From Marjam Swanson: Sure, it’s very early. Maybe that’s why all Dodgers’ batters seem to be hitting is the snooze button — snoozing and, on Wednesday, losing 4-1 to the Cleveland Guardians.
Only Andy Pages has looked alert in the Dodgers’ super-imposing lineup, which would have been shut out before a crowd of 45,556 at Dodger Stadium if not for Freddie Freeman’s two-out home run in the ninth inning.
Before Freeman’s 407-foot blast, Pages had the only two hits off Guardians starter Gavin Williams. Cleveland’s 6-foot-6 right-hander had Dodgers hitters scuffling for seven innings, striking out 10 as the Guardians won for the second time in the three-game series.
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Otherwise, the Dodgers only seriously threatened when reliever Shawn Armstrong was on the mound in the eighth inning and they got runners on second and third, as Pages doubled over Teoscar Hernández, who had singled.
But then Shohei Ohtani struck out on three pitches to end the inning.
A day off and a road trip are now just what Doc ordered: manager Dave Roberts suggested a day to reset and some hostile crowds in Washington and then Toronto, where the Dodgers won last season’s epic, seven-game World Series against the Blue Jays, could help get his club’s juices flowing.
Last week, a woman filed a civil lawsuit against Nacua, alleging that on New Year’s Eve he made an antisemitic statement during a group dinner and later bit her shoulder. Attorney Levi McCathern told The Times before the lawsuit was filed that Nacua denied the allegations and that Nacua would “pursue all available legal remedies in response to these false and damaging statements.”
The California Post reported Wednesday that Nacua had checked into a Malibu rehab facility. A Rams official declined to comment.
In a statement to The Times on Wednesday, McCathern said Nacua “voluntarily entered a private facility to focus on his health, personal growth, and overall development — and I’m really proud of him for doing that ahead of his upcoming season.
Lakers star LeBron James reacts during a game against the Sacramento Kings in December.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
From Broderick Turner: The tests kept coming in the month of March for the Lakers and they responded with the same resounding answer: We’re ready.
Yet, even though the Lakers posted a 15-2 record last month, even though they beat some of the best teams in the NBA, they still have another big test on the horizon that will further show whether they’re ready.
The Lakers will meet the defending NBA champion Thunder in Oklahoma City on Thursday night, and it will be the test of all tests because OKC is just as hot as L.A. and owns the best record in the NBA.
Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi was tagged for five runs in the third inning and took the loss against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
(Paul Beaty / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Matthew Boyd struck out 10 while pitching into the sixth inning, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Angels 6-2 on Wednesday.
Nico Hoerner had three hits for Chicago on a chilly and windy afternoon at Wrigley Field. Matt Shaw had two hits and two RBIs, and Alex Bregman reached three times in the rubber game of the three-game series.
Boyd (1-1) yielded two runs, one earned, and two hits over 5 2/3 innings in his second start of the season. The left-hander was tagged for six runs in 3 2/3 innings in a 10-4 loss to Washington on opening day.
Kings forward Trevor Moore, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring in overtime of a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday.
Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, who moved into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference — one point ahead of San José and Nashville. Anton Forsberg made 23 saves, including one in overtime, for the Kings, who stopped a four-game losing streak at home.
Robert Thomas scored the only goal for the Blues on a deflection with 3:53 left in the third period to send it to overtime. Jordan Binnington stopped 24 shots in the loss, including two in the extra period. St. Louis is four points behind the Kings for the second wild-card spot.
Ducks forward Ryan Poehling skates toward the puck between Sharks forward Adam Gaudette, left, and defenseman Sam Dickinson during the second period of the Ducks’ 4-3 loss Wednesday.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
From the Associated Press: Macklin Celebrini tied the score with less than two minutes to play then assisted on Alexander Wennberg’s winning goal with 31 seconds left to complete a four-point game as the San José Sharks beat the Ducks 4-3 on Wednesday night.
With two goals and two assists, Celebrini has 40 goals and 105 points this season, moving him past Erik Karlsson (101 points in 2022-23) for the second highest single-season point total in franchise history behind Joe Thornton’s 114-point effort in 2006-07.
