rally

A man accused of brandishing a rifle at a “No Kings Day” rally in Utah — prompting an armed safety volunteer to open fire and accidentally kill a protester — has been released from jail while the investigation continues.

Salt Lake County Dist. Atty. Sim Gill’s office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa, who had been jailed on suspicion of murder after the June 14 shooting.

Salt Lake City police had said Gamboa brought an assault-style rifle to the rally and was moving toward the crowd with the weapon raised when a safety volunteer for the event fired three shots, wounding Gamboa and killing a nearby demonstrator, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo.

Gamboa did not fire his rifle and it is unclear what he intended to do with it. His father, Albert Gamboa, told the Associated Press this week that his son was “an innocent guy” who was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Utah is an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street. The volunteer has not been publicly identified as investigators have worked to determine who was at fault.

Judge James Blanch said in the release order that Gamboa must live with his father and is forbidden from possessing firearms. The conditions terminate after two months or if criminal charges against him are pursued, Blanch wrote.

Gamboa’s attorney, Greg Skordas, did not immediately respond to a telephone message left for him seeking comment.

Police said the day after the shooting that witnesses reported seeing Gamboa lift the rifle when he was ordered to drop it and that instead he began running toward the crowd. He fled but was arrested nearby, accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death.

Salt Lake City police said in a statement the next day that Gamboa “knowingly engaged in conduct … that ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member.”

But three days after Gamboa was booked into jail, with no formal charges filed, police acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained uncertain. They issued a public appeal for any video footage related to the shooting or Gamboa, and said detectives were still trying “to piece together exactly what happened.”

The volunteer who confronted Gamboa was described by event organizers as a military veteran whose role as a safety volunteer was to maintain order.

Experts say it’s extremely rare for such individuals, often called safety marshals, to be armed. They typically rely on calm demeanor, communication and relationships with police and protesters to help keep order, said Edward Maguire, an Arizona State University criminology and criminal justice professor.

Police said the permit for the protest did not specify that there would be armed security.

Protest organizers have not said whether or how the safety volunteer who shot Ah Loo was trained or explained why he was armed. All attendees, including those in safety roles, were asked not to bring weapons, according to Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for the 50501 Movement. Parker’s organization on Thursday said it was disassociating from a local chapter of the group that helped organize the Utah protest.

The demonstration involving some 18,000 people was otherwise peaceful. It was one of hundreds nationwide involving millions of demonstrators against President Trump’s policies — which they likened to the dictatorial actions of a monarch — and his military parade in Washington, which marked the Army’s 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump’s birthday.

Brown writes for the Associated Press.

Despite a heavy downpour and slippery roads, supporters of presidential candidate Tidjane Thiam poured into Abidjan’s streets in the thousands on Saturday to march on the offices of the Ivory Coast electoral commission.

Decked in the white and green colours of Thiam’s main opposition Democratic Party of Ivory Coast (PDCI), the demonstrators chanted his nickname – “Thithi president!” – in a show of support for a candidate now officially barred from the vote. Placards reading “There’s no Plan B!” flew high amid protest songs.

“We strongly denounce the arbitrary and unjustified removal of President Thiam, as well as other major opposition leaders,” PDCI’s executive secretary, Sylvestre Emmou, one of few people allowed through a large police barricade to submit a complaint to the commission, told his soaked compatriots. “This is unacceptable and dangerous for peace and democracy in our country,” he said.

The protests highlight rising tensions in West Africa’s second-biggest economy, ahead of the October general elections that many fear could lead to violence in a country with still-fresh memories of the 2011 election-related civil war.

At stake is Ivory Coast’s continued stability amid a regional security crisis, but a likely fourth-term bid by incumbent President Alassane Ouattara has concerned many voters and political rivals, alongside what critics say is the government’s targeted ban on opponents.

Ouattara’s strongest challenger, Thiam, was struck from a final list of candidates on June 4 after the electoral commission said he was ineligible to run because he’d automatically lost Ivorian citizenship when he took French citizenship in the 1980s.

Although Thiam gave up his French nationality to regain his Ivorian one in February, a court ruled in May that he was not technically Ivorian when he enrolled in the electoral register in 2022.

Thiam’s supporters accuse Ouattara, who has led since 2011, of clearing the way for a fourth term. The last elections in 2020 were boycotted by the opposition, which argued Ouattara had reached his term limits, handing him an easy victory. In the 2015 elections, Ouattara was a clear favourite.

Former President Laurent Gbagbo and his old right-hand man Charles Ble Goude have been struck off too for convictions related to the 2011 civil war. Ex-Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, who was convicted of fraud, was also removed.

Ouattara will suffer illegitimacy if he runs without those four, Sylvain N’Guessan, a politics professor at the University of Bondoukou, told Al Jazeera.

“He will be seen as a candidate who had to exclude all other serious candidates to impose himself. What relationship will such a president have with the other parties, with the voters?” he said.

A ‘new face’ in turbulent politics

Many Ivorians, particularly young voters, view businessman Thiam as a breath of fresh air and a departure from the divisive establishment politics that have seen power concentrated in the hands of a few.

At 62, he is two decades younger than Ouattara and is related to Felix Houphouet-Boigny, the first Ivorian prime minister. Thiam was the first Ivorian student to land a place at Paris’s prestigious Ecole Polytechnique in 1982, from where he was launched to top-flight firms like consulting giant McKinsey. In 1994, he returned home to take up a ministerial position that saw him launch several infrastructure projects. A military coup in 1999, however, cut short that career.

In 2015, he became the first African head of Swiss bank Credit Suisse but stepped down in 2019 after an espionage scandal: a colleague accused Thiam of spying on him, although a court later cleared him of wrongdoing. In 2022, Thiam returned to the Ivory Coast and the once-ruling PDCI party.

Thiam’s party promises a return to the economic development that flourished under Houphouet-Boigny, who is credited with the “Ivorian Miracle” or the rapid development that came after colonial rule.

Thiam has also promised to include everyone, regardless of ethnicity or religion.

“He presents as a new leader, a new face who could lead Cote d’Ivoire differently,” N’Guessan said, adding that young Ivorians were tired of faces like Ouattara’s and Gbagbo’s, who are associated with turbulent politics.

Critics say his international career means he’s out of touch locally, but Thiam claims he is nonetheless well-loved. In an interview with the BBC in April, he accused the government of specifically targeting him with a colonial-era law he said was rarely used. Thiam pointed to Ivorian-French footballers who hold dual nationalities and play for French clubs and the Ivorian national team.

“I don’t think anyone in Cote d’Ivoire believes that this is not a case of the government exploiting the legal system,” he said, referring to his removal based on nationality. “This government has been in power for 15 years. Does it deserve five more? For me, that’s what should be at the centre of the presidential campaign, not my passport,” Thiam said at the time.

Al Jazeera reached out to the Ivorian government for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication.

Away from identity politics

A day after Thiam’s supporters gathered in Abidjan, Ouattara’s ruling Rally of Houphouetists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) members also rallied in Yopougon, the most populous suburb of Abidjan.

Banners reading “In Yopougon, our champion is ADO”, a reference to the president’s nickname, were stretched across a stage where senior party members extolled Ouattara. The gathering set the stage for the party’s grand congress on June 21-22, where Ouattara is expected to officially announce his candidacy.

“There is only one road – the road of President Alassane Ouattara,” former prime minister Patrick Achi declared to the gathered crowd.

Ouattara, 83, is rumoured to be half-Burkinabe. He was the target of inflammatory identity politics for years, with his rivals questioning his “Ivoirite” and enforcing laws that disqualified him from running. When he finally won elections in 2011, Gbagbo refused to hand over power, resulting in a civil war that killed some 3,000 people.

Ouattara has since amended the Ivorian constitution to allow presidential candidates with at least one Ivorian parent in a 2016 referendum. He has nurtured the country back from the brink into a flourishing economy, evident in the 7 percent average yearly growth recorded in the past decade.

