It’s official! Barack and Michelle Obama have commissioned the artists who will paint their portraits for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

The former POTUS tapped renowned artist Kehinde Wiley, while the former FLOTUS went with an artist on the rise, choosing up-and-coming Amy Sherald to paint her portrait, the Smithsonian announced Monday. The politicos’ selections marks the first time the Smithsonian has hired black artists to create a portrait of a former president since they started commissioning portraits in 1994, according to Rolling Stone.

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Known for his vibrant, large-scale paintings of African Americans, Wiley has often portrayed young African American men wearing the latest in hip-hop street fashion, the Smithsonian reported. Meanwhile, Sherald’s work has been known to challenge stereotypes and delve into identity issues through her life-size paintings of African Americans.

NEWS: Michelle Obama Was Pumped About Her Post-White House Vacay

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“The Portrait Gallery is absolutely delighted that Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald have agreed to create the official portraits of our former President and First Lady,” Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said in a statement. “Both have achieved enormous success as artists, but even more, they make art that reflects the power and potential of portraiture in the 21st century.”

While they are not the first ever to paint presidential portraits (the White House commissioned black artist, Simmie Knox, to paint the Clintons in 2000), their selection still makes history.

The portraits will be unveiled at the museum in early 2018.

WASHINGTON — 

Three State Department employees will appear before the House Intelligence Committee this week, the first public hearings as the House weighs whether to bring articles of impeachment against President Trump.

The witnesses, two on Wednesday and one of Friday, are expected to paint a damaging portrait of Trump and his attorney Rudolph W. Giuliani leveraging America’s relationship with Ukraine over many months as they sought to coerce Ukrainian officials to open investigations into Trump’s political rivals.

Each of these witnesses provided lengthy closed door depositions in recent weeks, and the transcripts of their testimony has been released, giving us a good idea of what Democrats and Republicans are likely to ask during public, televised hearings.

William B. Taylor, Jr.

Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, will lead off the public hearings Wednesday. Taylor testified behind closed doors that he had a “clear understanding” that releasing $400 million in U.S. aid for Ukraine was conditioned upon Ukraine investigating Trump’s political rivals. Taylor’s deposition was bolstered by meticulous notes, and Democrats think the war veteran and West Point grad will be a star witness.

The transcript of Taylor’s deposition shows he was concerned about the “irregular, informal channel of U.S. policymaking” made up of Giuliani, EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, and Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker that was setting Ukraine policy outside of normal State Department protocol at the president’s request.

He also said he was alarmed by the insistence that a White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump was being conditioned upon Zelensky agreeing to investigations, something he realized before the July 25 phone call between Trump and Zelensky.

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“By mid-July it was becoming clear to me that the meeting President Zelensky wanted was conditioned on the investigations of Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U. S. elections. It was also clear that this condition was driven by the irregular policy channel I had come to understand was guided Mr. Giuliani,” he said in his opening statement at his deposition.

Taylor testified that he pleaded with Zelensky not to get involved in U.S. politics by committing to the investigations.

He also told House investigators that the foreign policy gambit of pursing political dirt against Joe Biden was a “nightmare,” that he believed it was likely to embolden Russia and he threatened to resign over it.

Expect Republicans to stress that Taylor wasn’t on the July 25 call between Trump and Zelensky, and only learned about its contents when the public did in late September.

George P. Kent

Kent, the deputy assistant secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, will testify Wednesday alongside Taylor on Wednesday. He is another longtime civil servant who Democrats think can speak to their entire impeachment narrative. Ukraine policy was supposed to be his domain, but Kent testified he was instructed to stand down and instead go through Sondland, Perry and Volker, whom the president had instructed to work with Giuliani.

Democrats want Kent to talk about Ukrainian officials and Giuliani’s efforts to have Yovanovitch removed as ambassador. According to the transcript of his deposition, Kent said that he was warned by his superiors to “keep my head down and lower my profile in Ukraine.” He’s likely also be asked about his impression before the July 25 phone call became public that aid to Ukraine was being withheld until Zelensky committed to investigations. He testified that Sondland told other senior diplomats that “POTUS wanted nothing less than President Zelensky to go to microphone and say investigations, Biden, and Clinton.”