The 19-year-old Celebrini also has 17 games this season with three or more points, second among teenagers in NHL history only to Wayne Gretzky, who had 19 in 1979-80.
NFL referee Robin DeLorenzo prepares for a game between the Texans and Saints on Oct. 15, 2023, in Houston.
(Eric Christian Smith / Associated Press)
From Chuck Schilken: One of the first women to officiate an NFL game is suing the league for gender discrimination, harassment and retaliation more than a year after she was fired.
Robin DeLorenzo filed a lawsuit last week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that claims she was “subjected to gender-based scrutiny, humiliation, disparate training, unequal gear, and open hostility” while employed as an NFL official from April 2022 to February 2025.
“She was denied the support and development routinely afforded to male officials, graded through a system built and controlled by men who had fixated on her gender from day one, and punished when she reported harassment or insisted on being treated with basic respect,” the lawsuit states.
Rick Scott practices at the Valley Ice Center on Wednesday.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
From Cierra Morgan: For nearly three decades, the L.A. Kings Valley Ice Center has served as a second home for hundreds of young hockey players in the San Fernando Valley. Now, that future is on shaky ice.
The Panorama City facility is set to demolish its main ice rink, leaving athletes who use the center with a smaller, non-regulation rink. Taking the place of the main rink will be a medical facility for seniors, according to the Valley Ice Center’s owner.
Some local parents say the situation has been heart-wrenching for them and their children.
1939 — Ralph Guldahl beats Sam Snead by one stroke to capture the Masters golf tournament.
1969 — Toronto center Forbes Kennedy sets a Stanley Cup playoff record for most penalties in one game with 8.
1978 — Czech tennis star Martina Navratilova wins her first WTA Tour Championship.
1980 — Wayne Gretzky becomes the youngest player to reach 50 goals at 19 years and 2 months of age.
1983 — New York Islander Mike Bossy becomes the first player to score 60 or more goals in three consecutive seasons.
1984 — Georgetown, led by junior center Patrick Ewing and freshman forward Reggie Williams, beats Houston 84-75 to win the NCAA championship in Seattle. Houston becomes the second team to lose in two consecutive finals.
1985 — Edmonton C Wayne Gretzky sets an NHL record with his 34th career hat trick.
1986 — The 3-point field goal, at 19 feet, 9 inches, is adopted by the NCAA.
1990 — UNLV pounds Duke 103-73 to win its first NCAA championship and extend the Blue Devils’ streak to eight Final Four appearances without a title. The Runnin’ Rebels become the first team to score more than 100 points in a championship game and the 30-point margin is the largest ever.
1995 — Connecticut caps an unbeaten season by defeating Tennessee 70-64 for the NCAA women’s championship. The Huskies, 35-0, become the winningest basketball team for one season in Division I.
2000 — Connecticut wins its second women’s national championship with a 71-52 victory over Tennessee. The top-ranked Huskies beat No. 2 Tennessee for the second time in three meetings this season.
2001 — New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens becomes American League all-time strikeout leader.
2001 — Seattle outfielder Ichiro Suzuki has 2 hits and becomes first Japanese position player to play in a regular season MLB game.
2003 — At 27 years, 249 days Texas Rangers infielder Alex Rodriguez becomes the youngest MLB player to hit 300 home runs.
2005 — Bubba Stewart becomes first African-American to win a major motor sports event when he takes out the Monster Energy AMA Supercross C’ship event in Irving, Texas.
2007 — The Florida Gators keep their stranglehold on the college basketball world with an 84-75 victory over Ohio State for their second straight national championship. The Gators are the first team to repeat since Duke in 1991-92.
2010 — Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant signs a three-year contract extension with the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers worth $87 million.
2011 — The Detroit Red Wings clinch their 20th straight playoff berth with a 4-3 victory over Nashville. The Red Wings extend the longest active playoff streak among North America’s four major professional sports and extend their NHL record with 11 straight seasons with 100 points.
