51 Chino 75 54 -- 73 53 71 52 Compton 68 57 -- 69 57 69 56 Dana Point 66 59 -- 65 57 65 57 Death Valley 103 90 -- 104 91 99 90 Del Mar 71 59 -- 60 56 61 58 Escondido 76 56 -- 70 52 69 51 Eureka 56 44 Tr 57 43 56 44 Fallbrook 71 56 -- 71 53 69 53 Fresno 89 59 -- 87 55 84 59 Fullerton 73 57 -- 69 55 68 54 Hemet 76 51 -- 75 49 71 50 Hesperia 78 50 -- 79 49 70 46 Huntington Beach 67 59 -- 64 57 66 58 Idyllwild 69 49 -- 69 49 66 49 Irvine 70 58 -- 67 57 67 56 L.A. D’ntown/USC 68 56 -- 70 55 67 55 L.A. Int’l. Airport 66 56 -- 66 56 64 56 Laguna Beach 63 58 -- 63 56 65 57 Lancaster 81 55 -- 84 51 74 51 Long Beach 70 58 -- 68 58 67 57 Mammoth Lakes 68 38 -- 66 34 60 25 Mission Viejo 74 56 .01 67 54 66 54 Monrovia 73 54 -- 71 53 67 52 Monterey 60 51 -- 60 50 63 47 Mt. Wilson 64 48 -- 56 44 50 45 Needles 101 72 -- 100 71 97 67 Newport Beach 65 59 -- 64 58 64 58 Northridge 71 54 -- 71 53 69 52 Oakland 65 52 -- 66 51 70 50 Oceanside 72 60 -- 69 57 68 56 Ojai 67 50 -- 69 49 65 48 Ontario 74 54 -- 72 53 70 52 Palm Springs 98 64 -- 96 64 90 62 Pasadena 69 55 -- 69 53 67 52 Paso Robles 67 47 -- 73 43 71 42 Redding 92 57 -- 87 63 86 60 Riverside 77 50 -- 74 49 72 49 Sacramento 78 50 -- 81 50 85 52 San Bernardino 79 53 -- 76 52 73 50 San Diego 69 60 -- 67 57 67 55 San Francisco 68 52 -- 66 51 69 51 San Gabriel 71 56 -- 70 55 68 54 San Jose 76 53 -- 74 51 77 53 San Luis Obispo 69 55 -- 67 54 67 49 Santa Ana 70 60 -- 67 59 67 56 Santa Barbara 63 52 -- 65 50 66 49 Santa Clarita 70 50 -- 72 49 68 48 Santa Monica Pier 66 57 -- 66 56 64 55 Santa Paula 66 52 -- 69 52 65 50 Santa Rosa 65 44 -- 78 46 81 47 Simi Valley 68 50 -- 70 51 67 50 Tahoe Valley 71 38 -- 65 35 60 32 Temecula 74 53 -- 73 51 69 50 Thousand Oaks 65 51 -- 69 52 67 50 Torrance 66 58 -- 65 57 64 55 UCLA 64 55 -- 66 54 65 53 Van Nuys 70 53 -- 69 52 68 50 Ventura 63 53 -- 64 53 61 51 Whittier Hills 71 57 -- 71 55 68 56 Woodland Hills 71 53 -- 71 52 68 52 Wrightwood 68 50 -- 69 47 61 46 Yorba Linda 71 55 Tr 69 53 69 53 Yosemite Valley 74 46 -- 72 43 65 39 Sat. Today Mon. Sat. Today Mon. Sat. Today Mon. Morning low clouds: Onshore flow and extensive marine air will result in low clouds clearing to sun inland near or before noon Sunday and at the coast by afternoon. Elsewhere, sunshine will be the rule, with gusty winds developing in the northern mountains, some valley locations and across the deserts during the afternoon hours. Very warm and humid in eastern Texas: High pressure will pump very warm and humid air across eastern Texas and Louisiana through Monday, providing a break from recent heavy rains. Elsewhere, high pressure will mean little to no rainfall across the Northeast and New England. symbolic vote with no legal authority over Block’s position. Both votes focused on whether Block “failed to ensure the safety of our students and grievously mishandled the events” related to a pro-Palestinian encampment at the university that was erected April 25. On April 30, a mob attacked the encampment overnight amid a delayed police response, leading to injuries. Police later moved in to take down the encampment, arresting more than 200 protesters. The vote marked another somber moment for the leader of the nation’s top public research university. Block is ending his 17-year tenure in controversy after years of praise for steering the campus through a financial crisis and pandemic by expanding enrollment, diversity, philanthropy and research funding. Block, a biologist, announced last year that he will step down July 31 to return to research. “This shows that many faculty support Chancellor Block, and they understand that he was adhering to UC policy,” said a source who was not authorized to speak publicly. “People are realizing that Chancellor Block was put in an impossible situation.” Faculty opinions reflected the divided vote. Jeffrey Maloy, an associate professor of teaching in molecular cell and developmental biology, voted against both motions. “We support an investigation, but it didn’t feel there was a sincere effort to gather information and do some soul-searching, find out what the policies are and whether they were violated,” Maloy said. “It felt like an attempt to find a scapegoat.” Maloy said he felt the censure resolution was unclear: Was Block’s behavior scrutinized for censure because the chancellor would not meet protester demands? Was it that he did not call police quickly enough the night of the mob attack? Or was it that he should not have called in police at all? “I may have been persuaded to vote on a specific action tied to a specific thing, but this felt incredibly vague and aligned with faculty who wanted to claim an ideological victory,” Maloy said. Michael Chwe, a political science professor and legislative assembly member who was among a group leading the push for censure and no confidence, said he viewed the votes as “an achievement.” “There were 50% of our faculty from all over the university, including the medical school and dental school, [who] were in support of censure,” said Chwe, who helped organize a letter signed by more than 900 faculty and staff members from across the University of California system that called for Block’s resignation. The letter also asked for amnesty for students, staff and faculty who participated in the encampment and peaceful protests, the university’s disclosure of all investments and its divestment from companies that produce military weapons. “We obviously would like to have had more support,” Chwe said. “This is the start of many things people are doing to bring accountability and to protect student safety on campus.” Chwe said those efforts include faculty support of a strike by United Auto Workers 4811, an academic workers union that includes graduate students, that is scheduled to begin Monday at UC Santa Cruz. Renee Tajima, a professor of Asian American studies and a legislative assembly member, said the vote for censure and no confidence was a “no-brainer.” “Who was in charge as our students were being beaten and injured, as nobody from the university administration did anything to help them?” Tajima said. “To imagine students were brutally attacked, and then the next day, Block calls this huge police force to arrest them and use rubber bullets on them. ... This vote is the least we can do as faculty to make a statement of what’s right and what’s wrong.” The senate’s decision takes one issue off a list of mounting challenges the chancellor faces in his last six weeks on the job. In a letter Wednesday, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, requested that Block, Drake and Rich Leib, chair of the UC Board of Regents, produce all documents, communications and security videos related to alleged antisemitic events at UCLA since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The committee gave the three a deadline of May 21, two days before a Washington, D.C., hearing in which Block and his counterparts from Rutgers and Northwestern will testify on antisemitism at college campuses — the next in a series of congressional hearings that have featured the presidents of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University and the superintendent of Berkeley public schools. The vote regarding Block’s leadership is the latest of several actions by U.S. university faculty over how administrations have dealt with pro-Palestinian protests. On May 8, the USC Academic Senate voted to censure President Carol Folt and Provost Andrew Guzman over “widespread dissatisfaction and concern among the faculty about administrative actions and decisions” related to the cancellation of a pro-Palestinian student’s valedictorian speech and the clearing of a campus encampment by riot police. On Thursday, 61% of faculty members in the Columbia University School of Arts and Sciences voted “no confidence” in President Minouche Shafik, who is under fire for decisions to send in police last month to arrest campus protesters, including students who occupied a university building. Three weeks of turmoil at UCLA started April 25, when students set up an encampment in the grassy quad to express solidarity with Palestinians, condemn Israel’s actions in Gaza and demand that UCLA divest from firms that make and deliver weapons and services to Israel. The encampment was initially free of violence, with protesters engaged in teachins, art, yoga and other activities. UCLA declared the encampment unlawful on April 30. That night, a violent mob attacked it, and students were left to fend for themselves for three hours against beatings, pepper spray and fireworks. Law enforcement officers in riot gear moved in early on May 1, but it took hours to quell the violence. Since then, a number of people have been blamed for the debacle. Internal and external investigations are underway. UCLA faculty vote against censuring chancellor CHANCELLOR Gene Block faced criticism over the response to an attack on a campus protest encampment. His supporters “are realizing that Chancellor Block was put in an impossible situation,” a source says. Gary Coronado Los Angeles Times [UCLA, from B1]

The wall of cameras and reporters focused on Bronny James against the blue backdrop, the diamond stud in his right ear reflecting the lights as he answered different versions of the same question at the NBA scouting combine. “To be honest,” he said with a soft smile, “it’s a lot.” No one flat-out asked — it would’ve been too rude, too direct — “Bronny, aren’t you just here because of your dad?” It’s the question that has followed him wherever he has gone. Did he really deserve those minutes at Sierra Canyon? Was he really a fivestar recruit? Did he earn that spot on the McDonald’s All-American team? Why in the hell is he entering the NBA draft after averaging 4.8 points as a freshman at USC? And last week at the combine, every time a question approached that topic, James answered confidently. Photo illustration by the Los Angeles Times; photographs by the Associated Press FORGING HIS OWN FUTURE Bronny James wants to establish an identity apart from his famous father, but NBA scouts, executives and fans can make that a tough road By Dan Woike reporting from chicago [See Bronny, D7] S S UNDAY , MAY 19 , 2024 PORTS :: L ATIMES.COM/SPORTS D Discover more essentialsports coverage in theapp. Scan theQRcodetodownloadnow. PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Another 62, this time by Lowry He surges into contention with second record round of tournament; Schauffele, Morikawa share lead. D2 HIGH SCHOOLS Baseball, softball titles decided Hart delivers championship to retiring Ozella, and Pacifica repeats as best team in Division 1. D3 MLB Ohtani performing at high levels In the face of off-the-field distractions and high expectations, Dodgers star off to his best start. D5 BALTIMORE — One truism in horse racing is never count out Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lukas. At 88, he walks with a cane but still climbs aboard his pony and supervises morning workouts. On Saturday, in the 149th running of the Preakness Stakes, Lukas won this race for the seventh time with Seize the Grey in a wire-towire effort. It ended Mystik Dan’s bid for the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby champion ran a good race, finishing second 21⁄4 lengths behind the winner. Lukas won his first Preakness in 1980, 44 years ago, with Codex. Asked how this one felt, he deadpanned, “Like the first one.” The horse is owned by MyRacehorse, a company that buys horses and sells microshares to those who want to be a horse owner. It’s believed there are about 2,570 people who have part of the horse. “Can you imagine the number of people who are going to relish in this,” Lukas said. “I don’t even know how many people own this horse. It’s a lot of people, I know.” As Lukas made his way to the winner’s circle, he experienced a lot of fellow SEIZE THE GREY, with Jaime Torres up, crosses the finish line to win the 149th trainers who have been inPreakness Stakes. The colt’s win ended Mystik Dan’s bid for the Triple Crown. Julio Cortez Associated Press JJ Redick? Seriously? The Los Angeles LeBrons appear to be closing in on the landmark hire of a bench boss who possesses but one legitimate qualification. JJ Redick could be the next Lakers coach because he has a podcast with LeBron James. Period. End of résumé. Redick has never been a coach at any level above elementary school. He’s never been a head coach or assistant coach or college coach or even a high school coach. He’s never overseen a practice. He’s never worked the sidelines. He’s never had that responsibility. He’s never dealt with that pressure. I’ve coached or assisted in as many NBA games as Redick, and he’s going to run the Lakers? Seriously? This would not only be one of the oddest Lakers coaching hires in a long list of them — remember that glorious moment when Pat Riley and Jerry West both coached the team? — but it might also be the first talkshow-driven head coaching hire in NBA history. Redick would be hired simply because he is James’ wingman. He would be named head honcho simply because he is a great cohost. The Lakers would be morphing from basketball team to buddy movie. Their expected choice of Redick — virtually every expert considers him the heavy favorite — makes less sense with every syllable. Granted, the recently debuted podcast, “Mind the Game,” is great, bordering on brilliant. It’s a master class in basketball strategy, filled with inside hoops chatter that reveals a deep Lakers, Redick match is a joke, right? BILL PLASCHKE [See Plaschke, D8] PREAKNESS STAKES It’s a happy mudder’s day for Lukas’ Seize the Grey The 88-year-old trainer wins a seventh time at Pimlico as colt tames the soggy track. By John Cherwa [See Preakness, D8]

D2 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM/SPORTS SUN MON TUE WED THU 19 20 21 22 23 DODGERS CINCINNATI 1 SNLA ARIZONA 7 SNLA ARIZONA 7 SNLA ARIZONA 7 SNLA ANGELS at Texas 11:30 a.m. BSW at Houston 5 BSW at Houston 5 BSW at Houston 11 a.m. BSW SPARKS WASH. 7 SpecSN GALAXY SATURDAY: VS. HOUSTON, 7:30, APPLE TV LAFC LOUDOUN* 7:30 ANGEL CITY SAN DIEGO 7 BSW, CBSSN Shade denotes home game. *-U.S. Open Cup PRO CALENDAR It will be interesting to see if Bronny James, an undersized, third guard on an under-.500 team that averaged less than five points, two assists and two rebounds a game, gets drafted. It is an insult to the game if a draft choice is wasted as an attempt to land his father, LeBron. I guess a team feels free agency can be used to fill the seat on the bench if things don’t work out. This circus only hurts LeBron’s legacy. Bronny needs to go back to school and at least show he can be a starter on a bad team. Sophie Taylor Mar Vista :: LeBron retires. The Lakers name LeBron as their new head coach. LeBron and the Lakers draft Bronny. Mic drop. Linda Salzman Rancho Palos Verdes :: I, for one, will gladly pay for LeBron’s plane fare back to Cleveland. In my opinion he was never a true Laker. So, LeBron, do all of us true Lakers fan a favor and go home to Cleveland. Maybe the Cavaliers will draft Bronny and make me smile. G.T. Oka Rosemead :: So, the Lakers still have a coaching vacancy. But, who would want this ridiculous game of musical chairs? First of all, you have a meddling, incompetent ownership group to deal with who will probably get you on the cheap because they like to spend/blow all their money on aging superstars. Next, is kowtowing, accommodating and acquiescing to the whims and ego of that aging superstar or find yourself gone before your tenure is up. Then, there’s the flawed lineup: no established backup center, a weak bench and no third reliable scoring option in your starting five. Finally, you can forget about developing young, promising talent because they’ll be gone before you know it. Um … sounds like a “great” job opportunity. Good luck in La La Land! Rick Solomon Lake Balboa :: Their primary focus is experience but they’ll give “serious consideration” to someone who has zero coaching experience in JJ Redick. That’s all you need to know about the Lakers’ management incompetence. Jack Wishard Los Angeles Losing the Sparks I wanted to take my daughter to an L.A. Sparks game. We love the fact that the Sparks set aside sections with $20 tickets, which makes it affordable for families and people on fixed incomes. I’m originally from Indiana so we decided to see the upcoming Indiana Fever game with Caitlin Clark. Going to the Sparks website we saw that they raised the price for the $20 tickets to $125. So instead of spending $40, I was going to have to spend $250. This is blatant price gouging and what makes it worse is that they raised the price of the affordable tickets over 500%. My enthusiasm to go to a Sparks game has now plummeted and we will not be going. Steve Shaevel Woodland Hills Are UC regents extorting UCLA? Nice to know the smart Cal people (disguised as UC regents) resort to extortion due to another UC school being more resourceful in this world. That is ridiculous. I am not a UCLA grad and don’t have a bias. I graduated from a Cal State University and find the greed and extortion appalling since Cal went on to find another conference. Brad Clevinger Tehachapi :: I think what the University of California regents are doing to UCLA is a gross injustice. The Pac-12 is breaking up because of gross financial incompetence by its leadership, and UCLA made itself a good deal by joining the Big Ten. The regents want to punish them because they made a better deal than Cal with an offset payment, using a logic often referred to as socialism. The hypocrisy of their logic is evident with the Cal State system, where the schools have a financial disparity in differing conferences. Alan Abajian Alta Loma :: Instead of a $10-million payout, which smells like extortion, what if the UC regents simply ordered UCLA to keep Cal on its football and basketball schedules as nonconference opponents each year? Rhys Thomas Valley Glen Olympic-caliber storyteller It was a pleasure to find Bill Dwyre’s story about Olga and Harold Connolly. I have always enjoyed Dwyre’s take on the out-ofthe-way, and occasional absurd, stories that inhabit the sports world. Olga Connolly’s lifelong commitment to helping others and improving her community is a strong counterpoint to some contemporary attitudes and actions that appear in the daily press. I hope that Dwyre continues to offer readers his take on such topics. Craig Hendricks Lakewood Don’t blow it In continuing the tradition of Dodgers pitchers blowing out their arm, Emmet Sheehan has joined that list. Is it a rite of passage now to blow out your arm? If you do it multiple times, is that even more of an accomplishment? Perhaps it’s time to teach pitchers how to actually pitch and not just throw as hard as they can. Perhaps it’s time to hire coaches that actually care about the health of a pitcher. Maybe going forward, today’s pitchers and coaches can look back 30, 40 or more years on how to stay healthy, how to pitch a complete game and how to help your team win. Geno Apicella Placentia :: The Dodgers again have the most talented team in baseball. What could go wrong? The stupid taunting dance every time they get a hit. It’s the worst thing ever. It’s tremendous bulletin board material for the opposition. Cease and desist immediately! Paul Zimmelman Marina del Rey :: The Los Angeles Times welcomes expressions of all views. Letters should be brief and become the property of The Times. They may be edited and republished in any format. Each must include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms will not be used. Email: [email protected] LETTERS Bronny? JJ? Lakers can’t be serious SPORTS EXTRA For late coverage of Dodgers, Angels, Lakers and Clippers games and more, see our daily digital eNewspaper. Subscribers get free access to an exclusive “Sports Extra.” View it on your phone, tablet or computer at latimes.com/enewspaper. TIME EVENT ON THE AIR AUTO RACING 8:45 a.m. NASCAR Trucks Series, Wright Brand 250 TV: FS1 Noon Indy 500 qualifying TV: 4 2 p.m. NASCAR Cup Series, All-Star Open TV: FS1 BASEBALL 10 a.m. Boston at St. Louis TV: Roku 11:45 a.m. Angels at Texas TV: 11 R: 830, 1220 1 p.m. Cincinnati at Dodgers TV: SNLA R: 570, 1020 4 p.m. San Diego at Atlanta TV: ESPN BULL RIDING Noon PBR World Finals, Round 2 TV: CBSSN GOLF 7 a.m. PGA Championship, fourth round TV: ESPN 10 a.m. PGA Championship, fourth round TV: 2 Noon LPGA Mizuho Americas Open, fourth round TV: Peacock GYMMASTICS 11 a.m. Core Hydration Classic TV: 4 HOCKEY 7 a.m. IIHF World Championships, Norway vs. Austria TV: ESPN+ 7 a.m. IIHF World Championships, United States vs. Kazakhstan TV: NHL 11 a.m. IIHF World Championships, Slovakia vs. Latvia TV: ESPN+ 11 a.m. IIHF World Championships, Switzerland vs. Canada TV: NHL NBA 12:30 p.m. NBA playoffs, second round, Game 7, Indiana at New York TV: 7 5 p.m. NBA playoffs, second round, Game 7, Minnesota at Denver TV: TNT NCAA BASEBALL 1 p.m. Cal State Fullerton vs. UC Irvine TV: ESPN+ 1 p.m. Cal State Northridge vs. UC Santa Barbara TV: ESPN+ 1 p.m. UC San Diego vs. Cal Poly TV: ESPN+ 1 p.m. Long Beach State vs. Hawail TV: ESPN+ 1 p.m. UC Riverside vs. UC Davis TV: ESPN+ NCAA LACROSSE 9 a.m. Quarterfinal, Syracuse vs. Denver TV: ESPNU 11:30 a.m. Quarterfinal, Johns Hopkins vs. Virginia TV: ESPNU NCAA SOFTBALL 9 a.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPN2 10 a.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPN 11 a.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPN2 Noon NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPN 1 p.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPN2 2 p.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPNU 2 p.m. NCAA softball regionals at Stanford TV: ESPN+ 3 p.m. NCAA softball regionals at UCLA TV: ESPN+ 3 p.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPN2 4 p.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPNU 4:30 p.m. NCAA softball regionals at Stanford TV: ESPN+ 5 p.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPN2 5:30 p.m. NCAA softball regionals at UCLA TV: ESPN+ 6 p.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPNU 7 p.m. NCAA softball regionals, teams TBD TV: ESPN2 SOCCER 8 a.m. England, Arsenal vs. Everton TV: USA 8 a.m. England, Brentford vs. Newcastle TV: Peacock 8 a.m. England, Brighton & Hove vs. Manchester United TV: CNBC 8 a.m. England, Burnley vs. Nottingham TV: Peacock 8 a.m. England, Chelsea vs. Bournemouth TV: Peacock 8 a.m. England, Crystal Palace vs. Aston Villa TV: Peacock 8 a.m. England, Liverpool vs. Wolverhampton TV: Peacock 8 a.m. England, Luton vs. Fulham TV: Peacock 8 a.m. England, Manchester City vs. West Ham TV: 4 8 a.m. England, Sheffield vs. Tottenham TV: Peacock 9 a.m. Italy, Internazionale vs. Lazio TV: Paramount+ 10 a.m. Spain, Athletic Club vs. Sevilla TV: ESPN+ 10 a.m. Spain, Atlético Madrid vs. Osasuna TV: ESPN+ 10 a.m. Spain, Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano TV: ESPND, ESPN+ 10 a.m. Spain, Betis vs. Real Sociedad TV: ESPN+ 10 a.m. Spain, Cádiz vs. Las Palmas TV: ESPN+ 10 a.m. Spain, Mallorca vs. Almería TV: ESPN+ 10 a.m. Spain, Granada vs. Vigo TV: ESPN+ 10 a.m. Spain, Valencia vs. Girona TV: ESPN+ 10 a.m. Spain, Villarreal vs. Real Madrid TV: ESPN+ 11:45 a.m. Italy, Rome vs. Genoa TV: Paramount+ 2 p.m. NWSL, NJ/NY Gotham FC vs. Chicago TV: Paramount+ 3 p.m. NWSL, Seattle vs. Orlando TV: Paramount+ 5 p.m. Mexico, Cruz Azul vs. Monterrey TV: TUDN TENNIS 8 a.m. Italian Open, ATP final TV: Tennis 2 a.m. (Mon.) French Open qualifying, Geneva-ATP, Lyon-ATP, Strasbourg-WTA, Rabat-WTA early rounds TV: Tennis UFL 9 a.m. St. Louis vs. D.C. TV: 7 TODAY ON THE AIR SHOHEI OHTANI and the Dodgers will try to slide by the Reds in the series finale at Dodger Stadium. Gina Ferazzi Los Angeles Times Shane Lowry tied a major championship record by shooting a nine-under 62 in the third round of the PGA Championship on Saturday. The 37-year-old Irishman recorded nine birdies without a bogey at a very gettable Valhalla to match the lowest round in any of the four major tournaments. Four players previously posted a 62 across the PGA Championship, Masters, British Open and U.S. Open, the latest by Xander Schauffele in the opening round Thursday. Just over 48 hours later, Lowry matched it to thrust himself into contention for his second major title. Lowry enters Sunday two shots back of co-leaders Schauffele (68) and Collin Morikawa (67). Lowry captured the British Open at Royal Portrush by six shots in 2019. He had recorded a pair of top-five finishes in majors since that homecoming triumph five years ago when he arrived this week. He opened with consecutive two-under 69s and entered Saturday eight shots behind a front-running Schauffele. Over five nearly flawless hours, Lowry closed the gap considerably and finished the round at 13 under. Lowry reeled off four straight birdies on his way to a 29 at the turn. He cooled off — only a little — coming home. He put himself on the cusp of history when he rolled in a 6-footer for birdie on the par-four 17th to get to nine under. The 18th at Valhalla is an uphill par-five that was playing the easiest hole of the day when Lowry stood on the tee. He pulled his tee shot into the right rough and laid up on his second shot. He knocked his approach to just under 12 feet. A chance at the lowest round ever among the 130,000 played in major championship history slipped away when Lowry’s birdie putt slid left of the hole. Instead, Lowry had to settle for a share of a record that’s becoming commonplace of late. Four of the five 62s shot in a major have come in the last 12 months. A day after he powered through his odyssey to the jailhouse, Scottie Scheffler shot two-over 73 to close at seven under for the tournament and drop from fourth to a tie for 24th with the leaders still on the course. It ended a string of 42 straight rounds of par or better for the world’s top player. Nelly Korda shot a seven-under 65 and will take a two-stroke lead over Hannah Green into the final round of the Mizuho Americas Open in a bid to win for the sixth time in her last seven events on the LPGA Tour. ETC. Swiatek achieves the ‘dirt double’ If Iga Swiatek can keep up her form, it’s hard to imagine anyone preventing her from winning a fourth French Open title. The top-ranked Swiatek dominated in her latest meeting with No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, winning the Italian Open final 6-2, 6-3 to earn her third trophy on Rome’s red clay. Swiatek became the first woman to complete the “dirt double” of winning Madrid and Rome back to back since Serena Williams in 2013. Swiatek didn’t drop a set at the Foro Italico and extended her tour winning streak to 12 matches. Roland Garros starts next weekend and Swiatek will be aiming for a third straight title. Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision, becoming the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years. Major League Baseball is expected to investigate former Angel David Fletcher for gambling on sports with the same Orange County bookmaker who took bets from Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, the Associated Press reported. Juan Soto had his first multihomer game with the Yankees, Luis Gil struck out a career-high 14, and New York beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1 to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games. ... Christopher Morel singled in Cody Bellinger in the ninth to give the Chicago Cubs a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh. Shota Imanaga tossed seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and lowering his major leagueleading ERA to 0.84. ... Jonny DeLuca hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, and Tampa Bay beat Toronto 5-4, a day after the Rays’ Tyler Alexander took a perfect game into the eighth inning of a 4-3 win. ... Minnesota reinstated outfielder Byron Buxton. Joey Logano won the pole for NASCAR Cup AllStar race. ... The Trucks Series race was suspended until Sunday morning because of rain. ... Max Verstappen matched Ayton Senna’s Formula One record of eight straight pole positions in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. American Alise Willoughby won her third BMX racing world championship in Rock Hill, S.C. Chelsea routed Manchester United to win its fifth consecutive Women’s Super League title and last under manager Emma Hayes, who is taking over the U.S. national team. The Pittsburgh Penguins’s Mike Sullivan was selected U.S. men’s hockey coach for the 2026 Olympics. UCLA is one win away from advancing to the NCAA softball Super Regional after beating Virginia Tech 7-6. On Friday, Sharlize Palacios had a threerun home run to highlight UCLA’s five-run second inning in a 9-0 mercy-rule victory over Grand Canyon. THE DAY IN SPORTS Another 62 at PGA Championship SHANE LOWRY shot a 62 at the PGA Championship, matching the lowest score in a major just two days after co-leader Xander Schauffele did it in the first round. Matt York Associated Press wire reports

