thursday

Stalwart bookstores Vroman’s in Pasadena and Book Soup in West Hollywood announced new ownership on Thursday, after a two-year search for a buyer.

Longtime owner Joel Sheldon, whose family has helmed Vroman’s for more than a century, announced his retirement in 2024. At the time, Sheldon said he was looking for “someone who shares our core values and who is committed to preserving Vroman’s as a community treasure.”

Sheldon said he found that in the new owner, Robert Hoffman, who has worked on tech regulation and other public policy in Washington, D.C., for several decades, but who grew up in Southern California with his family living in the area for generations.

“After talking with Robert and his family, I knew we had found the right stewards. They understand what makes this store special, and they’re committed to preserving that legacy while moving Vroman’s forward for our customers and the Pasadena community,” Sheldon said in a statement posted Thursday to the bookstore’s website.

Hoffman was born in Pasadena and has been visiting Vroman’s since his mother brought him in when he was 5 years old, according to the Thursday announcement.

His mother, in turn, had been introduced to the store by her grandmother, Georgia Bullock, a decades-long Pasadena resident and the first woman to serve as a municipal and superior court judge in California.

Hoffman was born in Pasadena and attended UCLA. He currently heads government relations and regulatory affairs at semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices, according to his LinkedIn page.

Book Soup, a Sunset Boulevard landmark, was founded in 1975 by Glenn Goldman, a UCLA graduate student who raised investments with his friends to establish the store. Goldman died in 2009 at age 58, and Sheldon acquired the store from Goldman’s estate that year.

A post to Book Soup’s Instagram page said Hoffman and his family are “genuinely invested in this community.”

“Same shelves, same staff, same WeHo icon. Same gratitude for you,” the bookstore said in the social media post.

Vroman’s was founded in 1894 by Adam Clark Vroman, an ex-railroad worker from Illinois who moved to California hoping the sunny weather would improve his wife’s health. His wife eventually died of tuberculosis, and a brokenhearted Vroman, a bibliophile, sold off a chunk of his vast book collection to collect capital to open the store. The Sheldon family stewarded the store after Vroman’s death in 1916.

Vroman’s catered to various clientele and communities, from traveling dignitaries to academics and leisure readers on vacation. When the federal government incarcerated Japanese Americans from the San Gabriel Valley and elsewhere in the 1940s, an activist lugged books from Vroman’s to the Manzanar camp in the Owens Valley. Science fiction author Octavia Butler, who grew up in the area, frequented the bookstore.

Vroman’s second location in Hastings Ranch was forced to close in 2024 after the company was unable to reach a new lease agreement with the property owner. The store was otherwise sustainable, but was forced to close “due to increasing occupancy expenses,” the company wrote in a social media post at the time.

Vroman’s flagship location on Colorado Boulevard remains open. However, the property itself changed hands, with Sheldon selling it to GD Realty Group for $15.5 million amid uncertainty about its future.

The bookstore has a long-term lease with the real estate group, whose chief executive, Arash Danialifar, said in a statement last year to news outlet Pasadena Now that the bookstore was a “staple of the community” and that he hoped it would remain there “for the foreseeable future.”

Sept. 25, 2026 9:43 PM PT

A look at how the top 25 high school football teams in the Southland fared this week:

Rk. School (record) result; Next game

1. SANTA MARGARITA (5-0) did not play; vs. Mater Dei, Friday

2. ST. JOHN BOSCO (4-1) did not play; vs. JSerra, Friday

3. SIERRA CANYON (5-0) def. Oxnard Pacifica, 42-10; vs. Loyola, Friday

4. CORONA CENTENNIAL (2-2) vs. De La Salle at Cal, Saturday; at Vista Murrieta, Thursday

5. MATER DEI (4-1) did not play; vs. Santa Margarita, Friday

6. MISSION VIEJO (3-1) did not play; vs. Huntington Beach Edison, Friday

7. ORANGE LUTHERAN (3-2) did not play; vs. Servite, Friday

8. SAN CLEMENTE (5-0) def. Murrieta Valley, 42-13; vs. Yorba Linda, Friday

9 . CHAMINADE (5-0) did not play; vs. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Friday

10. PALOS VERDES (5-0) did not play; vs. Long Beach Millikan, Friday

11. JSERRA (4-1) did not play; vs. St. John Bosco, Friday

12. SERVITE (3-2) def. Damien, 28-9; at Orange Lutheran, Friday

13. CORONA DEL MAR (5-0) did not play; at Villa Park, Friday

14. BISHOP AMAT (4-1) did not play; at Gardena Serra, Friday

15. LA SERNA (4-1) did not play; at Warren, Friday

16. CREAN LUTHERAN (3-2) did not play; at Tustin, Friday

17. CARSON (4-1) did not play; vs. Gardena, Friday

18. OXNARD PACIFICA (4-1) lost to Sierra Canyon, 42-10; vs. Oaks Chrisitian, Friday

19. GARDENA SERRA (3-2 ) did not play; vs. Bishop Amat, Friday

20. TUSTIN (4-1) did not play; vs. Crean Lutheran, Friday

21. LA HABRA (5-0) did not play; at Capistrano Valley, Friday

22. HUNTINGTON BEACH (5-0) did not play; vs. El Modena, Friday

23. YORBA LINDA (4-1) did not play; at San Clemente, Friday

24. SAN JACINTO (5-0) def. Aquinas, 20-10; at Temescal Canyon, Thursday

25. ORANGE (5-0) did not play; at El Dorado, Friday

NEW YORK — The nation’s cybersecurity agency on Thursday released an election infrastructure security plan 40 days before November’s midterms, laying out potential threats to election systems and listing services it would offer to election officials to protect the vote.

Election officials said the plan is both inadequate and belated after the administration gutted the agency’s election security work last year, prompting the officials to pay for private services to ensure they were prepared for the upcoming elections.

“For them to come in five weeks before the election, yeah, nice effort,” said Nevada’s Democratic Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, who added that he would have liked to see the federal government provide more funding for cybersecurity, rather than Nevada taxpayers having to pay for it.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had originally promised to release the plan by mid-August as part of the Trump administration’s move to kickstart election security assistance after a hiatus. He announced the plan at the same time he threatened election officials for not cooperating with the administration’s preferred methods to hunt down noncitizen voting, a phenomenon that research shows is extremely rare.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which is housed under the Department of Homeland Security, has since its founding in 2018 helped warn state and local election officials about potential threats from foreign governments.

But CISA, as it’s known, was largely absent from that role in last year’s elections after the Trump administration dismantled much of its role in election security. The administration cut some 1,000 employees from CISA and slashed $10 million from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officials.

CISA has also gone the entirety of Trump’s second term without a Senate-confirmed director, instead cycling through a series of acting leaders.

Plan refers to ‘consistent’ support that many election officials say has been lacking

The 13-page document released Thursday warns of various threats to election security, including software vulnerabilities, hacks of voter registration databases, insider threats and physical security incidents, such as bomb threats that targeted several polling locations in the 2024 elections.

But it affirms that many longstanding election practices can address such threats and says the agency’s goal is “to ensure the American people can trust voting systems and know that physical safety measures will be in place when they go to their assigned polling locations to cast their votes.”

It states that DHS has “consistently supported CISA’s delivery of cybersecurity and physical security services to election officials,” something numerous election officials around the country have said isn’t true.

Multiple secretaries of state told the Associated Press that services previously provided by CISA, such as live tabletop exercises and penetration tests to evaluate security of their systems, were not available in the lead-up to this year’s midterms.

Minnesota Secretary of State Scott Simon, a Democrat, said in August that his office expects to spend roughly $250,000 on private vendors to conduct penetration testing, which can expose security vulnerabilities and recommend actionable fixes.

Shenna Bellows, the Democratic secretary of state in Maine, told the AP the same month that communications with CISA had been “sporadic and irregular, to say the least.” She said it would be helpful if the Trump administration could restore intelligence briefings that used to be granted to election officials about threats from foreign adversaries, but noted that trust with federal officials had been broken with the cuts to the agency.

Thursday’s plan doesn’t mention any specific 2026 threats from adversaries like Russia, Iran or China, all of whom have sought to meddle in U.S. elections — either directly through hacking or indirectly through influence campaigns.

Kris Warner, the Republican secretary of state in West Virginia, said Thursday that some of CISA’s assistance to his state had been continual throughout the Trump administration, including no-cost reviews of its public-facing websites for cybersecurity issues.

Warner acknowledged CISA had cut back under the Trump administration but said he views the agency “as a resource and not as a service provider” and said his office had last year hired a departing CISA election security advisor who has helped fill any gaps that may exist.

