Ron

Former state Sen. Ronald Calderon, once the most powerful member of a politically influential family, was sentenced Friday in Los Angeles to 42 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in a federal corruption case.

The Montebello Democrat, who served in the state Senate for eight years ending in 2014, admitted in a plea deal in June that he had accepted tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from undercover FBI agents and a hospital executive in return for official favors.

Federal prosecutors had asked for a five-year sentence for a charge for which the maximum possible penalty was 20 years. U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder, who handed down the sentence to Calderon, said five years was too severe but that a significant prison sentence was needed to punish Calderon and send a message to other elected officials that corruption will not be tolerated.

“The crime is significant,” she said during the court hearing. “This is a true public corruption case.”

In addition to three and a half years in prison, Calderon was sentenced to one year supervised release and 150 hours of community service, but no fine. Instead of having Calderon taken into custody immediately, Snyder granted him a reprieve, allowing him to surrender to prison officials in January.

“Mr. Calderon betrayed the public trust,” said U.S. Atty. Eileen Decker. “A basic premise of our society is that elected officials will not exchange their votes for monetary gain and that’s what Mr. Calderon did.”

Mark Geragos, Calderon’s attorney, suggested during the court hearing that his client should serve no time in prison. He alleged that the government had entrapped Calderon and raised the former lawmaker’s poor health. The former state senator’s legacy has been ruined by his guilty plea in the case, he added.

“This is going to be the opening paragraph of his obituary, unfortunately,” Geragos told Snyder.

When Snyder rebuffed Geragos’ appeal and said Calderon needed to spend some amount of time behind bars, Geragos switched tactics, asking her to consider a two-year sentence.

Striking a defiant tone throughout, Calderon, 59, refused to admit any wrongdoing or to apologize.

“My goal was always to do the right thing for California,” he said. “At no point did I intend to break the law.”

Faced with the prospect of going to trial on nearly two dozen charges that could have sent him to prison for many years, Calderon said he had been put in a “tough situation” when the government proposed its plea agreement.

He said he ultimately decided to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud in order to spare his family the ordeal of a trial, but persisted in his innocence, saying he never agreed to any quid pro quo to benefit himself or his family.

Calderon, his voice wavering with emotion at times, then told Snyder of the toll the case has taken on him and his family, saying he had “learned a hard lesson.”

Unemployed and tens of thousands of dollars in debt, he said he was not only banned from running for public office again but had been stripped of his real estate license and had been unable to get a job. His wife, he said, would likely have to declare bankruptcy and sell their house.

“I had so much potential for life after politics,” he bemoaned.

Professional relationships had been ruined as had his relationship with his brother, he said.

“My reputation is destroyed,” Calderon said.

Snyder was unmoved.

“I did not really hear Sen. Calderon accept responsibility or apologize,” she said. “It was really about himself.”

Snyder said that after listening to Calderon she was tempted to tack on several months to his sentence, but chose to stick with the 42 months.

Calderon learned his fate a month after his brother former state Assemblyman Tom Calderon was sentenced to a year in federal custody for laundering bribes taken by his brother.

Updates from Sacramento »

As part of the plea, Ronald Calderon admitted accepting trips to Las Vegas, jobs for his adult son and daughter and cash for him and Tom Calderon.

In exchange, Calderon advocated for legislation that would help a hospital owner. He also acknowledged that he had pushed for a law to give tax credits to independent films while an undercover FBI agent posing as a film producer showered him with bribes.

Assistant U.S. Atty. Mack E. Jenkins wrote a blistering brief urging the federal judge for a prison sentence for the former state senator, who had asked to be allowed to serve time in home detention or be released after the brief time he already served in jail.

“Here, defendant’s trafficking in his legislative votes (for, by contrast, over $150,000 in benefits) caused a reverberation of negative effects throughout California and put a stain not just on his career, but on the reputation of the state legislature,” Jenkins wrote.

“Here, defendant sold his vote not just to help pay for the expenses of living beyond his means, but for the more banal and predictable aims of corruption — fancy luxuries, fancy parties and fancy people,” Jenkins wrote, attaching to the file a photo Calderon took with rappers Nelly and T.I. at a Las Vegas event.

The Calderon family was a political dynasty for decades in California. A third brother, former Assemblyman Charles Calderon, was not implicated in the corruption scandal. Ronald Calderon’s nephew Ian Calderon is a state assemblyman and the last family member in state elected office. He was not alleged to have any part in the scheme.

The indictment of Ronald Calderon in 2014 was part of an ugly chapter for the state Senate, which saw two other members also suspended after being charged with crimes.

