WASHINGTON — In a case that echoes the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal, two Northern California Republican congressmen used their official positions to try to stop a federal investigation of a wealthy Texas businessman who provided them with political contributions.

Reps. John T. Doolittle and Richard W. Pombo joined forces with former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas to oppose an investigation by federal banking regulators into the affairs of Houston millionaire Charles Hurwitz, documents recently obtained by The Times show. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was seeking $300 million from Hurwitz for his role in the collapse of a Texas savings and loan that cost taxpayers $1.6 billion.

The investigation was ultimately dropped.

The effort to help Hurwitz began in 1999 when DeLay wrote a letter to the chairman of the FDIC denouncing the investigation of Hurwitz as a “form of harassment and deceit on the part of government employees.” When the FDIC persisted, Doolittle and Pombo — both considered proteges of DeLay — used their power as members of the House Resources Committee to subpoena the agency’s confidential records on the case, including details of the evidence FDIC investigators had compiled on Hurwitz.

Then, in 2001, the two congressmen inserted many of the sensitive documents into the Congressional Record, making them public and accessible to Hurwitz’s lawyers, a move that FDIC officials said damaged the government’s ability to pursue the banker.

The FDIC’s chief spokesman characterized what Doolittle and Pombo did as “a seamy abuse of the legislative process.” But soon afterward, in 2002, the FDIC dropped its case against Hurwitz, who had owned a controlling interest in the United Savings Assn. of Texas. United Savings’ failure was one of the worst of the S&L; debacles in the 1980s.

Doolittle and Pombo did not respond to requests for interviews last week. They publicly defended Hurwitz at the time, saying the inquiry was unfair. Hurwitz’s lawyer said Friday that the FDIC had been overzealous. This summer, a judge in Texas agreed and awarded Hurwitz attorney fees and other costs in a civil suit he filed. “They sought to humiliate him,” U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes, said in the ruling. The government is appealing the decision.

In key aspects, the Hurwitz case follows the pattern of the Abramoff scandal: members of Congress using their offices to do favors for a politically well-connected individual who, in turn, supplies them with campaign funds. Although Washington politicians frequently try to help important constituents and contributors, it is unusual for members of Congress to take direct steps to stymie an ongoing investigation by an agency such as the FDIC.

And the actions of the two Californians reflect DeLay’s broad strategy of cementing relationships with individuals, business interests and lobbyists whose financial support enabled Republicans to extend their grip on Congress and on government agencies as well. The system DeLay developed and Abramoff took part in went beyond simple quid pro quo; it mobilized whatever GOP resources were available to help those who could help the party.

In the Hurwitz case, Doolittle and Pombo were in a position to pressure the FDIC and did so. Pombo received a modest campaign contribution. In another case, Pombo helped one of Abramoff’s clients, the Mashpee Indians in Massachusetts, gain official recognition as a tribe; the congressman received contributions from the lobbyist and the tribe in that instance.

Andrew Wheat, research director for Texans for Public Justice, a nonpartisan electoral reform group based in Austin, put it this way: “DeLay and Hurwitz seem like natural allies in that they have geographic and ideological proximity. Mr. Hurwitz is a guy who has a reputation of being willing to pay to play. And DeLay likes to play that game too, so there’s a natural affinity.”

DeLay announced Saturday that he was giving up his efforts to regain the majority leader position. He was majority whip when he first became involved in helping Hurwitz.

In the Abramoff scandal, members of Congress allegedly did favors for the politically connected lobbyist’s clients — including Indian casinos — and received campaign contributions and lavish free entertainment. Last week, the lobbyist pleaded guilty in separate cases in Miami and Washington in a deal that government investigators hope will lead to more prosecutions. Others involved have also made deals to cooperate, and Washington is braced for new criminal charges to come.

The episode involving Hurwitz and the two California congressmen took place with little public notice just before the Abramoff scandal began to escalate. The Sacramento Bee published a story when Doolittle inserted FDIC investigative documents into the Congressional Record, noting that it occurred at a time when Congress was distracted by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the anthrax episode.

But what lay behind Doolittle’s action, and the actions of Pombo and DeLay, did not become clear until recently, when the government documents and copies of letters between the congressmen and FDIC officials were obtained by The Times.

J. Kent Friedman, the general counsel for Hurwitz’s vast Houston-based holding company, said last week that the FDIC was overzealous in its dealings with his boss.

“Their case was weak from the start. They had a terrible case,” Friedman said. He said anyone trying to connect the congressmen to the fact that the case fell apart would be “attempting to put a bow on a pig.”

The Texas S&L; in which Hurwitz held a controlling interest of about 25% collapsed in 1988 as part of a financial fiasco that took federal regulators years to untangle. The investigation of Hurwitz began in 1995 and continued for about seven years before it was dropped.

After DeLay’s 1999 letter attacking the investigation failed to dissuade the FDIC, Doolittle weighed in with a statement on the House floor in 2001, saying the FDIC investigators were “clearly out of control” and should have “dropped the case, period.”

Pombo, in his own 2001 floor statement, suggested that the banking regulators were using strong-arm methods against Hurwitz, or what Pombo called “tools equivalent to the Cosa Nostra — a mafia tactic.”

Doolittle, 55, an eight-term congressman, represents California’s fourth district, the Sierra Foothills region and the eastern suburbs of Sacramento. He has a consistent conservative voting record, opposing gun control and abortion and siding with property rights, timber and utility interests against environmental groups.

By 2000, he had grown close to DeLay, working with the Republican leader to oppose proposed changes to campaign finance law and restrictions on fundraising. When DeLay was indicted in Texas last year, Doolittle distributed about 100 lapel pins in the shape of tiny hammers as a tribute to the man nicknamed the “Hammer” for his ability to pound congressional Republicans into line.

Doolittle also was closely aligned with Abramoff. Records show that Abramoff gave Doolittle tens of thousands of dollars in contributions and employed the congressman’s wife for other fundraising activities.

Pombo, the son of cattle ranchers, plays up his cowboy roots, often appearing in his district wearing a ranch-hand’s hat and ostrich-skin boots. Forty-five years old, a seven-term congressman, he represents the fertile farming expanse of the Central Valley.

He had impressed DeLay with his fundraising prowess, garnering about $1 million for his 2002 House reelection, which he won easily.

And not long after his role in helping Hurwitz, the GOP House caucus — led by DeLay — helped get Pombo elected chairman of the Resources Committee over several more senior Republicans.

Hurwitz has been a prolific campaign donor since the early 1990s.

He has contributed personally and with funds provided by his Houston-based flagship company, Maxxam Inc., through subsidiaries such as Kaiser Aluminum, and through a company political action committee, Maxxam Inc. Federal PAC.

In the last three federal elections cycles, those entities have given about $443,000 in political contributions — most of it to conservative politicians, including President Bush, for whom Hurwitz pledged to raise $100,000 in the 2000 campaign and also helped during that year’s vote tally deadlock in Florida.

Hurwitz has been generous with DeLay too.

