A FOOTBALLER has been arrested on suspicion of killing an opponent more than a year after the brutal brawl.
Luis Torres was killed following an alleged attack by Moisés Pulido on 9 September 2024.
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Teenage footballer Luis Torres was killed in a brawl during a seven-a-side football match in MexicoCredit: Jam Press
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His alleged attacker, Moises Pulido, was tracked down and arrested more than a year laterCredit: Jam Press
The incident happened during a seven-a-side amateur football match between Torres’ Viper 3.0 and Pulido’s Deportivo Esmeralda on a synthetic pitch in Guadalajara, north west of Mexico City, Mexico.
Torres, 16, is said to have been charging through the midfield in the second half when he laid the ball off before having a go at a rival for a mistimed tackle.
Pulido, 25, is then reported to have rushed over and punched the teen in the face multiple times during the Cannán League game.
After Torres fell to the ground, Pulido allegedly carried on striking him in the back of the head, which caused fatal trauma.
Emergency services were called to the scene but Torres had died by the time they arrived after he was seen convulsing.
Pulido is then said to have fled the scene.
He was arrested on Friday, October 10 after a court order was issued for him to be tracked down.
A court judge charged him with intentional homicide, and he remains in police custody as the investigation continues.
In a statement the Public Prosecutor’s Office said: “On the night of 9 September 2024, Moisés ‘N’ was taking part in a soccer game with the victim on opposing teams.
“At one point, the suspect allegedly hit the victim in the face and then continued to hit him on the back of his head.”
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a new U.S. House map into law Sunday as part of President Trump’s plan to try to hold on to a narrow Republican majority in next year’s midterm elections.
Kehoe’s signature puts the redrawn districts into state law with a goal of helping Republicans win one additional seat. But it may not be the final action. Opponents are pursuing a referendum petition that, if successful, would force a statewide vote on the new map. They also have brought several lawsuits against it.
U.S. House districts were redrawn across the country after the 2020 census to account for population changes. But Missouri is the third state this year — following Texas, which then triggered a response from California — to try to redraw its districts for partisan advantage, a process known as gerrymandering.
Republican lawmakers in Texas passed a new U.S. House map last month aimed at helping their party win five additional seats. Democratic lawmakers in California countered with their own redistricting plan aimed at winning five more seats, though it still needs voter approval. Other states also are considering redistricting.
Each seat could be critical, because Democrats need to gain just three to win control of the House, which would allow them to check Trump’s agenda and carry out oversight investigations. Trump is trying to stave off a historical trend in which a president’s party typically loses seats in midterm elections.
Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats. The new map targets a seat held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver by shaving off portions of his Kansas City district and stretching the rest of it into Republican-heavy rural areas. It reduces the number of Black and minority residents in Cleaver’s district, which he has represented for two decades after serving as Kansas City’s first Black mayor.
Cleaver has denounced the gerrymandering plan for using Kansas City’s Troost Avenue — a street that has long segregated Black and white residents — as one of the dividing lines for the new districts.
Kehoe has defended the new map as a means of boosting Missouri’s “conservative, common-sense values” in the nation’s capital, ignoring Trump’s unabashedly partisan justification for it.
“Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our values, across both sides of the aisle, are closer to each other than those of the congressional representation of states like New York, California, and Illinois. We believe this map best represents Missourians, and I appreciate the support and efforts of state legislators, our congressional delegation, and President Trump in getting this map to my desk,” Kehoe said in a statement.
Kehoe signed the new law during an event that was closed to the public.
Opponents are gathering petition signatures seeking to force a statewide referendum on the new map. They have until Dec. 11 to submit around 110,000 valid signatures, which would put the map on hold until a public vote can occur sometime next year.
Meanwhile, opponents also are pursuing a variety of legal challenges. Several lawsuits by voters, including a new one announced Sunday by a Democratic-affiliated group, contend that mid-decade redistricting isn’t allowed under Missouri’s Constitution.
“It was not prompted by the law or a court order; it was the result of Republican lawmakers in Missouri following partisan directives from politicians in Washington, D.C.,” said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Redistricting Foundation, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
A previously filed lawsuit by the NAACP contends that no “extraordinary occasion” existed for Kehoe to call lawmakers into session for redistricting.
A lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union also asserts that the new Kansas City-area districts violate state constitutional requirements to be compact and contain equal populations. It notes that the redistricting legislation lists a “KC 811” voting precinct in both the 4th and 5th congressional districts, which it asserts is grounds to invalidate the new map.
But Kehoe’s office said there is no error. It said other government agencies had assigned the same name to two distinct voting locations.
Lieb writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.
The race for Los Angeles County sheriff is already heating up — even with the primary not scheduled until next June. Six candidates have officially entered the field to unseat Robert Luna, with the early challengers slinging barbs, probing the incumbent’s political weaknesses and setting the stage for a heated campaign in the coming months.
Most vocal and well-known among the contenders is former Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who lost to Luna in 2022 and is now vying for a rematch. He is among a field of current and former lawmen who have criticized Luna’s time in office as ineffective, uninspiring and opaque.
Luna told The Times he deserves to keep his job through 2030, arguing voters should choose stability as Southern California prepares to host major events in the coming years.
“The last thing we need is more inconsistency in leadership as we start working toward the World Cup and the Olympics,” Luna said.
Villanueva registered a campaign committee in July and has since leveraged his ability to draw attention like few others in L.A. politics.
But the political dynamics have changed since 2022, when Joe Biden was president and Villanueva was still in charge of California’s largest law enforcement agency. Now, President Trump has ratcheted up political pressure on L.A., and last year, Janice Hahn defeated Villanueva in the primary for her county supervisor seat by a nearly 30-point margin.
Through it all, Sara Sadhwani, an assistant professor of politics at Pomona College, said it seems as though “Luna is generally liked, perhaps because he has brought a steady hand to the department” after what she termed “upheaval” under Villanueva.
The former sheriff has been heavily criticized for his combative personal style, pursuit of political vendettas and his handling of investigations into so-called deputy gangs deputies and other alleged misconduct.
“Does Villanueva have a lane to come back? I don’t think so,” said Sadhwani.
Luna launched jabs at his opponents, with the sharpest reserved for his predecessor.
“Not one of those individuals that is running comes close to the experience that I have and the accomplishments that I’ve had so far,” Luna said. “There were a lot of controversies and scandals with the previous sheriff that, again, eroded public trust.”
And yet, there’s no conversation about the sheriff’s race that won’t mention Villanueva, whose name recognition runs deep across L.A. County.
Villanueva told The Times he’s “eager to get back in the saddle,” especially now, when “there are prosecutors ready to prosecute,” a nod to the tough-on-crime stances of Acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli and L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman.
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva talks with reporters at an election night gathering in Boyle Heights on June 7, 2022, when he was defeated by Robert Luna.
(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Villanueva had strong words for his 2022 opponent.
“The status quo is failing miserably the people of L.A. County,” he said. “I just can’t believe what Luna’s done to the organization I’ve spent my entire adult life in.”
Others jockeying for contention are pitching themselves as offering a breath of fresh air.
Lt. Eric Strong, who has served over 30 years in law enforcement and was seen as the most progressive of the 2022 candidates, is throwing his hat back in the ring after coming in third in that year.
“What really got me interested in running is seeing the continued failed leadership within the department,” Strong said in a recent interview. “Nothing’s changed. … Honestly Luna’s just a quieter version of Alex Villanueva.”
Then there’s Oscar Martinez, a proud immigrant and U.S. Marine Corps. veteran who made a career at the sheriff’s department after multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Andre White, 34, is the youngest candidate. A Compton-raised detective with 11 years at the department, he promises to take a “community-oriented approach” if he’s elected sheriff.
Brendan Corbett served as the assistant sheriff for custody operations under Villanueva.
Lastly, there’s Capt. Mike Bornman, who has decades of experience in the department and lists a “comprehensive forensic audit” of its books as the top priority on his campaign website.
In a recent phone interview, Bornman said he considered Luna a “vulnerable” incumbent.
The sheriff has faced criticism from opponents and advocates who say he has done too little to improve jail conditions, leading to a surge in inmate deaths this year. Like Villanueva, he has also faced pressure to do more to root out deputy gangs and boost recruitment.
“The morale is as bad as I’ve ever seen it,” Bornman said. “Something has to change,” he added. “I don’t think the department can take another four more years with the guy.”
Political analysts cautioned that the race is sill wide open, with one expert declining to speculate during the “embryonic” stages as the field takes shape.
Anything can happen in the eight months remaining before the primary, but Sadhwani said one thing is clear: Unseating the current sheriff won’t be easy.
“I will say in general that an incumbent such as Luna typically has the upper hand and challengers need not only cause but the campaign fundraising ability to get their message out — no small feat in a county as large as L.A.”