2012 — Doron Lamb scores 22 points as Kentucky wins its eighth men’s national championship, holding off Kansas for a 67-59 victory.
2013 — Shoni Schimmel scores 24 points and giant-slaying Louisville claims another big upset, beating second-seeded Tennessee 86-78 and earning the school’s second trip to the Women’s Final Four.
2014 — The Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles Lakers 107-102 to give the Lakers their 50th loss of the season. The last time the Lakers had 50 or more losses was 1974-75 (30-52).
2016 — Villanova advances to the national championship game with the biggest margin of victory in Final Four history, overwhelming Oklahoma in a resounding 95-51 victory. The margin topped 34-point Final Four wins by Cincinnati over Oregon State in 1962 and Michigan State over Penn in 1979.
2018 — Pernilla Lindberg makes a 30-foot birdie putt on the eighth extra hole to win the ANA Inspiration for her first professional victory. Lindberg finishes off Inbee Park on the par-4 10th, the fourth playoff hole at Mission Hills.
2018 — Villanova wins its second men’s national championship in three years after a 79-62 victory over Michigan. Donte DiVincenzo comes off the bench to score 31 points for the Wildcats. Villanova wins all six games by double digits over this tournament run, joining Michigan State (2000), Duke (2001) and North Carolina (2009) in that company.
2019 — OKC guard Russell Westbrook becomes 2nd player in NBA history to have 20+ points, rebounds and assists in a game; records 20-20-21 in 119-103 win over LA Lakers.
2023 — Caitlin Clark scores 41 points in the Final Four for Iowa against South Carolina.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
A record wave of early voting promises to cut crowding on election day, but the trend has also front-loaded this year’s election with problems — long lines at early-voting stations, missing absentee ballots and controversy over retooled rules for early balloting.
Analysts and opinion surveys project that more than 26 million of an estimated 120 million voters might cast their ballots before the traditional start of polling — at midnight on election eve in Dixville Notch, N.H.
Despite hopes that early voting would reduce anxiety after a highly contentious 2000 election, a recent survey found that 40% of Americans believe that most of the problems exposed in that election have not been corrected. And nearly half of Americans in another survey said they think this year’s results will be challenged in court.
Many local election officials share those fears. Already overtaxed by voting that now lasts for weeks, some doubt that their work will be finished Tuesday.
“It will not be over on Nov. 2, and you can put that on the record,” said Susan Miller, elections director for Colorado’s Jefferson County. “We have 12 days to certify provisional ballots. In Colorado, there is more than likely to be a recount.”
Miller says she has already been told about four or five groups that might file lawsuits to challenge results in her county, which includes the town of Golden. She worries that “another Florida” — with its 36-day recount and disputed ballots — could become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“We’ve been working six-day weeks, 12-, 14-hour days for a month,” Miller said. “When the public calls and says they don’t trust us, it breaks my heart…. We’re at the point where we don’t care who wins. We just want him to win by a landslide. Then we don’t have to recount the ballots.”
The Washington-based Committee for the Study of the American Electorate has projected turnout as high as 60% this year (compared with 54% in 2000), which would mean voting by more than 120 million Americans. Twenty-two percent of them, or more than 26 million, planned to cast votes before Tuesday, according to the National Annenberg Election Survey.
That trend has been evident across the country, in states where the presidential election is close and where it is not, such as California.
In Palm Beach County, Fla., requests for absentee ballots have more than doubled, and retirees and others have waited as long as two hours in line at satellite voting stations. Iowa has seen a nearly 55% jump in absentee ballot requests. New Mexico’s secretary of state expects half of her votes to be cast before Tuesday. The number of residents on the Hawaiian island of Oahu asking for mail-in ballots has spiked by nearly 82%.
In California, an enormous jump in absentees has been led by Orange County, with an increase of 200,000 to about 450,000. Los Angeles County has seen a more modest 18% increase, to 740,000, said Conny McCormack, the county’s registrar-recorder.
Officials nationwide say the deluge of early voting has them in effect running two elections — requiring extra staffing and long shifts to handle absentees and then a second push to prepare election day polling places.
