HAQL, Saudi Arabia — The caravan of five Toyota Land Cruisers raced across Saudi Arabia’s rocky desert, weaving onto a highway so new it was not on the map. At the cleft of sea that splits the kingdom from Egypt, they stopped on a barren beach. Fifteen tourists spilled out and gathered around Joel Richardson,…
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OneWhale, a nonprofit led by two Orange County residents, recently got much needed support from officials in Norway in an effort to save an overly friendly beluga whale by creating a reserve in a Norwegian fjord. The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries agreed to officially call the marine mammal a “tame whale.” A photo provided by…
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The NHL’s 2023 entry draft begins Wednesday night in Nashville and, in many ways, the Ducks are the team that will ultimately control the direction it takes. Largely, that’s because the No. 1 choice is a foregone conclusion. The Chicago Blackhawks will select Connor Bedard, a much-anticipated, franchise-style player who is being compared favorably to…
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The head of the Wagner force said Saturday he has ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to their field camps in Ukraine to avoid shedding Russian blood. The announcement from Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to defuse a growing crisis. Moscow had braced for the arrival of the private army led by…
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Breed: Domestic shorthair Age: 4 years Sex: Spayed female Size: 11 pounds Antonia’s story: Antonia is a resilient, loving girl with a heart full of hope. Her journey began with heartbreak when she was found abandoned in a carrier on the side of a street, wearing a collar with a bell. Frightened and unsure, she…
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Breed: German shepherd Age: 7 years Sex: Neutered male Jake Sully’s story: Jake Sully was a stray who was turned into the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center in April. He was in bad shape: severely overweight, overgrown toenails that were so bad they were turning outward to the sides of his feet, front feet whose…
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After more than three decades in business, the popular El Torito located at the entrance of the Outlets at Orange complex will shut its doors for good next week. According to Xperience Restaurant Group, which owns the Mexican casual dining chain, its last day will be Tuesday, June 27. “It is with deep disappointment and…
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The letter A is Victoria Drive, Nyes Place and South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, CA, on Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen) The letter B is an office building at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, CA, on Sunday, March 5, 2023. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen) The letter C is an apartment building…
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And you thought California’s $32 billion in Employment Development Department (EDD) fraud was bad. A small group of criminals in Detroit has managed to pilfer the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits of nearly 8,000 impoverished California families who were shocked when they discovered their EBT cards had been drained. The criminals stealing access to…
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“Mailbag” gives insight into the comments I get from my readers — good, bad, or in-between — and my thoughts about their feedback. Trying to rank the U.S. states based on any criteria is loaded with risks. Somebody’s state ends up on the bottom and they’re usually not happy about it. And lofty grades draw…
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