Republicans will likely stress that Kent has no first-hand knowledge of many of the events Democrats are investigating, and that he too learned details of the July 25 call only when the public did. They’ll also likely ask Kent about the concerns he raised about Hunter Biden’s role with the gas company during the Obama presidency that were rebuffed.

“The message that I recall hearing back was that the Vice President’s son Beau was dying of cancer and that there was no further bandwidth to deal with family related issues at that time,” Kent said of his 2015 conversation with an unnamed Biden staff member.

Marie Yovanovitch

Yovanovitch, a long-serving well-respected diplomat who was recalled as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine in May after what has been described as a smear campaign backed by Trump and Giuliani, will testify Friday.

In the transcript of her deposition Yovanovitch warned lawmakers about the dangers of foreign actors being able to manipulate U.S. policy, and spoke at length about the effort to remove her as an impediment to Giuliani’s efforts. Yovanovitch testified that she began hearing rumblings of Giuliani inserting himself into Ukrainian policy in late 2018. By February, “one of the senior Ukrainian officials was very concerned, and told me I really needed to watch my back,” she testified.

Democrats likely expect her testimony to help make their case that efforts to pressure Ukraine to act on the 2016 election or the Bidens go far beyond a single phone call.

Expect Republicans to stress that she too was not on the July 25 call, and that Trump lost confidence in her and recalled her to Washington. They’ll likely also highlight that Yovanovitch told lawmakers in her deposition that she supported Trump’s decision to offer lethal aid to Ukraine, something Obama resisted, and she supported U.S. efforts to get Ukraine to fight corruption.

PHOENIX — 

Just a few feet away from the Lakers bench, three players stood. Two superstars beaming with pride, bumping their chests and shoulders against Kyle Kuzma, who smiled radiantly.

“I just told him, ‘Welcome back,’” Anthony Davis said. “… He came up huge for us, made some big shots, time after time. We were so happy for him.”

Said LeBron James: “Only a matter of time and it came at the right time. … It was great to have the Kuz that we know he’s capable of.”

Said Kuzma: “Every single game I felt rhythm and timing getting more and more back. I think tonight, just felt like how I usually play.”

Kuzma’s 23 points on nine-for-16 shooting, many of them at critical moments, helped the Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns 123-115 on Tuesday. It gave the Lakers a glimpse of what they are like when Kuzma, who missed the first four games of the season, joins James and Davis as a scoring threat.

“He’s a heck of a scorer,” Coach Frank Vogel said. “It adds a lot of firepower that we didn’t have in the lineup when we first started.”

Only Davis scored more points than Kuzma, with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Davis was hit in the ribs during the game but played through it. He was unsure if he will play Wednesday against Golden State.

James scored 19 points with 11 assists and seven rebounds. The Lakers shot 53.7% and had 39 assists, their most in a road game since 1988. They have their best 10-game start since the 2010-11 season.

The Lakers won despite allowing the Suns to shoot better than 50% overall and from three-point range for most of the game, and despite Devin Booker, Ricky Rubio and Aron Baynes each scoring at least 20 points.

It wasn’t their best defensive performance, but the Lakers improved to 8-2, which is the best record in the West and second best in the NBA.

“We don’t want to lose two in a row, and the mind-set coming into the game was take care of what we need to take care of,” said Rajon Rondo, who scored five points with seven assists and six rebounds in his season debut. “And tonight, we didn’t do it the prettiest way but we got the W.”

The Suns challenged the Lakers early. They took a nine-point lead in the first quarter, but Kuzma quelled their momentum as the period ended. He went on a personal 6-0 run to bring the Lakers to within three by the start of the second.

Kuzma scored 13 points on five-of-seven shooting in the first quarter.

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“He attacked early in transition,” James said. “He was really good using his Euros to his floaters, using his speed.”

The Lakers led at halftime and into the fourth quarter but they couldn’t pull away. They simply couldn’t stop the Suns’ hot shooting, especially from three-point range.