So far, fundraising has been mostly anemic, at least according to the county’s most recent comprehensive campaign finance data available for the sheriff’s race, which covers only Jan. 1 through June 30.
Over those six months, Luna raised about $393,000; Bornman brought in nearly $23,000 of contributions; Martinez brought in about $6,700; and White raised less than $3,000. The other three candidates had not even declared their candidacies by June 30.
As one way to keep tabs on President Trump’s state of mind, I’m on his email fundraising lists. Lately his 79-year-old mind has seemed to be on his mortality.
“I want to try and get to heaven” has been the subject line on roughly a half-dozen Trump emails since mid-August. Oddly, one arrived earlier this month on the same day that the commander in chief separately posted on social media a meme of himself as “Apocalypse Now” character Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, satisfyingly surveying the hellish conflagration that his helicopters had wreaked, not on Vietnam but on Chicago. “Chipocalypse” was Trump’s warning to the next U.S. city that he might militarize.
Mixed messages, to be sure.
The president hasn’t limited his celestial contemplations to online outlets. “I want to try and get to heaven, if possible,” he told the hosts of “Fox & Friends” in August, by way of explaining his (failed) effort to bring peace to Ukraine. “I’m hearing I’m not doing well.”
Well, Mr. President, here’s some advice: I don’t think you’ll get to heaven by wishing that many of your fellow citizens go to hell.
The disconnect between Trump’s dreams of eternal reward and his earthly avenging — against Democrat-run cities, political rivals, late-show hosts and other celebrity critics, universities, law firms, cultural institutions, TV networks and newspapers, liberal groups and donors, government employees, insufficiently loyal allies and even harmless protesters at a Washington restaurant — was rarely so evident as it was at the Christian revival that was Sunday’s memorial for the slain MAGA activist Charlie Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Mere minutes after Erika Kirk, Kirk’s widow and successor as head of the conservative group Turning Point USA, had tearfully forgiven her husband’s accused killer, the president explicitly contradicted her with a message of hate toward his own enemies, and his continued determination to exact revenge.
Erika Kirk spoke of “Charlie’s mission” of engaging his critics and working “to save young men just like the one who took his life.” She recalled the crucified Christ absolving his executioners on Calvary, then emotionally added: “That young man. I forgive him.”
“I forgive him because it was what Christ did and what Charlie would do,” she said to applause. “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer, we know from the Gospel, is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
Just one minute in, he called the 22-year-old suspect “a radicalized cold-blooded monster.” And throughout, despite investigators’ belief that the man acted alone, Trump reiterated for the umpteenth time since Kirk’s death that “radical left lunatics” — his phrase for Democrats — actually were responsible and that the Justice Department would round up those complicit for retribution.
Trump acknowledged that Charlie Kirk probably wouldn’t agree with his approach: “He did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them.” Then Teleprompter Trump went off script, reverting to real Trump and ad-libbing: “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them.” He spat the word “hate” with venom. And he got applause, just as Erika Kirk had for a very different message.
Jesus counseled “turn the other cheek” to rebuke those who harm us. Trump boasts that he always punches back. “If someone screws you, screw them back 10 times harder,” he once said. Love your enemies, as Christ commanded in his Sermon on the Mount? Nah. You heard Trump in Arizona: “I hate my opponent.”
Trump might have some explaining to do when he seeks admittance at the pearly gates.
The Bible’s words aside, a president is supposed to be the comforter in chief after a tragedy and a uniter when divisions rend the American fabric. Think of President Clinton, whose oratory bridged partisan fissures after antigovernment domestic terrorists bombed a federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing 168 people, and of President George W. Bush, who visited a mosque in Washington after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in a healing gesture intended to blunt rising anti-Muslim reactions. (Later, of course, Bush would cleave the nation by invading Iraq based on a lie about its complicity.)
Trump, by contrast, is the inciter in chief. Just hours after Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, and before a suspect was in custody, he addressed the nation, blaming “radical left political violence.” He has repeated that indictment nearly every day since, though the FBI has reported for years — including during his first term — that domestic right-wing violence is the greaterthreat. “We have to beat the hell out of them,” Trump told reporters. When even one of his friends on “Fox & Friends” noted radicals are on the right as well, Trump replied: “I couldn’t care less. … The radicals on the left are the problem, and they’re vicious and they’re horrible.”
All of this vituperation and vengeance suggests a big “what if”: What if Trump were more like Charlie Kirk? To ask is not to gloss over Kirk’s controversial utterances against Black Americans, gay and transgender Americans and others, but he did respectfully deal with those who disagreed with him — as he was doing when he was shot.
What if Trump, since 2016, had sincerely tried to broaden his political reach, as presidential nominees and presidents of each party historically did, to embrace his opponents and to compromise with them? What if he governed for all Americans and not just his MAGA voters? He might well have enacted bipartisan laws of the sort that Trump 1.0 promised on immigration, gun safety, infrastructure and more. In general we’d all be better off, less polarized.
And with a more magnanimous approach like that, Trump just might have a better chance at getting into heaven.
“That mat return though. Damn I felt good out there. So good I didn’t even feel my arm crack on her chin.”
Mazza posted a selfie from her hospital bed and posted a lengthy statement on social media.
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She said: “Sometimes this sport gives you victories you can’t measure on the scoreboard.
“I controlled the match and pushed myself to get the finish, but in the battle my forearm broke with torque of the choke against her chin.
“It’s not the outcome I imagined. To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement.. but I’m so grateful ALL the love & support and sweet messages you guys.
“They’re truly lifting me higher. The fire this setback has lit inside me is unmatched.
“The journey definitely doesn’t stop here, this is just the beginning of a stronger, hungrier version of me. The comeback will be beautiful.”
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Mazza smiled in a selfie from the hospitalCredit: @amandamazza_
LAS VEGAS — Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez walked alongside his wife and one of his daughters to the makeshift stage in a giant tent a few feet from Allegiant Stadium, the venue where he had just lost for the third time in his professional career.
Visibly affected by more than just the marks left on his face, Álvarez acknowledged that Terence Crawford was superior to him. He made no excuses, but he seemed to be signaling that his body was telling him that his time as a boxer was running out.
During the final rounds, Álvarez’s frustration was evident. He lowered his hands, shook his head and on several occasions appeared resigned. Despite having had a great training camp, his 35 years of age, 20 of them as a professional, were evident.
Terence Crawford punches Canelo Álvarez during an undisputed super middleweight championship boxing match in Las Vegas Saturday.
(David Becker / Associated Press)
“Sometimes you try and your body just can’t take it anymore,” Álvarez said. “That’s my frustration. Maybe I can’t understand Crawford, but my body just can’t take it anymore. I tried, but it just wouldn’t let me continue. And you have to accept that.”
Álvarez lost the super middleweight title bout by unanimous decision, with the judges scoring it 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 before a record announced crowd of 70,482.
Álvarez acknowledged that he landed blows on his opponent, but none with the cleanliness and power that would have changed the course of the fight.
“I hit Crawford, but I didn’t land any clean blows with all my strength,” lamented Álvarez.
Despite his difficulty, the Guadalajara native reiterated that he never gave up in the ring.
Is this the beginning of the end for Álvarez? Perhaps. But early retirement seems unlikely … especially when he continues to be a box office magnet. The latest proof is in the $47,231,887 in gross revenue generated by ticket sales at Allegiant Stadium, according Live Gate.
The Canelo-Crawford fight became the biggest box office draw in the history of the Las Vegas venue, and with 70,482 fans in attendance, it was the most attended boxing event in U.S. history, surpassing Ali-Spinks II.
Crawford stripped Álvarez of his World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Assn. (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) belts.
After the fight, Álvarez raised his right arm in triumph. But he didn’t declare himself the winner as he did following his loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2022.
Álvarez accepted his defeat against a vastly superior opponent who made his win look easy.
Canelo Álvarez punches Terence Crawford during an undisputed super middleweight championship boxing match in Las Vegas Saturday.
(David Becker / Associated Press)
On the other hand, upon hearing the verdict, Crawford knelt in the ring before raising his arms to celebrate the victory.
“I knew I had won when the final bell rang. This is not my plan, it is God’s plan. I am just carrying out his mission,” Crawford said.
Emotional, he remembered his team and the people who have accompanied him.
“When they doubt me, they doubt my team. They thought they couldn’t take me where I wanted to go because they’re not from a big city and they don’t have recognition,” Crawford said. “But here we are, making history. I’m at the forefront, and behind me comes a new generation.”
Although he celebrated intensely, Crawford did not belittle Álvarez, acknowledging the quality of the former champion.
The win is a milestone for Crawford. He is now the first male boxer to be the undisputed champion in three different divisions in the era of four belts. With an undefeated record of 42-0 and 31 knockouts, he stands at the top of his generation.
