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Jim Harbaugh likes to run the football. He more than likes it, he loves it -- it's in his Bo Schembechler-infused blood. He's done it everywhere he's ever coached, even when smash-mouth football gave way to basketball-on-grass. Guessing Harbaugh was not one bit surprised when the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX running the football. Also guessing that's why he and Chargers' GM Joe Hortiz signed Philly's free agent guard, Mekhi Becton on Friday.

At 6'7", 363 pounds, the massive Becton helped the Eagles open huge holes for Saquon Barkley all last season, including on Super Bowl Sunday. After the Chargers signed ex-Pittsburgh Steeler RB Najee Harris it became clear they were leaning into Harbaugh's pound-the-rock mentality. Snagging Becton to fill an iOL need makes complete sense and recently garnered an 'A' grade from The Sporting News' Travis Wakeman.

"The Chargers — who already have Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt at the tackle spots — will presumably play Becton at guard as well, making this a fantastic move," Wakeman writes, "It's somewhat surprising to see the Eagles let him get away, but it gives the Chargers a chance to have one of the most physical lines in football next year."

Another grade that backs up the overwhelmingly positive reaction to Becton's signing, is his Pro Football Focus grade for 2024. Becton is a servicable pass blocker, grading out at 63.6. As a run blocker, however, he was a beast with a PFF grade of 74.7 -- good enough for the 14th best guard in the NFL. His overall mark of 75.2 puts him as the 16th best guard in football.

Harbaugh and Hortiz keep saying they have a plan, trust the plan. It's the same plan Harbaugh has always had -- dominate the line of scrimmage, field position and time of possession. Run the football well in order to open up options with the pass. A philosophy that Harbaugh has won with time and time again.

More Los Angeles Chargers News:

Justin Herbert reacts to Mike Williams returning to Chargers

Chargers analyst delivers shocking take on pursuit of star WR

Chargers’ TE situation just got so much worse thanks to Jets

Chargers beef up defensive line with former Alabama standout

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Kids & Family

ESL teacher, who is based in Cambodia, originally from the states, has written a creative reading book, which consists of 30 short stories.

Lisa Pellegrene, Community Contributor

|Updated Sun, Mar 16, 2025 at 4:30 pm PT

Cotton Candy Dreamland is a book by an ESL teacher, Steven Johnson, to encourage young ESL readers, and all children to improve their reading and writing skills through his engaging short stories.

The book is beautifully illustrated by self-taught artist and educator, Timothy Johnson. The stories also contain elements within each of them to deepen empathy, compassion and moral values, to inspire children to make the right choices and to proceed with love and kindness for others, while improving reading and writing skills. This creative reading book, created to help students who are learning English as a Second Language is also helping children across the board (whether ESL students or not) to find interest in reading due to the very inspiring stories that the author has shared. Author Steven Johnson was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Cambodia where he currently resides with his family. Johnson’s children speak English, Khmer, and are at the beginning phases of learning Chinese. Johnson states, “Learning a language is accomplished over time in chunks. Learning a language to the fullest extent can only be accomplished if you are practicing and exposed to the language you wish to learn. Just like learning to ride a bicycle or play a musical instrument, learning to speak, read, and write a language can often be frustrating and difficult. Due to the challenges learners face while studying a language, the content used in developing language skills is vital. It needs to be interesting and thought provoking, not frustrating and boring, in order for the language to be learned at a faster pace.”

Author Steven Johnson was inspired to write his stories after seeing students throughout Asia who were unhappy and uninterested with the books used in traditional reading classes. Stating, “My young students did not find reading interesting due to the unstimulating content that was being used. Oftentimes, changing or adding additional books into a school curriculum in Southeast Asia is a slow process. Any type of creative change in a curriculum is usually approached with skepticism and rarely ever happens. With my young 2nd graders, I was thankfully allowed to create some of my own reading content and activities on top of the largely uninteresting reading books that were mandatory for me to finish each semester. I noticed how stimulating content within books was the biggest factor that decided if young children made reading a daily habit or not.”

Cotton Candy Dreamland is an extension of this, to provide young readers various stories that are filled with inspiration, and important life lessons such as a reminder to keep empathy, kindness, fairness and compassion in all aspects of life, while the author concurrently incorporates valuable methodology which is crucial for teaching reading and writing, something every student benefits greatly from mastering.