Starting in the 2000 election cycle, the businessman and his committees have distributed at least $30,000 to DeLay and his federal causes, including $5,000 for his current legal defense fund in the Texas money-laundering case.

Hurwitz also contributed $1,000 to Pombo for his 1996 reelection campaign. And through the Maxxam PAC, Hurwitz gave Doolittle $5,000 for his 2002 reelection campaign and then followed up with $2,000 more for his 2004 race.

When DeLay went to bat for Hurwitz, he was particularly critical of reported internal government discussions that would have pressed Hurwitz to settle his obligations for the collapsed S&L; by selling the government vast forest areas and redwood trees in Northern California near Scotia. The forest land was owned by Hurwitz’s Pacific Lumber company

“I am extremely concerned,” DeLay told then-FDIC Chairwoman Donna A. Tanoue, “about the apparent abuse of governmental power and what appears to be misconduct in the form of harassment and deceit on the part of government employees.”

Tanoue responded by telling DeLay “we can assure you that the FDIC lawsuit against Mr. Hurwitz was not filed for political reasons.”

The investigation pressed on, and a year later the House Resources Committee, which had jurisdiction because of the forest area, set up a special Headwaters Forest Task Force and launched its own review. Doolittle was appointed task force chairman, and Pombo one of its members.

Duane Gibson, the committee’s general counsel who later went to work for Abramoff, was named the chief investigator. They immediately subpoenaed internal records from the FDIC and the Office of Thrift Supervision, which also had responsibilities for S&Ls.;

Both agencies were wary and, although complying with the subpoenas, repeatedly urged the lawmakers not to make the documents public or share them with Hurwitz.

William F. Kroener III, general counsel at the FDIC, warned the committee that Hurwitz and his lawyers were not entitled to see many of the documents.

Kroener told the panel that, should the material end up in their hands, it “could significantly injure our ability to litigate this matter and reduce damages otherwise recoverable to reimburse taxpayers.”

Carolyn J. Buck, chief counsel at the Office of Thrift Supervision, also wrote the committee emphasizing that “we note our objection to any publication or release of these documents.”

The task force was set up for six months, and disbanded in December 2000. It held one hearing, and called FDIC and Office of Thrift Supervision officials as witnesses.

At that hearing, Tanoue defended the FDIC’s investigation.

“I have listened to and considered the arguments made directly to me by representatives of Mr. Hurwitz,” she testified. “However, I have found no compelling reason to take the extraordinary step of … taking this case out of the hands of the judicial system.”

Kroener testified that the FDIC was not interested in a trees-for-debt swap, saying his agency “has expressed its preference for a cash settlement.”

Six months later, in June 2001, Pombo submitted a portion of the subpoenaed documents that filled 14 pages in the Congressional Record.

Six months after that, in December 2001, Doolittle did the same, even though he was no longer a member of the committee. And his submission was much larger — filling 111 pages.

The documents were so voluminous that Doolittle and Pombo had to pay a total of about $20,000 from their congressional accounts to cover the extra printing costs.

The FDIC was outraged over the documents’ release.

Its chief spokesman, Phil Battey, said in a statement to the Sacramento Bee at the time that the publication of the materials was a “subordination … and a seamy abuse of the legislative process.”

Not long afterward, the FDIC dismissed its case, and the Office of Thrift Supervision settled with Hurwitz for about $200,000 in administrative costs.

*

Times staff writer Ted Rohrlich contributed to this report.

A look at The Times’ top 25 high school baseball rankings for the Southland after the sixth week of the season:

Rk. School (Rec.); Comment; ranking last week

1. ORANGE LUTHERAN (7-1): Gary Morse had 16-strikeout performance; 4

2. ST. JOHN BOSCO (9-2): Three-game series with Orange Lutheran this week; 1

3. NORCO (10-1): Three-game series with King; 5

4. CORONA (9-1): Two home runs from Anthony Murphy; 3

5. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (12-1): 12-game winning streak ends; 2

6. HARVARD-WESTLAKE (10-4): Two home runs in North Carolina for Jake Kim; 6

7. HUNTINGTON BEACH (8-2-1): Dane Cunningham is hitting .458; 7

8. LA MIRADA (11-3): Three-game sweep of Gahr; 17

9. SIERRA CANYON (12-3): 5-2 record in Mission League 9

10. ROYAL (11-1): Dustin Dunwoody is 5-0 with 50 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings and 0.00 ERA; 10

11. AQUINAS (6-2): 13 hits in eight games for Johnny Tena; 11

12. BISHOP ALEMANY (9-4): Warriors finally at full strength; 13

13. AYALA (10-1): Big series with Bonita this week; 18

14. CYPRESS (9-3): 2-0 start in tough Crestview League; 16

15. OAKS CHRISTIAN (10-3): Dane Disney, Carson Sheffer eah have 18 hits; 14

16. SOUTH HILLS (12-2): Took two of three from San Dimas; 15

17. SERVITE (9-4): Took two of three games from Santa Margarita; 24

18. SANTA MARGARITA (12-4): Three-game series with Mater Dei; 12

19. THOUSAND OAKS (12-1): Jake Ange hit two grand slams vs. Calabasas; 20

20. NEWPORT HARBOR (12-2): Big Sunset League series vs. Los Alamitos; 21

21. GANESHA (8-0): Wins over Foothill, Mission Viejo; NR

22. SOUTH TORRANCE (11-1): Headed to San Diego for tournament; 22

23 CORONA SANTIAGO (10-5): Put up strong fight vs. Corona; 25

24. EL DORADO (8-6): Hosting National Classic this week 19

25. GAHR (5-7): Tough schedule taking toll; 8

The Houthis in Yemen have launched their first attacks on Israel, opening a new front in the month-long regional war. Al Jazeera’s Virginia Pietromarchi explains why the move could raise new risks for oil shipping, and civilians in Yemen.

KATIE Price has put on a busty display during a workout after confessing she “begged doctors” for answers over her weight loss.

Over the last year the former glamour model’s shrinking frame has caused concern amongst her fans.

Katie went strength training with her husband Lee Andrews in a bright pink plunging top and matching shorts.

Lee shared the video clip to Instagram and can be heard motivating his wife and helping her to train.

And although Katie was concentrating hard on her exercises, the glamour model raised a smile when her husband joked: “You can smile, you know.”

Katie recently revealed she was too thin and had begged Doctors for help, when TV host Susanna Reid explained she was worried about the “very skinny” star when she appeared on GMB.

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After talking about her whirlwind marriage to fourth husband Lee Andrews, 41, the topic of the former pin-up’s weight came into question.

Host Susanna then revealed her concern for Katie’s tiny frame, and said: “Katie, can I ask, because I am concerned about your weight. Because you are very, very, very skinny.”

To which the star replied: “So people who follow me online will know I have lost weight. I recognise I lose weight. I look too skinny. I look gaunt.

So I have been to the doctors to see why am I losing this weight. I’ve done all the blood tests. I even had to do the poo one as well to find out.”