“It wasn’t easy. It just looked that way, but it wasn’t. He’s definitely the best opponent I’ve ever faced,” Crawford said.
After confirming his third defeat, Álvarez’s gaze was not that of a man who knew he would receive more than $100 million for stepping onto the canvas at Allegiant Stadium. His gaze was that of someone whose body had reminded him that the end of a celebrated career was closer than he thought.
Terence Crawford reacts after the final bell of his fight with Canelo Álvarez, not pictured, in their undisputed super middleweight title fight Saturday in Las Vegas.
(Steve Marcus / Getty Images)
He appeared with the serenity of a man who, although hurt, knew how to recognize the greatness of his opponent.
“I tried everything I could and trained very hard, and he deserves all the credit. Tonight I gave it my all, but I can’t understand his style,” Álvarez said.
Crawford saw Álvarez’s frustration firsthand. Around the sixth round, Crawford knew he had to take another step to completely control the fight because he felt Álvarez adapting to the bout’s rhythm, so he pressed his style harder and overwhelmed Álvarez.
Everything he did was part of the plan he developed during his training camp. Although Crawford wanted to be more active, his coaches reminded him to be disciplined and patient.
Much was said about the difficulties he might face in moving up two weight classes, but the American insisted that he did not feel physically disadvantaged against Álvarez.
“People exaggerated that. He and I are practically the same size,” Crawford said. “I’m a little taller, my arms are longer. The difference is minimal. So when they said, ‘Canelo is huge,’ it seemed disrespectful to me. Tonight you could see that we were evenly matched.”
When asked if what complicated things most for him was Crawford’s speed, movement, or power, Álvarez responded: “Everything. He has it all.”
For the first time since 2018, Álvarez is no longer a world champion.
“I feel like a champion no matter what happens. Win or lose, I still feel like a champion,” Álvarez said. “You have to accept defeat and accept everything. I’m going to keep going.”
When asked whether Floyd Mayweather Jr., who handed him his first professional defeat in 2013, was better than Crawford, Álvarez responded no.
“I think Crawford is much better than Floyd Mayweather,” Álvarez said.
Álvarez recounted gathering his family in the locker room to explain the importance of accepting both victory and defeat.
Canelo Álvarez kisses his wife, Fernanda Gomez, after losing to Terence Crawford (not pictured) in their undisputed super middleweight title fight on Saturday in Las Vegas.
(Steve Marcus / Getty Images)
“My children and my wife were a little sad, but I told them that’s the way it is. It’s not a defeat, it’s a lesson,” Álvarez said. “You have to accept both sides of the coin. That’s what I want to teach them, that you learn as much when you win as when you lose.”
Visibly moved, he spoke of his newborn daughter, just 1 month old, who was waiting for him at their hotel.
Álvarez avoided giving clear details about his next steps and gave himself time to reflect. His future decisions will involve his family, who accompany him in victory and defeat.
The loss to Crawford won’t trigger Álvarez’s immediate retirement, as he has a four-fight contract worth around $400 million with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season, but he could change his strategy in scheduling opponents.
“I want to see what happens in the future. There will definitely be good things,“ Álvarez said. ”I won just by being here.”
Although his legacy is already assured with a career spanning more than 20 years, multiple titles in different divisions and victories over big names, this loss marks a turning point. The question will be how he reacts, whether he will seek immediate revenge or takes another path.
The victory places Crawford on a historic pedestal alongside Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, becoming the third linear champion in four divisions and the second boxer to achieve undisputed status in three categories, something only Henry Armstrong had achieved in 1938 in a different era of boxing.
“It means a lot because they always said I fought nobodies. Well, what can they say now? I did everything I said I was going to do,” Crawford said. “I moved up two divisions, faced the undisputed champion, and took all his titles. That’s greatness.”
When asked to compare himself to Mayweather, Crawford was respectful.
“Floyd was the best of his era. I am the best of mine. There is no need to compare us,” Crawford said.
The event was attended mostly by Mexican fans who hoped to see Álvarez further cement his legacy. But they left having witnessed a great performance by Álvarez’s opponent.
The fans booed Crawford, who made his walk to the ring dressed in an outfit inspired by the 1995 film “Desperado,” starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, accompanied by live music and guitar in hand.
At the end of the fight, the same fans applauded him, recognizing his great performance against the defeated champion.
Terence Crawford displays his title belts after defeating Canelo Álvarez (not pictured) in an undisputed super middleweight title fight by unanimous decision.
(Harry How / Getty Images for Netflix)
“It was part of my outfit. The outfit was inspired by the movie ‘Desperado.’ As you can see, I had the guitar and everything,” Crawford said. “My great childhood friend, Jacinto Robles, was the one who performed a song and acted tonight. … As I said, I also have Mexicans and Latinos on my side. It’s been a beautiful night.”
Unlike many other fighters, Crawford says little, is reserved but intense when he goes after his opponent, avoids theatrics and gets straight to the point. Defeating Álvarez in front of his fans, dominating most of the rounds and becoming just the third person to defeat Álvarez is more than enough to shout about with pride, but he didn’t.
Crawford waited until the end of Álvarez’s media appearance in the giant tent to return the Mexican’s belts handed to him in the ring. He could have done this privately in the locker room, but he did it in front of media and the Álvarez family as a sign of respect, extending his hand to his rival.
“When I signed the contract, I already knew I was going to beat him,” Crawford said. “It’s no surprise to me. It’s a surprise to all of you because you don’t believe me. But I always knew I could do it.”
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Alejandro Zendejas scored in the 30th minute, Folarin Balogun added a goal in the 64th and the United States stopped a seven-game winless streak against top-25 opponents by beating a Japan team of mostly second-string players 2-0 in a friendly on Tuesday night.
The 15th-ranked U.S. was fresh off a 2-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday in the first of eight friendlies before coach Mauricio Pochettino calls in players for training ahead of the World Cup.
No. 17 Japan used essentially a B team, changing all 11 starters from Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Mexico and starting eight players who entered with 10 or fewer international appearances. There were no starters from the group that began the March match against Bahrain when Samurai Blue clinched their eighth straight World Cup berth, though some regulars entered in the 62nd minute.
The U.S. had not beaten a top-25 team since the CONCACAF Nations League final against Mexico in March 2024, including five straight defeats. The Americans dominated throughout before a sellout crowd of 20,192 at Lower.com Field, winning 2-0 for the sixth time in Columbus.
Zendejas took a long cross from left back Max Arfsten and volleyed with his left foot from near the penalty spot for his second goal in 13 international appearances.
Balogun scored his sixth international goal on Christian Pulisic’s through pass, beating goalkeeper Keisuke Osako with an angled shot inside the far post.
Central defender Chris Richards, right back Alex Freeman, midfielder Cristian Roldan, Zendejas and forward Balogun joined the starting lineup in place of Sergiño Dest, Diego Luna, Sebastian Berhalter, Tim Weah and Josh Sargent.
Richards, Tim Ream and Tristan Blackmon started as central defenders in a five-man back line, a formation coach Pochettino switched to in the second half Saturday.
Adams and Roldan had not started together since 2018, and Roldan made his first start in 26 months.
Japan’s Koki Ogawa hit the crossbar in the 70th, as did the Americans’ Jack McGlynn in the 83rd.
PARIS — Legislators toppled France’s government in a confidence vote on Monday, a new crisis for Europe’s second-largest economy that obliges President Emmanuel Macron to search for a fourth prime minister in 12 months.
Prime Minister François Bayrou was ousted overwhelmingly in a 364-194 vote against him. Bayrou paid the price for what appeared to be a staggering political miscalculation, gambling that lawmakers would back his view that France must slash public spending to repair its debts. Instead, they seized on the vote that Bayrou called to gang up against the 74-year-old centrist who was appointed by Macron last December.
The demise of Bayrou’s short-lived minority government — now constitutionally obliged to submit its resignation to Macron after just under nine months in office — heralds renewed uncertainty and a risk of prolonged legislative deadlock for France as it wrestles with pressing challenges, including budget difficulties and, internationally, wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the shifting priorities of President Trump.
Hunt for a replacement
Although Macron had two weeks to prepare for the government collapse after Bayrou announced in August that he’d seek a confidence vote on his unpopular budget plans, no clear front-runner has emerged as a likely successor.
After Gabriel Attal’s departure as prime minister in September 2024, followed by former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier’s ouster by parliament in December and Bayrou now ousted, too, Macron again faces an arduous hunt for a replacement to build consensus in the parliament’s lower house that is stacked with opponents of the French leader.
As president, Macron will continue to hold substantial powers over foreign policy and European affairs and remain the commander in chief of the nuclear-armed military. But domestically, the 47-year-old president’s ambitions are increasingly facing ruin.
