Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get proper to the information.
Jorge Castillo on the Eric Kay trial: A former Angels communications director was discovered responsible Thursday of distributing fentanyl and giving Tyler Skaggs the medicine that prompted the Angels pitcher’s demise in a suburban Dallas resort room in 2019, concluding a trial that yanked Main League Baseball to the middle of the nationwide opioid disaster.
Eric Kay, 47, faces 20 years to life in a federal jail and as much as a $1-million nice. His sentencing is scheduled for June 28.
The 12-person jury listened to closing arguments in U.S. District Courtroom on Thursday morning earlier than reaching a verdict after lower than 90 minutes of deliberation. Along with discovering Skaggs responsible of committing the crimes in Texas, the jury agreed with the federal government that “however for” the fentanyl, Skaggs wouldn’t have died.
With Kay convicted, the eye will shift to the civil lawsuits the Skaggs household has filed towards the Angels in Texas and California.
“We're very grateful to the federal government and the jury for seeing this essential case by means of to the best verdict,” the Skaggs household mentioned in an announcement. “Tyler was the sunshine of our household. He's gone, and nothing can ever carry him again. We're relieved that justice was served, though in the present day is a painful reminder of the worst day within the lifetime of our household.”
Kay’s demeanor didn't shift when Decide Terry R. Means learn the decision. His fingers have been folded on the desk in entrance of him. He remained stoic. His household and mates within the gallery gave the impression to be in shock. Skaggs’ mom, Debbie Hetman, slumped and cried. She and Skaggs’ spouse, Carli, later hugged and cried collectively, rejoicing simply ft away.
Moments later, Kay spoke in court docket for the primary time since pleading not responsible final week. His feelings didn't waver.
“I’m sorry, however I've to order you taken into custody,” Means mentioned.
“I perceive, your honor,” Kay mentioned.
U.S. marshals requested Kay to take off his swimsuit jacket and tie, and take away all gadgets from his pockets. One official requested him what one thing was. Antidepressants, Kay answered. Considered one of Kay’s attorneys gave his mom, Sandy, his belongings as he was handcuffed. His sister, Kelly,left the courtroom in tears as soon as her brother was escorted out.
“We thought there have been many causes to doubt the federal government’s case,” mentioned Reagan Wynn, one among Kay’s two attorneys. “This can be a tragedy all the way in which round. Eric Kay is on the point of do a minimal 20 years in federal penitentiary, and it goes up from there. And Tyler Skaggs is gone. It’s a tragedy. There’s no winners in any of this. It’s a tragic day.”
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WINTER OLYMPICS
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: When some opponents barely cleared the highest of the halfpipe on late-run methods, Chinese language star Eileen Gu continued to soar. Digicam operators bent backward to trace the teenager’s movement by means of the air as she climbed larger and better simply as she has for the final two weeks.
Gu reached a brand new degree Friday, changing into the primary freestyle skier to win three medals in the identical Olympics. After gold and silver in slopestyle and massive air, respectively, she dominated the ladies’s halfpipe closing at Genting Snow Park. Gu recorded the 2 highest scores of the competitors, together with a gold-medal-winning 95.25 on her second try, earlier than taking a teary-eyed victory lap.
Canadians Cassie Sharp and Rachael Karker took silver and bronze, respectively. American Hanna Faulhaber completed sixth in her first Olympics whereas Brita Sigourney and Carly Margulies completed tenth and eleventh.
Followers who had been restricted to only one part of the stands at Genting Snow Park braved blistering winds Friday and spilled over to fill greater than two-thirds of the viewing space. Olympic volunteers arrived en masse to catch a glimpse of freeskiing’s golden lady. A gaggle of followers held indicators that learn in Chinese language, “Go Gu Ailing.”
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From Nathan Fenno: The ultimate impediment between Mikaela Shiffrin and a medal was the plunging slalom course referred to as the Ice River.
After two weeks of hype and heartbreak on the Winter Olympics, all of the world’s most dominant feminine skier wanted was a clear run by means of the 63 gates to earn a spot on the rostrum within the mixed.