Susanna then asked: “The doctor says you’re OK?”

Katie then replied: “And I said to them, ‘everyone says I’m on Ozempic’.

“And they said, ‘well, we can tell in your blood you’re not’. I am lack of iron.

“They’re now checking the other bit.

“And I’m going through pre-menopause at the moment as well.”

Last month, Katie revealed she had actually PUT ON weight after marrying Lee.

After previously calling herself a “stick woman”, she told fans in an Instagram video: “I actually have a confession to make.

“Number one: he is a feeder,” she said pointing to self-proclaimed millionaire businessman Lee.

“I’ve been to the doctors and everything, asking why,” she trailed off, before revealing she had put on weight, and the exact figure.

“I’ve actually put on half a stone,” Katie confessed.

“So it goes to show, that when you’re happy…

“So you’ll be please to know that I’ve put on half a stone because I can’t stop eating.”

March 29 (UPI) — Israeli police blocked Jerusalem’s top Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a centuries-old tradition to mark Palm Sunday.

The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch, and Father Francesco Ielpo, custom of the Holy Land, were stopped as they attempted to enter the church.

The two leaders traditionally lead a procession from the Mount of Olives to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where they celebrate Palm Sunday mass.

Pizzabella announced earlier in the week that the traditional procession and mass had been canceled due to the war in Iran, which has resulted in attacks in Israel. He announced the procession would be replaced by a moment of prayer.

“Preventing the entry of the cardinal and the custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the holy places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Custody of the Holy Land said.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the leaders were prevented from entering the church because of the danger of Iran strikes targeting holy sites.

“Israel has temporarily asked worshippers from all faiths not to worship at the holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City to protect them,” the office said in a statement on X.

The statement said “there was no malicious intent whatsoever, only concern for [Pizzabella’s] safety and that of his party.”

“However, given the holiness of the week leading up to Easter for the world’s Christians, Israel’s security arms are putting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days.”

An Iranian missile barrage has caused a fire a chemical plant near Beersheba in southern Israel, following expanded attacks on Iranian infrastructure.

The “Harry Potter” team did not need a divination expert to know its cast would encounter some “unpleasant and aggressive behavior.”

HBO boss Casey Bloys told multiple outlets this week that the network had taken precautions anticipating the vitriol the “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” actors would face. Ghanian-English actor Paapa Essiedu recently spoke out about the racist abuse and death threats he has received since the announcement that he had been cast as potions professor Severus Snape.

“With all actors on any kind of big IP shows — and this is obviously one of those where you’ve got, you know, passionate fans, people with a lot of opinions — it can get scary in places,” Bloys told Variety in an interview published Tuesday. “So for any show like that, we anticipated it and tried to have training, you know, best practices in terms of social media and how to handle it. And obviously we’ve got a serious security team.”

Essiedu, who is portraying the enigmatic but ultimately heroic Hogwarts professor first brought to life by Alan Rickman in the original “Harry Potter” films, has opened up about the racist abuse he has received from those who believe a Black man should not be playing the fictional wizard.

“I’ve been told, ‘Quit or I’ll murder you,’” he said in an interview with the Times of London. “The reality is that if I look at Instagram, I will see somebody saying, ‘I’m going to come to your house and kill you.’”

“[N]obody should have to encounter this for doing their job … And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t affect me emotionally,” Essiedu added.

This is not the first time that fans of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World novels expressed outrage over the casting of a Black actor in an adaptation. There was a similar outcry in 2016 when Noma Dumezweni was cast to play Hermione Granger in the original London production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

It’s also not a situation unique to “Harry Potter.” Racist vitriol has been hurled toward actors in other genre franchises, including fantasy shows such as “House of the Dragon” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” as well as those involved in “Star Wars” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Bloys also told Deadline in an interview published Wednesday that they had “anticipated there would be a lot of interest in all of [the actors], and interest can tip over into more unpleasant and aggressive behavior.”

“We talked to them about what to expect, what to expect on social media and how we handle it, but any kind of security that’s needed is an unfortunate aspect of doing IP shows,” he said. “We just try to be mindful and monitor it.”

Essiedu also told the Times of London that “the [racist] abuse fuels” him.

“[It] makes me more passionate about making this character my own, because I think of how I felt as a kid,” he said. “I would imagine myself at Hogwarts on broomsticks, and the idea that a kid like me can see themselves represented in that world? That’s motivation to not be intimidated by someone saying they’d rather I died instead of doing work I’m going to be really proud of.”

Safiya Baidi spent six months living in a 1987 Mitsubishi Galant. She slept in the front seat; her two baby girls slept in the back seat. Food was stored in the trunk.

It was a way to keep orderly the only home she had. Most nights, though, that order was interrupted by her children’s needs.

“They always wanted me to sleep close to their noses, so I put the seat back,” Baidi said. “It was very uncomfortable, but that’s what they wanted.”

On Thursday, the needs of her children led Baidi to join about 150 frustrated tenants who converged on downtown’s Pershing Square to protest the suspension of federal housing assistance to 1,500 families in Los Angeles.

The problem, advocates say, may soon grow worse. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that about 10,000 families in Los Angeles County could be cut from the Section 8 program if the 2005 budget proposed by the Bush administration is passed by Congress.

Officials with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, however, view the proposed budget in a starkly different way.

“The president’s proposal would provide enough flexibility for local housing authorities to still cover as many people with vouchers as it currently does,” said Larry Bush, a HUD spokesman. “In the case of Los Angeles, this will require better management than we have seen to date.”

Section 8 is a federal program that subsidizes the rents of low-income tenants, who pay about 30% of their income in rent. The federal government pays the rest.

In Los Angeles, for example, a family of four with an income of $29,750 is considered very low income. A family of four with an income of $17,850 or less is considered extremely low income.

With her voucher, Baidi would have been able to rent a two-bedroom apartment. She had found a place in Hawthorne. Now that her voucher is suspended, the 22-year-old, who works full time at a hospital, remains in the homeless shelter that took her in after her long stint living in her car.

“My job is minimum wage,” she said, above the chants of protesters. “That won’t get me in anywhere.”

The protests, which included speeches by single mothers, the mentally ill and others in need of housing assistance, was organized by the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness. State Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar) and Los Angeles Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa joined the group in demanding that Congress, the state and federal government do more to assist those who need housing.

“These are people struggling to find the American dream and our president is trying to take it away,” Alarcon said to the crowd. “I think we need to take away his public housing and kick him out of the White House.”

The program had been supported by previous administrations because they “understood something about Section 8,” he said, calling the program “a path to a better place.”

Earlier this year, officials at the Los Angeles Housing Authority canceled housing vouchers of those who had not yet entered into rental contracts. Officials estimated that about 5,000 subsidized households — families already in rental contracts — might lose their assistance unless help came soon.

Local officials pushed HUD for additional funds, more vouchers or an agreement that certain funds could be used to pay for the vouchers. Federal officials blamed problems on the local agency.