Report follows August call between CISA and election officials

In early August, two CISA officials — acting director Nick Anderson and assistant director for integrated operations Jim Harrell — joined a National Assn. of Secretaries of State call attended by a bipartisan group of secretaries of state, according to several election administrators.

The call grew tense when Arizona’s Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes voiced his concerns about the withdrawal of federal resources.

Fontes told the AP at the time that he told the CISA officials he didn’t trust them. He said it seemed to him the officials were there “to cover their butts.”

“They even acknowledged on the call that it was too late for them to do anything for 2026,” he said.

Simon said the officials appeared interested in rebuilding relationships and previewing their future plans, which he appreciated. But he said the effort at goodwill came later than election officials needed.

“Secretaries of state have already moved on and sought other partners and other resources for the services that CISA has retreated from over the last year and a half,” Simon said.

In Michigan, a voting rights group has tried to fill the gap

In Michigan, where mail ballots have already been sent out for the Nov. 3 elections, Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie said the state’s relationship with CISA has been “nonexistent” this year despite working together closely in previous election cycles.

“If the federal government wants to be helpful, they can’t do so at the 11th hour,” the Democrat said.

Ashiya Brown, the Michigan state director of the voting rights group All Voting Is Local, agreed. She noted the new plan says CISA has 10 regional directors to support election administrators but still doesn’t answer her biggest question.

“Does CISA still have the people and capacity to provide that support when clerks need it?” she asked. “I’m glad CISA has put forward a plan, but what matters now is whether the support described in it reaches local election officials before November.”

CISA has been hiring on its website for new positions, Brown said, but it’s unclear whether they are all staffed yet.

Meanwhile, Brown, a former security official with the Michigan Department of State, said her group has hired former CISA employees to help provide training and other support to election clerks and fill the gap.

Edevbie said even without collaboration with CISA, he is confident the state’s elections are secure.

“We are always prepared to defend our elections and to ensure that every voter who is eligible to cast a ballot can do so here in Michigan,” he said.

Swenson writes for the Associated Press. AP writers Jessica Hill in Las Vegas and Jacqueline GaNun in Lansing, Mich., contributed to this report.

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Chatsworth 37, Reseda 0

Collins Family 33, Westbrook 0

Foshay 44, Angelou 8

GALA d. Los Angeles Jordan, forfeit

GALA 41, Dymally 0

Garfield 35, Legacy 0

Granada Hills Kennedy 19, Van Nuys 0

Los Angeles Hamilton 52, LACES 0

Los Angeles Roosevelt 26, South Gate 24

Narbonne 21, Los Angeles Marshall 0

Panorama 27, Van Nuys 0

SOCES 39, VAAS 0

South East 14, Sotomayor 6

Stella 13, USC Hybrid 0

Southern Section

Alhambra 33, Rosemead 6

Anaheim 46, Estancia 0

Anaheim Canyon 20, Crean Lutheran 19

Animo Leadership 25, SEED LA 14

Aquinas 14, Ontario Christian 0

Azusa 8, Sierra Vista 0

Baldwin Park 13, Garey 0

Beckman 32, Mission Viejo 27

Bonita 26, Glendora 12

Burbank Burroughs 19, Temple City 0

Cajon 45, Arlington 0

Century 7, Santa Ana Valley 6

Cerritos 27, Paramount 7

Cerritos Valley Christian 46, Whitney 12

Chino 12, Don Lugo 7

Compton 33, Compton Centennial 0

Compton Early College 20, Environmental Charter 0

Covina 33, Northview 0

Downey 27, Bellflower 6

Edison 6, Newport Harbor 0

El Modena 7, Sunny Hills 0

El Rancho 13, South El Monte 12

Fountain Valley 13, Los Alamitos 8

Garden Grove 21, Segerstrom 20

Garden Grove Pacifica 27, Brea Olinda 13

Gahr 42, Mayfair 0

Glenn 25, Pioneer 0

Godinez 7, Tustin 0

Great Oak 40, Desert Hot Springs 0

Huntington Beach 21, Corona del Mar 20

Katella 12, Costa Mesa 6

La Canada 33, South Pasadena 0

Laguna Beach 14, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 7

Lakewood St. Joseph 21, Bishop Amat 12

La Palma Kennedy 12, Fullerton 6

La Quinta 12, Palm Springs 6

La Serna 19, California 12

La Sierra 6, Miller 0

Lawndale 34, Culver City 6

Loma Linda Academy 33, United Christian Academy 0

Long Beach Cabrillo 41, Dominguez 6

Long Beach Wilson 18, Lakewood 0

Los Amigos 12, Savanna 6

Marina 19, Irvine 7

Mary Star of the Sea 18, Sacred Heart of Jesus 12

Monrovia 20, Gabrielino 6

Montebello 21, Arroyo 0

Mountain View 14, El Monte 0

Nogales 41, Duarte 6

Palm Desert 12, Xavier Prep 6

Placenta Valencia 28, Laguna Hills 6

Pomona 12, Bassett 0

Portola 12, Irvine University 6

Ontario 12, Montclair 0

Redlands East Valley 39, Serrano 0

San Gabriel 15, Bell Gardens 13

San Juan Hills 36, Capistrano Valley 7

San Marino 18, Westridge 13

Santa Ana Foothill 24, Troy 0

Santa Fe 14, Artesia 6

Shadow Hills 31, Indio 6

Sierra Canyon d. Flintridge Sacred Heartt, forfeit

St. Bernard 18, Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary 13

St. Paul 48, St. Monica 12

Vasquez d, Rosamond, forfeit

Village Christian 34, Pasadena Poly 21

Villa Park 21, El Dorado 12

West Covina 20, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0

Westminster La Quinta 13, Saddleback 0

Whittier 21, Norwalk 20

Woodbridge 47, Northwood 0

Intersectional

Long Beach Poly 20, Carson 6

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Bell 12, Huntington Park 0

Bernstein 19, Roybal 6

Contreras 14, Mendez 0

Contreras 12, RFK Community 7

Fairfax 6, LACES 0

Foshay 40, Diego Rivera 0

Garfield 20, Legacy 0

Hollywood 26, Bernstein 6

Hollywood 32, Roybal 0

Jefferson 45, West Adams 0

Los Angeles Hamilton 26, Westchester 0

Los Angeles Roosevelt 12, South Gate 0

Manual Arts 19, Santee 14

Maywood CES 6, Marquez 0

RFK Community 12, Mendez 6

Sotomayor 32, Maywood Academy 6

Torres 13, Elizabeth 0

Venice 26, Palisades 13

Southern Section

Agoura 49, Calabasas 0

Antelope Valley 83, Littlerock 0

Burbank Providence 43, SEED LA 0

Camarillo 33, Simi Valley 12

Canyon Country Canyon 31, Valencia 13

Castaic 7, Hart 0

Chaminade 18, Harvard-Westlake 13

Channel Islands 47, Del Sol 6

Dos Pueblos 35, Rio Mesa 0

El Segundo 14, West Torrance 0

El Toro 20, Aliso Niguel 0

Highland 12, Knight 0

Lancaster 6, Eastside 0

Mater Dei 34, Linfield Christian 26

Ontario 22, Chaffey 13

Peninsula 12, North Torrance 0

Quartz Hill 43, Palmdale 0

Redondo Union 20, Palos Verdes 0

Royal 55, Oak Park 14

San Juan Hills 36, Capistrano Valley 7

Santa Barbara 26, Buena 0

Santa Monica 38, Hawthorne 0

Santa Paula 62, Cate 0

Saugus 6, Golden Valley 0

South Torrance 32, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 12

Sunny Hills 45, Oxford Academy 0

Thousand Oaks 19, Newbury Park 7

Torrance 13, Mira Costa 7

Ventura 6, San Marcos 0

Westlake 37, Oaks Christian 13

Woodbridge 46, Santa Margarita 6

Intersectional

JSerra 32, Menlo 12

Eagle Rock d. Los Angeles Wilson, forfeit

The California Supreme Court excoriated Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco over his seizure of hundreds of thousands of Proposition 50 ballots earlier this year, ordering the former gubernatorial candidate to immediately hand over all remaining material in a pair of scathing decisions on Thursday.

“We hold that the seizure of the ballots was unlawful,” wrote Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. “While allegations of election improprieties are a very serious matter, our Elections Code contains numerous established mechanisms for investigating and proving misconduct that do not compromise the integrity of voted ballots — contrary to the means employed here.”

The ruling comes less than two weeks before Californians will start casting ballots in the race for governor and a handful of hotly contested congressional midterms — nationally watched elections that would be vulnerable to similar interference unless the court gave clear orders, advocates warned at oral arguments last month.