The root of the latest government collapse was Macron’s stunning decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June 2024, triggering a legislative election that the French leader hoped would strengthen the hand of his pro-European centrist alliance. But the gamble backfired, producing a splintered legislature with no dominant political bloc in power for the first time in France’s modern republic.
Shorn of a workable majority, his minority governments have since lurched from crisis to crisis, surviving on the whim of opposing political blocs on the left and far-right that don’t have enough seats to govern themselves but can, when they team up, topple Macron’s choices.
Bayrou’s gamble
Bayrou, too, rolled the dice by calling the confidence vote, a decision that quickly backfired on the political veteran as left-wing and far-right legislators seized the opportunity to oust his government, seeking to increase pressure on Macron.
Bayrou conceded in his last speech as prime minister to the National Assembly that putting his fate on the line was risky. But he said that France’s debt crisis compelled him to seek legislative support for remedies, in the face of what he called “a silent, underground, invisible, and unbearable hemorrhage” of excessive public borrowing.
“The greatest risk was to not take one, to let things go on without changing anything, to go on doing politics as usual,” he said. “Submission to debt is like submission through military force. Dominated by weapons, or dominated by our creditors, because of a debt that is submerging us — in both cases, we lose our freedom.”
At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France’s public debt stood at 3.346 trillion euros, or 114% of gross domestic product. Debt servicing remains a major budget item, accounting for around 7% of state spending.
Le Pen wants new election
The 577-seat National Assembly interrupted its summer recess to convene for the extraordinary session of high political drama. Macron’s opponents worked to leverage the crisis to push for a new legislative election, pressure for Macron’s departure or jostle for posts in the next government.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen called for Macron to again dissolve the National Assembly, seemingly confident that her National Rally party and its allies would win a majority in another snap legislative election, positioning it to form a new government.
“A big country like France cannot live with a paper government, especially in a tormented and dangerous world,” she said in the National Assembly.
Pressing problems
In a last-ditch effort to save his job before the vote, Bayrou warned that France is risking its future and its influence by racking up trillions in state debts that are “submerging us,” pleading for belt-tightening.
Macron’s chosen successor will operate in the same precarious environment and face the same pressing budget problems that dogged Bayrou and his predecessors. Macron himself has vowed to stay in office until the end of his term, but risks becoming a lame duck domestically if political paralysis continues.
Under the French political system, the prime minister is appointed by the president, accountable to the parliament and is in charge of implementing domestic policy, notably economic measures.
Arguing that sharp cuts are needed to repair public finances, Bayrou had proposed to cut $51 billion in spending in 2026, after France’s deficit hit 5.8% of GDP last year, way above the official EU target of 3%.
He painted a dramatic picture of the European Union’s No. 2 economy becoming beholden to foreign creditors and addicted to living beyond its means. He castigated opponents in the National Assembly who teamed up against his minority government despite their own sharp political differences.
“You have the power to overthrow the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality,” Bayrou said. “Reality will remain inexorable. Spending will continue to increase and the debt burden — already unbearable — will grow heavier and more costly.”
From Jack Harris: It was a pivotal moment, in a pivotal game, in what’s become a pivotal week for the Dodgers in the National League West standings.
Which, rather predictably given their recently floundering form, meant they found a new way to mess it all up.
In the top of the second inning on Wednesday night at PNC Park, the Dodgers appeared to be in optimal position.
Despite trailing by a run against a team in last place, the Dodgers had the Pittsburgh Pirates on the ropes, loading the bases with no outs for a chance to take the lead.
The task, at that point, was simple.
Get the ball in play. Manufacture some early scoring. And, at the very least, set a positive tone for a night in which the NL West lead could grow.
“That’s a situation where you get shorter with your swing, use the big part of the field and you’ve got to drive in a run,” manager Dave Roberts said.
That approach, however, never materialized.
Over the rest of an inexplicable 3-0 loss to the Pirates, what happened next would instead loom large.
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ANGELS
Jo Adell homered and drove in every run for the Angels in their 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.
Adell hit a go-ahead homer in the sixth inning for the second consecutive game. His three-run shot to center field on the first pitch he saw from reliever John Schreiber gave the Angels a 3-2 lead in this one.
Yoán Moncada, aboard on a single when Adell went deep, doubled off Lucas Erceg (6-4) in the eighth before scoring on Adell’s two-out single for a 4-3 advantage. Adell’s 33 homers and 90 RBIs are career highs.
There, I’ve written it, I can’t believe I’ve written it, but I’ve written it, right here, first paragraph, in fanboy-living color.
The Rams are going to the Super Bowl.
Las Vegas has them at 9½ wins. Bet the over. Bet it big. They will win 11 games and a weakened NFC West and a soft NFC and then…
The Rams are going to the Super Bowl.
Don’t succumb to the fears about Matthew Stafford’s back. Don’t listen to the worries about the fragile offensive line. Embrace the ascending young defense. Love the bolstered receiving corps. Trust the brilliant coach.
The perception nationally of Justin Herbert isn’t as charitable. The consensus is that Herbert doesn’t belong in the top tier of NFL quarterbacks alongside the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow.
If anything, Herbert might be viewed as being closer to Jared Goff or Brock Purdy than Mahomes or Jackson.
As overwhelming as his athletic gifts are, as many jaw-dropping passes as he’s completed, Herbert still hasn’t won a playoff game for the Chargers.
From Ben Bolch: The most densely packed section inside the Rose Bowl on Saturday was filled with fans wearing the colors of the visiting team.
Swathed in red and white, they crammed into one corner of the century-old stadium for what amounted to a nightlong celebration.
By late in the third quarter, the only suspense remaining in UCLA’s 43-10 blowout loss to Utah was waiting for the announced attendance. Reporters in the press box were given a figure of 35,032, which seemed inflated given so many empty seats below them.
It was.
The scan count, a tally of people actually inside the facility, was 27,785, according to athletic officials.
In recent seasons, UCLA’s announced attendance was sometimes more than double the scan count, according to figures obtained by The Times through a public records request.
For UCLA’s home opener against Bowling Green on a sweltering September day in 2022, the announced attendance was 27,143, a record low for the team since moving to the Rose Bowl before the 1982 season.
The actual attendance was much lower. UCLA’s scan count, which represented people who entered the stadium (including the aforementioned non-ticketed and credentialed individuals) was 12,383 — 14,760 fewer than the announced attendance.
From Steve Henson: The Clippers forcefully denied allegations detailed in a podcast published on Wednesday that a discredited global tree-planting company paid Kawhi Leonard $28 million to pad the star forward’s contract and skirt the NBA salary cap. However, the NBA told The Times that it will start an investigation.
Investigative journalist Pablo Torre of the Athletic said during “Pablo Finds Out” that he reviewed numerous documents and conducted interviews with former employees of Aspiration Partners, the sustainability services firm that recently declared bankruptcy. Co-founder Joseph Sanberg agreed to plead guilty Aug. 21 to a scheme to defraud investors and lenders of more than $248 million.
During Aspiration’s bankruptcy proceedings, documents emerged citing KL2 Aspire as a creditor owed $7 million, one of four yearly payments of that amount agreed upon in a 2022 contract. KL2 is a limited liability company that names Leonard — whose jersey number is 2 — as its manager.
From Kevin Baxter: Angel City winger Alyssa Thompson left for London on Wednesday afternoon as negotiations continued on a transfer that would send her from the NWSL to Chelsea of the Women’s Super League. But she might be running out of time since the WSL transfer window closes at 3 p.m. PDT Thursday, less than 24 hours after she boarded her flight.
“She wants to go to Chelsea and made it very clear she wants to leave,” said a person close to Thompson, who would speak only on condition of anonymity for fear of disrupting the delicate negotiations. “The rest is out of our hands.”
Thompson’s agent, Takumi Jeannin, declined to speak about the negotiations on the record while Angel City did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Rhyne Howard scored 19 points, Brionna Jones had 16 points and 13 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season, and the Atlanta Dream beat the Sparks 86-75 on Wednesday night to move into sole possession of second place in the WNBA standings.
Atlanta (27-14), which has won five of its last six games, moved a half-game ahead of Las Vegas (26-14) and Phoenix (26-14) with three regular-season games remaining.
1920 — Man o War wins the 1 5/8-mile Lawrence Realization Stakes at Belmont Park by 100 lengths, the largest winning margin in modern racing history. His time of 2:40 4/5 shatters the world record by 6 4/5 seconds for his fifth record performance of the year.
1932 — Olin Dutra defeats Frank Walsh in the final round 4 and 3 to win the PGA Championship.
1951 — Frank Sedgman becomes the first Australian to win the men’s singles title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championships, beating Victor Seixas in three sets. Sixteen-year-old Maureen Connolly wins the first of three consecutive women’s titles, beating Shirley Fry in three sets.