On Monday, HUD and local officials announced the signing of an agreement that averted the loss of assistance to the 5,000 families, but so far no hope has been offered that assistance will be restored to those with suspended vouchers. Those families, about 400 of whom are homeless, according to the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness, have been left in limbo: stuck in hotels, in shelters or on the streets.

One of the protesters, Laura Figueras, spent 10 years living on the streets, mentally ill and unable to care for herself.

She credits a Santa Monica shelter with helping her reform her life. Now her illness is controlled with medication and she has started to imagine herself living in her own home. She is on a list to receive a voucher.

“It took me a long time to get that far,” Figueras said. When she learned about the suspensions “my world fell apart…. I was pretty devastated,” she said. “But I’m not giving up.”

The voucher suspensions and concerns about possible cuts in the program have given rise to the Save the Section 8 Coalition, several organizations that are pushing for HUD “to release emergency funds to honor the 1,500 Section 8 vouchers.” The coalition is also demanding that the program “remain fully funded to at least its current level. No massive cuts as the Bush administration has proposed.”

Rich Gonzalez, the meet director for the Arcadia Invitational, remembers when LeBron James showed up at Pauley Pavilion in 2003 to play in a high school basketball tournament, filling the venue.

Now he’s pulled off the track equivalent with the announcement that 2024 Olympian Quincy Wilson, from Bullis School in Potomac, Md., is coming on April 11 to compete at the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High.

Wilson competed at the 2024 Olympic Games as a 16-year-old running a leg in the qualifying for the 4×400 relay and earning a gold medal when the team won in the finals. The 400 meters is his specialty, and he’s scheduled to run in that event along with the school’s 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams. That means he’ll get to face Servite, which has California’s best 400-meter relay team. It also means no one is going to leave the meet early since the final event is the 4×400 relay. Loyola, Servite and Long Beach Poly will be challenging Bullis.

Another star committed is from the girls ranks, Natalie Dumas from Eastern Regional High in Voorhees Township, N.J. She’s coming to try to break the national record in the 300 intermediate hurdles held by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Wilson is committed to Maryland and Dumas to Arkansas.

The meet begins at 5 p.m. on April 11. Tickets will go on sale this week.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

IF you’re wondering where the next big holiday trend is coming from, I can save you some time.

It’s not a brand new destination, and it’s not somewhere “undiscovered”.

It’s the places your parents went in the 90s.

I spend most of my time looking at holiday booking data, and this one trend keeps jumping out.

A whole wave of classic British package holiday resorts are making a serious comeback in 2026.

And the reason is simple: they’re still ridiculously good value.

From Europe to Africa, here are my top 10 cheap holiday spots that are booming again… and the deals you can get right now.

10. Skanes, Tunisia

Skanes is a proper throwback to 90s package holidays – big beachfront hotels, short transfers, and everything centred around the resort.

And now, it’s having one of the biggest comebacks I’ve seen in the data, with bookings to Tunisia up massively again heading into 2026.

I found a really strong all-inclusive deal here – 7 nights at the 4* Hotel Liberty Resort, flying from London Southend (16–23 Aug 2026), from £535pp for a family of four. That’s roughly £76pp per night, and crucially, it’s all-inclusive.

What makes this one work is how family-friendly it is – big pool areas, loads going on for kids, and everything included, so you’re not constantly spending.

And the reason it’s this cheap is simple. Tunisia is still rebuilding demand, so hotels are pricing low to win Brits back. Which means right now, you’re getting proper beachfront value for a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere.

9. Calpe, Costa Blanca, Spain

Calpe was huge with British tourists in the 80s and early 90s – classic Spanish seaside, big beaches and that iconic rock backdrop.

Now it’s trending again in 2026, as people look for more relaxed, less chaotic alternatives to bigger resorts.

I found a great-value summer deal – 7 nights at the 4* AR Diamante Beach, flying from Bournemouth (3–10 Aug 2026), from £588pp for a family of four. That’s about £84pp per night, on a bed & breakfast basis.

This hotel stands out because it feels a bit more premium than your typical Costa Blanca stay – big modern rooms, great pool area, and close to the beach without being chaotic.

It’s cheaper because it’s not trying to be flashy or all-inclusive heavy. And for families, that works – because you can eat out cheaply and control your spending instead.

8. Hurghada, Egypt

Hurghada was unbelievably popular in the 2000s all-inclusive boom, thanks to massive resorts, guaranteed heat and loads included in the price.

And now it’s properly back again, with bookings climbing fast into 2026.

This one’s properly eye-opening – 7 nights at the 4* Royal Lagoons Aqua Park Resort & Spa, flying from Belfast (22–29 Aug 2026), from £668pp for a family of four. That’s around £95pp per night, and it’s all-inclusive.

What makes it great for families is the waterpark setup with slides, multiple pools and enough going on to keep kids busy all week without leaving the hotel.

This is why Egypt is flying with Brits right now, despite its proximity to the Iran conflict. Because once you arrive, everything’s covered.

Flights are longer, which keeps demand slightly lower, but for families, that means ridiculous value for what you get.

7. Hammamet, Tunisia

Hammamet was one of the classic British beach holidays of the 90s – long sandy beaches, big hotels and loads of all-inclusive resorts.

Just like Skanes, it’s seeing a massive resurgence heading into 2026.

I spotted this while digging through peak summer prices – 7 nights at the 4* Houda Yasmine Hammamet, flying from London Southend (23–30 Aug 2026), from £553pp for a family of four. That’s about £79pp per night, and it’s all-inclusive.

It’s a proper classic family hotel with a massive pool, entertainment, and everything geared around easy, no-stress holidays.

Again, the price comes down to perception catching up with reality.

The hotels are good, the weather’s great – but demand hasn’t fully returned yet. So you’re benefiting from that gap.

6. Salou, Costa Dorada, Spain

Salou was massive with British families in the 90s and early 2000s with beaches, family hotels and PortAventura right next door.

And now it’s flying back again in 2026 as families rediscover how easy it is.

I couldn’t ignore this deal – 7 nights at the 4* 4R Playa Park, flying from Birmingham (21–28 Aug 2026), from £408pp for a family of four. That’s just £58pp per night, on a bed & breakfast basis.

This is exactly what Salou does well: simple, well-located hotels with good pools and easy access to everything – and at a really great price too.

And it’s such great value because you’re not paying for extras upfront.

But in Salou, that’s ideal – everything locally is affordable, so you can build your own budget holiday.

5. Torremolinos, Costa del Sol, Spain

Torremolinos is where the British package holiday basically started back in the 60s and 70s.

And in 2026, it’s trending hard again thanks to how easy and reliable it is.

I found a really solid summer option here – 7 nights at the 4* Hotel Apartamentos Bajondillo, flying from Bournemouth (22–29 Aug 2026), from £518pp for a family of four. That’s about £74pp per night, on a self-catering basis.

What makes this one great is the location, as it sits right on the beachfront, with loads nearby, and perfect if you want flexibility with food and spending.

