Santa

At her players’ request, Cori Close showed up inside Pauley Pavilion five hours before tipoff. The UCLA women’s basketball coach was joined by her assistants and managers for pregame shooting at 6:30 a.m., so many players filling the court that the sessions had to be staggered.

Three days after a lackluster showing in their season opener, the Bruins felt they had something to prove in their first game at home. The additional work before facing UC Santa Barbara on Thursday reflected their commitment.

“I mean, I never have to coach this team’s work ethic,” Close said. “That is never in question. And so that’s a really fun place to be in.”

The day’s biggest gratification would come later, the third-ranked Bruins resembling an All-Star team at times during an 87-50 rout of the Gauchos that showed glimpses of the firepower they hope to fully unleash by season’s end.

Forward Gabriela Jaquez revealed one of the best long-range shooting displays of her career, making four of seven three-pointers on the way to 21 points. Point guard Kiki Rice was a constant playmaker in her return to the starting lineup while scoring 20 points, grabbing eight rebounds and distributing three assists. Shooting guard Gianna Kneepkens added another dimension to the offense with four more three-pointers and 20 points.

It was the first time the Bruins had three players score 20 or more points since four of them did it against Bellarmine in November 2023.

“There’s so many weapons that I feel like it’s hard for the defense to choose what to take away,” Kneepkens said, “so I think really what makes this team special is that on any night it could be someone’s night, so that’s a really hard thing to scout.”

The challenge for the Bruins (2-0) could be to maximize all that talent.

Close said Rice had sent her an Oklahoma City Thunder news conference in which the team talked about building rhythm with its offense by best utilizing the players who were hot on any given night.

“We’re not quite there yet,” Close said. “We’re not playing with great rhythm. … I think we just haven’t totally found that flow yet.”

UCLA guard Kiki Rice drives to the basket past UC Santa Barbara guard Zoe Shaw during the second half Thursday.

(Kyusung Gong / Associated Press)

Part of that could be pinned on Rice still rounding into form from a shoulder injury and fellow point guard Charlisse Leger-Walker (eight points, seven assists, three steals) playing in only her second game since returning from a lengthy injury layoff.

The Bruins were also without Sienna Betts (lower leg) and Timea Gardiner (knee) for a second consecutive game. Close said there remained no timetable for Betts’ return even as she continued to progress.

But Close said she liked the way her players responded after describing them as “flat all the way around” in their opener, a 24-point victory over San Diego State.

“The film session after that was not fun. Practice was not fun,” Close said. “And their willingness to say, ‘This is what we need. We need to be challenged. We didn’t meet the standard’ — I’m really impressed with their willingness to do that.”

After some lackadaisical UCLA defense in the first quarter, there was a stretch in the second quarter in which the Bruins made it difficult just to get the ball past halfcourt.

Jaquez stuck out a hand, tipping an outlet pass to herself before going in for a driving layup in which she was fouled. On the Gauchos’ next possession, Leger-Walker came up with another steal, leading to a Rice layup.

It wasn’t long before Jaquez and teammate Lauren Betts (12 points, seven rebounds, six assists) used a double team along the sideline to force another turnover.

Closing the half on a 19-2 run, the Bruins surged into a 51-26 lead. UCLA also benefited from an oddity midway through the second quarter when the Gauchos (1-1) were assessed a technical foul for having a player wearing a jersey number that didn’t correspond with the scorebook.

For UCLA, the biggest challenge might have been scheduling the game.

Close said she’s struggled to get teams to agree to play the Bruins after their Final Four run, calling every school in the state from San Luis Obispo to San Diego. Most of UCLA’s marquee nonconference games, starting with a showdown against Oklahoma on Monday in Sacramento, will be at neutral sites.

“They kept saying it’s the Lauren Betts factor and I was like, ‘No, it’s the you’re scared factor. Come on,’ ” Close said. “I actually really lose respect for people who aren’t willing to step up and play hard people.”

The Gauchos eagerly complied in part because they were Close’s alma mater and the spot where she coached for nine years.

“Thank you to them for stepping up and coming into Pauley,” Close said, “and wanting to get better at their craft and growing the game.”

For the Gauchos, given the way things went, they might be owed a Christmas card as well.

Early to rise, the Bruins also put an early end to any upset hopes.

TAKING your kids to see Santa in Lapland is a dream for many parents wanting a truly magical Christmas experience as a family  – but can be very expensive.

So I’ve I found a holiday hack that saved me thousands on a trip to the Christmas village in Finland, as long as you don’t mind an early start.

The Finnish Lapland is a popular holiday destination for a festive holiday, and for my kids Finn, 6, and Isobel, 4, it was seeing Santa.

However, these trips to Finland, especially near to Christmas, can cost as much as £10,000 a week when booking a holiday package for a family of four with hotels, flights and all the activities.

That’s when I discovered that you can go to Lapland for the day. 

Canterbury Travel offers day trips to Enontekio in Finland, flying out of the UK in the morning and getting home that very same evening – and it includes a meet with Father Christmas.

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We wanted to be as close to Christmas as possible, so we booked for December 22, but the lead up is just as exciting.

The holiday provider not only arranges everything, but sends you a special package in the post with a letter from Father Christmas, inviting the children to come and visit him at his house in Lapland. 

Of course, the big day requires a very early start, having to wake the kids up at 4am, although thankfully we live just a short drive from London Stansted Airport to make our 7am flight.

The fun started as soon as we got to check-in. All the staff were wearing Christmas jumpers and tinsel and festive songs were playing. 

What I loved most was the effort that had gone into making it enchanting for families.

The staff were calling it ‘Santa’s magical plane’ and even the information boards had been set up to tell the story, with the board listing the destination as Lapland rather than Enontekio.

Even onboard, we had coffee and breakfast, with kids given activity packs while Christmas songs and games were played over the tannoy.

While the flight was only 3hr30, the sun was already starting to set as the Arctic Circle only has around six hours of daylight this time of year.

It was still magical though – we landed on the snow-covered runway with a magical backdrop pink sky that looked like a Christmas card.

With this package, everything is covered. This includes all meals and drinks and rental of your snowsuit, socks and boots.

Ready for our six-hour day in Finland, we were shown into a barn and sized up for our kit, leaving our own clothes and shoes there until home time before dressing in everything from thermal leggings and tops to the full suits.

The weather in Lapland was -13C during our visit, but we were the perfect temperature and despite concerns, both my kids were warm enough with all of the layers.

Then it was on to the good bit. We were whisked off to Santa’s village on a sleigh and it was thrilling. 

The location is stunning, set in a forest, next to a frozen lake that is like a winter wonderland.

Once at the village, everything is included and activities include learning to drive a snowmobile, toboggans, a snow igloo with stunning ice sculptures and tables made of ice, husky sledging and reindeer sleigh rides.

When you have little children, meeting Father Christmas is of the utmost importance. 

Meeting the big guy was about as stress-free as you can imagine. When we arrived, we were given a time slot to go up to Santa’s cottage and everyone will get the chance to meet him. 

There are no lines or jostling to get in so it perfectly executed.

When it’s your time to go up to the cottage, which is nestled on a hill in the woods,  you’re invited to wait in a log cabin with a roaring fire. 

Then, a cheerful Elf came in to talk to the children, ask them what they want for Christmas and whether they wanted to ask Santa anything specific. 

My kids were fully immersed in the magic and it was so heart-warming. 

The elf explained what would happen next and then we were shown to a snowmobile sleigh that would whisk us up the hill to Santa’s house. 

Father Christmas was waiting inside the beautiful cabin, which was decorated with fairy lights and a huge Christmas tree. 

The experience was so relaxed and we never felt rushed or like we were being hurried along. 

Santa talked to the kids for ages and even did a magic trick, which they loved. Then he gave them a little gift, which was a reindeer teddy bear with ‘love from Santa’ sewn into the foot. 

It was one of the loveliest experiences I have ever had with my children and I will remember it for a lifetime. 

With the main ‘attraction’ ticked off, it was time to have an adventure in the alpine village and we had such a great day. 

Lunch is available in the main cabin throughout the day, so you can eat when you want and as many times as you want to.

The buffet is a choice of soup, baked potatoes with either a meat or vegetarian filling or pasta, as well as pancakes with jam for desert, alongside drinks of mulled wine, or tea, coffee, hot chocolate and soft drinks.

By this time, the sun had set in Enontekio but the village was completely lit up with fairy lights to keep the magic in the darkness.

Despite the holiday package only being around six hours, I was still amazed by how much else we managed to fit into the day.

We went on a slow cruise through the forest on a reindeer sleigh, which allowed some quiet time as a family.

A quick pit stop for a hot chocolate was enough to recharge our batteries and then we headed to the husky dog sledge ride, the ice castle and the snow mobile driving school.

There are full size adult snowmobiles and mini children one for kids under a certain height.

I really liked the fact that everyone has the chance to do everything and no one is left out.

Our last stop of the day was the snow sledging hill. We had so much fun going up and down and racing each other to the bottom.

It was even more special as just before we were about to say goodbye to Lapland and head back to the airport, the Northern Lights appeared in the sky above the village.

There is a coach transfer back to the airport and after dinner on the plane, we all fell asleep, landing in London at back to our car by 11pm.

I’d been worried that an extreme day trip from London to the arctic circle would be a lot for Isobel, who was only four.

And while she was certainly flagging by the end of the day, there was enough to distract her to keep her occupied.

The village also isn’t suitable for buggies so if you think you may have to carry younger ones, I recommend bringing a baby carrier or sling if you have one.

I was sceptical that we wouldn’t be able to do and see everything but it is so well organised that we didn’t miss anything and the whole day was very relaxed.

We saved money not staying overnight and got to do everything we wanted on the extreme day trip.

It does cost a bit extra to do a package trip like this than a DIY one, but we would never have been able to Lapland in a day if we hadn’t have booked this with a specialist company.

It’s a slick operation and very well executed with happy staff.

As parents we could thoroughly enjoy it too, without worrying about finding our way around, working out what to do and finding places to eat and drink in the show with two kids in tow.

Since we don’t often go on cold-weather holidays, I also liked that we didn’t have to buy snow suits and weather-proof outfits for the whole family. This saved us a few hundred quid it itself.

Usually, I love planning holidays and I’m someone who books everything separately myself to save money and create the exact itinerary that I want, but this was a great way to save money and do it right to make it magical for kids.

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Canterbury Travel still has some availability for the Enchanting Lapland day trips for 2025 with departures from Bristol, Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, and Gatwick.