Then in 2020, Outtara ran in and won elections. Critics and boycotting opposition said his third-term bid was unconstitutional while Outtara argued his mandate was reset by the new constitution. Violence was reported in some areas.

N’Guessan said Ivorians don’t have the appetite for the immense suffering of 2011, and warned that reviving identity politics by preventing Thiam from running once again is “dangerous”.

“We should learn the lessons to address the issue of nationality with a little more perspective,” he said. “The same words produce the same effects, the same evils.”

This past week Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump spoke at a rally. Trump’s speech seemed familiar: Disparage Los Angeles (“trash heap”). Criticize Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass (“incompetent, and they paid troublemakers, agitators and insurrectionists”). Restate grievances about the 2020 election (“rigged and stolen”). Chide the crowd to support the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (“You better push your favorite congressmen”).

But this speech was different from his others. The location was Ft. Bragg in North Carolina — and the audience was mostly soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, the “All Americans.” Internal unit communications revealed soldiers at the rally were screened based on political leanings and physical appearance. “If soldiers have political views that are in opposition to the current administration,” the guidance advised, “and they don’t want to be in the audience then they need to speak with their leadership and get swapped out.”

So what followed was to be expected. A sea of young soldiers in uniform — selected for their preference for the president — cheering and clapping for partisan commentary. This obviously violates Defense Department regulations. Heck, it’s even spelled out in a handy Pentagon FAQ:

Q. Can I ever wear my uniform when I attend political events?

A. No; military members must refrain from participating in political activity while in military uniform in accordance with both DoDD 1344.10 and DoDI 1344.01. This prohibition applies to all Armed Forces members.

But what happened during Trump’s appearance at the Army base is worse than breaking regs. The commander in chief forced an important unit to choose sides. He broke the All Americans in two. In essence, his statement to the troops there was: “Those who like me and my politics, come to my rally. The rest of you — beat it.” (Maybe we should start calling them the “Some Americans.”)

Imagine what it was like the day after. The soldiers who chose not to attend wondered how their next rating would go. Some lieutenant from California worried if his commander now has a problem with where he’s from — and is checking whether he was at the rally. Maybe it’s better if he wasn’t, and he instead chose to abide by Defense regulations?

No matter which way you lean, that speech injected partisan acid into the 82nd Airborne. And it will drip down and corrode from the stars at the top to the lowest-ranking private.

Militaries require extraordinary cohesion to function in combat. For those of us who’ve chosen this profession, one thing is burned into our brains from that very first day our hair’s shorn off: We’re all we’ve got. There’s nobody else. When you are hundreds and thousands of miles away from everyone else you’ve ever known, and you’re there for weeks and months and a year, you realize just how important the person next to you is, regardless of where they’ve come from, who their parents are, or whether their community votes red or blue.

Fighting units are like five separate fingers that form a fist. Partisan acid burns and weakens our fist.

Then there are the indirect effects. This speech damaged the military’s standing with a large swath of America. The image of soldiers cheering the partisan applause lines of a commander in chief who just sent thousands of troops to Los Angeles over the state’s objections? Not a good look.

These optics risk ruining the military’s trust with roughly half of America. The military is the last remaining federal institution that a majority of Americans trust “a great deal.” But it’s been slipping since the last Trump administration and may fall under 50%. Yet the military requires firm trust to fund and fill critical needs.

That’s important because not everyone wants to serve in the military. Many would prefer not to think about the expected self-sacrifice, or the daily discomforts of military discipline. Moreover, not everyone is even able to serve in the military. Roughly three-quarters of young Americans can’t qualify.

What if someone who would have been the next Mike Mullen — Los Angeles native, Navy admiral and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs — gets turned off by this rally and opts against the Naval Academy?

Then zoom out a little. What if much of California takes offense at this speech, not to mention at the soldiers and Marines so recently forced upon the local and state governments?

California hosts more active-duty troops than any other state — by a wide margin. It’s also the biggest donor state in the country, contributing $83 billion more to the federal government than it receives. The bases and other strategic locations up and down the Pacific Coast are beyond value. California is America’s strong right arm.

To sever California’s support for the military is simply unthinkable. It just can’t happen. We’ve got to fix this.

The first fix is simple. Hold troops to the accepted standards. Hegseth’s most recent book argued that the Defense Department has “an integrity and accountability problem.” Here’s the secretary’s chance to show America he stands for standards.

But we know mistakes happen, and this could become a powerful teachable moment: When the commander in chief orders troops to such an event, the only acceptable demeanor is the stone cold silence the generals and admirals of the Joint Chiefs display at the State of the Union, regardless of their politics and regardless of what the president is saying. Just a few years ago, two Marines in a similarly awful situation did just this right thing.

A further fix calls for more individuals to act: The roughly 7,500 retired generals and admirals in America need to speak up. The military profession’s nonpartisan ethic is at a breaking point. They know the old military saying: When you spot something substandard, and you fail to correct it, then you’ve just set a new standard.

The reason many of these retired senior officers often don’t speak out is their fear that defending neutrality risks having a political impact. Yet their continued silence carries a grave institutional effect — the slow-motion suicide of the profession that gave them their stars.

The president mentioned Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in his speech, and it’s too bad his speechwriter didn’t include a certain anecdote that would’ve fit the occasion. When the Civil War was over and terms were being agreed upon at Appomattox Court House, Lee noticed Col. Ely Parker, a Tonawanda Seneca man serving on Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s staff. Lee quipped, “I am glad to see one real American here.”

To which Parker replied, “We are all Americans.” Since that very moment, we’ve been one country and one Army, All Americans, indivisible and inseparable from society.

If only we can keep it.

ML Cavanaugh is the author of the forthcoming book “Best Scar Wins: How You Can Be More Than You Were Before.” @MLCavanaugh

SALT LAKE CITY — The 39-year-old man shot and killed at a weekend “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City was a successful fashion designer and former “Project Runway” contestant who devoted his life to celebrating artists from the Pacific Islands.

Arthur Folasa Ah Loo was killed when a man who was believed to be part of a peacekeeping team for the protest shot at a person brandishing a rifle at demonstrators, accidentally striking Ah Loo. Ah Loo later died at a hospital, authorities said.

Detectives don’t yet know why the alleged rifleman pulled out a weapon or ran from the peacekeepers, but they charged him with murder and accused him of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said at a Sunday news conference.

The “self-taught” fashion designer from Samoa, known to many as Afa, was deeply connected to his culture and community, according to the website Creative Pacific, a nonprofit organization he co-founded to support artists from the Pacific Islands. Ah Loo’s designs, which often featured colorful geometric patterns, were inspired by his Samoan heritage.

Ah Loo leaves behind his wife and two young children, according to a GoFundMe for his family that raised over $100,000 in 48 hours.

He was a founder of Utah Pacific Fashion, an organization that celebrates artistic heritage from Oceania. Recently, he designed a garment for the star of the Disney Channel animated movie “Moana 2,” Hawaiian actor Auliʻi Cravalho.

Cravalho wore the outfit to the film’s red carpet premiere in Hawaii in November. She said in an interview with Vogue at the time that the design combined traditional and modern aesthetics from her culture. Ah Loo strung individual white dovetail shells into a cape-like shape reminiscent of Hawaiian ʻahu ʻula — a feather cloak worn by ancient Hawaiian royalty, according to Vogue.

“This was the first time I was so active in helping to design a custom look, and Afa surpassed what I had envisioned,” Cravalho told the magazine at the time.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. It’s awards time for high school baseball and softball.

All-star teams

Quentin Young of Oaks Christian sends a slider over the fence in left field at Cleveland High on Monday. Oaks Christian won 5-3.

(Craig Weston)

Pitcher Seth Hernandez of Corona is The Times’ baseball player of the year for the second consecutive season. He improved on his performance and put together a two-year run in which he went 18-1. Here’s a profile on the impact he made.

The Times’ All-Star baseball team includes Quentin Young of Oaks Christian. He moved to shortstop and hit 14 home runs. Here’s a look at the All-Star team.

Second-year coach Andy Rojo has St. John Bosco in the Division 1 final.