It’s not the cheapest on the list, but you’re paying for convenience – short transfer, loads to do, and no surprises.

4. Benidorm, Costa Blanca, Spain

Benidorm was the capital of British holidays in the 80s and 90s, and now a whole new generation is discovering it.

Bookings are up again in 2026, especially with younger families and couples.

I found this cracking value deal – 7 nights at the 3* Terralta Apartments, flying from Dublin (23–30 Aug 2026), from £403pp for a family of four. That’s roughly £58pp per night, on a self-catering basis.

It’s ideal for families too, as it’s home to spacious apartments, a big pool, and a quieter location just outside the main strip.

And this one’s cheap simply because Benidorm is built for volume: loads of apartments, loads of competition – which keeps prices low.

Best part is, once you’re there, everything else is cheap too.

3. Sousse, Tunisia

Sousse has always been one of Tunisia’s most popular beach resorts – big hotels, great beaches and loads of all-inclusive options.

And just like the rest of Tunisia, it’s seeing a huge comeback into 2026.

One of the best-value all-inclusive deals I found – 7 nights at the 4* El Ksar Resort & Thalasso, flying from London Southend (16–23 Aug 2026), from £583pp for a family of four. That’s about £83pp per night, and it’s all-inclusive.

This is exactly what families want – beachfront setting, slides, big pool areas and everything included from day one.

This is where the value really shows.

Because when everything’s included, you’re not constantly spending – which makes it one of the easiest holidays to budget for.

2. El Arenal, Majorca, Spain

El Arenal was massive in the charter flight era – big beach, loads of hotels and right next to Palma.

And now Majorca, and El Arenal in particular, is firmly back on the rise again in 2026.

I found a peak summer Majorca deal that really stood out – 7 nights at the 3* BLUESEA Costa Verde, flying from Bournemouth (19–26 Aug 2026), from £580pp for a family of four. That’s about £83pp per night, and it’s all-inclusive.

What makes this one work is simplicity – good pool, food included, and a no-frills base in a super easy destination.

It’s slightly pricier because Majorca never really goes out of demand.

But you’re paying for ease – short flight, reliable weather and a destination that just works.

1. Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Sharm El Sheikh was one of the BIGGEST British holiday hotspots of the 2000s.

And now it’s making the biggest comeback of all destinations worldwide heading into 2026.

And this is where the value really hits home – 7 nights at the 4* Xperience Saint George Homestay, flying from London Luton (5–12 Aug 2026), from £650pp for a family of four. That’s around £93pp per night, and it’s all-inclusive, in great hotel, with guaranteed heat.

This hotel is built for proper relaxation with multiple pools, loads of food options and everything set up so you barely need to leave. Just turn up, pay for nothing, and leave rested, relaxed and tanned.

And the reason it’s such good value, even in the summer holidays, is simple.

Flights have only relatively recently come back at scale, so demand is still catching up. But the hotels are still world-class.

Which means right now, you’re getting proper 4* all-inclusive… for less than most self-catering holidays in Europe.

March 29 (UPI) — Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued a warning Saturday against a possible ground troop invasion as the U.S. military sends more troops to the region.

Ghalibaf made the comments in a message marking 30 days since the start of the war. The United States and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 in their efforts to diminish the country’s nuclear weapons program.

Ghalibaf accused the United States of secretly planning a ground invasion of Iran. On Saturday, two U.S. ships arrived in the region carrying 3,500 U.S. service members as well as fighter jets, transport aircraft, amphibious assault vessels and other tactical assets. More troops were expected, U.S. Central Command said.

“The enemy publicly sends messages of negotiation while secretly planning a ground invasion — unaware that our men are waiting for American troops to enter on the ground, ready to unleash devastation upon them and punish their regional allies,” Ghalibaf said, as reported by CNN.

Last week, the Trump administration proposed a 15-point peace plan with Iran. President Donald Trump also ordered a 10-day halt on strikes against Iranian energy sites, though Israel carried out its own attacks on energy sites Friday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Iran had not responded to the peace proposal.

“The United States speaks of its aspirations, presenting what it failed to achieve in war as a 15-point list to pursue through diplomacy,” Ghalibaf said.

“As long as the Americans seek Iran’s surrender, the answer of your sons remains clear: ‘Far be it from us to accept humiliation.'”

Ghalibaf’s message came in the wake of a Saturday report by The Washington Post that the Defense Department has drawn up plans for a weeks-long ground operation in Iran. Officials told The Post the plan isn’t considered a full-scale ground invasion, but would involve Special Operations forces and infantry troops.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a statement in response to the possibility of ground troops in Iran.

“It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the commander in chief maximum optionality,” she said. “It does not mean the president has made a decision.”

Iran has launched attacks on Israeli and other U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf region, including one Sunday on a military camp in Kuwait, which killed 10 Kuwaiti service members. The army said it detected 14 ballistic missiles and 12 hostile drones in Kuwaiti airspace over the previous 24 hours. Since the start of the war, it has monitored more than 300 ballistic missiles, 2 cruise missiles and more than 600 hostile drones.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials said emergency officials were working on a large fire that broke out at a hazardous materials factory at the Neot Hovav industrial complex, The Guardian reported. The Israeli military blamed “a weapon fragment or interceptor fragment” for the damage and fire.

Since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran, Israel has closed holy sites in Jerusalem, citing safety concerns.

Israeli police have prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to mark Palm Sunday Mass.

The Catholic Church said on Sunday that Pizzaballa and Francesco lelpo, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, were both prevented from entering the church.

“As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement said.

“This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world, who, during this week, look to Jerusalem,” it added.

Israeli police said all holy sites in Jerusalem were closed due to safety concerns amid the United States and Israel’s war on Iran. During the Muslim month of Ramadan, which also coincided with the war, Al-Aqsa Mosque was also closed to worshippers.

In a statement to the AFP news agency, Israeli police said Pizzaballa’s request to deliver the Catholic mass to mark Palm Sunday, the beginning of the Christian Holy Week that ends with Easter, could not be approved.

“The Old City and the holy sites constitute a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, which significantly challenges response capabilities and poses a real risk to human life in the event of a mass casualty incident,” the force said.

While the Catholic Church had already announced it had cancelled the traditional Palm Sunday procession, in a statement, it said Israel’s actions to ban Pizzaballa and Ielpo were a “manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure”.

“This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo,” it said.

But the prevention also caused condemnation from other countries.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the incident was “an offence not only to the faithful, but to any community that respects religious freedom”.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also said in a post on X that he had summoned Israel’s ambassador over the incident.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the decision and said worship “for all religions” must be guaranteed in Jerusalem.

You might expect a screenwriter working in the horror genre to be relatively difficult to scare, but Haley Z. Boston, the creator and executive producer of Netflix’s harrowing new limited series “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,” insists that is not the case.

“I’m afraid of everything,” Boston, 31, said during a recent Zoom conversation. “I’m afraid of horror movies, but that’s why I love them so much, because they scare me. A lot of horror people are desensitized and looking for something to shake them. I am the opposite. I am easily afraid.”