Prices start from £629 per person but includes return flights, in-flight meals and all activities, including transfers from the airport to the designated Christmas village by sleigh.

It’s been a rough few years for Santa Monica.

Businesses have abandoned its once-thriving downtown. Its retail and office vacancy rates are among the highest in Los Angeles County. The crowds that previously packed the area surrounding the city’s famous pier have dwindled.

Homelessness has risen. City officials acknowledge crime incidents had become more visible and volatile.

The breadth and depth of the issues became apparent just last month when the city was forced to declare itself in fiscal distress after paying $229 million in settlements related to alleged sexual abuse by Eric Uller, a former city dispatcher.

Now, Santa Monica is trying to plot a new path forward. A significant first step could come Tuesday.

That’s when the City Council is set to consider a plan to reverse its fortunes.

A shuttered business on Broadway in Santa Monica.

(David Butow/For The Times)

The plan includes significantly increasing police patrols and enforcing misdemeanor ordinances, investing in infrastructure and new community events, and taking a more business-friendly brush to permits and fees. Officials also plan to be more aggressive in making sure property owners maintain unused properties.

The blueprint tackles many “quality of life” issues that critics say have contributed to lower foot traffic in the city’s tourist districts since the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s far from clear the tactics will work. But given the city’s current trajectory, officials say bold action is necessary.

“We’re trying to usher in a rebirth — a renaissance of the city — by investing in ourselves,” Councilmember Dan Hall said.

Hall, 38, is part of a relatively youthful City Council majority that swept into office in recent years as voters opted for new leadership and a fresh approach. Five of the seven council members are millennials, and six members first joined the council in either 2022 or 2024.

Also new on the scene is City Manager Oliver Chi, who five months ago was hired away from the same position in Irvine.

“The city is in a period of distress, for sure,” said Chi, 45. “We’re not in a moment where the city is broke. The city still has resources. … But right now, if we do nothing, the city’s general fund operating budget is projected to run a structural deficit of nearly $30 million a year, and that’s because we’ve seen big drops” in revenues, such as from hotel taxes, sales tax and parking.

“But part of that is the private sector hasn’t been investing in the city. And we haven’t had people traveling to the city,” Chi said.

Santa Monica is far from the only city — in California or nationwide — to face the pain of a downtown in decline. Brick-and-mortar retailers have long bled business to online offerings, and the pandemic upended the cadence of daily life that was the lifeblood of commercial districts, with many people continuing to work from home at least part of the week.

Birds fly over and people walk on the Santa Monica Pier.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

But the hope is through concerted, planned investment that Santa Monica can shine once again and modernize to be competitive in the postpandemic era.

The City Council had already decided to set aside $60 million from its cash reserves to spend over the next four or five years to cover any operating deficits. But with Tuesday’s vote, Santa Monica would instead use those dollars as an investment in hopes of getting the city back on track.

“Those things really are issues related to public safety, disorder in town, the disrepair that we’ve seen in our infrastructure,” Chi said. “All of those things are preventing, I think, confidence in the local economy.”

In downtown, the city’s plan would include doubling the number of police officers assigned to a specialized unit to at least eight to 10 a day, deploying an additional five patrol officers daily, creating a new police substation, adding two workers daily to address homelessness issues, and hiring eight public safety employees to provide a more constant presence across the city’s main commercial district, parks and parking garages.

Staff in the city attorney’s office would also be augmented to boost the ability to prosecute misdemeanor cases.

An unhoused man naps on a bench in Palisades Park.

(David Butow / For The Times)

Also on the agenda: moving the city’s homeless shelter out of downtown; making a one-time $3.5-million investment to address fraying sidewalks and streets and freshen up trees and trash cans; funding monthly events at the Third Street Promenade to attract crowds; creating a large-scale “Santa Monica Music Festival” next year; upgrading restrooms near the pier and Muscle Beach; and increasing operating days for libraries.

Another proposal would require the owners of vacant properties to register with the city, in hopes of addressing lots that remain in disrepair.

The city is also looking to be more business friendly. It’s seeking to upgrade the current permit process, utilizing artificial intelligence to get nearly instantaneous permit reviews for single-family homes and accessory dwelling units, as well as reduce permit fees for restaurants with outdoor dining.

The plan also outlines strategies to boost revenue. Santa Monica is poised to end its contract with a private ambulance operator, McCormick Ambulance, in February and move those operations in house.

“It’s going to cost roughly $2.8 million a year to stand that operation up. But the reality is, once we start running it, it’ll generate about $7 million a year in new ongoing revenues,” Chi said.

“That’s part of what we’re thinking through: How do we invest now in order to grow our revenue base moving ahead?” he said.

Parking rates are also going up, which city officials estimate should generate $8 million to $9 million in additional annual revenue — though officials say they still charge a lower rate than those of nearby cities.

The city also plans more traffic safety enforcement and will cut the current 90 minutes of free parking in downtown parking structures to 30 minutes.

There’s also been talk of a new city parcel tax, though no decision has yet been made to pursue that. A parcel tax would need voter approval.

Another priority is building back the city’s cash reserves, which have dwindled over the years, largely on account of legal payments. Eight years ago, Santa Monica had $436 million in cash reserves; today, there’s only $158 million in nonrestricted reserves.

The planned $60 million in spending would further reduce the city’s unobligated cash down to $98 million.

Santa Monica’s annual general fund operating budget is nearly $800 million a year.

Beachgoers enjoying the scene near the Santa Monica Pier.

(David Butow/For The Times)

The city is also looking to redevelop some of its underutilized properties, including a 2.57-acre parcel bounded by Arizona Avenue and 4th and 5th streets, which includes branches of Bank of America and Chase bank, the leases of which are expected to expire in a few years. Also being eyed are a 1.09-acre kiss-and-ride lot southeast of the Santa Monica light rail station; the city’s seismically vulnerable Parking Structure 1 on 4th Street, which sits on 0.75 of an acre; and the old Fire Station No. 1, which sits on 0.34 of an acre and is being used for storage.

No firm plans are in place just yet. The parcels could be sold, leased long term or redeveloped as part of a joint venture. One likely possibility is that the developments would include new housing.

“When you look at any revitalization effort of any vibrant downtown core that’s eroded, there’s always been an element of repopulating the area with people,” Chi said. A smart redevelopment plan for those properties will not only “hopefully help bring back vibrancy to the downtown, but also help replenish the city’s cash reserves.”

The seeds of downtown Santa Monica’s decline actually started before the pandemic. But COVID hit the city hard, and commercial vacancies rose significantly, Councilmember Caroline Torosis, 39, said.

Santa Monica also sustained damage in 2020 from rioters who swarmed the downtown area in what appeared to be an organized attack amid a protest meant to decry the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Tourists never came back in the numbers they had before the pandemic.

Torosis said the new council majority was elected on a promise to boost economic activity in the city.

“We need to absolutely ensure that people feel safe, welcome, invited and included in our city,” said Torosis, who serves as mayor pro tem.

Hall called the plan a bold bet.

“What we’re trying to do here is move us away from a scarcity mind-set, where we’re nickel-and-diming businesses trying to stay open, restaurants trying to open a parklet, residents trying to build an ADU,” Hall said.

The council’s relative youth, he said, is a plus for a city trying to write a bright new chapter.

“I think that that’s something that millennials are finding themselves needing to do as we take ownership of society, and we see a world where past generations have been afraid to make mistakes or afraid to make decisions,” he said.

Trent Mosley itched and itched, the discomfort of standing on the sideline — not his foot injury that held him out of action since Aug. 22 — weighing on the senior receiver.

The USC commit picked an exceptional time to return. Trailing by six, with 5:06 remaining in the game, Mosley took the snap in the wildcat formation and swerved his way into the end zone for a touchdown.

“It sucked just knowing I couldn’t go out there and help my teammates,” Mosley said. “Now I’m back and we’re getting better.”

The score and the hush of the normally raucous Santa Ana Stadium crowd told the story: For the first time in a long while, the Trinity League is up for grabs. Santa Margarita (5-2, 2-0) played Southern Section stunner on Friday night at Santa Ana Stadium, upsetting Mater Dei 7-6 to set the stage for a thrilling Trinity League finale after the Eagles took down the Monarchs (4-2, 1-1) for the first time since 2013.

“Incredible,” Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer said. “They’ve been playing like the best defense in the country all year long, every week.”

Palmer pointed to defensive coordinator Steve Fifita, who served as interim head coach during last season and decided to stay on the Eagles’ staff as the catalyst for Santa Margarita’s success. Mater Dei had only 175 yards on offense Friday.

Mater Dei High’s CJ Lavender Jr. intercepts a pass intended for Santa Margarita receiver Grant Mosley on Friday night.

(Craig Weston)

“They’re [Fifita’s] heartbeat on defense,” Palmer said of the group, which includes Fifita’s nephew Dash, a senior linebacker.

Pound-for-pound, the defensive lines of Santa Margarita and Mater Dei wouldn’t budge.

Eagles senior linebacker Vai Manutai would secure a sack — while moments later Monarchs linemen Montana Loilolo and Matamatagi Uiagalelei stormed through for sacks of their own. Monarchs linebacker Shaun Scott forced a fumble and earned 1 1/2 sacks as the Eagles couldn’t break 25 rushing yards.

Mater Dei quarterback Ryan Hopkins never got comfortable — outside of a 10-yard touchdown strike to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt in the first quarter — eventually throwing an interception to Eagles defensive back Davide Morales as the third quarter came to a close.

“We’re right there, but we’re not quite there,” said Mater Dei coach Raul Lara, referring to plays such as Hopkins overthrowing wide receiver Gavin Honore for a potential game-winning touchdown, which instead became a turnover on downs with 2:06 remaining.

Lara continued: “This game of football is a great tool to teach young men life skills. Not everything in life is going to be perfect.”

Quarterback Trace Johnson of Santa Margarita could not get comfortable , tossing two interceptions into the hands of Mater Dei defensive back CJ Lavender Jr.

When Johnson found open space, it was thanks to Mosley.

For a team-high six catches for 51 yards, Mosley — who often lined up next to his brother Grant in the slot — helped set up the game-winning drive after freshman running back Adrian Petero hauled in a 59-yard catch to bring the Eagles into Monarchs’ territory.

Trent Mosley’s punch in and the point after — which was enough to win after a failed two-point conversion after Dixon-Wyatt’s score — now sets up unprecedented territory in recent Trinity League seasons.

