Jonah Mathews knew it was only a matter of time. The senior had seen plenty of slumps during his tenure at USC, and he wasn’t about to dwell on the Trojans’ tough start from long range during the Pac-12 Conference season. All slumps passed eventually, he knew; often, they busted wide open, giving way to an unexpected surge of offense.

That surge arrived on Thursday as USC (14-3, 3-1) returned home to the Galen Center for just the third time since Thanksgiving and swept away California 88-56. It was the largest margin of victory for USC in a Pac-12 game since 2007.

After shooting worse than 28% from three-point range over its first three conference games, the Trojans bid adieu to their issues from behind the arc. They hit six of eight in the first half to take a 16-point lead and never looked back.

With California (8-9, 2-2) double-teaming the post, USC relied primarily on its shooters. And against the Pac-12’s worst scoring team, those shooters responded with their most efficient performance of the season, knocking down 61% from long range on 23 attempts.

The barrage of deep shots began with Mathews, who hit a wide-open three-pointer shortly after the opening tip. After scoring 16 points in a victory over UCLA last week, Mathews added 19 on Thursday, the most the senior has scored in more than a month.

Daniel Utomi followed shortly after, hitting his first three-point attempt on the next possession. The grad transfer from Akron had worked his way into the starting lineup a game earlier, and on Thursday, he proved he may stay there for the long haul.

Before his debut as a starter at UCLA, Utomi had scored in double figures just three times this season. But he notched 13 against the Bruins and found his stroke against the Bears, finishing with 17 points to go with seven rebounds.

“He started out the year very slowly,” Trojans coach Andy Enfield said. “Missed a lot of open shots. And now he’s getting back to what we expected of him. He’s shooting with confidence.”

When asked whether Utomi would remain a starter on a regular basis, Enfield said the arrangement was “permanent, for now.”

Together, the two experienced shooters made for a scorching pair from the perimeter, one an ice-cold California offense couldn’t keep up with. The Bears, who had swept Washington and Washington State the week before, barely put up a fight Thursday.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

The Bears shot just 34% from the field, while USC clamped down to hold Cal’s leading scorer, Matt Bradley, to just 13 points in one of his least efficient showings of the season.

Until it came alive from outside, USC appeared poised to feed star freshman Onyeka Okongwu in the paint, if only for him to work his way out of a slump.

Okongwu was coming off perhaps his quietest game of the season Saturday, as UCLA forced him into early foul trouble and kept him from touching the ball throughout. That off night came after a similar struggle in Seattle, where Washington’s aggressive zone gave him trouble. Okongwu scored just a combined 14 points in the two sub-par showings.

California tried a similar approach as UCLA and Washington, doubling Okongwu down low and offering up weak-side help whenever it could. The freshman had a relatively quiet night offensively as a result, with just 12 points. He could face more of the same on Saturday against Stanford, which also regularly doubles in the post.

But while the Bears focused on frustrating Okongwu and senior forward Nick Rakocevic (nine points), the Trojan big men were content with kicking out to the team’s hot shooters, who often found themselves wide open.

Eventually, everyone got involved in the barrage. Freshman Isaiah Mobley, who hadn’t hit a three-pointer since Nov. 19, hit two from behind the arc on Thursday. As the game was winding down, fellow freshman Max Agbonkpolo pulled from long range and drilled one of his own.

“Sometimes,” Enfield said, “you have to take what the defense gives you.”

With its offense finally surging on Thursday night, USC took that, plus plenty more.

Hello, my name is John Cherwa and welcome to our horse racing newsletter as we introduce a slightly different look to the newsletter.

Before we get to the important stuff, just a quick word that we look a little different today. It’s nothing to be concerned about, just part of the evolutionary process that the entire portfolio of Times newsletters is constantly going through.

OK, a little news first. The Breeders’ Cup report on the death of Mongolian Groom in the Classic came out and it was very frank. The report, headed by the respected Dr. Larry Bramlage, said that Mongolian Groom’s death could have been prevented. It wasn’t a big mea culpa, but instead a lesson to be learned on how some of the processes don’t work as well as they could.

It was also an indictment on how the science and medicine to prevent these things is just not widely available yet. Santa Anita was held blameless and there was no medication subtext. I was most impressed with how thorough the 25-page report was.

I was on a conference call with Bramlage on Thursday and there was little asked and answered that was not in the report. It’s a tribute to the job he did. It drew stark contrast to the report by the L.A. County District Attorney, which could find no causes for the spate of breakdowns at Santa Anita.

Anyway,want to know more? Just click here for my story.

Jon White’s Kentucky Derby Top 10

Time for the good stuff. As always, we’re lucky to have top expert Jon White take a look at what’s happening on the Kentucky Derby trail. Jon makes the morning line at Santa Anita, he’s a licensed steward, and he’s the pre-eminent historian on racing. We’re lucky to have him. So, here’s his Kentucky Derby rankings, brought courtesy of Xpressbet.com.

“Will all the celebrating in Louisiana after LSU’s 42-25 victory over Clemson in New Orleans on Monday to claim college football’s national championship have died down by the time the Lecomte Stakes is run in Louisiana this Saturday?

“Don’t bet on it. Not the way people in that area know to have a good time, as exemplified by an annual party known as Mardi Gras.

“The Lecomte, which will be contested at Fair Grounds, is the first 2019 Louisiana race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. It has drawn a bulky field of 14, though it is doubtful all 14 will start. The 1 1/16-mile race offers 10-4-2-1 points toward the Kentucky Derby.

“The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races awarding points to the first four finishers. It has determined preference for the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field since 2013.

“This year’s Lecomte appears to be wide-open. Fair Grounds oddsmaker Mike Diliberto has installed Scabbard as the 7-2 morning-line favorite. Scabbard will be making his first start since he finished fourth at 5-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita last Nov. 1. The More Than Ready colt finished second in a pair of stakes races last year, the Saratoga Special (won by Green Light Go) and Iroquois at Churchill Downs (won by Dennis’ Moment).

“The 2019 Lecomte was taken by the Mark Casse-trained War of Will, who went on to win the Preakness Stakes. Casse has two entered in Saturday’s Lecomte. They are Enforceable, who drew post 10 and is 15-1 on the morning line, and Lynn’s Map, who had the misfortune to get post 14 and is 6-1.

“Because Lynn’s Map drew post 14, Casse told Daily Racing Form’s Marcus Hersh that the Liam’s Map colt might instead run in the one-mile Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 24. Like the Lecomte, there are 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Derby points up for grabs in the Smarty Jones.

“There are three horses besides Scabbard and Lynn’s Map listed at under 10-1 in the Lecomte. They are 9-2 Mr. Monomoy, 5-1 Silver State and 6-1 Sycamore Run.

“Mr. Monomoy, trained by Brad Cox, comes off a narrow lost to Lynn’s Map on a wet track Dec. 21 in New Orleans. He is a half-brother to Monomoy Girl, who was voted a 2018 Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old filly.