“It’s time-consuming and tiring,” McCormack said.
Most of those voting by mail will avoid such a crunch and should have their ballots counted without glitches, experts said. But there already have been some trouble spots.
In Broward County, north of Miami, officials have been deluged with hundreds of complaints from voters who say they never received their absentee ballots. U.S. Postal Service investigators were trying to find an undetermined number of the 60,000 ballots the county mailed out Oct. 7 and 8.
“That is something beyond our control,” said the county’s deputy supervisor of elections, Gisela Salas. “We really have no idea what’s going on.” Salas advised voters who did not receive their ballots to go to the county’s early-voting stations.
But Florida’s voting stations — at libraries, city halls and other civic buildings — have not necessarily made balloting easier.
In Del Rey Beach, Judy Sternberg nearly fainted after a two-hour wait in the sun. Paramedics came to her aid, but Sternberg, 69, was not about to go home.
“They really wanted me to come back a day later,” said Sternberg, who voted for President Bush. “I said, ‘I am not coming back. I am voting.’ ”
Attempts to clarify rules since the 2000 election have not eliminated disputes, particularly over how mail-in ballots should be treated. One of the most emotional and politically charged disagreements has been over military ballots from overseas.
Republican Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania has been pressuring Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell to accept ballots from military personnel up to 15 days after the election.
Rendell has declined, saying he had already attended to the issue by making special accommodations for two counties, Venango and Huntingdon, which have presented evidence that military personnel got their ballots late. Those service members got new absentee ballots by express mail, with prepaid express mail envelopes in which to send their completed ballots back.
A federal judge last week backed Rendell, saying that overseas military voters should cast their ballots by Tuesday.
But other states, including Arkansas, Colorado and Florida — will allow absentee ballots from overseas to arrive at elections offices as much as 10 days after the election, as long as they were postmarked by Tuesday.
Another group that has complained about access to absentee ballots is college students. Although well over half of collegians this year plan to vote absentee, according to a Harvard University study, six states have laws that can make that difficult. In Louisiana, Tennessee, Michigan, Illinois, Nevada and West Virginia, voters must cast their first ballot in person, according to election watchers at Rock the Vote.
That means young people from those states who attend out-of-state universities may not get to vote, said Hans Riemer, Washington director for Rock the Vote.
“This is really made to disenfranchise college students,” Riemer said.
An additional concern could be presented to students in New Hampshire, who are warned on the secretary of state’s website that establishing their residence in the Granite State could affect insurance and some types of financial aid.
“This is a totally outrageous, preposterous, outlandish intimidation of young people,” Riemer said of state restrictions that affect students.
Not surprisingly, supporters of both Bush and Sen. John F. Kerry have claimed their side is getting the best of the early voting.
In most jurisdictions it is impossible to tell who is right. But a few states record the party affiliation of those voting absentee or at early voting locations.
In Polk County, the most populous in hard-fought Iowa, Democrats had a nearly 2-to-1 edge in early ballots cast — 32,924 to 17,340.
In Los Angeles, McCormack was crossing her fingers that voters were prepared for a long ballot, jammed with state propositions. If not, she predicted, “it could be really ugly.”
Gary Smith, the Forsyth County, Ga., director of elections, said many of his colleagues had taken to reciting what he called the “night-before prayer”:
British holidaymakers in Tenerife admit they have “booked early flights home” recently. A specific issue seems to have impacted their holidays over the past few weeks
12:05, 27 Mar 2026Updated 12:06, 27 Mar 2026
Brits in Tenerife admitted to booking early flights home (stock image)(Image: Gabriel Mello via Getty Images)
UK holidaymakers visiting a beloved travel hotspot say they’ve been “booking early flights home” after their breaks were disrupted by an unexpected issue. While many jet off abroad hoping to bask in the sunshine, unwind and enjoy some well-deserved rest, things don’t always go according to plan – no matter how much we’d like them to.