Yes, Mater Dei and St. John Bosco (which defeated Orange Lutheran 48-0 Friday) will still be contenders.

But the Eagles, who also hold a win over Corona Centennial, can certainly consider themselves as contenders for the league’s crown — and maybe even Division 1 glory. Santa Margarita plays St. John Bosco on Friday at Trabuco Hills.

“We can go forever,” Trent Mosley said. “The culture we have, the bond we have — I know what we’re capable of.”

SELENA Gomez has officially married Benny Blanco in a romantic ceremony with A-list guests.

The pair tied the knot in Santa Barbara, California, which The U.S. Sun exclusively learned would be the destination earlier this month.

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The couple confirmed their engagement in December 2024, with Selena flashing her gorgeous diamond ring on social media.

Benny, 37, popped the question after weeks of speculation that they were engaged, following Selena’s showcase of her new bling on the Emmys red carpet.

It happened over a year after the pair’s romance began in June 2023.

Fans knew the wedding was near when Selena, 33, posted photos on Instagram from her bachelorette bash in late August.

The Lose You to Love Me singer looked happy while donning a white bikini and a short veil during the beach getaway.

She’d already appeared to settle into her new life with the music producer, as the U.S. exclusively reported in March that the pair took out an over $20million mortgage on their $35million Beverly Hills mansion.

The lavish purchase came shortly before the duo released their first joint album, I Said I Love You First, which dropped on March 21.

It was initially thought that Selena and Benny’s wedding would be a ways away, after the songwriter, born Benjamin Joseph Levin, told Rolling Stone that they were taking their relationship “one day at a time.”

At the time, the Virginia native said they were enjoying their engagement and not rushing to the altar.

Benny also gushed about being “so sure” that he was going to marry Selena and how his feelings for her were “very different” from anything he’d ever experienced.

The multi-Grammy Award nominee previously dated model Elsie Hewitt before becoming romantically involved with Selena.

Meanwhile, Selena has had numerous high-profile relationships over the years, including Nick Jonas, Charlie Puth, Zedd, The Weeknd, and Justin Bieber.

The former Disney Channel star had the longest relationship with Justin, whom she dated on and off for eight years before splitting for good in March 2018.

Justin and Selena’s Relationship Timeline

Here is what you need to know about Justin and Selena’s on and off again relationship throughout the 2010s.

December 8, 2010: Justin and Selena were spotted on an IHOP date in Philadelphia together, although Selena tried to shut down romance rumors saying they are just friends.

December 31, 2010: The pair spend New Year’s together in St. Lucia and were spotted kissing on a yacht.

February 28, 2011: Justin and Selena make their red-carpet debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars party. 

May 2, 2011: Selena confirms their relationship to Seventeen.

November 2012: Justin and Selena break up for the first time due to “being apart so much” and “trust issues,” a source told PEOPLE at the time. 

April 2013: The pair were spotted together again, engaging in PDA. 

November 6, 2014: Selena confirms she and Justin split for the second time while On Air with Ryan Seacrest.

December 2014: Justin sparks romance rumors with Hailey Baldwin and is seen kissing her a year later on December 31, 2015, while in St. Barts. 

August 2016: Justin begins dating Sofia Richie.

January 2017: Selena starts dating The Weeknd.

November 30, 2017: Selena splits from The Weeknd and reunites with Justin.

March 7, 2018: The pair take a break and Justin rekindles his relationship with Hailey soon after.

May 2018: Selena decided to walk away from the relationship.

At the time, a source told Us Weekly: “Selena started seeing the bigger picture when it came to their relationship, like what was more important: her general happiness and her family and friends’ approval, or her being together with Justin, where no one really supported their relationship.”

A year earlier, the Sonny with a Chance alum told Miami’s Power 96.5 FM, “I’m the kind of girl that loves tremendously big. I just have always been that girl.”

“I will give my heart and my soul to the person that I love. It’s just how I operate.”

Benny has spoken about how he supports Selena and gained her trust following her past heartbreaks.

“I’m aware of her strengths and I’m aware of her weakness, and so what I’ve tried to do is surround her with things that help,” Benny said during the couple’s joint appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast earlier this year.

He also admitted to nearly self-sabotaging their relationship in the beginning, saying, “I feel like it all happens for a reason. I feel like maybe me doing that is what disarmed her enough.”

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SANTA BARBARA — “In this next song,” said Paul McCartney, “we’d like you to sing along.”

Oh, this was the one?

By an hour or so into his concert Friday night at the Santa Barbara Bowl — basically somebody’s backyard by the standards of the former Beatle — McCartney had already gotten the capacity crowd to join in on a bunch of all-timers including “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” “Love Me Do,” “Jet,” “Getting Better,” “Lady Madonna,” “Let Me Roll It” and “Got to Get You Into My Life.”

But for Sir Paul, even (or especially) at age 83, there’s always a way to take an audience higher.

So as his keyboard player plunked out the song’s lovably lopsided lick, McCartney and his band cranked through a fast and jumpy rendition of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” that left nobody any choice but to hop up and holler about the sweet certainty of life’s going on.

Paul McCartney and his band.

(Michael Owen Baker / For The Times)

A sellout pretty much as soon as it was announced, Friday’s show was a kind of warm-up gig ahead of the launch next week of the latest leg of McCartney’s Got Back world tour, which began criss-crossing the globe in 2022 and will resume Monday night in Palm Desert after a nine-month break.

On the road he’s playing arenas and stadiums, but this hillside amphitheater seats only 4,500 or so; to make the evening even more intimate, fans had to lock their phones in little pouches on the way into the venue. (The presence of several cameras swooping around on cranes suggested that McCartney was filming the concert for some unstated purpose.)

“That’s our wardrobe change of the evening,” he said at one point after taking off his jacket, and indeed this was a slightly trimmed-down version of the flashy multimedia production that he brought to SoFi Stadium three years ago. That night in 2022, he played three dozen tunes over two and a half hours; on Friday he did a dozen fewer — no “Maybe I’m Amazed,” no “Band on the Run” — in about an hour and 45 minutes.

The advantage of the smallness, of course, was that you could really hear what McCartney and his longtime backup band were doing up there: the folky campfire vocal harmonies in “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” the propulsive groove driving “Get Back,” the barely organized chaos of a downright raunchy “Helter Skelter.”

Then again, that assumes that tracking those details is why anybody turned up in Santa Barbara.

Though he dropped an album of new solo songs in 2020, McCartney has been pretty deep in nostalgia mode since the 2021 release of Peter Jackson’s widely adored “Get Back” docuseries. He’ll tend the machine this fall with a new book about his years with Wings and an expanded edition of the Beatles’ mid-’90s “Anthology” series; next year, a documentary about the Wings era is due from director Morgan Neville; in 2028, director Sam Mendes will unveil the four separate biopics he’s making about each Beatle, with Paul Mescal in the role of McCartney.

Paul McCartney takes the stage.

(Michael Owen Baker / For The Times)

All that looking back can make it hard for even a devoted fan to take in the legend standing before them in the flesh; instead of overwriting memories with fresh information, the mind steeped in myth can train itself to do the opposite (especially when the owner of that mind has shelled out hundreds of bucks for a concert ticket).

Yet you have to hand it to McCartney, whose face bore a dusting of silvery stubble on Friday: As predetermined as this audience was to have a good time, he was tapped into the energy of a musician making minute-to-minute decisions.

He opened the show with a zesty take on the Beatles’ “Help!,” which experts on the internet say he hadn’t played in concert since 1990, then followed it up with one of his quirkiest solo tunes in the disco-punk “Coming Up,” which he juiced with a bit of Henry Mancini’s “Peter Gunn” theme.

After a flirty “Love Me Do,” he asked the women in the crowd to “gimme a Beatles scream,” then nodded approvingly at the sound. “Imagine trying to play through that,” he added.

“Jet” had a nasty swagger and “I’ve Got a Feeling” a sexy strut; “Live and Let Die,” meanwhile, was just as trashy as you’d hope.

McCartney told moving if familiar stories about meeting Jimi Hendrix and about his mother coming to him in the dream that inspired “Let It Be”; he also told one I’d never heard about screwing up a performance of “Blackbird” — “Lot of changes,” he said of the song’s complicated guitar part — in front of Meryl Streep. Because his wife Nancy was in the house, he said, he played “My Valentine,” a weepy piano ballad anyone but Nancy probably would’ve gladly exchanged for “Junior’s Farm” or “Drive My Car.”

But then what was that choice if not a commitment to the circumstances of the moment?

Paul McCartney arrives at the Santa Barbara Bowl.

(Michael Owen Baker / For The Times)

Eloise Barker, a writer for Responsible Travel, seeks out places to go when your kids have outgrown Lapland that are more affordable than the Finnish winter wonderland has become in recent years

Lapland, with its powdery snow, Northern Lights and Sámi culture, is popular for good reason, but its Santa Claus package holidays are pricey and book up fast: more and more people are visiting, some even taking extreme trips to visit for just one day.

Last year, we reported that the average price for a family holiday in Lapland from the UK was between £4,000 and £7,000.

But Europe is packed with winter wonderlands. You won’t find the big man in the red suit in these destinations – but you’ll still have a jolly good holiday…

Have you been on an amazing Christmas trip that you think Mirror readers would enjoy? We’d love to hear about it. Email [email protected]

Slovenia

All of Slovenia’s mountain resorts can be reached within 90 minutes from Ljubljana, its compact and pretty capital. There’s been almost €80 million of investment in infrastructure like ski lifts across multiple resorts, where you can also sled, snowshoe and go winter walking. The Post Office’s annual ski report noted that the cost of skiing in Slovenia’s Kranjska Gora resort had fallen 23.5% in the 2024/2025 season compared to the year before. Plus: the city of Celje transforms into a fairytale land in December, earning it the title ‘European City of Christmas 2025’.

• The average price of a double room in Slovenia is £121/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Ljubljana start at £29 in December; from Edinburgh, £76 (Skyscanner).

Slovakia

“Slovakia really is a very authentic, family-friendly winter destination and the High Tatras is still a hidden gem of Europe,” says Petr Ivanek, founder of Slovakia Explorer. “In comparison to the Alps or Lapland – British pounds go much further.”

There are thermal spas, water parks like Bešenova Aqua Park, and snowy High Tatras resorts, and the mountains are less crowded than at Zakopane on the Polish side of their slopes. Stop in Bratislava first: last year, the Post Office named Slovakia’s capital as Europe’s cheapest Christmas market destination.