The easily frightened — and the recently engaged — might be advised to approach Boston’s new series, which premiered Thursday, with caution. A haunting fusion of David Lynch surrealism and “Rosemary’s Baby” paranoia, “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen” traces the peculiar and ominous events that unfold in the week leading up to the nuptials between wary Rachel (Camila Morrone) and trusting fiancé Nicky (Adam DiMarco), as overseen by Nicky’s mother Victoria (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

Faced with inexplicable truths about Nicky’s family and her own past, Rachel becomes convinced that saying “I do” has the potential to prove deadly, and she comes to fear what might take place when she walks down the aisle.

Camila Morrone as Rachel Harkin in Netflix’s “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.”

(Netflix)

“I’d seen people in their wedding, in their vows, say, ‘I never once had a doubt,’” Boston said. “I’m like, ‘How could you not constantly question everything?’ It felt very natural to me to explore that idea in a horror show where the doubt is the horror.”

Horror has long been a preoccupation for Boston. The Oregon native has a tattoo of the phrase “Carrie White burns in hell” to commemorate her favorite film, Brian DePalma’s landmark Stephen King adaptation, “Carrie.” She distinguished herself writing episodes of weird, atmospheric series including Netflix’s “Brand New Cherry Flavor,” a nightmarish exploration of witchcraft and filmmaking in 1990s L.A., and “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities,” also for Netflix.

Her installment in the Oscar-winning director’s anthology series, “The Outside,” was inspired by a comic titled “Some Other Animal’s Meat” and followed the unnerving transformation one woman undergoes after purchasing a beauty cream advertised on a late-night infomercial. “It’s all about being an outsider and feeling different, and I related to that,” Boston said.

Boston began writing at the age of 11, and after seeing Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill” in her early teens, she became interested in filmmaking. “I was so taken by the way that the story is told, and I love a revenge story,” she said. “That’s when I started to think, ‘Is this something? Who wrote that? How does any of this work?’”

She had considered following her parents’ path and choosing a career in medicine, but during her first formal writing class at Northwestern University, she felt that she’d found her calling. “I was like, ‘No, this is it. This is what I want to do,’” Boston said.

“I’m like, ‘How could you not constantly question everything?’” Haley Z. Boston says about marriage. “It felt very natural to me to explore that idea in a horror show where the doubt is the horror.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

After graduation, she moved to L.A., taking a job in the William Morris Endeavor mailroom and writing scripts on her own time. A high school slasher movie she’d penned in college landed her an agent. Soon after, her pilot for a “sapphic murder story” inspired by “Killing Eve” netted her 22 pitch meetings — the first was with director Sam Raimi, whose early-career “Evil Dead” movies are beloved cult classics. “I was 24, and I did the scariest thing at the time possible,” Boston said. “Sometimes I think if you don’t think too much about how terrifying it is, and you’re just thrown into it, that’s better.”

With “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen,” Boston found herself thrown into the position of showrunner without ever having spent any real time on a set. Yet Morrone says Boston was the picture of confident professionalism throughout the shoot. “There’s just a grace to her,” Morrone said. “Even if she was overwhelmed, you would just never see it. These are her words and her world, and she inherently knows the character and the story so well that she could really navigate any questions thrown at her because it lives in her.”

The series is something profoundly personal for Boston. Growing up with parents whose marriage seemed idyllic had left her struggling once she began dating, and she channeled many of her own anxieties into the show. “They’ve been together for 37 years or something,” Boston said of her parents. “I felt all this pressure knowing that that exists. It always felt like a curse. You have this great example of what a marriage is, and I always found myself weighing every little romantic tryst against this 30-year marriage — which was unhelpful.”

She hit upon the premise for the series right around her 27th birthday, a time when more and more of her friends began to get married, and developed the idea while working on other projects. By the time Boston sat down to write the pilot episode, she knew the narrative and the characters so well that it took her just two weeks to finish.

Pitching the series, she met with “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer, who were so impressed by her vision that they signed on to executive produce “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen” through their Upside Down Pictures banner.

“From reading one page of her script, it became very clear that this is someone who has a very unique voice,” Ross said. “It was unlike anything we’d ever read before. Immediately, we were like, ‘We have to be involved with this. We have to help bring her vision to life.’”

Rachel (Camila Morrone) and Nicky (Adam DiMarco) experience peculiar and ominous events leading up to their wedding.

(Netflix)

Matt added, “Haley has such a specific sense of humor. It’s very dark, very dry, but it also feels incredibly real. Her characters talk very much in the same way that real people talk. I find that sadly rare in the scripts that you read.”

The series was filmed in Toronto in January 2025 with directors Weronika Tofilska (“Baby Reindeer”), Lisa Brühlmann (“Killing Eve”) and Axelle Carolyn (“American Horror Story”) behind the camera. Boston said she and her collaborators would often reference specific films — everything from “The Celebration” to “Uncut Gems” — as a shorthand for the tone they were hoping to strike in a given episode. “I really love a story that takes something normal and grounded and gives one twist on it that throws you into a different world and makes you see things in a different way,” Boston said.

With “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen” poised to elevate Boston’s Hollywood profile, establishing her as one of the most exciting voices in horror, she’s already planning for her future, writing a film that she intends to direct. “I love the horror community, but it is still such a boy’s club, and I really want to infiltrate it,” Boston said.

“The genre has been so much about women, and in studying feminist theory in horror, especially back in the ’70s, the genre forced men to relate to women — you’re watching a woman survive, which is ultimately very powerful,” she added. “I find it interesting how many men are making horror movies about women. I talked about ‘Carrie.’ I love that movie, but it’s missing something. Same with ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’

“This show is such a great opportunity to begin my career in this genre — now, I want to continue my reign of terror.”

As emerging markets head toward their weakest month in years, some asset managers are moving in the opposite direction and adding to positions.

Firms including TT International and AllianceBernstein are buying beaten-down bonds and currencies, betting that central banks will shift

Stu Spencer, guru of political gurus, towed three old Latino buddies to the side at his annual holiday party. “Here, listen to these guys,” he said. “You don’t need to quote me.” Minutes later he returned with another, and then another. “They’ll tell ya. . . . Hey Manuel, don’t talk his ear off.”

Manuel Hidalgo, 67, East Los Angeles attorney. Frank Veiga, 59, East Los Angeles mortician. Albert Zapanta, 55, executive vice president of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. . . .

All had one thing in common besides their Mexican ancestry. They’re lifelong California Republicans who are disenchanted with their party. Not just disappointed and discouraged, but downright disgusted.

“I like the [Republican] philosophy, but they don’t like me,” Hidalgo said. “I like ‘em, but I can’t go to the party.”

Zapanta: “The party has too much of a bigot streak in it. And that’s 25 years of Republican activism talking.”

They’ve been working up to this point for years. Proposition 187 pushed them to the edge. Proposition 209 was one more boot. In their view, the policies were bad enough–taking public services from illegal immigrants and dismantling race-based affirmative action. Much worse was the politics.

