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Plaing beach days may be a little easier thanks to a new water quality prediction tool that forecasts bacteria levels at a handful of Califoia beaches — and Long Beach is one of them. Heal the Bay, known for its aual Beach Report Card, offers daily “nowcasts” based on various environmental conditions, such as rainfall, waves, tides and past bacteria concentrations. The information is available via a free mobile app or through Heal the Bay’s website. Created in collaboration with Stanford University, UCLA and Heal the Bay, spokesman Matthew King said the “nowcast” system makes predictions during the summer months (April 1 to Oct. 31) at five beaches: Belmont Pier in Long Beach; Doheny State B...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> Max Holt did a little bit of everything. At the net, digging balls from just off the floor, finishing points with big, leaping swings. He and David Lee stuffed the Italians with stellar blocking. Setter Micah Christenson contributed his own blocks and even a kill to end the third set. Matt Anderson, Aaron Russell and Taylor Sander provided power hitting from every coer. Mighty Italy just had a little more in a match that will surely become an Olympic volleyball classic. For nearly 2 1/2 hours Friday, the young, overachieving Americans stayed with an Italian group that U.S. coach John Speraw considers the world’s most talented and destined for gold in Brazil. The Amer...

RIO DE JANEIRO — Three American Olympic swimmers plaed to meet with Brazilian law enforcement Thursday to discuss a reported robbery targeting 12-time medalist Ryan Lochte and his teammates, a U.S. Olympic Committee official said. USOC spokesman Patrick Sandusky said late Thursday moing that Jack Conger, Guar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen were scheduling a time and place to meet with authorities. “All are represented by counsel and being appropriately supported by the USOC and the U.S. Consulate in Rio,” Sandusky said. Conger and Bentz were released by local authorities early Thursday after being pulled from a flight at the Rio de Janeiro airport amid uncertainty over what truly took place during ...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> It was as close as a two-goal game in the third quarter Wednesday. But, eventually and somewhat inevitably, the U.S. women’s water polo team worked its way into position to go for a gold medal. “As you could tell, that was a battle today,” attacker Courtney Mathewson said. “I think my skin is like magenta colored.” The Americans wore down Hungary for a 14-10 victory and now will face Italy in the Olympic finale Friday. Maggie Steffens scored a team-high four goals for the U.S. Maddie Musselman added a pair. “I can’t help but smile,” Musselman said. “It’s just so enjoyable. We have two more days, one more game with this group of girls. It’s emotional because I love th...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> They’ve cruised through unfazed so far, undefeated in three games and outscoring their opponents by a touament-best 20 goals. But that doesn’t mean the emotion will be lacking Monday when the U.S. women’s water polo team plays its quarterfinal game. For one thing, the Americans are paired against Brazil, a team that figures to be overmatched but still the host nation and a country famous for showing its support by making a lot of noise. For another, some of these U.S. players understand — win or lose, now that group play is over — nothing is guaranteed but the fast-approaching end of their Olympic careers. “There’s going to be a part of me that’s very sad,” Courtney ...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> It was the end of a touament, end of an Olympics and, quite possibly, the end of an era. When the U.S. men’s water polo team concluded its Rio 2016 schedule on Sunday, the reality that captain and five-time Olympian Tony Azevedo could be done was, in fact, very real. “It’s insane,” said teammate Bret Bonai, who, at 22, is 12 years younger than Azevedo. “I don’t know. I’ve got pictures with that guy when I was like 6. It was awesome to have been able to play with him.” The Americans finished with a 10-7 victory over Italy, but their 2-3 overall record didn’t advance them in the touament. For this part, Azevedo, a product of Long Beach Wilson High, said he wasn’t ready...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> They’ve cruised through unfazed so far, undefeated in three games and outscoring their opponents by a touament-best 20 goals. But that doesn’t mean the emotion will be lacking Monday when the U.S. women’s water polo team plays its quarterfinal game. For one thing, the Americans are paired against Brazil, a team that figures to be overmatched but still the host nation and a country famous for showing its support by making a lot of noise. For another, some of these U.S. players understand — win or lose, now that group play is over — nothing is guaranteed but the fast-approaching end of their Olympic careers. “There’s going to be a part of me that’s very sad,” Courtney ...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> The last time Anthony Ervin won an individual Olympic gold medal, the thing helped nearly sink his entire life. Doesn’t sound like that will be a problem this time. On Friday, the Hart High graduate, at age 35, won his second individual gold, claiming the 50-meter freestyle. A day later, Ervin reflected on the difference between this medal and the one he took home as a teenager from the 2000 Sydney Games and the people who helped him ea both. “That’s what got me here, the people,” he said. “When I was younger, I don’t think I understood that. I was still wayward with my ego, thrusting forward. The weight of this gold feels much lighter knowing that it’s being carried ...