However because the solar fought to interrupt by means of snow flurries that dusted the Yanqing Nationwide Alpine Centre on Thursday, Shiffrin’s inexplicable Olympics took one other inexplicable flip in her fifth and closing particular person occasion.
Considered one of her skis clipped a gate seconds into the race and despatched her crashing into the snow as disbelieving gasps crammed the end space from individuals watching the large video board.
The race — and her final probability to win a person medal — resulted in a staggering prompt as she didn’t end a race for the third time at these Video games.
“Come on, what number of instances have I [not finished] in my entire profession?” Shiffrin requested rhetorically. “After all, she’s no less than going to make it to the end. This might simply be the medal that salvages every thing in any case. Proper now I simply really feel like a joke.”
The cruel phrases underscored the painful, surprising journey during the last 10 days.
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From David Wharton: Possibly the stress was an excessive amount of for a teen — even a precociously proficient teen equivalent to Kamila Valieva.
The 15-year-old Russian determine skater, embroiled in doping accusations all week at these Beijing Olympics, faltered within the ladies’s free skate closing on Thursday night time, tumbling from the lead and ending in fourth place.
Fellow Russian Anna Shcherbakova took benefit of Valieva’s stumbles, rising from second place to seize gold at Capital Indoor Stadium on Thursday night time.
Alexandra Trusova, additionally of the Russian Olympic Committee, gained silver and Kaori Skamoto of Japan took bronze.
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From Helene Elliott: Worldwide Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach decried the “coldness” with which embattled Russian determine skater Kamila Valieva was greeted by her entourage after she carried out a mistake-filled free skate program that dropped her from first to fourth within the ladies’s singles competitors on Thursday and mentioned he was “very, very disturbed” whereas watching her efficiency and the fast aftermath on TV.
Valieva examined constructive for a banned substance on Dec. 25 however was allowed to compete as a result of the outcomes of that take a look at weren't delivered till a day after she helped lead the Russian Olympic Committee to a gold medal within the staff occasion. She was suspended for in the future by the Russian Anti-Doping Federation. The IOC and different organizations have been rebuffed by the Courtroom of Arbitration for Sports activities after they requested that her suspension be reinstated.
Valieva, 15, was the favourite to win the gold medal and led after the brief program however she stumbled a number of instances on Thursday. After she left the ice cameras and recording tools picked up her coach, Eteri Tutberizde, asking her, “Why did you let go?” in implying Valieva had misplaced focus after she was unable to land her second soar, a triple axel. “Clarify it to me, why. Why did you cease preventing? You let go after that axel. Why?”
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The British have clinched their first medal of the Beijing Video games, because of Bruce Mouat and the lads’s curling staff.
4 Scottish lads beat the defending Olympic champion U.S. 8-4 within the semifinals Thursday night time to clinch no worse than a silver medal and earn the best to play Sweden for the gold.
Though Scotland is curling’s birthplace and the game stays a nationwide ardour, the British haven't gained the lads’s gold — and have simply two medals of any shade — for the reason that sport returned to the Winter Video games in 1998.
“It’ll be some occasion again residence if we do,” British lead Hammy McMillan mentioned. ”It might imply absolutely the world to everybody if we do.“
The Swedes topped Canada 5-3 within the different semifinal on the Ice Dice curling venue. Skip Niklas Edin could have an opportunity to finish his set of Olympic medals, having gained bronze in Sochi and a silver in Pyeongchang.
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Beijing Olympics dwell: Newest information and outcomes from the twenty fourth Winter Video games
CLIPPERS
From Andrew Greif: Sporting a sly smile and an Ivica Zubac jersey over his cream sweatshirt that draped properly previous his waist, Patrick Beverley walked to his sideline seat Thursday inside Crypto.com Area.
The smile was the face of a person who’d pulled a shock. Beverley mentioned he had not informed his former Clippers teammates that he can be in attendance, one night time after his Minnesota Timberwolves performed their closing sport earlier than the NBA’s all-star break. The jersey mirrored a bond that started three years earlier between the fiery Chicago guard and a 7-footer from a small city on the Croatia-Bosnia & Herzegovina border.