“187 was racist, bigoted,” said Veiga. “Who’d you see in the ads?”

Not Russians or Asians, he and his friends noted. TV viewers saw Mexicans streaming across the border and were told, in ominous tones, that “they keep coming.” Latinos–even third-generation Americans–saw Republican fingers pointed at them. This year, again, GOP ads pointed to brown skins.

And Latino fingers pointed back–particularly at Gov. Pete Wilson, the wizard of wedge.

“We’ve lost a lot of respect for him,” Veiga said. Added Zapanta: “Pete’s a big boy. He knows what he’s doing.”

*

Playing the race card?

“Pete does not play the race card,” Spencer insisted. “He just got to the point where he believes [the policy].”

Spencer has been a Wilson loyalist for 30-plus years. He won’t criticize him personally. But he does think that the governor’s 187 ads, in the heat of a reelection campaign, “scared the hell out of” Latinos. “The fallout’s going to be around for awhile.”

In fact, Spencer said the dubious duo of 187 and immigrant bashing by conservatives nationally could drive Latinos away from the GOP en masse–just as blacks aligned solidly with Democrats during FDR’s New Deal and, later, the civil rights movement.

Rather than pushing punitive 187, asserted the guru and his Latino buddies, the GOP merely should have attacked President Clinton for neither enforcing the border nor reimbursing the state for its illegal immigrant costs.

Republicans paid the price in last month’s elections. How much of that price is directly attributable to the state ballot props and the Buchanan-style immigrant bashing is only speculative. But clearly it’s substantial.

We do know, according to The Times’ exit polling, that the Latino slice of the California vote jumped 43% between 1992 and 1996, to 10% of the total. In 1992, 51% of Latinos voted for Clinton; this year, 75% did.

Latinos apparently tipped the balance in several legislative and congressional races. A record 14 Latinos were elected to the Assembly, which then elected its first Latino speaker, Cruz Bustamante (D-Fresno).

Bustamante attended Spencer’s party Tuesday night.

*

Pundits and pols everywhere have been expounding on the growing muscle of Latinos. But Spencer has been doing it for decades, mostly to plugged ears.

Although he could steer Ronald Reagan to the governor’s office and the White House and help elect countless other candidates, Spencer has struck out trying to persuade Republicans to focus on Latinos.

“I keep losing every battle,” he lamented. “They don’t get it.”

Spencer, 69, cut his political teeth in East L.A. in the 1950s, organizing Mexican Americans for the party. In the early ‘60s, he opened a community “service center”–precursor to a would-be political machine–and “handed out goodies” like free polio shots. But the GOP shut it down when he left.

“We never have taken advantage of our patronage–judgeships, commissions. You’ve got to get people active and reward them. You’ve got to look at the figures and see that the future of this state is going to be determined by Mexicans. We don’t have to change our basic message–get government off our back, low taxation, family values. . . .

“But I’m past that point. There’s got to be a young Stu Spencer out there somewhere who understands it.”

It’s an hour before Monroe High’s baseball team takes infield practice. In the dugout dressed in his uniform, Miguel Gonzalez has his scissors out giving a free haircut to a teammate.

“Ten out of 10,” infielder Alexander Hernandez said when describing Gonzalez’s barber skills.

His pitching skills aren’t bad either. He struck out 12 in six innings in his season debut. He’s 5-0 with a 0.69 ERA. He’s a four-year varsity player for the surprising Vikings, who are 13-1 to start this season under second-year coach Eddie Alcantar.

The fact that Gonzalez is still playing might come as the biggest surprise if you knew all the responsibilities he faces as an 18-year-old.

Alcantar was getting worried last January when Gonzalez didn’t show up for winter workouts.

“I have a rule if you don’t show up for practice, you don’t play,” Alcantar said.

They finally met and Gonzalez revealed he’s been too busy working as a barber. And then came the big news: He’s going to become a father in July.

The Monroe High baseball team is off to an 13-1 start.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

It’s a delicate balancing act between work, school, baseball and the seriousness of being a parent as a teenager.

“I’ve been able to figure scheduling little by little,” Gonzalez said. “I do sleep. Maybe five hours.”

Gonzalez said he worked seven days a week as a barber during the summer. He’s been saving for his future while also making sure he did not have to ask his parents for money. He works weekends and sometimes has to leave practice after an hour for work.

As far as baseball, he added a slider this season, picked up some velocity and tries to throw three pitches for strikes.

Against Eagle Rock, he struck out 10 and gave up two hits in a 3-1 win. Against Arleta, he struck out 10 in six innings during a 6-1 victory with one walk. Against Westchester, he got two outs — both strikeouts — in a 3-1 win. Against Vaughn, he gave up two hits in six innings of a 2-0 victory..

Monroe, which used to be a City Section powerhouse in the 1970s when Denny Holt was head coach, also has received a strong season from junior Luis Martinez, who has 21 hits and is batting .500.

Pitcher Miguel Gonzalez has helped Monroe to an 13-1 start with a 5-0 record and 0.69 ERA.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

He said his parents have been supportive: “They have told me it’s a really big responsibility.”

After high school, he plans to go to an occupational school to learn more about being a barber. He’d love to continue playing baseball, but that will depend on his development and his priorities. So far, his balancing act is keeping him levelheaded and determined.

He’s been working since he was 5 when he helped his father in landscaping. He switched to cutting hair and loves it. His clients swear by him.

“He’s a good kid,” Alcantar said.

March 29 (UPI) — Participants in the thousands of No Kings demonstrations across the United States said they came out to protest President Donald Trump for his crackdown on immigration, his decision to go to war in Iran, and even his decisions to put his name on federal property and money.

The organizers behind the No Kings movement estimated that about 8 million people turned out for Saturday’s protests, which took place across at least 3,000 individual locations in every single congressional district in the country. The New York Times reported, though, that the estimate could be off because organizers’ figures in some cases were higher than those reported by local public safety officials.

The marquee event at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul drew more than 200,000, people, organizers said. Among them were Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., singer Joan Baez, actor Jane Fonda and Gov. Tim Walz. Rocker Bruce Springsteen performed his original song, “Streets of Minneapolis, inspired by civilian deaths at the hands of federal immigration officials during an enforcement crackdown earlier this year.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that the St. Paul demonstration had a dual purpose — condemning the Trump administration while also celebrating the those in the state who stood against the federal immigration enforcement surge.

Speaking at the St. Paul event, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called on attendees to “look past Trump and into the society we dream about.”

“Every right we fought for and won is under attack right now,” he said. “In part, we got ourselves into this mess because of an election, and we’re going to get out of this mess with an election.”

At the University of Iowa, organizers Katy Gates told The Times many college-age attendees were inspired to protest in response to the war in Iran. Trump authorized attacks on Iran in conjunction with Israel beginning Feb. 28. Some have taken issue with the now-monthlong involvement in a war without congressional approval.