Brits in Tenerife recently discovered this first-hand, with some suggesting their holidays were “ruined” due to an unlikely problem. A string of videos have gone viral on TikTok, with visitors expressing their frustration after trips to the destination over recent weeks, catching many completely off guard.
A man, known online as Gazza, posted a video of his recent getaway, stating: “Come here every year and this is the first bad downpour experience.” He also described the weather as “brutal” for four days due to the relentless rainfall.
The clip has since racked up thousands of views, sparking hundreds of responses. It appears many fellow travellers have encountered similar situations.
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One commented: “Had wind, clouds and cold one year for four days out of the seven. Never went back.” Another added: “I was there last week and got an early flight home.”
Gazza responded to this remark, saying: “Was debating it too.” While a third chimed in: “I just got back. It was mental.”
A further user wrote: “It’s been almost a week!!! Everywhere/everything closed!!!” While another remarked: “That’s pretty unlucky. I would feel gutted.”
Others, however, claimed to have had a wonderful time during their visit, with some reporting an entirely different experience.
One holidaymaker shared: “It’s heaven. Chill.” Another added: “Here at the moment and not that bad. People need to chill out.”
Someone else also weighed in with: “Still rather be there than here. It’s the getting away that matters.”
What’s actually been going on?
While heavy rainfall is uncommon in Tenerife during March, a powerful storm has recently battered the Canary Islands. Storm Therese is reported to have wreaked havoc on the Canary Islands, particularly Tenerife and La Palma, with an unexpected mix of heavy rain, 100 km/h (62 mph) winds and even snowfall at high altitudes.
Authorities confirmed it was amongst the most devastating storms to strike the archipelago in over 10 years, which may well explain why so many visitors encountered such dreadful weather during their stays.
The silver lining, however, is that conditions appear to be on the mend. Current forecasts predict sunny spells over the coming days, with temperatures potentially reaching highs of up to 26 degrees, which could explain why some travellers have recently reported a marked improvement in the weather.
One visitor said: “It’s sunny now.” Another wrote: “I’m just back yesterday. Was there for a week. We had a ball even with the storm and rain.”
WASHINGTON — Californians may be forced to put their ballots in the mail well before election day to be certain they will be counted.
That’s the likely outcome of a Republican challenge to mail ballots that came before the Supreme Court on Monday.
The court’s six conservatives sounded ready to rule that federal law requires that ballots must be received by election day if they are to be counted as legal.
In the 19th century, Congress set a national day for federal elections on a Tuesday in early November, but it did not say how or when states would count their ballots. The Constitution leaves it to states to decide the “times, places and manners for holding elections.”
California and 13 other states count mail ballots that were cast before or on election day but arrive a few days late. And most states accept late ballots from members of the military who are stationed overseas.
By law, California counts mail ballots that arrive within seven days of election day. In 2024, more than 406,000 of these late-arriving ballots were counted in California, about 2.5% of the total.
Other Western states — Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Alaska — also count late-arriving mail ballots.
But President Trump has repeatedly claimed that voting by mail leads to fraud, and the Republican National Committee has gone to court to challenge the state laws that allow for counting the legally cast ballots of citizens which are postmarked on time but arrive late.
GOP lawyers argued that the phrase “election day” has always meant ballots must be in the hands of election officials on that day. In their questions and comments, all six conservatives agreed.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. saw a real prospect of fraud. There could be “a big stash of ballots” that arrive late and “flip the outcome,” he said.
Democrats and election law experts say that the proposed new rule conflicts with more than a century of practice, because most states allowed for some people to vote by mail if they were traveling on election day. They argued that election day is like the federal tax day of April 15. While tax returns must be postmarked then, the tax returns are legal even if they arrive at the Internal Revenue Service a few days later.
The GOP filed its challenge in Mississippi, which accepts ballots that arrive up to five days after election day. A district judge rejected the claim, but a 5th Circuit Court panel with three Trump appointees ruled that ballots are illegal if they are not received by election day.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland’s Kristoffer Velde scored in the 13th minute and Timbers defender Kamal Miller picked up a red card seven minutes later, but James Pantemis surrendered only a João Klauss goal to help them hold on for a 1-1 draw with the Galaxy on Sunday.
