Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run makes its move through Los Angeles County
Law enforcement agencies throughout Southern California are carrying the torch ahead of the Special Olympics Summer Games, stretching from San Diego to Los Angeles – ending in Long Beach where the June 6-8 games take place.
The Southern California leg of the torch run began May 27 in San Diego, and on Monday, the Los Angeles tour began with LAPD South Traffic athletes in Wilmington.
In 2024, the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), Southern California raised $1.2 million with over 200 law enforcement agencies participating.
Funds raised support Special Olympics athletes with equipment and training for the Special Olympics.
On Monday, law enforcement relay teams will take turns carrying the "Flame of Hope" through the Los Angeles County communities of San Pedro, Lomita, Palos Verdes, South Bay beach cities, through LAX, and into Culver City.
The relay continues Tuesday morning with the LAPD Wilshire division, picks up Wednesday through North Hollywood and Burbank, and continues Thursday through Hollywood and West LA. On Friday, LASD Compton is one of the agencies carrying the torch until the Long Beach PD carries it to the final destination at the Cal State Long Beach Pyramid.
This weekend's competition consists of hundreds of local Special Olympics athletes competing in track and field, basketball, flag football and more. Opening ceremonies take place at Walter Pyramid, June 6 at 6:30 p.m.
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Fox News
30 minutes ago
- Fox News
Lawyer leading SJSU transgender lawsuit reacts to controversial probe into trans athlete's alleged misconduct
EXCLUSIVE: San Jose State University's transgender volleyball player controversy reignited last week. Fox News Digital reported that the Mountain West Conference hired the same law firm to investigate the trans athlete's misconduct allegations that the conference was using to defend the athlete's eligibility for the conference tournament in court. The White House released a statement addressing the revelation, and now the lawyer leading a lawsuit against SJSU and the Mountain West on behalf of 11 current or former conference women's athletes, William Bock, has spoken out against the conference in the aftermath of the revelation. "It is outrageous, improper, and deceptive that the MWC hired the same law firm to both conduct a supposedly independent investigation of its member SJSU and defend the MWC in a federal lawsuit about MWC's joint conduct and actions with SJSU," Bock said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital reported on June 24 that the Mountain West hired the firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher (WFG) to investigate allegations against Blaire Fleming of conspiring with an opponent to have teammate Brooke Slusser harmed during an Oct. 3 game. The Mountain West hired the firm to handle the investigation in the same month that the same firm represented the conference to protect Fleming's eligibility in a request for preliminary injunction to have the trans athlete disqualified from women's competition and the conference tournament. The investigation closed after just three days, and documents obtained by Fox News Digital showed that investigators repeatedly incorrectly dated the game as being played on Oct. 2. The WFG attorney who led the investigation into allegations against Fleming, Tim Heaphy, later offered the school legal counsel to help it navigate a federal Title IX investigation over the same situation, as seen in public records obtained by Fox News Digital. The offer was declined. Bock said the revelation "astonished" him. "I was astonished to learn WFG was representing the MWC against Brooke Slusser's lawsuit at the same time another lawyer from that firm was supposedly independently investigating the attempt to injure Brooke and whether SJSU and the MWC adequately investigated those facts," Bock's statement continued. "Hiring WFG to perform such conflicted and mutually exclusive roles suggests that Commissioner Nevarez and the MWC had no interest in discovering the truth. Instead, the MWC has long been focused solely upon advancing the interests of SJSU and pushing the narrative that men should be allowed in women's college sports locker rooms and showers and to compete against women in college sports." Bock called for the U.S. Department of Education to look into the situation. "The report from Fox News provides more evidence of the MWC's scheme to work side-by-side with SJSU to promote trans ideology and harm women athletes while hiding the truth from the public. The conclusions from the WFG investigator favoring MWC's and SJSU's positions in federal court allowed his law partners to continue to milk the MWC for legal fees and then positioned that same investigator to later seek to monetize his relationship with the MWC to defend SJSU in a federal investigation over the very claims he supposedly 'independently' investigated," Bock's statement said. "These shocking revelations of conflicts of interest entirely discredit the MWC and will hopefully be fully investigated in the reported probe of SJSU's conduct by the U.S. Department of Education. Certainly, this investigator is likely to become a key witness in Brooke Slusser's federal lawsuit against the MWC and SJSU, as his hiring and conduct is additional evidence that the MWC worked hand-in-glove with SJSU and was far more concerned with promoting a narrative than protecting women." Bock leads Slusser's lawsuit against SJSU and the Mountain West, and also leads a larger lawsuit against the NCAA led by former college swimmer and current "OutKick" host Riley Gaines. Bock previously called the conference's investigation into Fleming's allegations "inadequate, and anything but thorough" in a Nov. 17 statement and called for the evidence to be disclosed. No evidence was ever disclosed by the conference, as