1966 — The Houston Oilers holds the Denver Broncos to no first downs in a 45-7 rout.
1983 — Greg LeMond wins UCI World Road Race Championship in Altenrhein, Switzerland; first American cyclist to take the title.
1983 — Lynn Dickey of Green Bay completes 27 of 31 passes, including 18 straight, for 333 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Packers in a 41-38 overtime victory over Houston.
1992 — Jimmy Connors loses to Ivan Lendl 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in his record 115th and final U.S. Open singles match.
1994 — Fu Mingxia of China becomes the first woman to win consecutive highboard world diving titles, beating countrywoman Chi Bin in Rome.
1994 — Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins becomes the second quarterback with 300 touchdown passes by throwing for five scores in a 39-35 victory over New England. Dan Marino passes for 473 yards and Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe passes for 421 yards and four touchdowns. It’s second time two opposing quarterbacks each pass for 400 yards and four touchdowns in the same game.
2002 — Argentina defeats the U.S. 87-80 in the world basketball championships at Indianapolis. It’s the first loss for a U.S. team in 59 games since the Americans began sending NBA players to international tournaments in 1992.
2005 — 20-year-old Kyle Busch becomes youngest driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race when he out duels Greg Biffle in the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway.
2006 — Tiger Woods matches the lowest final round of his career (8-under 63) in the Deutsche Bank C’ship at Norton, MA to win for the 5th straight time and 7th time this PGA Tour season.
2010 — DeMarco Murray’s career-best 218 yards rushing leads Oklahoma to a 31-24 victory for the Sooners’ 800th win.
2010 — Andy Dalton becomes TCU’s winningest quarterback, running for two touchdowns and throwing for another in the No. 6 Horned Frogs’ 30-21 victory over Oregon State. His 30th win moves him past Sammy Baugh, who had held the mark since the mid-1930s.
2017 — Madison Keys eliminates Elina Svitolina in three sets to give the U.S. four women in the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time in 15 years. Keys joins Americans Venus Williams, CoCo Vandeweghe and Sloane Stephens.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1916 — Longtime pitching rivals Christy Mathewson and Mordecai Brown closed their careers, by special arrangement, in the same game. Mathewson won the game 10-8.
1923 — Sam Jones of the New York Yankees pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against Philadelphia Athletics without striking out a batter. New York’s Babe Ruth had the only strikeout of the game.
1927 — Lloyd and Paul Waner became the first brothers to hit home runs in the same game, leading Pittsburgh to an 8-4 win over Cincinnati. Both homers came off Dolf Luque in the fifth inning, the only time in major league history brothers did it in one inning. Lloyd led off the inning with his second home run of the season, and a batter later Paul hit his ninth of the year. Both were bounce home runs, allowed until the 1931; now ground-rule doubles.
1928 — The Boston Braves started a grueling string in which they played nine straight doubleheaders, a major league record.
1941 — The New York Yankees clinched the pennant on the earliest date in baseball history with a 6-3 victory over Boston.
1966 — The Dodgers became the first team in major league history to draw more than 2 million at home and on the road when they beat the Reds 8-6 before 18,670 fans in Cincinnati.
1974 — Don Wilson of the Houston Astros was replaced by a pinch-hitter after pitching eight no-hit innings against Cincinnati. Mike Cosgrove pitched the ninth inning and gave up a leadoff single to Tony Perez for the only hit in the Reds’ 2-1 victory.
1985 — Gary Carter hit two solo homers to tie a major league record and singled in another run to lead the New York Mets to a 9-2 victory over San Diego. Carter’s feat followed a three-homer performance the night before as he became the 11th player in major league history to hit five home runs in two games.
1993 — Jim Abbott threw the New York Yankees’ first no-hitter in 10 years, leading them to a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.
1995 — Robin Ventura became the eighth player in major league history — and the first in 25 years — to hit two grand slams in one game as the Chicago White Sox beat Texas 14-3.
1998 — The New York Yankees reached 100 wins on the earliest date in major league history — five days before the 1906 Chicago Cubs and 1954 Cleveland Indians — with an 11-6 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The ’06 Cubs set the major league record for fewest games to reach 100 victories (132).
2002 — The Oakland Athletics set an AL record by winning their 20th straight game. They somehow blew an 11-run lead before pinch-hitter Scott Hatteberg homered in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Kansas City 12-11. Oakland broke a three-way tie for the longest winning streak in AL history with the 1906 Chicago White Sox and the 1947 New York Yankees.
2017 — J.D. Martinez tied a major league record by hitting four home runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks routed the Dodgers 13-0 for their 11th straight victory. Martinez became the 18th player in major league history to hit four homers in a game, and the 16th in the modern era.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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A so-called friendly between Real Betis and Como descended into chaos after players from both sides were seen throwing punches at one another.
The Spanish and Italian clubs were playing their penultimate friendlies before the competitive season starts for them.
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Pablo Fornals squared up with a rival during a pre-season friendly between Real Betis and Como
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He was seen hitting former Man City star Maximo Perrone in the face
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That resulted in players from both teams rushing over
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It caused a mass melee before the end of the first half
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Betis star Natan was accidentally punched in the face by team-mate Cucho Hernandez during the chaosCredit: Getty
But Wednesday evening proved the two sides had certainly found their competitive edge in pre-season.
Cesc Fabregas‘ Serie A side won the clash 3-2, but not before trying to go 12 rounds with their rivals after a stunning brawl broke out at the end of the first half.
Former West Ham star Pablo Fornals was at the centre of the brawl as he exchanged blows with Máximo Perrone.
The rivals were seen squaring up to one another before they got involved in a shoving match.
That was abruptly ended when Fornals appeared to PUNCH Perrone, with the Argentine then trying strike the 29-year-old.
However, he was unable to do so as Betis and Como players rushed over to intervene, before many of them also ended up in grappling matches of their own while trying to diffuse the situation.
There was one unfortunately funny moment in the melee as Cucho Hernandez came flying in to try and land a punch on a rival, only to punch his own team-mate, Natan, in the face instead.
Fornals avoided being sent off despite landing the first blow, with the same lack of punishment also going to Hernandez following his attempted flying punch.
On the other hand, Como – who recently “banished” Dele Alli from their squad – will play Suditrol in the first round of the Coppa Italia before facing Lazio in their Serie A opener.
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Hector Bellerin was seen arguing with the ref after he was sent off in the scuffleCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
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But he too got overly heated by the situation, before his red card was reversedCredit: Getty
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TRANSFER NEWS LIVE – KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
Taylor Fritz thought the motivational note he wrote to himself after losing at Wimbledon four years ago would stay private. His girlfriend, influencer Morgan Riddle, later shared it on social media.
“That note was never supposed to be public,” a smiling Fritz said after his 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) win over Karen Khachanov set up a semifinal meeting with two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Fritz had written to himself in the note that “nobody in the whole world is underachieving harder than you” and urged himself to get his act together.
Not only does Fritz forgive Riddle, he also credits her for having such a big impact on him rising to No. 5 in the world rankings in pursuit of his first Grand Slam title.
“There’s been a pretty constant results-and-ranking rise since we’ve been together,” Fritz said. “I think I would have to say she’s been a big help to me just kind of keeping me focused, having someone who cares and just pushes you to just do better and do the right things, be healthier.
“Almost like kind of just mother me in a way,” he added, chuckling to himself, “with like, the diet and going to sleep on time.”
A smiling Fritz later added: “Yeah, that maybe wasn’t the best choice of words.”
The 27-year-old American, who was the runner-up at last year’s U.S. Open, didn’t face a break point in the first two sets against No. 17 Khachanov, who rebounded in the third set. It was 4-all in the fourth-set tiebreaker before Fritz claimed the final three points on Court No. 1.
It’s the first time Fritz has reached the last four at Wimbledon. He’s won two grass-court titles this season — Stuttgart and Eastbourne — and was happy he wouldn’t be facing Alcaraz on clay, which would be “an absolute nightmare.”
“Grass is very much so an equalizer. It can be an equalizer. So trust in how I’m playing,” he said. “I truly know the way that I played the first two sets today, there’s not much any opponent on the other side can do.”
Alcaraz: Golf first, then Fritz
The second-seeded Alcaraz is within sight of a Wimbledon three-peat. He extended his winning streak to 23 matches this season by beating Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 on Centre Court.
Alcaraz, who has beaten Novak Djokovic in the past two finals at the All England Club, faced only five break points and saved all of them.
He wants to hit some other greens, though, before he faces Fritz
“For sure I’m going to play some golf, just to switch up my mind a little bit,” Alcaraz said
The 22-year-old Spaniard has been playing golf with Andy Murray during his Wimbledon run.
This time, his opponent could be actor Tom Holland, whom he had run into earlier.