Velde scored for the second time this season to give Portland (1-3-1) a 1-0 lead early. But things became difficult from the 20th minute on when Miller received his card for a foul on Klauss.
Antony Alves Santos notched his first assist this season on the score and Joao Ortiz picked up his second.
Klauss came up with the equalizer in the 30th minute with assists from Marco Reus and Gabriel Pec. It was the fifth goal for Klauss, who has certainly helped ease the loss of superstar Riqui Puig for a second straight season because of injuries. Klauss spent his first three seasons with St. Louis City, where he scored 25 goals in 79 appearances.
Reus earned his first assist this season after posting a career-best nine last year. Pec’s helper was his third to begin the season.
Pantemis totaled six saves for the Timbers, including four in the first half.
JT Marcinkowski stopped two shots in his first start of the season for the Galaxy (1-2-2).
The Galaxy lead the series 14-12-11, but are 5-10-11 in Portland. The two clubs played to a 1-1 draw in Portland last season before the Timbers posted a 4-2 victory on the road.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Footage has emerged that purportedly shows a Saab 340 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft operating over Ukraine. If legitimate, this would be the first time that the radar plane has been seen in Ukrainian service, as far as we know, and would mark an important new capability for Ukraine, and one that we have discussed in depth in the past.
Russians are posting footage they claim shows likely a Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C long-range radar and control aircraft flying over Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/XkFZlok2B3
The video in question appears to have been first posted to a Russian Telegram account and clearly shows one of the aircraft, with its distinctive ‘balance beam’ radar fairing on the upper fuselage, in level flight during the daytime. The date and location of the video cannot be confirmed. It should also be noted that we cannot verify the footage itself, but there is nothing to immediately suggest it may have been doctored.
As mentioned, this appears to be the first time we have ever seen one of the Ukrainian Air Force’s two Saab 340 AEW&C planes, although there are suggestions that the type has been flying in Ukrainian skies for some time.
In April of last year, open-source flight-tracking platforms suggested that a possible Ukrainian radar plane was operating in the Lviv region, in western Ukraine, flying circuits and using the callsign WELCOME. Before that, an unidentified aircraft with the same callsign was observed operating in airspace near Poland and Hungary. If true, that suggests that the track over Lviv may have been a post-delivery acceptance or calibration flight. It’s also worth noting that transponders can be manipulated to provide false aircraft tracks, too.
Stockholm’s transfer of two Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft to Ukraine was announced in May 2024, as we reported at the time. The donation was part of the biggest Swedish military aid package for Ukraine up to that point, worth around $1.25 billion.
At the time, it was said that it would take around a year to train the aircrew and maintenance personnel, as well as prepare the ground facilities for the new aircraft.
The Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft is known in Swedish military service as the ASC 890 and alternatively as the S 100D Argus. The Swedish Air Force operated two of these aircraft, with both understood to have been provided to Kyiv. Another two ex-Swedish Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft are operated by Thailand, and another pair were sold to Poland, having previously been operated by the United Arab Emirates.
Royal Thai Air Force Gripen and Saab 340 Erieye AEW
For Ukraine, the significance of the Saab 340 AEW&C is hard to overstate.
It brings an entirely new capability for the Ukrainian Air Force, which has never operated any type of AEW&C platform.
The core of the aircraft is its Saab Erieye active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. Carried atop the fuselage, this can detect air and sea targets at ranges of up to around 280 miles, with the aircraft typically operating at an altitude of 20,000 feet. Reportedly, the AESA system can track up to 1,000 airborne and 500 surface targets simultaneously.
Erieye explained
All this data is handled by three mission crew: a mission control officer, a combat control operator, and a surveillance operator. It can also be downlinked to ground stations and to other aircraft, at least in theory, of which more later.