Former Democratic Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco was sentenced in February to five years in prison for doing political favors in exchange for campaign cash in a separate scheme. Former Democratic state Sen. Roderick D. Wright served a brief jail sentence in 2014 after he was convicted of eight felony counts, including perjury and voting fraud, for lying about living in his state Senate district.

Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) said Friday that with the sentencing of Calderon, “the Senate can close the book on a very dark period in its history.

“But its lesson will not be forgotten — that those who seek to trade a sacred trust for self-enrichment will be disgraced and punished,” he added. “There is no room for corruption in this house of democracy.

Good government advocates, including Kathay Feng of California Common Cause, were generally supportive of the judge’s decision. “The sentence of three [and a half] years sends a message that bribery does not pay,” Feng said.

Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), whose district overlapped Calderon’s and who had been first to call on Calderon to resign, said, “Today, our community received some justice for his crimes,” She added that the “dark cloud over our community will live with us longer than” Calderon serves in prison.

Patrick McGreevy reported from Sacramento and Joel Rubin reported from Los Angeles.

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ALSO

Sen. Ron Calderon surrenders to authorities in corruption case

Ex-Assemblyman Tom Calderon is sentenced to a year in federal custody in bribery case

Former state Sen. Ron Calderon’s guilty plea in corruption case marks blow to political dynasty

UPDATES:

4:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional quotes.

ARLINGTON, Texas — Angels manager Ron Washington said Monday he is recovering from quadruple bypass heart surgery, the first time he has publicly addressed the health issues that have sidelined him since late June.

He made the announcement while visiting the Angels for the first time since the operation eight weeks ago in California. He is not returning to manage this season but hopes to have that opportunity next year.

Washington, at 73 the oldest manager in the majors, was last in the dugout for a 7-3 loss to the New York Yankees on June 19. The following day, the team said Washington was out indefinitely because of health issues after experiencing shortness of breath and appearing fatigued toward the end of that four-game series in New York.

“This happened fast,” Washington said. “I wasn’t feeling very good on our last trip to New York … and I finally decided to go to the trainer and let him see what was going on. My ankles were swollen. And he called the doctors in from New York and they knew right away what was going on, why my fluid was going into my ankles.”

He was cleared by Yankees doctors to fly home with the team and underwent tests after getting back to Southern California. The Angels announced on June 27 that he was going on medical leave for the rest of the season. Washington had surgery three days later.

Washington said the Angels were on a road trip when he was released from the hospital on July 7, so he got clearance to fly home to Texas where his wife could assist him with his recovery.

The well-liked Washington revealed the details of his medical issues before the Angels opened a three-game series in Texas. He plans to continue on to Houston before skipping the final stop on the road trip in Kansas City. Washington hopes to be with the team the rest of the season after the Angels return home.

Washington is the Rangers’ winningest manager with a 664-611 record from 2007 to 2014. He led them to their first two World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.

After initially returning to Oakland’s organization for two seasons, Washington then was on the Atlanta Braves’ staff from 2017 to 2023 and part of their 2021 World Series championship.

With a young roster after Shohei Ohtani’s departure in free agency and with three-time AL MVP Mike Trout limited to 29 games because of injuries, the Angels went 63-99 last year in Washington’s first season as manager, a franchise record for losses. They were 36-38 before Washington left the dugout this year, and entered Monday night’s game 25-31 with Ray Montgomery filling in for him.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who led them to their first World Series title two seasons ago, is the second-oldest manager in the majors. The four-time World Series champion turned 70 in April.

Hawkins writes for the Associated Press.

Ron Turcotte, who rode Secretariat during his Triple Crown year in 1973 and electrified the sport, died Friday at his home near Grand Falls, New Brunswick, Canada. He was 84. According to his longtime friend and business partner Leonard Lusky, his death was due to natural causes.

Turcotte, who despite being in a wheelchair since 1978 after a riding accident left him paralyzed from the waist down, often showed up at big races to sign autographs, pose for pictures and act as an ambassador for the sport.

During his almost two-decade career, beginning in 1961, Turcotte won 3,023 races with lifetime earnings of more than $28 million. He was forced to retire in 1978 when, at 36, he suffered career-ending injuries in a spill at Belmont Park.

Turcotte’s accomplishments earned him a spot in six different Halls of Fame, including the National Racing Hall of Fame in 1979 and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1980. He won the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, presented at Santa Anita, the Avelino Gomez Memorial Award, given in Canada, and the Turf Publicists Big Sport of Turfdom Award.

He spent much of his later years bringing attention to the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, or PDJF.

Of all his more than 3,000 wins, he will most be remembered for his ride aboard Secretariat winning the Triple Crown and Belmont Stakes by an unheard of 31 lengths.