(Nick Koza)

The coach of the year is St. John Bosco’s Andy Rojo, who guided the Braves to their first Southern Section Division 1 championship along with the Southern California Division 1 regional championship and their first Trinity League title since 2017. Here’s the report.

Here’s the final top 25 rankings by The Times with St. John Bosco at No. 1.

Kai Minor of Orange Lutheran showing off her defensive skills.

(Nick Koza)

Oklahoma-bound Kai Minor of Orange Lutheran is The Times’ softball player of the year. Here’s the report on the impact she made for the Lancers.

Here’s The Times’ All-Star softball team.

The Times’ coach of the year is Rick Robinson of Norco. He put together a team of young and old and guided the Cougars to the Southern Section Division 1 championship. Here’s the report.

Dorsey football coach Stafon Johnson with son Deuce, a junior receiver.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Dorsey football coach Stafon Johnson used to be a star running back for the Dons and USC. He knows all about running the ball, so there was a little comedy seeing the Dons playing in a seven on seven passing tournament at Western High. Except Johnson has embraced the passing game with the arrival of quarterback Elijah McDaniel, a sophomore transfer from Warren. And Johnson’s son, Deuce, is a standout junior receiver.

So the Dons will be active this summer in passing tournaments. Not that Johnson wouldn’t prefer to run the football. He’ll never lose his love for seeing running backs gain yards.

City Section coaches had their annual meeting at the Rams’ locker room at SoFi Stadium to discuss changes and updates for the fall season.

It was announced that View Park Prep won’t have a football team this season, leaving Metro League teams scrambling to fill games.

Former L.A. Jordan quarterback James Boyd, who was the City Section player of the year, is the new head coach for the Bulldogs. He’s 33 years old.

Here’s a look at more City Section football news. . . .

La Serna won the Los Altos passing tournament. Orange Lutheran won the Chargers tournament using three quarterbacks. Schurr won the SGV tournament.

Notes . . .

Offensive lineman Sam Utu of Orange Lutheran has committed to Alabama. . . .

Defensive back Derrick Johnson of Murrieta Valley has committed to Oklahoma. . . .

Safety Logan Hirou of Santa Margarita has committed to UCLA. . . .

Offensive lineman Cooper Javorsky of San Juan Hills has committed to UCLA. . . .

Tight end Beckham Hofland of Los Alamitos has committed to Boise State. . . .

Former Gardena Serra defensive lineman Robert James has changed his commitment from Fresno State to UCLA and will play for the Bruins this fall. . . .

Former Orange Lutheran linebacker Talanoa Ili, now at Kahuku, has committed to USC. . . .

Defensive lineman Kingston Schirmer of Corona Centennial has commited to Cal. . . .

Tyler Lee of El Camino Real was chosen the City Section player of the year in boys volleyball. Here are the complete All-City teams. . . .

Shalen Sheppard of Brentwood won a gold medal representing the USA U16 national basketball team. He’ll be a sophomore. . . .

Luke Howe of El Camino Real.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Luke Howe of El Camino Real is the City Section player of the year in baseball. Here’s the complete All-City team.

Addison Moorman of Granada Hills is the City Section player of the year in softball. Here’s the complete All-City team.

DeAndre Cole is the new boys basketball coach at Compton Centennial. . . .

Jake Tatch of JSerra has been selected the Gatorade state player of the year in boys soccer. He’s headed to Michigan. . . .

Oaks Christian water polo coach Jack Kocur is the head coach for the USA Junior National team at the World Aquatics U20 Water Polo championships this summer. . . .

Deon Green is the new girls basketball coach at Chino. . . .

Chaminade has decided to add a flag football team. . . .

St. John Bosco closer Jack Champlin has committed to Washington. . . .

Former Servite star Max Thomas of USC finished second in the 100 meters at the NCAA track and field championships and helped the Trojans, coached by former Taft great Quincy Watts, win the NCAA title. . . .

The Fairfax basketball tournament originally scheduled to be held this week at Fairfax High has been changed to Pan Pacific Park.

From the archives: Max Muncy

Former Thousand Oaks High School shortstop Max Muncy celebrates following a home run during a game in 2021.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Thousand Oaks grad Max Muncy, the “other” Max Muncy, is getting hot in his return to playing for the Athletics.

He got recalled from the minor leagues and started showing power. He’s playing third base while his former Thousand Oaks teammate, Jacob Wilson, is the shortstop. Muncy graduated in 2021 and Wilson in 2020.

Here’s a story about Muncy and Wilson being together at Thousand Oaks.

Here’s a story from 2021 on how Muncy kept improving to become a pro prospect.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on an adaptive tennis program making a difference.

From NFHS.org, a story on how to start archery as a P.E. program.

From the Los Angeles Times, a look back at the life of former Verbum Dei star David Greenwood.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Prep Rally will take the next two weeks off and return on July 7.

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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A demonstrator was shot and killed at Salt Lake City’s “No Kings” protest when a man believed to be part of the event’s peacekeeping team fired at another man allegedly aiming a rifle at protesters, authorities said Sunday.

Police took the alleged rifleman, Arturo Gamboa, 24, into custody Saturday evening on a murder charge, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said at a Sunday news conference. The demonstrator, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, died at the hospital.

Detectives don’t yet know why Gamboa pulled out a rifle or ran from the peacekeepers, but they accused him of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death. The Associated Press did not immediately find an attorney listed for Gamboa or contact information for his family in public records.

Redd said a man dressed in a brightly colored vest fired three shots from a handgun at Gamboa, inflicting a relatively minor injury but fatally shooting Ah Loo.

The gunshots sent hundreds of protesters running, some hiding behind barriers and fleeing into parking garages and nearby businesses, police said in a statement. “That’s a gun. Come on, come on, get out,” someone can be heard saying in a video posted to social media that appears to show the events.

“No Kings” protests swept across the country Saturday, as millions rallied in cities nationwide against what demonstrators view as President Trump’s monarch-like, authoritarian excesses. Confrontations were largely isolated.

The Utah chapter of the 50501 Movement, which helped organize the protests, said in a statement on Instagram that they condemned the violence.

The Utah chapter did not immediately respond to AP questions about the peacekeeping team. It was unclear who hired the peacekeepers, whether they were volunteers or what their training was prior to the event. Redd said that the peacekeepers’ actions are also part of the investigation.

The shooter and another person in a vest allegedly saw Gamboa separate from the crowd of marchers in downtown Salt Lake City, move behind a wall and withdraw a rifle around 8 p.m., Redd said.

When the two men in vests confronted Gamboa with their handguns drawn, witnesses said Gamboa raised his rifle into a firing position and ran toward the crowd, said Redd.

That’s when one of the men dressed in the bright vests shot three rounds, hitting Gamboa and Ah Loo, said Redd. Gamboa, who police said didn’t have a criminal history, was wounded and treated before being booked into jail.

Police said they recovered an AR-15 style rifle, a gas mask and a backpack at the scene.

Bedayn writes for the Associated Press.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s strong fourth quarter carries Oklahoma City Thunder to crucial road win over Indiana Pacers, levelling the best-of-seven finals series at 2-2.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a gritty 111-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers that levelled the NBA Finals at two games apiece.

Frustrated for much of the game by Indiana’s relentless defence, NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Gilgeous-Alexander found a way to fight through on Friday.

He followed a 3-pointer with a pull-up jumper to give the Thunder their first lead since the first half with 2:23 remaining in the contest.

They wouldn’t trail again. Gilgeous-Alexander, who didn’t get to the free-throw line in the first half, added six free throws in the final 44 seconds.

“It’s a dog fight,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after another intense, physical battle between the two teams. “Every time you step on the floor, on both ends of the floor they make you work.”

Jalen Williams scored 27 points, Chet Holmgren added 14 points and 15 rebounds and Alex Caruso chipped in with 20 points off the bench for the Thunder.

Pascal Siakam scored 20 points to lead Indiana, adding eight rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points, Obi Toppin added 17 off the bench and the Pacers led by 10 late in the third quarter.