“It’s bound to be repeated again,” said Chad W. Dunn of the UCLA Voting Rights Project, which led the first of two election interference suits against Bianco, a popular MAGA personality and former Republican candidate for governor.

Bianco has long flirted with President Trump’s election fraud conspiracy movement. Though the ballot seizures in February were widely seen as a campaign stunt, the legal theory behind them — that local lawmen can commandeer voter materials from elections officials, and that sheriffs are unanswerable to officials who outrank them, including attorneys general — belongs to a larger “constitutional sheriffs” ideology.

California‘s seven Supreme Court justices appeared by turns perplexed by and incredulous of those theories during oral arguments last month.

“You are walking into a very dense thicket of very specific laws that govern elections in particular and I think it’s a very established cannon of interpretation that the specific trumps the general,” Justice Goodwin H. Liu said.

The ballot battle emerged from a Riverside County pilot program meant to boost voter confidence, a handwritten tally that ultimately fell about 46,000 votes short of the official count, sparking claims of fraud.

Riverside County Registrar of Voters Art Tinoco met with the county board of supervisors and the citizens’ group behind the claim and carefully explained how the discrepancy emerged. Yet, Bianco pursued warrants to seize more than 650,000 ballots, alleging they were evidence in an investigation of wide-ranging election fraud.

When he learned of the warrants, California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta ordered Bianco to stand down. Instead, the sheriff accelerated his plans, dispatching armed deputies from Riverside County’s Special Investigations Bureau, Emergency Response Team and SWAT unit to sweep up the votes.

Later, Bianco directed his underlings to begin counting those ballots by hand — a potential felony under state law, which forbids anyone other than an election official from so much as touching a ballot container.

When Bonta again ordered him to stop, Bianco argued the attorney general had no authority to command him, later claiming in court that the law conferred only an “advise and consent” role.

In fact, California courts have spent more than a century delineating power between the state’s attorney general and local sheriffs and prosecutors. Voters took the matter a step further in 1934, endorsing a ballot initiative that clearly named the attorney general as California’s top law enforcement official, and put the state’s other lawmen beneath him.

In a footnote, justices also took a swipe at Bianco’s initial effort to have the case tossed for lack of standing — a move apparently undertaken on the legal advice of an elaborate artificial intelligence hallucination.

“In his preliminary briefing, Bianco challenged petitioners’ standing based on misquoted passages from, and an incorrect recitation of our holding in, Common Cause v. Board of Supervisors,” Guerrero wrote. “We disapprove of the improper use of artificial intelligence tools, which apparently contributed to the significant error that occurred here and remind counsel of attorneys’ professional duties of competence and candor to the court.”

WASHINGTON — A federal judge early Thursday temporarily blocked President Trump’s move to ban three news outlets from the White House grounds and said CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their access restored.

It’s the latest development in an escalating showdown between Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes. The president announced he was banning the outlets Sept. 18, assailing what he called “fake news.” More recently, Trump has said negative coverage is dangerous for the country.

The outlets argued that they were singled out because of the content of their coverage — in other words, viewpoint discrimination — and called the ban a “blatant violation” of the 1st Amendment.

In an order posted shortly after midnight Eastern time, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the media outlets had met the legal thresholds needed to obtain a temporary restraining order, which include the likelihood of succeeding on the merits of the case and of suffering irreparable harm without an order.

“This is a high bar, but Plaintiffs have met it,” he wrote.

Kelly — whom Trump nominated in 2017 and who ordered a CNN journalist’s access restored in a similar case in 2018 — heard arguments Wednesday and ended the hearing without ruling.

On Thursday, he issued the temporary restraining order, which will be in effect for 14 days. Such orders are typically designed to preserve the status quo pending a closer review of the case by the court.

During the hearing, Kelly questioned whether the administration had met its legal responsibilities and provided CNN, MS NOW and Politico with adequate due process before banning them.

The rulings in two prior cases over press access, including one that went to the U.S. Supreme Court, made it clear that journalists are entitled to an opportunity to be heard before they have their press passes revoked.

Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik argued that the rulings in the earlier cases were wrong.

The judge noted that his decision would be guided by prior rulings in comparable 1st Amendment cases, even if the government disagrees with them.

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Jaxsen Stokes, Sierra Canyon: Rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns in win over Orange Lutheran.

• Justin Clinton, Bishop Amat: Rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns in loss to JSerra.

• Gatsbee Gumban, Nogales: Rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns in win over Covina.

• Isaiah Trujillo, Yorba Linda: Rushed for 153 yards and four touchdowns in loss to Huntington Beach.

• AJ McBean, Gardena Serra: Rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns in win over Oaks Christian.

• Ceasar Reyes, Garfield: Rushed for 199 yards in win over Huntington Park.

• Matthew Fine, Loyola: Rushed for 161 yards in loss to Cathedral.

• Trevor Vaivao, Ocean View: Rushed for 237 yards and two touchdowns in win over Gahr.

• Adrian Petero, Santa Margarita: Rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns in win over Norco.

PASSING

• Thaddeus Breaux, L.A. Hamilton: Completed 40 of 52 passes for 503 yards and six touchdowns in win over Washington Prep.

• Grady Long, La Serna: Passed for 347 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Corona del Mar.

• JD Annett, Corona del Mar: Passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns in win over La Serna.

• Hayes Cloutier, JSerra: Passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 135 yards and three touchdowns in win over Bishop Amat.

• Vito Schiada, St. Francis: Passed for 267 yards and four touchdowns in win over La Cañada.

• Mason Mays, Troy: Passed for a school-record five touchdowns in win over Segerstrom.

• Nicholas Hoang, Culver City: Passed for 441 yards and six touchdowns, ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns in OT win over Warren.

• Jordan Malikin, Warren: Passed for 467 yards and seven touchdowns in OT loss to Culver City.

• Star Thomas, Orange: Passed for 273 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns in win over Etiwanda.

• Chase Curren, Crespi: Was 10-of-10 passing for 237 yards and three touchdowns in win over Oak Park.

• Luis Becerra, Chatsworth: Completed eight of 10 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in win over Sylmar.

• Chaz Rodriguez, Granada Hills Kennedy: Completed 14 of 14 passes for 214 yards and four touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns in win over Van Nuys.

• Eiler King, San Juan Hills: Passed for 345 yards and five touchdowns in win over Mira Costa.

• Jordan Spigarelli, Newport Harbor: Passed for 448 yards and four touchdowns in win over Colony.

RECEIVING

• Landon Armenta, La Serna: Caught nine passes for 221 yards and one touchdown in loss to Corona del Mar.

• Nolan Scott, Corona del Mar: Caught seven passes for 129 yards and one touchdown in win over La Serna.

• Jason Ramos, El Modena: Caught six passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns in win over El Dorado.

• Andrew Green, Troy: Caught six passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns in win over Segerstrom.

• Skylar Robinson, Huntington Beach: Caught seven passes for 125 yards and one touchdown, returned a kickoff for a score in win over Yorba Linda.

• Jack Norman, Dana Hills: Caught four passes for 118 yards and three touchdowns in win over Mayfair.

• Keondre Smith, Bellflower: Caught nine passes for 189 yards and one touchdown in win over Dominguez.

• Julian Padin, Warren: Caught 11 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns vs. Culver City.

• Paul Turner, Birmingham: Made five catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns in win over Burbank.

DEFENSE

• Mark Cadena, King: Had two sacks and caught two touchdown passes in win over Citrus Valley.

• DyShaun Smock, South Hills: Returned interception 56 yards for touchdown in win over Santa Fe.

• Dion Edwards and Rashad Thornton, Gardena Serra: Both returned interceptions for touchdowns in win over Oaks Christian.

• Kingston Sula, Carson: Recorded two sacks and recovered two fumbles in win over North Torrance.

• Eduardo Castellano, Dana Hills: Had 13 tackles in win over Mayfair.

• Javier Vargas, Garfield: Had 13 solo tackles vs. Huntington Park.

• Noah Sanchez, Crespi: Had 16 tackles, plus interception return for touchdown, vs. Oak Park.

• Josiah Rand, Chaminade: Had 11 tackles, including one sack, in win over St. Bonaventure.

• Jacob Parra, L.A. Marshall: Made interception in end zone on two-point conversion attempt to save one-point win over Marquez.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Evan Leddy, JSerra: Made 39-yard field goal to clinch win over Bishop Amat.

• Antonio Robles, Palos Verdes: Returned punt 60 yards for a touchdown in win over Wilmington Banning.