“I would love to play against him in the golf course. For me it would be such an honor. I will try to set it up in these two days that I will have much time to do it. So let’s see if he will be available, and we’ll tee it up.”
This week, Gov. Gavin Newsom touched one of the third rails of California politics. He hopes the result sends a shock through the state’s homebuilding industry.
The changes waive CEQA for just about any proposed low- or mid-rise development in urban neighborhoods zoned for multifamily housing. No more thousand-page studies of soils, the shadows the buildings may cast and traffic they may bring. No more risk of CEQA lawsuits from angry neighbors.
Wiping away these rules shows that no matter how challenging the politics, the state will remove the barriers it has built over decades that have ended up stifling housing construction and suffocating Californians’ ability to live affordably, the governor said when signing the legislation Monday evening.
“The world we invented has been competing against us,” Newsom said. “We have got to perform.”
Californians won’t have to wait long for the effects of the reforms. They took effect with the stroke of the governor’s pen.
At least in the short term, the result may be less of an immediate impact on construction and more of a revolution in how development in California cities gets done. Numerous hurdles both within and outside of the control of local and state governments — interest rates, availability of labor, zoning, material prices and tariffs among them — still will determine if housing is built. What’s changed is that the key point of leverage outside groups have wielded, for good and for ill, over housing construction in California communities is gone.
At base, all CEQA says is that proponents of a project must disclose and, if possible, lessen its environmental effects before being approved. Yet the process CEQA kicks off can take years as developers and local governments complete reams of studies, opponents sue them as inadequate and judges send everyone back to start all over again.
Time is money, and project opponents soon realized that they could use this uncertainty to their advantage. Sometimes, if their complaints fell on deaf ears at City Hall, threatening a CEQA challenge was the only way to get themselves heard and avoid harmful outcomes. But in other circumstances, the law became a powerful cudgel wielded to influence concerns that at best had a tangential relationship to the environment.
Over time, CEQA negotiations became embedded in California’s development regime, known and used by all the major players. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass once recalled that as a community organizer in South L.A. in the 1990s she used CEQA to try to stop liquor stores from opening. A company owned by billionaire developer Rick Caruso, Bass’ opponent in the most recent mayoral election and normally a CEQA critic, this year filed a CEQA lawsuit challenging a major redevelopment of a television studio near a Caruso shopping mall.
For housing, the primary interest group invested in CEQA at the state level has been labor organizations representing construction workers. Their leaders have argued that if legislators grant CEQA relief to developers, which boosts their bottom lines, then workers should share in the spoils through better pay and benefits.
This union opposition was enough in 2016 to prevent a proposal from then-Gov. Jerry Brown to limit CEQA challenges to urban housing development from even getting a vote in a legislative committee. A year later, a version of Brown’s bill passed but only because developers who wanted to take advantage were required to pay union-level wages to workers.
Just about every year since, lawmakers have engaged in this dance with labor groups. In 2022, the California Conference of Carpenters defected from the State Building and Construction Trades Council and supported a less-strict version of labor standards, which lawmakers ushered into multiple bills.
But housing construction hasn’t followed. The number of projects that have been issued permits are millions less than what Newsom promised to build on the campaign trail in 2018. Californians continue to pay record prices to house themselves, and those fleeing the state often cite the cost of living as the reason. Newsom and legislators decided they needed to do more.
“We don’t want to sit here and ram our head against the wall on the politics and then have nothing to show for it,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) at Monday’s signing ceremony.
Wicks authored legislation this year that waived CEQA rules for urban housing development without any labor requirements and was working it through the regular process. In May, Newsom grabbed Wicks’ bill and additional CEQA reform legislation and said he wanted them to pass as part of the budget. Doing so would fast-track the bills into law without the normal whittling down that happens in committee hearings.
As budget negotiations heated up, Newsom doubled down. In a rare move, he insisted on tying the approval of the state’s entire spending plan for this year to the passage of CEQA reforms. That meant legislators who otherwise would be opposed could only vote no if they were willing to torpedo the budget.
What emerged was a clean CEQA exemption for homebuilders in urban multifamily areas. Union-level wages for construction workers only are required for high-rise or low-income buildings, both of which often are paid now because of specialized labor required for taller buildings and other state and local rules for affordable construction.
CEQA doesn’t typically affect single-family home construction in established communities.
How much this is going to matter immediately for homebuilding isn’t clear. Studies are mixed on CEQA’s effects. One by UC Berkeley law professors found that fewer than 3% of housing projects in many big cities across the state over a three-year period faced any CEQA litigation. Another found tens of thousands of housing units challenged under CEQA in just one year. Still, more advocates of reform argue that it’s impossible to quantify the chilling effect that the threat of CEQA lawsuits have on development in California and how much the law has dominated the debate.
“This signals a seismic shift in Democratic politics in California from NIMBYism to abundance,” said Mott Smith, board chair of the Council of Infill Builders, a real estate trade group that advocates for urban housing. “You can touch this mythical third rail and live to see another day.”
Those who live across the street from a proposed five-story apartment building and oppose the housing will have to find a way other than a 55-year-old environmental law to stop it.
NEW YORK — Zohran Mamdani was a state lawmaker unknown even to most New York City residents when he announced his run for mayor back in October.
On Tuesday evening, the 33-year-old marked his stunning political ascension when he declared victory in the Democratic primary from a Queens rooftop bar after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo conceded.
While the race’s ultimate outcome has yet to be confirmed by a ranked choice count scheduled for July 1, here’s a look at the one-time rapper seeking to become the city’s first Muslim and Indian American mayor, and its youngest mayor in generations.
Mamdani’s mother is a famous filmmaker
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian parents and became an American citizen in 2018, shortly after graduating from college.
He lived with his family briefly in Cape Town, South Africa, before moving to New York City when he was 7.
Mamdani’s mother, Mira Nair, is an award-winning filmmaker whose credits include “Monsoon Wedding,” “The Namesake” and “Mississippi Masala.” His father, Mahmood Mamdani, is an anthropology professor at Columbia University.
Mamdani married Rama Duwaji, a Syrian American artist, earlier this year at the City Clerk’s Office. The couple live in the Astoria section of Queens.
Mamdani was once a fledgling rapper
Mamdani graduated in 2014 from Bowdoin College in Maine, where he earned a degree in Africana studies and co-founded his college’s Students for Justice in Palestine chapter.
After college, he worked as a foreclosure prevention counselor in Queens helping residents avoid eviction, the job he says inspired him to run for public office.
Mamdani also had a notable side hustle in the local hip-hop scene, rapping under the moniker Young Cardamom and later Mr. Cardamom. During his first run for state lawmaker, Mamdani gave a nod to his brief foray into music, describing himself as a “B-list rapper.”
“Nani,” a song he made in 2019 to honor his grandmother, even found new life — and a vastly wider audience — as his mayoral campaign gained momentum.
Early political career
Mamdani cut his teeth in local politics working on campaigns for Democratic candidates in Queens and Brooklyn.
He was first elected to the New York Assembly in 2020, representing a Queens district covering Astoria and surrounding neighborhoods and has handily won reelection twice.
The Democratic Socialist’s most notable legislative accomplishment has been pushing through a pilot program that made a handful of city buses free for a year. He’s also proposed legislation banning nonprofits from “engaging in unauthorized support of Israeli settlement activity.”
Mamdani’s opponents, particularly Cuomo, have dismissed him as woefully unprepared for managing the complexities of running America’s largest city.
But Mamdani has framed his relative inexperience as a potential asset, saying in a mayoral debate he’s “proud” he doesn’t have Cuomo’s “experience of corruption, scandal and disgrace.”
Pro-Palestinian views
Mamdani’s outspoken support for Palestinian causes was a point of tension in the mayor’s race as Cuomo and other opponents sought to label his defiant criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
The Shia Muslim has called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a “genocide” and said the country should exist as “a state with equal rights,” rather than a “Jewish state.” That message has resonated among pro-Palestinian residents, including the city’s roughly 800,000 adherents of Islam — the largest Muslim community in the country.
During an interview on CBS’ “The Late Show” on the eve of the election, host Stephen Colbert asked Mamdani if he believed the state of Israel had the right to exist. He responded: “Yes, like all nations, I believe it has a right to exist — and a responsibility also to uphold international law.”
Mamdani’s refusal to condemn calls to “globalize the intifada” on a podcast — a common chant at pro-Palestinian protests — drew recriminations from Jewish groups and fellow candidates in the days leading up to the election.
In his victory speech Tuesday, he pledged to work closely with those who don’t share his views on controversial issues.
“While I will not abandon my beliefs or my commitments, grounded in a demand for equality, for humanity, for all those who walk this earth, you have my word to reach further, to understand the perspectives of those with whom I disagree, and to wrestle deeply with those disagreements,” Mamdani said.
