Last month, a tragic incident unfolded at the Islamic Center of San Diego, resulting in the deaths of three Muslim men. Amin Abdullah, serving as the security guard, heroically confronted the assailants with gunfire, ultimately preventing them from reaching the classrooms where about 140 children were present. His actions, at the cost of his own life, safeguarded these young lives.

The perpetrators were two teenagers who had been indoctrinated online, wielding firearms stolen from a family member’s home. Their actions were fueled by the extremist ideology of white nationalist accelerationism.

The FBI uncovered writings from the attackers rife with anti-Muslim, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQ sentiments, alongside Nazi insignias adorning their weapons and attire. Their prejudice knew no bounds.

The families involved are now enduring profound grief, and the Muslim community in San Diego is deeply shaken by the event.

As an American Muslim woman, I share in their sorrow. Leading an organization that has long fostered alliances with Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Sikh Americans, I recognize that this act of violence was an attack on all of us. When one faith is targeted, it threatens every belief system. Our collective resilience and unity will determine our future.

Mourning also requires honesty. This is my truth.

I am a Muslim woman who lived in Irvine. I was a public school teacher. I raised my own children and other people’s children to love this country and to love their faith. I was the youth and families commissioner for the city of Irvine for six years. I served on the Irvine Public School Foundation.

Then, I was pushed out of community circles in Southern California, not by Islamophobes, but by my own coreligionists because I refused to toe the line of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

So, when I watched CNN and other major news networks across the country turn to CAIR within hours of the San Diego shooting, as if CAIR were the natural voice of American Muslims, I knew I had to speak.

CAIR is one organization among many, with a documented history that has long troubled federal investigators, moderate Muslims and Muslim women like me.

In 2009, the FBI publicly stated that, following the Holy Land Foundation terror-financing trial, it did not consider CAIR an appropriate liaison partner. That history did not disappear.

Yet here we are again, with CAIR positioned by the media as the Muslim voice on a tragedy.

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And what did that voice say? Hussam Ayloush, CEO of CAIR California, told the country he was “deeply disturbed, but not at all surprised” by the attack, and tied it directly to comments by national lawmakers trying to address extremism.

Within hours of three Muslim men being murdered by neo-Nazi teenagers, the message was: We told you so, and here is who to blame.

That is not leadership. That is opportunism.

I have seen this posture up close. Just a couple of months ago, I organized an interfaith event at the Skirball Cultural Center, bringing together Muslims from around the world with leaders of the Jewish community to share ideas and find common ground.

CAIR and the Southern California Shura Council called for a boycott. The event was titled “Breaking Bread.” They boycotted a dialogue.

That is who CAIR is. They do not want peace. They do not want reconciliation.

Muslim Americans do not need an organization that turns every tragedy into a grievance campaign. We need leaders who can stand at a press conference and name antisemitism and Islamophobia as two heads of the same monster.

We need leaders who can grieve tragedy without immediately pivoting to a list of political enemies. We need leaders who build bridges with our Jewish neighbors, who know that the synagogue shooter in Pittsburgh, the supermarket shooter in Buffalo, the church shooter in Charleston and now the mosque shooters in San Diego all drank from the same poisoned well.

The media must do better. Every time producers book CAIR, they hand legitimacy to one organization and silence the rest of us. There are Muslim women’s organizations, reformist scholars, interfaith leaders, Pakistani American civic groups, Iranian American voices, Bosnian American voices, Sufi communities, Ahmadi communities and ordinary mosque-goers across this country who do not see CAIR as their voice. We exist. We have been here all along. Pick up the phone.

To my fellow American Muslims: Our faith calls us to protect life, to stand for justice, to honor our neighbors. Our country has given us freedoms our grandparents could only dream of. We owe Amin, Mansour and Nader more than recycled talking points. We owe them a Muslim American leadership built on faith, patriotism, pluralism, women’s leadership and moral courage.

To our Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Sikh and secular neighbors: thank you for grieving with us. We grieve with you, too, when your houses of worship are attacked. The accelerationists who killed three Muslims want all of us divided and afraid. The answer to them is to give them the opposite.