As he did when he wore a Clippers jersey, and shorts, too, Beverley shortly drew consideration. When Zubac scored on a deft turnaround on the opening possession, Beverley shot out of his chair and clapped whereas trying like a proud older brother. Clippers guard Reggie Jackson chatted up his former teammate throughout the earliest breaks in play. Staff proprietor Steve Ballmer, who earlier this month shared a Timberwolves tweet asking for retweets “when you love @patbev21,” drifted over for a dialog between the primary and second quarters.
The timing of Beverley’s shock go to was impeccable. Dealing with one of many lowliest groups within the league, within the final sport standing between this weary Clippers roster and the all-star break they can not wait to start, was the precise recipe for a letdown that the Clippers couldn't afford with a postseason berth hardly assured with 21 video games remaining. In different phrases, it was the form of circumstance the place Beverley’s no-off-switch depth was notably priceless throughout his 4 seasons with the staff.
Beverley “was an enormous a part of this tradition,” Terance Mann mentioned. “Simply seeing him there meant loads for us. Despite the fact that we’re within the race within the playoffs [with Minnesota] it’s fairly cool.”
The Clippers, nonetheless, wanted no exterior power in a 142-111 runaway wherein they set a season-high for factors. Two days earlier than competing within the NBA’s three-point contest in Cleveland, guard Luke Kennard was afforded loads of further observe whereas making eight of 9 three-pointers, one make away from tying a franchise report shared by Caron Butler, in 2012, and J.J. Redick, in 2016.
LAKERS
From Dan Woike: Anthony Davis suffered a mid-foot sprain Wednesday towards Utah, testing revealed, sidelining him for no less than the subsequent 4 weeks.
The Lakers mentioned Davis underwent a MRI on Thursday after X-rays have been adverse Wednesday, and he’ll be re-evaluated by staff docs in 4 weeks.
If Davis have been to return from the harm in 4 weeks, he’ll have missed the Lakers first 11 video games after the All-Star break.
SOCCER
From Kevin Baxter: Christen Press wasn’t in uniform when the ladies’s nationwide staff opened play within the SheBelieves Cup at Dignity Well being Sports activities Park. Ditto Alex Morgan.
There was no signal of Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath or Carli Lloyd both. And whereas that may sound like no large deal, it meant Thursday’s sport with the Czech Republic was the primary main match match the U.S. has performed with out no less than one among its Fab 5 forwards since 2007.
The absences have been felt, with their tentative younger replacements taking 18 photographs, placing eight on them aim, however failing to get any previous Czech goalkeeper Barbora Votíková in settling for a scoreless draw. That’s not the beginning coach Vlatko Andonovski wished for what might be the nationwide staff’s most thorough overhaul in additional than a decade.
RAMS
From Gary Klein: On the day former Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell was set to be introduced as the brand new coach of the Minnesota Vikings, three different members of the Rams workers are on the transfer.
On Thursday, the Denver Broncos introduced that Ejiro Evero had been employed as defensive coordinator, Dwayne Stukes as particular staff coordinator and Marcus Dixon as defensive position coach.
Evero, 41, had been on Rams coach Sean McVay’s workers since 2017. He coached safeties for 4 seasons and took over all the secondary in 2021. Evero replaces Ed Donatell, who joined O’Connell’s Vikings workers.
Stukes, 45, joined the Rams’ workers earlier than final season as a particular groups assistant underneath coordinator Joe DeCamillis.
UCLA BASKETBALL
From Ben Bolch: The band was again collectively once more inside Pauley Pavilion. Actually. It was the primary time UCLA’s band had performed throughout a basketball sport since followers have been allowed again contained in the constructing late final month.
What the Bruins unveiled on the court docket was one thing lower than a full ensemble.
Level guard Tyger Campbell was out due to an unspecified violation of staff guidelines, complicating UCLA’s efforts to shake off a late-season droop wherein it had misplaced three of 4 video games.