“I couldn’t hear the announcer all the time, saying how far I was in front,” Turcotte told The Times in 2023, to mark the 50th anniversary of Secretariat winning the Triple Crown. “I knew I was quite a ways in front because I couldn’t hear any other horses hitting the ground behind me. When I got the quarter pole I looked and I could barely see them and I looked at the clock and saw 1:59 on the board, which was faster than we ran the Derby.”

The family plans a private funeral and asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the PDJF. Turcotte is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Gaetane, and their four daughters: Tina, Ann, Lynn and Tammy.

Ron Washington was beaming in his black suit, complete with a red tie, as he sat at a table perched on a platform in the Home Plate Club of Angel Stadium on Wednesday.

The 71-year old manager from New Orleans, the newest in Angels history, scanned the room, taking in his moment as his new general manager, Perry Minasian, boasted about him. Minasian gave him his official Angels gear and Washington affixed his newest cap to his head and meticulously buttoned each button on his newest jersey.

“Now I’m legit,” Washington said and smiled.

It had been nine years since Washington had been in this position, the manager of a major league baseball team. Now that he was back, he stated his message clearly: The Angels will be a force to be reckoned with while he’s in charge.

“Our whole focus is going to be to run the [American League] West down,” Washington said in front of a crowd of Angels players, alumni, media members and team employees. “And you can take that to the bank and deposit it.”

Washington, hired by Texas Rangers ahead of the 2007 season, has had a chip on his shoulder after not winning a World Series despite AL pennants in 2010 and 2011 and a wild-card berth in 2012.

He left the Rangers before the end of the 2014 season — stating, at the time, that his decision to leave was because he had been unfaithful to his wife. Of the nature of his departure from the Rangers, Minasian said Wednesday that he had done his due diligence and felt comfortable hiring Washington.

Washington had been trying to return to a managerial position since then, interviewing with at least three other clubs over the years, he said, but he never stopped believing his next opportunity would come.

He has a World Series ring, having been an integral part of the 2021 campaign of the Atlanta Braves, the team he had been the third base coach for since the 2017 season.

Angels new manager Ron Washington, left, and general manager Perry Minisian hug during a news conference Wednesday at Angel Stadium.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

And he spoke with more than just determination, but a conviction in the Angels, with his confidence in himself and down-to-the-soul belief in a better Angels future paving the way.

The Angels have not reached the playoffs since 2014 and have eight straight losing seasons. In addition, Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani is a free agent and could leave the team. While some view the roster as weak, Washington sees potential.

“I really have been, since I’ve been here these past three days, focusing in on these young arms we got,” Washington said. “I am very impressed with the young arms we got. That’s why we trying to find us a pitching coach to guide them in the right direction.

“Pitching and defense is the key to success. The rest of it, I’m going to take care of as we move along. … The defense, you’re looking at the best in the business, and that’s not patting myself on the back. That’s a fact.”

The Houston Astros have won the AL West six of the last seven seasons. The Rangers won this season’s World Series.

While some view beating the top teams in the division as a tall order, Washington says so what.

“Yeah, the Astros [have] been there,” Washington said matter-of-factly. “When I took over in Texas, guess who was the big dog? The Angels. And what happened? We ran them down. So my intent is to run Houston down.

“I’m not saying that’s gonna happen this year. But we don’t know when it’s gonna happen. I can tell you what, we’re gonna get back on top.”

Washington’s official candidacy for the Angels job began with a dinner with Minasian in New Orleans a few weeks ago — though Washington’s familiarity with the Minasian family dates back much further. After that, Washington was invited to meet with Minasian and other members of the front office in Scottsdale, Ariz., for a brunch on the Tuesday of the general manager meetings last week.

Team owner Arte Moreno picked Washington up from the airport and Minasian and the rest of the Angels contingent talked with him for more than three hours, Minasian said, and he was offered the job. The next day, the Angels announced Washington as their new manager.

Washington’s Angels have already secured their new third base coach, Eric Young Sr., who followed Washington from Atlanta, as well as their new infield coach, Ryan Goins. Washington also said Wednesday that he knows who his first base coach is, though he did not give a name. The Angels confirmed Bo Porter as their new first base coach on Friday. The Angels also confirmed on Friday that they promoted Jerry Narron to major league catching coach after previously serving as their minor league catching coordinator. The Angels subsequently named Johnny Washington as their hitting coach and Barry Enright as pitching coach.

Next up on Washington’s agenda: making calls to the team’s biggest leaders for the foreseeable future: Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon.

Washington and Dave Roberts of the Dodgers are the only Black managers in the majors, after Dusty Baker retired from his position with the Astros last month. Washington replaces Phil Nevin, whose contract for next season was not picked up by the Angels.