Fleming went on to finish out the season, earn all-conference honors and even led SJSU all the way to the Mountain West championship game. The trans athlete traveled and roomed alongside female teammates to Las Vegas in the final week of November for the conference tournament. After leading the investigation that cleared Fleming's charges in November, Heaphy reached back out to San Jose State's university legal counsel Dustin May on Feb. 6, offering to help navigate a federal probe. President Donald Trump just signed an executive order to try and enforce that mandate just weeks into his presidency on Feb. 5. And just one day after that, Trump's Department of Education launched an investigation into SJSU over the Fleming situation. May declined Heaphy's offer on Feb. 18, but Heaphy responded the next day, writing, "Please let me know if we can help in any way on this or other issues." None of WFG's attorneys have been accused of violating any applicable rules of professional conduct. Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mountain West, San Jose State and Willkie Farr & Gallagher for a response to Bock's statement. The DOE's investigation into SJSU's handling of the situation involving Fleming is ongoing. The White House provided a statement addressing the recent revelations to Fox News Digital. "President Trump is committed to ending the dangerous and unfair participation of men in women's sports and restoring common sense. President Trump will continue to speak out and take immediate action against schools that are jeopardizing the safety of female athletes," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said. Meanwhile, Bock is continuing his lawsuit against SJSU and the Mountain West on behalf of Slusser and the other 10 players on the lawsuit. Bock's office filed a response to motions to dismiss the case on June 23. The response made mention of the allegations against Fleming of misconduct. WFG and the Mountain West's legal battle to keep the trans athlete in the women's tournament was successful, as federal Judge Kato Crews, appointed by President Joe Biden in January 2024, ruled in favor of Fleming's eligibility on Nov. 25. Two days later, after a failed appeal by the plaintiffs, the firm posted an online press release announcing the legal victory to keep Fleming eligible to play. But that webpage has since been deleted. Fox News Digital asked why the page no longer exists, but Willkie Farr & Gallagher did not respond to the inquiry. Archived data shows the original press release stating, "Willkie secured a high-profile win for collegiate athletic conference Mountain West Conference in a suit brought by members of San Jose State University's women's volleyball team and other Mountain West teams that played against SJSU." Fox News Digital previously reached out to the Mountain West, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, San Jose State University and its head volleyball coach Todd Kress regarding the previous findings. No response has been provided by those parties. May's office initially responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment after providing the public records, requesting a list of questions and background information be provided before speaking. Fox News Digital did not provide the information or list of comments, and requested a virtual or phone interview. May's office then responded with the statement, "Any speculation that the firm or attorney mentioned in your inquiry represented SJSU or the CSU is unfounded." Fox News Digital had not posed that question or any other stipulation, only an interview request, at that point. Fox News Digital later followed up with May's office requesting an interview to address other questions, and fulfilled his office's request to provide background information on what would be discussed. May's office responded saying, "He will not be available," and has not responded to request for further comment. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Times
32 minutes ago
- New York Times
LeBron hints at the end, plus USMNT survives yet again
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Be honest about your workplace today. There was no retirement announcement, no planning of a farewell tour. But yesterday's news that LeBron James opted into the final year of his contract — a first for him — made one thing extremely clear: This is the beginning of the end for maybe the best player to ever grace a basketball court. It's a fascinating double dose of reality, because of course a 40-year-old player entering his 23rd season is about to retire. James will become the longest-tenured NBA player ever this year, by both season total (23, topping Vince Carter's 22) and games played (he's 49 games behind Robert Parish's total of 1,611 games). Advertisement But also … I don't think I ever truly expected James to retire, only because of how unremarkable his longevity has become. His career has spanned seven presidential terms now. LeBron playing in the NBA is just a part of the fabric of our reality. Yet it will come to an end — at some point. A quick explainer on where we are: So what now? We have two options, as Sam Amick expertly explained: This is LeBron's farewell tour, with the Lakers gunning for a title, or James finds a new place to finish his career at 41 years old next offseason. Either way, the beginning of the end. Prepare yourselves. We also had a flurry of NBA free agency news yesterday. Quickly: Let's keep going: Beasley under investigation Free-agent guard Malik Beasley is a person of interesting in a federal gambling investigation, his lawyer confirmed to The Athletic yesterday. Beasley has not been charged with any crime yet, his lawyer added, but the investigation is being conducted by the U.S. District Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, the same outfit that charged six people in the Jontay Porter affair. Read more in our full report. Severino won't back down A's pitcher Luis