Want to see acrobatic clowns and tricksters? Catch Cirque Du Soleil’s “KOOZA” in Laguna Hills - Anaheim news - NewsLocker (2024)

All human beings reach a point where they question their place in the world, no matter their profession. They could be lawyers, doctors or, in the case of Cirque du Soleil’s “KOOZA” production, clowns.
Happening under the Big Top on Laguna Hills through Aug. 4, the show pays homage to the traditional circus but with the Cirque du Soleil spin touching on deeper topics of strength, fragility, fear and identity.
The main plotline centers on an endearing and naïve clown dubbed

Social Security reform is coming (really) and will bring political rewards

No matter what President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump promise you, and no matter its past as the untouchable “third rail” of American politics, Social Security will be modified one way or another within the next 10 years. While both candidates are misleading their voters, the party with the most to lose from ignoring Social Security’s troubles is the GOP.
First, some background. It doesn’t matter that some people continue to believe the money for Social Sec

Oklahoma tops Texas for record 4th straight NCAA softball title

By CLIFF BRUNT AP Sports Writer
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma slugged its way to a record fourth straight NCAA softball title, getting a go-ahead, bases-clearing double from Cydney Sanders and beating Texas, 8-4, on Thursday night for a two-game sweep of the Women’s College World Series championship.
The Sooners won their eighth title overall (seven of them since 2013), all under Coach Patty Gasso, and moved into a tie with Arizona for the second-most World Series championships behind UCL

NBA Finals: Celtics ride fast start to Game1 rout of Mavericks

By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer
BOSTON — Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 20 in his first game in more than a month and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks, 107-89, on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title.
Porzingis, who had been sidelined since April 29 with a strai

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Walker Buehler falters early but Dodgers rout Pirates to avoid sweep

PITTSBURGH — On one side of the Allegheny River this week, they are holding an arts festival.
On the north shore at PNC Park, there was no work of art Thursday night.
The Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates made four errors – on the scorecard – and enough unmade plays to make it necessary for any responsible parent to cover the eyes of any Little Leaguers on hand. Hung out to dry by the defenses, the pitching was less than picturesque as well.
But the Dodgers came away with an 11-7

Graduation 2024 schedule: Dates, times for Orange County high schools

Graduation caps are flying again.
From high schools across Orange County, graduates are celebrating 2024 commencement ceremonies.Aliso Niguel High School – May 30 @ 4 p.m., Wolverine Stadium Aliso Niguel HS
Anaheim High – May 24 @ 2 p.m., Handel Stadium, Western High campus
Beckman High – May 29 @ 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., Northrup Stadium on the Tustin High School campus
Bolsa Grande High – May 28 @ 2 p.m., Bolsa Grande High stadium
Brea Olinda High – May 31 @ 6 p.m.,

El Modena High Graduation 2024: Our best photos of the ceremony

An elated Angelina Frank holds her diploma for family to see during El Modena High School commencement at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
El Modena High School English teacher John Haug, left, high-fives graduates at the conclusion of commencement at Fred Kelly Stadium in Orange on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Heather Chapman, a psychology teacher at El Modena High Sch

Costa Mesa High Graduation 2024: Our best photos of the ceremony

Graduates Kennedy Steck and Madison Fries celebrate after the Costa Mesa High School commencement ceremony in Costa Mesa, CA, on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Graduate Lajay Flowers waves to friends and family during the Costa Mesa High School commencement ceremony in Costa Mesa, CA, on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Graduate Hunter Hardegree joins his classmates walking down Arlington Drive as they ce

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3.6-magnitude earthquake strikes a mile from Costa Mesa – and then an aftershock

A 3.6-magnitude earthquake shook parts of Orange County on Thursday afternoon, June 6, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake, at around 4:52 p.m., was centered a mile southeast of Costa Mesa, 1.4 miles east northeast of Newport Beach, and 5.6 miles west southwest of Irvine, according to the USGS.
It occurred at a depth of roughly 7.5 miles.
The earthquake could be felt across the county and elsewhere.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
An aftershock 1.6 miles southea

Los Angeles City Hall flies Progress Pride Flag to celebrate LGBTQ+ community

Los Angeles officials raised the Progress Pride Flag outside of Los Angeles City Hall on Thursday, June 6, marking the first time in the city’s nearly 243-year history that a flag celebrating the LGBTQ+ community has flown at a municipal building.
City Councilmember Tim McOsker, who led the effort to fly pride flags on the city’s buildings, said during the flag-raising ceremony that it was important for the city to state that “L.A. is for everyone.”
“We want to make

Israeli strike kills at least 33 people at a Gaza school the military claims was being used by Hamas