Phoenix battled back and led by two with 31/2 minutes left. Then, with 3:12 left in the game and a raucous crowd chanting for defense, James stepped back to hit a three that gave the Lakers a 114-113 lead.

Kuzma hit three-pointers on the next two possessions. The first followed an offensive rebound by Avery Bradley, and the second started with James, who passed it to Bradley, who found Kuzma to give the Lakers a seven-point lead. Phoenix (6-4) missed all six of its shots in the final three minutes.

Kuzma has long believed in his ability to be the Lakers’ third star. His image is on all of the Lakers’ marketing materials for this season, along with those of James and Davis. Vogel has called him the third-best player on the team. He got a late start because of a lingering stress reaction in his left ankle and has been working to find his rhythm and his shot.

“You don’t want to overreact to his ups and downs; that’s to be expected,” Vogel said. “I did talk to him maybe before yesterday’s practice, just about letting the game come and being patient.”

They all saw Kuzma do that Tuesday night, and they all expect it will be the first of many games like that.

PHOENIX — 

They were a dynamic duo in their own right for the Lakers, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard putting forth a heavyweight effort at the center spot and making the team that more potent because of their production.

They combined to score 23 points on 11-for-14 shooting. They combined for 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.

Whether being physical or dunking or just overwhelming the Phoenix Suns during their time on the court Tuesday night at Talking Stick Resort Arena, McGee and Howard were a force during the Lakers’ tough 123-115 victory.

“That’s what we love,” LeBron James said about the play of the two active big men. “We’ve got a two-headed monster at our center spot. It’s a league now where guys don’t play the big five as much, but we do. And our big fives are extremely good, extremely athletic, extremely physical and extremely smart as well. So to have that effort that they gave tonight …

“It started with JaVale, and Dwight gave his great minutes as well, so it was perfect.”

McGee mentioned that he “only played two minutes and 57 seconds in the first half because I got in foul trouble.”

But in the third quarter, McGee put his stamp on the game, scoring all 11 of his season-high points in 7:50.

He made all five of his shots. He also had three rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot.

When it was Howard’s turn, he had 12 points on six-for-nine shooting, nine rebounds, one assist and one block.

“When we’re out there rebounding and getting easy buckets and protecting the rim, it’s just like one combined ultimate big, I feel like,” McGee said. “It’s a blessing, I guess.”

“JaVale has been playing unbelievable basketball,” Howard said. “He’s done a great job of just being big, blocking shots, making it tough for guys to be in the paint. Then on the offensive end, seems like he can just tiptoe and dunk the ball. When he gets the ball around the basket, he’s doing a great job.”

Howard was in the mix for the Lakers in the pivotal fourth quarter.

He cut to the basket and scored on a dunk, giving the Lakers a 101-99 lead.

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A few minutes later, Howard grabbed a missed James shot and scored on a put-back while being fouled.

Howard missed the free throw, but his physical play and rebounding gave the Lakers a 106-102 lead against a determined Suns team.

“I’m just trying to get better every game,” Howard said. “Sitting on the bench and being able to watch the flow of the game. When I come in the game, I just try to bring some energy and try to see what our team needs at times.”

They are out to prove that the center spot has not become extinct in today’s small-ball NBA.

On nights like Tuesday, when McGee and Howard are dominating the position, the two big men hope that proves their point.

“I feel like eventually during the season teams are going to have to adjust to us and go big rather than the Golden State mind-set when they had their reign of everybody trying to go small,” McGee said. “I feel like we have the ability to make everybody have to go big for us. I feel like we’re there at this point.”

Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. How do you know vampires are good at baseball? They carry their own bats everywhere.

DODGERS

So it turns out that when the Houston Astros defeated the Dodgers in the 2017, they were stealing signs. Well, we should say allegedly stealing signs, but the evidence was brought forth on Tuesday.

An article published on the Athletic website contends that the Astros stole signs electronically — an illegal practice — during the 2017 season. Two people told the Athletic that the Astros’ use of the system extended into the 2017 playoffs. Another person denied that, saying the system ended before the postseason.