• The average price of a double room in Slovakia is £96/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Bratislava in December start at £15; from Edinburgh, £26. Direct flights from London to Poprad start at £15 (Skyscanner).

Czech Republic

For all things Christmassy, consider the Czech Republic. Prices fell in the country last year, and Brno was voted European Capital of Christmas in 2024. Capital Prague remains a staple for Christmas markets and child-friendly activities, plus its public transport is free for children under 15. Fun fact: the Czech Republic has arguably the largest ice skating ‘rink’ in the world – at Lake Lipno, just outside the medieval fairytale town of Cesky Krumlov.

• The average price of a double room in the Czech Republic is £111/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Prague start at £26 in December; from Edinburgh, £42 (Skyscanner).

Romania

Swap the beaten track for wolf prints in the snow – in Transylvania, where villagers go Christmas carolling in traditional costume between beautifully decorated wooden houses.

You can ride about by horse-drawn sleigh or husky sled, and see atmospheric Brasov city and Bran Castle with beguiling snowy backdrops. Or switch the very old for the very new: an ice hotel, the only one in southeastern Europe, is built every year, 2,000m up in the Făgăraș Mountains.

• The average price of a double room in Romania is £83/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Brasov start at £56 in December (Skyscanner).

Bulgaria

“Two of Bulgaria’s national parks, Rila and Pirin, offer wonderful opportunities for winter holidays and for families interested in winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing,” says Anna Tuliyska at Sofia-based travel company Odysseia-In. The regions’ thermal springs also come into their own in cold weather. Whilst prices have risen in Bulgaria and may rise again when it adopts the euro in January 2026, the Post Office report ranked Bulgarian ski resorts among the cheapest in Europe in 2025.

• The average price of a double room in Bulgaria is £101/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Sofia start at £17 in December; from Edinburgh, £36 (Skyscanner).

Morocco

Morocco is not the baking hot destination you might expect in winter – average December temperatures are around 13°C, with highs in the 20s. Winter is an excellent time to take older kids to Morocco’s portion of the Sahara Desert.

Expect camel treks instead of husky rides, powdery sand not powdery snow, and sandboarding over snowboarding. Bolt on a stay in Marrakech for souks and stocking fillers – with the snowy peaks of the Atlas

Mountains framing the horizon. Prices drop in the winter months but can rise over Christmas.

• The average price of a double room in Morocco is £180/night (Kayak).
• Direct flights from London to Marrakech start at £15 in December; from Edinburgh, £31 (Skyscanner).

It’s the city that’s proved irresistible for Chappell Roan and marked the finish line for fictional character Forrest Gump.

Santa Monica easily sits among the pantheon of iconic Southern California communities due to its combination of weather, beach backdrop, energy and friendliness.

Yet, that lore has been chipped away by sexual scandal, stagnation and, more recently, by another bubbling calamity.

My colleagues Salvador Hernandez and Richard Winton documented last week that Santa Monica is on the brink of financial crisis, with hundreds of millions of dollars in sex abuse settlements draining the city.

How Santa Monica fell into this predicament and the measures it may take, including cutbacks, to remedy this situation are the focal points of their article.

Let’s take a look at their reporting.

One man’s rampage

The city still faces 180 claims of sexual abuse by a former Santa Monica police dispatcher, a scandal that has already cost $229 million in settlement payouts.

Eric Uller, the former city dispatcher, preyed on children mostly in predominantly Latino neighborhoods of the city, often traveling in an unmarked police vehicle, or his personal SUV.

Uller had been hired and continued to work with children despite a 1991 background check that revealed he had been arrested as a teen for molesting a toddler he baby-sat, according to a report reviewed by The Times.

It wasn’t until 2018 that he would be arrested and charged. He died by suicide in November 2018.

On Tuesday, the city declared that it is in fiscal distress, a move that raised concerns among city workers that cuts, and perhaps layoffs, were coming.

“The financial situation the city is dealing with is certainly serious,” City Manager Oliver Chi said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

The worries among city workers reached such a peak that before Tuesday’s meeting Chi sent out an email to all city employees, trying to reassure them no layoffs were being planned.

Santa Monica’s recently approved budget for 2025-26 expects $473.5 million in revenue, but $484.3 million in costs, and city officials worry that the sexual abuse scandal could continue to put a drain on city coffers that are already reeling from an economic downturn.

More than just sex scandals

Current and former officials said the current financial woes were taking shape years ago.

“Santa Monica has failed to reign in unnecessary spending for a number of years, and we’ve known this financial crisis has been looming for a while,” said former Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock, who lost his seat in the November election.

The city has faced a steep downturn in tourism and retail revenues, Brock said, along with several businesses that have left downtown and the promenade.

“You might have to right-side services, and look at areas where [the city] might be overstaffed,” he said. “I recommend we go back to basics.”

Staving off a panic

Santa Monica officials had initially been set to consider a “fiscal emergency,” a move that would have triggered certain measures by the city to address it, such as cuts and dipping into reserves.

But the declaration voted on Tuesday instead called for a declaration of “fiscal distress,” which Chi said was meant more for the city to communicate its financial situation with other agencies, get help in seeking grants and other funding, and as a tool to work on a “realignment of city operations.”

One city official, who asked not to be named because they weren’t cleared to speak on the record, said employees remained skeptical of what steps the city would take, and whether it could mean cuts to their pay or benefits.

What steps exactly the city is set to take remain unclear.

Whatever happens next in Santa Monica, our reporters will be there to document. As for now, check out the full article.

The week’s biggest stories

(Julie Leopo/Julie Leopo / For The Times)

Trump administration policies and their reactions

Jimmy Kimmel suspension and protest

Crime, courts and policing

Infrastructure needs and upgrades

More big stories

This week’s must-reads

More great reads

For your weekend

(Illustrations by Lindsey Made This; photograph by Saul Lopez)

Going out

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Get wrapped up in tantalizing stories about dating, relationships and marriage.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

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How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected]. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.

Carson Palmer had gotten used to the simplicities of football being done for him.

Water jugs sat on sideline tables ready for hydration before he’d trot on the field for pregame warmups. Assistants would rush headsets to him so he could communicate with his coaches in the upper-level boxesduring his 15-year NFL career. Even the obvious, ensuring footballs for the game, was an afterthought.

Outside of the hunger built after a 7-3 loss to Mission Viejo in his Santa Margarita High coaching debut, it was the intricacies and logistics of being a high school football coach at his alma mater on gameday that struck a chord for Palmer. Palmer sure remembered the feeling of victory, however, in a 33-27 overtime victory over Corona Centennial (1-1) at Trabuco Hills High on Thursday night.

“It feels good when you’re a player, it feels good when you’re a coach,” said Palmer, who volunteered for the Santa Margarita coaching staff last year before being hired as head coach. “There is no difference — and the losses hurt the same whether you’re a player or coach.”

Freshman running back Adrian Petero broke three tackles, fighting his way into the end zone from the one-yard line to clinch the win moments after Eagles senior linebacker Leki Holani batted down Centennial quarterback Dominick Catalano’s pass on fourth down to set up the winning drive.

“Honestly, it feels great that [the coaching staff] put that much trust into me to put it in the end zone,” said Petero, who finished with 75 rushing yards and one touchdown in on nine carries. “And I’m also thankful for all the coaches and also my linemen. They did their best. They pushed their limits.”

Palmer’s overtime playcalling powered Santa Margarita to the win after succumbing to a Huskies 13-point comeback in the fourth quarter to knot the game at 27.

Santa Margarita (1-1) swarmed the Huskies signal-caller for three interceptions and a fumble in the first half, capitalizing for three touchdowns and responding from a shock, double-pass 60-yard touchdown from Centennial on the first play of the game.

Santa Margarita sophomore defensive back Ca’ron Williams had two of those picks, the first of which was a 58-yard pick six to put the Eagles ahead 20-7 just before the end of the second quarter.

Trace Johnson, the Eagles’ senior transfer quarterback from Buchholz High in Gainesville, Fla., struck for the first touchdown of the Palmer era, escaping pressure in the pocket to trek for a 15-yard rushing score in the first quarter.

He’d built a quick connection with sophomore wide receiver Ryan Clark — in lieu of senior wideout Trent Mosley’s absence, who was in a walking boot and hoping to return for Las Vegas Bishop Gorman in a few weeks) — and struck for a 21-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter to take the lead.

Clark recorded a career-high 81 receiving yards on eight receptions. Johnson tallied 205 passing yards to go with his two passing touchdowns and one rushing score.

Centennial, however, was without head coach Matt Logan on Thursday night.

The legendary Huskies coach, who has tallied 296-career wins, went for a regular checkup, acting coach Anthony Catalano said, but after some “irregularities” arose during his doctor’s appointment, Logan was held at the hospital for further evaluation.

Anthony Catalano, the brother of Huskies quarterback Dominick Catalano — who met with receiver Ty Plinski for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 27 — said Logan was in good spirits

Santa Margarita next plays at Palmdale Highland, while Centennial will next face Bingham (Utah) at home.

Mission Viejo coach Chad Johnson was surrounded by his players late Friday night after an exhilarating 7-3 victory over Santa Margarita at Trabuco Hills.

“Phenomenal job,” he shouted to his team’s defensive players.

In an opening game that resembled a Southern Section Division 1 playoff game with all the talent, intensity and coaching excellence on display, Mission Viejo placed its trust in perhaps the best quarterback in Southern California, Ohio State commit Luke Fahey, who delivered a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jack Junker late in the third quarter to wipe away a 3-0 deficit.

The Eagles, in the coaching debut of Carson Palmer, could never recover. Junker used to play at Santa Margarita. The touchdown pass came after Mission Viejo punter Isaiah Murgia booted a 54-yard punt that left Santa Margarita on its four-yard line. Then came a short punt giving Mission Viejo the ball at the 33.

As he had been doing all night against Santa Margarita’s big, aggressive defensive line, Fahey rolled out and found Junker open in the end zone.

“It was a deep shot to the corner. See if we could make a play,” Junker said.

Luke Fahey celebrates with his Mission Viejo teammates after 7-3 win over Santa Margarita.

(Craig Weston)

Fahey was making plays, dodging and maneuvering, all night. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 188 yards. He suffered only one sack, which was tribute to his instincts and mobility.

“They had a really good game plan,” Fahey said. “That was a great defensive line, and we had to battle through adversity. It shows what kind of team we have.”

