Month: April 2026

BEVERLY Hills star Tori Spelling and seven children have been rushed to hospital after a driver allegedly blew through a red light and plowed into their SUV.

The 52-year-old actress was behind the wheel with four of her children and three of their friends when the other vehicle slammed into her at high speed — sending all eight occupants to the emergency room.

The crash unfolded in Temecula, California, around 85 miles east of Los Angeles, just before 6pm on Thursday.

Officers responding to reports of a collision arrived to find two heavily damaged vehicles at the scene.

Unconfirmed photos circulating online show a car with its entire front end destroyed and an SUV missing chunks of its bumper, lights and undercarriage.

Spelling had been transporting four of her own kids along with three of their friends when the other driver allegedly ran the red light at speed.

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Tori Spelling reveals medical diagnosis after wearing eye patch

All eight were taken to hospital across three separate ambulances.

They were treated for cuts, contusions and concussions, with no arrests made at the scene.

Eyewitness video obtained by TMZ showed Spelling speaking animatedly with officers, gesturing as she appeared to recount the collision.

An investigation into the crash remains ongoing.

It is not the first time the star has been caught up in road drama, back in 2011, she was involved in an accident while fleeing paparazzi with two of her children.

“Paparazzi chased me w/the kids 2school,” she posted at the time.

“I was trying to get away from him and had a pretty big accident. Took down whole wall of school.”

Spelling, who was pregnant during that 2011 incident said other mothers stepped in and helped by “chasing him away.”

She shares children Liam, 19, Stella, 17, Hattie, 14, Finn, 13, and Beau, nine, with ex-husband Dean McDermott, whom she married in 2006.

The former couple announced their split in 2023, with their divorce finalized in November 2025.

“I am officially divorced. It’s been quite a journey,” Spelling said on her misSPELLING podcast, calling it “one of the easiest divorces in Hollywood.”

Despite the chapter closing on her marriage, Spelling told People last month she has no plans to date, saying she is firmly in her “power era.”

“I have so many businesses that I want to build, [and build] my empire and I can date later,” she said. “That can always come.”

Just last week, the TV personality was spotted at the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles alongside the likes of Taylor Swift.

The iconic Dorset beach featured in one of the most emotional scenes in Ryan Gosling’s new film, and fans are now visiting the picturesque Jurassic Coast location for spring walks

One of the most iconic coastal spots was recently featured in Ryan Gosling’s latest film, Project Hail Mary, and the good news is it’s located right here in the UK for those who want to visit.

There’s always a thrill when you recognise a familiar location in a film or TV programme, whether it’s a documentary or the backdrop for a fictional tale. While the UK serves as a popular setting for numerous blockbuster films and television series, one of this year’s biggest cinema releases actually filmed one of its most memorable scenes in the UK – and it’s accessible to visit right now as a stunning walking destination.

That’s precisely what one London-based couple decided to do, bringing their dog, Presto, along to the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset to see the Project Hail Mary filming location after recently watching the film at the cinema.

“Cried at the cinema at this beach so we went in real life,” they captioned their video, before sharing footage from their day trip adventure.

Without giving away any spoilers, the beach serves as a significant location for one of the film’s characters, with several of the more poignant scenes captured here, making it particularly meaningful for fans to experience. That said, the breathtaking views alone make the journey worthwhile.

Durdle Door stands as one of Dorset’s most photographed and iconic landmarks. Situated on the Lulworth Estate in south Dorset, it forms part of the stunning Jurassic Coast.

The coastline holds such exceptional geological significance on the world stage that UNESCO designated it as England’s first natural World Heritage Site in 2001, placing it alongside iconic natural treasures such as America’s Grand Canyon and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The stunning natural limestone arch was created when powerful waves eroded the rock and carved a hole through its centre. The name Durdle comes from the old English word ‘thirl’, meaning to pierce, bore or drill.

The film also features the neighbouring Man O’ War Beach, which visitors can normally reach via a footpath. However, the pair revealed that during their late March visit, storm damage had swept away the steps leading down to this beach, rendering it currently inaccessible.

Still, they weren’t bothered, as they were able to take in the spectacular views from the clifftops overlooking the beach.

How do you get to the Jurassic Coast? If you’re travelling by car, you can park at the sizeable car park reached through Durdle Door Holiday Park. From there, it’s a 15-minute walk down a steep path to the steps above the beach.

For those without a car, the iconic landmark is also reachable by bus, with a brief journey from Wool in Dorset taking you straight to the beaches.

The London pair weren’t alone in their admiration for the landmark, as numerous others quickly flooded the comment section to share their own visits.

“Went back in 2022 and loved it, need to go back again now that I saw it in the film,” one person wrote. Someone else added: “I wish I hadn’t seen that this was in the movie before we saw it but it was special seeing it with my boys who I took there in 2022.”

Kim Paul, executive director of the Piikani Lodge Health Institute, a nonprofit on the Blackfeet Reservation that promotes health and well-being, saw the email notification flash across her computer screen as she was working late one day recently.

It was the U.S. Department of Agriculture saying a nearly $9-million grant contract with Piikani Lodge had been terminated.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture has determined that awards under this program involved discriminatory preferences based on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and wasteful spending that did little to further lawful agricultural land purchases,” the USDA wrote.

Paul was stunned. Piikani Lodge had planned to use the grant to improve operations for Native and non-Native farmers and ranchers in the Montana region. The nonprofit had already separately acquired 600 acres on the Blackfeet Reservation and planned to use the USDA funds to build a training hub for food producers and support about 300 farmers and ranchers in Glacier and Pondera counties.

Paul said she became short of breath when she saw the email. She dreaded sharing the news with her team.

“It was horror,” she said. “The horror of losing stability for our community.”

Funded through the Biden-era American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access Program was designed to support “underserved” farmers and ranchers. It awarded about $300 million to 50 grantees in 2023. Forty-nine of those grants were terminated last month.

At least two additional projects in Montana were affected by the cancellations: a Chippewa Cree Tribe project to purchase land and train young farmers and ranchers how to manage it; and one run by South Dakota-based Four Bands Community Fund that would have trained and financially supported at least 25 low-income agricultural producers in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.

Montana-based awardees called the terminations “devastating.” They also say the grant cancellations were based on a false presumption that tribal initiatives fall under the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion — DEI — rubric, and that USDA claims of wasteful spending are baseless.

Asked for comment, a USDA spokesperson said in a statement Thursday that the agency “has worked to clean up the mess left for us by the last Administration. To no surprise, a peek behind the curtain of this Biden-era program revealed the egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars.”

Piikani Lodge Health Institute leaders say they will have to restructure budgets and reconfigure staffing to keep some semblance of their project going. The Chippewa Cree Tribal project may be halted altogether. Four Bands Community Fund did not respond to an interview request by publication deadline. Awardees say the terminations hinder economic progress, not just in their communities but across the state.

Montana projects targeted

The Chippewa Cree Tribe in north central Montana was awarded a grant of nearly $6 million for a land acquisition project.

Chippewa Cree planning director Neal Rosette said the tribe planned to purchase agricultural land on and around the reservation and train prospective farmers and ranchers how to manage it.

Though reservation land can be used for farming and ranching, Rosette said, land prices can keep people from entering the industry. The Rocky Boy’s Reservation is home to almost 3,400 people, about 35% of whom live below the poverty line, according to U.S. census data. The median household income on the reservation is $49,550, almost $26,000 less than the state average.

“We are trying to give opportunities to our young folks to make a living,” Rosette said.

Rosette said people working on the project had been trying to close on a 320-acre reservation property for months. The land costs about $400,000, but, according to Rosette, the tribe has received only about $50,000 of the nearly $6-million grant since 2023. The tribe, he said, asked USDA repeatedly to release the funds, but received minimal communication from the agency.

“They drug their feet, drug their feet, and then finally they pulled the rug out from under us,” he said.

Rosette has written many grants for the tribe in the past. He said receiving the termination letter from USDA marked “the first time I’ve ever got to the point where I felt like crying.”

“It’s so, so, so cruel,” he said. “It’s the worst feeling in the world. It was devastating for everybody. We were so proud of this project. We were so happy that we were finally going to be able to recover some lands for the benefit of our young people. And now it’s gone.”

Micaela Young, development director at Piikani Lodge Health Institute, said the canceled grant will delay construction on the community training center on the Blackfeet Reservation.