Marcelo writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Jake Offenhartz in New York contributed to this report.
SAN DIEGO — Dave Roberts wasn’t pretending to be calm. He was calm.
None of this was new to him, the depleted starting rotation, the fatigued bullpen, the division rivals within striking distance.
Under similar circumstances in past seasons, Roberts pointed out, “We’ve gotten to the other side.”
The Dodgers won a World Series like this last year. They have won the National League West in 12 of the last 13 seasons.
They usually reach “the other side.”
So rather than panic, Roberts waits. He waits for the end of a particularly difficult 26-game stretch, and when Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell can pitch again.
Roberts won’t say this publicly, but the Dodgers just have to tread water until they are whole.
They claimed a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday to win for the second time in their three-game series at Petco Park, preserving their lead in the NL West.
The Dodgers host the second-place San Francisco Giants in a three-game series that starts Friday and the third-place Padres in a four-game series that opens Monday, after which their schedule will become noticeably softer.
Their remaining opponents before the All-Star break: the Washington Nationals, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. The post-All-Star Game schedule is extremely manageable as well.
Provided a couple of their starting pitchers return as anticipated, the Dodgers should be able to not just win their division but also secure a top-two seed in the NL, which would give them a first-round bye in the playoffs. As it is, the Dodgers are 41-27, only ½ game behind the Chicago Cubs, the league’s current No. 2 team.
Dodgers players have taken on Roberts’ understated confidence and make-do-with-what-you-have approach, which explains how the team has survived a 19-game stretch in which every opponent had a winning record. The Dodgers were 10-9 in those games.
“Character,” Roberts said.
Roberts specifically pointed to Teoscar Hernández, who broke out of a slump Wednesday to hit a key three-run home run; to Freddie Freeman, who he revealed is now dealing with a quadriceps injury in addition to his ankle problems; to Mookie Betts, who has continued to play high-level shortstop while playing with a broken toe.
“Guys are not running from the middle part of the season, the stretch we’re going through,” Roberts said. “We’re just finding ways to win.”
Teoscar Hernández circles the bases after his three-run homer.
(Derrick Tuskan / Associated Press)
The series win against the Padres was also a credit to Roberts’ ability, and willingness, to play the long game.
With Tony Gonsolin put on the injured list last week, the Dodgers were forced to schedule two bullpen games in San Diego. By punting on the first and refraining from using any of his go-to relievers in a loss, Roberts ensured his team would be positioned to win the series finale.
Again, this was nothing new, as Roberts basically forfeited games in both the NL Championship Series and World Series last year with the remainder of the series in mind.
Roberts elected to send opener Ben Casparius back to the mound to pitch a fourth inning on Wednesday rather than replace him with Jack Dreyer, whom Roberts has grown to trust. The extra inning made a difference. Lou Trivino pitched to the bottom of the Padres’ lineup in the fifth inning, allowing Roberts to deploy Dreyer against the heart of the order in the sixth.
When Michael Kopech walked the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Roberts responded with the necessary degree of urgency rather than allow the recently activated Kopech to try to pitch his way out of trouble. Roberts summoned Anthony Banda, who retired Luis Arráez and Manny Machado to maintain the Dodgers’ 4-2 advantage.
“The bullpen has certainly been used and pushed,” Roberts said. “I just think it speaks to the character.”
And it says something about the manager as well.
Roberts is now in his 10th season as the manager of the Dodgers. He has managed 1,426 games for them in the regular season and another 100 in the postseason. At this point, there’s not much he hasn’t seen, including what the team is dealing with now.
Jai Opetaia inflicted the worst broken jaw ever seen’ by the doctor who saved Caludio Squeo’s face
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The brutal extent of Squeo’s jaw
And he did so with his trademark ruthless brilliance, battering the previously unbeaten man inside five one-sided rounds.
A body shot dropped Squeo in the fourth and a lead right hook from the South Coast southpaw in the fifth broke his mouth and dreams.
Opetaia’s Tasman team looked after the 34-year-old, rushing him to hospital where he got expert care and the diagnoses that left him needing a minimum of THREE metal plates to reinforce his jaw.
“He has two breaks,” Dr Shannon Webber explained to the team in a video shared – with full permission – with SunSport.
“He was obviously clipped here and then it’s gone ‘BANG’.
“And, when there is one fracture, there is always an exit break. It’s like a ring that always breaks in two spots.
“And there is a piece of fragmented bone left floating in his left cheek.”
Despite the brutal injuries suffered, as soon as Squeo came out of theatre, he helped praise on Opetaia and his classy team for their phenomenal assault on thr 14st 4lbs division and their decency outside the ropes.
“I just came out of surgery to fix the two fractures I sustained in my jaw during the match,” he explained.
“The operation went very well. I’m fine.
‘Laughed it off’ – Joseph Parker reveals Usyk’s blunt reaction after face-to-face challenge as rival opens door to Fury trilogy
“I learned right after the match that Opetaia was concerned about my condition and told his team to take care of me in every way possible.
“This shows us who the current IBF heavyweight champion truly is – not just a boxing phenomenon – but a real man, endowed with great sensitivity and heart.
“This is a boxing story driven by extreme men, filled with incredible tension, but also by boundless mutual respect.”
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell.
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The Dodgers head to San Diego for a three-game series with the Padres starting tonight. Whichever team wins the season series will have an advantage when it comes to winning the division, plus it also will give them the tiebreaker advantage should the teams tie.
Neither one of these guys can hit, but are solid defensively. Maldonado won a Gold Glove way back in 2017 with the Angels. However, it’s players such as these two, guys who have trouble hitting, who seem to come up big against the Dodgers, dating all the way back to Brian Doyle and the 1978 World Series.
Bonus facts: Díaz was named minor league catcher of the year by Baseball America in 2015. On April 18, 2014 against Pittsburgh, Maldonado hit a grounder to third. Pirates third baseman Pedro Álvarez fielded the grounder, but the cover had partially come off the baseball and was hanging off its side; Álvarez threw the ball to first but it fell apart in midair. So, Maldonado is one guy who can say he literally knocked the cover off the ball.
First base Luis Arráez (.276/.310/.397, 97 OPS+)
Arráez has won three straight batting titles (2022 with Minnesota, 2023 with Miami, 2024 with the Marlins and Padres). You’ll notice that despite this, he has played for three different teams. The reason is he draws no walks, has little power, and it is believed his glove is made out of cast iron. Winning three straight batting titles is nothing to sneeze at, but that’s all he brings to the table.
Bonus fact: In June 2023, Arráez had three five-hit games, tying the record for most five-hit games in a month held by Ty Cobb, George Sisler and Dave Winfield.
Second base Jake Cronenworth (.242/.373/.403, 119 OPS+)
Cronenworth is having a rebound season at the plate after a couple of off seasons, and he has always been solid with the glove. Guys such as Cronenworth usually don’t get the headlines, but help you win ballgames in ways that don’t always show up in the box score.
Bonus fact: He hit his first career home run in 2020 off of Dustin May.
Third base Manny Machado (.318/.382/.515, 150 OPS+)
While, as Yogi Berra once said, “Nobody likes Manny Machado,” the fact remains that he is a great player. Outstanding hitter, outstanding on defense.
Bonus facts: Machado has a dog named Kobe, named in honor of Kobe Bryant. Baltimore Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer once said of Machado: “He reminds me of how I think Cal Ripken Jr. would have been if he had played third base his entire career.”
All the power in Bogaerts’ bat disappeared two years ago and hasn’t come back. He has a career .447 slugging percentage, but he hasn’t cracked .400 in a season since 2023.
Bonus fact: Bogaerts is one of only six players in major league history to be born in Aruba. The elementary school he went to there is now named after him.
Left field Tyler Wade (.235/.326/.272, 71 OPS+) Brandon Lockridge (.224/.272/.276, 55 OPS+)
Left field has been a black hole offensively for the Padres, much as it has been for the Dodgers. Jason Heyward has the most starts in left, but he’s on the IL. And he wasn’t hitting either. This is a prime example for when we discuss the fact that the Dodgers aren’t the only good team with holes in the lineup,
Bonus facts: Wade played 67 games for the Angels in 2021. Lockridge made his major league debut on my birthday, which is probably a bonus fact only interesting to me.
Center field Jackson Merrill (.299/.352/.461, 123 OPS+)
Last season, Merrill finished second in rookie of the year voting, ninth in MVP voting, was an All-Star and won the Silver Slugger award. Pretty decent first year, I’d say. He’s back for more of the same this season, hitting better than he did last year. He’s also good with the glove.
Bonus fact: Merrill is the first rookie in Padres history to make the All-Star team.