At a time when it is trying to figure out a way to attract a larger share of moderate whites in presidential elections, the national Democratic Party is facing a tough decision.

Its leading candidate for party chairman is a black man who has been close to two of the party’s liberal icons, Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Ron Brown, a 47-year-old Washington lawyer, once served on Kennedy’s Senate staff and last summer managed Jackson’s forces during the Democratic National Convention.

He is vying for the Democratic chairmanship with four other men: Michigan Democratic Chairman Richard Wiener and former U. S. Reps. Michael D. Barnes of Maryland, James R. Jones of Oklahoma and James V. Stanton of Ohio.

The 404 Democratic National Committee members will choose the new chairman in February. Although a political insider’s job, the post is always crucial to the direction of the party and the kind of presidential nominee it chooses at the end of the chairman’s four-year term.

Big Names

Brown’s four competitors have significant support, but it is Brown who is picking up the big names.

Two potential presidential candidates–New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo and New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley–have endorsed him, and a major Democratic moderate, former Gov. Bruce Babbitt of Arizona, is working hard on his behalf.

Brown also has strong support among organized labor and is popular with the large bloc of Democratic National Committee members from California.

“You’re going to see a consensus building for Ron in the next few weeks,” said a top Los Angeles Democrat who asked not to be identified. “You’re going to see governors coming out for him.”

Even Brown’s opponents cannot find anything bad to say about him and some acknowledge that he is the most qualified person seeking the job. He is a skilled negotiator and communicator and has worked within the party for years.

But some Democrats worry that his selection would send the wrong signal to moderates who have been deserting the party in recent presidential elections.

‘New Direction’

“We have been trying to move the party in a new direction for four years and that is not the direction of Jesse Jackson and Ted Kennedy,” said Al From, executive director of the Democratic Leadership Council, an organization of moderate Democrats, many of them Southern senators and governors.

“Ron may be in the center of the political spectrum personally,” From said, “but the baggage he carries is that the two politicians he is most associated with are liberals. At some point this party has to recognize the fact that the liberal message is not winning presidential elections.”

Some Democrats also worry that Brown is a stalking horse for Jackson, who may run again for President in 1992. But Babbitt said in an interview that theory was off base.

“I know Ron Brown and I can tell you he is not a stalking horse for Jesse. I made this mistake four years ago when I opposed the selection of (Paul G. Kirk Jr.) for Democratic chair on the ground that he was a stalking horse for Ted Kennedy.

“That not only turned out to be false, (but) Paul Kirk has been an outstanding chairman for the last four years. He has greatly improved the party. Ron Brown will do the same thing.”

Jewish Supporters

Some Democrats also worry that because Brown advised Jackson, if only briefly, his selection to head the Democratic Party could alienate some Jews who are major financial supporters of the party and who have quarreled with Jackson in the past.

Edward Sanders, a former president of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, acknowledged that was a problem Brown had to surmount.

“But I am convinced Ron is his own man,” said Sanders, who arranged a meeting for Brown with some Jewish leaders recently in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Deputy City Atty. John Emerson, a former DNC member, said: “The next chairman of the Democratic Party has to be someone who can deal with Jesse Jackson. Ron is his own man and Jesse really respects him. It’s Ron’s asset not his liability.”

California has 23 votes on the Democratic National Committee and longtime party adviser Mickey Kantor believes “Ron can get 16 to 18 of those votes from what I have been able to determine.”

Brown said in an interview that he finds himself in a strange position: When Democratic leaders were worried about what Jackson would do at the national convention last summer, Brown agreed to help things go smoothly and ultimately won high praise.

“Now,” said Brown, “some people are worried that I am too close to Jesse. But anybody who knows me knows that isn’t so. I think my strongest point, in fact, is that I can be someone all sides can turn to.”

Ray Montgomery is just three weeks into his interim tenure as Angels manager. And as his responsibility grows, he’s well aware that so does the pressure.

“All blame, no credit,” he said Monday as the Angels began a seven-game homestand before the All-Star break. “And I get that. That’s just how it goes.”

Since taking over as manager on June 20 for Ron Washington — who will remain on medical leave until the end of the 2025 season — Montgomery has guided the Angels (44-46) to an 8-8 record entering Tuesday.

They’ve had the good: taking two of three from the Braves in Atlanta last week. And they’ve had the bad: getting swept by the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre over the weekend.

Montgomery said he understands the expectations aren’t what they were a few years ago — when the Angels lost 89 or more games from 2022 to 2024 — and that the Angels aren’t so far away from their first postseason berth since 2014 thanks to their young core having a few seasons under its belt.