Mission Viejo clinched the win when Santa Margarita could not complete a pass on fourth down from the eight-yard line with 26 seconds left.

The Diablos kept coming up with defensive contributors, from lineman JD Hill to defensive backs Jordan Hicks and Jeron Jones. Their focus was making sure Santa Margarita’s gifted Trent Mosley didn’t break loose for any long touchdowns. It happened once for 67 yards when Mosley showed a memorable burst of speed in the first half, but the play was nullified by a penalty.

There was no scoring until the final play of the second quarter when Santa Margarita’s Tyler Wiegand made a 23-yard field goal. It was two good defenses shutting down offenses with enough pressure on the quarterbacks and fundamental tackling.

The Santa Margarita defensive line made up of transfer students Simote Katoanga, Manoah Faupusa and Isaia Vandermade rose up to stop Mission Viejo twice on goal-line situations from the one-yard line.

The two quarterbacks were doing their best to avoid mistakes. Trace Johnson was 13-of-16 passing in the first half for 138 yards and finished with 208 yards. Fahey, under constant pressure, was nine-of-12 passing for 106 yards in the first half.

It was a night in which teams in the powerful Trinity League showed a chink in their armor. Besides the Eagles losing, JSerra suffered a 35-0 loss to Sierra Canyon with a running clock. Servite was beaten by Corona Centennial 42-14. St. John Bosco went to Bradenton, Fla., and came away with a 31-0 win over Manatee in a game halted at halftime because of lightning. Orange Lutheran and Mater Dei play Saturday in Florida.

SANTA BARBARA — It’s likely a first: A politician wins a statewide election, but is rejected by the people who presumably know him best–the voters of his own community.

Amazed, I came to Santa Barbara to ask why Rep. Michael Huffington couldn’t carry his own county while capturing the Republican U.S. Senate nomination by a landslide margin of 26 percentage points.

The super-rich rookie congressman– dubbed “Perot by the Sea”–lost by two points in Santa Barbara County to a hard-line conservative from Orange County, former Rep. William Dannemeyer.

I quickly learned that the result had much less to do with Dannemeyer than with former Rep. Robert J. Lagomarsino, the veteran Republican officeholder and local native whom Huffington had beaten in 1992 soon after moving here with his many millions from Texas.

The Republican party locally is still deeply split over Huffington’s fratricidal ousting of Lagomarsino. And the schism only widened when the newly elected representative announced just eight months after taking office that he would leave the seat to run for the Senate.

“That didn’t set well,” noted Mabel Shults, a Santa Barbara party activist and hotel designer. “He’s been working politically for himself instead of this area.”

Asserted Barney Klinger, a manufacturer and major GOP fund-raiser: “He’s not only done nothing as a congressman, he lied. He said he’d stay in the office for three (two-year) terms.”

Klinger now is organizing a $500,000 fund-raiser for Huffington’s Democratic opponent, Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

*

To get Huffington’s side, I went to his local congressional office–in one of those typical light stucco buildings with a red-tile roof–and began asking questions. You’d have thought I had a contagious disease.

“You’ll have to call the campaign office,” I was told.

I’d already called and was told by the candidate’s state campaign manager, Bob Schuman, that “it’s not a big deal” because Santa Barbarans also had rejected Huffington in the 1992 primary; he’d made up for it by carrying adjacent San Luis Obispo County. “There’s still some residual Lagomarsino loyalty. That’s all.”

But Huffington has been representing Santa Barbara in Congress since the last election and should have been able to build up his support. I wanted to know what he’d done for the county. “We don’t have that,” said his district representative, Angeles Perez.

How about the name of a supporter I could talk to? Another aide pointed to a woman in a chair and said she was a local GOP official. I asked the woman if I could talk to her. She ducked out the door and sped off in her car.

Perez wrote down the phone number of another woman but wouldn’t let me call her from the office. That would be mixing politics with congressional business, she said. “There’s probably a pay phone somewhere on State Street.”

I found one and called Marian Koonce, who owns rental properties and once backed Lagomarsino but switched to Huffington in 1992. “I see Michael as a shining star, a comer,” she said.

Asked what Huffington had done for the county, Koonce told me of a case where he had helped obtain a green card for the daughter of one of her tenants, an immigrant farmer.

*

Koonce herself brought up probably the most controversial case involving Huffington–his refusal to help Raytheon Corp., one of Santa Barbara’s biggest employers, obtain State Department permission to sell $100 million worth of shipboard missile defense systems to Taiwan. “He has an aversion to helping companies with armaments,” she said.

Astonished, Raytheon turned to Feinstein, who quickly went to bat for the company.

Huffington later explained to a Times reporter, “I’m not going to be a paid or unpaid lobbyist for any company. That’s not my job. I represent everyone equally.”

That clearly is a new concept in representing your constituents in Washington.

Huffington likes to say he is not “beholden” to any special interest because he refuses PAC contributions. With an oil fortune estimated at $70 million, he can afford to finance his own campaigns and does–spending $5.2 million to win the House seat and expecting to write checks for at least $15 million in this Senate race.

I drove down the coast, past Montecito where Huffington has his $4.3-million mansion, all the way to Solimar near Ventura. There, I found Lagomarsino at his beach house.

He’s now 67, tanned and relaxed–but still bitter. Recently, he handed over to the Feinstein campaign two boxes of Huffington research material.

Huffington’s race could be a classic: Can a rich newcomer with almost no political base or record buy himself a U.S. Senate seat?

This is an unfamiliar playbook for Carson Palmer.

Sure, he has the NFL pedigree and the Heisman Trophy, and a staff of assistant coaches loaded with pro experience. But he’s the first-year coach at Santa Margarita Catholic High School, his alma mater, and stepping into an elite league of schools while studying not just game tape but reels of red tape.

“This is harder than I thought,” said Palmer, 45, sitting in his office above the practice field. “Year One is tough. The NFL is fast and responsive. Here, changing the playbook software takes an act of Congress. But I’m learning every day.”

Not that he’s complaining. He knew when he took the job eight months ago that his path would be littered with challenges and obstacles. Along with some satisfying successes.

The Heisman Trophy winner and former No. 1 overall pick has spent his adult life in that wafer-thin line at the top, the lofty latitude occupied by the best players in the game. Now, he’s getting back to basics.

“I enjoy seeing a kid make a mistake, then understand the why and fix it,” he said. “You don’t get that in the NFL. There, it’s just a job. Here, there’s joy in learning.”

The Eagles, ranked No. 7 in the Southland by The Times, open their season Friday against No. 6 Mission Viejo.

Said Palmer, engrossed in preparing the program for the last eight months: “It’s time.”

Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer watches over practice on Wednesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

He will have his hands full in the Trinity League, easily among the most competitive leagues in the country and featuring football powerhouses such as Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.

Are those opposing coaches looking for their Carson Palmer pelt on the wall?

“It’s not about the coach,” Palmer said. “Programs where the coach is the focal point don’t work. It’s about the players 100% of the time. I can help them because I was taught by great minds, but I’m just passing it on.”

Santa Margarita has standouts in brothers Trent and Grant Mosely, both wideouts and Trent committed to play at USC. At quarterback is Trace Johnson, who played high school football in Florida before transferring to spend his senior season with Palmer. His father, Doug Johnson, is Santa Margarita’s quarterbacks coach and played the position in the NFL.

Cornerback Jayden Crowder is heading to California, safety Logan Hirou to UCLA. Dash Fifita, a first-team All-Trinity League linebacker last season and nephew of Santa Margarita’s defensive coordinator, is committed to Arizona, and fellow linebacker Leki Holani is going to Sacramento State.

Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer instructs his players during practice.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Palmer has several assistant coaches with NFL and/or major college football experience, among them running backs coach Mike Karney, a bruising fixture at fullback for the New Orleans Saints; receivers coach T.J. Houshmandzadeh, one of Palmer’s standout targets with the Cincinnati Bengals; offensive line coach Lenny Vandermade, among Palmer’s blockers at USC; defensive coordinator Steve Fifita, a standout at the University of Utah who later played in the NFL; and linebackers coach Rob Thomas, who was Pac-10 defensive player of the year as a UCLA linebacker and played eight NFL seasons with four teams.

“It’s been awesome,” Karney said. “Carson’s been running the program the way it should be run but putting his own twist on it, making it his own. From how we run practice to what we’re doing schematically, there’s a lot of carryover from the NFL.”

Palmer said it isn’t necessary to have a staff with so much playing experience, but it’s helpful.

“These guys know the importance of staff chemistry,” he said. “I’ve heard high school coaches say the hardest part isn’t the kids or the parents, it’s the adults and their egos. That’s why I was intentional about picking guys who get along. No one’s doing this for the money.”

Before accepting the job, Carson frequently consulted with Pete Carroll, his legendary coach at USC who is now leading the Las Vegas Raiders.

Carroll believes Palmer will be successful in this endeavor, but that it will take time.

Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer instructs a player during practice.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“He’s going to take his knocks, I’m sure,” Carroll said. “He’ll have first- and second-year issues like all the coaches do — just getting your act together and trying to figure yourself out.

“We went extensively into that when we got together — helping him understand some of the questions that will be raised: What am I standing for? How hard am I? How tough am I? How open am I? All of those kinds of things that come into coaching.

“He’s tough, he’s demanding, and he has high expectations for anybody that plays — just like he held himself to all those years. I think he’ll do a wonderful job. He has a great love for the school and the setting, and he was really excited about the opportunity to go back. He’ll put his best foot forward, but it’s a challenge now. He’s got good guys working with him, too, so that’ll all help out. He’s going to do just fine.”

Palmer said he frequently gets phone calls from Norm Chow, his offensive coordinator at USC, who delivers a simple and powerful message.

“He keeps calling me and saying, ‘Culture before Xs and O’s,’ then hanging up,” Palmer said. “That sticks with me. It doesn’t matter what you run. It’s, do they believe in it? Do they trust each other? Is there an environment for growth? We don’t haze. We respect each other.”

That meant showing some players the door.

“Some kids didn’t fit culturally with what I envisioned,” he said. “This is the Trinity League. It’s big-boy ball.”

Santa Margarita coach Carson Palmer speaks to his players during practice on Wednesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

And that also means coaching some sophisticated concepts, which he said his players are grasping to a surprising degree.

“I’m just giving them what I was given,” he said. “I use Bruce Arians’ short passing game, Norm Chow’s trick plays, the play-action stuff of [Steve] Sarkisian and [Lane] Kiffin.”