LATIMES.COM/SPORTS S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 D3 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 1C Dallas vs. 3C Colorado Stars win, 4-2 Gm 1 Colorado 4, Dallas 3 (OT) Gm 2 Dallas 5, Colorado 3 Gm 3 Dallas 4, Colorado 1 Gm 4 Dallas 5, Colorado 1 Gm 5 Colorado 5, Dallas 3 Gm 6 Dallas 2, Colorado 1 (2OT) 1P Vancouver vs. 2P Edmonton Canucks lead, 3-2 Gm 1 Vancouver 5, Edmonton 4 Gm 2 Edmonton 4, Vanc. 3 (OT) Gm 3 Vancouver 4, Edmonton 3 Gm 4 Edmonton 3, Vancouver 2 Gm 5 Vancouver 3, Edmonton 2 Gm 6 at Edmonton, late Gm 7 Mon. at Vancouver, 6, ESPN* EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 1A Florida vs. 2A Boston Panthers win, 4-2 Gm 1 Boston 5, Florida 1 Gm 2 Florida 6, Boston 1 Gm 3 Florida 6, Boston 2 Gm 4 Florida 3, Boston 2 Gm 5 Boston 2, Florida 1 Gm 6 Florida 2, Boston 1 M1 N.Y. Rangers vs. M2 Carolina Rangers win, 4-2 Gm 1 New York 4, Carolina 3 Gm 2 New York 4, Carolina 3 (2OT) Gm 3 New York 3, Carolina 2 (OT) Gm 4 Carolina 4, New York 3 Gm 5 Carolina 4, New York 1 Gm 6 New York 5, Carolina 3 *-if necessary | Times PDT, p.m. NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE It took 25 years for Hart High baseball coach Jim Ozella to finally win a Southern Section championship and it didn’t come without a little bit of craziness. Hart defeated Moorpark 7-6 on Friday night in the Division 2 championship game at Lake Elsinore’s Diamond Stadium, completing a remarkable playoff run for the Indians (26-5) that started with a 14-inning win over Simi Valley. Ozella is retiring after 25 seasons, and the ending won’t be forgotten. In the bottom of the seventh inning, a leadoff single by Greg Lareva increased pressure on the Indians. Then Taylor Busch hit what looked to be a walk-off tworun home run down the leftfield line. The game was delayed as umpires discussed whether it was a home run. Lights were flashing on and off at the stadium to signify a home run. But the umpires ruled it was a ground-rule double. Then Hart recorded three consecutive outs to escape with the victory. High school baseball has no instant replay to overturn an umpire’s call. Ozella said afterward left fielder Brady Werther indicated the ball bounced on the warning track and went into the bullpen. On Saturday morning, Werther said, “I’ve seen three different videos, but I promise it bounced. I wouldn’t lie. I swear.” It was Ozella’s final high school game. Hart will not be participating in the Southern California regionals. “It was an exciting ride,” he said. “It’s been a fun time at Hart having a lot of great kids. I was just coaching them up and let’s give them the experience of a lifetime. You do this as long as I’ve had with passion. Things happen. You make relationships. They put their heart into it. One of the greatest things about this whole deal is I’ve gotten text messages from hundreds of coaches. It’s overwhelming. It’s what the coaching fraternity is about.” Troy Cooper started the game for Hart, retiring the first nine batters as Hart opened a 3-0 lead. But Moorpark closed to 3-2 with a tworun single from AJ Mai in the fourth. Hart appeared to break open the game in the sixth. Ryan Frithsmith had an RBI triple, Brayden Jefferis had an RBI double and Mike Hogen added an RBI single for a 7-2 lead. Cooper went 5 2⁄3 innings, giving up two hits while striking out three and walking two. Moorpark scored four runs in the sixth, two on bases-loaded hit batters by Ian Edwards, to close to 7-6. Moorpark had the potential tying run thrown out at the plate to end the inning with catcher Ryan De La Maza making the tag. Division 5 Chino Hills 4, Santa Monica 1: Brody Buoncristiani threw five scoreless innings, giving up two hits, and Andrew Baldomino had two hits and two RBIs to lead Chino Hills to its first baseball title. Theo Smith finished with two hits for Santa Monica. Division 6 Colony 8, Village Christian 3: The Titans broke open a close game with four runs in the sixth inning to win their first title. Jacob Castro finished with three hits, Steven Gonzalez struck out 11 in a complete game and Connor Rangel had two hits and three RBIs. Johan Pelayo had a three-run double in the third inning to briefly tie the score for Village Christian. Division 7 Oxford Academy 5, South El Monte 4: The Patriots scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the Division 7 title. Josh Loya had a two-run single in the fifth inning. South El Monte rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh for a 4-2 lead. Ryan Leon finished three for three. Hart’s Ozella goes out a winner By Eric Sondheimer Jamie Sencion was overpowering in the circle, throwing a shutout to give Paraclete the title. She struck out 11 and gave up two hits. Shaylee Scripter had three hits for Paraclete. Division 6 Ganesha 21, Viewpoint 1: Garden Grove Pacifica continues to be the No. 1 high school softball program in Southern California. For the second straight season, the Mariners won the Southern Section Division 1 championship, knocking off top-seeded Orange Lutheran 3-0 in the final at Bill Barber Park in Irvine on Friday night. It was Pacifica’s ninth softball title. Except for a two-game slump in late March, when Pacifica lost consecutive games to Anaheim Canyon and Orange Lutheran, the Mariners (27-2) achieved close to perfection. Those losses helped refocus the team on winning a championship, and the Mariners never were beaten again. Two runs in the fourth inning off Orange Lutheran ace Brianne Weiss gave Pacifica the edge. The big hit was an RBI double from Kayli Counts. Then UCLA commit Kaniya Bragg homered in the sixth inning. Pitcher Brynne Nally handled the Lancers’ lineup by striking out 11 and giving up just two hits. Division 4 Paraclete 8, JW North 0: Improving to 22-0, Ganesha cruised to the championship after winning the Division 7 title last season. Kalena Lemus (15-0) struck out 15 and also had a two-run home run. Jayden Tamura finished with three hits and four RBIs. Mikayla Martinez drove in six runs with a grand slam among her three hits. Division 8 Hesperia Christian 8, Jurupa Valley 7: Sophomore Eden Skinner and Hailey Hoffman each finished with three hits to lead Hesperia Christian to the title. Pacifica performs a winning encore PACIFICA PLAYERS enjoy a big dogpile as they celebrate their Southern Section Division 1 championship Friday. It’s the Mariners’ ninth softball title overall. Nick Koza For The Times By Eric Sondheimer It was all about the dynasty for the Carson High girls Friday during the City Section track and field championships at El Camino College. The Colts dominated the sprint races on their way to capturing their record ninth consecutive title. Carson sophomore Christina Gray ran the second leg on the 4x100 relay, which placed first in 46.20 seconds, then won the 100-meter dash in 11.68 and the 200 meters in 22.40. For someone who has been competing in the sport since she was 6, her finals effort was all she hoped for. “I’m happy with my 100 time,” said Gray, who ran a personal-record 11.60 at Mt. SAC in April. “I think I ran a strong race and I was less nervous having a teammate in the lane next to me.” Earlier in the afternoon, Gray leaped 17 feet 2½ inches on her fourth and last attempt to win the long jump, earning 10 valuable points toward the team title. “It wasn’t a great jump for me — I could’ve done better,” said Gray, who achieved her personal record of 18-6 at a winter qualifier last year. “I just got new spikes last week and I haven’t been jumping as much this year.” Canoga Park senior Angelina Valladares used her experience to full advantage, winning the 1,600 meters in a personal-best 5 minutes 6.03 seconds, shaving five seconds off her third-place time a year ago. Forty minutes later, she took first in the 800 in 2:17.94 after top qualifier Annabelle Refnes opened a sizable lead on the first lap. “My strategy in the 1,600 was to pace off of whoever was leading,” said Valladares, a UC Davis commit. “I knew I had a stronger kick and I passed her [runner-up Angeles Feliciano of Santee] around the turn in the last 300. The 1,600 is more my specialty and I want to go sub-five for state.” Palisades freshman Zoey Morris, who finished third in the 1,600, bounced back to win the 3,200 with a time of 11:19.93, almost seven seconds faster than Granada Hills sophomore Samantha Pacheco, whom she beat to win the Division I cross country title in the fall. Carson racked up 103 points to far outpace Granada Hills (77) and Palisades (63), earning its 11th team title. The Colts won their first two titles in 2006 and 2011, then won every title since 2014. The City finals were canceled in 2020 and no team champions were crowned the following year because of the pandemic. While Gray was establishing herself as the fastest girl on the track, Jordan Coleman was doing the same on the boys’ side. The Granada Hills senior ran a scorching second leg to give the Highlanders a huge lead in the 4x100, which they won with a time of 41.26. He was on last year’s record-setting 4x100 team. “I’m getting used to it,” Coleman said of running the second leg. “A good way start to the meet!” Coleman then completed a sprint “double” by winning the 100 and 200. He was unfazed by two false starts in the 100, which reduced the field to seven runners, and won in 10.49. Birmingham junior Antrell Harris was second in 10.84. “It’s not a PR, but this is definitely a good time given the conditions and the fact that there were two disqualifications,” Coleman said. “You try to block them out and refocus in the blocks. It wasn’t the best start but I wanted to make sure I didn’t false start, and the last 50 meters of the race was really good.” Coleman won a loaded 200 in 21.30 and capped his day by running the first leg on the Highlanders’ 4x400 relay, which took first place in 3:22.85 after having qualified third. In addition to his runner-up finish in the 200, Justin Hart pulled off an upset in the 400, clocking 48.03 to edge fellow junior and top qualifier Nathan Santa Cruz of Venice by 55 hundredths of a second. “I ran the first leg on the 4x100 relay, so it tired me a out a little but not too much,” said Hart, who shattered his previous personal record of 48.94 in the West Valley League finals. “It was a really talented field of guys and at the 150 mark they were picking it up, so I had to also.” Hart had posted thirdfastest time at prelims, 1.35 seconds behind Santa Cruz and 41 hundredths of a second behind Ronin Sherertz from Palisades. Granada Hills won its third boys’ title in a row with 98 points. Palisades was second with 54, three more than third-place Carson. Palisades senior Max Fields won the 3,200 for the second time (he also won it as a sophomore) with a time of 9:21.09 while teammates Blake Sigworth and Axel Mammen finished second and third, respectively. Cleveland senior Joseph Vargas repeated as 1,600 champion in 4:15.72, beating Paul Tranquilla of Venice by 1.36 seconds. The UC San Diego-bound Vargas upset Fields to win the City Division I cross country title in the fall. “I’ve been more speedbased this year,” said Vargas, who finished second to Tranquilla in the 800. “This is not really my test … my goal is to go 4:10 for state.” After fouls on his previous two attempts, Carson long jumper Jerald Martin Evangelista needed a 22-9½ effort on his fourth and final leap to equal Sebastian Ikolo of Fairfax, and Evangelista was declared the winner with a better second mark of 22-0. High drama unfolded in the boys’ high jump, with Deshawn Banks of Birmingham and Ikolo both clearing 6-10 and Banks, who ultimately prevailed with fewer overall misses, almost succeeded on his third try with the bar at 7 feet. “My goal is to go over 7 at state,” he said. CHRISTINA GRAY, left, a Carson High sophomore, wins the 100-meter race at the City Section track and field championships on Friday. She also won the 200 and ran the second leg on the winning 4x100 relay team. Photographs by Steve Galluzzo For The Times Carson girls win a record ninth City track and field title in a row TIMOTHY WYATT, center, runs the last leg of Granada Hills’ winning 4x100 relay on its way to the title. By Steve Galluzzo Matt Duchene scored at 11:42 of the second overtime after being involved in a play that led to a goal disallowed for goaltender interference in the first extra period, and the Dallas Stars advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 on Friday night at Denver. Duchene, a 2009 draft pick of the Avalanche, secured a loose puck in front of the net and sent it over a sprawled Alexandar Georgiev. “[The puck] just popped out to me, and shot it in and then blacked out pretty much,” Duchene said. “I was so tired, I started skating and then I got tired. I don’t even know what I did after that, to be honest with you. I was pretty pumped up.” In the locker room after the game, the Stars celebrated by blaring an almost fitting tune — “Rocky Mountain High” by John Denver. Jamie Benn tied the score at 1:56 of the third period. Mason Marchment thought he scored the winner with 7:29 left in the first overtime, but it was waved off for goaltender interference. The play was reviewed and the call on the ice stood. Duchene was jostling with Cale Makar in front of Georgiev. The NHL’s situation room explained that Duchene impaired Georgiev’s ability to play his position in the crease. “The explanation that I got was Dutchie’s [bottom] was over the line. His feet were outside but his [bottom] was over the line,” Marchment said. “I think honestly, they didn’t want to make it a deciding goal. ... At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. We got the job done. It’s awesome.” Jake Oettinger was stellar all night in making 29 saves. One of his biggest was a close-range shot from Artturi Lehkonen down low midway through the second overtime. Florida 2, at Boston 1: Gustav Forsling scored the tiebreaking goal on a rebound with 1:33 left, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 22 shots for the Panthers to beat the Bruins and win their second-round playoff series in six games. The Panthers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, where they will face the New York Rangers. Game 1 is on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers and also set up the game-winner when his shot was deflected to the left side of the net. Forsling came in and beat Jeremy Swayman. NHL PLAYOFFS Stars, Panthers finish off series associated press

D4 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM/SPORTS It had been 48 days since Jason Heyward last suited up for the Dodgers, 48 days since the veteran outfielder felt the adrenaline of a bigleague game, heard the roar of a huge crowd and felt the rush of a 97- mph fastball coming at him. It felt like 48 days of torture. “I hate missing games, I hate not being there with the guys, I hate not making road trips, I hate watching games on television,” said Heyward, who was activated Friday after sitting out almost seven weeks because of a lower-back injury. “I missed being part of the vibe. Idid my best to stay sane, to stay in the group text [chain] like crazy as soon as the games were over and we won, but I just wanted to be out there playing again.” There was no need for text messages Friday night. Heyward was back in the thick of things for the Dodgers, getting a sunflower-seed shower and high-fives from teammates after crushing a two-run home run in the eighth inning to put the finishing touches on a 7-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in front of a crowd of 46,832 at Dodger Stadium. “I think the road back was hard for him, to not be able to participate,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s such a team guy and is all about his teammates. He was doing what he could to kind of keep morale up, but he was getting very antsy not playing.” Heyward was one of three Dodgers to go deep Friday, joining Mookie Betts, who hit the 51st leadoff homer of his career — he ranks fifth on baseball’s all-time list — to left field in the first inning, and Shohei Ohtani, who hit an opposite-field two-run shot to left — his 13th of the season — for a 3-0 lead in the third. Ohtani spent part of Friday morning at Los Angeles City Hall, the City Council presenting the two-way star with a resolution declaring May 17 “Shohei Ohtani Day” for as long as Ohtani, who is in the first year of a 10-year, $700-million deal, plays for the Dodgers. “He didn’t homer on his bobblehead day [Thursday night], so he was due to homer on some significant Ohtani day,” Roberts joked. “We’ll take the home run on Shohei Ohtani Day. That was a ball down at the knees. To hit it the other way, to spin it really well ... it was a big hit. We just marvel at what he does.” James Paxton, who had more walks (22) than strikeouts (15) in 25 2⁄3 innings of his first five games this season, delivered his second straight start of six innings and zero walks to position the Dodgers for the win. The veteran lefthander gave up three earned runs and seven hits and struck out two in his 92-pitch no-decision. “Every player is going to say they compete, but this guy just sort of wills himself to success,” Roberts said of Paxton. “He got two ground-ball double plays that kept his pitch-count down. ... Even without his best stuff, he goes deep in games and takes care of our bullpen.” Paxton left after giving up a leadoff single in the seventh inning with the score tied 3-3, a deadlock the Dodgers broke with two runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings. Kiké Hernández led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to center field off reliever Fernando Cruz. Betts struck out, and Ohtani grounded to first baseman Jeimer Candelario, who threw to second for the second out. Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz didn’t have a chance to double up the speedy Ohtani, but he fired a throw toward first base anyway. Bad decision. The errant throw sailed into the camera well next to the first base dugout, allowing Ohtani to take second. The Reds opted to walk Freddie Freeman intentionally to pitch to Will Smith, who smacked a firstpitch fastball into center field for an RBI single and a 4-3 lead. Freeman went from first to third on the hit and scored on a wild pitch for a 5-3 lead. “It’s an open base, so you sort of pick your poison,” Roberts said of Cincinnati’s decision to walk Freeman to face Smith, the cleanup batter. “But to me, if you’re going to pitch to Will, I’ll take our chances any day.” Andy Pages hit a one-out single to left off Reds closer Alex Díaz in the eighth, and Heyward followed with a towering two-run homer just inside the right-field foul pole for a 7-3 lead. “It’s huge to have an at-bat like that, to add on — it keeps the pressure off of us,” said Heyward, who is in his 15th big league season. “It was a great at-bat by Andy in front of me, and it was nice to keep a slider fair, to not pull it foul. It’s just awesome to be back out there, in the game. I never take that for granted.” Michael Grove, Blake Treinen and Daniel Hudson each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Dodgers, who ended a two-game losing streak. Paxton gave up Spencer Steer’s RBI groundout in the fourth inning, Stuart Fairchild’s solo homer in the fifth and Tyler Stephenson’s score-tying solo homer in the sixth. “I was just trying to attack the strike zone,” said Paxton, who relied almost exclusively on his 93- mph fastball and 81-mph knucklecurve. “I didn’t feel like I had my best stuff tonight, but we battled and made pitches when we had to and they were putting the ball in play at guys.” Sticky situation Roberts said he was “a little irritated” when crew chief Bill Miller, the plate umpire for Thursday night’s game, summoned the other three umpires to check the throwing hand of Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow for sticky substances as the right-hander came off the mound after the second inning of a 7-2 loss to the Reds. Glasnow had a dark spot on the thumb and some discoloration in the palm of his hand, but the umpires did not detect any illegal substances. “The point of the rule is to prevent sticky substances, so if your hand is not sticky, then I see no problem,” Roberts said. “If there’s an issue with just discoloration and it’s not sticky, then there will be a problem [with such extreme checks], because that’s not how it’s supposed to be. Sticky stuff is what we’re trying to guard against.” Glasnow said his hand is discolored every time he throws off the mound, in a bullpen workout or a game, because he mixes rosin with a baseball that is rubbed in dirt. But he was not as perturbed by the sticky stuff check as Roberts was. “[Miller] came up and said, ‘Hey, I need the other umpires to check,’ and I’m like, ‘That’s fine, what’s the problem?’ ” Glasnow said Friday. “He goes, ‘It’s just black.’ And I was like, ‘Is it sticky?’ And he goes, ‘No, it’s not sticky.’ And then [the other umpires] came up and checked and they said it’s fine, it’s just black.” Did Glasnow become nervous when Miller called for backup? “No, because I know there was no sticky stuff on my hand,” Glasnow said. “I think if you ever look or zoom in on any pitcher who uses rosin on the baseball, your hand will have the ink of the baseball and the dirt on the baseball on the hand in some way. So I wasn’t necessarily worried.” Heyward happy to be just one of the guys JASON HEYWARD’S two-run homer in the eighth helped give the Dodgers a comfortable victory over the Reds on Friday night. Gina Ferazzi Los Angeles Times In first game since injury, he homers and is glad to be part of the ‘vibe’ again. By Mike DiGiovanna SAN DIEGO — The Dodgers lead the major leagues in attendance. They always do. No surprise there. The team that ranks second in attendance is the one that has a rally towel hanging next to the home dugout, urging the players to “COMPETE FOR PETE.” Peter Seidler lived the final decade of his life transforming the Padres into a team that would compete for San Diego. This is a small market in every way — by population, by geography, by television viewers — and Seidler simply disregarded the facts. San Diego was not a small market because Seidler said it was not. The Padres spent big because Seidler said they should win. And, six months after Seidler died, his legacy shines every night at Petco Park. The Padres — the small-market Padres — have attracted more fans this season than any team but the Dodgers. Last year the Padres attracted more fans than any team but the Dodgers and New York Yankees. In the four seasons since the pandemic hit, the Padres have ranked among the top five in attendance every season, an era in which their roster has featured Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Xander Bogaerts, Juan Soto, Blake Snell and Josh Hader, all of them AllStars. The warning lights flashed in the minds of fans last winter, in the wake of Seidler’s death, when the Padres slashed payroll by onethird, traded Soto and let Snell and Hader go in free agency. “It starts to look like, ‘Here we go again,’ ” said Tony Gwynn Jr., the former Padres outfielder and current Padres broadcaster. “I think it was a little bit more tempered than it was a couple years ago,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who makes his offseason home in the San Diego area, “but I think they have built something here.” On the field, the Padres don’t have much to show for all the excitement and investment beyond three postseason victories over the Dodgers two years ago. They raised ticket prices by an average of 9% this season — after raising prices by an average of 18% last season and 20% for 2022, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “If you were able to take a step back, you were able to see that this roster still had names and guys that make it nothing like it was pre-2019,” Gwynn said, referring to the heydays of the likes of Carlos Asuaje and Freddy Galvis. “I think people can put their trust in this. I think they have shown that by showing up here. That’s with ticket prices going up, and I think that has a lot to do with the Padres keeping their word to this point.” Indeed, after the turbulent winter, the Padres acquired pitcher Dylan Cease in March and two-time batting champion Luis Arráez two weeks ago. The Padres capped season ticket sales at a record 25,000. You can get on a waiting list, if you pay $100 per year for as many seats as you would like to buy. The Padres project a franchise attendance record this year — beyond the 3.27 million tickets they sold last year — and they set a Petco Park attendance record of 46,701 against the Dodgers on May 11. Before that game, Jorge Casillas told me one reason why he renewed his Padres season seats. “No matter what,” he said, “I’m watching a major league team.” The Chargers’ move to Los Angeles in 2017 left the Padres as the city’s lone major league team. San Diego State put up a beautiful $310-million stadium to bolster its bid to join the Pac-12 Conference, only to see the Pac-12 implode. Casillas said he believes the Padres can secure a wild-card playoff spot after missing the postseason in 2021 and 2023, and every year from 2007 through 2019. “We’re not like the Dodgers, obviously,” Casillas said. “We’ve had more bad years than good. “But this stadium has everything — food, character, the right spot downtown. It’s really an event. It’s not just baseball. If we win, it’s even better.” The Padres invested $20 million in expanding and reimagining the space behind center field, with grass and turf seating for close to 5,000 fans — akin to sitting on the outfield lawn in spring training — and a stage that enables the team to host bands before games and cozy concerts when the team does not play. The requisite social spaces are there, meaning bars for adults and play space for kids — in San Diego, that now includes Wiffle ball, cornhole, a slide and “the tallest climbable bat in the world.” (How tall? 35 feet 2¼ inches.) “I think we have established a great ballpark experience, but that in and of itself isn’t going to be enough to sustain this level of attendance,” Padres chief executive Erik Greupner said, “nor is it our goal to sustain attendance on the basis of a ballpark experience.” The Colorado Rockies boast a spacious bar atop right field, with majestic mountain views, and the San Francisco Giants offer a spectacular waterfront ballpark and garlic fries. But the Rockies have been so relentlessly miserable and the Giants so anonymous and uninspiring that fans have stayed home. The Rockies, given the product, might have the best fans in baseball. This year, for the first time in 17 years, the Rockies do not rank in the league’s top half in attendance. (Local angle: The last-place Angels do not rank in the league’s top 10, after selling 3 million tickets every year from 2003 to 2019.) Greupner said the Padres want a roster headlined by established and sometimes costly stars and fortified with annual replenishment from their minor league system. “I think the Dodgers have done that particularly well for a lot of years,” he said. “I think that’s the holy grail for any team in Major League Baseball.” It is. But sustainability and financial flexibility are boardroom buzzwords. The Dodgers and Padres get that. The owners of so many other teams do not. The tell: “Let’s hire a guy from the Tampa Bay Rays and tell him to run our team that way!” Flags fly for championships, not for financial efficiency. Fans want to win, and they also want to invest their hearts and wallets in players they can call their own for years. Since 2010, the Rays have made the playoffs seven times — five more than the Padres. But the Rays’ roster churn is so unrelenting that the team has ranked in the bottom four in attendance every year since 2010. It is not, as it turns out, just about winning. It is not just about the fan experience. It is both. “Everybody has to raise their game to try to keep up with the Dodgers,” Greupner said. The Padres try. Can’t say that for everybody. No shame in Padres finishing second to Dodgers in this race BILL SHAIKIN ON BASEBALL THE PADRES rank second in attendance and have been among the top five every season since the pandemic began. They set a Petco Park record with 46,701 against the Dodgers this month. Denis Poroy Associated Press