“We’re not here to develop, although that’s a piece to what we do,” Montgomery said. “We’re here to win. And for the Angels, it’s important for us to have an opportunity where we are.”

If anything, there’s a case to be made that the Angels could be over .500 if a few plays had gone their way. Since Montgomery took over as manager, the Angels are 2-5 in one-run ball games, including all three games in the Toronto series.

When asked what the Angels need to do or adjust to end up on the other end of those one-run contests — of which they’d been 17-11 across the full season — Montgomery pointed to big swings and specific plays.

“You can point to the big hits, I get it, but you can also point to the execution on smaller plays, too, that prevent runs,” he said. “We made some mistakes in those games.”

The Angels got one of those big plays on Monday night. Nolan Schanuel drew a walk-off walk for a 6-5 victory over the Rangers, wiping away miscues such as a dropped third strike that led to a score-tying RBI double.

Montgomery, in his fifth year with the Angels — fourth as a member of the coaching staff — turned to a decision he made in Atlanta last week as proof that one moment can change the game.

Against the Braves last week, Yusei Kikuchi had been brilliant. The Japanese left-hander was two-thirds into the sixth inning of his then-scoreless outing. Instead of keeping Kikuchi — at 100 pitches — in to try to finish off the side as he worked through the Braves lineup for the third time, Montgomery pulled the left-hander in favor of right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn with two runners on base.

It backfired. Sean Murphy, who struck out twice against Kikuchi earlier in the game, hit a three-run home run to give the Braves a 3-2 lead, an advantage that would turn into an 8-3 loss.

“If I leave Kikuchi in Atlanta, right, and he gets a guy he handled pretty good during the game, we may sweep that series too,” Montgomery said. “[Games are] magnified now — I get it.”

Decisions like those are where Washington and Montgomery’s managerial strategies may differ. Washington, a longtime MLB coach, comes from an era of giving starting pitchers a longer leash (it goes hand in hand with the Angels using just five starting pitchers so far in 2025).

Montgomery, who comes from a scouting background in his post-playing career, may value analytical strategy more — holding pitchers from facing a lineup a third time through the order and playing matchups more.

Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who has played for new-school managers that emphasize analytics such as Kevin Cash, as well as old-school managers such as Terry Collins, says Montgomery toes the line in between both managerial styles.

“He’s got a good feel,” d’Arnaud said. “He trusts the staff, which is really good, and also trusts the bullpen, which is also really good. He has really good communication with every player, lets them know when they’re playing — which is more of a younger thing — and so it’s a mix of both [new- and-old school].”

Strategy could be the difference between Murphy facing Zeferjahn rather than Kikuchi. Strategy may be the difference between a win and a loss — or staying in contention for an American League wild-card spot.

“It’s tough to say,” right-hander Jack Kochanowicz said when asked about the difference between Washington and Montgomery. “You feel like each game is different. It’s hard to really put an identity to either one of them, especially since Ray’s so new to it, too. It’s a small sample size.”

For Montgomery, he said he’s not going to dwell on the could-have-beens. Squarely in the chase — and in the zone between the franchise deciding between buying and selling at the trade deadline — he’s just happy the Angels are in the conversation.

“If you told us coming up on the All-Star break, that we were in the mix a couple games above or below .500 — and I’m not ignorant of the fact that we’ve cost ourselves a few games, we should be a little better than we are — I would be happy with where we sit right now,” Montgomery said.

A week after he stepped away from managerial duties indefinitely, the Angels announced Friday that manager Ron Washington will remain on medical leave for the remainder of the season.

General manager Perry Minasian said last week that Washington, 73, had been feeling unwell for a few days — experiencing shortness of breath and fatigue at the New York Yankees series in New York from June 16-19.

“The fortunate part is he knows what he needs to do, and from a health standpoint, he knows how to get better,” said Minasian, who noted that he spoke to Washington three times on Friday. “In my opinion, and I think a lot of people’s opinion, the game of baseball is 1000 times better when Ron Washington’s part of it on a daily basis.”

Washington signed a two-year contract with the Angels in November 2023. The 2025 season would be the last year of his contract — a campaign he will no longer finish as manager of the team. The Angels have an option for 2026.

In 2024, the Angels finished the season 63-99.

The Angels are 40-40 so far in 2025. Bench coach Ray Montgomery is the interim manager, the Angels announced.

Montgomery has managed the Angels for the last week, tallying a 4-2 record.

Second-generation NBA players are plentiful, and why not?

Dads can pass down their height, dedication and athleticism. Dad’s handsome compensation can afford a son the opportunity to follow in his footsteps. And Dad’s drive can serve as a road map.