The Piikani Lodge project included building an industrial community kitchen where agricultural producers could prepare and process products such as jam and jerky.

In its termination letter to Piikani Lodge, the USDA cited a “$20,000 allocation for a [barbecue] smoker” as an example of funding for items “outside the program’s mission of increasing land access.” The USDA has also mentioned a “$20,000 [barbecue] smoker” in statements to other media outlets as an example of “inappropriate spending.”

Paul said the characterization is hurtful.

“We did all this work, we spent so many years on this,” she said. “To say this was built on fraud? It’s a travesty. This was going to be five years of jobs for our people. Can you imagine the economic development that would come from that?”

‘’DEI’ is the new buzzword’

Paul and Rosette both took issue with the USDA’s assertion that programs benefiting tribes fall into the category of DEI. It’s well established in federal law that tribal citizenship is a political classification, not a racial one.

In a May 2025 memorandum, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins acknowledged the distinction, writing that “the Department’s unique government-to-government relationship” with tribes and their members “are legally distinct from policy-based Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs.”

“We are a sovereign nation,” Rosette said of the Chippewa Cree Tribe. “We have a political relationship with this government.”

Democratic state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, a citizen of the Chippewa Cree Tribe who is running for Congress in Montana’s eastern district, called the agriculture department’s DEI reasoning “ludicrous.”

“‘DEI’ is the new buzzword in D.C.,” he said. “Why isn’t our delegation protecting the sovereign status of the tribes? The bottom line is we don’t have representation in D.C.”

Asked for comment on the grant terminations, a spokesperson for the incumbent in the eastern district, Rep. Troy Downing, said his “office is aware of the rescinded grants and welcomes input from community members regarding their impact.” A spokesperson for Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said the senator “is looking into the grant cancellations and will always work to support Montana’s tribal communities.”

Sen. Tim Sheehy and Rep. Ryan Zinke, both Republicans, did not respond to requests for comment.

Walter Schweitzer, president of the Montana Farmers Union, said that as land, livestock and equipment prices increase, and as more farms are purchased by corporate entities, it becomes increasingly hard for young people to enter the agriculture industry.

“The average age of a farmer or rancher is somewhere around 60,” he said. “We need to encourage and incentivize any way we can to get young people involved in agriculture. And having diversity in who gets into agriculture is a positive thing because they bring a diverse set of ideas.”

Young, of Piikani Lodge Health Institute, said agricultural producers living on tribal land also face unique challenges. A patchwork of historical and sometimes conflicting federal policies have congealed over the course of more than a century into an unwieldy system of property ownership on reservations. Banks have not learned to effectively navigate the legal, bureaucratic and financial peculiarities of that system, making it difficult for prospective producers to access the capital necessary to enter the agricultural industry. Tribes, Young said, are also often located far from markets where they could sell their products.

“These kinds of projects that bring capital into Native communities can really help revitalize their main streets, increase public safety, there’s the opioid crisis, the suicide crisis in tribal communities, and people are really looking for hope,” Young said. “People are looking for jobs. Families need that income. So this kind of work really does lift up our Native communities to strengthen the overall state.”

What’s next?

Piikani Lodge leaders said they plan to file an appeal through the National Appeals Division, which reports directly to the secretary of agriculture, before the 30-day deadline.

Andrew Berger, director of agriculture and climate adaptation at Piikani Lodge, said the organization is drafting a petition urging restoration of the funds.

“We’re still wrapping our heads around this,” he said. “[The grant] supported salaries and internships and all kinds of things. So we need to fill those gaps with other funding.”

Rosette isn’t sure whether the Chippewa Cree Tribe will file an appeal, which he noted requires time and resources. He said the tribe plans to ask the USDA to reconsider its decision.

“Whether they will listen?” he said. “Who knows?”

This story was originally published by Montana Free Press and distributed through a partnership with the Associated Press.

This is the weekend high school track and field takes center stage in Southern California. Quincy Wilson, who won a gold medal at the age of 16 at the 2024 Olympic Games, is coming from Maryland to compete in the 400 and two relays at the Arcadia Invitational at Arcadia High on Saturday.

“I’m so fired up,” Servite coach Brandon Thomas said.

And Thomas isn’t running.

Servite’s 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams will have to deal with Bullis High and Wilson running the anchor leg in races that should have fans standing on their feet while listening to the oohs and aahs.

“From a competitive standpoint, they’re excited to compete against the country’s best,” Thomas said.

Servite’s 4×100 relay team sent a message on Saturday, becoming the first to break 40 seconds in California history, winning in 39.82 at Trabuco Hills.

It’s all a perfect setup, from the atmosphere to the stiff competition, to prepare for next month’s section and state championships.

There’s two Loyola High athletes, sprinter Zion Phelps and 400 runner Ejam Yohannes, who hope to use Arcadia as a springboard to continue their early success this season.

Zion Phelps of Loyola edges Emmanuel Pullins of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the 100 meters on Tuesday, winning in 10.56 seconds. Pullins rans 10.59.

(Craig Weston)

Phelps is in his first year of track after being a defensive back and receiver for the football team. He and Loyola’s new coach, Sharaud Moore, were having conversions during the fall.

“He swore up and down he was the fastest kid in the school,” Moore said. “Yeah, put your money where your mouth is.”

Said Phelps: “I told him, ‘Just wait.’ I knew I had that speed and wanted to prove it.”

He ran a wind-aided 100-meter time of 10.39 seconds this spring. Last week in a Mission League dual meet against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, he won with a time of 10.56.

Said Moore: “I was his harshest critic on the field.“We’re going back and forth and he was right. He’s s really fast.”

Showing his speed is legitimate will help with his football recruiting going into his senior year in the fall.

“Definitely this year has pushed my recruitment out there with my track times,” Phelps said. “I wanted to show the. I’m dedicated to this and being a multi-sport athlete. It will translate a lot.”

Yohannes, set to face Wilson in the 400, has an equally compelling story. He never played organized sports until joining the track team as a freshman. His parents came here from the small African country of Eritrea. His first name is Ethiopian.

He ran the 400 in 52.48 seconds as a freshman, focused more on having fun. Sophomore season he dropped to 50.75 and said to himself, “Wow, I’m fast.” He started getting serious.

“Now I wanted to be better,” he said.

An injury in January of last year didn’t let him get the foundation to run as fast as he hoped. He dropped to 47.69. Then Moore became coach, and Yohannes finally put in months of training to build a foundation.

“He comes in and kills me,” Yohannes said.

Then came the reward — 46.11 on March 21. In his final tuneup on Saturday, he ran 47.17 at the Red Rock Running Invitational.

“He’s a student and studies racing, training, race plans, athletes, programs,” Moore said.

As for facing Wilson, Yohannes’ attitude is bring him on.

“I’m excited to go out there,” he said. “It’s great competition. If I don’t believe I can win, nobody else can. If I don’t believe in myself, it’s over. I’m going to give my best. I might be crazy to saying this, but I think I have chance. He’s world class already in high school. He’s top of the line talent, It’s whoever wins on that given day. This is going to be unreal pressure knowing if I win, my name is out there. That puts me on the map. I can dream.”

Canadian Space Agency President Lisa Campbell expresses her pride as the Artemis II moon orbiting mission carries the first Canadian to the moon along with three Americans. She also discusses the significance of this mission.

The talks have focused on a ‘smooth passage’ through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran effectively blocks the vital waterway.

Oman and ⁠⁠Iran ⁠⁠have held deputy foreign ⁠⁠minister-level talks, discussing ⁠⁠options to ensure the smooth transit of vessels through the Strait ‌‌of Hormuz, according to the Omani Foreign Ministry.

The meeting was held on Saturday “at the level of undersecretaries in the foreign ministries of the two countries”, the ministry said on Sunday in a post on X, adding that it was “attended by specialists from both sides”.

“Possible options were discussed regarding ensuring the smooth passage through the Strait of Hormuz during these circumstances witnessed in the region,” it added. “During the meeting, experts from both sides presented a number of visions and proposals that will be studied.”

On Sunday, three Omani ships appeared to be transiting the Strait of Hormuz, outside Iran’s “approved corridor” near Larak Island, according to tracking data monitored by shipping journal Lloyd’s List.

The convoy consists of two large oil supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier that are sailing “unusually close to the Omani coast”, according to the United Kingdom-based outlet.