LATIMES.COM/SPORTS S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 D5 O n the first day of spring training, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts began drawing a lofty parallel. Barry Bonds, Roberts said, “was the most talented player I’ve ever played with.” Shohei Ohtani, he then predicted, “probably has a chance to be the most talented player to ever play the game of baseball.” During a trip to San Francisco last week, Roberts witnessed the comparison in real life. Back in the ballpark Bonds once called home, a stadium where Roberts has seen hundreds of games as a player and manager, the Dodgers’ skipper turned his gaze skyward after a thunderous Ohtani swing. His slugger had just clubbed a home run 446 feet with a blistering 113.4-mph exit velocity. Roberts’ mind, however, could think only one thing. “That’s Barry territory,” he said of a home run that cleared the towering right-center-field bleachers at Oracle Park, landing just short of a splash down in McCovey Cove. “There aren’t too many guys that can do that.” Then again, there aren’t too many players capable of having the kind of season Ohtani is having nearly 50 games in, a performance that is redefining the limits of his generational ceiling. Entering Saturday, Ohtani was off to the best two-month start of his major league career. He was leading the majors in batting average (.358), slugging percentage (.676) and on-baseplus-slugging (1.102), holding career highs in each, and tied for the lead with 13 home runs. He had 11 stolen bases and 32 RBIs, putting him on pace for the first 45/35/100 season in history. Even without pitching — he only is hitting as he recovers from elbow injury last year — Ohtani has been perhaps the most valuable player in the big leagues, tying teammate Mookie Betts for the most wins above replacement (3.1), according to Fangraphs. In a season that could have been thrown off course by the pressure of his $700-million contract, the process of changing teams this offseason or the preoccupation with the gambling and theft scandal involving his former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani is positioned to contend for his third MVP award and first World Series title, fulfilling every early season expectation the Dodgers could have dreamed. “I do have moments where, [you realize] you have a chance to be around one of the best to ever play this game,” Roberts said last week. “He’s quite the talent.” One who, even after all the offseason anticipation, amazes his new team a little more every day. :: Betts’ adjustment was as subtle as it was telling; a sign of admiration for his power-hitting teammate, but an act of self-preservation on the bases as well. Every time Betts is standing on first with Ohtani at the plate, the leadoff man will slightly alter his secondary lead. After a few routine shuffles toward second base, he’ll take a few hops back as the pitch is thrown. Betts knows how hard Ohtani hits the ball. He wants to give himself a split-second of extra reaction time, just in case it comes screaming his way. “If that hits me, I’m out,” Betts said, only half-joking. “I weigh 175 pounds. I can’t take a 120-mph line drive.” Ohtani hasn’t eclipsed 120 mph of exit velocity this year, but he has come close. Many times. In what is perhaps Ohtani’s most defining trait as a hitter, the big-swinging slugger hits the ball harder than almost any other player in the majors — the violent, explosive and captivating end result of a physical and mental masterpiece he manages to keep perfectly in sync. Ohtani has hit almost 62% of his batted balls this season harder than 95 mph, according to Baseball Savant (which defines a “hard hit” as being 95 mph or above), the best mark in the majors. He eclipsed 105 mph 47 times before Saturday, five more than any other hitter. His hardest-hit ball, a career-best 119.2- mph ground-ball single against the Toronto Blue Jays last month, has been topped this season only by New York Yankees sluggers Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton. “He’s a freak of nature,” Roberts said. “He really is.” The reason why Ohtani hits the ball so hardis where the true magic lies. Conventional wisdom says exit velocity should be primarily the product of bat speed. The harder the swing, the firmer the contact. And the higher the exit velocity, years of pitch-tracking data have revealed, the better the results. Except, bat speed doesn’t tell the whole story. Stanton, for example, has an MLB-best average speed of 80.5 mph (3 mph higher than any other registered hitter, according to Baseball Savant) yet is hitting only .243. Of those ranking in the top 10 in bat speed, only one, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, also had a top-10 OPS, the statistic that most closely reflects a player’s overall production. Ohtani’s average bat speed of 75.4 mph ranks 19th, hardly an outlier among the sport’s other big hitters. What sets him apart is the twitchy coordination and physical connectivity he couples with that strength and speed, a total package that, combined with his lanky 6-foot-4 frame, is difficult for even those who watch him every day to explain. “I honestly don’t know,” Freddie Freeman said when asked about Ohtani’s ability to consistently clobber the ball. “He’s just that gifted.” “When you’ve got the best athlete in baseball, and put that with some long levers,” hitting coach Aaron Bates added, “this is what you’re gonna see.” Ohtani’s mechanics are efficient, repeatable and adaptive. It’s why he rarely has slumped this season, having gone hitless in consecutive games only once. It’s also why he’s able to hit an array of pitches, batting .333 or better against fastballs, breaking balls and offspeed offerings. No other qualified hitter is doing the same. “The bat to ball is an elite tool,” Bates said. “The hand-eye coordination, the ability to square up the baseball, that’s innate.” So too is the execution of Ohtani’s approach. Though he’s an aggressive hitter, he still only chases pitches and whiffs on swings at league-average rates. He has cut down considerably on strikeouts to this point of the year, with a 19.5% K-rate that easily would set a career low. Even his one area of weakness during the opening month, batting with runners in scoring position, has improved in recent weeks, with Ohtani batting .417 in such situations in May before Saturday. This is what makes Ohtani a unicorn — even when he isn’t pitching. He can swing hard but also accurately. He can catch up to velocity, or stay back on spin. He can clobber towering, pull-side home runs, or slice a line drive in the gap the other way, such as the double he hit in his very next at-bat after the Bonds-like blast in San Francisco on Tuesday. And, most of all, he can do it on an almost daily basis, maximizing his mesmerizing physical gifts with a singular mental drive. “He’s doing everything,” Roberts reiterated. “He’s in rare air.” :: During his time in the majors, Ohtani has been famous for keeping a meticulous sleep schedule. Which is why when he talked recently about losing sleep at the start of the season, it sounded like much more than some flippant comment. “There was a lot at the beginning [of the season going on],” Ohtani said in Japanese last week. “There were days I wasn’t sleeping enough.” That might have been the case in normal circumstances, as Ohtani transitioned from an Angels mainstay to a face of the Dodgers’ high-profile franchise. The distraction caused by Mizuhara’s alleged theft of $17 million from Ohtani’s bank account to pay for illegal gambling debts, however, made a start this prolific more improbable for the two-time MVP. “There were many things that developed and I learned,” said Ohtani, whose claims of having no knowledge of, or involvement in, Mizuhara’s gambling activities were validated by a federal investigation. Only “when things got resolved to a certain point,” Ohtani added, did he finally begin sleeping normally again. MLB’s investigation into the situation is still open, but every indication is that Ohtani was the victim of theft by Mizuhara, who is expected to plead guilty to multiple criminal charges. Ohtani’s sleep hasn’t been the only thing to improve since Mizuhara was fired during the team’s season-opening trip to South Korea in March. The 29-year-old has been seen as more open around his new clubhouse, engaging more in everything from direct conversation with coaches to the team’s rosterwide group text chat. Last month, Roberts gave Ohtani some advice about his approach with runners in scoring position, the manager seeking him out “just like any other player,” he said. Behind the scenes, Ohtani has been described as a lighthearted presence, willing to mess around with a cricket bat during a rain delay in Minnesota, and jokingly buy Roberts a toy car after breaking his record of most home runs by a Japanese-born Dodgers player a few weeks ago. “It’s been more comfortable,” Ohtani said. “I’m getting good sleep and playing while treating every day with importance.” Ohtani’s competitive edge has become apparent to the Dodgers. Such as how strictly he follows his daily pregame routine, from his regimented cage work to his slowly intensifying throwing program. Or how hard he runs the bases, both in an effort to swipe bags (his 11 steals were tied for eighth most in the majors entering Saturday) and pick up an extra free 90 feet. Even rare bouts of in-game frustration have been notable, such as during Wednesday’s game in San Francisco when Ohtani looked visibly frustrated with a couple of third-strike calls. To Roberts, it’s all an indication of one thing — a dynamic not even the Mizuhara scandal could impede. “He has craved and desired so long to play for a winner, play for a team that’s trying to play for a championship,” Roberts said last week. “And not to take anything away from the Angels, but I think what we’ve done, he’s seen that, and I think that’s raising his level of play.” Ohtani hasn’t said so explicitly, remaining ever-respectful of the team that nurtured his two-way dreams despite not making the playoffs once in his six seasons in Anaheim. Yet, when asked about his blistering early-season pace last week, he immediately credited the starstudded lineup he finds himself anchoring. “I think my form is on the good side, but I don’t know if this is the best I’ve been in the last six years, seven years,” he said. “I think we’re having a lot of good at-bats as a lineup. As a member of that lineup, I think I’m having a great number of good at-bats.” Chalk it up as the last trait to strike the Dodgers this year, with Ohtani’s quiet modesty belying his barrage to begin the season. For now, his focus remains fixed on the mechanics of his swing, the recovery of his arm and the blocking out of any fallout from Mizuhara’s legal proceedings. Career-best numbers, recordsetting paces and Bondsian comparisons are for everyone else to contemplate. “He just wants to be coached,” Roberts said. “He wants to be even better than he already is.” SHOHEI OHTANI had hit 13 home runs entering Saturday and also led the majors with career highs in average (.358), slugging percentage (.676) and OPS (1.102). Gina Ferazzi Los Angeles Times PRODUCING MORE THAN EVER BEFORE Ohtani has managed the best start of his career even with raised expectations and off-the-field distractions By Jack Harris OHTANI has been more open this season, engaging in direct talks with coaches and in the team’s group text chat. Robert Gauthier Los Angeles Times