“Silver State is coming off a narrow defeat on a wet track Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs. Steve Asmussen trains the Hard Spun colt.

“Sycamore Run splashed his way to a front-running 3 1/2-length debut victory in a six-furlong maiden race Dec. 21 at the Fair Grounds. Joe Sharp conditions the son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense.

“There are no Lecomte entrants on my current Kentucky Derby Top 10 list. We shall see if anyone from the Lecomte makes it onto my Top 10 next week.

“Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Storm the Court, who occupies the top spot on my Top 10, is scheduled to make his 2020 debut in Santa Anita’s seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes on Feb. 9, according to Daily Racing Form’s Steve Andersen.

“Storm the Court had a workout last Sunday at Santa Anita that did not go as planned, Andersen reported. It was supposed to have been a solo spin, but shortly after Storm the Court began the drill, two horses from a rival stable stormed up to join him. The solo workout thus turned into a team drill for Storm the Court, who was clocked in 1:00.60 for five furlongs.

“Meanwhile, No. 2 Dennis’ Moment had his first recorded workout of the year last Saturday at Gulfstream Park. He was timed in 50.80 seconds for four furlongs. Dale Romans trains Dennis’ Moment, who along with Storm the Court and Structor are the three finalists for a 2019 Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. The Eclipse Award winners will be announced next Thursday.

“Trainer Bob Baffert, who goes into Friday’s Santa Anita card only four wins away from a milestone of 3,000 career thoroughbred victories, is represented by No. 3 Thousand Words and No. 7 Authentic on the Top 10.

“Thousand Words won the 1 1/16-mile Los Alamitos Futurity on a wet track on Dec. 7. He is headed to Santa Anita’s Robert B. Lewis Stakes at the same trip on Feb. 1. He had a sharp four-furlong workout Monday at Santa Anita in 47.40 seconds.

“Authentic registered a resounding 7 3/4-length win in Santa Anita’s one-mile Sham Stakes on Jan. 4 despite zigzagging in the lane when he raced greenly. He worked four furlongs Wednesday at Santa Anita in 49.60 seconds.

“Honor A.P., who missed the Sham when all was not well, debuts on the Top 10 this week following a positive update on the 3-year-old’s status by Ed Golden in last Saturday’s Santa Anita stable notes. Golden wrote: ‘Trainer John Shirreffs reports X-rays were negative on Honor A.P. after he was ‘off in his right front’ causing him to miss the Jan. 4. Sham Stakes, but the son of Honor Code is back jogging. ‘Maybe he wrenched it,’ the trainer speculated.

“In Honor A.P.’s first career start, he finished a fast-closing second in a six-furlong maiden race at Del Mar last Aug. 17. He then won a one-mile maiden race in front-running fashion by 5 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Oct. 13 in his most recent start.

“No. 9 Untitled is being aimed for Gulfstream’s Swale Stakes at seven furlongs on Feb. 1, according to Thoroughbred Daily News’ Michael Sherack. In Untitled’s only start to date, he streaked home to an 11-length triumph in a six-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream on Dec. 14 for trainer Ralph Nicks. Mark Casse has taken over as Untitled’s conditioner following a private sale in which Gary Barber now is the majority owner. ‘I really like him,’ Casse was quoted as saying of Untitled. ‘I’ve been impressed by him so far.’

“Because Untitled has just one race, some may question whether he could possibly win the May 2 Kentucky Derby at 1 1/4 miles.

“But keep in mind that at this point in 2018, Justify had not raced at all yet. Justify made his career debut on Feb. 18. He would go on to win the Kentucky Derby and sweep the Triple Crown.

“At this point in 2019, Maximum Security had started just once, like Untitled. Maximum Security would go on to finish first in the Kentucky Derby, though he was disqualified and placed 17th for causing interference.

“Here are this week’s Kentucky Derby rankings, courtesy of Xpressbet:

1. Storm the Court (1)

2. Dennis’ Moment (2)

3. Thousand Words (3)

4. Honor A.P. (NR)

5. Maxfield (4)

6. Tiz the Law (5)

7. Authentic (6)

8. Independence Hall (7)

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

9. Untitled (10)

10. Anneau d’Or (9)

NOTE: Last week’s rankings in parentheses”

Santa Anita preview

I’m not the person who has to fill these cards but Friday’s is one that doesn’t scream, “Please come and bet me.” There are seven races starting at 1 p.m. There are three turf races. Two of the races have five horses and two have six. The feature is the third, a 5 ½ furlong maiden special for 4-year-olds and up. It’s on the turf with a purse of $55,000.

We’ll dispense with this quickly. Silenced is the 2-1 favorite in the feature for trainer Peter Eurton and jockey Flavien Prat. He hasn’t won in three races and finished fifth and second in his last two maiden races. He was a $300,000 purchase. The 5-2 second choice is Sky Jumper for Bob Baffert and Drayden Van Dyke. It’s his first start. He was a $200,000 purchase.

Here are the field sizes, in order: 6, 5, 8, 5, 7, 6, 8 (3 also eligible).

Ciaran Thornton’s SA pick of the day

RACE FIVE: No. 5 Brickyard Ride (6-1)

Brickyard Ride won last out under Jorge Velez in October and hit the bench. They move the horse up in class Friday and race it protected. The best of the day sharp works in the last two weeks look great. Highest last race speed this horse tries turf for the first time. Trainer Craig Lewis is 21% with a profit on this move. Jockey Velez is 27% for this trainer, 45% in the money and they have a big ROI when they team up. The 6-1 odds is great value in a wide open race. This is my top choice in this race.

My Full Card is Free to All L.A Times readers today including two other value plays I like a lot. Just head over to my website and click on “Santa Anita Free Plays”.

Sunday’s result: Chickatini tracked second throughout the race and was in great position into the turn before being swallowed up. The horse ran well on turf and next out, hopefully, they run at 5 ½ furlongs. Make a note!

Ciaran Thornton is the handicapper for Californiapick4.com, which offers daily full card picks, longshots of the day, best bets of the day.

Golden Gate weekend preview

Here’s our weekly look at the best racing going on at Golden Gate Fields. As with the last meeting, we’re delighted to have race caller and all-around good guy Matt Dinerman as our host for previews and other musings. So, take it away, Matt.

“This is a five-day race week, which started on Thursday and ends with a Martin Luther King Jr. day card on Monday. First post each day is 12:45 p.m. Leg C of the Stronach 5 wager goes as Race 3 at on Friday. Seven 3-year-old fillies go one mile on the Tapeta in a sharp allowance race. The morning-line favorite is No. 4 Paige Anne, a Southern California invader from Simon Callaghan’s barn that comes off a maiden win at Los Alamitos. Leading Golden Gate jockey Juan Hernandez has the call.