Jules Bernard took over main ballhandling duties towards Washington State on Thursday night time and it didn’t go properly within the opening minutes. His first move was almost stolen earlier than getting knocked out of bounds. Shortly thereafter, he had a move stolen within the backcourt and was benched in favor of David Singleton.
Turnovers have been a hard theme for the Bruins.
That they had 9 by halftime, matching their season common for a sport, and have been struggling simply to remain forward of the Cougars early within the second half after Johnny Juzang flung a cross-court move out of bounds.
However the murmurs of unease shortly become sustained cheers throughout a 15-1 run that powered No. 13 UCLA to a 76-56 victory.
USC BASKETBALL
From Ryan Kartje: The paint was clogged, a sea of knees and elbows flailing within the middle of Washington’s zone, however Chevez Goodwin was undeterred. USC’s 6-10 senior ahead stood on the coronary heart of the motion, vacuuming up something in his neighborhood, slinging child hooks and slamming down dunks off handoffs, discombobulating a protection that was designed to discombobulate USC, a staff that generally struggled with its consistency from the perimeter.
However nothing might get the Trojans off monitor Thursday in an 79-69 win over Washington, not whereas it was nonetheless hovering from its weekend romp over UCLA, not with their eyes now set on March and the highest of the convention.
In that sense, Washington represented an essential take a look at for a USC staff that’s too usually been vulnerable to letdowns. With simply six video games remaining within the common season, time is operating out for USC to seek out its consistency. However on Thursday, the tell-tale indicators of a letdown have been nowhere to be discovered.
There was no painfully sluggish begin and no late droop. Whilst USC’s main scorer, Isaiah Mobley, was quiet in its return, the remainder of the Trojans offense had little bother discovering their rhythm. As an alternative of a letdown, USC proceeded to kick the door down.
That overwhelming effort began with Goodwin within the paint, piling up early put up factors at will. With USC’s shooters sluggish to begin as its offense adjusted to Washington’s zone, Goodwin was content material to hold the load early, and the Huskies struggled to cease him, despite their very own dimension on the inside..
DUCKS
Leon Draisaitl scored twice and the Edmonton Oilers routed the Geese 7-3 to stay unbeaten underneath new head coach Jay Woodcroft.
Evander Kane, Derek Ryan, Jesse Puljujarvi, Warren Foegele and Zach Hyman additionally scored for the Oilers, who're 9-1-2 of their final 12 outings and 4-0 underneath Woodcroft.
Mike Smith made 27 saves. Connor McDavid and Ryan McLeod every chipped in a pair of assists.
Adam Henrique, Sonny Milano and Trevor Zegras scored for the Geese, who've misplaced 4 in a row. John Gibson allowed seven objectives on 41 photographs.
GOLF
From Mike DiGiovanna: Jordan Spieth’s tee shot hooked far left of the seventeenth fairway at Riviera Nation Membership on Thursday, his ball nestled within the thick kikuyu grass and two enormous Eucalyptus bushes blocking his path to the inexperienced.
With 324 yards to the pin on the 590-yard, par-five gap, Spieth tried to twist his subsequent shot onto the green and towards the inexperienced. He didn't succeed, his ball discovering the tough to the best of the green and nonetheless 140 yards wanting the opening.
“No, flip, sit down!” Spieth, who began the opening spherical of the Genesis Invitational on the tenth tee, yelled after placing his second shot on 17. “I simply couldn't have performed this gap worse!”
Two photographs later — a gorgeous 142-yard method to inside 11 ft of the opening and a steely midrange putt for birdie — Spieth was out of bother and on his method to a five-under-par 66, a robust first spherical that put the Dallas native and three-time main champion in a four-way tie for second place.
Joaquin Niemann, a rail-thin 23-year-old from Chile who has one PGA Tour win, scorched the long-lasting Pacific Palisades course with an eight-under 63 within the afternoon session, tying him with eight others for the bottom opening-round rating in Riviera historical past.