But Oklahoma City – who dropped back-to-back games just twice this season and haven’t lost consecutive games in the playoffs – clamped down defensively in the fourth, determined not to fall in a 3-1 hole.

“We knew it when we woke up this morning – 3-1 is a lot different than 2-2 going back home,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We played with desperation to the end of the game and that’s why we won.”

Gilgeous-Alexander said the Thunder must “maintain the same desperation” when they host Game 5 on Monday.

The Thunder are seeking their first title since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, having won it all in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics.

Close first half

The Pacers, chasing their first NBA title, struck first in another fast-paced opening quarter in front of their energised fans, making four of their first five shots and building a nine-point lead midway through the opening period.

Oklahoma hit back, putting together a 9-0 run to tie it, but the Pacers – with a strong defensive effort on Gilgeous-Alexander and four steals from Pascal Siakam – emerged from the first period with a 35-34 lead.

The back-and-forth battle continued in the second when Oklahoma City led by as many as six but could never pull away and Haliburton converted a three-point play – driving through traffic for a layup and making the free throw, his first of the series – to put Indiana up 60-57 at halftime.

By then, tensions had already ratcheted up. Toppin was assessed a flagrant foul for a check that sent Alex Caruso sprawling under the basket.

Thunder centre Isaiah Hartenstein confronted Toppin and both received technical fouls.

Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort was later assessed a flagrant foul for swiping an arm over Toppin’s head.

OKC rallies late

Toppin gave Indiana the first double-digit lead of the game with a dunk that put them up 86-76 late in the third.

But the Thunder dug deep, tying it up four times in the fourth quarter before Gilgeous-Alexander came through.

“You’re up seven at home you’ve got to dig in and find a way and we were not able to do it tonight,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “But give them credit. They kept attacking, kept attacking, and their defence was great down the stretch.”

Oklahoma City closed the game on a 12-1 scoring run, and Gilgeous-Alexander was the driving force.

“He’s unreal,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, although Caruso said nothing Gilgeous-Alexander does surprises him any more.

“I’ve seen him do it night after night,” Caruso said. “He doesn’t show a lot of emotion on the court, but he’s one of the most competitive guys in this league.”

MINNEAPOLIS — Napheesa Collier scored 26 of her 32 points in the first half while Courtney Williams added 17 points and the Minnesota Lynx returned to their winning ways by beating the Los Angeles Sparks 101-78 on Saturday.

Reserves Natisha Hiedeman had 14 points and Maria Kliundikova finished with 11 for the Lynx (10-1), who were handed their first loss of the season on Wednesday by the Seattle Storm, 94-84.

Kelsey Plum scored 20 points, Rickea Jackson added 18, reserve Emma Cannon had 14 and Dearica Hamby finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Sparks (4-8).

It was Collier’s third 30-plus point effort of the season. She started the year with season-high 34 points in a win over Dallas on May 16. Collier followed that with a 33-point effort a week later against Connecticut.

Against the Sparks, however, with the game in hand, Collier sat the fourth quarter after a 13-for-16 shooting performance including three for four from three-point range.

Collier recorded more field goals in the first quarter than Los Angeles as a team. She was seven-for-nine shooting compared to the Sparks who were four for seven. Minnesota led 34-15 at the end of one.

By halftime, Collier was at 10-for-12 shooting while Los Angeles overall still trailed her by shooting only seven for 30. Minnesota led 58-26 at halftime for its highest scoring half of the season.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. The summer season has begun. Let’s examine what to look for.

Summer fun

Mater Dei tight end Mark Bowman, a USC commit, leads the defending Division 1 champion Monarchs.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

The 2025-26 season starts with a busy summer of preparation, when freshmen and transfers get their first looks from coaches in the off season. Football teams have begun competing in seven on seven events, hitting the weight room and beginning the process of getting into shape for the start of the season Aug. 22.

Fans wanting to get a sneak peek at this season’s fall stars, here are some tournaments to watch.

The L.A. Chargers are hosting a tournament June 14 in El Segundo. Arroyo High also has a tournament June 14. Palos Verdes has a tournament June 21. The Saugus tournament is June 21 at Central Park. St. John Bosco, Mission Viejo, Simi Valley and Baldwin Park are having tournaments June 28. Edison’s Battle at the Beach is July 12 and a must-see event. Long Beach Poly is hosting a tournament July 19 that includes Mater Dei, which is also in the Mission Viejo tournament.

In basketball, the California LIVE tournament for girls is June 12-14 in Roseville and for boys June 27-29 at Ladera Sports Center and San Juan Hills High. The Section 7 tournament for boys is June 20-22 at the Arizona Athletic Grounds and June 13-14 for girls. The War on the Floor tournament is June 19-22 at Chaminade and El Camino Real. The Maranatha tournament is June 9-14. The Fairfax tournament is June 16-21.

In baseball, the Area Code tournament featuring class of 2026 and 2027 players is Aug. 6-11 at Blair Field in Long Beach. The Area Code underclass tournament is Aug. 1-5.

Remember Southern Section schools have to take a mandatory two-week dead period in each sport, where coaches are not allowed to work with athletes.

Baseball

James Clark of St. John Bosco gets a triple against Patrick Henry.

(Steve Galluzzo)

St. John Bosco culminated the greatest baseball season in school history by winning the Southern California Division I regional. The Braves previously won the Trinity League title and the Southern Section Division 1 championship. From shortstop James Clark to relief pitcher Jack Champlin, coach Andy Rojo’s Braves finished 30-4 and beat one top team after another. Here’s a report on their final win.

If you want an early look at top teams for 2026, here they are: 1. St. John Bosco, 2. Harvard-Westlake, 3. Corona, 4. Norco, 5. JSerra.

Two awards for Seth Hernandez

Pitcher Seth Hernandez leads No. 1-ranked Corona.

(Nick Koza)

It’s awards season, and Corona pitcher Seth Hernandez is going to be busy. Last week, he was named the state player of the year by Gatorade, then the national player of the year by Gatorade.

Hernandez went 9-1 this season and should be a top pick in next month’s baseball draft.

He was home schooled until joining Corona his junior year and finished with a two-year mark of 18-1.

Here’s the report and video from the announcement.

Capt. Keeler

Dan Keeler, from the 1994 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame yearbook, will be the commander of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln

(Sherman Oaks Notre Dame Yearbook.)

For all the push-ups completed, for all the running drills endured and for all the yelling received during his days playing high school football at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High in the 1990s, Dan Keeler is getting the last laugh later this month when he takes command of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in Coronado.

“Now I’m going to have to salute him,” former Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney quipped.

A story on the impact coaches can have on their players’ lives.

Softball

El Modena finished runner-up in the Division I regional to Chula Vista Mater Dei.

Lots of top teams chose to opt out of participating due to club commitments, graduation and other issues. The CIF intends to hold state championships in softball and baseball soon, so finding a way to get the top teams to participate will be a priority.

The regular season must end sooner to be held before school lets out or the problems will continue.

Golf

Southern California is where golf prodigies Tiger Woods and Patrick Cantlay first began to receive attention as youths, and 15-year-old Jaden Soong, a member of the Class of 2028 at St. Francis High in La Cañada, is on the same path.

On Tuesday, he mastered Poppy Hills Country Club, shooting a nine-under 62 to win the CIF state championship in Pebble Beach. He had no bogeys, seven birdies and an eagle. He’s believed to be the youngest to win a CIF individual golf title. PGA winners Cantlay (Servite) and Rickie Fowler (Murrieta Valley) are former winners of the event.

Here’s a look at his amazing performance.

Notes . . .

Sydney Douglas, who was a 6-foot-7 starting freshman for Ontario Christian’s championship girls basketball team, has transferred to Corona Centennial. . . .

John Andrade is the new soccer coach at Viewpoint. . . .

Offensive lineman Anthony Rodriguez of Long Beach Poly has committed to San Jose State. . . .

Junior receiver Gavin Honore of Mater Dei has committed to Georgia. . . .