The story describes how the Astros relayed catchers’ signs in real time at home games using a camera in the outfield and a monitor placed in a tunnel between their dugout and clubhouse. A noise from the dugout would then help the batter know what pitch was coming. Mike Fiers, a pitcher on the Astros that season, confirmed the system’s existence.

Hours after the story appeared online, the Astros issued a statement saying the organization has begun an investigation in cooperation with Major League Baseball.

“Teams are competing with one another and everybody’s trying to find an edge, but we all have to follow the rules and the rules are set by Major League Baseball,” Astros president of baseball operations Jeff Luhnow said. “We all follow them. We all agree to follow them. And obviously if you don’t, there’s ramifications to that, so we want to follow the rules. We want to compete and win. That’s what every other club does as well.”

That doesn’t sound like a strong denial.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman emphasized he did not want to elaborate on the allegations because he didn’t want to sound bitter, but he hinted that during Yu Darvish’s two starts in the 2017 World Series, the Dodgers believed the Astros were stealing signs in ways they hadn’t encountered. Darvish logged just 1 2/3 innings in both games and didn’t strike out a batter. He allowed four earned runs in both Game 3 in Houston and Game 7 in L.A., both Dodgers losses.

“We certainly did not know anything definitive at the time,” Friedman said. “But we had a player who was really good at picking up pitch-tipping-type things and he watched the Darvish outings and said, ‘You couldn’t sell out on something that Darvish was doing.’ ”

Friedman said the experience informed the organization on how to better combat sign-stealing. He explained it has since been discussed during spring training, with measures implemented during the regular season to make October “less panicked.” It’s a new normal clubs and MLB must combat.

We’ll have more on this on Friday in our Dodgers newsletter. Subscribe to it (it’s free) by clicking here.

—

With free agency upon us, one option the Dodgers are considering is third baseman Josh Donaldson. MLB.com has reported that the Washington Nationals, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves are also pursuing Donaldson, the 2015 American League most valuable player and three-time All-Star.

Donaldson, who turns 34 next month, is coming off a rebound campaign with the Braves after battling calf and shoulder injuries the previous two years. He hit 37 home runs with a .900 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 155 games as the Braves won their second consecutive National League East title before losing in a Division Series. He reestablished himself on a one-year, $23-million contract, effectively betting on a bounce-back season before reentering free agency.

Donaldson has until Thursday to decide on a one-year, $17.8-million qualifying offer from the Braves. He is expected to decline it. As a result, the Dodgers would surrender their second-highest pick in June’s draft and $500,000 of international bonus pool money to sign him.

Also Tuesday, utilityman Kristopher Negron announced his retirement Tuesday, three days after the Dodgers released him. The 33-year-old appeared in 30 games at six positions for the Dodgers after they acquired him from the Seattle Mariners in July.

ANGELS

General manager Billy Eppler hired reinforcements for his front office Tuesday, bringing aboard Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa as a special assistant of baseball operations. He’ll assist in all areas, including player evaluations and minor league development.

Above all, La Russa, 75, will serve as a sounding board for Eppler, who raved about the prospect of working closely with someone he met at dinner five years ago as an assistant general manager for the New York Yankees.

“Having somebody with that knowledge, that expertise, that experience, I found that very helpful when I was in New York,” Eppler said during the second day of baseball’s general managers meetings.

“My interactions with him have always been very positive. So I’m looking forward to using him as a resource. Tony is just looking to make a contribution and there’s no doubt he will.”

BASEBALL

Gabe Kapler has been hired as manager of the San Francisco Giants, a month after being fired from the same job by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Kapler replaces Bruce Bochy, who retired at the end of the season after 13 years and three championships with San Francisco.

The Giants made the announcement late Tuesday and planned a formal introduction to follow. Kapler is the second big hire in a matter of days by Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, who on Monday introduced new general manager Scott Harris, most recently an assistant GM for the Chicago Cubs.

The 44-year-old Kapler was fired Oct. 10 after going 161-163 over two seasons as manager of the Philadelphia Phillies. With slugger Bryce Harper their blockbuster acquisition, the Phillies finished 81-81 this year for their first non-losing season since 2012.

LAKERS

They followed their second loss of the season by beating the Phoenix Suns, 123-115 on Tuesday night.