“Also entered is impressive maiden winner Mila’s Dream, a debut victor for the Ari Herbertson. Mila’s Dream was purchased out of last year’s Tattersalls auction in Ireland and is a daughter of Canford Cliff out of the Danehill mare St Roch. Reiwa, who ran second at this condition last month for leading trainer Jonathan Wong, and undefeated Mollie O’ McEvoy also seem to fit the bill as potential players.

“A number of Northern California contenders journey south for the California Cup Day card at Santa Anita Park this Saturday. In the Donald Valpredo California Cup Sprint, trainer Blaine Wright saddles Oakland Stakes winner Baja Sur, who earned a triple digit Beyer speed figure in his last start. Juan Hernandez rides and has three other mounts on the card: Indian Peak in the California Derby and Pike Place Dancer Stakes winner Wise Rachel in the California Oaks for trainer Quinn Howey, and Clem Labine in a California-bred allowance for trainer Andy Mathis.

“Two other runners enter the California Derby for 3-year-olds on dirt: Golden Nugget and Gold Rush Stakes winner Bettor Trip Nick tries dirt for the first time under the care of trainer Bill Delia and jockey Catalino Martinez while Gold Rush Stakes runner up finisher Sacred Rider races for well-respected horseman Steve Specht in the ‘Derby. Reina Gonzalez trains 3-year-old filly, Smokin Hot Bobbie, in the California Oaks on turf one race later, and Andy Mathis saddles a separate ‘Oaks contender in Midnight Sunrise.

“An allowance race on Sunday afternoon looks like a key local prep for the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby on Feb. 15. Among the leading contenders are Southern California shipper The Stiff (trained by Michael McCarthy) and runner up allowance finisher Final Final (Bill McLean) Another major player in the race, Ajourneytofreedom, is the half sibling to last year’s El Camino Real Derby winner Anothertwistafate and runs for the same connections in this spot. His last start resulted in a maiden special weight win routing. The El Camino Real Derby is 1 1/8 miles with two enticing incentives. The winner receives 10 Kentucky Derby points and a free, all-expenses paid berth into the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on the third Saturday in May.

“We’ll end with my Friday XBTV.com Daymaker. This play comes in the nightcap on Friday: a full field of 12 is sprinting six furlongs for a maiden $25,000 claiming condition. My top pick is first time starter Mister McClean, by the brilliantly fast Maclean’s Music and out of multiple sprint winning dam Oak Flat. The only winning sibling to Mister McClean was a sprinter as well. Mister McClean has top human connections on his side in the form of trainer Tim McCanna and jockey Frank Alvarado, known as a solid jockey/trainer combo over the years, and sits at 5-1 on the morning line.”

Los Alamitos weekend preview

It’s time to turn things over to marketing and meda guru Orlando Gutierrez, who will tell us about the upcoming weekend at Los Alamitos. Orlando, the floor is yours.

“Los Alamitos Race Course will feature a new earlier post time on Fridays effective now. It’s 5 p.m. tonight but will generally be between 30 to 40 minutes after the final daytime thoroughbred race in Southern California. The early Pick Four will always start with the first race, while the late Pick Four will be the final four races.

“Los Alamitos had an early post time for the opening Friday program of this meet and it resulted in the highest handle for a Friday card so far this season. Tonight’s card will be highlighted by a strong group of nine older horses racing in the Cypress Handicap at 350 yards. Multiple Grade 2 stakes winner One Proud Eagle and multiple stakes winners Jess A Cowboy and Tac Me Up are also entered. Eight of the nine horses have won at least one stakes race.

“The American Quarter Horse Association announced its 2019 racing champions on Wednesday. Ed Allred’s homebred He Looks Hot was voted World Champion Racing American Quarter Horse, which is the equivalent of Horse of the Year, on the strength of wins in the Grade 1 Champion of Champions, Restricted Grade 1 Spencer Childers Championship and Moonist Handicap. He also earned the title of champion aged horse and champion aged gelding after five wins in 10 starts and $420,036 in earnings.

“Other California-based horses honored were Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity winner Cartel Jess Rockin as champion 2-year-old filly, Grade 1 Los Alamitos Super Derby winner Flash And Roll as champion 3-year-old filly and Grade 1 Mildred Vesses Memorial Handicap runner-up As And Js as champion aged mare.

“Earning his first champion breeder title is Dr. Steve D. Burns of Menifee, California, who topped the breeder category with earnings of $3,241,760 and an 18% win rate. On the strength of their Grade 1 siblings Runforyourlife and Powerful Favorite, Rosenthal Ranch is the champion owner, with earnings of $1,064,854 and a 38% win rate. The trainer of Rosenthal Ranch’s Grade 1 horses is Christopher G. O’Dell, who earns his first nod as the Blane Schvaneveldt champion trainer, with earnings of $2,105,020. He also saddled Thermonuclear Energy to victory in the Grade 1 Charger Bar Handicap and Jest Famous to the Grade 3 Town Policy Handicap along with being the leading quarter-horse trainer at Los Alamitos. The champion jockey is James A. Flores, who topped all riders with an outstanding year and $4,068,492 in earnings. The complete list of AQHA champions is available at losalamitos.com.

“Ron Hartley’s Cartel Jess Rockin and Grade 1 Golden State Million Futurity winner Runforyourlife are among the 31 top sophomores racing in Saturday’s trials to the Grade 1, $190,550 Los Alamitos Winter Derby. Cartel Jess Rockin and Runforyourlife will meet in the second of four trials over 400 yards. For both Cartel Jess Rockin and Runforyourlife, this will be their first outings since the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity on Dec. 15 won by the champion filly at 20-1 odds. Runforyourlife had a troubled trip and finished seventh, but should be tough to beat in his return start.

“The first Winter Derby trial will feature Circle City, who put together a terrific three-race win streak before running second by a whisker to Runforyourlife in the Golden State Million final. Sass Go Blue, the winner of the Grade 2 PCQHRA Breeders Futurity, will take on Robert Adair Kindergarten Futurity runner-up Mental Error in the third trial. The final trial will include a pair of Los Alamitos Two Million finalists in Nomadic and Up And Coming. The horses with the 10 fastest times will advance to the Winter Derby final to be held on Feb. 8. First post for Saturday’s eight-race program is 6 p.m.

“World Champion He Looks Hot is one of 19 that will compete in Sunday’s Winter Championship trials. He’ll be in action in the second of the three trials at 400 yards. Other top names are Hotstepper, third in the Champion of Champion and the 2018 champion 3-year-old, Grade 1 Vessels Maturity winner Katies Easy Moves, Grade 1 Los Alamitos Winter Derby winner Powerful Favorite, and 2019 All American Derby runner-up Jess Macho Corona.”

Chris Wade’s LA pick of the day

RACE EIGHT: No. 4 CM Boom Shakalaka (8-1)

In a solid field of older horses going in the Cypress Handicap, here’s a horse that provides a nice price from the up and coming barn of trainer Luke Lindsey. A stakes winner at Los Alamitos, CM Boom Shakalaka enters this race after a troubled outing 33 nights ago in which the 5-year-old bobbled and was crossed by quicker rivals that were exiting a 110-yard speed sharpening event. After the slow start, this runner angled out for a clear path past the gap and he finished strongly late for a quality third place finish on his own followed by a solid gallop out past the wire. If he can break with the leaders, CM Boom Shakalaka has a chance to add another local stakes win to his name at a nice price.