• Ethan Paillet, Peninsula: Made 42-yard field goal in loss to West Torrance.

• Cade Epstein, Capistrano Valley: Returned punt for a touchdown in win over Venice.

• Aydan Steen, Santa Margarita: Contributed a blocked punt and sack in win over Norco.

• Enzo Carpino, Dana Hills: Kicked a school-record 10 PATs in win over Mayfair.

Aaron Donald said Friday that he planned to make his season debut for the Rams against the New York Giants on Monday night, but star receiver Puka Nacua’s status is more hazy because of a hip injury.

Donald, 35, rejoined the Rams after ending a two-year retirement. The three-time NFL defensive player of the year did not travel to Australia for the season-opening defeat by the San Francisco 49ers, but he has participated in several 11-on-11 drills this week.

Asked if he would play on Monday, Donald said, “That’s the plan.”

Donald’s plan? Or the Rams’?

“I think that’s all of our plan,” he said. “We have a conversation, we figure it out.”

Donald said he felt as if he had never been away.

“Kind of getting in the groove of things, understanding everything a lot better out there playing a lot more free, a lot more loose and looking more like myself to me,” he said.

Nacua, who was sidelined for a few weeks during the preseason because of a psoas injury, caught five passes for 74 yards against the 49ers and practiced on Thursday. The psoas is involved in hip movement, so it is not clear whether Nacua’s absence was caused by the same injury or a new one.

Nacua was scheduled to speak with reporters on Friday, but did not do so because he did not practice. Coach Sean McVay is scheduled to speak with reporters on Saturday.

Regardless, the Rams are expected to get a boost from Donald, an eight-time All-Pro.

Edge rusher Byron Young played with Donald as a rookie in 2023. Now he will be playing alongside him again.

“He hasn’t missed a beat,” Young said.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Carson 32, Wilmington Banning 19

Contreras 18, RFK Community 7

Contreras 33, Roybal 0

Foshay 34, Manual Arts 7

Franklin 37, Chatsworth 0

Fremont 30, Marquez 12

Garfield 12, Huntington Park 0

Granada Hills Kennedy 20, Birmingham 9

Hollywood 26, Bernstein 6

Hollywood 30, Mendez 0

Jefferson d. Los Angeles, forfeit

King/Drew 50, Gardena 0

Legacy 16, South Gate 14

Los Angeles Hamilton 20, Palisades 0

Los Angeles University 22, LACES 16

Narbonne 8, San Pedro 0

RFK Community 20, Roybal 13

Santee 25, West Adams 0

Venice 33, WISH Academy

Westchester 13, Fairfax 6

Southern Section

Agoura 24, Oaks Christian 14

Antelope Valley 6, Knight 0

Aquinas 59, Riverside Notre Dame 7

Brentwood 21, Burbank Providence 6

Burbank Burroughs 19, South Pasadena 0

Castaic 44, Golden valley 0

Culver City 14, Hawthorne 12

Eastside 53, Littlerock 7

Hart 27, Canyon Country Canyon 12

Lawndale 7, Inglewood 6

Newbury Park 36, Calabasas 0

North Torrance 13, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 6

Oxnard 53, Rio Mesa 0

Oxnard Pacifica 47, Del Sol 0

Palmdale 2, Lancaster 0

Pasadena Poly 39, Village Christian 34

Quartz Hill 19, Highland 12

Redondo Union 32, Mira Costa 0

Santa Ana Foothill 19, Brea Olinda 6

Santa Barbara 20, Channel Islands 2

Santa Paula 33, Hueneme 16

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 54, Flintridge Sacred Heart 6

Sierra Canyon 46, Louisville 0

Simi Valley 26, Royal 14

South Torrance 50, West Torrance 0

Tesoro 50, Dana Hills 0

Woodbridge 47, El Toro 13

Intersectional

Saugus 45, Verdugo Hills 13

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Arleta 63, Grant 0

Arleta 26, Grant 0

Collins Family 19, Smidt Tech 0

East Valley 47, AMIT 0

GALA 6, Los Angeles Marshall 0

Los Angeles Hamilton 19, Fairfax 13

Los Angeles Wilson 47, Monroe 6

Los Angeles Wilson 12, Panorama 6

Lincoln 27, Legacy 0

Orthopaedic 36, East College Prep 0

Panorama 49, Monroe 0

Rise Kohyang 40, Animo De La Hoya 13

San Fernando Arroyo 37, Reseda 7

SOCES 50, Valley Oaks CES 0

Stern 12, Camino Nuevo 0

Sun Valley Magnet 69, Valor Academy 0

VAAS 20, MSAR 0

Van Nuys 12, Immaculate Heart 0

Van Nuys 33, Chatsworth 0

Southern Section

Baldwin Park 30, Sierra Vista 7

Bell Gardens 45, Keppel 6

Bishop Amat 18, St. Paul 7

Bonita 19, Ayala 6

Cajon 34, Eastvale Roosevelt 12

California Military 61, United Christian Academy 0

Camarillo 33, Oxnard Pacifica 20

Century 39, Bolsa Grande 25

Cerritos 26, La Mirada 16

Chaminade 59, Flintridge Sacred Heart 26

Charter Oak 12, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0

Colony 48, Arlington 13

Compton 28, Dominguez 0

Compton Centennial 12, Compton Early College 6

Corona del Mar 23, Los Alamitos 13

Cypress 20, Anaheim Canyon 7

Don Lugo 33, Ontario 0

Downey 25, California 13

El Dorado 20, Sunny Hills 18

El Monte 6, Rosemead 0

El Rancho 34, Schurr 6

Etiwanda 19, Bishop Montgomery 6

Fountain Valley 43, Marina 0

Fullerton 14, Segerstrom 13

Gabrielino 33, South Pasadena 12

Gardena Serra 38, St. Mary’s Academy 6

Garden Grove 6, Laguna Hills 0

Garden Grove Pacifica 18, Santa Ana Foothill 12

Garden Grove Santiago 27, Savanna 0

Glenn 41, Whitney 0

Godinez 12, Buena Park 0

Hemet 20, West Valley 6

Highland Entrepreneur 28, Fontana Entrepreneur 0

Huntington Beach 18, Newport Harbor 6

Irvine University 8, Northwood 0

La Canada 12, Monrovia 7

Laguna Beach 12, Rosary 6

Lakewood 37, Los Angeles Jordan 18

La Serna 28, Gahr 8

Long Beach Poly 20, Millikan 6

Linfield Christian 19, Ontario Christian 6

Mission Viejo 20, Trabuco Hills 12

Montclair 19, Chaffey 12

Mountain View 24, Arroyo 0

Nogales 20, Garey 0

Ocean View 6, Katella 0

Orange 18, Loara 12

Palm Desert 19, Elsinore 13

Paramount 13, Artesia 6

Pomona 19, Edgewood 6

Redlands 28, La Sierra 8

Rio Hondo Prep 13, Westridge 6

Riverside Poly 14, Corona Santiago 7

Rowland 8, Covina 6

San Clemente 30, San Juan Hills 6

San Marino 12, Burbank Burroughs 6

Santa Ana Valley 6, Western 0

Sierra Canyon 40, Palos Verdes 12

Sonora 13, Villa Park 7

South El Monte 31, San Gabriel 14

St. Lucy’s 27, Ramona Convent 13

St. Margaret’s 45, Irvine 13

St. Monica 33, Animo Leadership 0

Temple City 24, Cantwell-Sacred heart 12

Troy 12, La Habra 7

Tustin 7, Costa Mesa 0

Valley View 24, Indio 13

Van Nuys 12, Immaculate Heart 0

Vasquez 56, PACS 0

Warren 59, Mayfair 0

West Covina 7, Northview 6

Western Christian 68, Vista Meridian 0

Westminster 2, Placentia Valencia 0

Westminster La Quinta 7, Los Amigos 0

Whittier 33, Oxford Academy 6

Woodbridge 19, Sage Hill 13

Woodcrest 22, Riverside Notre Dame 6

Workman 41, Bassett 0

Whittier 34, Oxford Academy 6

Yorba Linda 27, Crean Lutheran 19

The Rams will be without edge rusher Myles Garrett for at least the next four games.

Will they have Aaron Donald for Monday night’s game against the New York Giants?

“We’ll see how this week goes,” coach Sean McVay said Thursday before practice.

The Rams are coming off an embarrassing 27-7 defeat by the San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia.

Garrett, who failed to record a tackle or a quarterback hit in the defeat, had surgery on his left knee Monday. He will not play against the Giants, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills.

McVay noted that Garrett was on crutches Wednesday but walking without them Thursday.