D6 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM/SPORTS NATIONAL LEAGUE West W L Pct. GB L10 DODGERS 30 17 .638 — 6-4 San Diego 23 24 .489 7 5-5 Arizona 21 24 .467 8 6-4 San Francisco 21 25 .457 81 ⁄2 6-4 Colorado 15 29 .341 131 ⁄2 7-3 Central W L Pct. GB L10 Milwaukee 26 18 .591 — 6-4 Chicago 25 21 .543 2 4-6 Pittsburgh 21 25 .457 6 4-6 St. Louis 19 25 .432 7 4-6 Cincinnati 19 26 .422 71 ⁄2 3-7 East W L Pct. GB L10 Philadelphia 32 14 .696 — 7-3 Atlanta 26 15 .634 31 ⁄2 6-4 Washington 20 23 .465 101 ⁄2 4-6 New York 20 24 .455 11 4-6 Miami 14 32 .304 18 4-6 AMERICAN LEAGUE West W L Pct. GB L10 Seattle 24 21 .533 — 5-5 Texas 23 23 .500 11 ⁄2 3-7 Houston 20 25 .444 4 8-2 Oakland 19 28 .404 6 2-8 ANGELS 17 28 .378 7 5-5 Central W L Pct. GB L10 Cleveland 28 17 .622 — 5-5 Kansas City 27 19 .587 11 ⁄2 6-4 Minnesota 24 20 .545 31 ⁄2 4-6 Detroit 22 22 .500 51 ⁄2 4-6 Chicago 14 31 .311 14 6-4 East W L Pct. GB L10 New York 31 15 .674 — 8-2 Baltimore 28 14 .667 1 7-3 Tampa Bay 24 22 .522 7 6-4 Boston 22 23 .489 81 ⁄2 3-7 Toronto 19 24 .442 101 ⁄2 4-6 STANDINGS Through Friday Today’s games Dodgers vs. Cincinnati ........................... 1 p.m. Angels at Texas .............................. 11:30 a.m. Boston at St. Louis ............................. 10 a.m. Seattle at Baltimore ....................... 10:30 a.m. Washington at Philadelphia ............. 10:30 a.m. Chicago (AL) at New York (AL) ......... 10:30 a.m. Tampa Bay at Toronto ..................... 10:30 a.m. Minnesota at Cleveland .................. 10:30 a.m. New York (NL) at Miami .................. 10:30 a.m. Oakland at Kansas City ....................... 11 a.m. Milwaukee at Houston ......................... 11 a.m. Pittsburgh at Chicago (NL) ............... 11:15 a.m. Colorado at San Francisco ..................... 1 p.m. Detroit at Arizona ................................. 1 p.m. San Diego at Atlanta ............................ 4 p.m. BASEBALL : FRIDAY FLASHBACK DODGERS 7, CINCINNATI 3 Cincinnati AB R H BI Avg. India 2b 4 1 1 0 .229 DL Cruz ss 4 0 0 0 .270 Steer lf 4 0 0 1 .228 Stephen c 4 1 2 1 .264 Candel 1b 4 0 1 0 .231 Ford dh 3 0 1 0 .194 1-Hurtub dh 0 0 0 0 .000 Fairchild cf 2 1 1 1 .213 a-Fraley rf 1 0 0 0 .284 Espinal 3b 3 0 1 0 .198 Benson rf-cf 3 0 0 0 .192 Totals 32 3 7 3 Dodgers AB R H BI Avg. Betts ss 4 2 1 1 .341 Ohtani dh 4 2 1 2 .358 Freeman 1b 2 1 0 0 .288 Smith c 3 0 1 1 .315 T.Hernán lf 4 0 1 0 .243 Lux 2b 4 0 1 0 .198 Pages cf 4 1 1 0 .267 Heyward rf 3 1 1 2 .235 K.Hernán 3b 4 0 2 0 .225 Totals 32 7 9 6 Cincinnati 000 111 000 —3 7 1 Dodgers 102 000 22x —7 9 2 a-struck out for Fairchild in 7th. 1-ran for Ford in 7th. Walks— Dodgers 4: Betts 1, Freeman 2, Smith 1. Strikeouts—Cincinnati 4: De La Cruz 2, Ford 1, Fraley 1. Dodgers 2: Betts 1, Ohtani 1. E—De La Cruz (10), Betts (6), Lux (1). LOB—Cincinnati 2, Dodgers 6. HR—Fairchild (3), off Paxton; Stephenson (5), off Paxton; Betts (8), off Montas; Ohtani (13), off Montas; Heyward (1), off Díaz. RBIs—Steer (30), Fairchild (11), Stephenson (14), Betts (29), Ohtani 2 (32), Smith (30), Heyward 2 (4). Runners left in scoring position—Cincinnati 1 (Ford); Dodgers 3 (T.Hernández, Ohtani, Lux). RISP—Cincinnati 0 for 3; Dodgers 1 for 4. Runners moved up—De La Cruz. LIDP—Candelario. GIDP—Benson, Ford. DP—Cincinnati 1 (De La Cruz, Candelario, De La Cruz); Dodgers 3 (Lux, Betts, Freeman; Lux, Betts, Freeman; Freeman). Cincinnati IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Montas .......................5 4 3 3 3 1 98 4.37 Sims...........................1 1 0 0 0 0 7 5.02 Cruz, L, 1-5..................1 2 2 2 1 1 22 5.21 Díaz............................1 2 2 2 0 0 25 7.47 Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Paxton ........................6 7 3 3 0 2 92 2.84 Grove, W, 2-2...............1 0 0 0 0 1 9 5.40 Treinen, H, 3 ................1 0 0 0 0 1 7 0.00 Hudson .......................1 0 0 0 0 0 8 3.00 Inherited runners-scored—Grove 1-0. IBB—off Cruz (Freeman). HBP—Montas (Heyward). WP—Cruz, Paxton. ANGELS 9, TEXAS 3 Angels AB R H BI Avg. Schan 1b 6 0 0 0 .234 Rengifo 3b 4 1 1 0 .326 Ward lf 5 1 2 1 .273 Pillar cf 4 1 1 0 .432 O’Hoppe c 4 2 2 0 .267 Calhoun dh 5 2 4 1 .365 Adell rf 4 1 1 2 .248 Neto ss 5 1 2 2 .255 Paris 2b 5 0 1 2 .143 Totals 42 9 14 8 Texas AB R H BI Avg. Semien 2b 4 1 1 2 .276 Seager ss 4 0 1 0 .238 Lowe 1b 4 0 0 0 .286 A.García rf 4 0 0 0 .253 Heim c 4 1 1 1 .276 Gross dh 1 0 0 0 .111 a-Carter 1 0 0 0 .214 Duran lf 3 0 0 0 .277 b-Jankowski 1 0 0 0 .246 Smith 3b 3 1 2 0 .280 Taveras cf 3 0 0 0 .248 Totals 32 3 5 3 Angels 001 231 002 —9 14 0 Texas 010 000 020 —3 5 3 a-flied out for Grossman in 9th. b-popped out for Duran in 9th. Walks—Angels 4: Rengifo 1, Pillar 1, O’Hoppe 1, Adell 1. Texas 2: Grossman 2. Strikeouts—Angels 11: Schanuel 3, Ward 2, Pillar 1, O’Hoppe 1, Adell 1, Neto 1, Paris 2. Texas 5: A.García 1, Heim 1, Duran 1, Smith 1, Taveras 1. E—Lowe (3), A.García (4), Semien (1). LOB—Angels 10, Texas 4. 2B—Rengifo (7), Adell (4), Smith (12). HR—Neto (5), off Heaney; Ward (9), off Winn; Heim (5), off T.Anderson; Semien (9), off Moore. RBIs—Neto 2 (16), Calhoun (5), Paris 2 (3), Ward (27), Adell 2 (20), Heim (27), Semien 2 (33). SB—Rengifo (10), Pillar 2 (4). Runners left in scoring position—Angels 7 (Schanuel 2, Rengifo, Pillar, Paris 2, O’Hoppe); Texas 2 (Taveras 2). RISP—Angels 5 for 19; Texas 0 for 1. Runners moved up—Calhoun, Adell. Angels IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA T.Anderson, W, 4-4........7 2 1 1 2 4 96 2.72 Moore......................... 2 ⁄3 3 2 2 0 0 21 7.02 Strickland.................... 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 3 2.50 Fulmer ........................1 0 0 0 0 1 10 2.37 Texas IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Heaney, L, 0-5 ...........3 2 ⁄3 5 3 2 2 5 83 4.43 G.Anderson..................1 2 3 3 2 2 35 14.29 Winn ........................1 1 ⁄3 2 1 1 0 1 15 6.23 S.Anderson ..................3 5 2 2 0 3 48 6.00 Inherited runners-scored—Strickland 1-0, G.Anderson 1-0, Winn 3-2. U— Adrian Johnson, Junior Valentine, Jeremy Riggs, Ramon De Jesus. T—2:50. Tickets sold—37,922 (40,000). PITTSBURGH 9, CHICAGO CUBS 3 Pittsburgh AB R H BI Avg. McCut dh 4 1 1 1 .213 Reynolds lf 5 1 2 0 .254 Cruz ss 5 0 0 0 .251 Williams ss 0 0 0 0 .245 Joe rf 5 1 3 0 .296 Gonzal 2b 4 1 2 1 .269 Suwinski cf 5 1 1 0 .168 Grandal c 5 1 2 3 .212 Tellez 1b 4 2 2 0 .188 Triolo 3b 4 1 2 3 .201 Totals 41 9 15 8 Chicago AB R H BI Avg. Tauch dh 4 1 1 0 .263 Happ lf 3 1 0 0 .216 Bellinger rf 3 0 0 0 .256 Morel 3b 4 0 2 2 .215 Busch 1b 2 0 0 0 .250 Mastrob ss 4 0 0 0 .147 Madrigal 2b 4 0 0 0 .222 C-Armst cf 4 0 0 0 .236 Amaya c 3 1 1 1 .187 Totals 31 3 4 3 Pittsburgh 002 330 010 —9 15 0 Chicago 000 000 030 —3 4 1 Walks—Pittsburgh 1: McCutchen 1. Chicago 4: Happ 1, Bellinger 1, Busch 2. Strikeouts—Pittsburgh 9: McCutchen 1, Reynolds 1, Cruz 2, Joe 1, Suwinski 2, Triolo 2. Chicago 15: Tauchman 3, Happ 2, Bellinger 1, Morel 1, Busch 2, Mastrobuoni 3, Madrigal 2, Crow-Armstrong 1. E—Crow-Armstrong (1). LOB—Pittsburgh 7, Chicago 5. 2B—Gonzales (1), Morel (4). HR—Triolo (2), off Hendricks; McCutchen (6), off Leiter; Amaya (2), off Mlodzinski. RBIs—Triolo 3 (15), Grandal 3 (9), Gonzales (6), McCutchen (11), Amaya (12), Morel 2 (31). SB—Reynolds (3), Suwinski (4). SF—Gonzales. Runners left in scoring position—Pittsburgh 2 (McCutchen, Grandal); Chicago 3 (Busch 2, Mastrobuoni). RISP—Pittsburgh 4 for 8; Chicago 1 for 3. Runners moved up—Gonzales. Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Skenes, W, 1-0.............6 0 0 0 1 11 100 2.70 Mlodzinski .................1 2 ⁄3 3 2 2 1 1 48 10.80 Ryan...........................0 1 1 1 2 0 18 3.46 Stratton ....................1 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 3 15 3.74 Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Hendricks, L, 0-4........4 2 ⁄3 11 8 7 0 4 89 10.57 Cuas ........................1 2 ⁄3 1 0 0 1 3 32 6.17 Little........................... 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 8 5.91 Leiter ..........................1 2 1 1 0 1 20 1.00 Neris ..........................1 1 0 0 0 0 22 2.81 Ryan pitched to 3 batters in 8th Inherited runners-scored—Ryan 1-1, Stratton 2-0, Cuas 1-0, Little 1-0. U— Brian O’Nora, Chris Conroy, Charlie Ramos, Brennan Miller. T—2:57. PHILADELPHIA 4, WASHINGTON 2 Washington AB R H BI Avg. Abrams ss 4 1 1 0 .261 Rosario rf 4 0 1 1 .179 Meneses dh 4 0 0 0 .220 Gallo 1b 4 0 1 0 .128 Vargas 2b 3 1 0 0 .300 Winker lf 3 0 0 0 .223 K.Ruiz c 3 0 1 1 .147 Senzel 3b 2 0 0 0 .200 Robles cf 3 0 0 0 .105 Totals 30 2 4 2 Phila. AB R H BI Avg. Schwar dh 4 0 0 1 .218 Realmuto c 4 1 1 0 .277 Harper 1b 4 0 0 0 .263 Bohm 3b 4 0 1 1 .331 Stott 2b 3 1 1 0 .281 Castell rf 2 0 0 0 .199 Marsh lf 2 1 1 1 .248 Sosa ss 3 1 1 0 .308 Rojas cf 3 0 0 0 .228 Totals 29 4 5 3 Washington 010 010 000 —2 4 0 Philadelphia 121 000 00x —4 5 0 Walks—Washington 3: Vargas 1, Winker 1, Senzel 1. Philadelphia 1: Marsh 1. Strikeouts—Washington 6: Abrams 1, Meneses 1, Gallo 3, Robles 1. Philadelphia 4: Schwarber 1, Realmuto 1, Harper 1, Sosa 1. LOB—Washington 4, Philadelphia 4. 2B—K.Ruiz (1), Abrams (8), Rosario (5), Gallo (6), Bohm (18), Marsh (4). RBIs—K.Ruiz (6), Rosario (12), Bohm (37), Schwarber (28), Marsh (23). Runners left in scoring position—Washington 2 (Robles, Winker); Philadelphia 3 (Castellanos, Sosa 2). RISP—Washington 1 for 4; Philadelphia 1 for 5. Runners moved up—Rojas, Schwarber. Washington IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Irvin, L, 2-4..................5 5 4 4 1 2 93 3.91 Barnes........................2 0 0 0 0 2 26 0.75 Weems........................1 0 0 0 0 0 12 3.94 Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Wheeler, W, 5-3..........7 1 ⁄3 3 2 2 3 6 104 2.52 Alvarado, H, 3.............. 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 10 3.72 Hoffman, S, 3-6............1 1 0 0 0 0 10 0.90 HBP—Irvin 2 (Stott,Castellanos). WP—Irvin. U— John Tumpane, Marvin Hudson, Nick Mahrley, Hunter Wendelstedt. T—2:15. Tickets sold—44,507 (42,901). BALTIMORE 9, SEATTLE 2 Seattle AB R H BI Avg. Moore ss 4 2 2 1 .221 Rodríguez cf 4 0 1 0 .266 Garver dh 4 0 1 1 .176 Raleigh c 4 0 2 0 .226 Zavala c 0 0 0 0 .200 Haniger rf 3 0 1 0 .219 1-Rivas 2b 0 0 0 0 .333 Rojas 2b-3b 4 0 0 0 .319 Fr 1b-2b-1b 4 0 0 0 .236 Raley lf-1b-rf 4 0 1 0 .275 L.Urías 3b 2 0 0 0 .149 a-Canzone lf 2 0 1 0 .243 Totals 35 2 9 2 Baltimore AB R H BI Avg. Hender ss 5 2 2 2 .263 Rutsch c 4 2 2 1 .318 O’Hearn rf 3 1 1 0 .292 b-Hays lf 1 1 1 1 .149 Mount 1b 4 1 0 0 .265 Santan dh 3 1 0 0 .216 Cowser cf 3 0 2 2 .263 Westb 3b 3 0 0 1 .295 Stowers lf-rf 4 0 1 0 .250 Mateo 2b 4 1 1 0 .243 Totals 34 9 10 7 Seattle 100 010 000 —2 9 1 Baltimore 500 000 40x —9 10 0 a-singled for L.Urías in 7th. b-doubled for O’Hearn in 7th. 1-ran for Haniger in 8th. Walks—Seattle 1: Haniger 1. Baltimore 2: Santander 1, Cowser 1. Strikeouts—Seattle 4: Rodríguez 1, Garver 1, Rojas 1, L.Urías 1. Baltimore 2: Stowers 2. E—Moore (2). LOB—Seattle 7, Baltimore 4. 2B—Moore (6), Raleigh (3), Cowser (10), Rutschman (7), Hays (2). 3B—Mateo (1), Henderson (4). HR—Moore (4), off Means; Henderson (13), off Miller. RBIs—Garver (14), Moore (14), Henderson 2 (29), Cowser 2 (22), Westburg (29), Rutschman (28), Hays (3). SF—Westburg. Runners left in scoring position—Seattle 2 (Rojas 2); Baltimore 1 (Mateo). RISP—Seattle 1 for 5; Baltimore 4 for 9. Runners moved up—Rodríguez, Santander. GIDP—Moore. Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Miller, L, 3-4..............5 1 ⁄3 6 5 4 1 1 86 3.08 Bolton ........................ 2 ⁄3 1 1 1 0 0 11 4.20 Snead.........................0 3 3 3 0 0 14 10.13 Bazardo ......................2 0 0 0 1 1 30 7.20 Baltimore IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Means, W, 2-0 .............6 6 2 2 0 4 95 3.06 Webb, H, 4 .................. 1 ⁄3 2 0 0 0 0 14 1.37 Cano, H, 10 ................ 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 3 2.14 Baumann ....................1 1 0 0 1 0 14 3.44 Akin............................1 0 0 0 0 0 11 2.84 Snead pitched to 3 batters in the 7th N.Y. YANKEES 4, CHICAGO WHITE SOX 2 Chicago AB R H BI Avg. Pham cf 5 1 3 0 .338 Vaughn 1b 4 0 2 2 .213 Jiménez dh 4 0 1 0 .217 DeJong ss 3 0 0 0 .242 a-Sheets 1 0 1 0 .236 1-Lopez 2b 0 0 0 0 .200 Benintendi lf 4 0 0 0 .195 Julks rf 4 0 1 0 .250 Mendick 3b 4 0 0 0 .233 Maldon c 3 0 0 0 .097 c-Lee 1 0 0 0 .305 Remill 2b-ss 2 1 0 0 .313 Totals 35 2 8 2 New York AB R H BI Avg. Volpe ss 4 0 1 0 .272 Soto rf 4 0 1 0 .301 Judge cf 1 2 1 1 .267 Verdugo lf 4 1 1 1 .250 Stanton dh 4 1 2 2 .250 Rizzo 1b 4 0 2 0 .256 Torres 2b 4 0 1 0 .224 Wells c 3 0 0 0 .197 b-Trevino c 1 0 0 0 .288 Cabrera 3b 3 0 0 0 .256 Totals 32 4 9 4 Chicago 001 000 010 —2 8 0 New York 100 201 00x —4 9 1 a-doubled for DeJong in 8th. b-grounded out for Wells in 8th. c-struck out for Maldonado in 9th. 1-ran for Sheets in 8th. Walks—Chicago 2: Remillard 2. New York 3: Judge 3. Strikeouts—Chicago 10: Pham 1, Jiménez 1, DeJong 1, Benintendi 1, Julks 2, Maldonado 2, Lee 1, Remillard 1. New York 8: Volpe 2, Soto 1, Stanton 2, Torres 2, Cabrera 1. E—Cabrera (4). LOB—Chicago 8, New York 7. 2B—Julks (1), Pham (5), Sheets (12), Verdugo (9), Stanton (7), Soto (9). HR—Judge (12), off Clevinger; Stanton (10), off Banks. RBIs—Vaughn 2 (15), Judge (30), Verdugo (21), Stanton 2 (24). SB—Pham (2), Remillard (1). Runners left in scoring position—Chicago 3 (Benintendi, Julks 2); New York 3 (Verdugo 2, Wells). RISP—Chicago 2 for 9; New York 2 for 8. Runners moved up—Rizzo. GIDP—Trevino. DP—Chicago 1 (Mendick, Lopez, Vaughn). Chicago IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Clevinger, L, 0-2 .........4 2 ⁄3 5 3 3 2 5 78 5.56 Banks .........................2 2 1 1 0 2 30 5.49 Wilson ........................ 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 1 14 3.00 Hill............................. 2 ⁄3 2 0 0 0 0 7 2.40 New York IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Cortes, W, 2-4..............7 5 1 0 1 6 93 3.56 Hamilton, H, 6 ............. 1 ⁄3 3 1 1 0 1 18 3.18 Ferguson, H, 7 ............. 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 6 5.74 Holmes, S, 13-14 .........1 0 0 0 1 2 18 0.00 Inherited runners-scored—Banks 2-0, Wilson 1-0, Ferguson 2-0. IBB_off Clevinger (Judge). PB_Maldonado (3). U— Laz Diaz, Mike Estabrook, Erich Bacchus, Tripp Gibson. T—2:32. Tickets sold—46,025 (47,309). TAMPA BAY 4, TORONTO 3 Tampa Bay AB R H BI Avg. Díaz 1b 5 0 2 1 .251 Lowe rf 4 0 0 0 .263 Arozarena lf 4 1 1 0 .161 Aranda dh 4 0 1 0 .231 Paredes 3b 1 1 0 0 .303 Palacios 2b 4 1 1 2 .259 Rosario ss 4 0 1 0 .299 Rortvedt c 4 1 0 0 .286 DeLuca cf 4 0 2 0 .306 Totals 34 4 8 3 Toronto AB R H BI Avg. Springer rf 4 0 0 0 .196 Bichette ss 4 0 0 0 .221 Guerrero 1b 4 0 0 0 .268 Turner dh 4 0 0 0 .238 Jansen c 3 1 1 0 .300 Schnei lf-2b 3 1 1 2 .260 Varsho cf-lf 3 1 1 0 .211 K-Fale 2b 2 0 0 0 .263 a-Vogelbach 1 0 0 0 .108 1-Kierm cf 0 0 0 0 .225 Clement 3b 2 0 0 0 .250 b-Biggio 3b 1 0 1 1 .205 Totals 31 3 4 3 Tampa Bay 000 003 100 —4 8 1 Toronto 000 000 030 —3 4 2 a-pinch hit for Kiner-Falefa in 8th. b-singled for Clement in 8th. 1-ran for Vogelbach in 8th. Walks—Tampa Bay 3: Paredes 3. Strikeouts—Tampa Bay 9: Lowe 3, Arozarena 1, Aranda 1, Rosario 1, Rortvedt 2, DeLuca 1. Toronto 5: Springer 1, Guerrero 2, Jansen 1, Schneider 1. E—Díaz (3), Guerrero 2 (3). LOB—Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 1. 2B—Arozarena (5). HR—Palacios (4), off Bassitt; Schneider (5), off Alexander. RBIs—Palacios 2 (11), Díaz (23), Schneider 2 (17), Biggio (7). Runners left in scoring position—Tampa Bay 0; Toronto 0. RISP—Tampa Bay 2 for 6; Toronto 1 for 2. Runners moved up—Rortvedt, Aranda. GIDP—Arozarena, Díaz, Springer. Tampa Bay IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Alexander, W, 2-2 .......7 1 ⁄3 3 3 3 0 4 105 5.17 Rodríguez, H, 1 ............ 2 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 0 6 3.38 Fairbanks, S, 4-5 ..........1 0 0 0 0 1 6 5.73 Toronto IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Bassitt, L, 3-6............5 2 ⁄3 5 3 3 3 5 103 5.03 Pop............................ 1 ⁄3 2 1 0 0 1 18 2.45 Cabrera.......................1 0 0 0 0 1 6 5.17 Swanson .....................1 1 0 0 0 0 10 12.54 Pearson.......................1 0 0 0 0 2 9 4.80 Inherited runners-scored—Rodríguez 1-1, Cabrera 2-0. WP—Pop. U— Dan Merzel, Mark Carlson, Stu Scheuwater, Jordan Baker. T—2:40. CLEVELAND 3, MINNESOTA 2 Minnesota AB R H BI Avg. Julien 2b 3 0 0 0 .217 a-Farmer 2b 1 0 1 1 .155 Larnach dh 2 0 0 0 .288 b-Margot dh 0 0 0 0 .169 Jeffers c 4 0 0 0 .275 Kepler rf 3 0 1 0 .305 Correa ss 3 0 0 0 .263 Santana 1b 4 0 0 0 .203 Kirilloff lf 2 1 1 1 .207 Miranda 3b 2 0 1 0 .275 1-Martin cf 0 1 0 0 .224 Castro cf-3b 3 0 0 0 .260 Totals 27 2 4 2 Cleveland AB R H BI Avg. Freeman cf 4 0 1 0 .197 Giménez 2b 4 0 2 0 .267 Ramírez 3b 4 1 1 1 .249 J.Naylor 1b 3 1 0 0 .256 Fry dh 3 1 3 2 .333 Brennan lf 3 0 0 0 .232 Laureano rf 3 0 0 0 .143 B.Naylor c 3 0 0 0 .171 Arias ss 3 0 0 0 .216 Totals 30 3 7 3 Minnesota 001 000 010 —2 4 1 Cleveland 000 002 01x —3 7 1 a-doubled for Julien in 8th. b-walked for Larnach in 8th. 1-ran for Miranda in 8th. Walks—Minnesota 5: Larnach 1, Margot 1, Correa 1, Kirilloff 1, Miranda 1. Strikeouts—Minnesota 9: Julien 1, Jeffers 1, Correa 2, Santana 2, Kirilloff 1, Miranda 1, Castro 1. Cleveland 5: Ramírez 1, J.Naylor 1, Laureano 1, B.Naylor 1, Arias 1. E—Jeffers (2), B.Naylor (4). LOB—Minnesota 4, Cleveland 4. 2B—Kepler (10), Farmer (6). HR—Kirilloff (3), off McKenzie; Fry (4), off Okert; Ramírez (10), off Duran. RBIs—Kirilloff (12), Farmer (7), Fry 2 (14), Ramírez (38). SB—Martin (4), Giménez (7). CS—Giménez (3). Runners left in scoring position—Minnesota 2 (Jeffers, Santana); Cleveland 1 (Laureano). RISP—Minnesota 1 for 3; Cleveland 0 for 3. Runners moved up—Brennan. GIDP—Jeffers, Correa, Castro. DP—Cleveland 3 (Ramírez, Giménez, J.Naylor; Ramírez, Giménez, J.Naylor; Ramírez, Arias, J.Naylor). Minnesota IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Woods Richardson ......5 1 ⁄3 4 1 1 0 2 80 2.97 Okert, BS, 1-6.............. 2 ⁄3 1 1 1 0 0 11 3.77 Jax .............................1 0 0 0 0 2 9 2.89 Duran, L, 0-1 ...............1 2 1 1 0 1 10 1.12 Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA McKenzie ..................6 2 ⁄3 2 1 1 4 5 91 3.23 Gaddis, H, 8................ 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 4 2.14 Barlow, H, 10............... 2 ⁄3 1 1 1 0 2 14 3.43 Herrin, W, 2-0 .............. 1 ⁄3 1 0 0 1 0 13 0.93 Clase, S, 13-15............1 0 0 0 0 1 13 0.40 Inherited runners-scored—Okert 1-1, Gaddis 2-0, Herrin 1-1. HBP_Woods Richardson (J.Naylor). U— Roberto Ortiz, Alfonso Marquez, Lance Barrett, Mark Ripperger. T—2:32. Tickets sold—30,121 (34,788). MIAMI 8, N.Y. METS 0 New York AB R H BI Avg. Taylor lf 4 0 0 0 .256 Alonso 1b 4 0 1 0 .226 Lindor ss 4 0 1 0 .195 Martinez dh 3 0 2 0 .309 a-Stewart 1 0 0 0 .205 Vientos 3b 3 0 0 0 .294 Marte rf 3 0 0 0 .255 b-Baty 1 0 0 0 .233 Bader cf 4 0 1 0 .276 McNeil 2b 3 0 1 0 .232 Nido c 3 0 0 0 .216 Totals 33 0 6 0 Miami AB R H BI Avg. Chisholm cf 5 1 1 0 .250 DL Cruz dh 3 0 1 1 .257 Bell 1b 5 0 2 1 .218 Rivera 1b 0 0 0 0 .203 J.Sánchez rf 4 1 1 0 .231 Burger 3b 5 0 2 1 .188 Gray 3b 0 0 0 0 .000 Gordon lf 4 1 1 0 .225 Lopez 2b 2 0 0 1 .268 Bruján ss 3 2 2 0 .264 Fortes c 3 3 3 3 .159 Totals 34 8 13 7 New York 000 000 000 —0 6 1 Miami 040 002 02x —8 13 0 a-flied out for Martinez in 9th. b-struck out for Marte in 9th. Walks—New York 1: Vientos 1. Miami 4: De La Cruz 1, Lopez 1, Bruján 1, Fortes 1. Strikeouts—New York 9: Taylor 1, Alonso 1, Martinez 1, Vientos 1, Marte 1, Baty 1, Bader 1, Nido 2. Miami 8: Chisholm 1, De La Cruz 1, J.Sánchez 1, Burger 1, Gordon 3, Lopez 1. E—McNeil (4). LOB—New York 7, Miami 9. 2B—Burger (3), Bell (6). HR—Fortes (2), off C.Scott. RBIs—Lopez (7), Fortes 3 (8), De La Cruz (25), Bell (20), Burger (16). SF—Lopez, De La Cruz. Runners left in scoring position—New York 2 (Taylor, Vientos); Miami 5 (Lopez, J.Sánchez, Bell 2, Gordon). RISP—New York 0 for 3; Miami 2 for 13. GIDP—Bell. DP—New York 1 (Lindor, Alonso). New York IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA C.Scott, L, 0-2..............4 7 4 4 1 3 84 4.32 Walker ........................2 3 2 2 1 2 40 3.60 Hartwig .......................2 3 2 2 2 3 39 6.75 Miami IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Luzardo, W, 1-3 ............6 5 0 0 0 7 89 5.02 Bender........................1 0 0 0 0 1 12 5.50 Smith .........................1 1 0 0 0 0 12 3.92 Maldonado ..................1 0 0 0 1 1 14 4.50 U— Andy Fletcher, Mike Muchlinski, Jansen Visconti, Paul Clemons. SAN DIEGO 3, ATLANTA 1 San Diego AB R H BI Avg. Arraez dh 5 1 2 0 .326 Tatis rf 3 1 1 0 .257 Profar lf 5 1 2 1 .325 Azocar lf 0 0 0 0 .286 Cronen 1b 5 0 3 1 .275 Macha 3b 4 0 0 1 .217 Bogae 2b 4 0 2 0 .220 Merrill cf 4 0 2 0 .294 Kim ss 4 0 1 0 .205 Higash c 4 0 0 0 .162 Totals 38 3 13 3 Atlanta AB R H BI Avg. Acuña rf 3 1 1 0 .247 Albies 2b 4 0 1 0 .279 Ozuna dh 4 0 1 0 .325 Olson 1b 4 0 2 1 .227 d’Arnaud c 2 0 0 0 .255 Tromp c 2 0 1 0 .211 Harris cf 4 0 1 0 .258 Arcia ss 4 0 0 0 .243 Kelenic lf 2 0 0 0 .255 a-Duvall lf 1 0 0 0 .206 Short 3b 3 0 0 0 .308 Totals 33 1 7 1 San Diego 000 030 000 —3 13 1 Atlanta 100 000 000 —1 7 0 a-walked for Kelenic in 7th. Walks—San Diego 3: Tatis 2, Machado 1. Atlanta 3: Acuña 1, Duvall 1, Short 1. Strikeouts—San Diego 6: Tatis 1, Profar 1, Cronenworth 1, Machado 1, Merrill 1, Higashioka 1. Atlanta 18: Acuña 1, Albies 1, Ozuna 2, Olson 1, d’Arnaud 2, Tromp 1, Harris 2, Arcia 3, Kelenic 1, Duvall 1, Short 3. E—Cronenworth (4). LOB—San Diego 11, Atlanta 8. 2B—Albies (10), Tromp (4). RBIs—Profar (30), Cronenworth (28), Machado (23), Olson (23). SB—Harris (6), Bogaerts 2 (4), Machado (2). CS—Arraez (1). Runners left in scoring position—San Diego 7 (Bogaerts 2, Machado, Higashioka 2, Kim 2); Atlanta 3 (Acuña, Harris 2). RISP—San Diego 2 for 10; Atlanta 1 for 5. GIDP—Kim, Arcia. DP—San Diego 1 (Machado, Bogaerts, Cronenworth); Atlanta 1 (Olson, Arcia, Olson). San Diego IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Waldron, W, 2-5 .........5 2 ⁄3 5 1 1 2 10 98 5.00 Matsui, H, 5 ................ 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 2 17 3.72 De Los Santos, H, 5...... 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 7 3.12 Suarez, H, 1.................1 2 0 0 0 2 17 0.47 Estrada, S, 1-1.............1 0 0 0 0 3 16 0.84 Atlanta IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Fried, L, 3-2 ..............4 1 ⁄3 9 3 3 3 2 88 3.81 Bummer....................1 2 ⁄3 1 0 0 0 2 25 3.45 Jiménez.......................1 0 0 0 0 1 13 1.59 Chavez ........................1 1 0 0 0 1 16 2.08 Iglesias .......................1 2 0 0 0 0 16 2.60 U— Tony Randazzo, Tom Hanahan, Phil Cuzzi, Alex Tosi. T—2:54. Tickets sold—40,186 (41,149). KANSAS CITY 6, OAKLAND 2 Oakland AB R H BI Avg. Toro lf 4 1 2 0 .293 Bleday cf 4 0 1 0 .242 Rooker dh 4 0 0 0 .272 Langeliers c 2 1 1 2 .222 Gelof 2b 4 0 0 0 .181 Davis 1b 3 0 0 0 .193 Schuem ss 3 0 0 0 .219 Nevin rf 2 0 0 0 .231 Harris 3b 3 0 0 0 .128 Totals 29 2 4 2 K.C. AB R H BI Avg. Garcia 3b 5 1 1 3 .238 Witt ss 5 1 1 0 .291 Pasqua 1b 4 0 0 0 .230 Perez c 3 1 3 1 .335 Fermin c 0 0 0 0 .258 Massey 2b 4 1 3 2 .259 Velázq dh 4 0 0 0 .220 Melendez lf 3 1 1 0 .180 Renfroe rf 4 0 1 0 .157 Isbel cf 3 1 1 0 .216 Totals 35 6 11 6 Oakland 000 000 002 —2 4 0 Kansas City 100 005 00x —6 11 0 Walks—Oakland 3: Langeliers 2, Nevin 1. Kansas City 3: Perez 1, Melendez 1, Isbel 1. Strikeouts—Oakland 10: Rooker 3, Langeliers 1, Gelof 2, Davis 1, Harris 3. Kansas City 5: Garcia 1, Witt 1, Pasquantino 2, Melendez 1. LOB—Oakland 3, Kansas City 8. 2B—Bleday (12), Witt (12), Melendez (7), Perez (11). HR—Langeliers (10), off Sauer; Massey (4), off Adams; Garcia (5), off Bielak. RBIs—Langeliers 2 (26), Perez (34), Massey 2 (18), Garcia 3 (28). CS—Toro (2). Runners left in scoring position—Oakland 1 (Gelof); Kansas City 4 (Pasquantino, Garcia, Melendez, Velázquez). RISP—Oakland 0 for 2; Kansas City 3 for 13. Runners moved up—Garcia. GIDP—Davis. DP—Kansas City 1 (Witt, Massey, Pasquantino). Oakland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Spence, L, 3-2...........4 2 ⁄3 5 1 1 1 4 77 3.90 McFarland................... 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 0 2 4.50 Adams........................ 1 ⁄3 1 3 3 2 0 23 3.00 Bielak.......................2 2 ⁄3 5 2 2 0 1 42 6.75 Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Ragans, W, 3-3.............7 2 0 0 2 7 94 3.70 Stratton.......................1 0 0 0 1 2 16 5.30 Sauer .........................1 2 2 2 0 1 24 6.46 Inherited runners-scored—McFarland 1-0, Bielak 1-1. WP—Spence. U— Gabe Morales, Ryan Additon, Brian Knight, Chris Guccione. T—2:27. Tickets sold—24,585 (38,427). HOUSTON 5, MILWAUKEE 4 Milwaukee AB R H BI Avg. Turang 2b 4 0 2 0 .306 c-Miller 1 0 0 0 .118 Contreras c 3 0 0 0 .353 Yelich lf 4 0 0 0 .338 Adames ss 4 0 1 0 .250 Bauers 1b 2 2 1 1 .241 Sánchez dh 3 0 0 0 .234 1-Monast dh 0 0 0 0 .063 Frelick cf-rf 3 1 0 0 .252 Ortiz 3b 4 1 3 3 .296 Chourio rf 2 0 0 0 .215 b-Perkins cf 2 0 0 0 .210 Totals 32 4 7 4 Houston AB R H BI Avg. Altuve 2b 4 1 1 0 .311 Peña ss 4 1 1 3 .326 Tucker rf 3 0 2 0 .288 Breg 3b 4 0 1 0 .228 Diaz dh 3 0 0 0 .265 Single 1b 4 1 2 0 .221 Meyers cf 3 1 1 2 .264 Caratini c 4 1 2 0 .276 Loperfido lf 2 0 0 0 .306 a-Dubón lf 1 0 0 0 .281 Totals 32 5 10 5 Milwaukee 010 300 000 —4 7 0 Houston 020 030 00x —5 10 0 a-grounded out for Loperfido in 6th. b-grounded out for Chourio in 7th. c-struck out for Turang in 9th. 1-ran for Sánchez in 8th. Walks—Milwaukee 4: Contreras 1, Bauers 1, Sánchez 1, Frelick 1. Houston 2: Tucker 1, Diaz 1. Strikeouts—Milwaukee 9: Turang 2, Miller 1, Contreras 1, Yelich 2, Sánchez 1, Frelick 1, Chourio 1. Houston 9: Altuve 1, Peña 1, Bregman 1, Diaz 2, Meyers 1, Caratini 1, Loperfido 2. LOB—Milwaukee 6, Houston 6. 2B—Ortiz (7), Tucker (11). HR—Bauers (5), off Brown; Ortiz (5), off Brown; Meyers (4), off Peralta; Peña (5), off Peralta. RBIs—Bauers (22), Ortiz 3 (15), Meyers 2 (15), Peña 3 (20). SB—Bauers (5), Frelick (6), Adames (8). CS—Ortiz (2). Runners left in scoring position—Milwaukee 3 (Yelich, Frelick 2); Houston 1 (Caratini). RISP—Milwaukee 1 for 8; Houston 1 for 5. Runners moved up—Sánchez. GIDP—Contreras, Dubón. DP—Milwaukee 1 (Adames, Turang, Bauers); Houston 1 (Peña, Altuve, Singleton). Milwaukee IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Peralta, L, 3-2 ..............5 8 5 5 1 6 97 4.17 Koenig ........................1 1 0 0 0 0 14 3.12 Peguero.......................1 0 0 0 0 1 11 3.32 Milner .........................1 1 0 0 1 2 25 1.77 Houston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Brown, W, 1-4 ..............5 4 4 4 3 5 93 7.71 Scott, H, 1...................1 1 0 0 0 1 17 2.14 Montero, H, 7...............1 2 0 0 0 1 16 3.05 Abreu, H, 9..................1 0 0 0 1 1 20 3.27 Hader, S, 6-7 ...............1 0 0 0 0 1 12 4.50 U— Adam Beck, Dan Iassogna, Ben May, CB Bucknor. T—2:39. Tickets sold—31,334 (41,000). ST. LOUIS 10, BOSTON 6 Boston AB R H BI Avg. Duran cf 3 0 1 1 .273 Abreu rf 3 0 0 0 .264 a-Refsny lf 2 1 1 0 .333 Wong c 5 0 4 1 .362 Devers 3b 5 1 1 2 .285 O’Neill lf-rf 5 1 1 0 .254 Smith 1b 3 1 1 0 .190 Cooper dh 4 0 0 0 .184 Grissom 2b 3 1 1 0 .159 Hamilton ss 4 1 2 2 .226 Totals 37 6 12 6 St. Louis AB R H BI Avg. Donov lf 5 2 2 0 .232 Nootba rf 3 3 1 2 .209 Golds 1b 4 1 2 1 .213 Arena 3b 5 0 3 1 .268 Burle dh 5 1 2 2 .286 Herrera c 4 1 2 1 .286 Gorm 2b 4 1 1 1 .193 Winn ss 4 1 1 2 .280 Siani cf 4 0 0 0 .219 Totals 38 10 14 10 Boston 021 000 201 — 6 12 1 St. Louis 210 112 21x —10 14 1 a-struck out for Abreu in 7th. Walks—Boston 4: Duran 2, Smith 1, Grissom 1. St. Louis 3: Nootbaar 2, Goldschmidt 1. Strikeouts—Boston 4: Refsnyder 1, Cooper 1, Grissom 2. St. Louis 6: Donovan 1, Goldschmidt 1, Herrera 1, Gorman 2, Siani 1. E—Grissom (1), King (1). LOB—Boston 8, St. Louis 7. 2B—Smith (3), Hamilton (2), Wong (5), Donovan 2 (11). 3B—Hamilton (1). HR—Devers (7), off Gibson; Nootbaar (4), off Bello; Gorman (6), off Bello; Burleson (5), off Bello; Winn (1), off Booser. RBIs—Hamilton 2 (4), Devers 2 (18), Duran (18), Wong (16), Nootbaar 2 (14), Gorman (16), Burleson 2 (17), Goldschmidt (16), Winn 2 (10), Herrera (14), Arenado (22). SB—Duran (10). Runners left in scoring position—Boston 4 (Hamilton, Abreu 2, Devers); St. Louis 3 (Winn, Burleson 2). RISP—Boston 3 for 12; St. Louis 5 for 11. Runners moved up—Duran, Nootbaar. GIDP—Abreu, Devers, Burleson. DP—Boston 1 (Grissom, Hamilton, Smith); St. Louis 2 (Winn, Goldschmidt; Gorman, Winn, Goldschmidt). Boston IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Bello, L, 4-2 ..............4 2 ⁄3 7 5 5 0 4 100 3.96 Booser......................1 1 ⁄3 3 2 2 0 1 28 3.60 Anderson.....................2 4 3 3 3 1 59 4.98 St. Louis IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Gibson, W, 3-2 .............6 8 5 5 3 3 90 4.09 Romero, H, 15 .............1 1 0 0 0 1 15 1.21 Kittredge .....................1 1 0 0 1 0 26 2.55 King............................1 2 1 0 0 0 12 3.00 Inherited runners-scored—Booser 1-0, Romero 2-2. U— Clint Vondrak, Mark Wegner, Bruce Dreckman, Jeremie Rehak. T—2:52. DETROIT 13, ARIZONA 0 Detroit AB R H BI Avg. Greene lf 4 1 2 1 .245 a-Mc lf-ss 2 0 0 0 .206 Canha dh 5 2 2 0 .246 b-Ursh dh 1 0 0 0 .266 Pérez cf 3 2 1 1 .291 Carpen rf 5 1 2 4 .276 Vierl 3b-lf 5 1 1 0 .264 Keith 2b 5 3 4 2 .197 Torkel 1b 4 2 2 0 .227 Báez ss 4 1 3 5 .185 Ibáñez 3b 1 0 0 0 .298 Rogers c 5 0 0 0 .189 Totals 44 13 17 13 Arizona AB R H BI Avg. Marte 2b 4 0 1 0 .288 1-Alexander 0 0 0 0 .253 Carroll cf 4 0 0 0 .188 Gurriel lf 4 0 0 0 .225 Walker 1b 3 0 0 0 .259 Smith 1b 1 0 0 0 .250 Grichuk dh 3 0 1 0 .277 Suárez 3b 3 0 0 0 .216 McCarthy rf 3 0 1 0 .283 Moreno c 3 0 0 0 .236 Newman ss 3 0 0 0 .253 Totals 31 0 3 0 Detroit 013 162 000 —13 17 1 Arizona 000 000 000 — 0 3 0 a-grounded out for Greene in 6th. b-grounded out for Canha in 9th. 1-ran for Marte in 9th. Walks—Detroit 2: Pérez 2. Strikeouts—Detroit 11: McKinstry 1, Canha 1, Pérez 1, Carpenter 1, Vierling 1, Báez 1, Ibáñez 1, Rogers 4. Arizona 9: Marte 1, Carroll 2, Gurriel 2, Suárez 2, Moreno 1, Newman 1. E—McKinstry (4). LOB—Detroit 7, Arizona 4. 2B—Pérez (4), Báez 2 (6), Carpenter (9), Torkelson (14), Grichuk (6). 3B—Carpenter (3), Vierling (3). RBIs—Báez 5 (18), Carpenter 4 (22), Keith 2 (12), Pérez (9), Greene (20). Runners left in scoring position—Detroit 4 (Canha, Carpenter, Vierling, Greene); Arizona 4 (Smith, Newman 2, McCarthy). RISP—Detroit 8 for 17; Arizona 0 for 7. Runners moved up—McKinstry, Moreno. Detroit IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Skubal, W, 6-0 .............6 1 0 0 0 6 74 1.80 Vest............................1 0 0 0 0 1 8 3.79 Wentz..........................2 2 0 0 0 2 22 1.08 Arizona IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Nelson, L, 2-3 ..............4 11 8 8 1 4 83 7.06 Bowman......................2 6 5 5 1 3 47 9.53 Allen...........................3 0 0 0 0 4 35 3.26 Inherited runners-scored—Bowman 2-2. HBP—Nelson (Torkelson). U— David Rackley, Nate Tomlinson, Chris Segal, Larry Vanover. T—2:17. Tickets sold—25,122 (48,359). SAN FRANCISCO 10, COLORADO 5 Colorado AB R H BI Avg. Blackm dh 3 2 1 0 .239 Tovar ss 5 1 2 1 .278 McMah 3b 4 1 2 2 .309 Rodgers 2b 5 0 2 1 .262 Doyle cf 4 0 0 0 .274 Cave rf 5 0 2 0 .259 Stallings c 4 0 0 0 .296 Montero 1b 4 0 1 0 .227 Beck lf 4 1 1 1 .236 Totals 38 5 11 5 San Fran AB R H BI Avg. Soler dh 4 1 1 0 .203 Wade 1b 4 1 1 0 .311 Estra 2b 5 3 3 3 .250 Chap 3b 4 3 3 1 .218 Yastrz rf 4 2 2 0 .234 Ramos lf 3 0 0 0 .281 Matos cf 5 0 3 5 .333 Sabol c 4 0 0 0 .313 Lucia ss 4 0 1 1 .200 Totals 37 10 14 10 Colorado 310 001 000 — 5 11 0 San Francisco 100 140 22x —10 14 0 Walks—Colorado 3: Blackmon 1, McMahon 1, Doyle 1. San Francisco 6: Soler 1, Wade 1, Yastrzemski 1, Ramos 2, Sabol 1. Strikeouts—Colorado 7: Rodgers 1, Doyle 3, Stallings 1, Montero 1, Beck 1. San Francisco 5: Wade 1, Chapman 1, Ramos 1, Luciano 2. E—Luciano (0). LOB—Colorado 11, San Francisco 10. 2B—Tovar 2 (13), McMahon (10), Rodgers (7), Montero (6), Chapman 2 (10), Yastrzemski (3), Matos 2 (2). HR—Beck (2), off Black; Estrada (7), off Feltner. RBIs—McMahon 2 (24), Rodgers (10), Beck (7), Tovar (18), Chapman (20), Matos 5 (11), Estrada 3 (24), Luciano (1). SB—Chapman (4). Runners left in scoring position—Colorado 6 (Rodgers, Tovar 2, Stallings 3); San Francisco 8 (Yastrzemski, Soler 2, Luciano 3, Sabol 2). RISP—Colorado 4 for 13; San Francisco 5 for 17. Runners moved up—Ramos, Sabol, Matos. GIDP—Estrada. DP—Colorado 1 (Rodgers, Tovar, Montero). Colorado IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Feltner, L, 1-4 ..............4 7 5 5 2 2 85 5.69 Vodnik ........................1 3 1 1 0 2 23 2.84 Bird............................2 1 2 2 3 0 31 6.10 Molina ........................1 3 2 2 1 1 28 7.56 San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Black..........................3 6 4 4 0 2 50 7.71 Hjelle, W, 1-1...............2 3 0 0 0 1 30 2.81 Jackson, H, 1............... 2 ⁄3 1 1 1 1 1 25 4.50 Miller, H, 7 .................. 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 12 4.71 Walker, H, 5 .................1 0 0 0 0 1 12 2.35 Ty.Rogers, H, 8..............1 0 0 0 0 1 11 2.61 Rodríguez ....................1 1 0 0 1 1 30 3.12 Inherited runners-scored—Hjelle 1-0, Miller 1-0. IBB_off Bird (Sabol). HBP_Black (Stallings), Bird (Chapman), Ty.Rogers (Blackmon). WP—Bird, Jackson. U— Quinn Wolcott, Sean Barber, Edwin Jimenez, Ryan Blakney. T—3:01. Tickets sold—32,025 (41,915). ARLINGTON, Texas — Zach Neto and Taylor Ward homered, Tyler Anderson pitched two-hit ball over seven innings, and the Angels beat the Rangers 9-3 on Friday night to give Ron Washington a victory in his first game as a visiting manager in Texas. Neto broke a 1-1 tie and put the Angels ahead to stay with his tworun homer in the fourth, a 405-foot drive to right field for his fifth of the season. They have won consecutive games for the first time since a four-game winning streak the first week of the season. Anderson (4-4) struck out four and walked two. “It all starts with the pitching. [Anderson] went out there tonight and really controlled the strike zone and controlled some pretty good at-bats over there,” Washington said. “And the guys are starting to swing the bat. And I just hope that each night we don’t have to put up nine, but at least give ourself an opportunity by swinging those bats.” Washington is the winningest manager in Rangers history with 664 wins from 2007 to 2014 and he took them to their first two World Series in 2010 and 2011. He is in the first season with the Angels, his first managerial job since Texas. Jonah Heim and Marcus Semien went deep for Texas, which lost for the seventh time in nine games and had a season-high three errors. The reigning World Series champion Rangers have been around .500 for most of this year. Left-hander Andrew Heaney (0-5), who pitched for the Angels from 2015 to 2021, struck out five, walked two and gave up three runs (two earned) while throwing 83 pitches in 32⁄3 innings. That matched his shortest start of the season. “Pitches caught up with him more than anything. I didn’t want to push him too much here,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Had some bad luck. ... Stuff was pretty good, but just got away from it as the game went.” Angels designated hitter Willie Calhoun matched a career high with four hits, all singles. He drove in a run with his hit in the fifth, then scored on No. 9 batter Kyren Paris’ two-run single. Ward’s ninth homer was a solo shot in the sixth for a 7-1 lead. “Willie Calhoun, when he was a youngster, he was a pretty good hitter. And for some reason along the way he lost his way,” Washington said. “Hopefully we found the Willie Calhoun that everyone thought he would be.” Calhoun came into the league with the Rangers from 2017 to 2022 and played only his 13th game for the Angels after going to spring training on a minor league deal and getting called up this month. “A four-hit game just in general feels good, no matter who it’s against,” Calhoun said. “But spent five years with that organization. I felt like I kind of grew up there. I went through a lot of ups and downs there.” Notes Third baseman Luis Rengifo was back in the lineup after missing 10 games because of a viral infection. He doubled in his first atbat, then had a walk and a stolen base in the third inning, before racing home from second base when Kevin Pillar got an infield single on checked swing and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe had an error on his throw to home. It’s a happy homecoming for Washington He wins in return to Texas as Neto, Ward homer and Anderson silences Rangers. associated press ZACH NETO is congratulated by manager Ron Washington after hitting a two-run home run. Washington managed Texas for eight seasons, taking the Rangers to the World Series twice. LM Otero Associated Press