The developments come after an Iranian ⁠⁠official said on ⁠⁠Thursday that Iran was drafting a protocol with ⁠⁠Oman to monitor ⁠⁠traffic in the ⁠⁠strait, through which about a fifth of global ‌‌oil supplies travel, and which Iran has severely restricted in retaliation for the ongoing US-Israeli war on the country.

Since the war began on February 28, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has allowed some vessels to transit, including Pakistani, French, and Turkish-linked vessels. But about 3,000 others are stranded.

Strait effectively blocked

The waterway is a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments, especially oil and gas moving from the Gulf to Europe and Asia.

Disruptions there have injected volatility into the market and pushed oil- and gas-importing countries to seek alternative sources.

United States President Donald Trump, in a social media post over the weekend, threatened to unleash “all Hell” if it is not opened by Monday.

Egypt’s ⁠⁠Foreign ⁠⁠Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate calls ⁠⁠to discuss proposals for regional de-escalation ⁠⁠with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and regional counterparts, including Iranian ‌‌Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Egyptian ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Amin Saikal, a professor emeritus at the Australian National University, said an expansion of the war “is going to be hell for the whole region”. “There has to be some kind of negotiated settlement,” he told Al Jazeera on Sunday.

“But at this stage, the door for a diplomatic solution seems to be very narrow, unless President Trump decides that this conflict has caused so many problems for him domestically, as well as internationally, that it is really time to reach some compromise with the Iranians,” Saikal concluded.

IT was like a scene straight out of a rom com when Ryan Thomas popped the question to Lucy Mecklenburgh in Positano, Italy, back in June 2019, less than two years after they started dating – and it seemed like the pair would waste no time throwing a huge celeb wedding.

But almost seven years later, the pair haven’t got anywhere close to an altar, and insiders are now telling The Sun they claim to know the real reason their plans to tie the knot appear to be permanently on ice.

Initially, the official line from the couple- who fell in love in 2017 while filming Channel 4 show Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls – was that their nuptials were delayed due to life getting in the way.

After all, the year after they got engaged, the world shut down due to the Covid pandemic, forcing millions across the globe to shelve their weddings.

The pair also went on to have two kids in quick succession – Roman was born in March 2020, and Lilah arrived in the world in May 2022 – so it was understandable that planning their big day took a backseat.

In 2021, Lucy admitted to OK! Magazine that her wedding plans were “on the backburner”, while she also told fans via her instagram stories that she was “still in the engagement bubble but I can’t wait to start planning.”

However, with Roman now six and Lilah turning four next month, any talk of becoming man and wife appears to have gone silent. 

In fact, sources tell us the couple are perfectly happy being ‘perma-engaged’ and raising their little family rather than being legally bound to each other.

And the reason the nuptials are now unlikely to happen? Well, one insider alleges the delay is down to Lucy’s desire to remain financially independent after Ryan’s previous struggles with money.

In 2013, before the pair met, Ryan was declared bankrupt – despite earning £100,000 a year on Coronation Street at the time. 

He spiralled into debt over an unpaid £40,000 tax bill, and while his bankruptcy is now over, it still casts a shadow in his life.

Just last year, The Sun revealed his company R James Thomas Ltd, which takes in cash from his TV and endorsement work, had just £1 in its accounts.

Annual accounts filed to Companies House show just a solitary quid in the company account for the 12 months to the end of January 2025.

At the time, the books also revealed he owed more than £30,000 of a Covid Bounce Back Loan.

Our source explains: “Lucy comes from money – her dad Paul is very wealthy and has an extensive property portfolio, so she and her two sisters will inherit a lot from him one day. Lucy listens to everything her father says, and she has always been very financially literate.

“She was raised to understand money and be very careful with it, and as soon as she started making money from Towie, her dad taught her to make careful investments.

“Ryan, on the other hand, has admitted to making a lot of mistakes with money and not being financially savvy in the past. As much as Lucy loves him, it wouldn’t be entirely sensible for her to legally bind her finances in with Ryan’s, which would be the case if they were man and wife.

“Of course they share some money, and they have property together, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucy has been advised to protect her interests – especially her wellness business RWL, which she has worked her backside off to make the UK’s leading at home health and fitness app. 

“Ryan has worked to claw himself back from his previous money woes, and she is really proud of him, but if he ever got into difficulties again, it could affect her credit rating and have big implications for her own finances if they were married.”

In the UK, while bankruptcy is generally wiped from your credit reports after six years, certain bankruptcy restrictions can last up to 15 years.

Furthermore, if an application asks for your full financial history, the bankruptcy must be disclosed, regardless of how long ago it happened.

Despite Ryan’s previous woes, however, another source close to the situation insists the reason Lucy hasn’t wed Ryan has nothing to do with safeguarding her own assets.

Counters a pal: “It’s not true that Lucy doesn’t want to legally merge her finances with Ryan. The reasons they haven’t got married are because they are both parents of two young kids, have busy careers and also weddings are extortionate. It just hasn’t been a priority for them, they are happy as they are.”

Indeed, a Mecklenburgh- Thomas wedding certainly wouldn’t come cheap. The pair have large families, an array of celebrity friends and aren’t the types to do a no-frills affair in a register office followed by drinks down the local boozer.

“To do something on the scale they want would take a lot of cash, and Lucy and Ryan want to pay for a lot of it themselves. Yes, Lucy’s dad’s very wealthy but Ryan is also a proud man and doesn’t want handouts. He’s worked hard to turn his financial situation around, but he wants to give Lucy the wedding of her dreams and that takes years of hard graft to save for.

“Ultmately, there is no rush either. Neither of them feel the pressure to get hitched. They’re fully committed to each other and really happy – a big fancy wedding is nice but it’s not the priority right now. It will happen one day, and when it does it will be incredible and a day they will never forget.”

And even though Ryan is no longer in the red, other high profile members of his family have also experienced financial difficulties

Both of Ryan’s brothers, Adam and Scott, have felt the sting of their businesses going belly up.

Scott’s health and fitness company Food 4 Thoughts collapsed in 2024, which saw Scott lose £75k of his own money while brother Adam lost his £125k investment.

Aside from this, Adam’s own Manchester restaurant The Spinn went into liquidation that same year, owing £300,000.

Adam also has two other failed businesses: vegan food firm Plant Pizzas Ltd, which was struck off in 2022, and a mobile catering venture which closed.

Our insider explains: “The Thomas boys have all made mistakes in business which have cost them a lot of money. They have big dreams and have invested in each other’s brands, but this has come with financial ramifications.

Our insider continues: “Ultimately, Ryan and Lucy are strong and don’t need money issues coming between them, it’s a stress their relationship doesn’t need.

“Ryan is totally happy too. He is a proud man, so wouldn’t push the issue, but he knows Lucy is fully committed to him and they are happy as they are. As time has gone on, they have realised that being committed to each other is about sharing a home and a family, not a big wedding.

“Like a lot of men, Ryan isn’t overly fussed about a big day anyway. To him, what’s important is having a strong relationship, and that’s what he and Lucy have. He doesn’t care about blowing a load of money on a big wedding either, that seems like a waste of cash to him.”

WASHINGTON — President Trump spent much of last week railing against the courts. The courts, in turn, spent it ruling against him.

While Trump made history as the first sitting president to attend oral arguments at the Supreme Court, where he stared down justices as they questioned his bid to end birthright citizenship, quieter courtrooms across the country were challenging his agenda.

The challenges came in on immigration, on his White House ballroom project, on his own liability in the run-up to Jan. 6.

“Dumb Judges and Justices will not a great Country make!” he wrote on Truth Social on Monday.

By Friday, judges had served him loss after loss, each finding the administration had taken executive authority too far, too fast.

Immigration rulings

On immigration, the keystone of Trump’s policy platform, he faced a number of setbacks.

On Monday, a federal judge in California took a step that would allow a class-action lawsuit against the administration’s handling of certain asylum claims. The case concerns thousands of asylum seekers who had made appointments with immigration officials by using a Biden administration phone app called CBP One.

In many cases, migrants from around the world had waited months in Mexico for their turn to speak with border agents after securing appointments through the app.

Those appointments were suddenly canceled after Trump took office. The judge certified those asylum seekers as a class that can challenge the administration’s action in court.