Unlike a surface-based air defense radar, the Erieye provides a ‘lookdown’ capability. Without the line-of-sight limitations of terrain, the radar will be especially useful for detecting low-flying Russian drones and cruise missiles. These are otherwise notably tricky targets, due to the low altitudes at which they fly and their small radar signatures. With that in mind, the aircraft should provide Ukraine’s air defenses with a huge situational-awareness boost.
A photograph taken on December 27, 2025, shows an Iranian-designed Shahed-136 (or Russian-made Geran-2) drone flying over Kyiv during a Russian drone and missile attack. Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP via Getty Images SERGEI SUPINSKY
Within its layered air defense network, Ukraine relies heavily on crewed fighter jets (as well as other aircraft platforms) to intercept drones and cruise missiles. Adding the Saab 340 AEW&C to the equation, the radar plane should be able to work as a fighter controller, detecting targets, prioritizing them, and then assigning them to the fighters for interception. Equally, this data could be provided to other air defense assets.
Especially useful in this regard would be the NATO-standard Link 16 datalink communications system. This would, in theory, be compatible with Ukraine’s F-16 and Mirage 2000 fighters, as well as Western-supplied ground-based air defense systems.
Український пілот про ефективність Mirage2000/Ukrainian Pilot on the Effectiveness of the Mirage2000
However, in late 2024, it was reported that the F-16s donated to Ukraine have had Link 16 systems removed or disabled, due to U.S. worries that they could end up in Russian hands.
This would deprive those fighters of a real-time air defense ‘picture’ sourced from the Erieye radar, and, at this point, it’s unclear if the Link 16 connectivity is available to Ukraine.
As of March 2025, it was reported that the delivery of the radar planes was on track, and they would be able to operate effectively with Ukraine’s F-16s.
A Ukrainian Air Force F-16 takes off for an air defense sortie. Ukrainian Air Force
“The timing of ASC 890 deliveries is linked to when certain modifications to F-16 fighters will be ready. There is no delay in the transfer of airborne early warning aircraft to Ukraine,” the Lithuanian Delfi news agency reported. This sounds very much like a reference to enabling the Link 16 connectivity.
However, even without Link 16, the Saab 340 AEW&C is able to provide much-enhanced air and sea surveillance for Ukraine.
Later versions of the Erieye radar also have a synthetic aperture radar and ground moving target indication (SAR/GMTI) capability, although it’s not clear if Ukraine has received that either. While SAR provides detailed image-like mapping of the ground at standoff ranges, GMTI detects and tracks movements on the ground over time, which would allow monitoring of Russian troop movements.
Should Ukraine’s ambitious plans to buy Saab Gripen fighters in the future materialize, the combination of these jets and the Saab 340 AEW&C could make a tailor-made solution for air defense and other missions.
For all its capabilities, the Saab 340 AEW&C will also be a prime target for Russia.
Russia’s own A-50 Mainstay AEW&C aircraft have been repeatedly targeted by Ukraine, in recognition of their value as force multipliers.
A Russian Aerospace Forces A-50U Mainstay. Russian MoD Russian Air Force A-50U Mainstay. (Russian MoD)
Russia was estimated to have nine A-50s in active service at the start of the full-scale invasion. Since then, there have been two combat losses, and another of these aircraft was damaged in a drone attack while on the ground at a base in Belarus, and its current status is unknown. More recently, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claimed an A-50 had been hit in a strike on a maintenance facility in the Novgorod region of Russia.
This reality almost certainly means Ukraine operates the Saab radar planes from the far west of the country, likely moving them between airfields to reduce their exposure to airstrikes. Similar tactics are also employed by Ukrainian F-16s. With a maximum of two aircraft, round-the-clock coverage is also impossible, so one aircraft may well be kept on permanent ground alert to respond to particularly intensive Russian drone and missile barrages.
It is likely for this reason, too, that we have not seen anything of the Ukrainian Saab 340 AEW&C aircraft since their delivery.
With time, we will hopefully learn more about what these secretive assets are bringing to Ukraine’s air defenses and what kind of effect they are having on countering the near-constant Russian drone and missile attacks.
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani expressed regret Monday for his “shortcomings” following Japan’s early exit from the World Baseball Classic.