The SuperScoopers have landed! Just in time for sizzling temperatures this weekend, the county officially unveiled a huge part of its aerial firefighting fleet Friday. •RELATED STORY: SuperScoopers arrive 3 weeks early to help combat LA County brush fires Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich and Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby showcased the recent arrival of two Canadian SuperScoopers and an Erickson Air-Crane. •RELATED STORY: Massive Sand fire nearly contained after more than a week The water bombers landed at Van Nuys Airport Aug. 6 after their flight from their home base in Quebec, Canada. They are usually leased during the fall for work on L.A. County’s fires, but this year they ha...

Ellyn Mogford found the bus. It was a 1980s school bus repurposed into a rolling, blue-and-gold declaration of devotion to the St. Louis Rams, complete with hand-painted logos, 10 years worth of season parking permits tacked above the steering wheel and more than a dozen season schedules plastered above the ier windshield. • VIDEO: Grant Mogford takes the Rams fan bus for a spin After the family bought season tickets for the Rams’ retu to Los Angeles, Ellyn was looking for tailgating gear to give to her husband, Grant, shortly before Father’s Day. When she found the ad from a “disgruntled” St. Louis fan who wanted to unload the bus, she showed it to Grant as a passing oddity. “Of course, I ...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> Marcus Fraser shot a 63, Justin Rose had a hole-in-one and Matt Kuchar saw a rat large enough to ride in a derby - soapbox or Kentucky. Golf made its historic retu to the Olympics on Thursday, while the capybara made its celebrated Games debut. Capybaras are rodents that can reach roughly the size of an NFL wide receiver, their appearance here more eagerly anticipated by golf enthusiasts than even the retu of Tiger Woods. “I imagine people in Brazil think it’s fuy that we go ogling over something that is a little more normal to them,” Kuchar said. “If they were to come over (to the U.S.) we’d kinda say, ‘It’s a squirrel. We got plenty of those.’ ” Maybe, but squirrel...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> In coaching national teams from two countries at a total of 11 Olympic Games, a career that spans nearly a half-century, U.S. national team director Martha Karolyi has cried only twice. The first time was when her first prodigy, Romania’s Nadia Comaneci, registered a perfect 10.0 at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She cried again Tuesday night when, after Team USA delivered the retiring Karolyi a golden going away present in the form of the most dominant performance in Olympic gymnastics history, team members informed her that their new designation was a tribute to her. The Final Five. • PHOTOS: Team US...

RIO DE JANEIRO — Green, not gold, was the color of the day at the Olympic diving venue. Sure, China won its third consecutive gold medal on Tuesday, but the buzz was about the color of the water in the diving pool — a murky green. That was in stark contrast to the pool’s light blue color the previous day and also that of the clear water in the second pool used for the water polo competition at Maria Lenk Aquatic Center. British diver Tom Daley, who eaed bronze in men’s synchronized 10-meter on Monday, tweeted a photo of the two pools next to each other and captioned it, “Ermmm...what happened?!” Water quality has been a major issue surrounding the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but in the ocean a...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> Team USA repeated as Olympic women’s team gymnastics champion with a performance that was beyond fierce. The U.S. presented a convincing case as the greatest team in history at the Rio Olympic Arena Tuesday, rolling up 184.897 total points, more than the U.S. squad, the self-proclaimed Fierce Five put up in wiing the gold medal in London four years ago. The U.S.’ final gap over ruer-up Russia (176.688) also exceeded the 2012 team’s 5.056 margin of victory. China was third at 176.003. • PHOTOS: Team USA on Tuesday at the Rio Olympics The result was really not in doubt after the opening rotation f...