In a similar case, a federal judge in Boston ruled Tuesday that the administration had unlawfully terminated the temporary legal status of as many as 900,000 immigrants who entered the country after using the phone app. Tens of thousands of those told by the administration to leave the U.S. “immediately” have since left or been deported.

The judge ordered the administration to reinstate the legal status and work authorization of those remaining.

“Today’s ruling is a clear rejection of an administration that has tried to erase lawful status for hundreds of thousands of people with the click of a button,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, a legal organization that represented the migrants.

Sanctuary laws

Also Tuesday, a federal judge threw out a Justice Department lawsuit that accused Denver and Colorado of interfering with immigration enforcement and claimed that the city and state’s “sanctuary” laws violated the Constitution.

The ruling found that the federal government had not shown it could override state and local decisions about how to use their own resources. The Constitution, the judge said, does not let Washington commandeer local governments.

“Colorado gets to make a choice: How will our law enforcement operate in Colorado. The federal government, they don’t get to make that choice for us,” Colorado Atty. Gen. Phil Weiser said.

Birthright citizenship

The next day, the Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical of Trump’s claim that birthright citizenship doesn’t apply to babies born in the U.S. to parents who are here unlawfully or temporarily.

Conservative and liberal judges alike questioned the arguments of Solicitor Gen. John Sauer, who represented the administration, saying he relied on “some pretty obscure sources,” including precedents that dated back to Roman law.

Trump, sitting feet from the proceedings, left the Supreme Court building halfway through.

“We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!” he wrote shortly after departing.

Austin Kocher, a Syracuse University professor who studies immigration enforcement, wrote on Substack after the Supreme Court hearing that, on immigration policy, there is always a gap between what an administration says it will do and what the government can actually deliver. That gap, he argued, is particularly evident in the second Trump administration.

“The White House has built its political identity around the promise of mass deportation, and the rhetoric has been relentless: record arrests, expanded detention, military flights, the spectacle of enforcement as governance,” Kocher wrote.

“But over the past several days,” he added, “developments from multiple fronts suggests that the operational foundations of the mass deportation campaign are more fragile than the administration would like anyone to believe.”

Defying judicial orders

In some cases, the Trump administration has been undeterred by judicial orders to stop certain practices. In a March ruling unsealed Thursday, a federal judge found that Border Patrol agents had continued making illegal arrests in California’s Central Valley without reasonable suspicion.

The government’s explanations for the arrests, wrote Judge Jennifer Thurston in Fresno, “rely on unsupported assumptions, hunches and generalizations about the relationship between a person’s apparent status as a day laborer and their immigration status.”

White House ballroom

Trump had kicked the week off March 29 by touting his 90,000-square-foot ballroom project, showing designs to reporters on Air Force One.

“I think it’ll be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world,” he said. Two days later, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered a temporary halt to construction.

Leon stated that the president is the “steward” of the White House, not its “owner,” and ruled that he cannot proceed with such a massive structural change without express authorization from Congress.

In response, Trump raged on Truth Social: “In the Ballroom case, the Judge said we have to get Congressional approval. He is WRONG! Congressional approval has never been given on anything, in these circumstances, big or small, having to do with construction at the White House.”

His administration filed a motion Friday to block the judge’s ruling.

Jan 6. liability

On the same day, a judge ruled that Trump remains personally liable in a civil lawsuit tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, allowing those claims to move forward.

It is among the most consequential legal threats he faces.

Trump entered the presidency on the heels of a major Supreme Court win that found former presidents have criminal and civil immunity for official acts during their term.

But Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta deemed Trump’s Jan. 6 speech — in which he directed supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell” — was a political act, not a presidential one, and therefore not shielded by immunity.

“President Trump has not shown that the speech reasonably can be understood as falling within the outer perimeter of his Presidential duties. The content of the ellipse speech confirms that it is not covered by official-acts immunity,” Mehta wrote.

The week ended with yet another setback for Trump when a federal judge on Friday blocked the administration from forcing universities to submit extensive data on applicants and students to prove they don’t illegally consider race in admissions.

Reading the losses

For Adam Winkler, a constitutional law professor at UCLA who has tracked the administration’s legal battles closely, the losing streak had a clear through line.

“It was an awful week for Donald Trump,” he said. “It’s not that the courts are anti-Trump. In fact, he wins a lot. It’s really that he takes such an aggressive approach to policy making that he runs afoul of existing precedents.”

Taken together, last week’s rulings signaled that the courts are insisting that the president is as accountable for his actions as anyone, and that states have constitutional powers he alone cannot override.

“The Trump administration’s recent court losses illustrate that there is still much that the other branches of government can do — in connection with civil society — to uphold the rule of law and mitigate the harms of the administration’s destructive agenda,” said Monika Langarica, deputy legal director at the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law.

“They are one more reminder,” she added, “that the administration will not always have the last word with respect to its unlawful and unconstitutional actions.”

Deontay Wilder has raised the possibility of a fight with Anthony Joshua, telling the Briton “let’s do it” following the American’s points victory over Derek Chisora.

Two-time world heavyweight champion Joshua was ringside at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday to support his friend Chisora for what is expected to have been the beaten fighter’s final professional bout.

Joshua has largely remained out of the spotlight since he was a passenger in a car crash that killed two of his friends in Nigeria on 29 December.

The 36-year-old sustained minor injuries in the crash that killed Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele.

He last fought on 19 December, when he stopped YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the sixth round.

After that victory, which improved his record to 29 wins and four defeats, Joshua said he was ready to face long-term rival Tyson Fury next.

Fury ended his latest spell of retirement in January when he announced he would be returning to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov in the UK on 11 April.

On Saturday, Wilder, 40, walked past Joshua, fist-bumped him and said “let’s do it”, before he could be heard saying “He’s scared” as he walked away.

Later, former world champion Wilder addressed the exchange, saying: “It wasn’t a few words, I dapped it up with him and I said: ‘Now let’s get it on.’

“I’m ready for whoever, long as these guys are in the heavyweight division, I am here.

“You can call me Mr Clean, because I want to clean up the whole division. The division is nothing without Deontay Wilder.”

WHEN on holiday, the place you choose to stay doesn’t have to be boring – so why not choose one where your breakfast is delivered by pulley system?

Set in a woodland around two hours from Paris is Les Cabanes de Fontaine-Châtel, with treehouses that sit up to 12 metres from the ground.

All of the treehouses have been individually designed to fit the tree that they are in.

Littered throughout the woods, the treehouses are between a five and 20 minute walk from the reception for the ultimate peace.

There’s the Berceau, which is suspended 12m high with a ‘puzzle’ bridge you need a harness to get across.

Or try the Terrier which has two zip lines, one of which is 50m long.

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Thankfully some are much lower, with ‘Siamese’ treehouses sleeping up to eight people.

Each one is totally off-grid, meaning no Wi-Fi, no electricity and no water.

But don’t worry about having to venture out for your early morning breakfast – as each is delivered by rope.

With fresh pastries inside, guests can hoist up the hamper by a pulley system connected to the treehouses.

Other treehouses are accessible either via a suspension bridge or even zipwire.

Each treehouse has dry toilet facilities, although additional toilets and showers are then available by the entrance to the site.

There are some that are more accessible than others, with trails to them – ideal for families or those with accessibility needs.

You’ll need to bring your own towels and sheets, though you can also rent some from reception.

One recent visitor said: “Brilliant place to stay, with incredibly made tree houses.

“We stayed in the family hut – Robin de Bois with four kids from zero to 10-years-old and had a great time.

“The breakfast basket was delivered on a rope and pulled up, with the bread and croissants still warm!”

Stays start from £120.15 a night based one for two adults.

If you want to explore the surrounding area, the French city of Rouen is just 20 minutes away.

Dubbed the ‘City of a Hundred Spires’, Rouen is famous for its Gothic Cathedral (painted by Monet) and as being the site where Joan of Arc was executed in 1431.

Visitors can explore the cathedral to retrace Monet’s footsteps as well as head to numerous museums and art galleries, as well as explore the Old Town.

Another thing to do is to wander through the Old Town, which is full of cobbled streets.

The quickest way to get from the UK to Rouen is by catching the train or hopping on a flight to Paris, and then catching an hour-and-a-half train costing about £8 per person, per way, to Rouen.

For more places to stay with treehouses, here’s some of the best with free wine, cheese hampers and hot tubs.