Dylan Harper, the second pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday, is the latest budding star whose father was decorated before him. Ron Harper capped a 15-year NBA career by winning five NBA championships in his last six seasons, back-to-back titles with the Lakers in 2000 and 2001 following three with the Chicago Bulls in 1996, ’97 and ’98.

Ron Harper of the Lakers drives for a layup at Staples Center.

(Paul Morse / Los Angeles Times)

Dylan, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Rutgers, was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs. His brother, Ron Harper Jr., also is in the NBA, having played in 11 games for the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors the last three years.

In any other sport, the progeny of a former star player ascending to the highest level would be especially noteworthy. That Ron Harper’s sons are on the cusp of similar careers as their dad was nothing out of the ordinary.

LeBron James and his oldest son Bronny famously became the first father-son duo to take the court at the same time in the Lakers’ season opener last October. But that is just one of the many dynamics of a son choosing the same career path to the NBA as his dad.

Lakers forward LeBron James greets his son and teammate Bronny James, right, during warm-ups.

(Gerald Herbert / Associated Press)

The phenomenon goes back a long way. Two sons of Minneapolis Lakers legend George Mikan — a five-time All-NBA center in the early 1950s — were drafted into the NBA, with one, Larry, playing 53 games in 1970-71.

During a 15-year career that ended in 1964, Hall of Fame center Dolph Shayes averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game. His son, Danny Shayes, outdid dad in career longevity, playing 18 years through 1999 for seven teams, including a short stint with the Lakers.

Butch Van Breda Kolff played four seasons in the 1940s and in 1976 his son, Jan, became the first player to face a team coached by his father when Jan played for the New York Nets while Butch coached the New Orleans Jazz. Butch also coached the Lakers to the NBA Finals in 1968 and ‘69, where they lost to the Boston Celtics both times.

Other sons who faced teams coached by their fathers — who also played in the NBA — include Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Sr., Coby and George Karl, and Austin and Doc Rivers.

Austin Rivers also became the first to play for his father in an NBA game when he was traded to the Clippers in 2015. At first, he wasn’t thrilled when his dad called to alert him of the proposed deal.

“He called me up and he asked me if ‘this was something you might be interested in because we need you,’ ” Austin said at his introductory news conference. “When I heard that, it was one of those things where I just kind of had to think, take a day to myself and be like, ‘Could this work?’

“And it does, just because of the relationship I have with him. It’s already kind of basketball oriented … It’s not so much like father-son. It’s just kind of like coach-player and then off the court, we deal with that a different way.”

Sons who achieved more than their father abound. Dell Curry was no slouch, averaging 11.7 points and earning $19.8 million over a 16-year NBA career that ended in 2002. One son, Seth, is in his 11th season, having averaged 10 points while earning $45 million.

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1. Toronto Raptors’ Dell Curry lands on top of Trail Blazers’ Damon Stoudamire as he drives to the hoop during their NBA game Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2000, in Portland, Ore. (JACK SMITH/ASSOCIATED PRESS) 2. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry drives past Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Houston. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

Dell’s other son, Stephen, is a certain Hall of Famer, recognized as perhaps the best pure shooter in history. He’s led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA titles while averaging 24.4 points and earning $357.8 million over 16 seasons.

Klay Thompson was a teammate of Steph Curry on all four Warriors championship teams, and he’s averaged 19.1 points while earning $268.8 million over 12 seasons. That easily eclipses the exploits of his loquacious father, Mychal Thompson, who won two titles with the Lakers before becoming a broadcaster with the team as well as a radio personality.

The list of father-son duos is too long to mention them all. Here are a handful.

Three sons of Hall of Fame guard Rick Barry played in the NBA, with Brent enjoying the most success. UCLA product Mike Bibby outdid his dad by playing 14 years to Henry’s nine. Kevin Love outplayed his father, but Stan Love’s association with the Beach Boys stood out.

The father-son combos include a host of juniors in addition to the Harpers and Dunleavys, among them the Larry Drews, the Patrick Ewings, the Rich Dumases, the Matt Guokases, the Tim Hardaways, the Gerald Hendersons, the Jaren Jacksons, the John Lucases, the Wes Matthews, the Larry Nances, the Gary Paytons, the James Paxsons, the Scottie Pippins, Glen Rice, Glenn Robinson, the Wally Szczerbiaks, the Gary Trents and the Duane Washingtons.

And, of course, there are more Lakers ties.

Luke Walton matched his father with two NBA championships and also coached the Lakers, but couldn’t attain the cult status of Bill Walton, a UCLA legend whose quirky, outsized personality transcended his achievements on the court.

The former Laker who did indeed transcend not only his father’s career but that of nearly every player who lived was Kobe Bryant. His father, Joe (Jellybean) Bryant, died last July, four years after his son tragically died in a helicopter crash that also took the lives of his daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

The fractious relationship between Kobe and his father is well-chronicled, and they rarely spoke after Kobe married his wife, Vanessa.