UCLA FOOTBALL
From Ben Bolch: UCLA coach Chip Kelly has moved from one longtime pal to a different at defensive coordinator, hiring veteran assistant Invoice McGovern to interchange Jerry Azzinaro.
The parallels between McGovern and his predecessor are placing. Each got here to UCLA late of their careers. Each have identified Kelly for many years. Each skilled gaps of no less than a decade between roles as defensive coordinators.
McGovern, who will flip 60 on New Yr’s Eve, most not too long ago held that title from 2009 to 2012 whereas at Boston Faculty. His Eagles rose from No. 26 nationally in complete protection throughout his first season to No. 13 in 2010 earlier than taking a tumble, rating No. 70 in 2011 and No. 100 in 2012.
After working final season as the within linebackers coach for the Chicago Bears, McGovern wanted a job after being a part of the workers let go in January when the Bears fired coach Matt Nagy.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1924 — Theresa Weld Blanchard wins her sixth and closing U.S. determine skating championship. Sherwin Badger captures his fifth straight and closing males’s title.
1928 — Sonja Henie, 15, turns into the youngest Olympic determine skating champion. She simply beats Fritzi Burger of Austria and Beatrix Loughran of the U.S.
1932 — Sonja Henie wins her sixth straight world title.
1951 — Manhattan District Lawyer Frank Hogan orders the arrest of three Metropolis Faculty basketball gamers on bribery costs and two skilled gamblers and two intermediaries in a game-fixing scandal involving faculty groups throughout the nation.
1961 — Bob Pettit of St. Louis scores a career-high 57 factors in a 141-138 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
1964 — Wilt Chamberlain scores 52 factors towards Detroit, his second consecutive 50-point sport.
1972 — Randy Smith of Buffalo performs the primary of what would develop into 906 consecutive video games, an NBA report which took greater than 11 full seasons to perform.
1981 — Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky scores 5 objectives and provides two assists to guide the Oilers over the St. Louis Blues 9-2.
1986 — San Antonio’s Alvin Robertson information the second quadruple-double in NBA historical past, with 20 factors, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals within the Spurs’ 120-114 win over Phoenix.
1990 — Dale Earnhardt blows a tire with one mile remaining within the Daytona 500, giving Derrike Cope the most important upset in inventory automotive racing historical past.
1992 — Italy’s Alberto Tomba wins the large slalom in Albertville, France, to develop into the primary Alpine skier to win the identical occasion at two Winter Olympics.
1995 — Utah guard John Stockton turns into the primary NBA participant with 10,000 assists in a 108-98 victory over the Boston Celtics.
2001 — Dale Earnhardt, the best inventory automotive star of his period, is killed in a crash on the final flip of the final lap of the Daytona 500 as he tries to guard Michael Waltrip’s victory.
2006 — Shani Davis turns into the primary black athlete to win a person gold medal within the Winter Olympics, capturing the 1,000-meter speedskating race. Joey Cheek makes it a 1-2 American end, including a silver to his victory within the 500 on the Turin Video games.
2010 — Evan Lysacek turns into the primary U.S. man to win the Olympic gold medal since Brian Boitano in 1988, surprising everybody with an upset of defending champion Evgeni Plushenko.
2012 — Shenneika Smith’s 3-pointer from the wing with 8 seconds left lifts St. John’s to a 57-56 win over No. 2 Connecticut, ending the Huskies’ 99-game residence court docket profitable streak. It’s the Huskies’ first residence loss to an unranked opponent in almost 19 years.
2013 — Brittney Griner scores 25 factors, together with the three,000th of her profession, to assist No. 1 Baylor rally previous third-ranked Connecticut 76-70.
2017 — Mikaela Shiffrin wins a 3rd straight slalom title on the world championships to retain her unbeaten report at main occasions.
Provided by the Related Press
And eventually
Shani Davis wins gold in 2006. Watch and hear right here.
Till subsequent time...
That concludes in the present day’s publication. When you've got any suggestions, concepts for enchancment or stuff you’d wish to see, electronic mail me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com, and comply with me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this text in your inbox, click on right here.
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