LATIMES.COM/SPORTS S SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 D7 WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 1 Oklahoma City vs. 5 Dallas Mavericks lead, 3-2 Gm 1 Oklahoma City 117, Dallas 95 Gm 2 Dallas 119, Oklahoma City 110 Gm 3 Dallas 105, Oklahoma City 101 Gm 4 Oklahoma City 100, Dallas 96 Gm 5 Dallas 104, Oklahoma City 92 Gm 6 at Dallas, late Gm 7 Monday at OKC, 5:30, TNT* 2 Denver vs. 3 Minnesota Series tied, 3-3 Gm 1 Minnesota 106, Denver 99 Gm 2 Minnesota 106, Denver 80 Gm 3 Denver 117, Minnesota 90 Gm 4 Denver 115, Minnesota 107 Gm 5 Denver 112, Minnesota 97 Gm 6 Minnesota 115, Denver 70 Gm 7 Sunday at Denver, 5, TNT EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS 2 New York vs. 6 Indiana Series tied, 3-3 Gm 1 New York 121, Indiana 117 Gm 2 New York 130, Indiana 121 Gm 3 Indiana 111, New York 106 Gm 4 Indiana 121, New York 89 Gm 5 New York 121, Indiana 91 Gm 6 Indiana 116, New York 103 Gm 7 Sunday at N.Y., 12:30, Ch. 7 FINAL 1 Boston vs. New York/Indiana Gm 1 Tuesday at Boston, 5, ESPN Gm 2 Thursday at Boston, 5, ESPN Gm 3 Saturday at TBD, 5:30, Ch. 7 Gm 4 May 27 at TBD, 5, ESPN Gm 5 May 29 at Boston, 5, ESPN* Gm 6 May 31 at TBD, 5, ESPN* Gm 7 June 2 at Boston, 5, ESPN* * if necessary | Times PDT, p.m. NBA PLAYOFF SCHEDULE Those scouts like Bronny’s defensive willingness, his toughness on that side of the ball. They point to his athleticism and physicality as the tools that can make a difference in point-of-attack defense. While he didn’t make spot-up shots at USC, the sense was that he’d shoot the ball fine with time because of his work ethic and mechanics. The first alarm at the combine went off when Bronny measured at just 6 feet 1½ inches in socks — “they don’t play in socks,” scouts like to say. “If he was 6 foot 5, we’d be talking about him in the first round,” one NBA executive told The Times. But he’s not, those inches making the road to success even harder to navigate. It’s not an impossibility — players such as Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey and New York’s Jalen Brunson measured similarly during their predraft processes. HowevLeBron James and LeBron James Jr. share a name. They don’t necessarily share a basketball future. “My dream has always just been to put my name out, make a name for myself, and of course, you know, get to the NBA,” Bronny said. “... I never thought about just playing with my dad, but of course he’s brought it up a couple times. “But yeah, I don’t think about it.” At the combine, he might be the only one. In Chicago, Bronny made it clear he wanted to be judged on his own, independent of any other factor. He wanted to be his own man. “You know, everything that follows my dad, people just try to link me with that, and the greatness that he’s achieved,” Bronny answered. “Like I haven’t done anything yet.” Yet according to NBA executives and scouts from around the league, that’s impossible. Despite Bronny’s statements, despite word to the contrary from LeBron’s agent Rich Paul and even the Lakers star himself, the father and son remain inevitably linked, Bronny’s draft stock and LeBron’s free agency tied as tightly as ever. Forget second-round evaluations. Multiple NBA executives told The Times their teams have discussed drafting Bronny James in the first round in an effort to lure his father to their team in free agency. “If you’re a contender and you’re not having those conversations, it’s irresponsible,” said one executive, who like other NBA personnel spoke on condition of anonymity because teams don’t share their draft strategy. Bronny can want to make his own name; the NBA letting him is a completely different thing. :: Off the court, he’s unavoidable. On the court, he blends with the background. “What’s going on with Bronny?” the general managers, scouts and personnel types want to know. Bronny entered the combine last week somehow both wildly famous while still being a basketball mystery. He left it as a more serious draft prospect, but that’s mostly relative. The scouting of him began well before his season at USC, his play at events such as the Nike Hoop Summit leaving him as a one of the most-desired prospects in the 2023 recruiting class. Before last week, teams had Bronny ranked in the late second round if he was draftable at all. “He’s not ready,” one evaluator told The Times. There were still believers. His proponents in the NBA scouting community pointed to a variety of factors to explain the gap between his production at USC and his potential future as a pro in the NBA. er both players were far more productive in college, helping mitigate some of those size concerns. Both also were regarded as point guards, and most people don’t see Bronny as that kind of offensive player. Athletically, Bronny helped himself early in the combine, his 401⁄2-inch vertical tied for sixth best. And Monday, with scouts getting a look at him on the court, some for the first time, he burned the nets to give himself some buzz going into Tuesday. But in his first scrimmage, he fell flat. Bronny faded into the game, flashing some fire only when he allowed offensive rebounds or turned the ball over. Most disappointingly to some scouts, he didn’t look as if he played with a lot of effort. “He’s too timid,” one scout familiar with Bronny for years said before the combine. After Tuesday, that scout looked to be a prophet. Still, the expectation in Chicago was that Bronny eventually would declare for the draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility. Playing in one final team setting Wednesday, he showed why. Bronny attacked closeouts, he played decisively and competed on the defensive end. It was best-case scenario for teams looking to see what he could do in more of a pro setting. But it didn’t answer the biggest questions. Those are too difficult to understand. :: “That time.” “This issue.” “Everything you went through.” “A thing that happened.” No one — reporters or Bronny — could bring themselves to say “cardiac arrest” either. While the focus during Bronny’s first media session in nearly a year centered on his basketball future with his father, an undercurrent of gratitude, perspective and fright flowed from one answer to another. “I still think about everything that could happen,” Bronny said. And that has to be terrifying. Last July, Bronny fell to the court inside USC’s Galen Center and no one could be sure he’d ever get up. He’d lost consciousness. His heart stopped. Trainers used a defibrillator to electrify his heart back into movement. He bounced back faster than anyone could’ve thought. Teammates remembered him sitting up and joking 15 minutes after he collapsed lifelessly to the court. By the time he arrived at the hospital, Bronny was “neurologically intact and stable,” according to his cardiologist. He later underwent surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. At the start of the combine, NBA doctors cleared him to compete. But Bronny still hasn’t gotten clear from the fear. “It’s still lingering,” he said. How that incident, this issue, that thing that happened, affected what happened last season at USC and affects what happens next can’t be ignored. What happened that day in July, you don’t shake it. It changes you. And in Bronny’s case, it made him appreciative. “It’s just a great thing to happen to me in terms of just being grateful for everything and stuff like that,” he said. “... I put in the work and stuff like that to get back. So I feel like I’ve earned the opportunity.” :: The way this will all go at the draft and how it should go are probably two different things. Bronny’s arrival in the NBA was to be the final chapter in LeBron’s career. He said that in 2018, and two years later he called the idea of teaming up with his son “a dream.” Yet as that dream increasingly began to look like a reality, there was a shift. Privately, people around LeBron began to walk back those desires, trying to unbundle his future from his son’s. Publicly, he did the same. And last week in Chicago, Bronny clearly articulated that his goal was to make the NBA — not to make the NBA as his father’s teammate. But is anyone hearing them? Contending teams have discussed drafting Bronny as early as the 20s despite not having cap space to make LeBron a max offer. Maybe, the thinking is, LeBron actually would consider signing for the midlevel exception if they drafted his son. “Honestly, I feel like this is a serious business. And I don’t feel like there would be a thought of, ‘I’m just drafting this kid just because I’m gonna get his dad,’ ” Bronny said. “Like, I don’t think a GM would really allow that.” Maybe not, but it’s being discussed. The prevailing wisdom around the NBA is that LeBron eventually will decide to remain with the Lakers in free agency this summer regardless of who drafts Bronny. The Lakers, who have the No. 55 pick in the draft, conducted a prospect interview with Bronny and are seen by league sources as Bronny’s floor. If teams decide to draft Bronny solely on his skills and projections, they’ll undoubtedly be accused of trying to lure LeBron ahead of his 22nd season. It’s a guarantee — one of the only ones to be found in the predraft process. In his first audition for life as a professional basketball player, Bronny said he wanted to be siloed from the success of his father. He wanted his future to be about his game and not his name. But like the children of the ultra-successful and ultra-famous know, that’s never really part of the deal. Maybe Bronny will get his chance to show that he can help an NBA team win, that he can be the kind of defensive role player who can shoot that teams crave. Or maybe he’ll be a pawn in a scheme — a calculated risk in a poorly regarded draft. It’ll be a hard road, and he has gotten up from tougher. But Bronny said he’s ready. And for now, all anyone can do is listen to him. Staff writers Ryan Kartje and Richard Winton contributed to this report. James looking to establish his own identity BRONNY JAMES entered the NBA draft combine somehow both wildly famous while still being a basketball mystery. He left it as a more serious draft prospect. Though one scout told The Times, “He’s not ready.” Jeff Haynes NBAE AFTER SUFFERING cardiac arrest last summer as a USC freshman, James says the experience has been tough to shake. “It’s still lingering,” he says of the fear. Nam Y. Huh Associated Press [Bronny, from D1] Tuesday’s 30-point blowout in Game 5 and put the Pacers on the brink of elimination. This time, the Pacers held a 47-35 rebounding edge and even had a slight 14-13 advantage on the offensive end. And they had balanced scoring, too, which spread out the Knicks’ defense. Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard each scored 15 points, with Nembhard pulling down six rebounds and dishing out six assists. Haliburton had nine assists as Indiana kept its perfect postseason home record intact at 6-0, in front of a raucous sellout crowd that helped reenergize the Pacers during key moments. “We knew they were going to play hard coming off the last game, and that’s what it’s about,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We’re just going to have to play a lot better.” Even Jalen Brunson, the All-Star who has been the league’s top postseason scorer. Yes, he finished with 31 points and five assists while shooting 11 of 26 from the field, but that came after he missed his final 11 shots in the first half. Deuce McBride scored 20 points and Donte DiVincenzo had 17, but the shortINDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle challenged his team to play more physically and more tenaciously Friday night. His desperate team responded with one of its most inspired performances all season. Pascal Siakam finished with 25 points and seven rebounds, Myles Turner had 17 points and eight rebounds, and the Pacers turned the tables on the New York Knicks with a 116-103 victory to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at 3-3. The decisive Game 7 will be played Sunday at Madison Square Garden. “I thought Game 5 was our least aggressive game in the playoffs,” Carlisle said. “We played hard tonight, which was a must. They came out really hard tonight, which was evident, but we moved the ball better, we got more rebounds and that’s obviously been a big part in this series.” Indiana had two days to figure out how to contend with the Knicks’ hustle plays and their strength on the glass, two things that led to handed Knicks might have suffered yet another blow when Josh Hart left in the fourth quarter with what the Knicks called abdominal soreness. “I expect him to play,” Brunson said when asked about Hart. “It’s Game 7.” The good news for the Knicks is they don’t have to return to Indiana, where they’ve lost nine straight playoff games. Instead, they’re heading back to the Garden against a group of many players making their first playoff appearances or playing key roles for the first time in the postseason. And now, they’ll be playing on national television on the league’s biggest stage. “It’s exciting,” Haliburton said. “We’ve got nothing to lose. I think we realize it’s time to empty the clip. We are ready to go from start to finish.” The Pacers sure looked like it Friday as they repeatedly won the battles to loose balls and turned them into quick points, taking a 42-41 lead on Haliburton’s second three of the game. The ensuing 16-7 run helped the Pacers take a 61-51 halftime lead and they never trailed again. Brunson rebounded in the second half, getting the Knicks within 61-56 after making two baskets and a free throw, but after a timeout Nembhard and Haliburton answered with consecutive threes and the Pacers rebuilt an 11-point margin. The Knicks never really recovered, losing for the third time in four games and leaving them one win away from reaching their first conference final since 2000. Indiana hasn’t played in the conference finals since 2014. And after playing three games to single-digit margins, the last three to double-digit margins and the home team winning all six, they’ll square off one last time Sunday. Marot writes for the Associated Press. NBA PLAYOFFS Pacers bring the physicality to force Game 7 THE KNICKS’ Isaiah Hartenstein tries to block a shot by the Pacers’ Pascal Siakam, who scored 25. Michael Conroy Associated Press By Michael Marot

D8 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LATIMES.COM/SPORTS respect between its two talking heads. James likes chopping up strategy with Redick. James clearly thinks like Redick. They are so connected, it’s not difficult to imagine James believing he could essentially be a co-coach with Redick. The Lakers certainly seem to be imagining it. Which apparently could make it a reality. It’s an awe-inspiring thing, really, watching the NBA’s greatest franchise continually roll over to placate its best player, even though James is probably in the final two years of his career, even though he’s aging and prone to injury, even to the point of hiring a coach who has no business sitting at the front of the bench. That space was once occupied by two coaches who led the Lakers to five titles each. It was more recently inhabited by a coach who led the Lakers to their latest title. And here comes Redick, who has never played for an NBA or college champion. In 13 professional seasons, his teams made the Finals once, the conference finals twice and he was part of that Clippers bunch that blew a three-games-to-one lead against Houston in that historic series in 2015. I’ve won as many titles as Redick, yet he’s going to lead the franchise with one of the greatest winning traditions in sports? Of course, if recent Lakers history is any indication, he’ll be little more than a co-leader. He’s going to follow James’ directions for two years until the King hangs up his crown, at which point Redick could be gone too. Just ask Byron Scott. So, in reality, the Redick hire might not mean much because the Lakers can’t do much until James leaves. They’re not going to win in the next two years, anyway, so what does it matter who serves as the sacrificial coach? Well, this coach would still be the face and voice of one of the most popular brands in sports, so it does matter. It matters more than just picking out a Facebook friend. It matters for history and legacy and all the tradition the Lakers hope will shadow their annual struggles to make the play-in tournament. To be fair, Redick doesn’t come completely unarmed. He’s smart. Really smart. Eight years ago, he became the first NBA player to host a podcast during the regular season, and he’s currently sharp and insightful as an ESPN analyst In fact, strictly judging from his current pod, Redick sounds as if he’d be the perfect coach, and the exact opposite of poor Darvin Ham, a nice figure who was dogged by his inability to make adjustments. Yet on the pod, Redick is talking to only one man, and there are bottles of wine between them. What happens when he has to share this knowledge with a dozen men, and nothing between them but a white board and three minutes? Then, what happens when this great basketball brain clashes with the suspicions of players who wonder who’s actually doing the talking? Udonis Haslem, a league stalwart who spent 20 seasons with the Miami Heat and is currently in their front office, asked that same question on ESPN. “I’m gonna go ahead and say it — if it’s JJ, it’s gonna be a cynical locker room,” Haslem said. “You’re going to see guys that are gonna say, ‘Is coach going to do a podcast after the game with LeBron?’ You’re gonna have a cynical locker room of guys that are gonna side-eye everything JJ says. Cause they’re gonna wonder, ‘Is it JJ’s message? Or is it LeBron’s message?’ ” The guess here is that James’ current message to the Lakers is clear. Hire JJ or risk losing him this summer when he opts out of his contract. Hire JJ and he’ll retire as a Laker. Hire JJ, period. It would look different if James were any good at evaluating coaches. He’s not. This will be his third coaching change in seven Lakers seasons, LeBron turning on them as quickly as he endorses them. A coach who won an NBA title was canned. A coach who led the team to the conference finals was booted. Remember back when James tried to get Erik Spoelstra fired from Miami before Spoelstra became one of the best coaches in the NBA? At that time, Pat Riley proved to be the first executive in the NBA to stand up to James. He is still the only one. Yet it’s not too late for Rob Pelinka, who needs to realize that if James retires without winning another championship, then the blame will shift to Pelinka. This is the perfect time for him to stand up to James and say no. No, to a coach who has never coached. No, to a coach who will serve as a caddie. In saying no, Pelinka finally will be calling James’ bluff. Would he really leave his Los Angeles home to spend two more seasons starting over elsewhere? No way. Would he really walk away from his business interests because they didn’t hire his buddy? Forget it. It will be the upset of the year if James doesn’t finish his career as a Laker, and Pelinka needs to worry more about what comes next. Find a coach not for the end of the LeBron James era, but for the meat of the Anthony Davis era. Find an experienced assistant with rings and respect. Find somebody strong enough to wrest control of the organization from a superstar who has become a stop sign. That somebody is out there, his name is Tyronn Lue, but Steve Ballmer is no dummy. So find the next Lue. And find him without checking with James. It’s easier said than done, and probably not going to happen. There’s a better chance of them drafting Bronny James in the first round and assigning him to coach the team. Wait. That’s a joke. Right? Lakers’ interest in Redick has to be a joke, right? IF JJ REDICK is indeed a candidate for the Lakers’ job, Rob Pelinka needs to say no, Bill Plaschke says. Mitchell Leff Getty Images [Plaschke, from D1] Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson each scored 22 points and finished with doubledoubles to power the Las Vegas Aces to an 89-82 victory over the visiting Sparks on Saturday. Young made eight of 18 shots, including four of nine from three-point range, and had 11 assists and six rebounds for two-time defending champion Las Vegas (2-0). Wilson made nine of 20 shots with a three-pointer, grabbed 10 rebounds and had three steals. Kelsey Plum made three threepointers and scored 17 with five assists and three steals while Alysha Clark scored 13 on five-for-seven shooting with three three-pointers for Las Vegas. Dearica Hamby finished with 29 points to lead the Sparks (0-2). Hamby made 12 of 16 shots from the field but only five of 11 from the free-throw line. She contributed nine rebounds and three steals. Lexie Brown had 16 points. Kia Nurse and reserve Rickea Jackson contributed 13 points apiece. Nurse scored half of the Sparks’ 18 first-quarter points to help them to a twopoint lead. Nurse, who scored 23 points in a 92-81 loss to the visiting Atlanta Dream in the season opener, made all four of her shots, including a three-pointer. Jackson made threepointers on back-to-back trips down the court and Zia Cooke added a basket to give the Sparks a 32-25 lead with 4:37 left in the second quarter. Young, Clark, Kate Martin and Wilson all sank threes in a 15-0 run as the Aces took a 40-32 lead with 53 seconds left before halftime and never trailed again. Las Vegas led by as many as 12 on three occasions during a 29-point third quarter, taking a 71-59 lead. The Aces opened the season with an 89-80 victory over the Phoenix Mercury. Las Vegas will host Phoenix for a second time on Tuesday in the third game of four straight at home to begin the season. The Sparks returnto play the Washington Mystics on Tuesday at Walter Pyramid at Long Beach State. at New York 91, Indiana 80: Breanna Stewart scored 24 points to lead the Liberty to its second straight win over Caitlin Clark and the Fever in front of a sold-out crowd of 17,735 at the Barclays Center. Clark scored 22 points, her most in three games, with eight assists, six rebounds and eight turnovers. KATE MARTIN of the Aces tries to fend off Sparks center Li Yueru as the two battle for a loose ball in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas improved to 2-0 and handed L.A. its second straight loss to begin the season. Photographs by Ethan Miller Getty Images Sparks show fight again but can’t defeat champion Aces KELSEY PLUM drives past Dearica Hamby of the Sparks in the first half. Hamby had 29 points for L.A. associated press WNBA ACES 91, SPARKS 82 SPARKS (82)—Brink 1-7 1-1 3, Nurse 6-8 0-0 13, Hamby 12-16 5-11 29, Brown 6-14 2-2 16, Clarendon 1-5 0-0 2, Jackson 5-6 1-1 13, Talbot 1-1 0-0 2, Yueru 0-1 0-0 0, Cooke 2-7 0-0 4, McDonald 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 34-66 9-15 82. LAS VEGAS (91)—Wilson 9-20 3-4 24, Young 8-18 2-2 22, Stokes 1-1 1-2 4, Clark 5-7 0-0 13, Plum 4-14 6-6 17, Gustafson 3-9 2-2 8, Colson 0-0 0-0 0, Martin 1-4 0-0 3. Totals 31-73 14-16 91. SPARKS......... 18 15 26 23 — 82 LAS VEGAS .... 16 26 29 18 — 91 3-Point Goals—Sparks 5-14 (Jackson 2-2, Brown 2-5, Nurse 1-2, Clarendon 0-1, Brink 0-2, Cooke 0-2); Las Vegas 13-31 (Young 4-9, Clark 3-5, Plum 3-7, Stokes 1-1, Wilson 1-2, Martin 1-3, Gustafson 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Sparks 31 (Hamby 9), Las Vegas 34 (Wilson 10). Assists—Sparks 16 (Clarendon 4), Las Vegas 24 (Young 11). Total Fouls—Sparks 18, Las Vegas 14. A—10,286 (12,000) fluenced by him. “That makes it special,” Lukas said of the reception. “I think they are trying to get rid of me. I think they want me to retire. I don’t think that will happen.” Seize the Grey ran two weeks ago, not in the Kentucky Derby but the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs. The thinking was he didn’t have enough distance for the 1 3⁄16-mile race. But he went to the front with Imagination along side him. Seize the Grey moved to the front on the first turn and never surrendered the lead. Mystik Dan made a nice run at him but came up short. Seize the Grey paid $21.60 to win. He was followed by Mystik Dan, Catching Freedom, Tuscan Gold, Just Steel, Uncle Heavy, Imagination and Mugutu. It was also the first Triple Crown race and win for jockey Jaime Torres as he guided the 3-year-old over the muddy track. The race lost a lot of its intrigue Wednesday when Muth, the morning-line favorite, scratched after spiking a fever. The Bob Baffert trainee had beaten Mystik Dan and Just Steel in the Arkansas Derby. Everyone was looking forward to a rematch of a horse that wasn’t allowed to enter the Kentucky Derby because of his trainer and the winner of the Kentucky Derby. It left Baffert in the race with only Imagination, who had no excuses with a seventh-place finish. This year is supposed to be the next-to-last Preakness at the current decaying facility. The Stronach Group, which bought majority interest in Pimlico in 2002, gave the track to the state of Maryland with the actual transfer taking place on July 1. The state has approved a $400-million rebuilding project. Later this summer, part of the grandstand, which had been condemned and ruled uninhabitable, will be torn down along with the barns on the backstretch. Next year’s 150th Preakness will be held at the facility, although no one is quite sure how the fans will be configured. Then after the race, the rest of the demolition and rebuilding will begin. The 2026 Preakness will be held at nearby Laurel Park, which also was owned by the Stronach Group. Laurel will go away when Pimlico is rebuilt and racing returns to Baltimore full time. An optimistic timeline has the new Pimlico to be operational in 2027. The small crowd Saturday was yet another blow to the Stronach Group. In three weeks, the one-time giant in horse racing will close Golden Gate Fields in Northern California. To say the track is going out with a whimper would be a compliment. This week it canceled its Friday and Sunday cards because of a lack of entries. Santa Anita, once a crown jewel in racing, has struggled to attract horses and bettors. Four- and fivehorse fields are common and with low purses there doesn’t seem to be an imminent turnaround unless they can get supplemental gambling income. Nothing appears to be in the works on that, meaning the clock is also ticking on Santa Anita. Regardless of if it was the weather or the decline of horse racing, the spectacle and excitement that once swirled around the Preakness seemed to be missing. Many in attendance were just there to see a concert by Jack Harlow after the races. But those who paid attention had a glimpse of one of horse racing’s all-time greats. And that’s worth remembering. Seize the Grey tames a muddy track JAIME TORRES, left, atop Seize the Grey, leads the pack on his way to winning the Preakness. Seize the Grey led wire to wire to give Wayne Lukas the victory. Nick Wass Associated Press [Preakness, from D1]