He borrowed, too, from Greg Knapp, the longtime NFL offensive coordinator who died in 2021 after a bicycle accident.

“Greg was a master installer,” said Palmer, who played for him in Oakland in 2012. “He’d give surprise quizzes in the meeting room to keep you awake. ‘What’s the capital of Nevada?’ I do that now. Meetings aren’t sit and stare. We’re on the move.”

How will that translate in terms of wins and losses? We’ll see. One of his old and beloved coaches is optimistic.

“The respect for him is automatic, right?” Chow said. “Just because of who he is. … When you’re coaching, you need to be able to run the room. With Carson, young people say, ‘OK, I’m going to listen.’”

Then, perhaps the highest praise.

“I’d absolutely want my kid to be coached by him,” Chow said. “Because of the human being that he is.”

When you live in a town where the ocean is just around the corner, it feels almost wrong to spend a sunny day anywhere but the beach. As a lifelong Santa Barbara resident, my favorite way to savor those golden afternoons is by doing exactly that: toes in the sand, waves crashing at my feet, a turkey sandwich in one hand and an Agatha Christie novel in the other. Honestly, does it get much better?

I’m here to tell you it does. Santa Barbara is a place of dual delights. And while the coastline tends to steal the spotlight, I’d be remiss if I didn’t also shine some light on the other side of town that visitors often overlook. Because here, we’re not just flanked by sea; we’re also cradled by mountains, which means that in under 20 minutes, you can go from your beach towel to hitting the trail.

That unique geography is what makes our mountains stand out. Unlike most of California’s coastline, where mountain ranges tend to stretch north to south, the Santa Ynez Mountains run east to west. This rare alignment creates dramatic, side-by-side views of both the Pacific Ocean and the mountains — especially breathtaking from higher elevations during sunrise or sunset.

And if that doesn’t convince you to trade your beach nap for an uphill trek — and you happen to be a nature enthusiast — know that Santa Barbara is one of the most biodiverse regions in the state, boasting a variety of breathtaking flora and fauna. Take the Matilija poppy, for example: visually striking and curiously reminiscent of a cracked egg. Or consider the California scrub jay, whose vibrant cobalt feathers never fail to turn heads.

While it’s hardly a novel take, I’ve always believed that the best way to explore a place is by immersing yourself in its terrain. Sure, the beach is tempting, and I don’t blame anyone for choosing the comfort of the sand over a sweaty excursion. But as someone who’s hiked every trail on this list, I urge you to give the mountains a chance — if not for the stunning views, then for the adventure.

Lapland is famous for Father Christmas, reindeer and snow, but it’s also a great place to visit in the summer, as celebrity and TV writer Elizabeth Cotton discovered.

When pondering a summer getaway, Lapland likely wouldn’t be your initial thought.

It’s renowned for Santa Claus, reindeer and snowfall, yet possesses its own allure during warmer months, as celebrity and television writer Elizabeth Cotton uncovered.

The Manchester Evening News journalist spent seven days soaking up the midnight sun and found it’s actually the ideal family retreat.

She said: “The Midnight Sun season is an unforgettable experience, and the views are truly magical. It typically lasts from late May to late July, with the sun remaining visible above the horizon for 24 hours a day.

“It’s certainly not a budget-friendly holiday, but ideal for every type of family. Whether you’re super active, interested in local culture, or love the idea of seeing Santa before the Christmas rush, it’s a must-do visit.”

During summer months, temperatures can climb to a pleasant late 20C, and even during cooler spells, the luminous skyline remains breathtaking.

Just a two-hour-and-40-minute flight from Manchester will transport you to Helsinki.

This bustling capital acts as Finland’s entrance point, offering straightforward connections to even the most isolated northern locations.

Elizabeth said: “Finnair offered a wonderful service, where the check-in process was plain sailing, and the journeys to Helsinki and beyond were just as smooth.

“Visit Finland looked after me during the trip, and provided a schedule filled to the brim of everything Finland has to offer.”

Each destination offers its own distinctive appeal, but for an opportunity to encounter Father Christmas himself, Rovaniemi – the capital of Lapland – is the destination to visit.

Elizabeth caught the one-hour flight from Helsinki to Rovaniemi Airport. From there, it’s merely a swift 15-minute journey to Lapland Hotel Sky Ounasvaara.

For a family of two adults and two children under 10, anticipate paying approximately £215 per night during peak season, which is August.

Your hotel accommodation will feature a traditional Finnish sauna, ideal for relaxing after an active day and allowing your concerns to melt away.

The cost covers breakfast, and Elizabeth declared the porridge was delightful, remarking: “It’s far more exciting than it sounds!”

She commented: “The hotel felt like sheer luxury, but perhaps the most unique thing of all was the stunning views from the dining room.

“The windows showcased a lush forest, and even though it was grey when I arrived, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect start to my trip.”

Santa’s Village

Whilst Lapland has more to offer than just Christmas, Elizabeth wished to discover just how festive it can feel in summer. Santa’s Village proved the ideal place to begin.

The village sat a stone’s throw from her hotel and entering Saint Nick’s workshop immediately reawakens the pure joy of childhood.

She said: “As you walk past presents wrapped and ready for the sleigh, you’ll soon come face to face with Father Christmas himself.

“He’s there every day of the year to meet anyone who steps into his home, and is happy to hear anyone’s wishes – young or old.

“I must admit, once spotting a cheerful Father Christmas donned in his finest off-duty uniform as he sits in his armchair, the room fell silent as every one of us stared in complete awe, met with murmurings of ‘is that really him?'”

Even during the peak of summer, the sight of sparkling Christmas lights and the scent of freshly baked gingerbread is sufficient to melt even the most cynical heart.

You can also encounter Mrs Claus and question her about how she assists in spreading Christmas joy.

As you bid farewell, she presents you with a scroll containing advice on how to share the festive spirit.

Following a trip to the post office, where you can dispatch seasonal letters to your family and friends, the Husky Park is an essential experience.

Jump onto a sleigh and allow a pack of spirited Huskies to transport you around the park. Entry begins from €50 (£44) for adults and €35 (£30) for children aged four to 12.

Just a brief walk away, you can also meet Santa’s reindeer, where you get the chance to stroke and feed these magical animals.

In Rovaniemi, the population of approximately 12,500 reindeer stands as proof of the age-old tradition of reindeer herding.

The indigenous herders exist in perfect balance with their creatures year-round, with countless numbers depending on them for survival.

Northern Lapland

After you’ve enjoyed your Christmas celebrations to the fullest, Elizabeth recommends exploring even further northwards.

She experienced the joy of lodging at the breathtaking Wilderness Hotel Muotka, situated in Sodankyla.

The trek from Rovaniemi requires roughly three hours, and she divided the journey with a stop at Kultamuseo in Tankavaara.

This exceptional gold museum stands as the sole establishment of its type worldwide, focusing on the heritage and modern methods of gold panning and mining.

Elizabeth said: “After an informative guided tour delving into the history of gold panning, I was given the chance to try my hand at finding my own gold – it’s quite a thrill to strike it rich!

“One of the highlights of my trip was undoubtedly the midnight cruise on Lake Inari. As the largest lake in Lapland, boasting over 3,000 islands, it’s a sight to behold.”

This represents the ideal method to savour the bright evening skies, possibly clutching a flute of bubbly to celebrate the midnight sun.

It’s a moment that simply cannot be overlooked whilst exploring Lapland – there’s something genuinely enchanting about gliding over the glistening waters, with the sun following in your wake.

Culture Activities

There’s an abundance of choices to match every holiday taste. For the culture, Elizabeth recounted the delight of encountering Irene and Ari Kangasniemi, a delightful married pair living in a comfortable workshop in Saarenkyla, Rovaniemi.

She said: “They live in a cosy workshop in Saarenkyla, Rovaniemi, where they welcome visitors to learn about their life, local culture, and how to create Lappish crafts.

“They utilise every part of their reindeer for their work, particularly the antlers. Ari focuses on making spectacular chandeliers out of antlers, with some pieces taking up to five years to craft.

“They can be seen around various locations – if you stay at the Wilderness Hotels you’ll spot them.

“Irene then treated us to a glass of homemade blueberry juice – a Finnish speciality – and a slice of delicious spiced cake.”

Rovaniemi, the pulsing soul of Lapland, serves as a hub for artistic expression, scientific discovery, and cultural immersion.

Those eager to explore the area’s past and customs will find the Arktikum museum absolutely essential.

Starting from £17 for admission, visitors can participate in hands-on displays that offer deeper insight into Finland’s fascinating legacy.

At Wilderness Hotel Muotka, travellers can unwind in the sauna and, for the more daring, take a dip in the adjacent stream.

Elizabeth embraced this Finnish custom for the first time whilst staying there, and called it genuinely an authentic method to immerse oneself in Finnish culture.

For an authentic Finnish nature experience, Arctic Sky Lapland offers a memorable journey led by guide Minna Kataja. She guides you through the captivating forest, engaging all your senses.

From the sharp crunch underfoot to the harmonious birdsong filling your ears, and the tactile sensation of coarse tree bark, you’ll leave in a state of serene tranquillity.

For those eager to delve deeper into Finland’s rich history, a trip to the Sami Museum and Nature Centre Siida is highly recommended.

Here, you can immerse yourself in the Sami culture and its deep historical significance across the country.

Admission fees are set at £18 for adults, with family discounts available. This is a perfect outing for holidaymakers who appreciate understanding the local history of their destination or those seeking a break from Finland’s active pursuits.

Adventurous Activities

Active families won’t want to miss the E-bike trail provided by the hotel. This offers a fantastic chance to explore the scenic trails of the surrounding area and Urho Kekkonen National Park on an eco-friendly e-bike.

Next, head over to River Juutua for a thrilling river rafting adventure. Guides Peeter Veltson, Visa Ruokokoski and Tanja Ohenoja will be thrilled to show you the ropes.

As you navigate two major white-water rapids and several smaller streams, don’t forget to take in the breathtaking views from your rubber raft.

Reindeer Farm

For a more personal experience with reindeers, why not visit Tuula’s reindeer farm? Just remember to book in advance as it’s nestled within a private home.

Upon arrival at the farm, you’ll be welcomed by Jenni Hakovirta who will introduce you to her herd of reindeer before inviting you into her family home to showcase her collection of Sami handicrafts.

During the warm summer months, you’ll have the charming chance to meet the young reindeer, still without their impressive antlers.