Plus, the new cosy treehouses in the middle of the Cotswolds.

CATCHING fish has never been top of my holiday to-do list.

But from the moment my six-year-old son Alex spotted a boat offering fishing trips in the Cretan harbour of Panormos, he pleaded to go on one.

And when he offered to pay with his pocket money, I knew he was serious.

With three-hour excursions starting at 50 euros a head, I buckled under the pressure and am so glad I did.

Panormos is a village in the Rethymno area of the Greek island, 45 minutes from Heraklion Airport in the north and where Eva’s Fishing is based.

The owner, unsurprisingly called Eva, spent years fishing for a living before welcoming tourists.

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After taking us through stunning caves, with crystal-clear water, she put bait on to our poles and insisted: “You will find it the most relaxing thing you ever do.”

She wasn’t wrong. And now, pardon the pun, I am hooked. We caught fish after fish and it was relaxing, but also exciting and fun.

Back on land, Eva has an agreement with a lovely restaurant, Agkyra, to grill her customers’ catch and they served ours with roasted vegetables and lemon butter.

Although Alex had seen her gut and descale the fish, my husband Chris and I watched in amazement as he tucked in enthusiastically — even picking his way through the bones and asking for more.

I opted for tzatziki and a Greek salad.

With wine, complimentary orange cake and a shot of raki, it cost less than 25 euros for all three of us.

The boat fun was the highlight of our holiday —  but not the first exciting trip.

On our flight from Manchester, with Tui, Alex got to visit the cockpit — then the fancy ceiling lights of our airport taxi made us feel like we were in a limo.

Our hotel, The Royal Senses Resort & Spa, which is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, was also pretty fancy — and not least its reception, with floor-to-ceiling gleaming glass doors and the smartest- looking staff you have ever seen.

By the way, those staff were also the kindest of teams, ensuring each guest felt like a VIP.

Like Yorgos, who ushered us into a golf buggy to whisk us to our room — and let Alex help with the driving.

Along the way, Yorgos pointed out the kids’ club, as well as the main pool, a waterslides zone, adult pool, gym, spa, bar and four restaurants.

There are 178 rooms, ranging from doubles to villas, and spread out up a hill so that each has a sea view.

A cable car-style glass lift travels up and down the hill, lest you have to work too hard.

We were upgraded to a room with, joy of joy, a private plunge pool.

Our room had a kingsize bed plus sofa-bed for Alex, plenty of storage, a coffee machine, free bottled water, fluffy white towels and locally made toiletries crafted from olive oil and mandarin.

But we didn’t get to relax in our room for long.

At 5am, Alex was up, trunks on, goggles ready and raring to go. And breakfast only added to his giddiness.

Although he tucked into fresh pineapple and watermelon, I struggled to divert him from the temptaion of fresh cookies, pancakes, cakes and waffles.

I loved the Cretan breakfast with rusks, fresh tomato, olive oil and feta cheese while Chris struggled to resist the free- flowing fizz.

The hotel isn’t bang on the beach but its sister, The Royal Blue, is and guests share facilities.

There is a free shuttle bus but we walked.

It took five minutes and there’s a supermarket en route.

Although the city of Rethymno, with an old Venetian harbour, is just 30 minutes and 25 euros away in a taxi, we loved the relaxed vibe in Panormos.

It is six minutes from the hotel by taxi, £7 each way.

Or the green and yellow Magic Train travels by road to and from the village several times a day. It’s £2.60 for kids over five and £4.35 for adults.

It felt like an easy funfair ride and Alex loved it.

Panormos has a sandy beach, church, bakery, supermarket, taxi office and a few tourist shops.

We bought olive oil from a man whose family have farmed locally for hundreds of years.

There are several restaurants, too.

Our No1 was the Locus Deli, on a cobbled pedestrian street where local musicians played Greek music and Alex ran around, danced and played with the local cats.

It served Greek food with a modern twist.

We had chicken with pistachios and a fava-bean dip with fresh basil oil.

Even the child pasta was made with chopped local tomatoes.

With drinks, our bill came to less than £50.

The hotel also offered great dining options.

The evening buffet had amazing variety, plus homemade pizzas that could have come from Italy.

Other treats included a restaurant with Michelin-starred chef — which welcomed kids and offered adult mains from £30 — as well as wine-tasting evenings.

Musicians played of an evening, and the hotel even invited loom weavers to demonstrate their art — we crammed a new bath mat into our suitcase, which was already bulging with pottery after a Tui trip to Margarites.

The mountain town stands on rich clay, and pottery has been made there since 3000BC, during the Minoan period.

But my best trip was to the hotel spa. It’s the largest on Crete, with therapeutic thalassotherapy seawater pool.

I celebrated my birthday on holiday so also had some pocket money.

And during an hour-long massage for £58, chiropractor Costos rid me of longstanding shoulder knots.

We spent our last night at Geropotamos Beach’s Old River taverna, 1km from the hotel.

As Alex played on the beach and the sun set, we had some very drinkable local wine and reminisced.

We agreed few places could beat Crete, for its warm hospitality, fab food, glorious beauty — and modes of transport.

Yamal’s unhappiness at the end of the match against Atletico Madrid was over missed scoring opportunities, Flick says.

Lamine Yamal’s apparent anger at the end of Barcelona’s win over Atletico Madrid stemmed from his inability to score a goal during the crucial La Liga fixture and was not linked to any off-field incidents, says the Catalan club’s manager, Hansi Flick.

The Spanish forward was visibly unhappy in the closing moments of the closely fought match in Madrid and did not celebrate with teammates when Robert Lewandowski scored the winner in the 87th minute on Saturday.

“He was a little bit angry,” La Liga leaders’ head coach, Flick, told reporters after the match.

The 18-year-old hit the post with a dinked effort after Fermin Lopez laid the ball off to him during the first half in a tense battle on the pitch.

A few minutes earlier, Yamal displayed great control, skill and vision to receive a ball in his own half, nutmeg an Atletico player and provide an open pass for Lopez in front of goal, but the 22-year-old failed to convert it into a goal.

“He [Yamal] gave it his all but was unlucky when it came to scoring or providing the final pass,” the German coach said.

“In the end, everything is fine.

“Of course, he has emotion. This was the game, with emotion, but he’s in the dressing room, and everything is good.”

Lewandowski’s dramatic late winner was celebrated by the Barcelona players on the pitch and bench, but Yamal looked subdued as he trudged on the pitch by himself.

Once the referee blew the full-time whistle, Yamal walked past Flick, who tried to placate his star player, and the two exchanged a few words before the forward headed back towards the dressing room.

Flick said Yamal’s reaction, or lack of it, was not “because of how he played, he played good”, and elaborated on his star player’s exasperation. “At the moment, he does not have this fortune that he scores the goals, but it can come back.”

Yamal has been at the centre of an Islamophobia controversy in Spanish football after he slammed anti-Muslim chants during his national team’s friendly match against Egypt in Barcelona on Tuesday.

At the ⁠⁠RCDE Stadium near Barcelona, the home ground of La Liga club Espanyol, Spanish supporters chanted “Whoever doesn’t jump is a Muslim” during the ⁠⁠World Cup warm-up match, which ended in a goalless draw.

It was the latest in a string of similar incidents to overshadow Spanish football in recent years, with Real Madrid’s Brazilian attacker Vinicius Junior in particular repeatedly racially abused.

Yamal is a Muslim player whose father moved from Morocco to Spain. He issued a damning statement on Instagram in the wake of the controversy.

“I am a Muslim. Yesterday at the stadium the chant ‘the one who doesn’t jump is the Muslim’ was heard,” he posted on Instagram in the aftermath of the match.

“I know I was playing for the rival team and it wasn’t something personal against me, but as a Muslim person it doesn’t stop being disrespectful and something intolerable.”

Yamal and Barcelona will return to action against the same opposition on Tuesday, as they host the fourth-ranked Spanish team in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal at the Camp Nou.

The fixture will provide another opportunity for the young player to add to his goal tally of 19 this season. He has scored 14 goals in La Liga and five in European competition.

“We have three days now to prepare for the next match,” Flick said when asked about the upcoming fixture.

“It’s a very important one, and he [Yamal] will be in a better mood than after the game.”

Drivers lined up for free gas in Chicago as fuel prices surge, driven by the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupting global oil supplies, with some blaming President Donald Trump.