Severino is, to the objective observer, refreshing. Earlier in the week, Severino lambasted the conditions in the A's temporary Sacramento home, saying the atmosphere and park made it feel like spring training. He didn't backtrack yesterday when asked about it, even after USA Today reported the organization 'can't wait' to trade him. The A's signed Severino to a three-year, $67 million deal in the offseason. Whoops. Also: Severino may have a point, as his home-road splits are wild (6.79 ERA at home vs. 3.23 on the road). See his full comments here. More news 📫 Love The Pulse? Check out our other newsletters. It's been a weird time for the USMNT. The star coach and the star player aren't getting along. There was that awful stretch earlier this month where the Americans couldn't win a friendly. Then the Gold Cup began, and things are … OK. Vibes were back to iffy last night, as the team could not put Costa Rica away. A loss would've meant complete disaster, much like Canada saw in its round of 16 matchup. Then Matt Freese, in a time of uncertain American goalkeeping, did this: Matty 'Ice' Freese 🥶 — Gold Cup (@GoldCup) June 30, 2025 That's three saves in one shootout, which is good for any keeper at any level. Embattled coach Mauricio Pochettino called it 'priceless.' And with it, the Americans advance to play Guatemala in the semifinals Wednesday. Over at the Club World Cup, it was a great Sunday for Europe: Almost done: 📺 Wimbledon: Moller vs. Tiafoe 6 a.m. ET on ESPN Consider this a placeholder, because Wimbledon begins today and ESPN (and ESPN+) will have first-round matches throughout the morning into the early afternoon. We have storylines for both the men's and women's brackets ready for you, including that Coco Gauff-Aryna Sabalenka 'olive branch.' Advertisement 📺 MLB: Padres at Phillies 6:35 p.m. ET on MLB Network These teams are both A) very good and B) very ready to hit the All-Star break. The Padres need some offense, and watching their former prospects batter Padre pitching last week was an interesting sight. Philly needs outfield help. Let's see who limps more here. Get tickets to games like these here. We're in a football lull, so you know what time it is: Our NFL writers picked one lingering question from each NFL team as the summer break begins. See them all here. Aaron Judge is swinging more than ever. That's a good thing, as Ken Rosenthal explained. Achilles tendon injuries are becoming all too common in the NBA of late. Dominique Wilkins knows the pain well — and wants to help fix it. I thought Mark Puleo's write-up of another odd Jake Paul boxing night was great. The fight was meh, but Paul's win opens up his road to facing legitimate fighters. Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The George Costanza bobblehead. Most-read on the website yesterday: ☝️
CNN
32 minutes ago
- CNN
After picking up $52 million player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, what does the future hold for LeBron James?
The dominant storyline this NBA offseason is likely to be where LeBron James will be playing next season. The 40-year-old picked up his $52 million player option to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent Rich Paul told ESPN on Sunday. CNN has reached out to Paul and the Lakers for comment. Despite being the elder statesmen of the league – he is entering his record-breaking 23rd NBA season – James remains a productive player; over 70 regular season games last campaign, he averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists as the Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves. But despite signing on with the Lakers for one more season, where the four-time NBA MVP will be plying his trade remains in doubt. Speaking to ESPN, James' agent left the door open to all possibilities. 'LeBron wants to compete for a championship,' Paul told ESPN. 'He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with (Lakers owner) Jeanie (Buss) and (general manager) Rob (Pelinka) and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career. 'We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what's best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career. He wants to make every season he has left count, and the Lakers understand that, are supportive and want what's best for him.' The Lakers will likely undergo a roster shake-up this offseason after their blockbuster acquisition of Luka Dončić midway through last season. Dončić, 26, offers a chance for the franchise to build for future championships with a younger roster. But such a move could mean that James is surplus to requirements given his age and LA's push for an injection of younger talent. According to ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania, James said at a dinner in New York with friends in the past week that his wife Savannah wants him to 'retire in the next year or so.' Could we see the league's all-time scoring leader on the move again? There will likely be plenty of win-now teams who would want James to help them to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy, something the superstar has achieved four times over his storied career. James – who has a no-trade clause in his contract and, therefore, controls his own destiny (and any potential destination) – turns 41 in December and has been an All-NBA pick in 21 of his 22 seasons in the league. He has appeared in 1,562 regular-season games and could break the record for appearing in the most in NBA history this season as he's just 49 behind Robert Parish's mark of 1,611. James' one-year extension with the Lakers takes his career on-court earnings to over $580 million. He had suffered a sprained knee ligament during the Lakers' final game of last season but has recently returned to on-court activities and told the Associated Press he expects to be ready for training camp. The question now is: will LeBron suit up in the purple-and-gold or will he be wearing another franchise's uniform come Opening Night?