“He’s like Wolverine, healing fast,” McVay quipped, adding that Garrett would not be rushed back.

Donald, 35, ended a two-year retirement when he rejoined the Rams late last month. He did not travel to Australia.

Asked what benchmarks Donald would have to hit before returning, McVay said it was up to how Donald felt after getting more 11-on-11 reps during practice.

“There just hasn’t been a whole lot of opportunities for different reasons … based on the schedule that we’ve had,” McVay said. “But we are hopeful … that he’ll have some good work [Thursday], tomorrow and then hopefully he’s feeling good enough.

“And if he says he’s ready to go, then we’ll be excited to see him rock.”

McVay said the Rams have moved forward from the loss to the 49ers.

“It’s almost like you try and do the ‘Men in Black’ thing,” McVay said, referencing the movie franchise, “where you say all right, ‘hey I don’t remember what happened.’ That was so long ago. We’re not playing in Australia ever again, I hope. Not because it wasn’t a great atmosphere. That will get taken out of context.”

Sept. 17, 2026 10:47 AM PT

MINNEAPOLIS — A federal immigration officer charged with shooting and wounding a Venezuelan man in January and lying about the circumstances to investigators made a brief initial appearance Thursday before a Minnesota judge after state authorities arrested him ahead of a separate hearing in federal court.

During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Paul Scoggin granted Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro bond. Castro wore an orange jumpsuit and appeared behind a glass enclosure.

His attorney, Daniel Gerdts, declined to comment.

Castro was being held without bond after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrested him Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis on state charges of assault and false reporting of a crime stemming from the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis. Scoggin set bail at $400,000 with no conditions and $200,000 with conditions.

Castro also faces federal charges stemming from the shooting, which occurred during a federal immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis area. Prosecutors say Castro falsely told investigators he had been attacked with a broom and a shovel.

Arrest months after Minnesota charged him

Castro’s arrest by Minnesota authorities and appearance in state court followed a dispute between Minnesota prosecutors and Texas’ governor over Minnesota’s attempts to extradite Castro from his home state to face the state charges. One of the conditions Scoggin set for the lower bail amount for Castro was that he not fight extradition should he be released.

The lead prosecutor for the county handling the state case told reporters after the hearing that “Castro invented a story to justify shooting through a front door into a house with multiple people in it.”

“His appearance in a Hennepin County courtroom today is a critical step in our efforts to hold him accountable for that shooting,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a news conference.

Federal case also accuses Castro of lying

The next court hearing for Castro is scheduled for Friday. That hearing will be in federal court in St. Paul and involves the federal case in which he is charged with making false statements to investigators regarding the shooting. Castro’s defense attorneys in the federal case have said he plans to plead not guilty.

It’s the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for actions taken during this year’s massive Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of agents to the Twin Cities and led to sweeping protests, arrests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.

In both the federal and state cases against Castro, prosecutors say he shot Sosa-Celis in the leg while firing through the front door of a Minneapolis home. They say Castro later falsely reported he had been attacked with a broom handle and a snow shovel.

Trump administration says only federal authorities have jurisdiction

Minnesota authorities have battled with President Trump’s administration over who should handle any charges against Castro. The Department of Homeland Security has called Minnesota’s prosecution of Castro “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt,” saying only federal authorities have jurisdiction.

Minnesota charged Castro months before his federal indictment. He was arrested in Texas in May on the Minnesota charges. But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott last month refused to sign an extradition warrant to hand him over to Minnesota authorities. He was released in Texas and soon after was indicted on the federal charges. He then turned himself in to federal authorities and returned to Minnesota on his own.

Sullivan and Bynum write for the Associated Press. Bynum reported from Savannah, Ga.

WASHINGTON — The White House said Thursday that it was withdrawing its nomination of Lance Schroyer, a former Oklahoma state trooper, to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ensuring that an agency at the forefront of President Trump’s domestic agenda will remain without a Senate-confirmed leader for at least a while longer.

Schroyer, who has little experience in immigration, is close to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former U.S. senator from Oklahoma.

The White House offered no comment in a brief statement.

The latest setback comes as the agency remains under withering scrutiny over its handling of enforcement operations. Critics have question how ICE has recruited and trained officers as it raced to hire thousands to carry out Trump’s promise of mass deportations. Officers have shot and killed multiple people, including two American citizens in Minneapolis this year.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had refused to hold a hearing on the nominee until Homeland Security provided him with information he had been seeking about civilian deaths during ICE enforcement operations.

“I don’t have a concern with who the nominee was. I had asked them to give me an update on the internal investigation into civilian deaths,” Paul told The Associated Press. “And I’m still waiting.”

When Mullin took over the department in March, he pledged a lower-profile approach to immigration enforcement, pulling back on the aggressive, tumultuous crackdown on the streets of large cities that sparked widespread public condemnation.

Arrests have continued to accelerate, reaching nearly 51,000 in August, the highest single monthly arrest total during the second Trump administration.

Paul said he intended to hold a hearing on Schroyer’s nomination, but it never came to that. He heard about the nomination being withdrawn only when the White House made it public Thursday.

ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since the Obama administration. David Venturella, a former executive at a private prison operator, returned to the agency as acting director this year after Todd Lyons resigned.

When Trump nominated Schroyer in June, Trump said on his Truth Social platform that his pick was “a PATRIOT with real operational experience” and a “proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst.”

The administration did not indicate when it might announce another pick for the position.

Sept. 11, 2026 9:56 PM PT

A look at how the top 25 high school football teams in the Southland fared this week:

Rk. School (record) result; Next game

1. SANTA MARGARITA (3-0) vs. Sacramento Inderkum at San Juan Hills, Saturday; vs. Norco at Saddleback Coll., Friday

2. CORONA CENTENNIAL (1-2) lost to Mater Dei, 10-9; vs. Rancho Cucamonga, Friday

3. ST. JOHN BOSCO (3-1) def. Kahuku (Hawaii), 49-3; at Honolulu St. Louis, Sept. 19

4. SIERRA CANYON (3-0) def. Honolulu St. Louis, 52-0; vs. Orange Lutheran, Friday

5. ORANGE LUTHERAN (3-1) def. Gardena Serra, 35-0; at Sierra Canyon, Friday

6. MATER DEI (4-0) def. Corona Centennial, 10-9; vs. Bishop Gorman at Santa Ana Bowl, Friday

7. MISSION VIEJO (3-1) def. San Diego Lincoln, 49-0; vs. Pittsburg, Friday

8. SAN CLEMENTE (4-0) def. La Costa Canyon, 31-21; at Murrieta Valley, Sept. 25

9 . CHAMINADE (4-0) def. Beaumont, 42-24; vs. St. Bonaventure, Friday

10. PALOS VERDES (4-0) def. Huntington Beach Edison, 28-3; at Wilmington Banning, Friday

11. JSERRA (3-1) def. Oak Hills, 63-0; at Bishop Amat, Friday

12. YORBA LINDA (4-0) def. Esperanza, 42-7; at Huntington Beach, Friday

13. CREAN LUTHERAN (2-2) lost to El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge, 28-21; at Oakdale, Friday

14. SERVITE (2-2) def. St. Paul, 69-14; at Damien, Sept. 25

15. CORONA DEL MAR (4-0) def. Newport Harbor, 16-6; vs. La Serna, Thursday

16. BISHOP AMAT (5-0) def. Culver City, 65-13; vs JSerra, Friday

17. RANCHO CUCAMONGA (2-2) lost to Chaparral, Friday; at Corona Centennial, Friday

18. CHAPARRAL (2-2) def. Rancho Cucamonga, 20-13; vs. Herriman (Utah) Mountain Ridge, Friday

19. CARSON (3-1) def. Long Beach Poly, 17-14; at North Torrance, Friday

20. DAMIEN (2-2) lost to Tustin, 21-10; at Salesian, Friday

21. OXNARD PACIFICA (4-0) def. Palmdale Highland, 35-7; at Sierra Canyon, Sept. 25

22. GARDENA SERRA (2-2) lost to Orange Lutheran, 35-0; vs. Oaks Christian, Friday

23. WESTLAKE (4-0) def. Laguna Beach, 28-23; vs. Tustin, Friday

24. ST. BONAVENTURE (3-1) lost to Modesto Central, 28-19; at Chaminade, Friday

25. LA SERNA (3-0) def. Northview, 45-6; at Corona del Mar, Thursday35-0

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Belmont 66, Annenberg 3

Port of Los Angeles d. Los Angeles Jordan, forfeit

Stern 26, Smidt Tech 0

Southern Section

Aliso Niguel 26, Villa Park 6

Anaheim Canyon 9, Esperanza 6

Aquinas 26, Ontario Christian 21

Bellflower 26, Mayfair 0

Bonita 13, San Dimas 6

Burbank Burroughs 31, South Pasadena 6

Cajon 56, Alhambra 0

California Military Institute 28, Workman 0

Compton Early College 7, Dominguez 6

Desert Hot Springs 20, San Jacinto Valley Academy 0

El Modena 27, El Dorado 6

Elsinore 12, Palm Springs 0

Hacienda Heights Wilson 24, La Puente 0

JSerra 41, Santa Margarita 7

La Canada 24, Temple City 7

La Habra 18, Garden Grove Pacifica 6

Linfield Christian 28, Corona 21

Los Altos 42, St. Lucy’s 14

Millikan 26, Long Beach Wilson 7

Mountain View 25, Bassett 0

Newport Harbor 39, Fountain Valley 0

Palm Desert 24, Valley View 6

Paloma Valley 27, Liberty 0

Pomona 13, Keppel 0

Ramona Convent 36, El Monte Arroyo 6

Rancho Verde 41, Heritage 0

Rosary 12, Irvine 6

Sage Hill 25, Irvine University 18

South Hills 20, West Covina 8

St. Margaret’s 40, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 12

Tesoro 56, San Juan Hills 27

Vista Murrieta 22, Temescal Canyon 6

Westlake 61, Calabasas 0

Yucaipa 25, Arrowhead Christian 14

Intersectional

Granada Hills Kennedy 19, Vasquez 7

Harvard-Westlake 23, Birmingham 0

Venice 25, St. Monica 0

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

City Section

Cleveland 20, Los Angeles Roosevelt 0

Contreras 6, San Fernando Arroyo 0

Jefferson 43, Santee 0

King/Drew 20, GALA 7

San Fernando Arroyo 19, Contreras 13

Southern Section

Agoura 28, Newbury Park 13

Antelope Valley 6, Lancaster 0

Canyon Country Canyon 37, Golden valley 16

Castaic 13, Saugus 0

Cerritos 20, Artesia 0

Channel Islands 24, Buena 12

Dos Pueblos 27, Ventura 6

Eastside 18, Knight 6

El Toro 19, Northwood 0

Hart 12, West Ranch 6

Highland 26, Palmdale 0

Hueneme 38, Fillmore 12

Lawndale 6, Compton Centennial 0

Lakewood St. Joseph 27, Gardena Serra 0

Mater Dei 26, Sierra Canyon 20

Miller 45, Fontana 0

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 14, Ontario Christian 0

North Torrance 31, West Torrance 7

Oaks Christian 32, Thousand Oaks 12

Oxnard 13, San Marcos 12

Oxnard Pacifica 6, Santa Barbara 2

Palos Verdes 19, Mira Costa 7

Quartz Hill 2, Littlerock 0

Redondo Union 28, Torrance 0

Rio Mesa 41, Del Sol 6

San Clemente 50, Capistrano Valley 0

Santa Monica 56, Beverly Hills 0

South Torrance 19, El Segundo 13

Warren 38, La Serna 12

Woodbridge 51, Laguna Beach 8

Intersectional

Oceanside 31, Dana Hills 19

The Caitlin Clark–Angel Reese connection has been strong during the women’s FIBA World Cup.

The college rivals turned teammates on the U.S. national team showed off their growing chemistry in Team USA’s blowout victory against Hungary on Thursday in Berlin. The Americans knocked out their quarterfinal opponents 108-56, notching the team’s 34th consecutive win in World Cup play since 2006.

“We’ve played against each other so many times, so I’m sure we know each other’s game like the back of each other’s hand,” Reese said when asked after the game about playing with Clark. “Just easily dishing it off to her. She dishes it off to me. She knows my spots. I got one to her today, maybe two. So it’s fun. We just continue to build chemistry because we know we’re gonna be USA teammates for a while.”

The strength of Clark and Reese’s two-person game was on full display Thursday. Clark assisted on six of Reese’s nine points, and Reese returned the favor during the third quarter. After securing a steal, she hit Clark for an easy transition layup.

Reese ended the game with nine points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Clark finished just shy of a double-double with 10 points, nine assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Clark also has complimented Reese as a competitor and teammate during the tournament.

“We’re both fiery, fiery competitors and we want to win and it’s one of the things I really admire about her game,” Clark told the Associated Press in an interview published Wednesday. “She’s competitive and she has a tremendous motor; like, she has one of the best motors in the league. She works just as hard as anybody on the court. So, it’s been fun to to be able to play with her.”

Clark, who set records at Iowa, and Reese, who won an NCAA championship at Louisiana State, have been household names since their college matchups. Thanks to their intensely loyal — and often vocal — fan bases, that rivalry has been carried into their WNBA careers, where every matchup and interaction invites heightened scrutiny, especially online.

Clark told the AP that many of these stories about her and Reese’s relationship are “false takes.”

“No matter what, there’s always going to be people that create those narratives and say whatever they want to say,” Clark said. “There’s definitely no stopping that and they’re always going to be there.”

Reese and Clark are among Team USA’s young core, dubbed the “young and turnt” crew by teammate Paige Bueckers during training camp in December. The World Cup marks the first major international competition for six of those players: Bueckers, Clark, Reese, Aliyah Boston, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.

Team USA is set to play Spain in the semifinals on Saturday.

California, home to the world’s largest tech companies, is placing more guardrails around social media and artificial intelligence as child safety concerns escalate.

On Thursday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed more than 10 bills aimed at keeping young people safe online.

From suicides to sextortion, parents and their children are wrestling with how social media and AI chatbots could be harming people’s mental and physical health. The anxiety comes as technology becomes more powerful, playing a bigger role in classrooms, offices and homes.

California lawmakers have tried to tackle online safety concerns for years and they’ve faced intense lobbying from tech companies with deep pockets. The state’s laws have a disproportionate impact on the global tech industry because so many of the field’s titans are based here.

“We cannot hand children technology engineered by some of the most sophisticated companies in the world, and then place the burden on kids to defend themselves against it,” said California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom in a news conference Thursday in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The California governor, who has tried to strike a balance between safety concerns and supporting innovation, has rejected online safety bills in the past that he thought were too restrictive or premature.

The batch of new legislation includes Senate Bill 1119, which would require companion chatbot operators to assess risks, notify parents in certain cases if their child threatened to harm themselves, and take other safety steps.

Lawmakers named the bill Adam’s Law, after Adam Raine, a California teen who died by suicide in 2025 after conversing with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The teen’s parents sued OpenAI, alleging in the lawsuit that ChatGPT provided information about suicide methods that the teen used. OpenAI and Pinterest publicly expressed support for the bill on Thursday.

Adam Raine’s mom, Maria, said in the news conference that the new law will help save lives and hopes that other states will enact similar legislation.

“Powerful AI companionship chatbots were unleashed on our kids with vastly inadequate protections. Adam was an early adopter of AI, and so many of us parents did not understand the dangers back then,” said Maria Raine, who came to the event with a photo of her son.

At the event, Democratic and Republican politicians shared their experiences as parents who have seen firsthand how technology affects children.

Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) said parents are seeing anxiety and depression among children who grew up in front of screens.

“That anxiety is because the pace of technology is moving faster than government can put guardrails in, and that’s left families across the state struggling to figure out how to keep their kids safe,” Lowenthal said.

Lowenthal introduced Assembly Bill 1709, which Newsom also signed. It would bar certain online platforms from providing an “addictive feature” such as autoplay and feeds that display recommended content to users under 16 years old.

Tech industry groups opposed the bill, raising concerns that it could cut off access to social media’s benefits, such as people’s ability to connect with family and friends. Tech industry groups such as TechNet say that lawmakers should enforce current laws to strengthen parental controls rather than pass new ones.

NetChoice, which has sued California and other states to block the enforcement of new online safety laws, said in a statement that the group has First Amendment concerns about the new bills Newsom signed.

“The state cannot simply describe speech as addictive and then claim a right to regulate access to it,” said Zach Lilly, Director of Government Affairs at NetChoice. “Whether the governor and legislature choose to respect it, Californians have a right to express themselves, and NetChoice will continue to fight for that right.”

The new safety restrictions come as tech companies, including Meta, Google and others, face more scrutiny over how they design products. The companies have suffered several legal blows in courtrooms in California this year.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, agreed in August to pay up to $17 billion and make child-safety changes to resolve a multistate lawsuit. The lawsuit accused the tech company of designing and deploying harmful features while misleading the public about them.