Now, here’s the star of the show, Friday’s entries. .

Santa Anita Entries for Friday, January 17.

Santa Anita, Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California. 10th day of a 60-day meet.

FIRST RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $18,000. Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $12,500.

SECOND RACE.

1 Mile. Purse: $20,000. Maiden Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $20,000.

THIRD RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $55,000. Maiden Special Weight. 4 year olds and up.

FOURTH RACE.

6 Furlongs. Purse: $23,000. Maiden Claiming. Fillies. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $30,000.

FIFTH RACE.

1 Mile Turf. Purse: $33,000. Starter Optional Claiming. 3 year olds. Claiming Price $40,000.

SIXTH RACE.

7 Furlongs. Purse: $22,000. Claiming. Fillies and Mares. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $12,500.

SEVENTH RACE.

5½ Furlongs Turf. Purse: $25,000. Claiming. 4 year olds and up. Claiming Price $25,000.

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

If the Clippers are to indeed enjoy the moment and the process as Kawhi Leonard has suggested, the 6-7 forward is who they should follow while on this journey.

Leonard showed them the way again, dropping 32 points on Orlando to pull the Clippers along to a 122-95 victory over the Magic on Thursday night at Staples Center.

It was the fourth consecutive game Leonard has scored at least 30 points in a game, the longest streak for a Clippers player since Elton Brand, who also produced four straight games with 30 or more points from Jan. 30, 2006 to Feb. 5, 2006.

In those last four games, Leonard, who was third in All-Star voting (2,973,076) for Western Conference frontcourt players after the NBA announced the results earlier Thursday afternoon, has 141 total points, for an average of 35.2 points per game.

”We look at ourselves as a work in progress,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. “But we don’t accept that like it’s status-quo. We accept that as we’re a work in progress and the work word is very important.”

Patrick Beverley played another tremendous all-around game. He didn’t miss any of his four shots and finished with 10 points. Beverley had six assists in the first quarter, tying his career-high for assists in a quarter.

His defense on Markelle Fultz was telling, because the Magic point guard was coming off a triple-double against the Lakers on Wednesday night when he had 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Beverley did his part to keep Fultz in check with 11 points on five-for-17 shooting.

KINGS

Sam Montembeault came off the bench to help the Florida Panthers hang on for a win.

Brian Boyle scored the eventual winning goal and the Panthers held off a late surge to beat the Kings 4-3 on Thursday night to win their third straight game.

Montembeault made 23 saves for the Panthers after entering the game with 9:55 left in the first. Chris Driedger started in goal for the Panthers and made four saves before he injured his right leg.

Montembeault was recalled from Springfield of the AHL last Sunday, loaned back on Monday, and then recalled Wednesday.

Anze Kopitar had a goal and two assists. Adrian Kempe and Alex Iafallo also scored goals for the Kings. Jack Campbell stopped 22 shots in his third start in four games. The Kings have lost six of their last seven games, including a 4-3 loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

“They swarmed. They held on to pucks in our zone. They made us make mistakes,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “We’re professionals. We should be able to show up, but let’s get out of the sunshine, let’s get back to the cold weather.”

DUCKS

The Ducks have just two wins in 2020, both against the Nashville Predators.

Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist, John Gibson made 33 saves and the Ducks beat Nashville 4-2 Thursday night.

Josh Manson, Adam Henrique and Derek Grant also scored for Anaheim, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Cam Fowler and Ryan Getzlaf each had two assists.

“It felt like we were all pulling in the same direction,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “There was no big mistake or lapse of reason or going into a hole for five or six minutes. We were steady and settled into what I thought was a really good road game.”

NFL

One Sunday. Two championship games. Four teams vying for a spot on the NFL’s biggest stage.

It’s Tennessee at Kansas City in the AFC, and Green Bay at San Francisco in the NFC.

And the league’s 100^th season could end with a rematch of its first Super Bowl.

Fifty-three years after Green Bay played Kansas City at the Los Angeles Coliseum in the original Super Bowl, that could be the matchup again for Super Bowl LIV in Miami.

This matchup would be rich with history. The Super Bowl trophy is named after legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi, and late Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt coined the term “Super Bowl,” as a twist on the Super Ball toy. What’s more, the Hunt Trophy is awarded to the AFC champion.

—

Joe Barry, the Rams’ linebackers coach for the last three seasons, turned down the opportunity to become USC’s defensive coordinator and signed a new contract to remain with the Rams.

Barry took himself out of consideration for the USC job after discussing the parameters of a contract with a school official.

NFL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

Conference Championship

Sunday

Tennessee at Kansas City, Noon, CBS

Green Bay at San Francisco, 3:30 p.m., FOX

Super Bowl

Sunday Feb. 2

TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m., FOX

USC FOOTBALL

The Trojans’ schedule in 2020, announced Thursday, will be a tough one.

USC will open the season in Arlington, Texas, against Alabama, arguably its most daunting challenge of the season. After that, the Trojans will face three other teams that finished last season ranked inside the top 15 of the final College Football Playoff rankings. Two of those games — against Oregon and Utah — will be away from the Coliseum.

USC will play six games at the Coliseum, beginning with New Mexico on Sept. 12 and wrapping the Saturday after Thanksgiving against Notre Dame. The Trojans will face Arizona State (Sept. 26), California (Oct. 10), Colorado (Oct. 31), and Washington (Nov. 14) in between.

But none of those Saturdays at the Coliseum will be consecutive. For the first time since 1969, USC will alternate between road and home games every week of the regular season.

2020 USC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 5: vs. Alabama (at Arlington, Texas)

Sept. 12: New Mexico

Sept. 19: at Stanford

Sept. 26: Arizona State

Oct. 2: at Utah

Oct. 10: California

Oct. 17: at Arizona

Oct. 31: Colorado

Nov. 7: at Oregon

Nov. 14: Washington

Nov. 21: at UCLA

Nov. 28: Notre Dame

—

Wide receiver Tyler Vaughns and defensive lineman Jay Tufele announced Thursday that they would return to USC for another season.

Vaughns, a junior who was third on the team in receptions (74) and yardage (912) during the Trojans’ 8-5 season in 2019, and Tufele, a redshirt sophomore, considered leaving school early to declare for the NFL draft.

UCLA FOOTBALL

UCLA released a 2020 football schedule on Thursday that included one of its easiest nonconference schedules in years and three of its toughest Pac-12 Conference games at the Rose Bowl.

UCLA will open the season with an Aug. 29 game against New Mexico State at the Rose Bowl, marking the earliest start in program history and providing the Bruins with a chance to win their first nonconference game under coach Chip Kelly after an 0-6 mark in his first two seasons. The Aggies are coming off a 2-10 season and have posted one winning record in the last 17 years.