Discussing his father’s illustrations found within Cotton Candy Dreamland: “My father’s paintings and my writings fuse together in a magical way. He is a self-taught artist. I write without overthinking. His paintings are not like photos. My writing is not fine-tuned to artificial perfection. His art jump starts my motivation to write daily. Honestly, he is my favorite artist, past or present. I purposely don’t include too much art in my books. I want the reader to create their own mental images without being influenced by excessive art. Usually, I only include one to three paintings per story. Two techniques are used when combining my writings with my father's art. The first is "Idea First, Art Second." When I have an idea in my mind, I often write the story and share the story with my dad. We then discuss the painting to be used. Once we agree on the painting, he produces it within a few days. The second technique is "Art First, Idea Second." My father has many beautiful paintings. Each of his paintings gives me endless ideas for stories. When I look at his paintings of nature or animals, I get a rush of possible characters, settings, and events. I just filter my thoughts and let the best of my art-influenced ideas flow off the tip of my pen.” Johnson has incorporated this process in his book at the conclusion of the short stories so that the children can participate by writing their own short stories and drawing their own images, sometimes the image is provided first and the children write the story. Other times the children are encouraged to draw their own images as well.

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One of the stories in Cotton Candy Dreamland was inspired during Johnson’s childhood. When he was 11 years old, he began to volunteer at an animal shelter. Johnson recalls, “Rain or shine, my mom would drop me off at the shelter. After a few hours, my mother would come back to pick me up. My dream was to have a pet dog, but my parents were allergic to dogs. I enjoyed being near and helping all the dogs at the shelter, which came in a variety such as healthy, unhealthy, happy, unhappy, abused, and neglected.”

Paraphrasing Johnson’s beautiful story from his own life, discussing a very precious life he decided to adopt as a child, it all started when he remembers being asked to spend time with a dog who was not willing to come near people or even eat, she was in her kennel shaking in the corner, until she met Steven Johnson.

Johnson remembers approaching her hoping to bring her out of her shell, so that she realized that loving people do exist in this world, stating, “I just sat down in front of the kennel’s gate and began to talk to her. She eventually raised her head. After continuing to talk to her for about fifteen minutes, she stood up still shaking,” but she eventually slowly found the courage to walk over to him. Steven continued, “Her tail fluttered quickly as she made her way over to me. When she was next to me, the gate separated us in close proximity. I stuck my hand through the chain-link fence and gave her a belly rub. She then stood up and stuck her nose through the fence with a big smile. I began to take Skeeter for walks around the shelter’s property. These outdoor walks became a daily routine. I knew I would one day adopt her.”

Steven discussed his desire to adopt Skeeter with his parents. His parents agreed that they could take her home on a trial basis in order to see if she caused his parents' allergies to act up or not.

“After a week, my parents decided we could adopt Skeeter permanently. Skeeter literally went everywhere with me during my years spent with her. She would go hiking with me and loved car rides. She was a true friend and was a great example of unconditional love. Skeeter cheered people up. You could not hide your feelings around Skeeter. She knew if you were sad or worried. She would comfort anyone who was lacking peace.” Saving Skeeter is a very special story in Steven Johnson’s book Cotton Candy Dreamland. He remembers as if it were yesterday that “she would put smiles on the faces of people who lacked happiness or felt pain. It seemed as if it was her mission in life to give others joy. Her mission of helping people really made me think about the importance of helping people regardless of who they were.”

The themes of respect, hope, love, gratitude and empathy in his writings were hugely influenced by Steven’s immensely precious dog, Skeeter.

Johnson concludes, “The story in my book, “Saving Skeeter” is a brief glimpse into my years spent with my beloved dog. This story is greatly enjoyed by the children here in Cambodia. Even parents of the young readers have commented positively about this touching story.”

Cotton Candy Dreamland is currently available to young readers everywhere on Amazon at the following link in both eBook, and paperback Cotton Candy Dreamland: Johnson, Steven, Pellegrene, Lisa J, Johnson, Timothy: 9798324940744: Amazon.com: Books, and will soon be available via Barnes and Nobles and other retailers. The book is edited by Lisa Pellegrene, and published through her company, Be Epic Media and Publishing, inspired after Ms. Pellegrene authored and published her book, "Be Epic, Choose Love - The Inspiration Continues."

Educators who would like to order multiple copies of Cotton Candy Dreamland, please contact the Publisher - Be Epic Media via the contact form.

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

When it comes to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, their style game is anything but accidental. Sure, their romance has most fans rooting, but their coordinated outfits? That’s where things really get interesting. These two don’t just throw on whatever’s clean; their looks seem calculated, a sartorial wink to a fanbase who is all too game to look for Easter eggs and hidden clues in Swift’s style.