Dylan Harper’s relationship with his father is stronger, although Ron Harper divorced Dylan’s mother in 2012. She raised her two sons and a daughter as a single mom who also happened to coach high school basketball and run a travel program.

Maria Harper, a former Division I player at the University of New Orleans, was an assistant boys’ coach when her sons played at Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey.

“She was hard but loving,” Dylan told the Athletic in 2023. “She wasn’t just tough on me, either. Everyone got a little bit of it.”

Ron Sr. moved near his ex-wife in 2007. Yet he pointed recruiters to Maria when Dylan was being wooed by colleges, he pointed recruiters to Maria.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud of him, but I don’t want this to be about me,” he said at the time.

Yet like any father, Ron Sr. was proud of his son’s accomplishments.

“When Dylan was 5 years old, I told people he was going to be really good,” he said. “He reminded me of me.”

Dylan Harper might exceed his father’s accomplishments in the way that Bryant and Curry did, or fail to do so. In addition to winning five titles, Ron Harper averaged 13.8 points and 3.9 assists in 1,009 NBA games.

Either way, Dylan is about to join a lengthy list of players whose fathers blazed a trail they followed.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida officials are pursuing plans to build a second detention center to house immigrants, as part of the state’s aggressive push to support the federal government’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he’s considering establishing a facility at a Florida National Guard training center known as Camp Blanding, about 30 miles southwest of Jacksonville in northeast Florida, in addition to the site under construction at a remote airstrip in the Everglades that state officials have dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”

The construction of that facility in the remote and ecologically sensitive wetland about 45 miles west of downtown Miami is alarming environmentalists, as well as human rights advocates who have slammed the plan as cruel and inhumane.

Speaking to reporters at an event in Tampa, DeSantis touted the state’s muscular approach to immigration enforcement and its willingness to help President Trump’s administration meet its goal of more than doubling its existing 41,000 beds for detaining migrants to at least 100,000 beds.

State officials have said the detention facility, which has been described as temporary, will rely on heavy-duty tents, trailers, and other impermanent buildings, allowing the state to operationalize 5,000 immigration detention beds by early July and free up space in local jails.

“I think the capacity that will be added there will help the overall national mission. It will also relieve some burdens of our state and local [law enforcement],” DeSantis said.

Managing the facility “via a team of vendors” will cost $245 a bed per day, or approximately $450 million a year, a U.S. official said. The expenses will be incurred by Florida and reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In the eyes of DeSantis and other state officials, the remoteness of the Everglades airfield, surrounded by mosquito- and alligator-filled wetlands that are seen as sacred to Native American tribes, makes it an ideal place to detain migrants.

“Clearly, from a security perspective, if someone escapes, you know, there’s a lot of alligators,” he said. “No one’s going anywhere.”

Democrats and activists have condemned the plan as a callous, politically motivated spectacle.

“What’s happening is very concerning, the level of dehumanization,” said Maria Asuncion Bilbao, Florida campaign coordinator at the immigration advocacy group American Friends Service Committee.

“It’s like a theatricalization of cruelty,” she said.

DeSantis is relying on state emergency powers to commandeer the county-owned airstrip and build the compound, over the concerns of county officials, environmentalists and human rights advocates.

Now the state is considering standing up another site at a National Guard training facility in northeast Florida as well.

“We’ll probably also do something similar up at Camp Blanding,” DeSantis said, adding that the state’s emergency management division is “working on that.”

Payne writes for the Associated Press.

Angels manager Ron Washington will be out indefinitely because of health issues, and bench coach Ray Montgomery will manage Friday night’s series opener against the Houston Astros.

Washington, 73, experienced shortness of breath and appeared fatigued toward the end of a four-game series against the Yankees. He was cleared by Yankees doctors to fly home with the team Thursday night and underwent a series of medical tests on Friday.

General manager Perry Minasian announced Washington’s status before the game.

The Angels did not specify what symptoms Washington is experiencing, but said the manager was able to address the team in the clubhouse along with Minasian on Friday, and he was planning to watch the game from the GM’s Angel Stadium suite. Washington was not made available to the media.

“Wash has not felt great the last couple of days,” Minasian said. “We want to make sure he’s 100% before he’s back in the dugout and managing. How long it’s going to take, I don’t know. I don’t expect it to be too long.

“We all know how important this is for all of us, but health is more important than anything, and me personally, I’m not letting him back in the dugout until I know he’s 100% OK. I love the guy too much.”