With a raucous crowd chanting for defense, LeBron James stepped back to hit a three-pointer that gave the Lakers a 114-113 lead with 3:12 left. One possession later, Kyle Kuzma hit another three to extend the lead to four. And as the Suns kept missing, the Lakers kept scoring, securing their best 10-game start since the 2010-11 season.

The Lakers are 8-2 and in first place in the Pacific Division.

Phoenix shot better than 50% from three-point range for 2½ quarters, and better than 50% overall through three. The Lakers, meanwhile, made an astounding 58.6% of their shots through three quarters, though they were less successful from three-point range.

Until the fourth quarter, the Lakers never held a lead larger than four.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists while James added 19 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Kuzma scored a season-high 23 points.

Read more

Lakers get a high five from JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard

DUCKS

Dylan Larkin scored the tying goal during a 6-on-3 advantage with 37 seconds left in regulation, and Dennis Cholowski scored with 2:56 on the clock in overtime to send the Detroit Red Wings to their third straight victory, 4-3 over the Ducks.

After Ducks defensemen Brendan Guhle and Korbinian Holzer took penalties 21 seconds apart in the waning moments of regulation, Larkin scored from a sharp angle while the Red Wings had three extra skaters on the ice with their goalie pulled.

Cholowski then got his second goal of the season on a long shot past Ryan Miller, who made 32 saves for Anaheim.

USC BASKETBALL

Nick Rakocevic tied his career high with 27 points and 16 rebounds and USC twice rallied in the second half before pulling away to beat South Dakota State, 84-66.

Onyeka Okongwu, who had double-doubles in his first two college games, added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Trojans (3-0).

Rakocevic went over 1,000 points in his career as did fellow senior Jonah Mathews, who finished with 14 points.

The Jackrabbits (3-1) twice pulled within one point in the second half, both times on three-pointers by Noah Freidel and Brandon Key. The second time the Trojans responded with 11 unanswered points to go up 56-44. Grad transfer Quinton Adlesh hit two three-pointers and Okongwu had a three-point play.

NFL

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be featured in a private workout Saturday arranged by the NFL and to be held in Atlanta.

In a memo sent to all 32 teams Tuesday and obtained by The Times, the league alerted general managers, head coaches, and player personnel directors that there will be a workout and interview of Kaepernick at Atlanta Falcons headquarters. There will be a recording of the session made available to all clubs.

Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016 with the San Francisco 49ers, was at the center of protests about racial and social injustice, sparked when he knelt during the national anthem at games. In February, the league settled a grievance filed by Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid.

One NFL team executive, while not dismissing the value of a Kaepernick workout, said it comes at a particularly inconvenient time for teams.

“It just never happens during the season that I can recall,” said the executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic. “If they can check a box, so be it. Maybe it works out great and someone signs him. But if this is part of their settlement, they should have done this in June.”

RAMS

After the Rams’ 17-12 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday, a game in which Todd Gurley inexplicably did not touch the ball in the fourth quarter, the star running back was asked if he wished he would see the ball more in the second half or get more carries.

“Not really,” he said. “I mean, kind of used to it.”

With the Rams having won two games in a row and returning from a week off, the stage appeared set for coach Sean McVay to finally turn loose one of the NFL’s most dynamic and well-compensated playmakers.

It did not happen.

Backup Malcolm Brown got fourth-quarter carries. Gurley did not.

As the Rams prepare for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears at the Coliseum, McVay has given no indication that he plans to stray from how he has deployed Gurley, a player who before the 2018 season received an extension that includes $45 million in guarantees.

McVay has insisted that there is no “pitch count” or workload management plan for Gurley and his much-scrutinized left knee. But the Steelers game was the latest example that told another story.

Brown, who sat out the previous two games because of ankle injury, played the first two series of the fourth quarter. The Steelers then masterfully took eight minutes off the clock during a drive that ended with a field goal.

“Not to take anything away from Malcolm — but if you knew that that was going to be the last possession you get until 2 1/2 [minutes] left, you probably would say, ‘I would’ve preferred to have Todd get into more of a rhythm and maybe get some touches there,’ ” McVay said Monday. “There’s nobody to blame there but me.”