Case in point? Their latest date night at Del Frisco’s Grille in New York City on March 14. Swift opted for a power suit moment with an oversized gray blazer paired with sleek burgundy heels. Match that with Kelce’s gray button-down and light jeans, and you’ve got a visual harmony that gives “twinning” without teetering into The Shining territory. This mutual minimalism isn’t about being extra; it’s about showing they’re in sync on the low. (See the photos on People HERE.)

Related story Bettina Anderson Shines Among A-List Elite Amid Romance With Donald Trump Jr.

But this coordinated magic didn’t happen overnight. Since stepping out as a couple in 2023, the Eras Tour star and Kansas City Chiefs tight end have evolved their style game big time. Take their twinning spree in New York City last December. One night they served bold accents; Swift in a black embellished wool coat and matching platforms, Kelce in a red denim jacket with jeans to match. The next, they pivoted to neutrals, with the “Blank Space” singer in a crystal-embroidered beige blazer and her NFL star beau in a camel-toned cardigan. The two even rocked matching pinky rings during her Eras Tour wrap party. Shared brands like Stella McCartney and coordinating color stories? It’s clear they’re communicating through design.

And let’s not forget their coordinated, preppy looks at the US Open in September 2024. Swift opted for a chic red-and-white gingham sundress from Reformation, while Kelce kept it preppy and polished in a Gucci cardigan and matching shorts, accented with red trim that tied their outfits together. Both looks featured subtle pops of red, a callback to Swift’s playful use of color coordination throughout her career.

Then there’s Kelce’s stylist, Tom Marchitelli, to thank. Marchitelli recently hinted that Travis “sneaks in” references to Swift’s world, calling it a playful inside joke between the couple. Whether it’s incorporating a Vivienne Westwood cardigan to blend seamlessly with Swift’s wardrobe or outfitting Kelce in a luxe red Nahmias denim set to complement Swift’s corset minidress, the pair is proving they’ve mastered the art of purposeful pairing.

And because we’re dealing with a Swift production, there are always Easter eggs. Remember their Grammy-adjacent looks? Swift in bold red and Kelce in gold, referencing her “Daylight” lyrics and the Kansas City Chiefs colors. Fans eat up these breadcrumbs, and it seems like the couple enjoys feeding the frenzy.

This isn’t just date-night dressing; it’s a flex. It’s branding. It’s mutual support embodied in Gucci and denim. One thing’s for sure: when it comes to Swift and Kelce, even their wardrobe works overtime to tell their story.

Before you go, click to see all of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s cutest PDA moments.

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Where to stop and smell the wildflowers in California

The rain has subsided and it’s finally time to visit colorful wildflower displays across the region.

But uneven rain patterns across the state mean the wildflower situation will be inconsistent. Northern California, which got more rain than usual, will see big superblooms. In Southern California, not so much. But there are still flower-viewing options.

The flower fields need a good soaking in the winter to germinate, my colleague Jeanette Marantos wrote in her plants newsletter.

That’s not what happened this rainy season. Downtown L.A. has received 6.55 inches of rain since the water year began Oct. 1. That is below the average for this point in the water season, 11.88 inches.

That means we’re unlikely to see large-scale blooms.

“Wildflowers need three things to give us a copious spring bloom — seeds in the ground, plenty of moisture and a few weeks of mild, cool temperatures in the 60s and low 70s,” botanist Naomi Fraga told Jeanette.

Just because poppies won’t blanket our hills like in previous years, doesn’t mean there won’t be beautiful flowers to admire across the state.

Other perennial native plants such as monkey flowers, phlox, sages, buckwheats and manzanitas will be in bloom. Here’s how you can find them.

Call the Wild Flower Hotline, which provides free weekly updates on the best locations for viewing spring wildflowers in Southern and Central California.

Visit your local botanical garden. California Botanic Garden in Claremont, the state’s largest botanic garden devoted to California native plants, and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, the second largest, are great options.

California Botanic Garden is hosting a free Native Plant Festival on March 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to highlight the beauty, variety and resiliency of the state’s native ecosystems.

Drive to see the Turkish flower fields. Farther south near San Diego, the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch boast 55 acres of ranunculus flowers that typically bloom for six to eight weeks.

Ranunculus flowers, also known as Persian buttercups, are native to Turkey but have been grown along the northern San Diego County coast for at least 90 years, Times reporter Christopher Reynolds wrote.

Through Mother’s Day, experience the magical ranunculus fields of bright pink, orange, yellow and white flowers at the ranch while also enjoying a 300-feet-by-170-feet American flag made from red, white and blue petunias; a 5-acre “sea of sunflowers;” and greenhouse displays of poinsettias and Cymbidium orchids.

The real superblooms, though, can be found in Northern California where rainfall has been above average all winter, setting the stage for a spring season of stunning wildflower superblooms.