Anila Ali is a former resident of Irvine, and is president of the American Muslim & Multifaith Women’s Empowerment Council.

A federal judge determined on Friday that she lacks the jurisdiction to reinstate a park ranger dismissed from Yosemite after flying a trans pride flag during their personal time off last summer.

Shannon “SJ” Joslin, who identifies as nonbinary, initiated legal action against the Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service. This followed their termination for draping the flag across El Capitan rock formation in California the previous year.

In the lawsuit, the former ranger requested that the Biden-appointed judge reinstate them and prevent the government from pursuing a criminal inquiry.

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Shannon “SJ” Joslin, formerly a park ranger, was involved with a group that displayed a trans pride flag at Yosemite during the summer. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle)

Joslin had argued in the lawsuit that the government had “enforced its rules selectively based on the message that the pride flag sends,” and that Joslin’s firing was “vindictive, retaliatory, [and] intended to communicate disapproval of a particular point of view.”

U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston wrote in her ruling obtained by News Media: “The government claims for its part that Joslin was fired for reasons that had ‘nothing to do’ with “speech,” adding, “But the government has another more fundamental and more persuasive point: under the laws that Congress has passed, and under the legal precedent that a federal trial court must follow, this Court does not have authority to decide whether Joslin was fired for unconstitutional or illegal reasons, nor to block a hypothetical criminal case against them.”

Thurston wrote that the government motion to dismiss was granted and Joslin’s motion for a preliminary injunction was denied.

Joslin wrote an Instagram post after the firing that they were fired from the park “for practicing my First Amendment right” after hanging the 55-foot by 35-foot flag across Yosemite’s iconic rock destination in May 2025.

“I was fired by the temporary Deputy Superintendent for ‘failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct’ in my capacity as a Wildlife Biologist for the park. No part of hanging the flag was done on work time. NOTHING about it had anything to do with my work,” Joslin wrote.

A Yosemite National Park sign is seen in El Portal, Calif., on Oct. 31, 2025. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Joslin flew the flag for about two hours before taking it down and added that after decades of the practice, “no one” had ever been punished for hanging a flag across El Capitan prior to last week.

“I want my rights and I want my career back,” Joslin said.

The Interior Department told News Media on Friday after the ruling: “We take the protection of the park’s resources and the experience of our visitors very seriously and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources and experiences.

A close-up shows the carved National Park Service logo in San Francisco, Calif. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

Yosemite National Park was designated by Congress to highlight the beautiful natural and cultural features of the area. No matter the cause, demonstrating without a permit outside of designated First-Amendment areas detracts from the visitor experience and the protection of the park. To safeguard the protection of visitors, visitor experiences, and park resources, many demonstrations require a permit.”

News Media has reached out to the Civil Service Law Center, which represents Joslin, for comment.

In a significant safety alert, Joyin has announced the recall of approximately 254,000 Sloosh dive stick sets, a decision prompted by concerns over potential child safety hazards. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), these dive sticks inadvertently breach a federal safety regulation, raising the risk of impalement.

The CPSC clarified that the dive sticks in question surpass the allowable compression limits set by federal guidelines, thereby posing a threat of serious injury. “In shallow water, children may fall or land on a dive stick, resulting in serious piercing injuries,” the commission warned in their recent alert. The alert further highlighted the risk of facial and eye injuries if children dive underwater to retrieve the sticks.

The recall specifically targets Sloosh water toy sets with the model number 40041. Each package includes 30 pieces, among them five cylindrical dive sticks crafted from hard plastic. These items are now under scrutiny for their potential to cause harm, prompting the recall.

Consumers who have purchased these dive sticks are advised to cease their use immediately and follow the recall instructions to ensure safety and compliance with federal standards.

The recall involves dive sticks contained in packages of Sloosh water toys with the model number 40041. The package contains 30 pieces, including five cylinder-shaped dive sticks made of hard plastic.

Other items in the package are not affected by the recall.