The Rams got the ball twice with a chance to win the game. Gurley never touched it.

“Like anything else, when you want to be reflective as a coach, you say, ‘Could there have been some things that you wish you had done to maybe keep him in that rhythm?’ ” McVay said. “I wouldn’t argue with that. I would say, ‘You probably should have done that.’ ”

USC FOOTBALL

Vavae Malepeai and Stephen Carr, who’d been the Trojans’ top two running backs at the start of the season, returned to practice Tuesday. Neither is guaranteed to play against California on Saturday but appear to be trending in that direction.

“I thought it was really positive,” coach Clay Helton said of their return. “There were no setbacks. They looked explosive, but we have to see. Is there no flare-up after practice? How sore are they? We’ll go through the week. But it was positive today.”

TODAY’S LOCAL MAJOR SPORTS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

Golden State at Lakers, 7:30 p.m., ESPN, Spectrum Sportsnet, 710 ESPN

Clippers at Houston, 4:30 p.m., ESPN, Fox Sports Prime Ticket, AM 570

BORN ON THIS DATE

1911: Baseball player Buck O’Neil (d. 2006)

1928: Baseball player Steve Bilko (d. 1998)

1932: Discus thrower Olga Connolly

1941: Baseball player Mel Stottlemyre (d. 2019)

1943: Golfer Jay Sigel

1950: Hockey player Gil Perreault

1963: Football player Vinny Testaverde

1966: Basketball player Rumeal Robinson

1979: Former Laker Metta World Peace

DIED ON THIS DATE

1998: Basketball coach Red Holzman, 78

2013: Former Raider Todd Christensen, 57

2014: Baseball player/manager Al Dark, 92

2017: Baseball player Bobby Doerr, 99

AND FINALLY

Buck O’Neil discusses Ty Cobb and prejudice. Watch it here.

That concludes the newsletter for today. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, please email me at [email protected]. If you want to subscribe, click here.

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If defense wins championships, then unbeaten Mission Viejo High is a far greater threat in Southern Section Division 1 than many people believe when you consider Santa Ana Mater Dei is 10-0 and heavily favored to win a third consecutive title.

To dream about the possibility of an upset, all you need to do is watch and listen to 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior defensive end Lance Keneley, who has a 4.7 grade-point average and 10 sacks this season for the 10-0 Diablos.

Asked about defensive success, Keneley said, “One of the most important is the role each individual player plays with the defense. If you try to be a playmaker for extra stuff that’s not in your job description, you can hurt a team. The important part is as long as everyone understands and plays to their role, we’ll be a fine defense.”

No opponent has scored more than 14 points in any game against the Diablos going into a Friday night showdown against visiting Anaheim Servite (7-3) in the opening round of the eight-team Division 1 playoffs.

A standout as a junior, Keneley received lots of attention this season from opponents trying to neutralize him, but the development of outstanding teammates around him has helped create opportunities for others — as long as they fulfill their roles.

“We have a great coaching staff that understands the ins and outs of football,” Keneley said. “As long as we trust our coaches and trust their knowledge, we’ll do fine.”

Coach Chad Johnson was a longtime assistant at Bellflower St. John Bosco running the Braves’ offensive attack until taking over at Mission Viejo last season. He knew the players up front are decisive in Division 1 football, and the Diablos’ defensive line has received universal praise all season. Former UCLA football player Chase Moline coaches the line.

“It was a blessing we have people around him,” Johnson said.

Defensive end Logan Schwenke, who is 6-3 and 240 pounds, has seven sacks. Defensive tackle Keanu Tanuvasa, 6-4 and 270 pounds, has five sacks. Juniors Micah Carreron (6-1, 275) and Roee Lachmish (6-3, 230) are also part of the rotation.

Keneley, 17, comes from a family of football players. His father Matt and uncle Todd played on the defensive line at Mission Viejo and USC.

“Going into high school, I just wanted to be the kind of players they were,” Keneley said.