It is unclear what those shortcomings might have been. Over four games during this year’s tournament, Ohtani led Japan with a .462 batting average, three home runs and seven RBI in 13 at-bats.
Those stats are even better than the ones he posted as the MVP of the last WBC. Over seven games in 2023, Ohtani hit .435 with one home run and eight home runs in 23 at-bats to lead Japan to its third WBC championship.
Overall, however, Japan finished with a .284 batting average, down from a .299 average three years ago. Ohtani did account for his team’s final out of the 2026 tournament — an infield popup to seal an 8-5 quarterfinal loss to Venezuela on Saturday — and took to Instagram two days later.
“Thank you to all the fans for your support. Your cheers pushed us forward every day,” Ohtani wrote in Japanese. “We didn’t achieve the results we hoped for, and I deeply regret my own shortcomings.”
The two-way superstar did not pitch in this year’s WBC, after famously striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout of the United States for the final out of the 2023 championship game and going 2-0 with one save and a 1.86 ERA in that tournament.
When Birmingham High’s Tekeio Phillips and X’Zavion McKay were asked if they are surprised that the Patriots are playing for a Division III state boys’ basketball championship on Friday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento after losing in the first round of the City Section Open Division playoffs, the answer was unanimous: Yes.
The Patriots (22-7) have won four consecutive state playoff games to earn a spot against Antioch Cornerstone Christian (28-8) in a 4 p.m. final. Fellow City Section member Sylmar (24-12) is playing San Marin (21-13) for the Division V title at noon. On Saturday, Palisades’ girls’ team plays Faith Christian at 10 a.m.
Birmingham lost to Fairfax 66-58 on Feb. 11 in the City playoffs and didn’t play another game until March 3. How do you get your team motivated for state playoffs after three weeks off?
“We didn’t do anything the rest of the week and took the next week off,” Halic said. “We rested our bodies and emotionally refreshed.”
Most importantly, Patriot players decided they wanted to win in the state playoffs.
“It definitely helped us offensively connect better,” Halic said. “We’re playing a better game these last four games. When you lose you’re disappointed and sometimes going into state, people don’t care. It’s such a great opportunity for us.”
Phillips is averaging 22.8 points. McKay is averaging 12.6 points and 10.5 rebounds. Phillips has twice played at Golden 1 Center when he was a member of the Alijah Arenas-led Chatsworth team.
“It’s just a bigger gym,” Phillips said. “I feel comfortable.”
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, South Korea, 10 February 2026. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
March 10 (Asia Today) — President Lee Jae-myung said Tuesday the government may prepare an early supplementary budget to cushion the economic impact of rising energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting in Seoul, Lee said additional fiscal measures could be necessary to support small businesses, struggling companies and vulnerable households if global energy shocks continue.
“To provide fiscal assistance and support for small business owners and vulnerable firms, we may inevitably need an early supplementary budget,” Lee said.
Lee also called for targeted support for lower-income households rather than a blanket reduction in fuel taxes as oil prices surge.
The president instructed officials to accelerate additional financial and fiscal measures, including a petroleum price cap system, adjustments to energy taxes and direct assistance to consumers.
“We must mobilize all national capabilities to minimize the impact of external shocks on people’s livelihoods, the economy and industry,” Lee said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Koo Yoon-cheol said the government could potentially finance the supplementary budget without issuing new government bonds.
He cited improving conditions in the semiconductor industry and increased fiscal resources linked to stronger activity in the stock market.
Lee also addressed concerns over reports that United States Forces Korea may remove some air defense assets from the country amid the regional conflict.
“If you ask whether this seriously undermines our deterrence strategy against North Korea, the answer is no,” Lee said.
He acknowledged that South Korea had expressed opposition to the partial withdrawal of air defense systems but noted that the United States may reposition some assets based on its broader military needs.
Foreign media have reported that systems such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system and Patriot missile batteries could be redeployed.
Lee emphasized that South Korea’s defense spending remains among the highest in the world and said the country’s military readiness remains strong.