As part of the settlement, Meta said it would impose time limits and mute notifications during certain hours for teens. Young people would also have the option to choose to view a non-algorithmic social media feed that isn’t personalized and disable autoplay.

Earlier this year, Meta and YouTube also lost a social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles.

While new legislation goes further than the settlements, some countries have passed stricter restrictions on social media. Last year, Australia started banning social media for children under 16, though enforcement has posed a challenge because teens are finding ways to get around the restriction.

Newsom, who pushed for federal regulation, said that he thinks California’s approach to social media is “better” than Australia’s because children are “all figuring out a way to game that system.”

“This is about the features themselves. This is about actually addressing the problem, the scrolling, the algorithms,” he said.

Safety concerns around technology have also heightened as companies double down on advancing artificial intelligence.

This week, a researcher for AI company Anthropic said he left the company over concerns that AI companies, including OpenAI, are “gambling with our lives” as they race ahead to improve AI that could surpass human intelligence.

The researcher, Jacob Coxon, shared a viral social media post that said: “People building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.”

Newsom signaled the work to protect children isn’t over.

“We need to move, but one thing we’re not doing is we’re not sitting back and we’re not letting it rip,” he said.

Thousands of Salvadoran immigrants nationwide faced uncertainty after the federal government failed to decide by a Wednesday deadline whether to extend or terminate their longtime temporary protections against deportation.

Those protections, known as Temporary Protected Status or TPS, allow immigrants to obtain work permits and by Thursday some Salvadorans had already been fired from their jobs. Others who had been let go were reinstated after the Trump administration clarified that an announcement on TPS for Salvadorans would come “at the appropriate time” and that they would retain work authorization in the meantime.

Employers also expressed uncertainty about whether the statement was enough to legally keep Salvadoran employees on their payroll. Those who lost their jobs worked across the U.S. in construction, at hotels and as janitors.

Some took the announcement that work authorizations remained in place — made late Wednesday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — as a cause for hope, while others saw it as prolonged mental torture. There are 170,000 Salvadoran TPS holders, including 36,000 living in California.

Asked for further guidance on Thursday, Homeland Security sent a link to the USCIS website.

Advocates with the National TPS Alliance distributed a letter including the administration’s announcement for TPS holders to share with their employers and stating that “any decision to terminate could not take effect for a minimum of 60 days.” The letter seemed to help, as advocates reported that some fired employees had been able to return to work.

Not everyone was reinstated. Jose Ramirez reported to his construction job in Santa Monica for the last time on Wednesday.

The 63-year-old had been legally working in the U.S. since 2001, when TPS was first extended to Salvadoran immigrants.

Jose Ramirez, a TPS holder from El Salvador, speaks during a news conference in Los Angeles on Thursday.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

He had been in the country for six years before that, and constantly struggled to find stable work. The work permit was a lifeline. He’d dedicated the last 25 years to construction, during which he fathered three daughters and set roots in Compton.

Still, his boss said Ramirez could no longer present for work Thursday.

“I’ve worked on buildings that reach the skies of Los Angeles,” Ramirez said. “I’ve contributed economically and lent my labor to this great country.”

Ramirez’s boss said his job would be available to him, but he’d need to show proof of an active work permit. A notice or a letter is not enough, Ramirez said.

The USCIS announcement was “a ray of hope that they will give us an extension,” Ramirez said. “But, it’s just not certain. Anything can happen. We’re just praying to God that the government will make it official.”

Signs at a news conference to provide an update on the status of TPS designation for Salvadoran immigrants.

(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)

Ending TPS would be a shock to El Salvador’s economy, where remittances from Salvadorans in the U.S. make up nearly a quarter of the nation’s GDP — nearly $10 billion last year. In 2019, President Nayib Bukele, an ally of President Trump, publicly called on the U.S. to extend TPS for Salvadoran immigrants.

More recently, Bukele has embraced Trump’s deportation agenda, including by accepting controversial deals to house foreign detainees in the country’s mega-prison. The number of people deported to El Salvador nearly doubled in the first three months of 2026.

The decision by the Department of Homeland Security to extend or terminate TPS typically has been made at least 60 days before the designation was set to expire. DHS can extend the program for a six, 12 or 18-month period or decide to cancel the designation.

But the Trump administration has delayed announcements, including some made days after the designation expired. A Supreme Court ruling in June determined that the Homeland Security secretary has final authority over the program and cut down the ability for advocates to sue.

Lauren Truslow, CEO of 3D Enviro, a Virginia company that does identification and abatement of hazardous materials, said the lack of a decision on TPS has been stressful and costly. Three of her 30 employees are TPS holders from El Salvador. Another, who is married to a Salvadoran TPS holder, told her his family plans to leave the country if the program is canceled.

3D Enviro is a federal contractor, and Truslow said that her employees’ driver’s licenses and federal badges expired on Wednesday.

“How do they continue to work for me?” she said. “No one seems to know the answer to that. They can’t get into federal facilities without valid ID. Them showing a memo from USCIS is not going to cut it.”

During a news conference organized on Thursday by the Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles, other immigrant rights groups and local elected officials, speakers urged TPS holders to form a plan for their families and schedule a legal consultation with a trusted lawyer. They also called on the administration to issue a decision on TPS for El Salvador and a pathway to permanent legal status.

“Salvadoran families deserve clear, timely and trustworthy information from the government,” said Martha Arévalo, CARECEN’s executive director. “As we gather this morning, we don’t have an extension for TPS. … What we have is another waiting game and a renewed limbo for families.”

“We are going to fight this,” vowed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

In a statement, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) called the USCIS announcement “clear as mud.”

“Once again, the Trump Administration is punishing immigrants who have followed the rules with chaos, uncertainty, and cruelty,” he wrote.

Also in attendance at the news conference was Carmen Sanchez, 49, who works the night janitorial shift cleaning offices in Los Angeles. She said many of her co-workers who were also protected under TPS were told not to return to work after Wednesday.

Sanchez planned to report to work Thursday evening, but was sure she’d suffer the same fate. She said she has three adult children in El Salvador and is helping two of them pay for college.

“If we lose our work permit, we lose our job. We lose our stability. We lose everything,” Sanchez said. “We’re being kept on this thread of extensions, and we don’t know when that thread is going to break.”

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Thursday he hopes President Trump’s Republicans lose both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, saying voters should punish Trump politically for his escalating trade war with Canada.

“Hopefully he’s going to lose the Senate. He’s going to lose Congress. I hope so, and hold him accountable,” Ford said. “But we’ll see how that goes. We aren’t going to interfere in the U.S. election.”

Ford has emerged as one of Trump’s most outspoken Canadian critics, accusing him of trying to strip industry out of Ontario and move it south of the border as the two trade personal insults and threats.

Ford’s comments came two days after Washington escalated the dispute by banning some Canadian dairy products and motorcycles and most alcoholic beverages after Canadian retaliatory tariffs took effect on about $20 billion in U.S. goods. Trump also moved to shut Canadian products out of large, long-term U.S. government contracts.

“He’s not reliable at all,” Ford said. “He could make a deal today and then change his mind. And we’ve seen that over and over again.”

Still, Ford said he believes Trump wants an agreement before the midterms and that Canada should return to negotiations as soon as possible.

“I truly believe President Trump wants a deal before the midterms,” Ford said. “I could be wrong, but I think it’s best that we sit down and get a deal.”

Last year, Trump abruptly ended trade talks with Canada after Ford’s Ontario government aired an anti-tariff television ad in the United States using former President Ronald Reagan’s criticism of tariffs.

The feud repeatedly has turned personal. In an interview with the Associated Press last month, Ford mocked Trump for keeping a portrait of Reagan near his desk while pursuing tariffs the former president had criticized, saying Reagan would be “throwing up on him from the picture if he knew what was going on.”

Trump described him as “the less charismatic, intelligent, and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford.”

Trump also signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” a name Canada does not recognize.

Ford said Thursday that Trump unintentionally strengthened Canada by forcing it to reduce its dependence on the United States.

“The only two good things Donald Trump has ever done for Canada,” Ford said, were that “he woke us up” and “he united the country like I’ve never seen before.”

Gillies writes for the Associated Press.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has not played since Wednesday, when he struck out four times and winced noticeably at the plate.

On Saturday, the Dodgers held him out of the lineup for the third consecutive game because of pain in his right biceps.

Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani’s path back to the field is predicated on how he responds to hitting in the cage, which he planned to do before Saturday night’s game against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium.

“My expectation is that he’s going to hit today in the cage,” Roberts told reporters. “Once he hits and how he comes out of it, that’ll be telling for tomorrow.”

The injured list becomes a consideration if Ohtani is not trending in a positive direction Sunday, Roberts said.