It is just one of the many upcoming projects the reality star has in the works

The makers behind hit dating show Love Island have teamed up with Kim Kardashian for their next reality series project which aims to be the ‘next Dance Moms’.

Having received a green light, the new show is expected to be streaming on Paramount Plus at some point later this year. Reality star Kim Kardashian will serve as executive producer for the new show

The title is a joint production between companies ITV America, which also produces Love Island USA, along with Kim Kardashian Productions and Paramount Sports Entertainment. Executive producers for ITV America are Mioshi Hill, Jordana Hochman, Jeremiah Smith and Tom Ciaccio. Natalie Ento also serves as an executive producer.

Named Team Moms, the series will launch viewers into the world of nationally competition youth baseball in the US. To do this, they will be granted exclusive access to the Legendary Prep Academy in Scottsdale.

Viewers will be immersed in what is Arizona’s first and only baseball prep school. The series follows the coaches, founders and a group of dynamic families.

Their respective teen sons who comprise the starting line-up for one of the most competitive youth baseball programs in the world. It is a feeder to Division 1 college scholarships, NIL deals and ultimately, fame and fortune in the MLB.

Willing to do whatever it takes for their children to excel at America’s favourite pastime, the intensity of the program is only paralleled by the fervour of its athlete’s parents, who will stop at nothing to ensure their kids make it to the big leagues.

It’s clear from the premise that the show hopes to be recreate the magic of Dance Moms which created such stars like Maddie Ziegler and JoJo Siwa.

This isn’t the only television project being produced by All’s Fair star Kim Kardashian. According to her IMDB page, she is also set to produce and star in the series Group Chat.

That is an upcoming drama about five glamorous LA women in their 40s who appear to live flawless lives, but their private group chat reveals the raw, messy reality beneath their polished facades..

She will also star in the series as well as Netflix comedy film The Fifth Wheel. She also has a Kardashians spin-off in the works called Calabasas Behind the Gates, which will focus on the exclusive, gated lives of the extended Kardashian-Jenner circle, including friends and neighbours.

Paramount hope that Team Moms will become another hit in its list of ongoing reality shows which also include Survivor, Big Brother, The Challenge and Making Love.

Team Moms is coming soon to Paramount+.

It was a risky move and Jonathan Torres knew it, but he did it anyway. He let an out-of-town guest stay with him in his room.

Torres, 40, had been living at the Highland Park Motel as part of Inside Safe, Mayor Karen Bass’ flagship program to combat homelessness. He and his neighbors, many of them from a downtown encampment, were told that visitors were not allowed.

Still, Torres kept having people over. After the third violation, he said, the facility kicked him out.

Jonathan Torres spent about two years in a city-leased motel in Highland Park. He told The Times he was kicked out of the facility in December.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

“It’s nobody’s fault but my own, but I just feel it’s unfair,” said Torres, who now lives in a tent in Chinatown. “In the real world, you’re allowed to have people come over. You have visitors. That’s part of keeping your sanity, you know?”

Los Angeles has spent more than $300 million on Inside Safe since Bass launched the program in December 2022, clearing scores of homeless encampments and moving about 5,800 people into interim housing — mostly hotels and motels. The goal was to get each of those people into permanent housing, typically taxpayer-funded apartments.

But even as the mayor’s initiative brings more people indoors, a growing number are winding up back on the street.

The longer the program exists, the greater the share of participants who have returned to “unsheltered” homelessness, according to monthly dashboards which were posted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, or LAHSA, and analyzed by The Times.

Jeremiah Flores, center, packs up his belongings during an Inside Safe operation in North Hollywood last month.

In 2023, at the program’s one-year mark, nearly 20% had returned to the street, according to numbers posted by LAHSA at the time.

Halfway into Bass’ four-year term, the figure had climbed above 30%.

In December, as the program finished its third year, about 40% of the people who had gone indoors — 2,300 of the 5,800 — were back on the street, according to LAHSA’s dashboard. That includes people who were kicked out of their housing or disappeared from the system altogether.

The growing exodus reflects the challenges Bass faces while trying to help some of the city’s neediest residents, many of whom struggle with mental health conditions, substance use issues or major physical ailments.

Workers with Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Safe program clean up a homeless encampment along Hollywood Boulevard in 2024.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Bass, asked about the worrisome trend, said she believes that Inside Safe participants need more services to address those issues. She also said she suspects that the longer people stay, the more likely they are to violate the rules and face expulsion.

The goal of Inside Safe is to find permanent homes within 90 days, with a maximum stay of six months, according to the written agreement issued by the city to each participant.

At this point, the average stay is 362 days — just shy of a year, according to recent LAHSA figures.

Bass did not offer any definitive conclusions, saying the city now has outside researchers assessing the problem.

“It’s critically important that we look at the people who left, why they left [and] what do we need to do strengthen the interim housing that we have,” she said. “I have my opinions about it, but the opinions have to be based in science.”

Bass has staked much of her reelection campaign on her handling of the homelessness crisis, which she made a top priority as soon as she took office. She credits Inside Safe with producing a 17.5% drop in “unsheltered homelessness” — people living outdoors or in their vehicles — over a two-year span. That number fell from about 33,000 to nearly 27,000, according to the most recent homeless count.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass prepares to leave a homeless encampment along the San Diego (405) Freeway in Van Nuys targeted by Inside Safe in July. “The homeless should never be living in these conditions,” she said.

By clearing encampments, Inside Safe also benefits the surrounding community, making sidewalks more accessible and reducing the number of encampment fires, Bass said.

UCLA Law School professor emeritus Gary Blasi, an expert on homelessness, said the program has become too expensive to justify the results — and is in need of “a thorough re-engineering.”

Blasi said there were never enough vouchers and low-cost apartments to provide permanent housing to Inside Safe participants in a timely way. As a result, the city has been paying for them to live in expensive motel rooms for long stretches, he said.

“Once they started having people in interim housing for nine months or a year, that should have rang some alarm bells, because that’s just not sustainable,” he said.

Last summer, the Inside Safe program cleared away a large homeless encampment next to the San Diego Freeway in Van Nuys. Some residents went to the Budget Inn in North Hills.

Inside Safe participants also face a wide array of rules. They are barred from leaving the premises for three consecutive days without prior approval. Alcohol and illegal drugs are prohibited in their rooms, which are inspected multiple times a day.

Participants also are frequently barred from bringing in outside food, to keep from attracting roaches, mice and other pests.

“The rules are dumb. They treat houseless people like children. They don’t give people agency,” said Paisley Mares, who lives in an RV in the San Fernando Valley and has several friends who took part in the program.

Executives with the nonprofit groups that run the Inside Safe facilities said the restrictions are needed to protect residents, keeping them on track to find permanent housing.

Violence, threats of violence and property damage are prohibited, and can result in immediate removal from the program. The ban on guests is designed to prevent people from being physically attacked, sexually assaulted or engaging in high-risk behavior, such as drug use, behind closed doors, those nonprofit leaders said.

“We are bringing people indoors, mostly from encampments, where drugs are often the trade of the street. There is also often physical violence. That’s the way people survive on the streets,” said John Maceri, chief executive officer of the nonprofit the People Concern, which runs two Inside Safe motels in Hollywood. “All of those behaviors don’t stop when people come into an Inside Safe setting.”

Executives at the People Concern estimate that 50% to 65% of the shelter clients they work with — not just for Inside Safe, but other homeless housing programs — have serious issues with drugs or alcohol. The number with serious mental health issues, particularly trauma, is also “very high,” they said.

Inside Safe providers acknowledged that motel rooms can be a huge adjustment, leaving people feeling lonely and isolated. They said they work closely with participants to improve their behavior — and turn to expulsion only as a last resort.

“My goal is never to exit anyone to the streets,” said Joseph Bradford III, chief executive officer of BARE Truth, which runs two Inside Safe motels on the Eastside. “I want to keep people inside until they find permanent housing.”

By now, Inside Safe operations are a well-oiled machine. Sanitation trucks roll up to encampments. Traffic officers cordon off the sidewalk with yellow tape. Encampment residents lug their bags onto a bus and head to their destinations.

Robert Martinez, 40, moved to a Budget Inn in North Hills last summer from an encampment near the 405 Freeway. He had been homeless for about five years and jobless even longer, he said.