RIO DE JANEIRO — Adam Krikorian leaned over for a moment, trying desperately to keep his emotions in check. U.S. women’s water polo captain Maggie Steffens then walked up, put her hand on his back and offered a consoling smile. Steffens and company were right behind their grieving coach, all day long. Krikorian retued to the pool deck Tuesday for his first game since his brother’s death last week, and the U.S. made life easy on him with a dominant 11-4 victory over Spain. Steffens, Courtney Mathewson and Kiley Neushul scored two goals apiece. Ashleigh Johnson had 11 saves to become the first black woman to play water polo for the United States in the Olympics. The victory came on the four-y...

Abbey Weitzeil of Saugus eaed her first Olympic medal, helping the U.S. women’s team to a silver in the 4x100 meters relay on Sunday. The U.S. team of Simone Manuel, Weitzeil, Dana Vollmer and Katie Ledecki finished with a time of 3 minutes, 31.89 seconds, behind the Australian team of Emma McKeon, Brittany Elmslie, Bronte Campbell and Cate Campbell, which set a world record at 3:30.65. Weitzeil swam the fastest leg for the American team in 52.56 and the U.S. team had a lead after her leg. Weitzeil, a 19-year-old from Canyons Aquatic Club in Santa Clarita, qualified for the Rio Games with a U.S. Open record 53.28 seconds in the 100 free. She will have more chances, swimming Wednesday in tha...

Peter Navarro, a professor of economics and public policy at UCu2009Irvine’s business school, is emerging as one of the most visible advocates of Donald Trump’s economic platform. “My role is to make sure the analysis is rock solid, the facts are rock solid,” said Navarro, 67, who is the only economist from academia on the 13-member advisory team aounced by the Trump campaign last week. The group includes several real estate executives, private equity and hedge-fund managers, a Texas banking tycoon, a billionaire oil company magnate and a former Reagan administration deputy assistant treasury secretary. “Whatever they need, I analyze the economic data,” Navarro added in an interview Monday....

RIO DE JANEIRO >> If U.S. gymnast Aly Raisman has trouble sleeping Monday night it wasn’t because she was conceed about the competition at the Olympic Games team final at the Rio Olympic Arena Tuesday afteoon. “Simone and Lauri will come in my room at 9:30 and I literally have to get them out at 9:50 because if they get too hyper I won’t be able to fall asleep,” Raisman said referring to teammates Simone Biles and Lauren Heandez and her 10 p.m. bedtime. Not that there won’t be some sleepless nights in the Olympic Village Monday. The question isn’t whether Team USA will win the gold medal but by how much. Even the official website of FIG, gymnastics’ worldwide goveing body, blared in a...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> Sam Mikulak isn’t a scoreboard watcher. Yet if the U.S. gymnast had allowed himself a glimpse of the giant video screens high above Rio Olympic Arena after the first four of six rotations in the second sub-division of the Olympic Games men’s team qualifying round Saturday, he would have not only found the U.S. atop the team standings but himself leading the individual all-around. “I try not to look at the scoreboard because that might set expectations in my head,” Mikulak said. “I just want to stay focused.” By the end of Saturday afteoon, Mikulak and his U.S. teammates could not ignore the expectations raised by a qualifying performance that only raised medal expect...

RIO DE JANEIRO >> Sam Mikulak isn’t a scoreboard watcher. Yet if the U.S. gymnast had allowed himself a glimpse of the giant video screens high above Rio Olympic Arena after the first four of six rotations in the second sub-division of the Olympic Games men’s team qualifying round Saturday, he would have not only found the U.S. atop the team standings but himself leading the individual all-around. “I try not to look at the scoreboard because that might set expectations in my head,” Mikulak said. “I just want to stay focused.” By the end of Saturday afteoon, Mikulak and his U.S. teammates could not ignore the expectations raised by a qualifying performance that only raised medal expect...