Former Hart, UCLA and major leaguer Trevor Brown is the new baseball coach at West Ranch. He was known for his versatility, playing everything from catcher to the infield. . . .

St. Francis basketball coach Todd Wolfson will also be the school’s interim athletic director. Matt Luderer has been on leave while battling an illness. . . .

Gina Hairapetian has resigned after 22 years as softball coach at Chaminade. . . .

Offensive lineman Josh Haney from JSerra has committed to Fresno State.

From the archives: Ralphy Velazquez

Ralphy Velazquez during his Huntington Beach days.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Ralphy Velazquez, a former Huntington Beach baseball standout, is playing in the Cleveland Guardians organization. The 2023 first-round draft pick has eight home runs this season in the minors playing in high-A ball.

Here’s a story from 2023 discussing his power potential.

Recommendations

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on skateboarders in their 50s and 60s.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on Palisades High allowing its graduates to enjoy the Hollywood Bowl as the site for its ceremony with some celebrity speakers.

From the Los Angeles Times, the story of a high school track runner being disqualified at the state track championships for using a fire extinguisher.

From On3, a story on the new NIL rules approved by a judge for college athletics.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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June 8 (UPI) — Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in central Madrid Sunday to push back on the policies of Spain’s socialist prime minister Pedro Sanchez, demanding an early election as his party continues to battle corruption allegations.

Sunday’s protest was organized under the slogan “mafia or democracy” by the opposition conservative People’s party, and drew between 45,000 and 50,000 people, according to official estimates. Organizers put the attendance at closer to 100,000, the Guardian reported.

Sanchez, his family and his Spanish Socialist Workers’ party, have faced corruption allegations over the past year, but have intensified in recent days as a former member of his party was accused of initiating a campaign against the Guardia Civil police after officers investigated Sanchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, his brother, David Sanchez, and former transportation minister Jose Luis Abalos.

Demonstrators gathered Sunday in the midday sun in Plaza de Espana, carrying signs that read “Sanchez traitor” and “government resign.” People’s party leader Alberto Nunex Feijoo renewed calls for a snap election.

“Spain needs a revolution of decent and freedom – and will lead that revolution from the streets and at the ballot boxes, Freijoo told the protestors. “Mr. Sanchez, stop hiding, stop lying and stop running. Spain knows only too well who you are and what you have done. Yield to democracy. Call an election: we want one now because no one voted for this, not even your supporters.

Sanchez has pushed back on his opponents, accusing them of conducting a harassment and bullying operation against him and his family, calling allegations against his wife are designed to bring about his “personal and political collapse.”

June 8 (UPI) — More than 1,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Sunday as part of WorldPride 2025 to protest what organizers called a “coordinated and systemic attack” on human rights.

The rally, which promotes LGBTQ+ visibility with events around the world and pushes back on an increasingly hostile attitude towards gay, lesbian and transgender people that organizers said has been stepped up under the Trump administration.

“Our fundamental freedoms — and our very democracy — are at risk,” a statement on the WorldPride website said. “And if we fail to recognize the urgency of this moment, we’ll only have ourselves to blame. Resist the marginalization and persecution of people just for being who they are.”

The Washington event, which saw marchers gather at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, is being hosted by DC’s Capital Pride Alliance, which is marking 50 years of celebrating Pride Month in the capital.

Marchers gathered near the Reflecting Pool at the Lincoln Memorial waving rainbow colored Pride flags representing transgender and bisexual communities and held up signs that read “Proud and Gay,” “Trans rights are human rights,” and “Gender affirming care saved my life.”

The rally and march on the National Mall came a day after a march through the streets of Washington. The Sunday event is scheduled to conclude with a festival and concert.

Former vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris made an unannounced appearance at the Sunday event.

Hundreds of people gathered along the parade route, and marchers waved rainbow flags and balloons as they gathered along the steps and columns of the National City Christian Church.

June is Pride Month and is celebrated this year amid President Donald Trump‘s push to remove transgender members from the military and roll back diversity, equity and inclusion policies at federal agencies and at universities that receive federal money.

Federal agents have fired flashbangs and tear gas towards crowds angered by the arrests of dozens of migrants in Los Angeles, United States, a city with a large Latino population.

The Department for Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Los Angeles this week had led to the arrest of “118 aliens, including five gang members”.

The standoff came on Saturday in the suburb of Paramount, where demonstrators gathered outside a reported federal facility, which the local mayor said was being used as a staging post by agents.

On Friday, masked and armed immigration agents carried out high-profile workplace raids across different parts of Los Angeles, drawing angry crowds and causing hours-long standoffs.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged that some residents were “feeling fear” following the federal actions.

“Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable,” she said on X.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said multiple arrests had been made after Friday’s clashes.

“You bring chaos, and we’ll bring handcuffs. Law and order will prevail,” he said on X.

The White House has taken a firm stance against the protests, with deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller describing them as “an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States”.

June 6 (UPI) — Several thousand veterans converged on the National Mall on Friday at a rally among 200 events nationwide against a proposed overhaul that includes staffing reduction and some services shifted.

The Veterans Administration counters the new proposed budget is higher than last year, processing of claims have sped up and it’s easier to get benefits.

Veterans, military families and others participated in the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, which was the Allies’ amphibious invasion of German-occupied France.

The protests, which were organized by a union, took place at 16 state capitol buildings and more than 100 other places across 43 states.

“We are coming together to defend the benefits, jobs and dignity that every generation of veterans has earned through sacrifice,” Unite for Veterans said on its website. “Veteran jobs, healthcare, and essential VA services are under attack. We will not stand by.”

Speakers in Washington included Democrats with military backgrounds: Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, former Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and California Rep. Derek Tran.

There were signs against President Donald Trump, VA Secretary Doug Collins and Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire who ran the Department of Government Efficiency. They said those leaders are betraying the country’s promises to troops.

“Are you tired of being thanked for our service in the public and stabbed in our back in private?” Army veteran Everett Kelly, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, asked the crowd.

“For years, politicians on both sides of the aisle have campaigned on their support of veterans, but once they get into office, they cut our benefits, our services. They take every opportunity to privatize our health care.”

The Trump administration plans to cut 83,000 VA staffers and shift more money from the federal health care system to private-sector clinics.

The administration’s proposed budget for the VA, released on Friday, slashes spending for “medical services” by $12bn – or nearly 20% – an amount offset by a corresponding 50% boost in funding for veterans seeking healthcare in the private sector.

The Department of Veterans Affairs employs approximately 482,000 people, including 500,000 workers at 170 hospitals and 1,200 local clinics in the nation’s largest health care system.

In all, there are 15.8 million veterans, which represents 6.1% of the civilian population 18 years and older.

VA officials said the event was misguided.

“Imagine how much better off veterans would be if VA’s critics cared as much about fixing the department as they do about protecting its broken bureaucracy,” VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz said in a statement to UPI. “The Biden Administration’s VA failed to address nearly all of the department’s most serious problems, such as rising health care wait times, growing backlogs of veterans waiting for disability compensation and major issues with survivor benefits.”

Kasperowicz told UPI disability claims backlog is already down 25% since Trump took office on Jan. 20 after it increased 24% during the Biden administration.

He said VA has opened 10 new healthcare clinics around the country, and Trump has proposed a 10% budget increase to $441.3 billion in fiscal year 2026.

The administration’s proposed budget for the VA reduces spending for “medical services” by $12 billion – or nearly 20% – which is offset by a 50% boost in funding for veterans seeking healthcare in the private sector.

Kasperowicz said the “VA is accelerating the deployment of its integrated electronic health record system, after the program was nearly dormant for almost two years under the Biden Administration.”

The event was modeled after the Bonus Army protests of the 1930s, when veterans who served in World War I gathered in the nation’s capital to demand extra pay denied after leaving the service.

Irma Westmoreland, a registered nurse working at a VA hospital and the secretary-treasurer of National Nurses United, told the crowd in Washington: “It’s important for every person to keep their job, from the engineering staff to the housekeeper to the dietary staff. When cuts are made, the nursing and medical staff will have to pick up all their work that needs to be done.”