By WAFAA SHURAFA and SAMY MAGDY
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike early Thursday on a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza killed at least 33 people, including 12 women and children, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said that Hamas militants were operating from within the school.
It was the latest instance of mass casualties among Palestinians trying to find refuge as Israel expands its offensive. A day earlier, the military announce

Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow will make first start on ‘regular’ rest Sunday

PITTSBURGH — Tyler Glasnow says he lives in his own “bubble” from start to start, one outing not really affecting his preparation for the other.
That bubble is thick enough that he didn’t realize the difference this week. Glasnow will start Sunday night at Yankee Stadium, making it his first start this season on “regular” rest – four days off between starts.
Glasnow thought he had already pitched on the standard four days of rest this season, but only th

Irvine High Graduation 2024: Our best photos of the ceremony

Graduates, Genevieve Velarde, Nakshatra Srinivasan, and Sreenidhi Srinivasan, perform, “The Longest Time,” during the Irvine High School graduation ceremony in Irvine on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Contributing Photographer)
A family waves cutouts during the Irvine High School graduation ceremony in Irvine on Thursday, June 6, 2024. (Photo by Michael Kitada, Contributing Photographer)
Irvine principal Dr Monica Colunga greets students during the Irvine High Scho

Anaheim mayor says city has turned to new era at State of the City address

Anaheim has entered a new era in the city’s history, Mayor Ashleigh Aitken said at the annual State of the City address, two years after the fallout from the FBI investigation into City Hall.
“After the challenges of 2022, with a mayor resigning amid serious concerns about undue influence and conflicts of interest, Anaheim is in a better place today,” Aitken said Thursday, June 6. “We are on the cutting edge of having the most transparent government in Orange County.&rdqu

D-Day anniversary haunted by dwindling number of veterans and shadowed by Europe’s new war

By JOHN LEICESTER, SYLVIE CORBET and DANICA KIRKA
OMAHA BEACH, France — As young soldiers, they waded through breaking waves and gunfire to battle the Nazis. Now bent with age, the dwindling number of World War II veterans joined a new generation of leaders on Thursday to honor the dead, the living and the fight for democracy on the shores where they landed 80 years ago on D-Day.
The war in Ukraine shadowed the ceremonies in Normandy, a grim modern-day example of lives and cities that are

Officials confirm first documented fatal black bear attack in California history

Officials confirmed that a woman’s death last November in Sierra County was the first known and documented fatal attack by a black bear in California history.
According to a statement by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, officials received an autopsy report and death certificate last week regarding a 71-year-old woman who was found in her home in Downieville, north of Lake Tahoe, after being attacked by a black bear. The woman was found dead on November 8, 2023.
The departmen

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks for Friday, June 7, 2024

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Terry Turrell, Eddie Wilson and Kevin Modesti. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Friday, June 7, 2024.
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Yes, June gloom left Southern California — but it will return

The first heat wave of the summer season arrived this week and temperatures up into the 90s are expected to continue across parts of Southern California into the weekend.
Temperatures on Thursday, June 6, in the Inland Empire climbed into the low 90s — with a gradual cooling trend expected to begin heading into the weekend, said National Weather Service meteorologist Stefanie Sullivan.
By Friday, cities, including Lake Elsinore and San Bernardino, were likely to have temperatures hanging i

Angel City FC’s team in The Soccer Tournament kicks off play Friday

Angel City Football Club’s team that will be competing in The Soccer Tournament event in North Carolina begins play Friday.
The event, which made its debut last year, is a 7-on-7 winner-take-all competition. This year, a women’s-only field will be competing. Angel City’s team will open against Wrexham (9:30 a.m.) and then against the U.S. Women (4:30 p.m.). The final group-stage match will be played Saturday against Streetball Canada FC (7 p.m.)
All of the Angel City 7s’

Sparks seeking heart and grit in rematch with Wings

LOS ANGELES — After back-to-back blowout losses, the Sparks know they have to play a tougher style of basketball.
“You have to light a fire under people’s butts and figure out the best way to get them to respond and that’s going to be different for everybody,” Sparks forward Dearica Hamby said after Wednesday’s 86-62 loss at home to the Minnesota Lynx. “Little things you can do to find your confidence, get in the gym, watch more film, get in the playbook

‘So much death’: Lawmakers weigh stricter speed limits, safer roads for pedestrians

By Vanessa G. Sánchez, KFF Health News
LOS ANGELES — The party was winding down. Its young hosts, María Rivas Cruz and her fiancé, Raymond Olivares, had accompanied friends to their car to bid them farewell. As the couple crossed a four-lane main road back to the home they had just bought, Rivas Cruz and Olivares were struck by a car fleeing an illegal street race. The driver was going 70 in a 40-mph zone.
Despite years of pleading for a two-lane road, lower speed limi