His first two starts in his return from a second Tommy John surgery were a bit wobbly, but Walker Buehler, the famously demanding right-hander who can be as hard on himself as any major leaguer, didn’t seem to be growing overly impatient or frustrated with his performance, at least in the eyes of his manager. “It takes time,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Buehler, the erstwhile ace who had gone almost 23 months between big-league starts before his May 6 return. “What his ceiling is, we’re going to find out, but to get back to that 2019 or 2020 Walker … I think he understands it’s going to be a process.” That process was accelerated in a huge way Saturday night when Buehler gave up just three hits over six scoreless innings, struck out seven and walked none in a 4-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds before a crowd of 49,239 in Dodger Stadium. Roberts said before the game that Buehler, who was tagged for six earned runs and 11 hits, including three home runs, in 71⁄3 innings of his first two starts against Miami and San Diego, needed to improve the command of all his pitches. Buehler threw 55 of his 78 pitches for strikes and threw firstpitch strikes to 16 of 21 batters Saturday night. Though he induced only five swinging strikes, an indication he hasn’t quite recaptured his vintage 2019-20 form, Buehler got 19 called strikes. He used a knuckle-curve that averaged 78.5 mph to record three of his strikeouts, a slider that averaged 81.9 mph to record two strikeouts and a fastball that averaged 94.9 mph and a cut-fastball that averaged 91.3 mph to record his other two whiffs. Michael Grove, a converted starting pitcher who has forged a higher-leverage role in the absence of injured closer Evan Phillips and setup men Joe Kelly and Ryan Brasier, struck out two of three batters in a scoreless seventh inning, and Daniel Hudson retired the side in order with a strikeout in the eighth. Right-hander J.P. Feyereisen then retired the side in order in the ninth to seal the Dodgers’ 19th win in 25 games dating to April 21. The Dodgers had only one hit in the first four innings against Reds starter Graham Ashcraft, but they forced the right-hander to throw 90 pitches in that span by working long at-bats and fouling off 21 pitches. That one hit was a clutch one, an RBI single by rookie Andy Pages that highlighted a two-run fourth. Freddie Freeman opened the inning with a walk and took second on Teoscar Hernández’s one-out walk. Pages grounded a single to center field for a 1-0 lead, Hernández advancing to third and Pages taking second on the throw. Gavin Lux followed with a dribbler up the first-base line for an out that scored Pages for a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers nearly gave half of that lead back in the top of the fifth after Jake Fraley’s catchable drive to the gap in deep left-center got by Pages and left fielder Miguel Vargas for a triple. Pages appeared to call for the ball when he put his right arm out as he headed toward the gap, but Vargas, a converted infielder who was making his season debut after being recalled from triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, screened Pages when he cut in front of the center fielder in an attempt to make the catch. The ball got by both outfielders and Fraley ended up with a triple, but Buehler escaped the one-out jam by getting Jeimer Candelario to pop out to the catcher and Jonathan India to ground out to second. The Dodgers pushed the lead to 3-0 in the fifth when Miguel Rojas lined a one-out double into the leftfield corner and scored on Freeman’s two-out single to center. They tacked on an insurance run in the eighth when Freeman led off with a double to right and scored on Hernández’s one-out single to right. Betts gets a breather Mookie Betts was not in the lineup for the first time in 48 games, Roberts saying he planned earlier in the week to give the shortstop and leadoff man a break. “Mookie wants to play every day, but I just felt like with us in the middle of playing 13 games in a row, it’s a good time,” Roberts said. DODGERS left fielder Miguel Vargas (27) nearly collides with center fielder Andy Pages as they try to catch a fly ball hit by the Reds’ Jake Fraley, who had a triple. Gina Ferazzi Los Angeles Times Buehler looks more like his old self in win By Mike DiGiovanna Nathaniel Lowe was hit by a pitch from Carson Fulmer with the bases loaded in the 13th inning, forcing home the winning run as the Texas Rangers outlasted the Angels 3-2 on Saturday night at Arlington, Texas. Lowe tied the score with a sacrifice fly in the eighth. Adolis García homered in the sixth for the Rangers (24-23), who won for the third time in 10 games. The defending World Series champions have never been under .500 since Bruce Bochy took over as manager before last season. The previous time Texas earned a walk-off win on a hit batter was August 2016, when Rougned Odor was plunked by Oakland reliever Marc Rzepcynski in the 10th. Taylor Ward and Jo Adell homered for the Angels, who went 0 for 18 with runners in scoring position —including 0 for 10 in extra innings. They left 11 on base. “We certainly put ourselves in position to have opportunities and we just didn’t get it done,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “It’s tough when you go that far and have that many opportunities and you just don’t cash them in.” Fulmer (0-2) gave up a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Ezequiel Duran in the 13th, sending automatic runner Travis Jankowski from second base to third. Marcus Semien lined out to third, and the Angels intentionally walked Corey Seager to load the bases. That brought up Lowe, who was plunked by Fulmer’s next pitch. Yerry Rodríguez (1-0) pitched two hitless innings for his first major league win. Texas trailed 2-1 in the eighth before Semien drew a one-out walk, advanced to third on Seager’s single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Lowe. NBA PLAYOFFS Mavericks finish off top-seeded Thunder P.J. Washington Jr. made two free throws before an intentional miss with 2.5 seconds left, lifting the host Dallas Mavericks to a 117- 116 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder and into the Western Conference finals for the second time in three seasons. Washington was fouled by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on a threepointer after Chet Holmgren had put the Thunder in front by one on a dunk with 20 seconds left. Luka Doncic, who had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, worked his way to the basket in the final seconds before passing to Washington in the corner. Washington faked Gilgeous-Alexander into the air and the whistle blew as the shot fell short. Oklahoma City challenged the ball, but replays showed GilgeousAlexander making contact with Washington's arm as he went up to shoot. “Obviously if I had the moment back I wouldn’t have fouled him,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who had aplayoff career high with 36 points. “I would have just let him miss the shot. You wish you would take the moment back. Just have to learn from it, and I will.” NHL PLAYOFFS Oilers rout Canucks to force Game 7 Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and two assists, Connor McDavid added three assists and the host Edmonton Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-1 to avoid elimination and force a deciding Game 7 in their second-round playoff series. Game 7 is Monday night in Vancouver, with the winner advancing to face Dallas in the Western Conference finals. NCAA SOFTBALL Fullerton stays alive in Stanford regional Colby McClinton hit a grand slam during a seven-run fifth inning to lead Cal State Fullerton to a 7-0 win over Mississippi State in an elimination game at the Stanford Regional. Fullerton will play Stanford, the host school, on Sunday but must win twice to advance. Earlier, Fullerton stayed alive with a 6-1 win over Saint Mary’s, using a four-run first inning. Angels can’t get out of their own way in 13-inning loss at Texas wire reports THE RANGERS celebrate after beating the Angels on a bases-loaded hit batter in the 13th inning. The Angels went 0 for 18 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 11 in extra innings. Ron Jenkins Getty Images SP O RTS E XT RA A TIMES E-NEWSPAPER EXCLUSIVE :: SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 latimes.com/sports BONUS COVERAGE Go to our website for takeaways from The Times’ staff on your favorite home teams at latimes.com/sports. THE SPORTS REPORT Sign up for our daily sports newsletter at latimes.com/newsletters/sports-report. STAY CONNECTED 8 On Instagram @latimes_sports 8 On X @latimessports

DD2 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 S LOS ANGELES TIMES Discover more in the app. Make inspired dinner plans.

THIS IS V3 SUMMER PREVIEW Photographs by Jason Armond Los Angeles Times, Paul Yem For The Times and Annalee Altavilla JEREMY RENNER’S INTENSE JOURNEY BACK TO ‘MAYOR’ PLUS: THE FILMS, TV SHOWS AND BOOKS YOU CAN’T MISS HOW THE DESERT SHAPED WRITER ZOË BOSSIERE STRAP IN AS GEORGE MILLER RETURNS WITH ‘FURIOSA’ WSCE CALENDAR SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024

For it’s hard to think of a director who’s had as much success creating such a diverse group of films. Miller earned Oscar nominations for cowriting both 1992’s moving family medical drama “Lorenzo’s Oil” and the unexpectedly successful pig-ofdestiny adventure “Babe.” In addition, Miller co-wrote and directed the lighthearted “Happy Feet,” winner of the animated feature Oscar, and was at the helm of the wildly violent “Fury Road,” the 2015 OR AS LONG as he can remember, George Miller has been living large inside his head. “At the time I was young, people used to call it daydreaming — they’d say, ‘George, you’re a daydreamer,’ ” the filmmaker says, thinking back. “It was genuinely thought of as a pejorative. Then I realized it’s ultimately what I do.” ¶ Beginning with his feature debut, “Mad Max,” in 1979 and continuing through this month’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (the fifth film in a 45-year span, coming to theaters Friday after a Cannes premiere), Miller has daydreamed his way into a remarkable career, one that extends considerably beyond the dystopian Max universe. Mad Max film that took six of the 10 Oscars it was nominated for. Could anything unite these various films? Miller thinks so. “It’s story — story rules, as we all know,” he says without hesitation. “I’m definitely addicted to story. It’s a life-long habit, looking for stories with a lot of iceberg under the tip.” More than that, Miller feels “we are hard-wired for story. The underlying elements are all sensed intuitively.” Discursive but never dull, his hair story he knows intimately, with Taylor-Joy playing the young survivor whose savage early life turns her into Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron in the previous film.) Furiosa’s early history is gone into in such specificity that a younger actor, 14-year-old Alyla Browne, plays her in the film’s first hour before TaylorJoy even shows up. In fact, Miller explains, before “Fury Road” could be filmed, his working method demanded that the outline of what, years later, became “Furiosa” had to be worked out in detail in his mind. “ ‘Fury Road’ takes place over three days, and in order to tell a story which happens in such a compressed time span, we had to really understand everything in this world,” Miller says. “The characters like Immortan Joe couldn’t just appear screen left. We had to know where they came from, how that world came about, why, for instance, found objects had be repurposed. All that was a tool, and when ‘Fury Road’ got traction, when we could see how the film impacted the culture — something that used to take about 10 years to find out but now, like everything else, was accelerated — we thought about that story and said, ‘Let’s give it a shot.’ ” Casting of the film’s two leads then fell into place. Fellow Australian Hemsworth, who plays Dementus, leader of the massive Biker Horde, was someone Miller knew, while Taylor-Joy had the benefit of good words from director Edgar Wright, who’d worked with her on “Last Night in Soho.” Says Miller, “She really struck me as having a mysterious, essential — in the sense of essence — quality, a sort of timelessness,” says Miller. “Also, for someone very young, she was very resolute, with a sense of rigor, even ferocity.” swept back and his glasses tinted orange, the 79-year-old Miller is ruminative and reflective, kind of like your favorite college professor, the one whose classes you’d never miss. “I’ll try to be succinct,” he says, smiling, “but it’s not my strength.” Obviously, there is a lot more going on with George Miller than a passion for story. To be in the grip of “Furiosa,” over 2 1⁄2 hours of propulsive narrative and eye-widening stunts starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, is to be aware that Miller is also very much a hands-on, detail-oriented director. “I know every image, every gesture, literally every frame,” he says. Miller’s gift for action and adventure is very much on display in “Furiosa.” We see the preteen Furiosa kidnapped from the Green Place by followers of the dangerously bombastic Dementus (Hemsworth), watch as she maneuvers her way to a degree of independence as Dementus confronts the equally evil Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), ruler of the Citadel, and hold on for dear life as she and way-cool War Rig driver Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) defend themselves against one of the caravan attacks that are Miller’s specialty. The director’s intense absorption in his characters has some unexpected side effects. “After, say, six months of filming and a year in the cutting room, by the time you’re finished you see these people only as their characters,” Miller explains. “So when we gather for publicity and I see a person like Anya, who in real life has long blond hair and dresses very stylishly, it’s shocking, a stunning moment for me. I’ve been immersed in an alternate reality for more than a year, and I have to decompress.” Miller’s focus on “Furiosa” was especially intense because it’s a detailed prequel to the “Fury Road” Jason Armond Los Angeles Times HIS DIRECTOR’S CHAIR NEEDS A SEAT BELT BACK WITH ‘FURY ROAD’ PREQUEL ‘FURIOSA,’ GEORGE MILLER REFLECTS ON STORY AND NONSTOP ACTION BY KENNETH TURAN F E2 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR ADIOS BUENOS AIRES 4:30 PM EVIL DOES NOT EXIST 1:20 4:10 7:10 THE BIG BEND 1:10 7:00 STAY WITH US 1:00 3:05 5:10 7:30 BACK TO BLACK E 1:10 4:10 7:10 IFB 1:20 4:20 7:20 THE FALL GUYC 1:00 4:00 7:00 WILDCAT 1:30 4:30 7:10 CHALLENGERS E 1:00 4:00 7:00 WICKED LITTLE LETTERS E 1:10 4:10 7:30 ROYAL 11523 Santa Monica Blvd. West L.A. 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LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 E3 In addition to story and casting, something else is important to Miller: the mechanics of filmmaking. “I’m always interested in doing something that is new and fresh to me, not only the content but the tools we use,” the director says. Because “the technique of cinema is always changing,” Miller offers multiple examples of how the ability to employ up-to-the-minute technology impacted the making of many of his films. “The first ‘Babe’ was made at the dawn of digital technology, which I wanted to use to make the animals talk,” he recalls. “Warner Bros. said ‘We’re not interested,’ but Universal, which had just made but not yet released the first ‘Jurassic Park,’ said ‘We know what you’re trying to do.’ ” Several years later for Miller’s “Happy Feet,” another technological breakthrough led the way. Miller’s “Babe” cinematographer, Andrew Lesnie, was just coming back from a gig on “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” and had something to share. “When he came back, he showed me the first motion capture clip of Gollum,” Miller remembers, “I’d never even heard the words, but I said, ‘That’s how we make all the penguins tap dance.’ ” For both “Fury Road” and “Furiosa,” Miller says he “saw the opportunity to be able to do a very kinetic film and do it in a way that was much safer than you could do it in the past.” The actors and stunt people could wear harnesses that would be removed digitally and “digital cameras were much smaller and more agile and could even shoot in the desert.” Also with digital, “you could easily erase as many footprints as you’d like,” he says, noting that it wasn’t as easy for the crew of the 1962 desert epic “Lawrence of Arabia,” a movie about which he knows a lot. “To do another take, they’d first brought in helicopters to blow the sand but that didn’t really work. Then they used a very big version of a powder puff on a high pole.” Given how successful a filmmaker he’s become, it’s surprising to learn that Miller was not one of the legion of film-struck kids. Rather he and his twin brother, John, growing up in the small rural town of Chinchilla, Australia, “were constantly doing things with our hands.” The brothers went to medical school together (John recently retired after 50 years of practice) and “as I worked as a doctor I was constantly doing things with my hands. And now, as a filmmaker, I do nothing with my hands, not one thing. It’s really strange.” Gradually intrigued by film, Miller made a prize-winning short while still in medical school and was influenced in terms of style by reading Kevin Brownlow’s exceptional 1968 history of silent film, “The Parade’s Gone By.” “I saw that the real language of cinema, the syntax used, was basically defined in the silent era,” he says. “I agree with Hitchcock, who said, ‘I want to make films where they don’t have to read the subtitles in Japan.’ ” M ILLER’S breakthrough, the Mel Gibson-starring “Mad Max,” is famously set in the lawless future that has characterized all the following films up to and including “Furiosa.” But the director reveals that the decision to take “Max” out of the present was made because “it was cheaper to shoot that way. We set out to make a film that was very kinetic, and without a budget you can’t close off streets, hire extras or get cars. But if we set it in the future, we could use run-down buildings and derelict cars and we didn’t have to close streets. Doing it that way was accidental, purely out of necessity.” Miller describes the universe featured in “Furiosa” as “a world in extremis, no question, where the conflicts are very elemental. We call it the inverted world. By and large the world we live in — at least on the with him in ways large and small, so much so that he says he wouldn’t be making movies had he not been a doctor. It’s not only on a micro level, the way dusk-to-dawn shooting reminds him of long nights in the ER. “Working as a resident in a big-city hospital, I’d be woken up at 3 a.m. to assist at an emergency surgery,” he says. “You have to work optimally in extreme situations with no margin for error. That’s exactly what happens in night shoots.” More significantly, Miller feels the most crucial knowledge he acquired in medicine was the importance of building a successful team. “In the first ‘Mad Max,’ ” he explains, “there were 30 people in the onscreen credits. In “Furiosa” there are a thousand in the practical area and another thousand in the digital, working all over the world. Bringing them together is the challenge.” Miller remains awed by the efficiency of hospital teams. “I got reconnected to the medical world in recent years and I found a really brilliant surgical team in Sydney, and I was really interested in why it worked so well,” he says. “It’s not just a surface thing. There’s something deep in the culture of the making of the team. There are no silos, everyone knows what everyone else is doing, information flows freely in every direction. And there is no rigid hierarchy. The cleaning staff matters as much as the anesthesiologists. Just like in film, it’s important to work with common purpose.” Filmmaking being such an exhausting occupation, Miller’s answer when asked what he does to relax was a surprise. “For me, I guess I’d say my default position is to be relaxed. Having a shower, going for an amble — an amble, not a walk — to the local shops, you free the rational mind and you go into a freeassociation state. You surrender the intellect to intuition.” “Fury Road,” he says, came to him when he was flying back from Los Angeles to Sydney. “Two-thirds of the story had played out by the time I fell asleep somewhere over the Pacific,” Miller says. “In every moment of human creativity, in every endeavor where people solve problems, even Albert Einstein at Princeton going out sailing in a little boat when the math became too granular, I’ve learned it’s the same. Just doing things that allow you to retreat into your imagination is the thing.” surface — works fairly smoothly. For instance, every time a big jet lands after flying over a city it’s the result of invisible cooperation, almost to the point of altruism, that those who live below the airplane’s flight pattern take completely for granted. In the inverted world, people behave in dark ways. One human’s regard for another is the exception and gestures of positive regard are the rare thing — a little ray of light.” Given its brutal nature, the filmmaker was “definitely surprised” by how well the first “Max” did at the box office but still thought medicine was his future. “Despite its unexpected success, I just didn’t think I was cut out to make movies,” he says. “I thought, ‘Well, I gave it a shot.’ ” What changed his mind was the realization, as reviews from around the world came in, that “inadvertently we’d stepped into an archetype, the kind of allegory American westerns were for so many years. The Japanese saw him as a samurai, the Scandinavians as a lone Viking, the French called it ‘a western on wheels.’ That led me to not only how to tell stories but also to the why. Once you have that world in your head, even when you’re trying not to, you keep coming back.” Miller stayed registered as a doctor for a few years so he could be the on-set physician on his own films, which meant, he mischievously recalls, “all my lunchtimes were taken up with people who’d had insect stings.” But though he let his license lapse in 1982, Miller’s medical background has stayed “FURIOSA” star Anya Taylor-Joy, who director George Miller says “struck me as having a mysterious, essential — in the sense of essence — quality, a sort of timelessness.” Jasin Boland Warner Bros. Pictures of Artists Exhibitions Spaces Stories Books Editions Celebrate the 30th Anniversary Show on May 23 606, 612, and 616 North Western Avenue, Los Angeles 30 Years David Zwirner

Jamie Lee Curtis as Tannis, Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg and Kevin Hart as Roland in “Borderlands.” QUINT YOUR EYES and look at it a certain way, and this summer’s movie lineup could easily pass for a robust offering from, say, 30 years ago. Sequels to “Alien,” “Mad Max” and “Twister”? Eddie Murphy returning to “Beverly Hills Cop”? We’re not about to look a gift horse in the mouth (even one ridden by Kevin Costner, who’s also back), and while we love the idea of Hollywood going big again, our staffers collected the most promising indies too, because one can’t live on popcorn movies alone. (Though we’re not above trying.) Here’s our highly opinionated list of the 15 films you need to see this summer. HIT MAN May 24; on Netflix June 7 If there were any doubt about Glen Powell being a bona fide movie star, his latest collaboration with Richard Linklater (following 2016’s “Everybody Wants Some!!”) will put it to rest. Adapted from the 2001 Texas Monthly story by Skip Hollandsworth, “Hit Man” turns the real-life tale of Gary Johnson — an investigator for the Harris County, Texas, D.A.’s office who assisted the police by posing as a contract killer — into a deliriously entertaining screwball thriller, one in which Powell appears to be having the time of his life. Shifting the action to New Orleans, Linklater populates the story with enough characters to pack a Mardi Gras parade route, in the form of cuckolded husbands and put-upon wives, yes, but also via Powell himself, in every manner of absurd getup and exaggerated accent as Gary’s various hit-man aliases. That it never comes off as just plain goofy is thanks to its lead’s white-hot charisma, his romantic chemistry with co-star Adria Arjona and Linklater’s cunning direction, which turns New Orleans from a Bourbon Street stereotype into a lived-in, fastchanging city — and your iPhone’s notes app into the source of one of the year’s most exciting scenes. I’m already looking forward to whatever these two Texans decide to make together next. — Matt Brennan TUESDAY June 14 If you’ve listened to her terrific podcast, “Wiser Than Me,” you know that Julia Louis-Dreyfus is interested in talking about the ways we negotiate grief and loss as we enter the third act of our lives. So it’s not surprising that in “Tuesday,” she plays a woman literally bargaining with Death to keep her daughter (Lola Petticrew) alive. I saw writer-director Daina OniunasPusic’s movie last year at the Telluride Film Festival, and it’s strange and surreal — Death takes the form of a talking bird — and unapologetically sincere. Cathartic too, if you give yourself over to its deeply felt story. It’s Louis-Dreyfus’ second film with the adventurous A24, following last year’s superb dramedy “You Hurt My Feelings,” making her own third act one to regard with utter appreciation. — Glenn Whipp THE BIKERIDERS June 21 Writer-director Jeff Nichols (“Loving”) was inspired by a 1967 photobook by Danny Lyon to explore the lives of a Chicagobased motorcycle gang, and he does just that with “The Bikeriders.” At its center is the relationship between Kathy (Jodie Comer) and Benny (Austin Butler), as she maintains a relatively straight life while he becomes a zealous acolyte for the Vandals, a biker club started by Johnny (Tom Hardy). The film is deeply evocative of its time and place and, as the Vandals’ fortunes rise and fall, there’s an almost anthropological interest in the intricacies of how the gang operates and decisions get made. A group of men who wanted the simple freedom of the open road find themselves ensnared in day-today practicalities and dragged down by the burdens of their own growth and notoriety. Bringing a sense of epic scale to a tale of grease-stained outcasts, Nichols captures somethimos’ creative partnership with co-writer Efthimis Filippou (“Dogtooth,” “The Lobster,” “Killing of a Sacred Deer”) and features a stacked cast that includes Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau, Jesse Plemons and Margaret Qualley, who each tackle multiple roles. Honestly, though, you had us at Yorgos and Emma. — Josh Rottenberg GREEN BORDER June 28 Agnieszka Holland’s latest thriller, a vital and harrowing dramatization of the migrant crisis playing out on the border between Poland and Belarus, arrives on a wave of controversy that would be nightmarish if it didn’t have something of a happy ending. Viewing the film as anti-Polish, the government insisted that a two-minute video refuting its depictions be shown in theaters beforehand. Holland herself received multiple death threats and was denied Oscar submission by Poland’s nominating committee. But then the worm began to turn, local box office records started to fall, international awards were won (including a career award from the Los Angeles film critics group to which I belong) and the rightwing government was ultimately ousted. What shouldn’t be lost in all of this are two facts: First, the humanitarian disaster continues and more films like this need to be made and seen. And second, Holland hasn’t directed a story this gripping since 1990’s “Europa Europa.” — Joshua Rothkopf HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA — CHAPTER 1 June 28 Next year brings the 25th anniversary of “Dances With Wolves,” the epic western that revived the once-popular genre while solidifying Kevin Costner as a major force in Hollywood. That Oscar-winning film and other projects, including “Open Range” and the blockbuster TV thing essential about the paradoxes of the rebellious heart. — Mark Olsen FANCY DANCE June 21; on Apple TV+ June 28 Director Erica Tremblay’s debut feature premiered as a U.S. Dramatic Competition title at last year’s Sundance before hitting the festival rounds. I’ve been waiting for it to land an official release ever since. The film stars Oscar-nominated Lily Gladstone as the tough and resourceful Jax, a hustler who’s been scraping by to care for her young niece Roki (Isabel DeroyOlson) while trying to find her missing sister. Written by Tremblay and Miciana Alise, this story about a family on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation is an unwavering look at the realities of life as a Native American woman that calls attention to systemic failures and the high incidence of missing and murdered Indigenous women. It’s also a celebration of perseverance, the complexities of connection and little moments of joy. — Tracy Brown KINDS OF KINDNESS June 21 With their two previous features — 2018’s gonzo comedy “The Favourite” and last year’s feminist Frankenstein fable “Poor Things” — Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone have cemented their status as one of cinema’s most uniquely unpredictable director-muse duos. (And that’s not even mentioning “Bleat,” their 30-minute silent black-and-white exploration of sex, death and goats.) In another stylistic swerve, their latest collaboration is an anthology film set in contemporary New Orleans, weaving together three enigmatic storylines: a powerless man attempting to seize control of his fate, a policeman grappling with his dead wife’s inexplicable return and a woman on a quest to find a future spiritual leader. “Kinds of Kindness” continues LanPhoto illustration by An Amlotte Los Angeles Times; photographs from Focus Features, A24 Katalin Vermes Lionsgate CAILEE SPAENY in “Alien: Romulus,” above; “Borderlands” stars Jamie Lee Curtis, left, Cate Blanchett, Ariana Greenblatt, Florian Munteanu and Kevin Hart. Both are due in theaters in August. 20th Century Studios The 15 movies you absolutely must see this summer S AUSTIN BUTLER in “The Bikeriders,” clockwise from left; Sasha Lane and Glen Powell in “Twisters”; Colman Domingo in “Sing Sing.” E4 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR

UMMER IS the best time to catch up on television, and fortunately, there are plenty of series, new and returning, to keep you entertained when it gets too hot to lounge at the beach or pool. However, it means you’ll have to say goodbye to at least one show, but you’ll also get to say hello to a couple revivals, some mystery miniseries and documentary series (and a film) that take a closer look at notable subjects such as Celine Dion, Black artists in Hollywood and that beloved ’70s music genre, disco. EVIL Paramount+, May 23 Since premiering in 2019, Robert and Michelle King’s wickedly inventive procedural, in which a psychologist (Katja Herbers), a priest (Mike Colter) and a tech whiz (Aasif Mandvi) team up to investigate supernatural phenomena for the Catholic Church, has wholly adopted the pair’s penchant for mischief. Combining genre conventions, topical plots and absurdist humor, the series has embraced aesthetic risks that would make most “prestige” dramas blanch, with crucial scenes unfolding inside an “Animal Crossing”-like game and a near-silent episode set at an upstate New York monastery; and deftly handled such thorny subjects as medical racism, labor exploitation and the scourge of social media. That it will end after this season, its fourth, is at once devastating and unsurprising: The most audacious series on television since the Kings concluded “The Good Fight” in 2022, “Evil” is quite simply too good for this world. — Matt Brennan ERIC Netflix, May 30 It’s every parent’s worst nightmare — your child goes missing without a trace. That’s the premise of this miniseries, which is set in gritty 1980s New York. “Eric” follows married couple Vincent (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Cassie (Gaby Hoffmann), who are trying to find their son Edgar (Ivan Howe), and NYPD Det. Michael Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III), who is investigating the boy’s disappearance while battling his own issues. Vincent is a puppeteer who helms a “Sesame Street”-like show called “Good Day Sunshine,” and he convinces himself that he’ll find Edgar by getting a blue monster puppet, based on Edgar’s drawings, on TV. It may sound strange, but it’s an intriguing take on a mystery with lots of twists. — Maira Garcia DISCO: SOUNDTRACK OF A REVOLUTION PBS.org and app, June 1; PBS, June 18 I’m a sucker for nostalgic music documentaries and any kind of revisionist history about unfairly maligned cultural phenomena, which is why I can’t wait for “Disco,” a threepart series — streaming June 1 online and airing weekly beginning June 18 — tracing the rise, fall and enduring legacy of one of pop music’s most joyful and most misunderstood genres. A BBC Studios production for PBS, this documentary looks at how disco, which came to be associated with mainstream white artists like the Bee Gees, actually originated in queer, Black and Latino communities in 1970s New York and rose in tandem with the liberation movements of the era. “Disco” also explores the virulent backlash, which was fueled by aggrieved white, heterosexual American men who saw its cultural dominance as a threat to their guitar-shredding way of life. Bring your boogie shoes — and your thinking caps. — Meredith Blake ORPHAN BLACK: ECHOES AMC, AMC+ and BBC America, June 23 #CloneClub, it’s been a while. Seven years after the original “Orphan Black” ended its five-season run, “Echoes” is here to pull you into a new clone conspiracy. Set some time in the near future, the 10-episode series stars Krysten Ritter as Lucy, a woman who possibly emerged from a vat of pink goo with no memories of who she is (or so the trailer suggests). Much like the flagship series, “Echoes” will see Lucy and others have to navigate what it all means after they start to unravel the truth about their origins. The original “Orphan Black” is best known for the Emmy-winning performance of Tatiana Maslany, who depicted more than 10 clones over the course of the series. But the show was resonant because of its exploration of humanity, identity, agency, mortality, religion and science. As politicians continue to write legislation restricting bodily autonomy and debates around technology like artificial intelligence intensify, a show that can carry the torch from “Orphan Black” feels more needed than ever. — Tracy Brown I AM: CELINE DION Prime Video, June 25 Like many other fans, I was heartbroken to hear that the esteemed singer had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome, an incredibly rare autoimmune disorder of the nervous system. Although the discovery of her condition led to the cancellation of her world tour last year, Dion — who has remained very private since sharing the news — is releasing a documentary that showcases her musical legacy as well as her struggle with this illness. The intimate portrait is helmed by Irene Taylor, an Oscar-nominated director whose previous projects include such subjects as deafness, forests and the history of the Boy Scouts. — Ashley Lee LAND OF WOMEN Apple TV+, June 26 For those of us who are unable to visit Spain this summer, Apple TV+ is offering the next best thing: “Land of Women.” Starring Eva Longoria, also an executive producer, the sixepisode limited series is based on Sandra Barneda’s bestselling novel of the same name. Gala Scott (Longoria) is living the perfect high society life in New York when she discovers that her husband, Fred (James Purefoy), owes millions to some pretty roughlooking criminals. After they threaten her teenage daughter (Victoria Bazúa) and her mother (Spanish film and television legend Carmen Maura), Gala decides they need to flee the country. The three women hide out in the small Spanish town that Gala’s mother fled 50 years ago, vowing never to return. Shot in English and Spanish, “The Land of Women” involves many family secrets, village tensions, handsome Spaniards of varying ages and, of course, a winery. — Mary McNamara THE BEAR, SEASON 3 Hulu, June 27 After last season, I’ve been unable to handle a mushroom in the kitchen without thinking of Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Terry (Olivia Colman) tenderly peeling mounds of them. And now, Season 3 of “The Bear’’ is arriving as quick as it takes to hit “jump to recipe” on a cooking blog. Season 2 ended with the soft opening of the Bear — formerly the Original Beef of Chicagoland — for friends and family. It should have been a triumphant night for Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and his team, but pressure is always boiling beneath the surface for the brooding chef, who finds himself overwhelmed at the prospect of leading his own restaurant and being a boyfriend. He cracks under pressure and gets locked in the restaurant’s freezer because of a faulty door handle. Will Carmy work on himself and learn to let go in Season 3? Ayo Edibiri (Sydney) also reportedly directed an episode — that’s as enticing as a Boursin omelet topped with crushed potato chips. — Yvonne Villarreal THE DECAMERON Netflix, July TBA Ever wondered what it’s like to live through a pandemic? Oh, wait, you already know? Well, “The Decameron” is here to remind you anyway. The sudsy drama is set in 1348 Florence, as the Black Plague ravages the city, and a group of nobles retreats to a villa in the Tuscan countryside to ride out the surge in style with a decadent holiday. But conditions quickly deteriorate, and the indulgent escape turns into a “Lord of the Flies”-style story of survival. Created by Kathleen Jordan and executive produced by Jenji Kohan, the series stars Zosia Mamet Who needs the sun when bold TV awaits? Elizabeth Fisher Paramount+ MGM+ [See Summer TV, E7] S KRISTEN (Katja Herbers, top) is armed for anything “Evil,” as the spooky show returns for one final season. Justin Simien, above, delves into film history in the docuseries “Hollywood Black.” LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 E5 TWISTERS July 19 “Twisters”? Really? A followup to the 1996 Jan de Bont blockbuster about a killer tornado that catapulted a cow? Hear me out. Every summer needs an escapist disaster movie, and it’s been a minute since we’ve had a good one. (No, the last “Sharknado” sequel doesn’t count.) Mostly, though, you want to see what Lee Isaac Chung, the filmmaker behind the delicate family drama “Minari,” will do with a reported $200-million budget and a new generation of storm chasers that includes Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos. Chung grew up in the Midwest, not far from the movie’s Oklahoma setting, so he knows all about how the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain. Call me an optimist, but I think this is going to be the best kind of throwback blast. — Glenn Whipp DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE July 26 I am not going to pretend I understand the evolution of Deadpool from “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” to his current iteration — or how Wolverine is again in a movie when he clearly died in “Logan.” None of it matters, really, because the TVA (which, in Marvelland, stands for “Time Variance Authority,” as if the Tennessee Valley Authority is not an actual thing) exists exclusively to make no sense except as an engine for the resurrection and/or pairing of any and all superheroes on screens large and small. Nor am I going to lie and say I cannot wait to see the “other sides of Wolverine” that have been promised by early publicity. No, I am excited for “Deadpool & Wolverine” for precisely the reason everyone should be: the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman bromance. Their faux feud, which has provided endless prankertainment for more than 10 years now, should by all rights lead to a rom-com, which I am assuming is what “Deadpool & Wolverine” will be, only with much more action, better costumes and many scattered body parts. Here’s hoping they get married in the end, because that is one thing Marvel hasn’t done yet. — Mary McNamara BORDERLANDS Aug. 9 Between HBO’s acclaimed series “The Last of Us,” the record-breaking “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and Amazon’s postapocalyptic hit “Fallout,” we may be entering a kind of golden age for the long-maligned genre of videogame adaptations. You definitely know something is happening when Cate Blanchett, hot off her Oscarnominated turn in “Tár,” gets on board. In director Eli Roth’s take on the bestselling space-western game franchise, Blanchett plays an infamous outlaw who leads a motley band of misfits through a desolate planet teeming with bandits, mutated creatures and killer robots. Our heroes are searching for a missing girl who may hold the fate of the universe. For Roth, the splatter auteur behind films like “Hostel” and the recent “Thanksgiving,” “Borderlands” represents his biggest canvas yet, so expect generous helpings of violence and mayhem along with the irreverent, absurdist comedy that fans of the first-person shooter have come to love. — Josh Rottenberg ALIEN: ROMULUS Aug. 16 Like a hypnotic, frightening summit on the horizon, Ridley Scott’s immortal 1979 “Alien” continues to lure a certain breed of stylish filmmaker who thinks they can do it just as well: James Cameron and David Fincher most famously, but also the “Delicatessen” guy and even Ridley Scott himself. Now it’s Fede Álvarez’s turn, he of the horror hits “Don’t Breathe” and the unusually sturdy 2013 reboot of “Evil Dead.” Working to Álvarez’s favor: The story is set between the events of “Alien” and “Aliens,” wiping the slate clean. Additionally, “Civil War’s” electrifying Cailee Spaeny appears to be cast in a decidedly Sigourneylike role (the character’s name is Rain Carradine). If the movie returns the franchise to its original spookiness, even part of the way, then it will have served its purpose. Get climbing, Fede. — Joshua Rothkopf drama “Yellowstone,” have demonstrated that Costner riding a horse or wearing a cowboy hat will always have solid appeal. He returns to the big screen this summer with his most ambitious western yet: a “saga” so epic it’s divided into four parts. The first section opens June 28 after a world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and the second installment arrives Aug. 16. Saddle up. — Greg Braxton BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F July 3 on Netflix It remains to be seen if the old “banana-in-the-tailpipe” magic will coalesce. But the sheer amount of sign-on to this belated sequel is promising: not only Eddie Murphy and the primary cast (Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot) but mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who in the original, along with his “Flashdance” and “Top Gun,” defined a sleek filmmaking formula that I personally wouldn’t mind seeing make a comeback. Stubbornly, I remain unconvinced that my living room is the best place to experience this (“Beverly Hills Cop” is pretty much why multiplexes thrived in the first place), but Netflix is the venue and, frankly, the 1984 original works perfectly fine on my flatscreen. One thing is nonnegotiable: We better hear OG composer Harold Faltermeyer’s one-fingered synth theme — and plenty of it. — Joshua Rothkopf JANET PLANET June 28 The debut film as writerdirector from acclaimed playwright Annie Baker, “Janet Planet” sneaks up on you with a quiet, accumulative emotional power. The film follows Janet (Julianne Nicholson), a single mother, and her 11-year-old daughter, Lacy (Zoe Ziegler), in western Massachusetts in 1991. Their dynamic is difficult to immediately get a grasp of: We’re uncertain as to who needs whom more, as the diffidently observant Lacy comes off as clingy, while Janet seems to have rebuilt her life from something else to now center on Lacy. But then they are both full of surprises, as a series of other people enter and exit their orbit. With a precise but unfussy visual style, Baker seems to have come to the cinema to evoke moments in between, things that can’t be precisely put into words but have to simply be experienced and felt. — Mark Olsen MAXXXINE July 5 Mia Goth arrived in a big way with horror director Ti West’s 2022 double shot of “X” and “Pearl,” scrappy productions made with a high degree of resourcefulness. A trilogy was inevitable and, with “MaXXXine,” Goth strides into her character’s next chapter flashing a confidence she doesn’t need to fake. But it’s West who looks primed to make the leap this time, into greater ambition and a lushly re-created 1985 when Los Angeles alternately seemed like a paradise and an urban hell plagued by the mysterious “Night Stalker.” West swirls these real-life elements into a De Palma-esque tale of fame, desire and payback, one that has attracted an incredible slate of talent, including Elizabeth Debicki, Kevin Bacon, Halsey, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Monaghan and, somehow born to play an adult-film power agent, the mighty Giancarlo Esposito. — Joshua Rothkopf SING SING July 12 I’m always floored by Colman Domingo’s nuanced performances, whether they be in episodes of “Fear the Walking Dead” and “Euphoria” or last year’s movies “Rustin” and “The Color Purple.” So naturally, I’ll be seated for “Sing Sing,” in which the Oscar nominee plays a wrongfully convicted criminal who finds a sense of purpose in a theater group at his maximumsecurity correctional facility. The A24 title — which garnered strong reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival and South by Southwest — is based on a real-life rehabilitation program at the upstate New York prison of its title. Greg Kwedar directs the thoughtful drama, whose cast includes formerly incarcerated actors. — Ashley Lee

RELIVE IT EVERY NIGHT. It’s in my visions. It’s in my dreams and my waking thoughts,” says Jeremy Renner. ¶ “It” is the accident that nearly killed the Oscar-nominated actor on New Year’s Day 2023 as he was clearing the driveway at his home near Mount Rose in Nevada using a massive snowcat. He was thrown suddenly from the 7-ton vehicle, which continued to roll downhill directly toward his nephew, Alex Fries. Renner attempted to jump back into the cab in order to stop it. Instead, he was caught in the machine’s track wheels and run over. ¶ He was left with significant chest trauma, including a collapsed lung, and — at last count — 38 broken bones. “The doctor said I even broke my taint. How do you break a taint?” recalls Renner, his off-color sense of humor evident on a recent morning in Tribeca. The “Avengers” star is in good spirits, speaking with candor and optimism about his near-death experience and odds-defying recovery. There are few obvious physical signs of the ordeal his body endured less than 18 months ago. Renner, 53, is in town for a brief visit from Pittsburgh, where he is close to wrapping production on Season 3 of “Mayor of Kingstown,” which returns to Paramount+ on June 2. In the gritty drama, co-created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, he stars as Mike McLusky, a power broker in a fictional Michigan city that is home to seven prisons. Renner returned to work in January — “on the anniversary of my death,” as he puts it — marking his first extensive turn in front of the cameras since the accident. Reprising his lead role in the Paramount+ series was not a foregone conclusion. Neither, for that matter, was his survival. His family, he says, is the reason he’s alive, along with the doctors, nurses and EMTs who cared for him, “and probably a divine intervention as well.” “It took the collective of all these people. That’s the power of love. It’s a slow burn. Man, I tell you,” he says, his voice breaking. “I can barely speak.” When the accident occurred, Renner, who has six younger siblings, was spending the holidays with much of his large, tight-knit family, including his 11-year-old daughter, Ava, and his mom, Valerie Cearley. Thanks to a monster snowstorm that hit the area, the family had been cooped up inside for several days — and cabin fever was setting in. During a break in the severe weather on New Year’s Day, Renner and “a few of the boys” trekked outside to see if they could head to the ski resort down the road. As he lay, injured, in the snow, waiting for EMTs to arrive, Renner did not initially comprehend the gravity of the situation. His focus was on breathing — on summoning enough strength to exhale, then inhale, over and over again. (He later learned his lung had collapsed.) His nephew, who was unharmed, sat with him. Renner did a scan of his body. He could see one eye bulging out of his skull with his other eye, which remained intact. “I’m like, that’s not good,” he says, in a comic understatement. Renner also realized that his legs were twisted and bent in unnatural directions, like a pretzel. Yet, in the way the brain can sometimes do in moments of intense shock, he had irrational thoughts. He remembers telling himself, “These are just cramps and I can get up and make it back to the house and tell people we’re not going skiing.” “I was gonna go sit in the tub and soak it off,” he adds, laughing in retrospect at the notion. When he tried to move and was met with excruciating pain, “It really started to settle in, how f— my body was.” Renner says his heart rate dropped to 18 beats a minute. By the time the EMTs arrived and began to provide first aid, about 25 minutes after the accident, he says he was “getting tired of breathing. And that’s where I was gonna die.” First responders inflated his collapsed lung and transferred him into a helicopter, which took him to a hospital in Reno. The location ended up being fortuitous: Because of the many nearby ski resorts, the medical team was accustomed to treating traumatic orthopedic injuries. “The doctor was like a master carpenter, and just came in and just put my body back together,” Renner says. The “Hurt Locker” star remembers waking up in the hospital with a tube down his throat, a patch over his eye and his family at the bedside. “I signed that I love them, and that I was sorry. And then they got a piece of paper and I wrote down, ‘Holy f—, I’m so sorry. I love you all. I love you all so much.’ ” Renner says he was in the ICU, heavily medicated and “not in my right mind.” At one point, he became enraged at the sight of a mop and bucket in his bathroom — a sign, as he saw it in his altered state, that the hospital staff was using the space as a janitor’s closet because they assumed he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. “ ‘You don’t think I’m gonna make it out of here, you motherf—s?’ ” he remembers screaming. “Those poor nurses.” Dillon, the co-creator and executive producer of “Mayor of Kingstown,” recalls receiving a profane but jocular text message from Renner within a day of the accident — apologizing for screwing up, though he used a more colorful phrase. “It blunted the shock and, honestly, as soon as I got that text, I thought, ‘He’s gonna be OK,’ ” says Dillon, who also stars in “Mayor of Kingstown” as a local detective. In a fluke of timing, Season 2 premiered two weeks after Renner’s accident. While “high as a kite” on painkillers, Renner says he tried to “find sobriety through humor. I was always looking for a joke to crack because I know it requires timing and [the ability] to read the room. And it also just feels good to laugh.” Renner jokes that he was indifferent about the possibility of losing a limb or being permanently disabled from the accident: “I want a wooden leg. I want a hook for a hand. I want an eye patch. I’m gonna commit to pirate life. I was so content doing that.” But he says was motivated to get better by his family. A FTER SPENDING six days in the ICU in Reno, he was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where another medical team tended to his shattered cheekbones, jaw and eye socket. A few weeks after the accident, he was at home, recovering. Although he has good health insurance through the Screen Actors Guild, Renner still wound up paying “a lot of dough” for some providers who were out of network. “But what do I care?” he says. “I’m alive. I’m walking through life with a smile on my face. And there’s nothing that’s ever going to change that. Nothing. It’s impossible for me to have a bad day.” Renner’s doctors initially said it would take years for him to walk again; instead, within three months, he was walking with the assistance of a cane — something he attributes to being “a stubborn jerk.” Recovery is easy, he says, “in the sense of all you gotta do is get better. It’s a one-way street. There’s no other avenues to take. It’s not even [like] a piece of Ikea furniture — there are no directions. You go one direction: You get better. How easy is that? Just remember what you did yesterday, or couldn’t do, and then try to do it today.” He has developed a new relationship with pain, which he likens to the body’s version of a smartphone notification. “They’re just little alarms, saying, ‘Hey, this might burn you,’ or ‘Hey, maybe your leg’s broken,’ but it doesn’t mean anything else. It’s just an alert. I just swipe it, and it goes away,” he says. Dillon started visiting Renner in L.A. early in his recovery, when he was still in a wheelchair. He quickly sensed that before Renner could return to production, they would need the OK from the family’s real boss: Renner’s mom. Paul Yem For The Times YOU CAN’T KEEP THIS ‘MAYOR’ DOWN JEREMY RENNER ON THE ACCIDENT THAT NEARLY KILLED HIM AND A RETURN TO TV THAT SHOWS ‘THE POWER OF LOVE’ BY MEREDITH BLAKE NEW YORK Dennis P. Mong Jr. Paramount+ JEREMY Renner, with Emma Laird in “Mayor of Kingstown,” below. I E6 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR

LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 E7 “I felt like a kid going over to his house. We’re asking his mom’s permission, we’re not asking his agent’s permission or manager’s. It’s really very personal,” says Dillon. Once Cearley gave the nod, “It was full steam ahead.” Renner felt that he would be ready to come back in January — after the holidays, his birthday and the one-year anniversary of the accident had passed. He was eager to work again, yet he also found it strange to return to a fictional world, to the task of playing makebelieve, while confronting the humbling physical reality of his recovery. “To try to create some truth and then get the audience to believe it, while I’m just trying to learn to walk again, to put one foot in front of the other and not get up in agony. I’m doing all these things to find my footing on the planet again,” Renner says. “The idea of going into a fictional world — I have to be honest with you, I had to really consider, Is this something I really want to do?” During his first week back on the job, Renner says he would sometimes fall asleep in the middle of filming a scene. “They go, ‘And action!’ And I was out. We realized they worked me too hard, too many hours, too many days in a row,” he says. “What I’m willing to do is everything, but what I’m able to do is a different thing.” P RODUCERS modified the schedule to accommodate his needs. Jet lag is now exceedingly hard on his body, despite just a three-hour difference between the East and West Coast. So rather than flying back and forth to California, Renner remained in Pittsburgh throughout most of the four-month production. He also carved out time to stretch and exercise on set, sometimes between takes. “They have to treat me like I’m a child actor,” Renner jokes. “The mayor of Kingstown is now like a 14-year-old.” But the accident has had some unexpected benefits. Renner says he now has a photographic memory, which comes in handy when he’s memorizing dialogue. “The eyeball that came out of my head? I have better vision in that eye than the other eye,” he adds. “I think I’m getting bionic.” Emma Laird, who stars in “Mayor of Kingstown” as Iris, a sex worker with links to the Russian Mafia, recalls that on their first day back, Renner still had Mike’s trademark swagger and tenacious stride. “It was as if the accident hadn’t ever happened really, when he was on camera,” she says. “At the start, I would ask how he was and he’d be in a bit of pain, but he never openly complained or moaned. That’s just like a testament to how professional he is. Most actors moan about the stupidest things, [like] having to wait for an hour in their trailer. And he’s had this huge accident and you don’t hear him complaining one bit,” she adds. “Mayor of Kingstown” is an intense and often violent series that grapples with weighty subjects like mass incarceration, systemic racism and Rust Belt stagnation. Season 3 is just as unrelenting. It opens with Mike at a spiritual low point as he mourns the death of a family member. “There’s a heaviness and a huge change to the character,” Renner says. “And it worked with where I am personally in my life.” “He’s always been remarkably positive,” says Tobi Bamtefa, who plays Bunny, a drug dealer and local Crips gang leader who is often seen conferring on his rooftop with Mike. “The positivity is now more deliberate. There’s a way about him that is definitely more present, more aware not just of his own self but also how his survival affected everything around him. Talking to him can be quite inspiring.” In late April, Renner spent the day at Kennywood, an amusement park outside Pittsburgh, with his family and “Mayor of Kingstown” co-stars. Watching Renner enjoy the rides with his daughter and mom, Dillon was struck by how far he had come, not just since the accident but even since the beginning of the season in January. “That guy is in this permanent state of grace,” Dillon says. “I don’t know how he did it. But here we are, and it’s glorious.” As for what’s next, Renner is weighing his options but now understands, on a visceral level, that “the only currency I have is time.” He is also working on a book about “life and death and recovery and all the things I’ve learned,” he says. “I got a lot of cheat codes.” What kind of “cheat codes,” exactly? For starters, Renner says that nearly dying confirmed something he already believed: “Death is only a rebirth.” Over the last year and a half, he’s also discovered the importance of reframing the incident as something positive — beautiful, even. He likes to say the snowcat was a beacon, a Bat signal that called his family and friends to action and symbolized their deep love. “It is eternal. It is powerful. And it’s what kept me here.” and Saoirse-Monica Jackson (“Derry Girls”) and is inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s short stories. — Meredith Blake LADY IN THE LAKE Apple TV+, July 19 Based on Laura Lippman’s bestselling novel, “Lady in the Lake” follows two women whose lives converge in 1960s Baltimore after the disappearance of a young girl grips the city. Natalie Portman stars as Maddie Schwartz, a Jewish housewife who leaves her family and reinvents herself as an investigative journalist. Also starring is Moses Ingram as Cleo Sherwood, a Black mother whose mysterious death occupies Maddie’s thoughts. The seven-part limited series was created, written and directed by Alma Har’el. Also worth noting: It’s Portman’s first starring role in a TV series. — Maira Garcia EMILY IN PARIS, SEASON 4 Netflix, Part 1, Aug. 15; Part 2, Sept. 12 Knowing that in “Beverly Hills, 90210,” creator Darren Star sent Brenda (and Donna) to Paris, setting into motion the messiest love triangle saga in the teen drama’s run, it should come as no surprise that he has chosen to repeat the setting — and emotional violence — in “Emily in Paris.” Season 3 ended with a melodramatic cliffhanger involving the characters in the show’s love triangle: Emily (Lily Collins), Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) and Camille (Camille Razat). In the closing seconds of the Season 3 finale, Gabriel tells Emily that Camille is pregnant. It left a lot for the titular heroine to unpack for Season 4 — and she’ll likely be traveling while doing it, with the series venturing to the French Alps and Rome. — Yvonne Villarreal YO GABBA GABBALAND! Apple TV+, Aug. 9 Christian Jacobs of the ska-punk superhero band the Aquabats co-created the original iteration of this mad children’s show, which ran on Nickelodeon in fits and starts from 2007 to 2015, as well as this happy Apple TV+ revival. With a title combining hip-hop and the Ramones, and an aesthetic that suggests the Good Ship Lollipop refitted as the P-Funk Mothership, this is not your usual kettle of computer-animated preschool sensitivity, but a mad monster party for the young. Brobee, Foofa, Muno, Toodee and Plex are all back again, though original host DJ Lance has been replaced by 13-year-old dancer and social media personality Kamryn Smith, here called Kammy Kam. You can judge a kids show by the company it keeps; this one will welcome Reggie Watts, Sam Richardson, Gillian Jacobs, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lauren Lapkus, Diplo, Flea and Chelsea Peretti across the 10-episode season. — Robert Lloyd HOLLYWOOD BLACK MGM+, Aug. 11 Black filmmakers in Hollywood have been responsible for much of the most distinctive and provocative projects in the entertainment industry in the last few decades, ranging from Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” to Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King.” The TV landscape has also showcased bold offerings from Issa Rae (“Insecure”), Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) and others. But for these creators, the success has also been accompanied by struggles, barriers and backlash. This docuseries tackles the history of the Black experience in Hollywood over the last century, featuring interviews with Coogler, PrinceBythewood, Rae, LaKeith Stanfield, Lena Waithe, Forest Whitaker and many others. Based on the book by Donald Bogle, the four-part project is directed by Justin Simien (“Dear White People”) . — Greg Braxton ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, SEASON 4 Hulu, Aug. 27 A late-career lark for Steve Martin and Martin Short has become a beloved television institution; teamed with relative whippersnapper Selena Gomez, they form a comedy trio like none other. When we left our podcasting heroes, Sazz (Jane Lynch), the stunt double for Martin’s Charles Haden-Savage, was lying dead on the floor of his apartment. Was Charles the actual target? That’s a question that might well be asked. Along with the return of Season 3 scenestealer Meryl Streep as Short’s love interest, the fourth season will reportedly bring appearances by Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Kumail Nanjiani and Zach Galifianakis, with some scenes set in Los Angeles, for satirical variation and because this is where the stars live. The too-obvious question with any show anchored by septuagenarians is, “Will this season be the last?” But the show has legs, and the Rolling Stones are on tour. — Robert Lloyd TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Paramount+, TBA “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” was one of my favorite movies from last summer. The fresh take on the iconic heroes in a half shell created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird leaned into youthful energy in everything from its casting to its sketchy art style. The upcoming series was greenlighted even before “Mutant Mayhem” hit theaters — that’s confidence. Set between the events of “Mutant Mayhem” and a forthcoming sequel film, the 2-D animated series will see Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey adjust to life out in the open as the new heroes of New York City. The series’ logline teases that the mean, green, teen fighting machines will face new foes and team up with familiar faces, which is an exciting prospect with “TMNT’s” expansive roster of characters. Plus, the end of “Mutant Mayhem” saw the pizza-loving brothers starting a new kind of challenge: high school. — Tracy Brown LOOK FOR “Only Murders in the Building,” with Steve Martin, left, and Martin Short; David Morales in “Disco”; and “The Decameron,” with Zosia Mamet and SaoirseMonica Jackson. Photo illustration by An Amlotte Los Angeles Times; photographs from Hulu, PBS and Netflix [Summer TV, from E5] Aspectaculareveningunder the stars featuring premier culinary &beverage offerings by L.A.’stop celebrity chefsand restaurants to benefit ST.VINCENT MEALS ONWHEELS SATURDAY, JUNE22, 2024 PARAMOUNT PICTURES 6:30 PM Featuring 2024 Host SUSAN HIRASUNA Fox11 Anchor& Reporter Honored Guest &Circle of Angels Donor IAN McSHANE Actor TICKETS ON SALE NOW