WASHINGTON — President Bush, reaffirming his support for the anti-abortion movement, told an estimated 200,000 abortion foes gathered under a hot, cloudless sky in the nation’s capital Saturday that their mission “must be to help more and more Americans make the right choice–the choice for life.”

In a brief telephone address broadcast to the crowd over loudspeakers, Bush predicted that “one day, your life-saving message will have reached and influenced every American.” The President urged abortion opponents to “continue to work for the day when respect for human life is sacrosanct and beyond question.”

He added: “I know from your devotion and selflessness that this day cannot be far away.”

With the temperature hovering near 90 degrees, demonstrators spread blankets on the grass, sunbathed and ate picnic lunches in the shadow of the Washington Monument while waiting to hear Bush and to catch a glimpse of Vice President Dan Quayle, who spoke to them in person.

Many wore anti-abortion T-shirts and carried placards reading: “Stop Abortion Now,” “Let My People Grow,” and “Killing Should Never Be a Personal Choice.”

Their numbers far exceeded the estimated 75,000 to 100,000 people who came for the 17th annual March for Life last January, and for a time threatened to rival the 300,000 who attended an abortion rights rally here last year.

Officials from the National Right to Life Committee, which sponsored the rally, said the event was intended to show the strength of their cause, despite a series of recent setbacks suffered at the state level.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could impose restrictions on abortion. The decision, Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services, galvanized the abortion rights movement to work on behalf of candidates who share their views and to defeat attempts by state legislatures to curtail abortion.

The latest blow to the anti-abortion movement came Friday, when the Connecticut state Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill to ensure a woman’s right to an abortion even if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision guaranteeing that right. The Connecticut House already has passed the measure, and Gov. William A. O’Neill has promised to sign it.

Bush spoke to the demonstrators from the White House after returning from a five-hour fishing expedition on the Potomac River, where he caught several largemouth bass.

The President made no mention of proposals favored by many abortion foes to add a “human life” amendment to the Constitution. Nor did he refer to the possibility of the Supreme Court overturning its Roe vs. Wade ruling.

The Administration, confronted with a growing division within the Republican Party over its position on abortion, has emphasized its willingness in recent months to accommodate all points of view on the issue.

“In January of this year, I addressed the March for Life on this very issue,” Bush said. “And I said then, and reaffirm now, that your presence on the Mall today reminds all of us in government that Americans from all walks of life are committed to preserving the sanctity and dignity of human life.”

He called the widespread availability of abortion “a tragedy, not only in terms of lives destroyed, but because it so fundamentally contradicts the values that we as a nation hold dear. And when I look at adopted children, I give thanks that their parents chose life.”

Quayle, too, called the prevalence of abortion a “national tragedy.” But he seemed to take a less hard-line approach than he has in the past.

Quayle said that a majority of Americans oppose abortion on demand. “They may disagree about how best to turn the situation around, but almost all stand together against the terrible reality of unlimited abortion on demand,” he said.

Quayle said that “none of us, woman or man, can presume to judge those faced with a problem pregnancy.” But, he added, “the loss of some 25 million children in total to abortion since 1973 has been unspeakable.”

“It is as if we were shooting out the stars, one by one, preparing for ourselves an unending night of the most fearful darkness,” he continued. “You have been voices against the night . . . “

Referring to the growing dispute within GOP ranks–in which some Republican officials have said the GOP “tent” is large enough to include all views on abortion–Quayle said that abortion opponents make up “the largest coalition–I might add, the biggest tent–in American politics.”

Quayle said that Saturday’s demonstration could “begin a healing of the terrible wound which, for almost two decades, has torn at our country’s heart.”

Saying the anti-abortion movement was “more important than partisanship, and surely more important than personal advancement,” Quayle described it as “ the humanitarian movement of our time.”

He added: “Will the American people continue to accept the notion that unborn children are disposable?”

To shouts of “No” from the crowd, he responded: “Our answer is: Not in this country. Not now. Not ever.”

Olivia Gans, the rally director, told the demonstrators that the anti-abortion movement was not faltering, but gaining momentum.

“We are not losing,” she said. “We are winning. We are winning throughout the United States, despite what we hear and what we read. We are winning despite what (National Organization for Women president) Molly Yard has to say. And who listens to Molly Yard anyway?”

Meanwhile, in Portland, Ore., Yard spoke to a rally of about 2,000 people who had gathered to express their opposition to two proposed state laws that would restrict abortion rights. She reiterated that the anti-abortion movement was losing force across the country.

“(They) have lost in virtually every state legislature and they are losing in the elections across the country, and we expect them to lose heavily” in the November, 1990, elections, she said.

Many of the demonstrators in Washington said they traveled by bus, car and airplane from all over the country to show their support for an end to abortion.

“There’s really more people here than I could have imagined,” said James Davis, a paint factory production planner who drove 10 hours nonstop from Lancaster, Ky., with his wife and two children.

“Our prayers are being answered,” added his wife, Dora Sue.

Roger Bus, a lawyer from Kalamazoo, Mich., called the anti-abortion movement “more powerful than it’s ever been.”

And Carol Kraft, a bakery clerk from Emporia, Kan., said this was the first time she had attended an anti-abortion rally in Washington.

“I came because I want to take a stand for life,” she said. “I love life.”

In Southern California, a crowd of abortion opponents estimated by police at 8,300 made a human chain in the form of a cross along the streets of Van Nuys to coincide with the Washington demonstration. Police characterized the two-hour demonstration as peaceful.

“We wanted to send a clear message to politicians that there are many, many people out there who are opposed to abortion,” said Laura Gillen, an organizer of the event.

Organizers included Operation Rescue, the Right to Life League and more than 200 churches from San Diego to Bakersfield.

Participants, who formed the cross along Sherman Way and Van Nuys Boulevard, waved blue-and-white signs in English and Spanish reading “Abortion Kills Children.”

A small group of abortion rights activists carrying their own signs briefly disrupted the demonstration. Barri Falk, coordinator of the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the National Organization for Women, waved a sign that said “Honk for Choice.”

“We’re out here to show our support for life, too,” Falk said. “They want to oppress both men and women.”

Staff writer Mayerene Barker in Van Nuys contributed to this story.

June 6 (UPI) — Several thousand veterans converged on the National Mall on Friday to rally against proposed cuts to Veterans Affairs services, among 200 events nationwide.

Veterans, military families and others participated in the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, which was the Allies’ amphibious invasion of German-occupied France.

Veteran-led protests took place at 16 state capitol buildings and more than 100 other places across 43 states.

“We are coming together to defend the benefits, jobs and dignity that every generation of veterans has earned through sacrifice,” Unite for Veterans said on its website. “Veteran jobs, healthcare, and essential VA services are under attack. We will not stand by.”

Speakers in Washington included Democrats with military backgrounds: Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, former Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania and California Rep. Derek Tran.

There were signs against President Donald Trump, VA Secretary Doug Collins and Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire who ran the Department of Government Efficiency. They said those leaders are betraying the country’s promises to troops.

“Are you tired of being thanked for our service in the public and stabbed in our back in private?” Army veteran Everett Kelly, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, asked the crowd.

“For years, politicians on both sides of the aisle have campaigned on their support of veterans, but once they get into office, they cut our benefits, our services. They take every opportunity to privatize our health care.”

The Trump administration plans to cut 83,000 VA staffers and shift more money from the federal health care system to private-sector clinics.

The Department of Veterans Affairs employs approximately 482,000 people, including 500,000 workers at 170 hospitals and 1,200 local clinics in the nation’s largest health care system.

In all, there are 15.8 million veterans, which represents 6.1% of the civilian population 18 years and older.

VA officials said the event was misguided.

“Anyone who says VA is cutting healthcare and benefits is not being honest,” VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz in a statement to Navy Times. “The Biden Administration failed to address nearly all of VA’s most serious problems, including rising health care wait times, benefits backlogs, and major issues with survivor benefits. Under President Trump and Secretary Collins, VA is fixing these problems and making major improvements.”