The Bruins then travel to face Hawaii on Sept. 5 and San Diego State on Sept. 19, hoping to capitalize on teams in transition with new coaches.

2020 UCLA FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 29: New Mexico State

Sept. 5: at Hawaii

Sept. 19: at San Diego State

Sept. 26: Stanford

Oct. 3: Arizona

Oct. 10: at Arizona State

Oct. 17: at Colorado

Oct. 29: Utah

Nov. 7: at Oregon State

Nov. 14: Washington State

Nov. 21: USC

Nov. 27: at California

USC BASKETBALL

Jonah Mathews scored 19 points, Daniel Utomi added 17 and USC defeated California 88-56 on Thursday night for its eighth win in its last nine games.

Onyeka Okongwu had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Trojans (14-3, 3-1 Pac-12), who led for all but the first 101 seconds. USC made 14 three-pointers, with Utomi sinking four and Mathews three.

Matt Bradley led Cal with 13 points and Kareem South scored 12. The Golden Bears (8-9, 2-2 Pac-12) shot just 33.9% from the field as they had a two-game winning streak end.

GOLF

Phil Mickelson had no problem launching his tee shots into orbit Thursday in the opening round of the American Express golf tournament. Calculating where they were going to land was a bit more problematic.

Mickelson saved par or made birdie by getting up and down 10 times, including three times from bunkers at La Quinta Country Club, to stay alive in a tournament he won in 2002 and 2004. Despite managing to hit barely a third of the fairways, he fashioned a two-under-par 70 that, if not prominent on the leaderboard, at least hasn’t put him out of contention.

He is six shots off the lead, but in a tournament where birdies and even eagles are bought in bulk at bargain prices, that’s not an insurmountable deficit.

“I didn’t play great today but still had a decent score,” Mickelson, 49, said. “I feel like I’m ready to go on a tear.”

As is always the case in this tournament spread over the Stadium and Nicklaus Tournament courses at PGA West and nearby La Quinta Country Club, there was a robust roster of players who went on a tear in Round 1.

Zac Blair, looking for his first victory in his 130th PGA Tour event, and Grayson Murray, who has made the cut in only one of five events this season, each shot eight-under 64, Blair at La Quinta and Murray at the Stadium Course, which will be used for Sunday’s final round.

Rickie Fowler, making only his third start in this tournament and playing at La Quinta, is at seven under, along with Hank Lebioda (Nicklaus) and Scottie Scheffler (La Quinta), both of whom played bogey-free golf.

DAKAR RALLY

As the Dakar Rally enters its final stage in Saudi Arabia, two Southern Californians have a chance to make history in a grueling race that no American has ever won.

Casey Currie of Corona holds a 45-minute lead in the side-by-side vehicle class and Ricky Brabec of Hesperia has a 14-minute edge in the motorcycle category.

Both men have given themselves a shot at victory by taking a conservative approach on Thursday’s penultimate segment, which stretched through hundreds of miles of sand dunes.

“We didn’t push hard but enough to keep our lead where it was at,” Currie said. “One more day of racing and let’s get this wrapped up.”

More than 350 vehicles in various categories — including cars, trucks and quads — entered the Dakar this year, embarking on a 4,881-mile route divided into 12 daily stages.

TODAY’S LOCAL MAJOR SPORTS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific.

Ducks at Carolina, 4:30 p.m., PRIME, AM 830

UCLA (women’s basketball) at USC, 7:30 p.m., Pac-12 Networks,

BORN ON THIS DATE

1908: Boxing manager Cus d’Amato (d. 1985)

1929: Hockey player Jacques Plante (d. 1986)

1931: Baseball player/manager Don Zimmer (d. 2014)

1940: Runner Kip Keino

1942: Boxer Muhammad Ali (d. 2016)

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

1952: Baseball player Darrell Porter (d. 2002)

1960: Former Angel Chili Davis

1970: Hockey player Jeremy Roenick

1982: Basketball player Dwyane Wade

DIED ON THIS DATE

1970: Tennis player Robert Murray, 77

1994: Sprinter Helen Stephens, 75

2008: Chess champion Bobby Fischer, 64

2008: Football player Ernie Holmes, 59

AND FINALLY

Muhammad Ali‘s 10 greatest knockouts. Watch them here.

The Bundesliga’s return highlights televised soccer from Europe this weekend while in Spain there’s a battle atop the table and in England, Liverpool plays a rematch against a desperate Manchester United, the only team it hasn’t beaten this season.

Bundesliga: Germany’s top league returns to action Friday after a nearly month-long break with Borussia Monchengladbach (11-4-2) , two points back of Leipzig in the league table, traveling to Schalke (8-3-6), the league’s fifth-place team. (FS2, TUDN, 11:30 a.m. PST). Monchengladbach, which led the league for eight weeks earlier in the season, has lost just once since November while Schalke has lost just once since late October. The teams faced one another in their season openers in August, playing to a scoreless draw. Monchengladbach has allowed a league-low 18 goals in 17 games.

La Liga: No team in Spain is hotter than Real Madrid (11-1-7), which was unbeaten in its last 10 league matches before knocking off both Valencia and Atletico Madrid in last week’s Spanish Supercopa. But all that has gotten the team is a tie with Barcelona atop the La Liga table heading into a home match with fourth-place Sevilla (10-4-5) on Saturday (BeIN Sports, 7 a.m. PST). Real Madrid hasn’t lost in 12 matches while Sevilla — playing its first match since the season’s opening month without Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who is near completion of a move to the Galaxy — is unbeaten in its last four. Real Madrid has won its last 10 consecutive league matches with Sevilla at Santiago Bernabeu, averaging 3.5 goals a game in the process. As for first-place Barcelona (12-3-4), it plays mid-table Granada (8-8-3) at home Sunday (BeIN Sports, noon PST).

EPL: Unbeaten Liverpool (20-0-1) enters the weekend with a commanding 14-point league atop the EPL standings, making the rest of the season more a coronation than a title race for the Reds. Manchester United (9-6-7), on the other hand, is locked in a bitter fight for a European tournament spot, leading four teams by less than four points for a Europa League berth. And United is the only EPL team that hasn’t lost to Liverpool this season, playing the Reds to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in October. Much will be at stake for United in Sunday’s rematch at Anfield (NBCSN, Telemundo, 8:30 a.m. PST).

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Pinnacle International was looking to put low-income units in a separate building in East Village development

SAN DIEGO — 

The developer of a San Diego apartment complex that drew criticism over its plan to separate low-income renters in a different building is threatening to sue over its denial.

Vancouver-based Pinnacle International sought to build a project in East Village called Pinnacle Pacific Heights that would have included a 32-story building for market-rate renters and an adjacent eight-story building for rent-restricted apartments. Low-income renters would not have access to a roof deck or pool on the market-rate side, and would have to enter the building in a separate entrance.