Food and Drink

While there’s a wealth of activities to keep you busy during your Lapland adventure, it’s crucial to make some time to enjoy the local culinary delights. Fresh, seasonal ingredients are abundant in both Rovaniemi and the northern areas.

No Finnish adventure would be complete without trying reindeer meat, served in a variety of ways. However, if that doesn’t appeal to you, Elizabeth highly recommends the fried salmon, freshly caught from local waters, at Kota Restaurant.

This cosy wooden hut features a central fire, providing much-needed warmth amidst the colder weather.

For a more relaxed dining experience back in Rovaniemi, do drop into Roka Kitchen and Winebar. It offers an enticing blend of Northern Finnish cuisine with a European twist.

More Information

Elizabeth was a guest at the following hotels:

• Lapland Hotel Sky Ounasvaara – for a family of two adults and two children under 10, the cost is approximately £215 per night during peak season (August).
• The hotel is conveniently located just a 15-minute drive from Rovaniemi airport. The flight duration from Manchester Airport to Helsinki Airport is around two hours and 40 minutes with Finnair.
• Private transfers can be arranged through Visit Rovaniemi, costing upwards of £78 for a group of six.
• Round-trip flights per adult in June are estimated to start from £300.
• From Helsinki, a further flight to Rovaniemi Airport is required, which takes about one hour and 15 minutes with Finnair, costing upwards from £80 per adult for a one-way ticket.
• Wilderness Hotel Muotka – a two-night stay for two adults and two children aged between four to 14 will set you back upwards of £814 in August.
• The journey from Rovaniemi to this northern destination takes just under three hours by car. Private transfers can be booked through Visit Rovaniemi, but expect to pay upwards of £500 for the trip.
• Wilderness Hotel Juutua – for a three-night stay, anticipate paying upwards of £640 per person during peak season. This price includes the Inari Summer package that offers full-board accommodation and airport transfers.
• Elizabeth returned to Manchester from Ivalo Airport via Helsinki. The flight from Ivalo to Helsinki with Finnair takes just over two hours and costs upwards of £94 per person.

Activity Price List

• Arktikum museum at Rovaniemi – starting from £17, visitors can enjoy interactive and educational exhibits to learn more about Finland.
• Kultamuseo (Gold Museum) – a guided tour will set you back £9 per person, while gold panning is priced at £20 per person.
• E-fatbike tour – a three-hour session comes with a price tag of £127 per person.
• Midnight Sun Cruise by Visit Inari – this two-hour cruise costs £104 per person, with children eligible for a 30% discount.
• River rafting experience by Luontoloma – this adult and teenager-only experience is priced at £113 per person.
• Meeting Tuula’s reindeer – simply meeting the reindeer costs around £40 per person, but if you wish to learn about Sámi handcrafts as well, it’s £58 per person.
• Sámi Museum and Nature Centre Siida – adult tickets are priced at £18, with family discounts available.
• Elizabeth journeyed with Finnair and explored Lapland courtesy of Visit Rovaniemi and Lapland North Destinations.

When 6-foot-5, 315-pound all-league offensive tackle Jorge Gonzalez of Santa Paula High had to take a mandatory two-week break this summer under the Southern Section dead period rules, he didn’t just sit at home. He went to the wheat fields of Santa Barbara and earned money using a weed whacker eight hours a day so he could buy a car.

“My uniform turned green,” he said of his daily work in the fields.

The Santa Paula community is heavily involved in the agriculture business, and football coach Myke Morales said many of his players have worked in the fields.

Gonzalez is a three-year starter with a 3.8 grade-point average and made the trip to Ventura on Thursday for a Tri County League media day that also featured players from Agoura, Hueneme, Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Fillmore.

Morales and Fillmore’s Charles Weis discussed their 100-year-old rivalry game played at the end of each season. It’s unlike any other as far as uniting both communities.

“It’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Weis said. “It’s a community event. It’s what’s right is for high school football.”

Agoura is ready to welcome back quarterback Gavin Gray, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game last season. He’ll have baseball standout Tyler Starling at receiver, plus the Chargers have running back George Hastings, who will become No. 7 on the roster.

Dos Pueblos returns all-league receiver Micah Barnhart.

Hueneme has high hopes for running back Jeremiah Alvarado.

San Marcos might have one of the best multi-sport athletes in the state in elite golfer Austin Downing, who’s also a kicker and plays baseball.

Fillmore will rely on four players who will be three-year starters — linebacker Carlos Cabral, receiver Mauricio Ocegueda, lineman Marcus Lechuga and lineman Genaro Villela.

All the coaches are preparing for possible disruptions because of wildfires and have had experiences in the past.

“Every year, we’re problem-solving,” Dos Pueblos coach AJ Pateras said. “We just navigate.”

For thousands of years, the Chumash people lived along California’s Central Coast and on its Channel Islands. Then the newcomers arrived — Spanish explorers, Catholic missionaries, Mexican rancheros, California settlers — and the Chumash way of life was dismantled, their people enslaved and their traditions, culture and language forbidden.

So it’s hardly surprising that the main message at the new Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center is as poignant as it is defiant: “We are the first people. And we are still here.”

The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Elders Council commissioned New Mexico sculptor George Rivera to create this arresting bronze sculpture, “Keeping Our Culture Alive,” to stand near the entrance to the museum.

(Patrick W. Price)

The museum, which opened in May, sits on Highway 246 and Edison Street in tiny Santa Ynez, just across the road from Chumash Casino Resort operated by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. But where the resort is a sleek, modern high-rise, the low-lying museum and lushly landscaped grounds are dedicated to the past, showcasing the stories, craftsmanship and even the plants of the Chumash, whose bands ranged along the coast from Malibu to Morro Bay and as far inland as the San Joaquin Valley, said Nakia Zavalla, the tribal historic preservation officer and cultural director of the Santa Ynez band.

While the focus is on the past, however, the museum’s storytelling is high-tech, with lots of interactive displays that activate with just the wave of a hand. The tribe doesn’t permit photos inside the museum, and the few photos provided for publication don’t really do the exhibits justice, so believe me when I say the displays are far more engaging than just shelves of artifacts and well worth a visit for adults and children.

From the large parking lot, the path to the entrance winds along a man-made recirculating stream lush with spiky, deep-green mounds of deergrass (Muhlenbergia rigens), feathery sandbar willow (Salix exigua) and a variety of juncus such as basket rush (Juncus textilis), used for making the tribe’s intricate baskets. The 3.5-acre grounds as well as the museum itself were designed by Jones & Jones Architects of Seattle, which also designed the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

The main entrance is visually stunning, bringing visitors inside a larger-than-life “ap” (pronounced ahp), a towering representation of the traditional Chumash dwellings made from willow branches and dried leaves of tule plants, such as hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus), which also grows on the grounds. The museum’s entry is like a giant dome with a big round skylight at the top. The large, sloping walls feature projections of birds taking flight and sparks rising from the faux firepit in the center of the room, along with detailed illustrations recognizing the region’s Chumash bands.

The broad curving walls and round skylight of the giant dome-shaped “ap” create a distinctive and dramatic entrance to the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultura Center.

(Patrick W. Price)

Inside, the exhibits are arranged in a meandering flow (just follow the blue line) that introduces visitors to a large and engaging range of interactive displays and stories, many of which were provided by elder Maria del Refugio Solares, Zavalla’s “fifth great-grandmother” and one of the last native speakers of the Chumash language Samala. Some tribal members are trying to resurrect Samala through classes and “just getting together and speaking with each other,” said Zavalla. “It’s opened so many doors to understanding our culture, our medicinal plants and ceremonies.”

Solares died in 1923 at 81, but left wax cylinder recordings of Chumash songs, stories and translations with linguist and Native American language ethnologist John Peabody Harrington. Incorporating Solares’ songs and stories makes the exhibits come alive.

For instance, near the beginning of the permanent exhibit there is a cave-like room explaining the Chumash understanding of the universe, which is divided into three levels. The upper world is inhabited by celestial Sky People, such as Sun and Sky Coyote, whose peón gambling games affected the seasons for everything from harvesting acorns to hunting game. The dark, eerie lower world is dominated by two giant rattlesnakes whose writhings cause the ground in the middle world — our world — to shake.

The phases of the moon? Those are caused by the way Slo’w, the Sky Eagle, stretches his wings. Thunder? The result of two brothers in the Upper World playing a rowdy stick game.

Nearby, an alcove features a preserved California condor known as AC8, the last female in the wild who was taken into captivity in 1986 to become part of a breeding program to rebuild the critically endangered population of North America’s largest land bird. In the exhibit, you must look up to see her, preserved as if in flight, her massive wings outstretched, while below is a miniature depiction of the local hills with a small gliding shadow of a condor in flight.

Further on are hunting outfits made from deer and bear heads and skins, examples of traditional Chumash stick and gambling games, and stuffed animals for children that were — literally — dead, cuddly rabbits carefully preserved. There are exquisite medallions and hair ornaments made from iridescent abalone shells and strings of Chumash currency — tiny, doughnut-shaped beads created from carefully cut olivella shells.

A coiled line with large silver hooks, attached to a smooth, palm-size rock was once used for fishing and is now part of the exhibit at the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center.

(From the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center)

And of course, there are multiple examples of Chumash basket weaving, from the tightly woven vessels used to hold food and even water to the carriers designed to securely tote babies. The museum includes more recent history as well, such as the startling news that running water wasn’t available on the reservation until 1969.

Outside, in the 3.5-acre cultural park, you can follow a winding trail through the Ancestor’s Grove — young coast live oak trees, each with a marker honoring a deceased tribal elder — to view the long redwood plank canoe known as a tomol, big enough to seat at least six adults and used annually to re-create the trips their ancestors made between the mainland and the Channel Islands. The park also features another recirculating stream and 100 species of native plants that would have provided food, shelter and habitat in the region before the explorers and colonists arrived.

The landscape is constantly changing, said Megan Carey, the museum’s collections and archives manager. “One of my favorite things about the Culture Park is that you see something different, something blooming, every week.”

A condor’s-eye view of the sprawling Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center, with its 3.5 acres of paths through 100 species of hyperlocal native plants.

(From the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center)

June 3 (UPI) — Dr. Santa Ono, the former president at the University of Michigan, was rejected Tuesday as the next president at the University of Florida amid backlash from Republicans over his earlier support of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Tuesday’s decision by the 17-member Board of Governors comes one week after UF’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved Ono as the finalist.