USC has yet to offer Keneley a scholarship, unlike UCLA and Stanford along with Washington, Boise State and Ivy League schools. He’s being patient and trying to show integrity in a recruiting process where players commit and decommit and coaches make dozens of offers that may or may not be serious.

“Through this whole thing, I’m just trying to be a genuine player and kid and try to be as upfront as I can be,” he said. “When you get into this and sort of scheme your way, ‘How can I get this offer?’ That’s not the kind of person I was raised to be. I am who I am and this is how I’m going to approach things and hopefully people can accept that.”

He certainly has come close to perfection in the classroom with mostly A’s.

“It’s something my parents have always stressed,” he said. “They’ve stressed striving for greatness in all aspects: sports, academics, religion. To be the best version of ourselves.”

It’s that kind of attitude that will be required to overcome the notion that Mater Dei and St. John Bosco are a lock meet in the championship game for a fourth consecutive season.

“The most important thing is being the best player I can be for my team and putting my nose into the grindstone every time,” he said. “I want us to run deep into the playoffs.”

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Colin Kaepernick has waited the better part of three seasons for an NFL workout.

But when he finally received notice Tuesday that one had been set up for Saturday — just four days later — in Atlanta, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback tried to get the date pushed back twice to allow more team representatives to attend, according to multiple media reports.

Kaepernick found out about the scheduled workout at 10 a.m., according to ESPN, and multiple outlets have reported that no teams had prior knowledge of the plan as well.

NFL workouts typically take place on Tuesdays, when teams often have off days and head coaches and general managers have a better opportunity to attend. In an apparent effort to ensure those big bosses could make it, Kaepernick reportedly asked if the workout could be moved to Tuesday. The league insisted it take place on a Saturday, ESPN reported.

So Kaepernick reportedly tried getting the workout postponed until the following Saturday, to give teams a little more time to make arrangements. That request was also denied by the NFL, according to multiple media reports.

Kaepernick ultimately agreed to the schedule but asked to be alerted to which executives and coaches would be on hand, according to multiple media reports. The Ringer reports that the league agreed to provide such a list on a “rolling basis.”

The onetime Super Bowl quarterback sent out an enthusiastic tweet about the upcoming event but made it clear he was hoping to see “head coaches and GMs” in attendance.

Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2016 season, when he sparked controversy by refusing to stand during the national anthem as a protest against social injustice. In February, the league settled a grievance filed by Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid.

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A body was found Tuesday in an aqueduct near Highway 138 in Pearblossom, according to authorities.

The California Highway Patrol responded to the 34000 block of 116th Street East in the unincorporated area of the Antelope Valley after receiving a call at 1:51 p.m.

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The Los Angeles County Fire Department confirmed that one person was found dead, but no details about the person’s identity or cause of death has been released.

Officers were still at the scene as of 5:30 p.m. The CHP will handle the recovery of the body and ensuing investigation.

Two people were arrested Tuesday near an unincorporated area of Sonoma County after an officer found, among other things, a check stolen from a mailbox during the Kincade fire evacuation.

About 8 a.m., a deputy with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to a “man down” call near Highway 1 and Annapolis Road.

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When he arrived, the deputy found a red Ford truck parked on the side of the road with the driver’s door open.

Latisha McCloud, 35, of Stewarts Point, was sitting in the driver’s seat as 47-year-old Jason Bean, of Gualala, laid on her lap, passed out from being intoxicated, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Bean told the deputy that he had a firearm in the truck. The deputy found a bolt-action rifle under the backseat with a “large silencer attached to the barrel,” the officer said. Bean said he used the rifle to hunt deer to feed his children and that the silencer was to keep it quiet.

Upon further search, the officer found a business check inside McCloud’s purse that didn’t belong to her. The deputy spoke to the owner of the check, who told him that it was stolen out of a mailbox in Geyserville during the Kincade fire evacuation. The blaze started Oct. 23, burning almost 78,000 acres and destroying 374 structures. It prompted the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people.

Bean was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication and possession of a silencer. McCloud was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property.

Bean’s bail was set at $25,000, and he has since posted bond, according to the Sheriff’s Office. McCloud remains in custody in lieu of $5,000 bail.