Public officials with the downtown planning agency, Civic San Diego, were critical of the project for separating two classes of renters. Board member Robert Robinson even called it “segregation at its finest.” Civic denied the project in July and again in October.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Pinnacle’s law firm, California-based Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis, sent a letter in November threatening to sue because it said Civic overstepped its authority. It wasn’t until this week that the board discussed the letter in a closed session.

The letter was addressed to Civic President Andrew Phillips but also sent to the city attorney’s office and the City Council. The city attorney’s office said it is reviewing the letter and will be consulting with public officials. Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis did not respond to requests for comment by phone and email.

In its letter, the law firm said that Civic’s authority was limited mainly to design issues and by thwarting the project it violated the city’s municipal code; the density bonus program, which would have allowed Pinnacle to build more market-rate housing in exchange for including rent-restricted units; and the Housing Accountability Act, which encourages construction of affordable housing.

It further alleged that Civic did not make clear in its denial what aspect of its downtown design guidelines that Pinnacle had violated. “In short, the Board’s action was erroneous and violated various state and local laws,” the letter read.

A strict read of Civic’s authority is largely limited to design review, but it often squabbles with developers for not creating enough density in projects in an effort to create more housing. Ironically, Civic agreed to largely dissolve earlier last year, with almost all downtown development now being handled by the city. But projects that started with Civic before the change will continue with the agency.

The city’s plans are largely designed to quickly approve projects as long as developers meet the required criteria. Though limited mostly to design discussions, Civic was often the final say in the approval of major projects.

With the agency’s role changing, it might limit public hearings on projects such as Pinnacle’s. In meetings at which the developer showed plans for Pacific Heights, it received a verbal lashing by members of Local 619 Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, who have feuded with Pinnacle for years.

Pinnacle’s plan for fulfilling its low-income housing requirements was a first of its kind in San Diego, although Civic staff acknowledged it was acceptable under the law. In San Diego, developers are able to get approval for denser development, called a FAR (floor area ratio) bonus, as long as they build low-income housing within one mile of a development.

The developer’s original plan called for taking the low-income housing requirements for three different projects and putting all the rent-restricted housing in one East Village building. The projects included a 38-story mixed-use building in the Colombia neighborhood, with 144 residential units and 301 hotel rooms; a 38-story tower in East Village with 431 residential units; and Pinnacle Pacific Heights, which would have 387 market-rate units.

Pinnacle’s original plan would have created 58 affordable housing units, but it still drew criticism from members of the public and elected officials.

It drew parallels to a New York City apartment called Extell that opened in 2016 with a separate entrance for low-income renters, nicknamed a “poor door,” the New York Post reported. Like Pinnacle Pacific Heights, low-income residents did not have access to many amenities.

“Does income determine a person’s value?” Jesse Garcia, a carpenters union member, asked at the July Civic meeting. “The people of San Diego deserve dignity and equality, regardless of income. Please say no to the poor door.”

Pinnacle’s legal counsel at the July meeting, David Dick, countered that the developer should be praised for its creation of subsidized housing, instead of many builders that just pay a fee instead.

Molnar writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Gov. Gavin Newsom repeatedly promoted a temporary solution to California’s most visible problem this week during a tour on homelessness that began at a shelter in the Sierra foothills and ended in a vacant city-owned lot in the shadow of the Oakland Coliseum: The state would dispatch 100 travel trailers to provide immediate shelter.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Newsom and his aides publicized their plan again Thursday, posting a video on social media showcasing a caravan of 15 trailers traveling down the highway toward the Bay Area, where the shelters were on display for a news conference.

“We need to tackle the issue of homelessness head on,” the governor tweeted. “Eight days ago, I issued an executive order to rapidly increase housing and shelter options across CA. Just a few days later, we’re deploying trailers to communities in need to provide services & shelter.”

“California is responding to a crisis,” tweeted Jason Elliott, Newsom’s senior counselor for housing and homelessness.

Standing next to the governor on Thursday, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced that the 15 trailers would house 50 to 70 people in her city. But with federal estimates suggesting more than 150,000 Californians lack permanent housing — with more than 100,000 living outdoors or in their cars — 100 trailers would fail to help even 1% of the population in need across the state.

“On one hand, it’s a little bit of a publicity stunt, but on the other hand, it’s evidence that someone is finally paying attention to this,” said Steven Maviglio, a Democratic strategist and former communications director for Gov. Gray Davis. “Does it solve the problem? No. Is it a start? Yes.”

While their benefits will be limited, the trailers are symbolic of the public pressure Newsom faces to address homelessness, motivating the governor to show he’s trying to tackle the problem — a top-of-mind concern to California voters — with a sense of urgency, Maviglio said.

A poll released by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California this week found that 23% of likely voters considered homelessness the most important issue for Newsom and the Legislature in 2020, followed by housing costs and availability at 11%.

“This is something the state can do right now, today, to help members of the public,” said Brian Ferguson, a spokesman at the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, who said the trailers were sent to Oakland from Butte County, where state workers were using them in response to the Camp fire.

Rob Stutzman, a Republican consultant and former communications director to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, said he doesn’t fault Newsom for using the trailers to show action on homelessness, which is difficult to do by touting wonky spending proposals and policy changes.

“There are no pictures of that,” Stutzman said. “It’s hard to demonstrate to voters that ‘I get it, something needs to be done and I’m doing something.’ This at least presents a visual of something tangible that demonstrates he is doing something, but you have to be careful not to somehow oversell to voters that he thinks this is an actual solution.”

Newsom told reporters that he recognized the trailers didn’t offer a permanent resolution to the problem.

“This is a deeply temporary solution to the crisis at hand,” he said. “No one is in denial about the scale and scope of the crisis, either, and none of us are naive that 15 trailers … is going to solve the crisis. It’s about catalyzing a focus, catalyzing investment and beginning to leverage our resources and resourcefulness to meet this moment head-on.”

The governor has described the trailers and dozens of tents he intends to deploy as a way to establish triage centers for state, local and social service groups to connect with the homeless population in different communities and offer assistance.

Newsom’s staff provided few details in response to questions about the deployment of all 100 trailers, which they said would be made available by the end of March. It has not been determined which communities will receive them. The governor’s office anticipates that up to 11 people could fit in each trailer and said it will be up to local governments to decide what to do with them, including whether the trailers will be connected to electricity or water.

The plan is just one example of efforts Newsom included in his proposal to spend $1.4 billion on homelessness in the new state budget. The governor called for allocating $750 million to a new California Access to Housing and Services Fund to support rent subsidies and develop affordable units to provide more stable housing options.

If approved by the Legislature, the funding would follow a plan to provide $650 million to communities this year to address homelessness. Through executive order, the governor has also tasked his administration with identifying excess state land and property that could be used for short-term emergency shelters.

Stutzman said Newsom’s ability to solve or at least stem homelessness could define his administration. For better or worse, the governor has publicly acknowledged that he owns the problem.

