State Senate rejects CHRB appointment

In a bizarre bit of political theater, the California Senate turned down a governor’s political appointment for the first time in more than 20 years Monday. Wendy Mitchell was seeking reappointment to the California

Horse Racing Board when a majority of votes turned to a slim minority in just an hour.

It’s expected that Mitchell’s case will be reconsidered and another vote taken at an undetermined time.

The Senate voted Monday afternoon, in what is routinely a prolonged process, and she had a 29-5 vote for confirmation at 2:30 p.m. that turned into a 17-20 denial by 3:30 p.m. According to multiple people familiar with the process, extensive lobbying was done on the floor of the Senate, although no individual senator has claimed to be heading the effort.

— John Cherwa

The Brooklyn Nets announced that James Harden would miss at least the next 10 days with a hamstring injury, a day before Kevin Durant is expected to rejoin the lineup.

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez is retiring after a three-decade run in which he transformed the university’s football team and later guided the Badgers to their greatest allaround sports success in school history. The 74-year-old Alvarez said he would retire June 30.

Massachusetts will be without four players when the Minutemen face Minnesota Duluth on Thursday night at the Frozen Four hockey tournament in Pittsburgh because of COVID-19 contact tracing protocols, Massachusetts announced.

Sky Blue of the National Women’s Soccer League has rebranded itself as NJ/NY Gotham FC. The New Jersey-based club wanted to recognize its growing reach.

Tokyo Olympic organizers postponed a water polo test event set for this weekend and said it might be rescheduled for May or June. Reports in Japan said technical officials were unable to go to Japan because of strict procedures to enter the country.