The event was modeled after the Bonus Army protests of the 1930s, when veterans who served in World War I gathered in the nation’s capital to demand extra pay denied after leaving the service.

Irma Westmoreland, a registered nurse working at a VA hospital and the secretary-treasurer of National Nurses United, told the crowd in Washington: “It’s important for every person to keep their job, from the engineering staff to the housekeeper to the dietary staff. When cuts are made, the nursing and medical staff will have to pick up all their work that needs to be done.”

A federal court says removing the wife and children of Mohamed Soliman without due process could cause ‘irreparable harm’.

A United States judge has temporarily blocked the deportation of family members related to a suspect accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado.

The ruling on Wednesday came after the administration of President Donald Trump arrested the wife of Mohamed Soliman and their five children in an effort to deport them.

Judge Gordon Gallagher wrote that Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and her children cannot be removed from the country as long as his order stands.

“Moreover, the Court finds that deportation without process could work irreparable harm,” the judge said.

El Gamal, who has not been charged with a crime, had filed a legal petition for her release.

Soliman, meanwhile, has been charged with a federal hate crime over the attack on Sunday, which injured 12 people.

It is unclear if the Trump administration has any evidence that Soliman’s relatives committed wrongdoing, or if they were simply targeted for their association with him. Authorities have indicated that Soliman appears to have acted alone in the attack.

Still, Trump officials signalled they would take an aggressive approach to investigating and deporting individuals they perceived to be linked to “terrorism”.

“In light of yesterday’s horrific attack, all terrorists, their family members, and terrorist sympathizers here on a visa should know that under the Trump Administration we will find you, revoke your visa, and deport you,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a social media post on Monday.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed on Tuesday the detention of Elgamal, her three daughters and her two sons, four of whom are minors.

“We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a video posted online. “Justice will be served.”

According to DHS, Soliman and his family arrived in the US on temporary visas in 2022 before applying for asylum.

Soliman’s visa expired in 2023. Media reports indicate that El Gamal, meanwhile, applied for an employment visa: She has a background as a network engineer.

Critics say the tactic of penalising the relatives of a criminal suspect is a form of unlawful collective punishment.

In the West Bank, for instance, human rights groups have denounced Israeli operations that demolished the homes of Palestinians related to suspects in armed attacks.

The attack in Colorado has been linked to Israel’s war on Gaza, which United Nations experts have described as a genocide. The suspect allegedly yelled “Free Palestine” during the fire-bombing.

The Washington-backed war has also sparked other violent incidents on US soil. The incident in Colorado followed the killing of two Israeli Embassy staff members in Washington, DC, last month.

In October 2023, a six-year-old Palestinian boy was stabbed to death in the Chicago area in another crime linked to the war. The 73-year-old suspect reportedly told the boy’s mother that Muslims “must die” as he attacked them. He was sentenced to 53 years after being convicted of murder and hate crimes.

Weeks later, three Palestinian American students were shot and severely wounded in Vermont.

The war on Gaza has killed at least 54,607 Palestinians, according to health officials.

A Colorado man has been charged with a federal hate crime for his alleged role in a bomb attack on a pro-Israeli rally in Boulder that injured twelve people, according to an affidavit issued by the US Department of Justice.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman was already facing an array of state charges, including attempted murder, after the attack on Sunday in the city of Boulder on a group seeking to draw attention to hostages seized in Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the suspect would be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law for what was described as an “antisemitic terror attack”.

The affidavit said Soliman, 45, had planned the attack for more than a year. Investigators found 14 Molotov cocktails filled with petrol or gasoline near where the suspect was detained.

The police also found a petrol canister in his car parked nearby and a weed sprayer filled with petrol at the scene. Soliman told investigators that he had learned how to make the firebombs from YouTube.

The affidavit references a video posted on social media during the attack showing Soliman “shirtless, pacing back and forth while holding what appear to be Molotov cocktails”.

The suspect, who was being detained in lieu of $10m bail, according to official records, told police he “wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead”, the affidavit said.

The burst of violence at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, a four-block area in downtown Boulder, unfolded against the backdrop of Israel’s war on Gaza that continues to inflame global tensions and has contributed to a spike in anti-Semitic violence in the United States.

The attack happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which is marked with the reading of the Torah and barely a week after a man who also yelled “Free Palestine” was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington.

‘Millions of individuals like this’

According to the complaint, Soliman lived with his wife and five children in Colorado Springs, a city about 161km (100 miles) south of Boulder. The affidavit says that he waited until after his daughter’s graduation to conduct the attack.

Few other details were available about him.

Todd Lyons, acting director of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Soliman had overstayed a tourist visa and had an expired work permit.

Federal documents make no reference to his nationality, but the New York Times said he was Egyptian, citing the Department of Homeland Security.

The Departments of Homeland Security and Justice did not respond to requests for comment. The Denver office of the FBI, which is handling the case, did not immediately respond to emails or phone calls seeking details in the case.

Officials from the Boulder County Jail, Boulder Police and Boulder County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to inquiries.

“There are millions of individuals like this that we are attempting to locate from the past administration that weren’t properly screened that were allowed in,” Lyons said during a press conference in Boston. “I will tell you that’s a huge effort for ICE right now.”

Under former US President Joe Biden, ICE prioritised arrests of serious criminals and called for officers to consider humanitarian factors when making arrests.

Lyons declined to provide more information, but a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson previously said Soliman had entered the country in August 2022 and filed for asylum the following month. “The suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country,” the spokesperson said.

President Donald Trump criticised Biden over the incident.

“Yesterday’s horrific attack in Boulder, Colorado, WILL NOT BE TOLERATED in the United States of America,” Trump said on his Truth Social network, describing it as a “terrible tragedy”.

He blamed “Biden’s ridiculous Open Border Policy” for allowing Soliman into the country.

“This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland,” he wrote.

Four women and four men between 52 and 88 years of age were transported to hospitals after the attack, Boulder police said. Another four victims were identified on Monday, according to authorities.

The attack took place on the Pearl Street Mall, a popular pedestrian shopping district near the University of Colorado, during an event organised by Run for Their Lives, a group devoted to drawing attention to the hostages seized in the aftermath of Hamas’s 2023 attack on Israel.

Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm, the Chabad director at the University of Colorado, Boulder, told CBS Colorado that the 88-year-old victim was a Holocaust refugee who fled Europe.

Sunday’s attack was not the first high-profile incident of mass violence in Boulder, a university town that attracts many young professionals and outdoor enthusiasts. In 2021, a gunman fatally shot 10 people, including an off-duty police officer, in a local supermarket.

Michael Barnett flipped a weighted baseball into his hand and threw it against the side of the strength-training room next to UCLA’s clubhouse.

Jostling through folding tables, water coolers, television stands and a postgame news conference podium, he resumed his starting pitcher routine, as he would for any start, moving inside the weight room to stretch his right arm with resistance bands.

The junior right-hander’s pregame obstacle course — navigating university staffers, media and more — before trotting down to the bullpen, was outside of the ordinary. Friday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium was different — from the energy on the concourse to the noise from the dugouts and ultimately, the power from the Bruins’ bats.

Hosting its first regional since 2019, national No. 15 seed UCLA posted season highs for hits and runs in a dominant, 19-4 victory over regional No. 4 seed Fresno State.

“It wasn’t the cleanest game — it didn’t feel like the cleanest game,” said UCLA coach John Savage, “but at the end of the day, at this time of the year, you win any way you can and certainly we did that today. So it was a good win.”

A six-run, seventh-inning sent the Bulldogs unknowingly waving a white flag. UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu’s line drive off the left-field wall cleared the loaded bases to provide the Bruins with a 12-2 lead. Fresno State’s nine players dejectedly walked off the field, as if they’d been walked off in a mercy-rule defeat.

But the field crew reminded the Bulldogs that in the NCAA tournament, no matter how many runs you trail by, both teams play nine innings. The Bruins still had seven more runs to score in the eighth inning Friday.