Though they were widely used in pools for decades for fun and to teach children how to swim, dive sticks were banned in 2001 over a growing number of injuries. To be legal, any dive toy must rest at an angle greater than 45 degrees. Dive rings are still allowed.

Consumers are urged to stop using the dive sticks immediately and contact Joyin for replacements that meet federal regulations.

The inaugural 2026 World Cup match hosted in the U.S. began in a rather unexpected fashion on Friday night, with Katy Perry delivering a surprisingly low-key ballad in Los Angeles.

With over 70,000 soccer enthusiasts gathered at SoFi Stadium for the USMNT’s opening game, anticipation was high for an electrifying performance from the ‘California Gurls’ singer.

Contrary to expectations, the pop icon performed a single track—’Wonder’—an obscure album piece from two years ago.

Fans, hoping for chart-toppers like ‘I Kissed A Girl’ and ‘Firework,’ were left yearning for more as Perry delivered her lone song just 10 minutes before kickoff and then exited the stage.

Accompanying Perry was 10-year-old Tius Luka, whose stunning vocal talent impressed viewers tuning in from home.

The Norwegian boy has gained popularity in recent months for his viral covers of classic songs, and he will likely go down as the star of the show.

Katy Perry wore a bold silver dress as she performed ‘Wonder’ before the USA game

Perry beams as she makes her way off the pitch ahead of the World Cup opener in LA

Ten-year-old Norwegian Tius Luka stole the show for his brilliant vocals alongside Perry

Many were expecting a high-energy opening ceremony, but it was unexpectedly low-key

On X, though, fans rounded on Perry, with one noting: ‘What a train wreck of a performance. She sounded terrible.’

Another added ‘hilarious dress’, with some joking she was returning to her astronaut days by dressing up like a spaceship.

One fan wrote: ‘This sucks’, and another claimed: ‘Get this s*** out of here.’ 

Gates had opened at 2pm EST in Inglewood, and fans lined up for hours to take their spot inside the arena, which is usually home to the NFL’s Rams and Chargers. 

The SoFi opening ceremony was the third of three at the World Cup, after each host country put on a show immediately before its first game.

Friday night’s Mexico game at the Azteca saw J Balvin make headlines, before Michael Buble led the way in Toronto ahead of Canada’s 1-1 draw with Bosnia.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and his glamorous girlfriend Marissa Ayers arrive

Tyla and Future had earlier performed a much more energetic show in front of a huge trophy

Perry performed in the middle of all 48 flags of countries represented in the 2026 World Cup

In LA, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla had earlier performed a much more high-energy show during part one of the pregame, which began around 90 minutes before the match.

The first performance then ended and the stage was dismantled, leading to a social media meltdown with fans concerned that Katy Perry had pulled out of the show at late notice.

But she did eventually take to the stage after the players had warmed up, finally performing around 10 minutes before the scheduled kickoff time.

The last World Cup opening ceremony in America, back in 1994, went down in history for a series of infamous moments, including Diana Ross’ penalty miss and president Bill Clinton’s attendance.

On Friday night, though, there were no gaffes and certainly no president Trump in the building… just a simple ballad from Katy Perry and her young companion.     

Paris Hilton poses for photographers as she is snapped arriving at the game at SoFi Stadium

American soccer fans in cowboy hats await the start of the opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium

When Katy Perry was announced as the opening ceremony headliner ahead of the tournament, the decision raised eyebrows – in part due to the nationality of her politician boyfriend Justin Trudeau.

Perry and Canadian Trudeau – the former prime minister of his country – were first linked back in July 2025 after being spotted walking together in a park in Montreal.

Their romance has since gone from strength to strength, and they were spotted embracing on the singer’s yacht in Santa Barbara in early October. 

They officially confirmed their relationship in December by sharing photos together on the politician’s visit to Japan, with one fan referring to the post as the ‘craziest hard launch in the history of the free world.’

The 70,000-seater SoFi Stadium is more used to hosting the NFL’s Rams and Chargers

Fans lined up outside from early afternoon, gaining access four hours before the game began

Friday night’s World Cup game at SoFi, meanwhile, was the fourth of the tournament, after some blockbuster openers north and south of the border.

Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in the first game of the tournament in Mexico City, before South Korea came from behind to down Czechia 2-1 in Guadalajara.

Earlier on Friday, Canada snatched a 1-1 draw against Bosnia in Toronto, before attention turned to LA for the USMNT’s highly-anticipated group match against Paraguay.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team are narrow favorites to win the Group D opening game, before moving on to face Australia and Turkey.

SAN ANTONIO — It’s within reach.

It’s right there, tantalizingly close.

The Knicks are on the brink of securing their first NBA championship since 1973—a victory that would mark only the third in the team’s storied history. This moment of triumph, a chance to cement their legacy in New York sports lore, is almost theirs to seize.

All they need to do is take hold of it.

With a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, the Knicks prepare to face Game 5 at the Frost Bank Center this Saturday, standing just one win away from eternal glory.

“The biggest thing is everybody has to stay present,” coach Mike Brown said on Friday. “You have to be present. You can’t think about the outcome. It’s about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play. 

“Sometimes you can think about the process, and it not work out. But when you’re playing against other great teams especially, that’s how you have to take it because anybody’s mind can start wandering when you think about the outcome.” 

The Knicks this postseason have bludgeoned their opponents in closeout games. Between Game 6 against the Hawks in the first round, Game 4 against the 76ers in the second round and Game 4 against the Cavaliers in the conference finals, the Knicks won by a combined 118 points. 

“I’ve said this multiple times, the hardest game to win is the one that ends someone’s season,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “So we’ve got to be our best version tomorrow.” 

Despite Towns’ sentiment, the Knicks have made closeout games look like their easiest, not their hardest games. By the end of the first three rounds, they completely sucked the soul out of their opponents and left them with little will to keep competing. They left no doubt. 

There is one characteristic that has given them that ability. 

“Their level of maturity,” Brown said. “Obviously, we have some veteran guys on the team. But you can be a veteran and still have a little bit of immaturity about you, as we all know. From top to bottom, this group is pretty mature. That rubs off on the rest of the group. It makes my job easier. 

“We’ve been preaching all year that it’s about the next possession, the next possession, the next possession. We understand any time you try to play a closeout game, the level of desperation for your opponents increases, the level of desperation for the fans of your opponents is increased. You have to bring your best effort.”

That sense of desperation should be natural to the Spurs, who are trying to save their title hopes. But, when up 3-1 in the series, it would be natural for the Knicks to not have that same level of desperation, particularly after such an emotional, thrilling and historic comeback win in Game 4. 

“I think whenever you win or lose a game, that night you’re going to think about it, think about the things you’ve done well or what you did wrong,” Jalen Brunson said. “I’ve always told myself when you wake up the next day, it’s time to turn the page. Yes, we won, but we still have a lot of work to do. We have a lot to learn. We didn’t play our best basketball. We still have a lot to revisit to make sure that we don’t really put ourselves in that position again. 

“But honestly, we still have to continue to have the belief that we’ve had. It’s really important from that aspect.”

Playing with desperation first emerged when they trailed 2-1 in the first round. It carried them throughout their 13-game winning streak. 

The Spurs, at least publicly, are steadfast that they have not yet lost their confidence like the Knicks’ previous three opponents did. Victor Wembanyama said “everybody” on the team knows they will — not can — come back in the series. Stephon Castle expects to make history. 

And this series hasn’t exactly been straightforward — the Knicks have trailed by double-digits all four games and by as much as 29 in Game 4. All of the first four games of the series have been within four points in the final minute of regulation, the first time that’s happened in the Finals since 1973, when the Knicks beat the Lakers. 

The series has been closer than perhaps the 3-1 lead indicates. 

“We spoke about it multiple times,” Towns said. “We’ve got to approach every game like it’s 0-0. We’ve got to have that kind of desperation that it is to win Game 1 of a playoff series. We’ve got to go in there with the understanding of no comfortability, just really be desperate, execute at a high level. Gameplan discipline has to be at a high level.”

Elation awaits on the other side of desperation.