Ohtani falls under the 15-day category for the IL, which covers pitchers and two-way players, as opposed to the 10-day list for position players. The Dodgers can backdate the move up to three days, akin to time served. So a 15-day window would be reduced to 12 days.

Although Roberts said he has not spoken to Ohtani about how he feels physically, the manager said he can get a hint from the player’s demeanor.

“When he doesn’t feel well physically, he gets more short and he’s not the same personality,” Roberts said, adding that Ohtani has seemed looser and more easygoing the past couple of days.

A look at the top performers from high school football games across the Southland this week.

RUSHING

• Justin Clinton, Bishop Amat: Rushed for 119 yards and one touchdown in win over Valencia.

• Myles Cross, Granada Hills: Rushed for two touchdowns and made game-saving interception in win over Palisades.

• Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi, Cleveland: Rushed for 138 yards in 15 carries and scored one touchdown in win over Castaic.

• Will Biddle, L.A. University: Rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns in win over Santee.

• Levin Whitney, South East: Rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns in win over Fremont.

• AJ McBean, Gardena Serra: Rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns in win over Los Alamitos.

• Brandon Hernandez, Panorama: Rushed for 275 yards and five touchdowns in win over Fulton Prep.

• Jordan Bonilla, La Serna: Rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns in win over Salesian.

• Matt Quintanilla, Granada Hills Kennedy: Rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns in win over Canyon Country Canyon.

• Gatsbee Gumban, Nogales: Rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns in win over Cantwell-Sacred Heart.

• Rocky Martinez, Redondo Union: Set a school record with 306 yards rushing in 31 carries and one touchdown in win over Culver City.

• Ryan Christianson, Orange Lutheran: Had 32 carries for 165 yards and one touchdown in win over Chandler (Ariz.) Basha.

• William Fredericksen, JSerra: Rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns in win over Crean Lutheran.

PASSING

• Jacob Anzaldua, Banning: Passed for 462 yards and seven touchdowns in win over Carter.

• Ryan Rakowski, Palos Verdes: Ran for three touchdowns, passed for two touchdowns in win over Carson.

• Seth Solorio, San Pedro: Set a school record with seven touchdown passes in win over Westchester.

• Domenico Doran, Bishop Amat: Completed nine of 10 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 89 yards and two touchdowns vs. Valencia.

• Chase Curren, Crespi: Passed for 230 yards and two touchdowns, ran for two touchdowns in comeback win over St. Francis.

• Nathaniel Cadet, L.A. Marshall: Passed for 229 yards and three touchdowns in win over Bernstein.

• Donovan Shirley, Salesian: Passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns in loss to La Serna.

• Talon Spencer, Capistrano Valley: Passed for 225 yards and three touchdowns, ran for 177 yards in win over Great Oak.

• Trent Lux, Great Oak: Passed for 300 yards and three touchdowns in loss to Capistrano Valley.

• Bryce Johnson, South East: Passed for 223 yards, ran for 94 yards and three touchdowns in defeat of Fremont.

• Angelo Gutierrez, Marquez: Passed for 356 yards and five touchdowns, ran for 96 yards in loss to Mayfair.

RECEIVING

• Jordan Slye Jr., Salesian: Three catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in loss to La Serna.

• Anthony Jacobs Jr., Oxnard Pacifica: Caught three passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns in win over Hart.

• Matthew Crowson, Great Oak: Caught five passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns in loss to Capistrano Valley.

DEFENSE

• Reginald Duncan, Crenshaw: Recorded three sacks in win over Hamilton.

• Chase Madrid, Hart: Had eight tackles and two interceptions in loss to Oxnard Pacifica.

• Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, Oaks Christian: Had 12 tackles, including a sack, in loss to Liberty.

• Malaika Sione, Oxnard Pacifica: Had 12 tackles in win over Hart.

• Nolan Scott, Corona del Mar: Had one sack, one interception and 65 receiving yards in win over Edison.

• Adrinn Ry and Isaac Guzman, Nogales: Had two interceptions each vs. Cantwell-Sacred Heart.

• King Rich Johnson, Orange Lutheran: Returned interception 84 yards for touchdown vs. Chandler (Ariz.) Basha.

• Elyjah Staples, Marquez: Credited with 21 tackles and scored on a blocked punt vs. Mayfair.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Diego Mendez, Cleveland: The soccer player made six of six PATs and a 40-yard field goal vs. Castaic.

• Jorden Wells, Servite: Returned punt for touchdown in loss to Arizona Centennial.

• Stephen Nunez, Crespi: Returned a kickoff 57 yards, returned a punt 53 yards and had six catches for 93 yards and one TD in win over St. Francis.

• Connor White, El Toro: Blocked field-goal attempt and returned it 70 yards for touchdown in win over Aliso Niguel.

• Noah Ahrari, Chino Hills: Made 43-yard field goal in loss to San Juan Hills.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ tone shifted slightly Friday, as he addressed Shohei Ohtani’s absence from the lineup for the second straight day.

Ohtani was still considered day to day, and Roberts again teased his possible availability off the bench.

Roberts wasn’t quite as bullish, however, about Ohtani avoiding the injured list.

After describing an IL stint as “unlikely but not impossible” on Thursday, Roberts said Friday that he was “hopeful, but I wouldn’t say confident,” that Ohtani would avoid the IL.

There are a wide range of possibilities for Ohtani as he continues to deal with lingering pain in his right biceps. Though the Dodgers experimented earlier in the season with ways to manage his two-way workload — holding him out of the batting order on the day he pitched, giving him the day off after a start on the mound, or both — this is the first time he has missed two consecutive games. And he hasn’t pitched since July 3.

Roberts described Thursday as a “spa day,” meaning Ohtani rested, watched the game from the dugout and didn’t do any baseball activities. Roberts said Friday was a day to “start getting his body moving a little bit.”

“Let’s stay in communication, and let’s see when the time to give the green light is,” Roberts said.

Roberts said Ohtani has been “very agreeable” with the decision to rest him. Ohtani has declined multiple requests for comment over consecutive days through a team spokesperson.

“I think he wants to be out there, wants to play,” Roberts said, “but he’s understanding.”

An MRI scan of the area around his biceps and neck showed no structural damage, or as Roberts put it “nothing of note at all,” which is a promising sign. But Ohtani’s swings and body language Wednesday signaled that something was clearly wrong, affecting Ohtani’s play.

The fact that the Dodgers have not put Ohtani on the IL yet doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll be out fewer than 10 days — it just means that they can’t rule out an earlier return. Teams can backdate IL moves up to three days. But that hasn’t traditionally served as a hard deadline for the Dodgers to make IL decisions. It isn’t expected to in this case, either.

Shohei Ohtani is hurt. The Dodgers’ rotation is injured. The team is in a fairly long slump and a first round bye isn’t remotely guaranteed.

Although having an injured player take up a roster spot for more than a few days isn’t ideal, it’s easier to cover for the designated hitter spot than other positions. And there is no obvious replacement on the 40-man roster pushing for a call-up through an extended period of outstanding play. Those factors mitigate the urgency to make a move.

In Ohtani’s absence, the Dodgers have started outfielder Alex Call at DH against left-handed pitchers, with Dalton Rushing available off the bench in the later innings.

The setup has afforded Rushing more regular at-bats than initially expected when the Dodgers activated him this week. Because Rushing (elbow) is still working through a throwing program, the original plan was to have him pinch hit one at-bat per game until he was ready to return to catching duties.

The Dodgers also have not officially ruled out Ohtani’s return to pitching, seeing even one or two innings from him as a plus. But the longer he’s out, the less likely it’ll become.

Ohtani’s planned buildup from tossing live batting practice on Aug. 22, to preparing to possibly start a little more than a week later, instead ended with the Dodgers shutting him down from throwing. Ohtani hasn’t even gone through weighted plyo ball drills in “a few days,” according to Roberts.

Asked what that meant for Ohtani’s return-to-pitching timeline, Roberts said it “certainly pushes it back.”

The priority, however, is getting Ohtani back to himself on the offensive side before the postseason — whether that means a couple days off or more than a week.

Roberts described the two-day break from the lineup as not just a physical one, but also a mental reprieve for Ohtani. He recorded just two hits in his last six games (23 at-bats). And over the past four weeks, he has a .703 OPS — compared to his .903 OPS overall this season.

“With a lot of players, when they’re not feeling well physically it adds to the toll mentally and emotionally,” Roberts said. “So I think Shohei is like that, like most players. We’re just kind of balancing how many days is sufficient to then be worth the time to get back, versus running this play out of days off and it not being adequate.”