HERE WAS A TIME when “summer books” meant popcorn reads you consumed in a sunbaked afternoon — disposable books devoured and left behind for the next hotel room guest. ¶ Not that there’s anything wrong with the joy of a high-paced thriller, the passionate heights of romance or the horror that raises goosebumps in the heat. We love them ourselves. But summer is also a time for slowing down to taste lots of literary flavors, whether it’s the spiciness of a globe-trotting adventure, the sweetness of late-life companionship or the bite of salt-and-vinegar short stories. Summer 2024 is an overflowing picnic basket of choices. ¶ Here are 20 forthcoming books — publishing between late May and August — that we recommend to kick off the reading season. For those of us unable to travel this year, nothing beats the simple pleasure of a great book with a cold drink on a summer afternoon. KITTENTITS Holly Wilson Zando-Gillian Flynn Books: 368 pages, $28 May 21 Ten-year-old homeschooled Molly is bored with life at the nun-haunted House of Friends. Scuzzy daredevil Jeanie arrives at their living community after a disastrous fire, leaving Molly enthralled. After Jeanie fakes her own death, Molly runs away to find her at the 1992 Chicago World’s Fair and to connect with their dead moms. Molly learns a passel of things in this surrealist, carnivalesque bildungsroman. SWIFT RIVER Essie Chambers Simon & Schuster: 304 pages, $28 June 4 Chambers’ funny debut is set in a1980s New England mill town in decline. Seven years after her father’s disappearance, Diamond Newberry and her mother are struggling, but Diamond’s observations provide comic leavening. During summer 1987, her mom files to have Pop declared dead, which is when things get complicated. Diamond receives a letter from an unknown relative that starts her on a path to learn the history of her family — and the nation. GODWIN Joseph O’Neill Pantheon: 288 pages, $28 June 4 The “next Pelé” or the “next Messi” are words sure to ignite the fantasies of soccer fans anywhere. After tech writer Mark is contacted by his sports agent — half brother Geoff — Mark leaves Pittsburgh to join him on a madcap adventure to find such a phenom: an African teenager known only as “Godwin.” O’Neill combines the brothers’ exploits with sharp observations about international business and issues such as greenwashing and corruption that have tarnished the world’s game. THE PHOENIX BALLROOM Ruth Hogan William Morrow: 320 pages, $19 June 11 How late is too late for a woman to change her life? In Hogan’s novel of life during widowhood, Venetia Hargreaves searches for a new self in her 70s. After 50 years of marriage, Venetia, who used to be an accomplished dancer, embraces her newly independent life. While on a walk, she passes an old building that had once been the Phoenix Ballroom, which she buys and restores. In hopes of a return to her youthful days, Venetia finds community in an entertaining motley crew of lost souls. SONS OF EL REY Alex Espinoza Simon &Schuster: 384 pages, $29 June 11 Lucha libre has taken its hold in Mexico, and its high-flying masked performers are the superstars in its freestyle wrestling rings. In this entertaining and poignant novel, Espinoza writes of Ernesto Vega’s fame and fortune as a luchador known to his fans as “El Rey Coyote.” In East Los Angeles, Ernesto’s son, Freddy, fights to save his dad’s gym while Freddy’s gay son, Julian, seeks purpose. As Ernesto reaches the end of his life, his son and grandson will find their own answers in the streets of 1980s L.A. and the present reality of West Hollywood. BEAR Julia Phillips Hogarth: 304 pages, $28 June 25 One of “Grimms’ Fairy Tales” inspired Phillips, a 2024 Guggenheim fellow and lauded author of “Disappearing Earth.” Sisters Sam and Elena live on an island off Washington state, a birthplace that’s become a dead end for them both. When Sam spies a swimming bear from the ferry where she works, she is shocked, but it’s an even bigger surprise when the bear shows up at their house. A retelling of “Rose Red and Snow White,” “Bear” is a fantabulous delight. ANOTHER NORTH Jennifer Brice Boreal Books: 240 pages, $18 June 25 Brice previously chronicled her Alaska youth in “Unlearning to Fly.” In “Another North,” she returns to Fairbanks as a divorced woman longing for a sense of home. The new collection takes readers from her life as a professor in New York’s Leatherstocking Country to her days piloting small planes in the Alaska bush. Brice is a beautiful prose stylist, and her book navigates the turbulence of middle age with a steady — and elegant — hand. PINK SLIME Fernanda Trías Scribner: 240 pages, $24 July 2 Trías won the National Uruguayan Literature Prize in her native country, and “Pink Slime,” newly translated by Heather Cleary, is a great display of her chops. The book is set in a city diminished by plague and a poisonous algae bloom, and the narrator focuses attention on her remaining relationships. In writing about the ways folks hold together during difficult times, Trías untangles the myths and realities of resilience. THE GOD OF THE WOODS Liz Moore Riverhead: 496 pages, $30 July 2 Moore takes readers to an Adirondack summer camp in the mid-’70s. When Barbara Van Laar’s bunk turns up empty one morning, it sets off a frenzied search by the surrounding community. Barbara appears to have suffered the same fate as her brother, who disappeared 14 years prior. Moore’s familiarity with the Adirondacks — and the area’s long history as a playground of Photo illustration by An Amlotte Los Angeles Times; book covers from Doubleday, Penguin, William Morrow and Riverhead Sunscreen, shades and coolest reads of summer Flatiron Simon & Schuster Viking Boreal the rich — inspired this multilayered novel about wealthy wilderness camp people and the blue-collar folks who must accommodate them. ALL THIS & MORE Peng Shepherd William Morrow: 512 pages, $30 July 9 Shepherd, a finalist for a 2023 L.A. Times Book Prize, returns with another clever novel that plays with time and space. Here readers meet Marsh (short for Marshmallow), a 45-year-old woman who is disappointed with her lot in life. Happiness beckons when she is selected to star in a reality show where all her past mistakes can be fixed, if she is willing to accept the consequences. Shepherd includes “choose your own adventure” moments for readers, so Marsh’s fate is in their hands. THE HEART IN WINTER Kevin Barry Doubleday: 256 pages, $28 July 9 The Irish Booker Prize nominee traverses the Atlantic in this story set in 1891 Montana. Immigrant workers toil in the copper mines that build Butte’s fortunes. In the midst of the archetypical frontier town, Tom Rourke fuels himself by drinking, doping and writing. When he falls head over heels for the mine captain’s new wife, Polly, a cadre of crazy Cornishmen takes off in hot pursuit of the poet and his muse. BAD TOURISTS Caro Carver Avid Reader: 336 pages, $29 July 9 In addition to malfunctioning airplanes, one of the hazards of traveling is getting caught up in a group of bad tourists. In Carver’s tropical paradise of a book, a trio of friends heads to the Maldives to make over their 40-something lives. What should be fun turns dangerous when a body shows up on the white beaches outside their resort. In this book, both a romp and a thriller, Carver immerses readers in secretfilled waters. THE STRIKER AND THE CLOCK On Being in the Game Georgia Cloepfil Riverhead: 208 pages, $27 July 16 A watershed moment in women’s sports this past spring has cast a light on the athletes who, instead of riches, face uncertain futures after graduation. In this riveting memoir by the professional soccer player, she takes readers on a trip with her to find a living playing in South Korea, Australia, Lithuania and other far-flung locations. A paean to the beautiful game, the book chronicles how Cloepfil overcame adversity to strike joy. SUGAR ON THE BONES Joe R. Lansdale Mulholland: 336 pages, $29 July 16 Lansdale makes a triumphant return to his Hap and Leonard novels with this scorcher. MinT BY LORRAINE BERRY E8 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR

LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 E9 inspirational. Each animal in the book is in some way representative of something I was going through at the time I encountered them. Palo verde beetles are enormous — as a child they were larger than my hand. And they look like monstrosities, but they’re so gentle. They don’t typically fly away from you. You can pick them up. They won’t pinch you. But at that time, I was trying very hard to determine what it meant not only to look like a boy but to behave like a boy. Part of that was destroying these beetles — seeing them as a kind of threat even though they were benevolent. Did growing up in Tucson make coming to terms with your gender easier than if you’d stayed in Virginia? Tucson was integral. In Virginia, I went to a lovely little school and I had a lot of friends. But everybody there knew me as this little girl, and I was becoming more and more discontented with my public identity as a girl. My parents sold Tucson to me as a fresh start: “In Tucson you can be whoever you want to be.” I took them at their word. What I wanted to be in my heart more than anything in the world was a boy. I got a bowl haircut and everybody saw me as a boy. I wasn’t questioned. It was assumed that I was a boy. You don’t talk about your parents in the book as much as the friends and creatures surrounding you. In Cactus Country, there was this division of worlds between the children and the adults. We were on our own all day, outside in the desert. Much of my lived experience in childhood there revolved HEN ZOË BOSSIERE was a child, their family moved from the D.C. suburbs in Virginia to Cactus Country, an RV park in Tucson populated by drifters, off-the-grid families and a host of creepy and enchanting desert creatures. In that wideopen landscape, Bossiere also began working through their gender identity, shifting from the girl they were raised as to the boy they aspired to become. “I associated boyhood with cool-headed stoicism, rugged self-reliance, the freedom to live on my own terms,” Bossier writes in “Cactus Country,” their bracing memoir about the experience. ¶ In this interview, edited for space and clarity, Bossiere speaks from their home in Cannon Beach, Ore., about writing the book, the connection between boyhood and desert landscapes, and the book’s arrival amid attacks on LGBTQ+ youth. What inspired you to write about growing up in the Southwest? It wasn’t until I left to go to grad school in Oregon and then Ohio that I realized how much Tucson shaped me. In these institutions, there was great pressure to be a certain kind of academic, to be from a certain kind of background. I had grown up in a trailer, and I had this incredibly genderexpansive childhood, but I found that when it came up in conversation it was kind of a curiosity, something that a lot of people hadn’t experienced. So I was trying not to talk very much about Tucson because I felt that if I delved too deeply into that, perhaps I wouldn’t succeed in these places. I began to feel really alone, like there weren’t very many people who could relate to the experiences that I’d had. I also was having a hard time understanding what my paths meant about the kind of person I am now. So it made sense to start thinking about, “What does it mean that I had this type of childhood?” How did you get into telling the story? I started writing about what I knew intimately, and that was the desert, the plants and the heat. It’s like another planet. There are animals that are really sharp and stoic, that bite and sting. Then I started writing about the boys and men who populated the landscape, and I started to realize how much these boys and men were like the landscape. They were also sharp and stoic. I then began to access the boy that I had been living among them and tried to find my place there. Those desert creatures seemed to be particularly around the kids I was playing with, or the neighbors I was spending time with. There’s a chapter called “Javelina Sunset,” which is about javelinas coming into the park looking for food. All of us kids were really excited because we saw them as mythical creatures that were beastly and scary and dangerous. But javelinas are pretty mild. The difference in the ways we kids talked about the javelinas and the way my parents and neighbors did was worlds away. I tried to maintain that distance throughout the book. You write about how the internet was a saving grace for you to work through your gender identity but that you had few other options. Are there books that you can think of now, where you think, “If only I had that in my hands it would’ve helped?” I did find Kate Bornstein’s “My Gender Workbook,” which I read so many times that the cover fell apart and the spine came undone. But I also remember feeling — because I was probably 15 when I first read the book — that a lot of the questions or themes of the book were more oriented towards adults. It was talking about how to navigate a career, how to navigate your sex life, things I wasn’t actively thinking about at that time. I remember thinking, I wish there was a version of this book for when I was 14, 15. Today, there are many versions of that book or similar types of books. It’s exciting to be able to contribute something to this growing body of literature. You write about your experience in school with bullying and misgendering. What would have made that experience more positive and safer for you? How can we address it now? We have specialists in affirmation of trans kids, which is a positive. But I think about Nex Benedict [a nonbinary Arkansas 16-year-old who died by suicide in February after sustained bullying] and what happened to them, which is just horrific, horrific. I would say the thing that we need the most, whether it’s a teacher or a doctor or anyone who is in charge of the care and protection of trans children, is to not acquiesce. I really think that it’s going to take a lot more than just affirming trans kids at this point to prevent deaths, to prevent what happened to Nex from happening to the next kid. We need to resist because that is the way that every civil rights movement has gone. We won’t get anywhere if we continue to fall in line and every time there’s a rights violation coded into law, we abide by it. I just don’t think that’s the path forward. I don’t think that we make progress that way. Athitakis is a writer in Phoenix and author of “The New Midwest.” GROWING UP FREE TO EXPLORE IN ‘CACTUS COUNTRY’ ZOË BOSSIERE TALKS ABOUT NEW MEMOIR AND THEIR GENDER-FLUID CHILDHOOD IN THE DESERT Annalee Altavilla BY MARK ATHITAKIS W Subscription Services: (800) 252-9141 Calendar Section Phone: (213) 237-7770 E-mail: calendar.letters@ latimes.com Letters: Submissions are subject to editing for space and content considerations. HOW TO REACH US Fiction weeks on list 1. Funny Story by Emily Henry (Berkley: $29) A pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common connect. 3 2. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” 8 3. Long Island by Colm Tóibín (Scribner: $28) The story of a woman alone in a marriage and the bonds she rekindles on her return to the place and people she left behind. 1 4. Table for Two by Amor Towles (Viking: $32) A collection of stories from the author of “The Lincoln Highway.” 6 5. The Women by Kristin Hannah (St. Martin’s Press: $30) An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided. 14 6. The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl (Random House: $29) An adventure through the food, art and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris. 3 7. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo (Flatiron Books: $30) A magic-infused novel set in the Spanish Golden Age. 5 8. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (Riverhead: $28) The discovery of a skeleton in Pottstown, Pa., opens out to a story of integration and community. 40 9. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Knopf: $28) An orphaned son of Iranian immigrants embarks on a search for a family secret. 14 10. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $28.99) A fusion of genres and ideas that’s part time-travel romance and part spy thriller. 1 Nonfiction weeks on list 1. The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson (Crown: $35) An exploration of the pivotal five months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the start of the Civil War. 2 2. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer’s guidance on how to be a creative person. 69 3. Somehow by Anne Lamott (Riverhead Books: $22) A joyful celebration of love from the bestselling author. 5 4. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (Penguin Press: $30) An investigation into the collapse of youth mental health and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood. 6 5. Knife by Salman Rushdie (Random House: $28) The renowned writer’s searing account of the 2022 attempt on his life. 4 6. Say More by Jen Psaki (Scribner: $29) The former White House press secretary shares the lessons she’s learned on her path to success. 1 7. The Wager by David Grann (Doubleday: $30) The story of the shipwreck of an 18th century British warship and a mutiny among the survivors. 53 8. An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Simon & Schuster: $35) The historian recounts the experiences she and her husband embarked upon in the last years of his life. 4 9. Coming Home by Brittney Griner, Michelle Burford (Knopf: $30) The WNBA star’s raw account of her detainment in Russia and her journey home. 1 10. The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides (Doubleday: $35) An epic account of Capt. James Cook’s final voyage. 5 Paperback bestsellers lists and more at latimes.com/bestsellers. Southern California bestsellers from CALIBA BESTSELLERS nie Polson comes to the duo’s PI agency seeking help, but things go south after an illtimed remark causes her to storm out. She later turns up dead, and the guilt-stricken pair seeks her killer. Minnie’s relatives — full of eccentricities and petty grievances — are the unusual suspects. THE BRIGHT SWORD Lev Grossman Viking: 688 pages, $35 July 16 Grossman follows up his wildly successful “The Magicians” trilogy with this tale of misfits at King Arthur’s Round Table. Arthur is dead, and just a few of his knights remain in Camelot. Enter Collum — two weeks too late to serve Arthur — a young knight who teams up with Merlin’s former apprentice and Sir Bedivere, Sir Palomides and Sir Dagonet. Their journey through a land riven by conflict in search of Arthur’s successor will reveal the country’s bloody origins. THE WILDS Sarah Pearse Pamela Dorman Books: 400 pages, $30 July 16 Detective Elin Warner can’t get a break from her job. Each time she goes on a vacation or retreat, murder follows. She travels to Portugal to immerse herself in nature, but her sojourn is interrupted by the disappearance of a young woman. The missing woman’s map leads Elin into the wilderness, where scenes of great beauty turn dark and threatening. Pearse has written another intriguing page-turner. QUEEN B The Story of Anne Boleyn, Witch Queen Juno Dawson Penguin: 224 pages, $18 July 23 Dawson is the queen of young adult fiction in the U.K., and her nonfiction works have explored LGBTQ+ issues. Set in the court of Henry VIII, “Queen B” follows Lady Grace Fairfax as she seeks the traitors who betrayed Anne Boleyn. When witchfinders are sent to root out members of the condemned queen’s coven, court intrigue follows. Juno summons a tale that is the perfect length for a sultry weekend read. THE MODERN FAIRIES Clare Pollard Avid Reader: 272 pages, $28 July 23 Those in search of a bawdy fairy tale should look no further than Pollard’s novel set during the reign of Louis XIV. Intellectuals from Versailles gather at the home of Madame Marie D’Aulnoy. They bring court gossip and romantic desire with them, and they entertain each other with ribald tales of missing glass slippers, beauties and beasts, while remaining oblivious to the wolf that waits outside their salon door. Pollard imagines the origins of many of the tales gathered by Charles Perrault. THE FUTURE WAS NOW Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982 Chris Nashawaty Flatiron: 304 pages, $30 July 30 Summer 1982 took moviegoers on epic rides through the sci-fi worlds of a future L.A. and the Australian desert and introduced a lost extraterrestrial trying to get home. In all, eight sci-fi adventures were released that summer, and Nashawaty, former Entertainment Weekly film critic, expertly covers their behind-the-scenes conflicts and (not surprising) ego clashes. Hollywood boldly went where it hadn’t gone before, and Nashawaty chronicles the journeys. MYSTERY LIGHTS Lena Valencia Tin House: 256, $18 Aug. 6 Kelly Link has praised the “gorgeous” “Mystery Lights.” It’s the debut short story collection by former L.A. resident Valencia. Among the collection’s delicious bonbons are stories about an anxious screenwriter trapped in an SUV; 20 women who need a retreat from the business retreat they’re on; and an obsessed artist who longs to capture an otherworldly light. In the umbra of these darkly tinged stories, readers will experience late-night fears and the sweet relief of daylight.

E10 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 WSCE LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR THURSDAY Don’t Knock the Rock 2024 The music-driven documentary and narrative film festival founded by filmmaker Allison Anders and musician/music supervisor SUNDAY “All Things Are Changing in All Dimensions” An exhibition of rarely seen drawings, paintings and sculptures by the late Chilean-born artist Roberto Matta, including seven terra-cotta figures that have not been shown publicly before. l Through June 29. Blum Gallery, 2727 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. blum-gallery.com /exhibitions/roberto_matta “Ghost Waltz” Playwright Oliver Mayer mixes music, magic, drama, passion, spirituality and dance to tell the story of overlooked 19th-century Mexican composer Juventino Rosas, whose work was often attributed to Europeans. l Through June 2. Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., downtown L.A. latinotheaterco.org “Two Stop” and “Pang Spa” David Johann Kim’s Koreatown-set plays, produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA and Chalk Repertory Theatre, respectively, navigate the L.A. riots from 20 years apart. l Through June 9. Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles. estlosangeles .org/two-stop-world-premiere TUESDAY Kraftwerk The German electronic music pioneers mark the 50th anniversary of their album “Autobahn” with nine shows, the first eight devoted to specific albums and the finale showcasing five decades of innovative work. l 8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; and May 28-30. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com Pearl Jam The Seattle quintet — Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and Eddie Vedder — tours behind its 12th studio album, “Dark Matter.” l 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday. Kia Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. thekiaforum.com Tiffany Anders features a dozen films, including the L.A. premiere of “Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story,” and a pair by filmmaker Susan Seidelman: “Smithereens” (1982) and “Desperately Seeking Susan.” l Thursday-May 27. Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. americancinema theque.com FRIDAY “Hit Man” Glen Powell and Adria Arjona star in director Richard linklater’s sexy-smart neo-noir comedy set in New Orleans. l Starts Friday, Laemmle Monica Film Center, 1332 2nd St., Santa Monica; Laemmle Glendale, 207 N. Maryland Ave., Glendale. laemmle.com/film /hit-man “Humaira Abid: Searching for Home” The artist’s sculpted wooden creations evoke the untold tragedies of the global refugee crisis and its wake of displaced people, which disproportionately affects women and girls. l Friday–Aug. 18. USC Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. pacificasia museum.usc.edu “The Lion King” Concert Billy Eichner joins original cast members Ernie Sabella, Jeremy Irons and Nathan Lane, along with special guest Jennifer Hudson, to celebrate the Disney animated film’s 30th anniversary with this live-to-film event. l 8 p.m. Friday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave., Hollywood. hollywoodbowl .com Montero + Mozart The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra joins with Grammy-nominated pianist Gabriela Montero for an evening that includes Mozart, Schubert and a world premiere by Nina Shekhar. l 8 p.m. Friday. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa; 8 p.m. Saturday. Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. laco.org SATURDAY Sky Ferreira The electro-pop singer marks the 10th anniversary of her debut full-length album “Night Time, My Time.” l 8 p.m. Saturday. The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. livenation.com “Mickalene Thomas: All About Love” The first major international tour of the versatile artist’s work features 80 pieces made over the last 20 years, including mixed-media painting, collage, installation and photography. l Saturday-Sept. 29. The Broad, 221 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. thebroad.org MAY 26 Madness The British ska/pop band’s first U.S. tour in 12 years features guests Berlin and the Untouchables. l 7 p.m. May 26. YouTube Theater, 1011 Stadium Drive Inglewood. youtubetheater.com Simone Leigh The exhibition includes works from the artist’s 2022 Venice Biennale presentation, and ceramics, bronze, video, installation and social activation that explore Black feminist theory and more. l May 26–Jan. 20. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles; LACMA, Resnick Pavilion, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. lacma.org WORKS by Roberto Matta go on exhibit Sunday at Blum Gallery. Dan Nadel THE WEEK AHEAD A CURATED PREVIEW OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MUSIC, MOVIES, THEATER AND THE ARTS EDDIE Vedder and Pearl Jam head to Kia Forum. Jim Bennett Getty Images “Turandot”: The Week Ahead feature in the May 12 Calendar edition misstated the director of L.A. Opera’s “Turandot” as James Conlon. The opera will be directed by Garnett Bruce and conducted by Conlon. FOR THE RECORD Download the app. Discover more of The Times. Use your camera to scan the QR code. Tap the link when it appears to be directed to your device’s app store. Hit download and start exploring.

Photo illustration by Holly Andres For The Times; styling by Sarah Baker For The Times WSCE W SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 EEKEND WHAT WILL SAVE L.A. RESTAURANTS ? Why the industry is facing a uniquely tumultuous year, and what it means for restaurateurs, chefs and diners. L6-7

Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times E WALKED every step of Los Angeles’ longest continuous street, and we needed every minute of daylight to do it. ¶ At 7:30 a.m. on April 28, 14 friends and I set out from the Fern Dell Western Stairs beneath Griffith Park to walk Western Avenue, all 28-plus miles of it. ¶ Twelve hours later, we reached its southern end, overlooking the ocean from San Pedro’s White Point Park. As the sun set on our outlandish odyssey, we deliriously descended down the bluff to the Pacific. ¶ We took more than 60,000 steps. We toured five cities, numerous neighborhoods and a couple of unincorporated communities. We passed establishments and vendors offering the cuisines of Armenia, Belize and countless other countries. We overheard so many religious services. ¶ To walk Western was to forcefully remember how disparate and disconnected our city can feel, even on one straight line. All this life exists on the same street? This was our third annual attempt to trek the length of a major Los Angeles thoroughfare on foot. In February 2022, we walked all 16 miles of Wilshire Boulevard. In March 2023, we scaled all 25 miles of Sunset Boulevard. All three end at the coast, but we knew Western would present a distinct challenge and setting. We had collectively spent far more time day-to-day traversing the more famous boulevards. Western represents unheralded parts of Los Angeles that make this city what it is. It’s fitting that its final 10 miles bear the moniker of State Route 213, our original area code. Western also cuts a refreshingly coherent course toward the ocean, as you probably know if you’ve been to the Griffith Observatory and let your eyes follow the straight line in your sightline. Sunset zigs and zags across the city. Western doesn’t veer one iota from a 180-degree angle until its fourth and final freeway crossing, with the 405, more than 17 miles from the northern terminus. It doesn’t meaningfully bend until it crosses the Pacific Coast Highway in Lomita, some 22 miles in. Precise measurements of our city’s longest streets are confusingly hard to find, maybe because our city is so confusingly defined. Like all of the contenders, Western juts in and out of Los Angeles city limits as it passes through Gardena, Torrance, Lomita and Rancho Palos Verdes. Official lists tend to include only the parts of our streets within city limits. But maps reliably show that Western extends at least 28 miles without interruption. Since Sepulveda Boulevard splits off into four sections, that is at least two miles longer than any other stretch of street across the Los Angeles Basin. (It’s a mile longer than Chicago’s longest continuous road, also named Western Avenue.) Western tested our limits. Perhaps it proved them. Counting bathroom breaks, side quests and switching sides of the street in search of shade, we surpassed 30 miles on the day. We scheduled this in late April primarily for daylight’s sake. Doing it any later would risk hotter temperatures. Doing it any earlier, at least this year, would have risked rain. We could’ve started a little earlier in the day. We could’ve planned to walk in darkness. Or we could’ve picked a different street. But, boy, pushing ourselves this time was thrilling. A halfhour in, we chatted with a bus driver who was heading southbound on Metro route 207. He inquired about our destination. When we told him, he asked if we wanted a ride. “I see you’re hanging in there,” he said two hours later, when he spotted us as he headed northbound. We received a number of queries about our origin and destination. My favorite such sequence came after meeting a man walking outside Think Prime Steak House in Rancho Palos Verdes. I told him we had started in Los Feliz. He asked where that was. I said it was near Griffith Park. It wasn’t evident he recognized that, either. To be fair, we were more than 25 miles from there, over an hour’s drive with typical traffic. And no one can know all, or even most, of Los Angeles. That Sunday, it seems safe to say we learned a little more, especially about our food. In Koreatown, we walked by El Cholo Cafe, the 100-year-old Mexican restaurant often incorrectly credited with introducing both the burrito and nachos to America, though it claims neither. In South L.A., we devoured an array of offerings from Dulan’s, the soul food specialists. In Gardena, we sampled Sakura-ya’s satisfyingly soft mochi, made there the same way for 64 years. And a couple of miles later, we stopped for sustenance at Monkish, maybe our region’s best brewery. Somehow, we walked by two of the two dozen Marie Callender’s still standing and at least one defunct location, along with so much standout signage, including the Snooty Fox Motor Inn and, across the street, its competitor the Mustang Motel. And we witnessed plenty of classic California Crazy and programmatic architecture, including a KFC shaped like a bucket of fried chicken and one of our many massive doughnuts. We also walked where we weren’t wanted. Like on Sunset and in so many other areas, the sidewalks vanished when we reached the wealthiest enclave — in San Pedro, between 9th and 19th streets, where the median income is 246% greater than the norm, according to 2023 census data. The wiser among us skirted that segment and strolled through a pleasant detour on Weymouth Avenue. The purists, myself included, bushwhacked a bit on both sides before opting for the median. That worked well enough until the median shrunk to a few feet in width. Wordlessly we settled into single file as cars zoomed past with us arm’s length from their side mirrors. One driver did slow down to exclaim that he had seen us at Monkish. That was nice. The water, and the prodigious Port of L.A., first came into view around then, due east. In our city, east and west are the more prominent cardinal directions, for whatever reason. People endlessly debate the dividing line: the 405? La Cienega? La Brea? The Los Angeles River? Downtown? There’s no such north-south paradigm, even though Los Angeles’ boundaries are 50% larger that way than east-west. Perhaps we forget sometimes that driving, or walking, south can lead to the ocean too. And on a street named Western, no less. Western may never have officially marked Los Angeles’ western boundary. But it’s clear it was named to denote the then-edges of what became a vastly larger metropolis. It has retained its significance. For more than a century, Western has connected our city to itself, often literally, as in the so-called Shoestring Strip of 1906 that extended Los Angeles proper to the port. On this Sunday, Western connected us to our city and to each other. We laughed about ridiculous restaurant names and marveled over the variety of our group’s choices in snacks, both packed and procured from the street’s myriad markets. Near the end, we split a red bell pepper like you might a caramel apple. We lamented the lack of trees in areas long neglected by city officials. We took note of places to visit at a later date, and probably by another means of transportation. And we started thinking about where we’re going next year. Atlantic, anyone? WE WALKED 28 MILES OF L.A.’S LONGEST STREET IN A DAY AFTER TRAVERSING SUNSET BOULEVARD, A GROUP OF FRIENDS CONQUERED WESTERN AVENUE AND REALIZED HOW MUCH OF L.A. THEY’VE YET TO DISCOVER. BY PEDRO MOURA W DAVIELLE BOON, left, and Josh Scarcella were part of the group who walked the length of Western Avenue on April 28. Photographs by Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times L2 SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024 LATIMES.COM AUTHOR Pedro Moura passes out snacks in front of Donut King, from top; crossing the 105 Freeway; Western Avenue becomes Paseo Del Mar near the Pacific Ocean in San Pedro.