Martinez, who used to work at a water filtration company, said the Inside Safe motel was better than the street. Still, he chafed at the rules. He wanted his children to visit, which was not permitted.

In November, after learning that a beloved uncle had died, Martinez left the motel for several days — and didn’t “want to be around anybody.”

When he returned, he said, program staffers informed him he’d been away more than 72 hours and would have to leave.

“I had 30 minutes to get my stuff,” said Martinez, who has been living on a sidewalk in Van Nuys.

Erica Y. Pena, left, and Jose Monteon at a homeless encampment in Van Nuys. Monteon told The Times he spent about two months in an Inside Safe motel last year.

(David Butow / For The Times)

Jose Monteon, 29, moved into the same motel as part of the same Inside Safe operation. He said he was kicked out two months later, after program managers accused him of fighting and making threats.

Monteon, who has spent some nights sleeping his car, denied getting physical. But he admitted expressing frustration over the theft of his bicycle and other possessions.

“Yes, I said some s—. But I never said it to a specific person,” he said. “I said ‘Whoever I find out is taking my s—, I’m going to stab their b— ass.’”

Monteon corrected himself. “My bad — poke. I didn’t say stab, I said poke.”

Ken Craft, whose nonprofit supervises the Budget Inn, declined to discuss specific cases. But he said his staff gives Inside Safe participants three chances — unless they have engaged in threats or violence — and tries to find another place for them to go.

“We’re trying to end homelessness, not have people recycle back to homelessness,” he said.

Even with its challenges, Inside Safe has been gradually moving a greater percentage of its residents into permanent housing, where they are no longer governed by such a wide array of rules.

In December, about one out of every four people who participated in Inside Safe since its inception was in permanent housing, according to that month’s LAHSA dashboard. Two years earlier, that figure was about 15%.

Once the program’s hotels, motels and other temporary lodging are factored in, about 55% were in some form of housing.

Bass said those facilities are a vast improvement over the street, providing bathrooms, heating, air conditioning, hot showers, three meals a day and doors that lock. The program is one of several reasons why Los Angeles County officials reported a double-digit reduction in the homeless mortality rate in 2024, she said.

“The value of the interim housing, number one, is to save lives,” Bass said.

Torres, the Inside Safe participant now in a tent in Chinatown, experienced the difference. He entered the program with a history of gastrointestinal issues and abdominal surgeries.

Jonathan Torres walks his dog in November. At the time, he was living in an Inside Safe motel in Highland Park.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

“The whole time I had my housing, not once did I get sick or have to be hospitalized,” said Torres, who grew up in Redlands and Baldwin Park.

Torres said he was in the program for nearly two years. The longer he stayed, the more frustrated he grew over the wait for permanent housing.

In November, Torres told The Times he had received a notice stating that he had violated the motel’s prohibition on guests and was in danger of being expelled.

By then, he was worried about his health and his dog Waku, a Belgian Malinois/Akita mix. (The program allows “emotional support” animals.)

First To Serve, the nonprofit that supervises the hotel, did not respond to inquiries from The Times.

Even after the written notice, Torres struggled to comply with the rules. He said he allowed a woman from out of state to stay in his room for more than a week during last year’s rains.

The day after Christmas, he was back on the street.

In February, his dog was struck and killed by a car. Days later, sanitation workers cleared the encampment where he’d been living. Soon afterward, he was in the hospital, receiving treatment for a blockage in his bowels.

He eventually returned to Chinatown, setting up another tent. He’s been using meth, saying it helps with his medical issues.

For now, Torres has found some of the companionship he craved. In recent days, he’s been sharing his tent with his new girlfriend.

Deontay Wilder beats Derek Chisora with a split decision win after a dramatic heavyweight contest in what is expected to be Chisora’s final professional bout.

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A MAJOR airline has slashed the price of fares by 50% for summer as the Middle East war tumbles demand for long-haul flights.

Etihad is now offering some of the lowest ever prices seen for long-haul flights from the UK for May and June as it kicks off a price war with Gulf airlines.

Travellers can get return economy flights with the gulf airline from London to Sydney, via Abu Dhabi, from £688.

This is almost three times cheaper than flying to the Australian capital with British Airways (BA), via Singapore, on the same dates – which is £1,850 in economy.

The Foreign Office is currently advising against all but essential travel – which doesn’t include holidays – to the United Arab of Emirates amid the ongoing conflict.

But Etihad, which is the official airline of the UAE, appears to be gambling on hopes that the situation in the Middle East will have eased by next month.

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An Etihad insider told The Times, which analysed the airline’s prices: “As soon as travel picks up, we want to be back to flying planes 100 per cent full in all cabins, as we were before the conflict. These prices will help.”

The airline is also offering market-leading fares to other popular destinations from the UK, including the Maldives, Tokyo and Bangkok.

Brits can get return economy flights to the Maldives with the airline in May and June from £581 – compared with £3,380 with British Airways.

Flights to Singapore are form £391, but are £980 with BA.

Emirates and Qatar Airways, the other main Gulf airlines, have not cut their prices.

Demand for long-haul flights has plunged since the war in Iran first broke out at the end of February, with flights cancelled and the Foreign Office issuing “do not travel” warnings for countries in the Middle East.

Countries in Europe including Spain have seen demand rise, as Brits look for alternative destinations to travel to.

The UK Foreign Office states: “FCDO advises against all but essential travel to United Arab Emirates.

“Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).”

CCTV footage circulated online shows the moment that a military dog attacks a worshipper leaving a mosque during an Israeli raid on Tarqumiyah in the occupied West Bank.

United States President Donald Trump said early on Sunday that an American soldier who went missing in Iran after the downing of his F-15E jet has been rescued following what observers called a dramatic firefight between Iranian and US rescue forces.

The US and Iran were racing to find the airman for about two days, with Tehran calling on the public to hand over the soldier to the authorities in what appeared to be attempts to capture an American prisoner of war as the US-Israel war on Iran entered its 37th day.

That scenario would have delivered a significant win to Tehran amid the ongoing pummelling of its territory, and for Washington, a stunning blow, analysts say. It could have been the moment that parts of Trump’s support base, which has so far supported the war, started to rethink their stance, they say.

“It was a major test for the American military because they really don’t want to leave any of their servicemen behind enemy lines,” Amin Saikal, a professor of Middle East and Central Asian studies at the Australian National University, told Al Jazeera.

But this rescue “also really frees up President Trump to pursue whatever strategy he has in mind”, Saikal added, referencing Trump’s 48-hour deadline for Iran to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz “before all Hell will reign down on them”. Trump has already threatened to bomb energy plants in Iran. Targeting of civilian infrastructure is seen as a violation of the laws of war.

At least 2,076 people have been killed, and 26,500 have been injured in Iran since February 28, when the US and Israel first launched strikes on Iran and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and several other senior military and political leaders.

The conflict has since escalated into a regional war with Iran retaliating against Gulf countries hosting US military and commercial assets.

What happened to the missing airman?

The F-15E jet carrying two members was flying over southern Iran when it was shot down on Friday morning local time.

According to Tehran, the aircraft was shot down by Iran’s “new advanced air defence system”, which it said remained effective despite claims by the US that it had been destroyed.

It was the first time during the war, and the first time since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, that a US aircraft had been shot down.

Washington immediately launched a rescue mission. Although US forces rescued one crew member hours after the crash, the second pilot, believed to be a colonel-rank weapons system officer, was yet to be found.

At least one Black Hawk helicopter was hit in the initial rescue, but US officials said it managed to stay airborne.

Trump suggested that the US appeared to have the location of the airman and was tracking him as the rescue mission unfolded in an area with difficult, mountainous terrain that made physical recovery challenging.

An A-10 Warthog aircraft was also hit near the Strait of Hormuz around the same time as the F-15E, but its pilot was able to eject before the plane crashed and was subsequently rescued. Iranian media reported that this aircraft was also hit by Iran’s defence system.

How did Iran react?

Following the downing of the F-15E, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) cordoned off some parts of the mountainous southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province because they believed the airman went down in the vicinity.

Iranian media also reported that parts of the southern Khuzestan region, an important energy hub, were being scrutinised. That region was the focus of heavy US-Israeli strikes on Saturday that killed at least five people and injured dozens.