The email arrived near midnight Saturday. USC President Carol Folt informed the campus community about a recent series of student deaths.

She said she wanted to keep the university informed but also clear up rumors and misinformation.

“People are searching for answers and information as we attempt to make sense of these terrible losses,” Folt said. “There is a great deal of speculation about the causes of these deaths and most are being attributed to suicide. This is not correct.”

Faced with the deaths of nine students since Aug. 24, USC administrators are engaged in a delicate balancing act as they notify students, attempt to quell rumors, offer mental health resources and also try to avoid triggering students who may be in the midst of a mental health crisis.

A campus of 47,500 students, USC experiences four to 15 student deaths in a typical school year, officials said. Last year, six were reported.

Officials have confirmed that three students this year died by suicide. In some cases, the cause of death is undetermined; in others, families did not want details disclosed, they said.

Universities don’t have rule books, nor is there any scientific research, about how to navigate addressing multiple student deaths and suicides, said Dr. Paul Nestadt, a Johns Hopkins University psychiatry professor. Officials are likely acting out of an abundance of caution so as not to prompt a suicide contagion, he said. The effect is defined by the federal Department of Health and Human Services as an increase in suicidal behavior following exposure to such a death within a family or peer group.

“They are in a bind for sure,” Nestadt said.

Student Body President Trenton Stone, a junior originally from Salt Lake City, said all eight members of his executive board, including himself, knew at least one of the people who had died over the last three months. The first death, of an 18-year-old freshman, was reported in late August, two days before classes began.

“It’s definitely been a really tough semester for us,” Stone said. “There’s a lot going on, and everyone’s asking the same question: What can we be doing?”

University officials have sent at least five emails to students about the deaths. Emails shared with The Times showed the entire student body received notices on Sept. 4 and Nov. 9. Three were also sent to students in the same school as the deceased.

Winston Crisp, the university’s vice president for student affairs, said he and other administrators decided to move quickly, with as much transparency as possible, to quell rumors about the deaths, as well as to remind students that resources are available if they need help. But the lack of specifics about the deaths has prompted speculation among parents and students alike.

Crisp said that some students who had not known about the deaths said recent information and uncertainty on details have been emotionally triggering. Some families have expressed gratitude after receiving the emails. Others think that the details provided have made matters worse.

“Each time something happens, I get an email from the office of the president offering empty condolences,” said Morgan Spencer, a USC junior. “I would like to see more response from the new president’s office, figuring out why there have been at least three student suicides.”

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 24, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The suicide rate among this age group increased 56% between 2007 and 2017, according to a CDC study published in October.

“We as a nation are in the midst of a suicide problem,” said Hopkins’ Nestadt, who said the number of suicides at USC this semester is in line with national statistics.

On Tuesday afternoon, 13 students were in the waiting area at the university’s counseling and mental health center. Approximately 30 counselors and two psychiatrists were on hand. The center works by appointment unless a student has an urgent need. Non-urgent appointments take place within 48 hours, a staff member said.

The staff member at the center said there are 45 counselors and four psychiatrists on staff. He said there’s been an increase in students seeking services since USC’s email addressing the recent deaths.

Jonathan Singer, an associate professor at Loyola University Chicago and the president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Assn. of Suicidology, said that when officials notify students of deaths, they must ensure that there are enough resources on campus to meet the demand for mental health services.

Unlike high schoolers, who may be covered under their parents’ health insurance, college students often receive health services through the university itself. Even a small fraction of USC students seeking mental health care would likely overwhelm the counselors and other resources available, he said.

“You have to have the infrastructure in place, and they probably don’t,” Singer said. “What campus would?”

Sunday Smith, a student in the School of Cinematic Arts, said she and others have had trouble sleeping and focusing, unable to catch a break with school work and other demands. In the last two weeks, students have been notified of two deaths in the cinema school, she said.

At the end of a class last week, one teacher allowed students to talk about how they were coping with the deaths. Smith said sharing her feelings was a welcome release.

“Obviously you can’t move on if you can’t take the time to grieve,” Smith said. “There’s been a lot of death around me.”

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255. A caller is connected to a certified crisis center near where the call is placed. The call is free and confidential.