Ono was on track to become one of the highest paid public university presidents in the country. He was due to sign a five-year contract with a base salary of $1.5 million and incentives to earn as much as $15 million over the life of the deal.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed the 2023 bill banning DEI initiatives in public colleges, delivered a lukewarm response when Ono became the presidential pick, saying Ono’s statements made him “cringe.”

Other Republicans, including Sen. Rick Scott and Reps. Byron Donalds and Greg Steube expressed outrage.

“The UF Board of Trustees has made a grave mistake,” Steube wrote in a post last week. “Dr. Ono gave it his best ‘college try’ walking back his woke past, claiming he’s now ‘evolved.’ But I’m not sold. This role is too important to gamble on convenient conversions.”

Republican state Rep. Jimmy Patronis also questioned the presidential search committee’s decision to make Ono the sole finalist.

“UF sets the benchmark for education nationwide. There’s too much smoke with Santa Ono. We need a leader, not a DEI acolyte. Leave the Ann Arbor thinking in Ann Arbor,” Patronis wrote on X.

During questioning for the role, Ono stated he believed DEI programs do more harm than good. He said he closed the University of Michigan’s DEI offices in March and vowed DEI would not return to Florida’s campus, if he were president.

“The fact is some of my past remarks about DEI do not reflect what I believe, and that evolution did not take place overnight and it was shaped over a year and a half of thinking, discussions, listening to faculty, staff and students and their thoughts on the DEI program,” Ono said.

Ono, who was criticized for allowing an encampment of pro-Palestinian protesters to remain at the University of Michigan for a month, vowed last week during questioning to fight anti-Semitism at the University of Florida.

“Let me be very clear: based on my experience, I believe that anti-Semitism is not just one form of hatred among many,” Ono said. “It is a uniquely virulent and persistent threat, especially on college campuses today.”

There was drama, clutch hitting and a little luck in Friday’s Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal playoff game between Crespi and Mira Costa.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky,” Crespi coach Mike Glendenning said.

The game ended in the bottom of the ninth with a Nate Lopez pop fly falling in left field as Mira Costa’s shortstop, left fielder and center fielder tried to catch it. It scored the winning run in the Celts’ 3-2 victory.

What a game it was. Tyler Walton was cruising along with a one-hitter and a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning for Crespi. With one swing, Lucas Schermer of Mira Costa sent an 89 mph fastball far over the left-field wall to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead. Crespi fans were stunned and suddenly silent.

Just before Crespi players went to hit in the bottom of the seventh, catcher Landon Hodge gathered his teammates in the dugout and reminded them to trust each other.

“We’ve been here before and came through,” he said.

Up came Gavin Huff, one of 11 seniors set to graduate Friday night. He hit a ball to left field into the wind down the line. It carried to the foul pole, struck it, then caromed back onto the field. The umpires signaled home run to tie the game.

Mira Costa junior pitcher Garrett Jacobs was magnificent, striking out six in seven innings. Hodge finished with three hits for Crespi (24-2). Diego Velazquez threw three scoreless innings of relief. Mira Costa (28-3) had its 26-game winning streak come to an end. Crespi advanced to Tuesday’s semifinals against host Santa Margarita.

Gavin Huff of Crespi gets hug in dugout after his game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh.

(Craig Weston)

Afterward, Crespi’s seniors were hustled into two vans and driven from Hartunian Field to the Celts’ Encino campus to shower, change and participate in graduation ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. Hodge’s uniform, hands and arms were so covered in dirt from three hours of catching, sliding and hitting that he might have needed a car wash to make it to graduation.

More drama happened at Villa Park, where Trinity League champion St. John Bosco pulled out a 4-3 win in nine innings. Jaden Jefferson had an RBI double in the top of the ninth. But the big moment was the bottom of the seventh, when Villa Park came back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game and had the winning run on third with two outs. Jack Champlin came out of the bullpen to record a strikeout for the Braves.

Top-seeded Corona received a leadoff home run from Anthony Murphy, his 11th of the season, and relied on a one-hitter from Ethin Bingaman to get past Norco 2-0. Norco freshman pitcher Jordan Ayala impressed with his performance. It will be Corona at St. John Bosco in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Santa Margarita got a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh from Warren Gravely IV to defeat Los Alamitos 5-4. Before that, Los Alamitos tied the game on a Sutton Deninno home run in the seventh.

Division 2

West Ranch 10, Sultana 0: Hunter Manning threw a no-hitter and struck out eight to move West Ranch into the Division 2 semifinals. It was the second no-hitter this week by West Ranch pitchers. Nolan Stoll and Mikey Murr hit home runs.

Etiwanda 8, Servite 3: Derick Kim had two hits and four RBIs and LJ Roellig and Josh Adams hit home runs to send the Eagles into the Division 2 semifinals.

Fountain Valley 5, Torrrance 2: Logan Hunt threw five scoreless innings while allowing one hit for Fountain Valley.

Mater Dei 2, Foothill 0: Brandon Thomas struck out 13 with no walks for the Monarchs, his second shutout of the Division 2 playoffs. Gavin Lauridsen struck out nine for Foothill.

City Section

University 8, Jefferson 1: Evan Han had two hits and two RBIs in the City Section Division III championship game.

Sitting in the Birmingham High bleachers wearing headphones before running the 400 meters at the City Section track and field prelims, 17-year-old senior Nathan Santa Cruz looks like a teenager comfortable and confident. Teammates gravitate to him. Maybe it’s his smile. Or maybe they want to be near someone enjoying each and every day.

A traumatic experience changed his outlook on life in the fall of 2022 when he suffered a brain injury in the opening football game for Venice High and underwent emergency surgery to stop bleeding.

“We don’t know if he’s going to make it,” his mother, Crystal Clark, remembers being told at the hospital.

Nathan Santa Cruz, who survived a brain injury in 2022, goes for a City Section title at 400 meters.

(Craig Weston)

Santa Cruz recovered so well that he played two more years of football, but his real love was using his speed in track. Last season he finished second in the City Section 400. This year, he ran a career-best time of 47.74 seconds at the Arcadia Invitational.

On Thursday, he’ll have a rematch against Justin Hart of Granada Hills in the 400 final. They ran one-two last season.

“I think it’s going to be a real competitive race,” Santa Cruz said. “I’m going to try to come out on top.”

If he doesn’t finish first, he’s already won. He has a track scholarship waiting for him at Cal Poly Pomona, where he plans to study business or criminology. And he has grown up fast because of what happened to him. He’s no normal teenager when you listen to what he believes.

“At the end of the day, it’s God giving you another chance to wake up,” he said. “Make sure I’m better than yesterday. That’s what I do.”

Granada Hills’ Justin Hart, the son of former NBA player Jason Hart, is favored in the City 400 and 200.

(Craig Weston)

His competitor, Hart, has his own story to tell. He’s the son of Kentucky basketball assistant coach Jason Hart, who spent 10 years in the NBA. An older brother, Jason II, also played basketball but Justin was different.

Justin played lots of sports, including basketball, but when he was 7, he told his father, “I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want you to waste your money.”

He wanted to run.

“I didn’t want to be in my dad’s shadow. I wanted to create my own identity in my own sport,” he said.

He won the 400 and was second in the 200 at last year’s City final. He’s going for a sweep on Thursday and is just getting started.

“I think the ceiling is really high,” Granada Hills coach Johnny Wiley said.

He’ll welcome his father and mother in the bleachers cheering loudly.

There really won’t be any losers when Hart and Santa Cruz square off. They come from great families and have learned lessons that will help them succeed for years to come.

Santa Cruz makes it clear he runs to make his mother proud because he’ll never forget a memory from his hospital experience.

“Seeing her cry at the hospital, I knew I had to go make an impact in her life, make it so she didn’t have to pay for her kid to go to college,” he said. “Seeing her smile, that’s why I do it.”

And when days don’t go as well as he might like, Santa Cruz said he has learned, “It’s just the way life goes. I think God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.”

With UCLA’s bats quiet early, Kaitlyn Terry stepped into the batter’s box looking to ignite a two-out rally — and with one swing she brought the Bruins to life.

Terry, a right fielder and left-handed pitcher, hit a three-run home run in the second inning to jump-start UCLA’s 9-1 win over UC Santa Barbara in six innings in the opening round of the Los Angeles Regional on Friday.

The No. 9 Bruins (50–10) advanced to Game 3 of the regional, where they’ll face the winner of Arizona State and San Diego State at 2 p.m. PDT Saturday.

Before the season, coach Kelly Inouye-Perez stressed that a UCLA championship push had to start with securing a regional at Easton Stadium — and taking care of business once there.

UCLA is chasing its ninth Women’s College World Series berth in the past decade, but early on Friday, the path looked shaky. Instead of a confident march into the postseason opener, it felt like déjà vu for a moment — a flashback to the haunting 2023 regional, when the Bruins dropped their first game and ultimately fell short of a trip to Oklahoma City.

The Bruins squandered early opportunities uncharacteristic of the nation’s No. 2 run-scoring lineup.

Trailing in the second inning, Alexis Ramirez reached base on a hit up the middle, then stole second. After advancing on a groundout, she was caught in a rundown between third and home. Still, UCLA had a chance to even the score with runners on first and second, but Terry flied out to end the inning.

UCLA pitcher Taylor Tinsley delivers against UC Santa Barbara in the Los Angeles Regional on Friday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Terry found herself in a similar situation two innings later, and she delivered.

With two outs in the fourth, Kaniya Bragg reached first on a hit-by-pitch. Batting for the first time this season, Taylor Stephens followed with a slow roller into right field — just soft enough for Bragg to beat the tag at third while Stephens stepped onto second.

On the next pitch, Terry crushed a home run to center field.

Taylor Tinsley, an All-Big Ten first team selection, gave up three hits and one walk while striking out one. Her only blemish came in the second inning, when she gave up a run on an RBI single by UCSB catcher Delaina Ma’ae.

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1. UCLA’s Jordan Woolery fields the ball at third base against UC Santa Barbara on Friday. 2. UCLA infielder Kaniya Bragg fields the ball. 3. UCLA’s Megan Grant celebrates after hitting a game-ending home run in the sixth inning. (Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

A pair of home runs in the sixth inning ended the game via the mercy rule. Jessica Clements hit a three-run home run. That was followed by a walk and steal from Savannah Pola, who was driven in by Jordan Woolery’s RBI single. Megan Grant ended the game with a two-run blast to left-center field.

UCLA, which finished its first season in the Big Ten tied for second with Nebraska, has won 26 games by mercy rule this season.