Gate

If you want to see a player whose impact is growing, go watch South Gate junior quarterback Michael Gonzalez. He’s listed as 5 feet 9 on the Rams’ roster, but what an arm he has and he can run, too.

He passed for 273 yards last week in a loss to Garfield. He has passed for 1,999 yards and 22 touchdowns in eight games. He’s also scored six touchdowns.

Receiver Nicholas Fonseca, another junior, has 52 receptions for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was the City Section Division II player of the year last season.

South Gate is 5-3, with the duo leading the way. The Rams’ passing attack could set them apart for the Division I playoffs.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

Oct. 22 (UPI) — Authorities in Washington, D.C., have arrested a driver accused of ramming a barricade protecting the White House.

Little information about the incident has been made public.

The U.S. Secret Service said in a brief statement that incident occurred at 10:37 p.m. EDT.

The suspect is accused of ramming the Secret Service vehicle gate located at 17th St. and E Streets NW.

“The individual was arrested & the vehicle was assessed and deemed safe,” the Secret Service said on X. “Our investigation into the cause of this collision is ongoing.”

This is not the first time a vehicle has been driven into a White House barrier.

On the night of May 4, 2024, a driver died after his vehicle, traveling at a high rate of speed, collided with an outer barricade of the White House complex. The driver was identified as 57-year-old James Chester Lewis Jr.

In May 2023, then 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula drove a U-Haul truck into the White House as part of what prosecutors said was an attempt to overthrow the U.S. government and replace it with a Nazi dictatorship.

In January, Kandula was sentenced to eight years in prison.

This is a developing story.

Federal authorities are now pursuing a misdemeanor charge against David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California, who was arrested during the first day of a series of immigration raids that swept the region.

Prosecutors originally brought a felony charge of conspiracy to impede an officer against Huerta, accusing him of obstructing federal authorities from serving a search warrant at a Los Angeles workplace and arresting dozens of undocumented immigrants on June 6.

On Friday, court filings show federal prosecutors filed a lesser charge against Huerta of “obstruction resistance or opposition of a federal officer,” which carries a punishment of up to a year in federal prison. The felony he was charged with previously could have put him behind bars for up to six years.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles declined to comment.

In a statement, Huerta’s attorneys, Abbe David Lowell and Marilyn Bednarski, said they would “seek the speediest trial to vindicate David.” The lawyers said that “in the four months that have passed since David’s arrest, it has become even clearer there were no grounds for charging him and certainly none for the way he was treated.”

“It’s clear that David Huerta is being singled out not for anything he did but for who he is — a life-long workers’ advocate who has been an outspoken critic of its immigration policies. These charges are a clear attempt to silence a leading voice who dared to challenge a cruel, politically driven campaign of fear,” the statement read.

The labor union previously stated that Huerta was detained “while exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity.” Huerta is one of more than 60 people charged federally in the Central District of California tied to immigration protests and enforcement actions.

Two recent misdemeanor trials against protesters charged with assaulting a federal officer both ended in acquittals. Some protesters have taken plea deals.

In a statement Friday, Huerta said he is “being targeted for exercising my constitutional rights for standing up against an administration that has declared open war on working families, immigrants, and basic human dignity.”

“The baseless charges brought against me are not just about me, they are meant to intimidate anyone who dares to speak out, organize, or demand justice. I will not be silenced,” he said.

Huerta was held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles for days, prompting thousands of union members, activists and supporters to rally for his release. California Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla also sent a letter to the Homeland Security and Justice departments demanding a review of Huerta’s arrest.

A judge ordered Huerta released in June on a $50,000 bond.

The case against Huerta centers on a June 6 workplace immigration raid at Ambiance Apparel. According to the original criminal complaint filed, Huerta arrived at the site around noon Friday, joining several other protesters.

Huerta and other protesters “appeared to be communicating with each other in a concerted effort to disrupt the law enforcement operations,” a federal agent wrote in the complaint.

The agent wrote that Huerta was yelling at and taunting officers and later sat cross-legged in front of a vehicle gate to the location where law enforcement authorities were serving a search warrant.

Huerta also “at various times stood up and paced in front of the gate, effectively preventing law enforcement vehicles from entering or exiting the premises through the gate to execute the search warrant,” the agent wrote in the affidavit.

The agent wrote that they told Huerta that if he kept blocking the Ambiance gate, he would be arrested.

According to the complaint, as a white law enforcement van tried to get through the gate, Huerta stood in its path.

Because Huerta “was being uncooperative, the officer put his hands on HUERTA in an attempt to move him out of the path of the vehicle.”

“I saw HUERTA push back, and in response, the officer pushed HUERTA to the ground,” the agent wrote. “The officer and I then handcuffed HUERTA and arrested him.”

According to a statement from SEIU-United Service Workers West, SEIU California State Council, and the Service Employees International Union, “Huerta was thrown to the ground, tackled, pepper sprayed, and detained by federal agents while exercising his constitutional rights at an ICE raid in Los Angeles.” Video of his arrest went viral.

“Despite David’s harsh treatment at the hands of law enforcement, he is now facing an unjust charge,” the statement read. “This administration has turned the military against our own people, terrorizing entire communities, and even detaining U.S. citizens who are exercising their constitutional rights to speak out.”

Acting U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, posted a photo on the social media site X of Huerta, hands behind his back, after the arrest.

“Let me be clear: I don’t care who you are — if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted,” Essayli wrote. “No one has the right to assault, obstruct, or interfere with federal authorities carrying out their duties.”