San Juan Capistrano’s City Council chambers get a facelift

San Juan Capistrano has officially unveiled its new City Council chambers after more than a year of renovations.
The council chambers, located inside the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, got a 1,000-square-foot expansion as well as accessibility upgrades, enhanced audio-visual features and renovations to the restrooms and conference room.
The update, said Mayor Sergio Farias, will “accommodate larger audience participation and benefit the many community groups who utilize the facility

Disneyland uses speedboat to fix ‘Fantasmic’ and save the show

The Disneyland maintenance crew raced to the rescue to save “Fantasmic” with the help of a speedboat that kicked up a powerful wake – all in hopes of dislodging debris from an underwater track that threatened to cancel the nighttime spectacular.
Disneyland visitors waiting to watch “Fantasmic” were treated to an unanticipated stunt show when the Anaheim theme park’s maintenance crew raced a flat-bottomed skiff boat along the Rivers of America – the man-m

Alexander: Lakers’ seemingly sudden pivot to Dan Hurley raises questions

So, was Rob Pelinka, through the traditional sources close to the situation, pulling the ol’ okey-doke on all of us the last few weeks? Promise ’em a podcaster – albeit an ex-player with analytic chops but no coaching experience beyond grade-school kids – and then turn around and hire an actual championship coach?
Or was Dan Hurley, the current toast of Storrs, Conn., the latest big-time college coach who didn’t like what he saw coming down the road? The transfer po

How to get a free doughnut on National Doughnut Day, June 7

So how do you feel about sugar and fried dough shaped like a ring?
If that sounds tasty, listen up: Friday, June 7 is National Doughnut Day, a delightful holiday if we’ve ever heard one.
Here are some ways to celebrate the day:
At Krispy Kreme, show up at participating locations and get a free original doughnut just for being you. Yup. That’s all. (Regular only, not limited-time or special varieties.) You can also buy a dozen original glazed for $2 if you also buy a dozen of any styl

Families of US hostages in Gaza plead with Americans: Don’t forget your fellow citizens

By ERIC TUCKER
WASHINGTON — Jonathan Dekel-Chen dreams of the moment when his abducted 35-year-old son, Sagui, is reunited with his wife and three young children, including a daughter born two months after the devastating attack on Israel that initiated the war.Ruby Chen longs to recover the remains of his 19-year-old son, Itay — a soldier who Israeli intelligence says was killed in the Oct. 7 attack — so that he can be buried and his “soul” finally given “a p

Horse racing: Belmont Stakes is an intriguing ‘Mind’ game

When the Belmont Stakes starting gate slams open Saturday, most eyes will be on the horses still basking in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes limelight.
Look instead at the horse poised to emerge from those colts’ shadows.
Mindframe won’t be hard to see. He’ll race under part-owner Mike Repole’s silks, which are bright blue and orange, and break from post 10 in a 10-horse field, closest to the camera. In the hands of jockey Irad Ortiz, he could influence the early p

Knott’s Berry Farm announces opening date for Camp Snoopy makeover

Peanuts fans can mark their calendars for the grand reopening of Camp Snoopy after a month-long delay pushed back the original planned return of the kiddie land.
The reimagined Camp Snoopy will officially open on June 27 at the Buena Park theme park after blowing past a Memorial Day Weekend debut that was postponed due to construction delays.
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A new ‘Hunger Games’ book — and movie — is coming

By HILLEL ITALIE | AP National Writer
NEW YORK — Inspired by an 18th century Scottish philosopher and the modern scourge of misinformation, Suzanne Collins is returning to the ravaged, post-apocalyptic land of Panem for a new “The Hunger Games” novel.
Scholastic announced Thursday that “Sunrise on the Reaping,” the fifth volume of Collins’ blockbuster dystopian series, will be published March 18, 2025. The new book begins with the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunge

Horse racing notes: Bob Baffert-trained fillies head Summertime Oaks

SANTA ANITA LEADERS
(Through Thursday)
Jockeys / Wins
Juan Hernandez / 24
Antonio Fresu / 24
Kyle Frey / 19
Umberto Rispoli / 18
Edwin Maldonado / 18
Trainers / Wins
Phil D’Amato / 15
Steve Knapp / 12
Doug O’Neill / 12
Mark Glatt / 11
John Sadler / 10
WEEKEND STAKES
SANTA ANITA
Saturday
• $200,000, Grade II Summertime Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles
Sunday
• $100,000 Affirmed Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 1/16 miles
LOS ALAMITOS
Sunday
• $30,000 Fred Scane Handicap, 2-