Right field Fernando Tatis Jr. (.259/.332/.461, 120 OPS+)
Still one of the top players in the game, however, his numbers at the plate have declined since his return from an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs in 2022. His OPS+ in the three seasons before: 154, 156, 166. Three seasons after: 110, 130, 120. Won a Gold Glove in 2023.
Bonus fact: In 2021, Tatis became the youngest player to appear on the cover of the “MLB: The Show” video game.
Pivetta signed a four-year, $55-million deal in the offseason and has earned every penny so far, striking out 76 in 68 1/3 innings while giving up 51 hits and 19 walks. He spent the previous five seasons with the Red Sox.
Cease is the nominal ace on the team, but hasn’t pitched like one. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting last season. He has pitched into some bad luck, as his Fielding Independent Pitching ERA is 3.20.
Vásquez has a good ERA, but his FIP is 5.34, meaning he has had some good luck. Traditionally, this means you can expect his ERA to go up, and Cease’s to go down as the season wears on. FIP is heavily used by GM’s and members of a front office’s brain trust to determine how well a pitcher is really performing, so it’s a good stat to know. Click on the link above to be taken to a full explanation of it.
Bonus facts: Cease’s paternal grandmother, Betty Cease, played pro baseball in the 1940s….. Pivetta made his major league debut in 2017 against the Dodgers…. Vásquez was included in the package the Yankees sent to the Padres to acquire Juan Soto before the 2024 season.
Closer Robert Suarez (1-1, 1.84 ERA, 21 saves)
Suarez leads the majors with 21 saves, has blown only two saves and has allowed zero of five inherited runners to score.
Bonus fact: Suarez is a two-time Japan Series champion.
The Dodgers have 14 pitchers on the IL, the Padres have five. Which is one reason for this:
Rotation ERA San Diego, 3.80 Dodgers, 4.29
Bullpen ERA San Diego, 3.08 Dodgers, 3.94
The Dodgers outhit the Padres (5.54 runs per game to 4.10), but the Padres outpitch the Dodgers. Which side will win out in these three games? In the season? We’ll find out. It will be fun to watch.
Top 10 catchers
Who are your top 10 Dodgers catchers of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list to [email protected] and let me know.
Many of you have asked for a list of catchers to be considered. Here are the 40 strongest candidates, in alphabetical order.
Rod Barajas, Austin Barnes, Roy Campanella, Gary Carter, Con Daily, Rick Dempsey, Bruce Edwards, A.J. Ellis, Tex Erwin, Duke Farrell, Joe Ferguson, Jack Fimple, Yasmani Grandal, John Grim, Tom Haller, Todd Hundley, Charles Johnson, Chad Kreuter, Ernie Krueger, Paul Lo Duca, Al López, Russell Martin, Lew McCarty, Deacon McGuire, Jack Meyers, Johnny Oates, Mickey Owen, Babe Phelps, Mike Piazza, Joe Pignatano, Tom Prince, John Roseboro, David Ross, Mike Scioscia, Norm Sherry, Duke Sims, Will Smith, Zack Taylor, Jeff Torborg, Álex Treviño, Steve Yeager.
Not ideal
Dalton Rushing was brought up because Austin Barnes could no longer hit and was not as good as he used to be behind the plate.
Rushing went two for four in his first game and two for five in his second, and it looked like they were going to have to find a way to get his bat in the lineup more often.
Since then, he has gone three for 24 with 16 strikeouts. The league always adjusts to new batters. The question now is: Can Rushing adjust back? The Dodgers also have a
Time for Kim to play more
I’m all for giving established players a chance. It worked for Max Muncy. However, I just want to throw this out there: It’s time for Hyeseong Kim to play more, and Michael Conforto to play less. That concludes today’s lecture.
Another pitcher injured
Tony Gonsolin has been put on the IL with tenderness in his pitching elbow. The good news is an MRI scan showed no structural damage. But that just adds a new name to the list of pitchers on the IL:
Luis García Tyler Glasnow Tony Gonsolin Brusdar Graterol Michael Grove Edgardo Henriquez Kyle Hurt Evan Phillips River Ryan Roki Sasaki Emmet Sheehan Blake Snell Gavin Stone Blake Treinen
The good news is Michael Kopech and Kirby Yates have come off the IL and pitched Sunday. That should be of enormous help to the bullpen. But I believe the starting rotations right now is:
Yoshinobu Yamamoto Dustin May Clayton Kershaw One of those cardboard cutouts from the 2020 season 89-year-old Sandy Koufax
The Dodgers need to get Glasnow and Snell healthy or the staff will be in tatters by the time the postseason rolls around.
These names seem familiar
A look at how some prominent Dodgers from the last few seasons are doing with their new team (through Sunday). Click on the player name to be taken to the Baseball Reference page with all their stats.
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
If there were an MVP of the Southern Section baseball playoffs, Jack Champlin of St. John Bosco High would be the runaway winner.
In 8 1/3 scoreless innings of relief pitching over five playoff games, he has struck out nine and earned two wins and three saves. He starts at third base until the Braves send him to the mound.
The junior began the season as a starting pitcher, was injured and returned in a closing role that he has come to cherish.
“I like closing way more than starting,” he said.
He has helped Division 1 champion St. John Bosco move into Thursday’s semifinals of the regional playoffs with a home game against Villa Park. He hopes to celebrate his 17th birthday playing for a regional championship on Saturday.
Opponents better find a way to get the lead before Champlin comes in because he says he has no blown saves this season. He has a 4.1 grade-point average, too.
“I throw the ball and they don’t hit it,” he said as any true closer would say.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
In 23-year-old Draper, British tennis fans believe they may just have found their next serial Grand Slam contender.
British former world number four Tim Henman told BBC Sport recently that Draper’s best attributes – his left-handed serve and crunching forehand – could “work on any surface”.
Prior to this year, though, Draper had never won a match at the clay-court major with most of his success coming on hard courts or grass.
However, he has made huge strides on the surface this season and reached his first clay final in Madrid in April.
Managing to avoid the injuries that have plagued him in the past has enabled Draper to reach a significantly higher level of fitness, which has been key to his improvement on the slower surface.
Now just the world number 62 stands between him and another Grand Slam quarter-final.
And while Draper has enjoyed the best year of his career, Bublik fell from a high of 17th in the rankings in 2024 to as low as 82nd in March.
That prompted a radical change of approach that led to the Kazakh taking a trip to Las Vegas that month to blow off some steam.
“My fall was not linked with lack of attitude and lack of practising,” he said.
“It was the exact opposite. I just burned out because I was waiting for the results to come.
“I was like, if I practise more, if I hit better forehands, it will come. It didn’t, and then I got to the point of ‘OK, why am I sacrificing so much? For what?'”
Asked if the trip to Nevada was a training trip, Bublik added: “No, Vegas, Vegas, like a hangover thing Vegas.
“It was a good three days. I had just let it all out. I said, I’m useless now, I can’t win a match, so let it be, let’s see how it goes.”
It worked as Bublik won his next event, the Challenger tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, having arrived from Vegas three hours before his first match. He also triumphed on clay in Turin last month.
The 27-year-old is slowly climbing the rankings again – but Draper will be keen to ensure a first Grand Slam quarter-final appearance has to wait.
William Robert Braddock, 41, of St. Petersburg, Fla., was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday for threatening to have his political opponent murdered. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
May 22 (UPI) — A former Republican House candidate from Florida has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for threatening to kill his political opponent.
William Robert Braddock, 41, of St. Petersburg, Fla., was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge William Jung, the Justice Department said in a statement.
The former Republican candidate for Florida’s 13th Congressional District pleaded guilty in February. He was charged with interstate transmission of a threat to injure.
Braddock was running for the Republican nomination for the 13th Congressional District in 2021. Though court documents do not name the target of his threats, information in the filings and media indicate it was Anna Paulina Luna, the frontrunner in that 2022 election.
According to federal prosecutions, Braddock viewed Luna — referred to in court documents as Victim-1, the Republican Party frontrunner — as his only obstacle to winning the primary.
He disparaged Luna for months to her peers and tried to involve himself in her life, court documents show. Then, in June 2021, during a phone call with one of Luna’s acquaintances, he threatened to have her murdered.
The court documents state he threatened to “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” who could make Luna “disappear.”
“I will be the next congressman for this district. Period. End of discussion,” he said, according to federal prosecutors. “And anybody going up against me is [expletive] ignorant for doing so.”
He continued by calling Luna “ignorant” and because of that, “I don’t have a problem taking her out, but I’m not going to do that dirty work myself, obviously.”
Then in November 2021, Braddock flew to Thailand and then settled in the Philippines where he remained until surrendering to Manila authorities in June 2023.
In September 2024, he was indicted and deported to the United States to stand trial.
Luna is currently serving her second term as the U.S. House Representative for Florida’s 13 Congressional District.