“We’ve seen public polling that shows this is an increasing crisis in the minds of voters and it cuts across ideological spectrums,” Stutzman said. “The risk is that if there’s a public health crisis that comes out of this, or if the problem continues to grow at a substantial volume, then he could end up being defined by this crisis, which is uniquely pronounced in California.”

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, Jan. 17, and I’m writing from Los Angeles.

There are hundreds if not thousands of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings held across Los Angeles every week, in church basements and community centers and restaurant backrooms.

But few meeting venues are better known in L.A.’s sprawling recovery community than the humble “log cabin.” Which is exactly what it sounds like — a shabby wooden cabin located, against all logic, on one of the tonier stretches of Robertson Boulevard in West Hollywood.

Meetings have been held at the cabin for decades. It’s the kind of place where the person in the folding chair next to you could just as likely be a rock star or living in their car. And the cabin isn’t just home to AA — the nearly century-old structure is the site of some two dozen addiction recovery group meetings every week.

But now, as my colleague Metro reporter Hailey Branson-Potts writes about in a new story, the fate of the famed cabin remains very much in the balance. The cabin, which is located in the city of West Hollywood but sits on land owned by the neighboring city of Beverly Hills, has found itself at the center of a property dispute between the two cities, with a potential teardown looming.

[Read the story: “This log cabin is a haven for sobriety groups. Beverly Hills wants it removed” in the Los Angeles Times]

As Branson-Potts writes, the cabin has been managed by the West Hollywood Lions Club for decades. But, she continues, “Beverly Hills officials said they recently learned that the Lions Club lease expired in 1977 and that the longtime nominal rent of $1 per year had not been paid for more than four decades.”

There has been vehement protest from the sober community and beyond about the potential loss of the space. A Change.org petition started by L.A. nightlife impresario Brent Bolthouse has been signed by more than 9,000 people in support of preserving the cabin. In the comments section, people wrote that it had served as their introduction to AA, saved their lives and felt like home.

A spokesperson for West Hollywood told Branson-Potts that the City Council was interested in paying “a fair price” for the lot and was primarily concerned with keeping it available for addiction recovery. The two cities put out a joint statement this week saying they were trying to determine a “shared approach” to finding space for the recovery groups.

And now, here’s what’s happening across California:

The University of California is proposing five straight years of annual tuition increases under a sweeping plan to raise more money for financial aid and campus needs while providing a predictable roadmap of future cost hikes for students and parents. Los Angeles Times

In a new twist to one of the most high-profile — and longest — beach access battles in California, Hollister Ranch sued state officials Thursday over a new law designed to open its exclusive coastline to the public after decades of stops and stalls. The law, which went into effect this month, declares that the public must be allowed to enter the ranch by land and access some of its 8.5 miles of shoreline by April 2022. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

How body cameras may have exposed the LAPD gang-framing scandal. After a review of images from the devices, at least 20 officers are suspected of falsifying data used for labeling someone a gang member. Los Angeles Times

L.A. homicides are down again. Homicides dropped from 260 in 2018 to 253 in 2019 — the 10th consecutive year the city saw fewer than 300 homicides. Los Angeles Times

After a rough 2019, Hollywood’s talent agencies are bracing for more uncertainty. Talent agencies are under growing pressure to raise capital to finance growth at a time of rapid changes in the media industry. Los Angeles Times

Grammys chief Deborah Dugan has exited her post just 10 days before the awards show. The Recording Academy’s first-ever female president was put on administrative leave by the organization’s board “due to serious concerns that recently were brought to our attention.” Los Angeles Times

The masterful tortillas stand out at this Boyle Heights taco stand. Los Angeles Times

For coffee shops in gentrifying areas, design matters. A look at three new places in South L.A. and the looming question of who any given space is for. KCRW

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Just a quiet day in the nation’s Capitol: For only the third time in American history, the Senate began considering articles of impeachment to determine whether the president should be removed from office. Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers will consider raising taxes on some of the nation’s largest companies, with the size of the tax increase depending on how much each company’s highest-paid executive makes compared to its employees. Los Angeles Times

The political mind of Jerry Brown: A new podcast looks at the former governor’s life and half-century in the political game — and Brown has some lessons he’d like to share. KQED

The struggling California State Fair is looking for a bailout from taxpayers to avoid insolvency. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal includes a $1.5-million one-time rescue “to offset short-term funding deficiencies” and $750,000 to study long-term solutions for Cal Expo’s problems. Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

A federal lawsuit alleges that two Santa Ana employees left two federal detainees locked and chained inside a hot van for four hours after returning the pair from their court hearings. Los Angeles Times

HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

About 170 people who visited or work at Yosemite National Park reported experiencing gastrointestinal illness, with two of the cases so far confirmed as norovirus. Sacramento Bee

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

The first female coach in MLB: The San Francisco Giants have made baseball history by hiring the first female full-time coach in the majors. Alyssa Nakken will serve as a “major league assistant coach” under first-year manager Gabe Kapler. Mercury News

San Francisco Pride’s troubled relationship with Big Tech: Members of the LGBTQ+ organization passed a resolution to ban Google and YouTube from future parades. SFGate

“If the Kern County oil industry wanted to send a message, it did.” A record crowd showed up at a Kern County supervisors meeting in support of the local oil industry, which is potentially under fire from new state restrictions. Bakersfield Californian

There won’t be a Grizzly Fest in Fresno this year. The organizers of the annual springtime music festival say the event will be “in hibernation” while they continue negotiations with Fresno on securing a long-term agreement. Fresno Bee

Hungry in the Central Valley? After a longtime ban, food trucks can now get permits to set up shop in the Merced County city of Atwater. Merced Sun-Star

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles: sunny, 65. San Diego: partly sunny, 63. San Francisco: partly sunny, 54. San Jose: partly sunny, 56. Sacramento: partly sunny, 55. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

— Boyle Workman, 1935

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints, ideas and unrelated book recommendations to Julia Wick. Follow her on Twitter @Sherlyholmes.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

A woman who described herself as the biological mother of 11-year-old Roman Lopez says she found out about her son’s death from an online article.

Rochelle Lopez, who lives in Wisconsin, told Sacramento’s KOVR-TV Channel 13 that no one had contacted her about Roman, who was found dead Saturday in Placerville, Calif.

She told KOVR that she was deployed to Iraq when Roman was a baby, and that she later dealt with addiction to pain medications. It is unclear when she last saw Roman.

“I told Roman that I would do everything I can do be with him again,” she said.

Roman lived with his biological father, Jordan Piper, and his stepmother Lindsey Piper, according to the Placerville Police Department. Jordan Piper recently moved the family to California for a better job opportunity, according to police. The couple had eight children living with them at the time of Roman’s death. The Pipers told the Sacramento Bee that they initially got little help from local authorities, who they said did not act swiftly when the parents reported the boy missing.

Roman was last seen Saturday morning at his home in Placerville, police said. He was found during a search by law enforcement officers and community members. The case is being investigated as a suspicious death.