It wasn’t Big Ten player of the year Roch Cholowsky — the 20-year-old who dreamed of Omaha when he chose the Bruins over entering the MLB draft — who led the offensive barrage that gave UCLA a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The middle of the UCLA lineup helped produce a rally as they had all year.

UCLA’s Dean West makes contact during the Bruins’ blowout win over Fresno State on Friday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Levu — who led the Bruins in regular-season RBI with 74 and led UCLA with five RBI against Fresno State — singled into left field to start the rally. Cleanup hitter Roman Martin brought home the first run of the game with a single into left. Payton Brennan and Blake Balsz (who tallied his third-career, three-hit game) connected for back-to-back RBI base hits, solidifying a lead as the Bulldogs awaited the walk back to the dugout for a mid-inning reprieve.

“The nice part about today is I was just trying to simplify everything and trust that my teammates are gonna pick me up,” Balsz said.

Before Fresno State starting pitcher Jack Anker knew it, UCLA strung together four runs in the blink of an eye, creating distance against the Mountain West champions they never made up.

Martin connected for a third-inning solo home run — his seventh of the year — while Balsz joined his teammate with multiple RBI after a run-scoring single a few batters later.

“One of the huge things we talked about, one of our offensive goals is to score first, and that’s really a huge momentum shift for us,” Martin said. “It definitely kind of took a little bit off, especially during our first playoff game, kind of eased us into it a little bit.”

UCLA tagged Anker for six earned runs and 10 hits across five innings, holding the Bulldogs junior who entered the game averaging 10.5 strikeouts-per-nine innings to just two punchouts. The two strikeouts were the second-fewest Anker forced against an opposing team this season.

UCLA pitcher Michael Barnett delivers during the first inning Friday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Barnett’s outing on the mound was an obstacle much like his routine before toeing the Jackie Robinson Stadium mound. The sinkerballer struggled with command against the Bulldogs, throwing just 40 strikes among 74 pitches, and lasted just 4⅓ innings before UCLA coach John Savage pulled Barnett with runners on the corners and one out in the fifth.

Southpaw Chris Grothues, a junior in his first season of high-leverage pitching opportunities, broke Barnett out of the inherited jam with a 3-6-1 double play to end the inning. Grothues then spun a scoreless sixth — placing the Bruins in cruise control for the rest of the contest, earning the victory.

“They did a really good job against Barnett,” Savage said, adding that he felt lucky to be up 6-2 entering the seventh. “Our bullpen did a nice job. Grothues came in, got that double play. That was a big play — the 3-6-1 — that was a big momentum swing.”

Cholowsky, who also led the nation in wins-above-replacement with 6.36, according to D1Baseball, still collected two hits Friday.

Leadoff hitter Dean West was hit by a pitch three times by Bulldog pitchers, the last of which brought home a run to make it 9-2 in the bottom of the seventh.

Brennan hit a two-run home run in the eighth, while catcher Cashel Dugger also pulled a solo home run over the right-field wall for the Bruins’ 15th run.

UCLA advances to the winner’s bracket where it’ll face the winner of the UC Irvine-Arizona State game late Friday. The Bruins split midweek season series against both the Anteaters and the Sun Devils.

United States President Donald Trump has announced his administration is raising tariffs on steel imports from 25 percent to 50 percent.

Speaking to steelworkers and supporters at a rally outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Trump framed his latest tariff increase as a boon to the domestic manufacturing industry.

“We’re going to bring it from 25 percent to 50 percent, the tariffs on steel into the United States of America, which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,” Trump told the crowd. “Nobody’s going to get around that.”

How that tariff increase would affect the free-trade deal with Canada and Mexico – or a separate trade deal struck earlier this month with the United Kingdom – remains unclear.

Also left ambiguous was the nature of a deal struck between Nippon Steel, the largest steel producer in Japan, and the domestic company US Steel. Still, Trump played up the partnership between the two companies as a “blockbuster agreement”.

“ There’s never been a $14bn investment in the history of the steel industry in the United States of America,” Trump said of the deal.

A tariff hike on steel

Friday’s rally was a return to the site of many election-season campaign events for Trump and his team.

In 2024, Trump hinged his pitch for re-election on an appeal to working-class voters, including those in the Rust Belt region, a manufacturing hub that has declined in the face of the shifting industry trends and greater overseas competition.

Key swing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan are located in the region, and they leaned Republican on election day, helping to propel Trump to a second term as president.

Trump, in turn, has framed his “America First” agenda as a policy platform designed to bolster the domestic manufacturing industry. Tariffs and other protectionist policies have played a prominent part in that agenda.

In March, for instance, Trump announced an initial slate of 25-percent tariffs on steel and aluminium, causing major trading partners like Canada to respond with retaliatory measures.

The following month, he also imposed a blanket 10-percent tariff on nearly all trade partners as well as higher country-specific import taxes. Those were quickly paused amid economic shockwaves and widespread criticism, while the 10-percent tariff remained in place.

Trump has argued that the tariffs are a vital negotiating tool to encourage greater investment in the US economy.

But economists have warned that attempting a “hard reset” of the global economy – through dramatic tax hikes like tariffs – will likely blow back on US consumers, raising prices.

Rachel Ziemba, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said the latest tariff hike on steel also signals that negotiating trade deals with Trump may result in “limited benefits”, given the sudden shifts in his policies.

Further, Friday’s announcement signals that Trump is likely to continue doubling down on tariffs, she said.

“The challenge is that hiking the steel tariffs may be good for steel workers, but it is bad for manufacturing and the energy sector, among others. So overall, it is not great for the US economy and adds uncertainty to the macro outlook,” Ziemba explained.

Trump’s tariff policies have also faced legal challenges in the US, where businesses, interest groups and states have all filed lawsuits to stop the tax hikes on imports.

On Thursday, for instance, a federal court briefly ruled that Trump had illegally exercised emergency powers to impose his sweeping slate of international tariffs, only for an appeals court to temporarily pause that ruling a few hours later.

A deal with Nippon Steel

Before the tariff hike was announced, Friday’s rally in Pittsburgh was expected to focus on Nippon Steel’s proposed acquisition of US Steel, the second largest steel producer in the country.

“We’re here today to celebrate a blockbuster agreement that will ensure this storied American company stays an American company,” Trump said at the outset of his speech.

But the merger between Nippon Steel and US Steel had been controversial, and it was largely opposed by labour unions.

Upon returning to the White House in January, Trump initially said he would block the acquisition, mirroring a similar position taken by his predecessor, former US President Joe Biden.

However, he has since pivoted his stance and backed the deal. Last week, he announced an agreement that he said would grant Nippon only “partial ownership” over US Steel.

Speaking on Friday, Trump said the new deal would include Nippon making a “$14bn commitment to the future” of US Steel, although he did not provide details about how the ownership agreement would play out.

“Oh, you’re gonna be happy,” Trump told the crowd of steelworkers. “There’s a lot of money coming your way.”

The Republican leader also waxed poetic about the history of steel in the US, describing it as the backbone of the country’s economy.

“The city of Pittsburgh used to produce more steel than most entire countries could produce, and it wasn’t even close,” he said, adding: “If you don’t have steel, you don’t have a country.”

For its part, US Steel has not publicly communicated any details of a revamped deal to investors. Nippon, meanwhile, issued a statement approving the proposed “partnership”, but it also has not disclosed terms of the arrangement.

The acquisition has split union workers, although the national United Steelworkers Union has been one of its leading opponents.

In a statement prior to the rally, the union questioned whether the new arrangement makes “any meaningful change” from the initial proposal.

“Nippon has maintained consistently that it would only invest in US Steel’s facilities if it owned the company outright,” the union said in a statement, which noted firmer details had not yet been released.

“We’ve seen nothing in the reporting over the past few days suggesting that Nippon has walked back from this position.”

The rally on Friday comes as Trump has sought to reassure his base of voters following a tumultuous start to his second term.

Critics point out that steel prices have risen in the US by roughly 16 percent since Trump took office, and his Republican Party faces potentially punishing congressional elections in 2026.