Iranian authorities, in a rare move, called on the public on Friday to help find and capture the missing American soldier. State media reported that Tehran offered a $60,000 reward for the airman as clips on state TV repeatedly played footage showing the remnants of the downed US aircraft.

Nomadic tribes in the area, appearing to heed the calls, set about searching for the US airman. Footage from state media showed men carrying rifles and Iranian flags moving in between the mountains of the country’s southwest region.

Some successfully shot at two US Black Hawks that were part of the rescue mission, Iranian officials said. The BBC also verified footage appearing to show Iranian men firing their rifles at US helicopters.

Nomadic groups in Iran, and elsewhere, usually carry rifles to protect their cattle from wildlife and bandits.

The IRGC on Sunday claimed that Iranian forces destroyed two C-130 aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters during the operation to rescue the US pilot in southern Isfahan.

What did the US do to retrieve the soldier?

Early on Sunday morning, Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that the missing soldier had been rescued in “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S History”.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue,” Trump said in his message.

The president revealed some details of the high-risk operation. He had ordered that dozens of aircraft carrying “lethal weapons” be sent in to retrieve the airman who had managed to evade Iranian forces for two days. All the while, the US was tracking the airman.

Although Trump did not reveal details of the firefight believed to have ensued when the US closed in on the airman and went to retrieve him, he confirmed that the officer “sustained injuries” and added that “he will be just fine”.

Al Jazeera’s John Hendren gathered that there was a “heavy firefight” as what was meant to be a “get-in and get-out” rescue operation dragged on.

While US forces had aimed to use the cover of night to conduct the rescue mission after closing in on the airman, enemy fire prolonged the mission into daylight, making it more dangerous.

“We’ve heard it described to us as a heavy firefight,” Hendren reported. “In the end, they managed to spirit that airman out of the country … and into safety, but it didn’t come without injuries, including injuries to that airman himself, but in the end, the US was allowed to avoid a situation where they would have a prisoner of war inside of Iran.”

Hendren added that the US had earlier started a disinformation campaign in Iran, according to officials, claiming the airman was already rescued, to jeopardise Iran’s search.

Iran has not yet confirmed the incident. Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said the firefight appeared to have occurred in the Kohgiluyeh Boyer-Ahmad region, and that nine people have been reported killed in “strikes”, although it is unclear if it was related to the US rescue mission.

Meanwhile, Iranian authorities said on Sunday morning that yet another US aircraft – a Lockheed C-130 Hercules – had been downed.

The US has not responded to those claims. At least one such aircraft was spotted flying low over southwest Iran, along with two smaller refuelling helicopters, during the rescue mission effort of the last 48 hours.

EMMA Watson has sparked mystery as she went to extreme lengths to avoid being pictured with a married star after a lavish dinner date in Hollywood.

The Harry Potter star recently confirmed her secret relationship with billionaire entrepreneur Gonzalo Hevia Baillares.

Just last month they were spotted passionately snogging at the airport after having jetted off on a romantic break.

But now, Emma was seen going to extreme lengths to avoid being papped with Jay Shetty, 38, according to The Mail‘s source.

Emma reportedly had dinner with the former monk and now lifestyle guru at a lavish LA restaurant last week.

The 35-year-old made her swift departure using a different exit to podcast host Jay, the source said.

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Taking their seemingly well-thought-out exit a step further, The Mail’s eagle-eyed onlooker told how the pair even “swapped cars,” in a bid to baffle the paps.

Outside the trendy spot, Jay, the British author of Think Like A Monk, was also seen looking after Emma’s dog, Sofia, in a display of manly chivalry.

In September last year, Emma, who is a PHD student at Oxford, appeared on Jay’s podcast, On Purpose With Jay Shetty.

The pair got into a deep conversation on Emma’s love life and she told how marriage is “a miracle,” and while she hopes it may one day happen to her, she doesn’t feel “entitled to it.”

Since the podcast aired, it seems Jay and Emma have struck up a close friendship – so why make a great escape?

It’s not the first time they have been spotted out on the town together, according to The Mail.

Little Women star Emma and celebrity life coach Jay were also seen arriving at Beyoncé and Jay Z‘s Oscar party.

Jay and his wife influencer Radhi Devlukia married in a traditional Hindu ceremony back in 2016.

Celebrating his wedding anniversary back in 2020, he said: “Your laugh is infectious, your dances are hilarious and your heart is so so deep.

“You’re my spiritual inspiration and guide in SO many ways! Thank you for being my wife and loving me!”

Meanwhile, actress Emma is thought to be loved up with her boyfriend Gonzalo.

They didn’t appear to care who saw them last month as she embraced the businessman as they walked through Mexico City airport.

Gonzalo, who is one of Mexico’s most eligible bachelors, is said to be taking his relationship with Emma very seriously – having already introduced her to his parents, a source told The Daily Mail.

Remember when our president attacked a female journalist for asking uncomfortable questions with a casual, sincere, “Quiet, piggy”?

That was five months ago, a lifetime in the chaos of the Trump administration, but it was a telling moment about how not just our president but those crafting his policy view women and their place in society. Hint: It’s not at the top.

While I have not a bit of pity or dismay that Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem — the former U.S. attorney general and the former secretary of Homeland Security, respectively — were given the ax by President Trump in recent days, it shouldn’t be lost that this is another “quiet, piggy” week in an administration that is increasingly openly hostile to women in power.

“I see a theme,” Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett wrote on social media. “He will throw the incompetent women under the bus a lot faster than the incompetent men.”

When democracies decay, and especially when movements like Christian nationalism rise, an erosion of women’s equality almost always comes first. Bondi and Noem are part of a U.S. erosion that should alarm us all, whatever your gender identity.

First, the obvious. Good riddance. Noem seemed to relish cruelty, and treated her job like a costume party, constantly mugging for cameras with guns and faux toughness as if the dismantling of lives and imprisoning even children was a game. Never mind the grift.

Bondi, meanwhile, always seemed like the football team’s third-favorite cheerleader, desperately vying for the attention of the jock-gods around her, even if it meant groveling for approval, even if it meant selling out all women with her ultimate censoring of the Epstein files.

But while Bondi and Noem were obviously incompetent, incompetence has never been a fire-able offense for Trump. Just ask Pete Hegseth, whose Thor fantasies are currently playing out in an all-to-real war. Or Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has dismantled American science while glorifying beef tallow and workouts in jeans. Don’t even get me started on Kash Patel.

It’s no accident that women at the top of Trump’s administration are being purged. They were useful in the first days of the regime, while power was still being consolidated and shimmers of diversity were helpful. But as the sexist and racist nature of the MAGA machine has gained mainstream acquiescence if not acceptance, the need to keep up the appearance of diversity is less and less.

Take, for example, the far-right attacks on Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett after her pointed and skeptical questions recently on Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship.

“A woman as a mother is a precious gift, but a woman as a civil magistrate is the death of the nation,” wrote far-right pastor and increasingly popular anti-equality influencer Joel Webbon on social media.

This is the same Texas gentleman who went viral recently for proclaiming, “Women, shut up! Of course. It is literally an offense to God” for women to have influence in the governing of society.

He’s also part of a group of far-right religious leaders — including a pastor associated with Hegseth — who support ending women’s right to vote and replacing it with a single “household” vote cast by, you guessed it, men.

Bondi and Noem may be the most high-profile examples of how this misogyny is playing out in MAGA reality, but they aren’t the only women forced out of power by Trump and his cronies this year. It’s a push that is far more systematic and insidious than we are giving them credit for. Hegseth has all but wiped women out of the top ranks of the military — just recently personally knocking two women off a promotions list.

RFK Jr. and others, meanwhile, are busy pushing women out of science. The Washington Post pointed out that last year at this time, the feds purged women and people of color from the boards that review the science and research happening at the National Institutes of Health— 38 out of 43 experts that were fired were women and minorities.

A report out last month also found that all those attacks on universities last year, with the cutting of grants even in areas such as cancer research — disproportionately affected female scientists. Many of these female scientists, especially younger ones, will never recover from those quashed research projects and lost jobs in a field that demands results and published work, meaning we are looking at a generational loss of female scientific talent.

And let’s not forget Renee Nicole Good, shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis who, with as much casualness as Trump’s “quiet, piggy,” said “f—ing b—” after shooting her and walking away.

Bondi and Noem aren’t just unqualified villains shown the door. They are villainesses.

The Trump administration knows the difference, and so should we.