The Placerville Police Department said in a news release Thursday that the agency has provided limited information to the public because “there is very sensitive information that if released, could jeopardize the investigation.”

The agency said it doesn’t yet have a pathologist’s report and will not provide any further information about the autopsy. The pathologist’s report is expected to take four to six weeks.

“We realize that the press and public are looking for answers and mourning the loss of Roman,” the agency said in the release. “The police department has also been affected and has been working tirelessly to complete the investigation. The complexity of this case will require time and patience.”

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

On May 1, Halsey wore a shiny suit jacket to join BTS for a televised rendition of their euphoric disco-pop collaboration “Boy With Luv” at the Billboard Music Awards. Less than three weeks later, the singer was back on screens with a bloody nose in the video for her song “Nightmare,” in which she sings about the “wreckage of my life” over a thrashing electro-metal beat.

The two performances demonstrated the uncommon stylistic and emotional range that’s made Halsey — whose aptly titled new album, “Manic,” dropped Thursday night — such a durable presence in the streaming age. If pop once required an easily branded persona, it now requires flexibility in its biggest stars; the narrative through line can be pieced together by the kids paying close attention on TikTok and Instagram.

To anyone watching from a distance, though, it’s not always been clear who precisely Halsey is — a blurriness that’s cost her among old-guard gatekeepers like those at the Recording Academy, which iced her out in nominations for this month’s Grammy Awards (just as it did in 2018 and 2019) even as her trap-goth “Without Me” finished last year with well over a billion streams on YouTube and Spotify.

You can tell the establishment’s disregard has stung; Halsey’s written about it on Twitter, and she used a win at November’s fan-voted American Music Awards to defensively shout out “the people who really … [care] about music.” And though “Manic,” her third LP, maintains her signature all-over-the-place approach, songs like “Clementine” and “I Hate Everybody” find her craving a kind of approval she suspects will never come.

“I should be living the dream,” she sings in “Still Learning,” “But I go home and I got no self-esteem.”

More strikingly, Halsey delves into a country-ish acoustic sound she’s never really tried before in “You Should Be Sad” and the very pretty “Finally // Beautiful Stranger,” which recalls the music Taylor Swift used to make back when the Grammys couldn’t get enough of her. Another track, “3am,” summons memories of late-period Red Hot Chili Peppers, of all things — complete with the Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith on drums. (All three of these tunes were produced by Greg Kurstin, one of a handful of A-list studio pros on “Manic” along with Benny Blanco, Louis Bell and Billie Eilish’s brother, Finneas.)

Yet the surprisingly refined roots-and-rock stuff is just one part of what Halsey’s doing on an album that never settles on a distinct mood or point of view. Opener “Ashley” — a nod to Halsey’s real first name — ponders the prison of fame amid spooky synth squiggles; “Killing Boys” is a pounding revenge jam about keying some guy’s Ferrari. “Forever … (Is a Long Time)” and “I Hate Everybody” — the former gloomy, the latter aggrieved — both surround Halsey’s voice with swirling psychedelic textures that make it only easier to hear whatever you want to hear.

And then there are the album’s so-called interludes — one with Suga of BTS, who raps over a slick K-pop groove; one with Dominic Fike, who does his dirtbag-Jack Johnson thing; and one with Alanis Morissette, who evidently took Halsey’s decision to leave “Nightmare” off the record as an opportunity to indulge her love of industrial music.

As on her earlier records, Halsey can feel like something of a phantom on “Manic,” even when her writing is as vivid as it is in “Graveyard,” which deploys an appealingly creepy metaphor about following a lover way too deep. But her singing, with its pleading tone and its slightly raspy edges, is growing more expressive. If you’re still not sure where she wants to go, you can tell how badly she wants to get there.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Tyler Perry makes an inauspicious debut on streaming giant Netflix with the premiere of his “A Fall from Grace,” a convoluted legal/romantic thriller that, ironically, might be best enjoyed with a theaterful of moviegoers whose astounded reactions might be more entertaining than this off-the-rails potboiler.

Click Here: United Kingdom Rugby Shop

Perry, the film’s writer, director, executive producer and costar, reportedly shot the entire picture in five days. That may sound impossible (and nothing to crow about), but when you see the slapdash results, it makes total sense. In the movie’s press notes, a cast member recalls “I had never worked this fast before … sometimes you would get only one or two takes.” That speed does no favors to the filmmaker’s actors or characters — or the audience. To wit, though the leads and co-leads do their best with the dubious material, a few of the supporting players are truly subpar. That judge, yikes!

This did-she-or-didn’t-she murder mystery, many of whose key turns have already been pre-spoiled in the movie’s deceptively effective trailer, uneasily splits its focus between Jasmine (Bresha Webb), a young Virginia public defender (and, as drawn here, a flat-out terrible lawyer), and Grace (Crystal Fox from TV’s “In the Heat of the Night”), a middle-aged divorcee and bank employee indicted for the murder of her evil new husband, Shannon (Mehcad Brooks).

When the reluctant Jasmine is assigned to Grace’s case by her hard-nosed superior, Rory (Perry, in a thankless, one-note role), she meets with her imprisoned client to work out a plea deal. But the more Jasmine gets to know the bereft Grace, who details “how she got there” in a series of lengthy flashbacks and lots of trite voice-over, the more Jasmine comes to believe the woman is innocent and deserves her freedom. Unfortunately, Jasmine’s never tried a case and her novice reputation precedes her (“You don’t win, you plead,” sneers Grace). In addition, the grouchy Rory is against anything but a plea and openly plans to fire Jasmine when, he predicts, she loses the trial. Great boss.

Meantime, we learn more about Grace’s whirlwind romance with the tattooed, blinged and significantly younger Shannon, a sexy, smooth-talking photographer she meets in a gallery showing she attends at the urging of her best friend, Sarah (Phylicia Rashad). Wedding bells soon ring without Grace doing, let’s just say, her due diligence.

As for the seemingly loyal, sweet-as-pie Sarah, she has an elderly, bedraggled housemate (Cicely Tyson) who we first glimpse in a few jittery flashes that we know can portend nothing good — for anyone.

Issues of everything here from infidelity, identity theft and bank security to suicide, criminal justice and, gulp, torture are cursorily and often risibly handled. A late-breaking, would-be dramatic scene in which Jasmine’s on-duty cop husband (Matthew Law) proves himself as hapless a law enforcer as she is an attorney had my screening audience in stitches.

But it’s Jasmine’s inept and unprofessional behavior during the film’s climactic trial that really sends the film into absurdist territory. It’s outdone only by a final sequence of events with a horror-show twist that might best be described as bonkers.

This flatly shot and designed movie is not, however, without its camp-tastic moments. Atop the list: when the increasingly cruel Shannon, pompously lounging in a living room chair smoking a cigarette, barks the command “Ashtray, bitch!” to his stunned wife, you can just picture the inevitable meme.