The week’s biggest stories

California businesses are reeling from Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs

In Altadena and Pacific Palisades, burned lots are hitting the market

Tesla drivers are pushing back on Elon Musk

Federal lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to nix a plan to shoot 450,000 owls, citing cost

More big stories

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This week’s must reads

What do the dead have to say to the living?

The Life After Life Club in an Orange County retirement community explores trance channeling, the power of animal communication and near-death experiences. It recently hosted a psychic.

More great reads

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].

For your weekend

Going out

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How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.

Lady Gaga’s new album, “Mayhem,” comes just about a month before she’s set to headline which California desert music festival? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.

Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team

Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor

Pi Day is an annual national celebration of the mathematical concept, which is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter and equals 3.14...

March 14 is also reportedly the birthday of theoretical physicist Albert Einstein.

???? Los Angeles news 24/7: Watch NBC4 free wherever you are

On Friday, restaurants and businesses nationwide will be celebrating one of the "nerdiest" days of the year with deals on actual pie, pizza pie and other delights.

Here are some of the deals you can take advantage of this Pi Day:

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Traditional Pie

Milk Bar

All Milk Bar locations will offer a “Pi à la Mode” deal: a slice of Milk Bar’s famed Milk Bar Pie alongside a cup of their signature Cereal Milk Soft Serve for $10 ($4 discount).

Halo Top

What goes better with pie than ice cream?

From now until March 20, Halo Top is giving away 80,000 free pints in celebration of their eight new flavors.

To claim a free pint, ice cream enthusiasts can head to HaloTop.com/firsttaste.

Pizza Pie

7-Eleven

7-Eleven is offering members of its loyalty programs a large pizza for $3.14 in 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores on Thursday, March 14. (Limit one per transaction, two per day.)

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings

Get 31.4% off a large 16-inch pizza on Thursday, March 14, at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings. Valid for dine-in only.

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse

Get a second Pizookie for $3.14 with the purchase of a regularly-priced Pizookie on Thursday, March 14, at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. Valid for dine-in only.

Blaze Pizza

When you buy one 11-inch pizza, you can get a second 11-inch pizza of equal or lesser value for $3.14 at participating Blaze Pizza locations on March 14. The in-store-only offer is one per person and valid on any original dough pizza.

Customers will also get a code for a buy one, get one for $3.14 pizza that can be used in the Blaze app through the end of March.

California Pizza Kitchen

Sign up for California Pizza Kitchen's ?CPK Rewards loyalty program to get a $3.14 pizza (choose from Original BBQ Chicken Pizza, Pepperoni, or Traditional Cheese), with a $25 minimum purchase for dine-in only.

Current rewards members will find this offer in their digital wallet on March 14.

Chuck E. Cheese

Get a medium build-your-own one-topping pizza for $3.14 with the purchase of any large pizza at participating Chuck E. Cheese locations on March. 14.

Cicis Pizza

On Pi Day, Cicis Pizza customers who buy one medium or large one-topping pizza with Cicis Original round crust can buy a second pizza of the same size for $3.14. The offer can be redeemed in store or online with the code PIDAY.

DIGIORNO

Starting on Pi Day, March 14, the brand will launch a giveaway and give fans the chance to win limited-edition merchandise from a DiGiorno and Hidden Valley Ranch collab collection.

To enter, visit the giveaway website at 12 p.m. ET on March 14 for the chance to score free items while supplies last.

'Doordash

The food delivery service is offering nationwide Pi Day deals from three popular pizza chains: Pizza Hut, Sbarro and Hungry Howies.

Other

Pi Day Party by Mathnasium x CAMP

CAMP, the family activity center with locations in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, NYC, Philly and Washington D.C., is teaming up with Mathnasium for free Pi Day celebrations.

Families can book a Pi Day slime bar appointment, then enjoy free pizza and other hands-on activities like beaded bracelet crafting, face painting and temporary tattoos.

Mathnasium and CAMP are also hosting a national sweepstakes. Three lucky winners will receive a $3,140 educational scholarship and a $314 CAMP gift card.

Burger King

Members of Burger King's Royal Perks program can enjoy a free Hershey’s Sundae Pie with any purchase of $3.14 or more all day Thursday.

The offer must be activated in the “Offers” tab on the BK App or on bk.com before placing an order.

Keebler

Enter for a chance to win Keebler's ready-to-eat pie crusts by liking their Instagram post and tagging a friend. No purchase necessary.

Taco Bell

Taco Bell is selling their Mexican Pizzas for $3.14 on Pi Day. The offer limited to one per customer, only in the app.