In an interview with Sacramento TV news oulet KCRA last month, Essayli referred to Huerta as Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “buddy” and said he “deliberately obstructed a search warrant.”

While speaking with reporters in June, Schiff said Huerta was “exercising his lawful right to be present and observe these immigration raids.”

“It’s obviously a very traumatic thing, and now that it looks like the Justice Department wants to try and make an example out of him, it’s all the more traumatic,” Schiff said. “But this is part of the Trump playbook. They selectively use the Justice Department to go after their adversaries. It’s what they do.”

American Airlines has moved its bag sizers away from the boarding gate. Now, passengers are being encouraged to check whether their luggage is too big when checking in, rather than just before they enter the aircraft

American Airlines is moving its bag sizers from the boarding gate to the check-in area in a process shakeup.

The airline—the third biggest in the world by number of employees—charges passengers whose carry-on bags are too big to check in.

While the size limits will still apply, American Airlines has moved its bag sizers away from the boarding gate. Now, passengers are being encouraged to check whether their luggage is too big when checking in, rather than just before they enter the aircraft.

That should, in theory, give them more time to repack or remove items from their carry-on bags before they get to the boarding gate, when time and space can feel limited.

READ MORE: Major airline now serving free beer and wine to economy passengers on every flightREAD MORE: Travel experts reveal the best month to fly in 2026 if you want to avoid delays

In an internal memo, American Airlines team members have been directed to “use their judgment” and “err on the side of the customer” when passengers arrive at the boarding area from now on. If there is uncertainty over the size of items to be taken on board with passengers, only luggage that is “clearly oversized” should it be forcibly checked in, the new rules say.

“Team members will continue to monitor carry-on baggage in the lobby and at the gate, and oversized items will still be required to be checked in ahead of the flight,” the carrier said.

American insists that the changes are part of improvements to the boarding process that the carrier has been making since 2024. But some might argue that boarding with carry-on bags is about to become a more subjective process as a result of the rule change, making it harder for passengers to prove that their bag is within reasonable limits.

American Airlines allows passengers one “personal item” and one carry-on. The personal item should fit under the seat in front and be no bigger than 18 x 14 x 8 inches (45 cm x 35 cm x 20 cm). Meanwhile, the carry-on should be able to be placed under the seat in front or in an overhead compartment and cannot exceed 22 x 14 x 9 inches (56 cm x 36 cm x 23 cm).

It’s definitely not something you’d want to get wrong. The most expensive fee for an oversized bag with American is $200 (£150).

The news has been met with a mixed reaction by those who fly regularly.

“Honestly, I think this is an unnecessary and stupid change. The size restrictions haven’t changed, but now there’s no way to check them at the gate? And when the gate agent has to stop someone with an oversized bag, they don’t have proof to back them up?” one person wrote on the American Airlines subreddit.

“I’m sure they were used occasionally by overly-eager gate agents, but I personally have never seen the sizers used except by curious passengers sizing their own bags. There’s no reason for them not to exist; they should just (continue to) only be used when necessary.”

A defender on the new system said: “This is an awesome move. Those gate sizers were never accurate and just made people feel like rubbish.”

Two games into the Eastern League football season and it’s already clear that the matchup on Oct. 17 featuring Garfield at South Gate should decide the league championship.

Garfield (3-2, 2-0), with All-City running back Ceasar Reyes leading the way, defeated Huntington Park 35-28 on Thursday night. South Gate (4-2, 2-0), relying on quarterback Michael Gonzalez, defeated Legacy 48-8.

Reyes rushed for 259 yards in 20 carries and scored four touchdowns. He also had eight tackles on defense. Reyes has been seeing some action as a wildcat quarterback, adding options for first-year coach Patrick Vargas.

Gonzalez passed for 202 yards and one touchdown and ran for 71 yards and two touchdowns against Legacy. He’s got 16 touchdown passes this season.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

The ‘pillowcase hack’ has been a popular way for travellers to avoid paying for checked luggage – but experts have warned that airlines are now ‘cracking down’ on the trick

If you’re looking to save a few quid on your upcoming holiday, chances are you’re flying with hand luggage only. As any seasoned traveller knows, cramming all your essentials into a small suitcase can be a right faff.

However, there are always those who try to bend the rules. One such method is known as the ‘pillowcase hack’.

This involves stuffing an empty pillowcase full of clothes and taking it on board your flight along with your bag.

Airlines can slap passengers with a £75 fee for travelling with an oversized carry-on bag, meaning travellers could end up shelling out £150 for a return journey due to overpacking.

In response to this, travel experts at Netflights have shed light on whether passengers should risk trying the pillowcase hack, and why cramming your clothes into a pillowcase could save you hundreds if you’re a frequent flyer, reports the Express.

Amanda Parker from Netflights has issued a warning to travellers that, despite numerous success stories, the pillowcase hack isn’t always a surefire win.

“Airlines are cracking down on sneaky flight hacks, so you might want to think twice about testing this hack on your next flight.

“An overly stuffed pillowcase bursting with clothes can raise suspicion, and if you’re already boarding the plane with maximum baggage, then your pillow can be flagged as extra.

“What works for one airline or crew might be refused by another, as different airlines’ cabin baggage rules vary.

“By risking the pillowcase hack, you could risk holding up the boarding process or being denied boarding entirely if you can’t pay the fee.

“Some low-cost airlines state that any item used to carry belongings, even if disguised, must be treated as luggage.

“Before jetting off, always check the baggage allowance rules to ensure you’ll be boarding your flight with the correct baggage and belongings.”