“Our generation has grown up with this idea of endless war in the Middle East,” she said. “And the idea of getting into yet another is something that people are rightfully angry about.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., went beyond protesting Saturday, announcing a bill to ban sitting presidents from putting their names on federal property and currency.

“In America, we do not bow to kings,” she said. “Our president should be focused on bringing down grocery prices, making healthcare affordable and ensuring every family can get ahead, not using their position to boost their own personal brand.

“It is time that we institute this ban and make sure that our government serves the people, not one person’s ego.”

Inspired by the addition of Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C., and his plans to add his own signature to currency, the legislation would also ban banners with the president’s face on the side of federal buildings, naming a class of warships after a sitting president and putting their image on commemorative coins.

IT’S difficult to improve on looking out over the stunning Yorkshire Dales.

Unless, of course, you’re sitting in an outdoor hot tub, drink in hand, looking out at over 1,000 acres of pure idyllic scenery.

Half-term breaks can be difficult. Like most, we want sun but can’t necessarily afford it. So we loaded up the car with walking boots, big coats and footballs.

We left Manchester and, to the delight of our boys, who hate long journeys, travelled exactly one hour and ten minutes to Skipton.

The town’s castle is a must-see, so we headed there and wandered around the 900-year-old medieval building, threatening to lock the kids in the dungeon.

Given its location on the high street, we easily found a cafe, had some lunch and fuelled up on sweets at a pick-and-mix shop.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

Lemon sherbets tucked in our pockets, we wandered up a path to Skipton Woods, a lovely 45-minute stroll along the River Aire.

A historical building, sweets and a family walk completed, we jumped back into the car and 15 minutes later checked into the Coniston Hotel & Spa.

Our family suite was spacious and well-equipped, with two Z-beds for the boys in a connecting room.

But the jewel in the crown was the balcony and its view over the hotel’s 1,000 acres.

After logging onto the wifi, we left the kids in the room and walked to the adults-only Nadarra Spa, spending a couple of hours swimming, sweating and swigging as sheep trotted around a neighbouring field.

The spa is well-equipped with a 15-metre pool, three saunas, a bubble pool and two piping hot infinity pools. When we visited it was 4C outside, so once you’re in the outdoor pools, you’re unlikely to get back out, especially if the staff keep topping up your glass.

But with dinner booked, we dragged ourselves back to the room to get ready before going for a drink in Macleod’s Bar.

We then went to The View restaurant, where we demolished steak supplied by a local butcher.

The next day, we took advantage of the family swim (9am-10am), then had a leisurely walk around the hotel estate, taking in the lake and the endless fields before navigating a field full of bemused sheep.

After lunch, while my wife enjoyed a Sothys Organics Face And Body Ritual, the boys and I took part in a Land Rover Young Off-Roader Experience.

The next hour was great fun as both kids drove a Land Rover Discovery up and down some very big hills and into almost a metre of water, under the watchful eye of a calm instructor.

For the last night, we enjoyed lovely crab and chicken dishes washed down with Yorkshire tea.

So we didn’t get the sun, and we might still have sheep droppings on our boots, but we did have a lovely couple of days in Yorkshire.

Igor Tudor has left Tottenham Hotspur as interim head coach after just 44 days and seven matches in charge.

Spurs said they have “mutually agreed” to part ways with the Croat with “immediate effect”.

The decision comes a week after a damaging 3-0 home defeat by fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest on 22 March – a result that left Spurs 17th in the table and only one point above the relegation places with seven games remaining.

Tottenham have suffered five defeats in seven matches in all competitions since Tudor succeeded the sacked Thomas Frank on 14 February, on a deal until the end of the season.

A BITTERLY fought five-year dispute between an EastEnders star, his wife and their neighbours over a dog bite on a Lord’s estate has finally ended.

TV actor and film star John Blundell and his wife Mercina were locked in a bitter legal fight with neighbouring lodge owners Alison and Andrew Girdiefski after the row over their tiny pooch Ziggy.

The Sun can now confirm that Mercina and John have finally seen a closure in their favour, with an out of court payment after bringing a civil court case.

John – who also starred in Quadrophenia and Scum – and his wife are understood to be delighted by the result.

The long-running saga dates back to 2021 at the plush Fritton Lake estate in Norfolk, a 5,000-acre retreat owned by aristocrats Hugh and Lara Crossley, Lord and Lady Somerleyton.

Lord Somerleyton, at the height of tension, even attempted to mediate between the two warring couples, The Sun understands.

DUST EMPIRE

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POSHO PLIGHT

UK’s ‘most exclusive estate’ turning into ghost town as mansions fall to ruin

The row all kicked off when Mercina had been visiting her neighbours’ lodge to admire renovation work when she says their small hairless Chinese crested dog, Ziggy, suddenly bit her on the wrist.

The attack, they claimed, left her with a half an in inch wound that later scarred, with the actor’s wife needing hospital treatment.

With the row spiralling out of control – John and Mercina then launched a civil case at Norwich County Court seeking damages.

The Sun has now confirmed the long-running dispute has been settled out of court.

It brings to an end to years of acrimony.

Court officials told The Sun the matter was settled out of court using a Part 36 offer – a formal settlement under the law.

A source close to the couple told us: “While the couple are selling their property at Fritton they are reluctant to talk.

“It has been a very difficult few years for the Blundell’s, who really have done nothing wrong at all.”

Back in 2021, what should have been a tranquil countryside getaway quickly spiralled into a toxic feud involving police, lawyers and estate bosses.

Relations between the couples then soured dramatically.

The dispute even drew in Norfolk Police, with officers speaking to both sides.

Ziggy was added to a register of dangerous dogs, but no further action was taken due to the time elapsed.

Complaints of harassment were also investigated by Norfolk Police – but no offences were ultimately found.

Mercina also accused the pair of taunting them by singing “who let the dogs out” and filming them nearby.

Frustrated, the Blundells launched civil action – setting them for a court showdown.

The pair even recruited James McNally – known as “The Dog Bite Solicitor” who specialises in getting civil damages on dog attacks.

The Blundells said at the time they had been quoted £1,500 for a plastic surgeon to fix Mercina’s wrist – and were believed to be seeking up to £30k in costs and damages.

And the Girdiefskis had said ahead of the looming case that they found the figures “ridiculous”.

“The sort of money you would expect to be paying somebody who has had their face ripped off by a dog, not this mere 1.2cm cut,” said Alison in July 2025.

Speaking at the time, she added: “From day one, we have accepted responsibility.

“Our Ziggy did bite Mercina and we have never denied this.”

But the dramatic court clash never happened after the Girdiefskis agreed to settle.

A court spokesperson said: “This case was settled out of court by way of accepting a Part 36 offer, therefore there is no final order or settlement details to provide.

“Both sides had solicitors so in the end the court was not involved.”

John said the retreat, meant to be a peaceful escape, had instead become “a living nightmare”.

Both couples are now trying to sell their lodges on the exclusive estate.

The Girdiefski’s and Blundells have been approached for comment.

The Sun have also contacted Lord Somerleyton.