Washington, who managed the Texas Rangers to back-to-back World Series in 2010 and 2011, was hired by Minasian before a 2024 season in which the Angels lost a franchise-record 99 games.

The Angels entered Friday night’s game at 36-38 — 6½ games behind the Astros in the AL West. The Angels are 15-6 in one-run games, a major league-best .714 winning percentage, and 5-0 in extra innings.

“He wants to manage — I don’t know if he’s ever missed a game–but at the end of the day, you have to make tough decisions,” Minasian said. “For me, I want to make sure the guy is absolutely healthy, and physically, he’s in the right place before we put him back in the dugout.

“We play some close games. They’re not the types of games you can sit back, kick your feet up and just watch. They’re pretty tight games, stressful games, and I want to make sure he’s good to go health-wise before he gets back in the dugout.”

After an extensive search, HBO has officially found young wizards Harry, Ron and Hermione for its upcoming “Harry Potter” series.

Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton are the chosen ones to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively, of the more than 30,000 children who auditioned during the open casting call.

Filming begins this summer and the show premieres next year.

“The talent of these three unique actors is wonderful to behold, and we cannot wait for the world to witness their magic together onscreen,” executive producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod said in a statement. “We would like to thank all the tens of thousands of children who auditioned. It’s been a real pleasure to discover the plethora of young talent out there.” Gardiner will serve as showrunner and Mylod will direct multiple episodes of the series.

Author J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film & TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films will also executive produce.

Here’s everything we know about the reimagining of the classic franchise.

Who is Dominic McLaughlin?

Prior to nabbing the titular role in “Harry Potter,” McLaughlin studied at the Performance Academy Scotland for five years. He is set to appear in BBC’s upcoming series “Gifted,” about Scottish teens who discover they have superpowers, and the Sky film “Grow,” about a grumpy pumpkin farmer and her orphaned niece.

“The news is out and this one is MAGICAL!!” wrote the Performance Academy Scotland on Instagram. “We are not sure that this will ever feel real but we said from the start that Dominic was the perfect Harry & we are thrilled for everyone else to see this soon too.”

Who is Alastair Stout?

“Harry Potter” is Stout’s first major role. His only other credited appearance is a commercial for Albert Bartlett potatoes.

Who is Arabella Stanton?

Stanton starred as Matilda Wormwood in “Matilda the Musical” in London’s West End from 2023 to 2024. The English actress also played the narrator Control in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s play “Starlight Express” in 2024.

Who else is in the cast?

Previously announced cast members include John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.

How will the show differ from the movies?

HBO has said the show will span a decade and remain faithful to Rowling’s books. The original films starred Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. In addition to the seven bestsellers and eight hit films, the franchise also spawned the “Fantastic Beasts” movie prequels, starring Eddie Redmayne, the play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and themed areas at Universal parks.

May 15 (UPI) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday banning fluoride in public water, making it the second state to do so.

DeSantis signed SB 700, known as the Farm Bill, during a press conference. The law, which is to go into effect July 1, prohibits local governments from adding fluoride and other “water quality” additives from the water supply.

DeSantis equated the use of fluoride in water — which is heralded as a trusted and tested public health preventative medicine strategy — as “basically forced medication on people.”

“People want to use it on their teeth, great. But it’s readily available now,” he said.

“We have the ability to deliver fluoride through toothpaste and … all these others things. You don’t got to force it and take way people’s choices.”

DeSantis framed the issue as one of “informed consent,” stating “forcing this in the water supply is trying to take that away from people who may want a different decision rather than to have this in water.”

The bill reached DeSantis after having been overwhelming approved by the state’s House in a 88 to 27 vote late last month and the state’s Senate on April 16 in a 27 to 9 vote.

Florida’s ban comes after Utah in late March became the first state to prohibit fluoride in its public water and as the Trump administration’s Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Health and Human Services review potential health risks associated with the long-held medical practices.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has claimed that fluoride is associated with an assortment of diseases, including cancer, and he called it “an industrial waste associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer IQ loss, neurodevelopment disorders and thyroid disease.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its intention to remove fluoride supplements from the market staring October.

U.S. cities have fluoridated their drinking water for decades in a effort to fight tooth decay, with Grand Rapids, Mich., becoming the first to do so in 1945.

The American Dental Association has been a vocal supported of fluoridated tap water amid the controversy and on Thursday published slides to its Facebook account showing that the practice reduces cavities by 25% in both adults and children, and is safe.

Its president, Brett Kessler, said in a statement issued following Utah’s ban that children will be the ones to suffer.

“Community water fluoridation programs save states money, save the federal government money and save people money,” he said. “I urge every dentist and community member to make their voices heard if there are proposals in your area that threaten the oral health of our communities.”