Month: July 2026

The business empire of Dodgers and Lakers owner Mark Walter reportedly is being probed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and securities regulators over $16 billion in possibly fraudulent loans.

The loans by two Delaware life insurers that Walter owns were made to companies tied to him or his TWG Global holding company but were not disclosed as “related party” transactions as required, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Related party transactions made by insurers are required to be reported to limit conflicts of interest and protect policyholders, who have an interest in the financial strength of their insurers.

Walter, 66, chief executive of Chicago investment firm Guggenheim Partners, led a group that included Todd Boehly — another Guggenheim executive — and Magic Johnson in acquiring the Dodgers for $2.15 billion in 2012, a record for a pro sports team at the time. Last year, Walter and TWG acquired a controlling stake in the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation, a new record. Walter also owns the Chelsea soccer team in the English Premier League.

Last week, the financial and sports mogul celebrated the Dodgers’ World Series victory at the White House. It was the second time in two years, following back-to-back World Series wins.

The majority of the money used to buy the Dodgers — more than $1 billion — came from insurance companies managed by Guggenheim Partners and controlled by Walter, the Times has reported.

A number of state insurance regulators investigated the purchase in 2014 and found no irregularities, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2020.

Guggenheim Partners got into the insurance business after America’s 2008 financial crisis, spotting investment opportunities. Walter figured he could increase the returns insurers got on their typical purchases of corporate bonds by connecting them to his deal pipeline, according to the Wall Street Journal, which found that five insurers had provided more than $10 billion in deal funding over the years.

The current probe began after an internal whistleblower filed a complaint questioning the way Walter’s asset-management firm, Guggenheim Investments, booked revenue associated with insurers, the Journal reported this week, and FBI agents seized at least one cellphone related to that probe.

The investigation then spread to examining $16 billion in loans, which were passed through a third party before being received by the companies tied to Walter or TWG, the Journal reported, adding that authorities are trying to determine whether that amounted to fraud, citing an unnamed source.

The insurers, Delaware Life Insurance and its affiliate Clear Spring Life and Annuity, disclosed the investigations in June regulatory filings. Delaware Life, which earlier had stated affiliated investments amounted to only about $1 billion, or 3% of its portfolio, increased that number to $16 billion.

Delaware Life executives told one credit rating firm they were unaware the loans were made to entities tied to Walter, the Journal reported. The companies said they received grand jury subpoenas in February related to an investigation by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York and that the Securities and Exchange Commission also is conducting a parallel investigation.

Investigations conducted by prosecutors and securities regulators often result in no action.

The Dodgers, TWG and Guggenheim did not immediately respond to messages for comment.

A TWG spokesperson told the Journal that “Mark Walter and TWG have always acted in good faith,” are cooperating with authorities and are “confident these matters will be resolved favorably.”

After conducting an internal investigation, Delaware Life said it would restructure some related-party loans, address its internal control deficiencies and moderate its business plan, according to S&P Global. While the ratings agency is maintaining its “A-” financial strength and credit ratings of Delaware Life, it reduced its outlook to “negative” because of possible higher credit risk following changes to the insurer’s portfolio.

“In addition, such outcomes could weaken Delaware Life’s regulatory relationships and damage its reputation, which could erode its competitive position,” S&P said.

“Our capital position and liquidity remain strong, and our financial strength ratings are unchanged,” Group 1001, the insurers’ parent company, said in a statement.

“We remain focused on delivering exceptional value and service to our contract and policyholders and their financial representatives,” the statement added.

Bloomberg News contributed to this report.

July 28 (UPI) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear sent a letter Monday to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., telling him to address Kentuckians about his absence from Congress or resign.

Beshear is a Democrat and is considering a run for president.

McConnell, 84, has been hospitalized since June 14 for a fall. His office has released photos of McConnell and his wife, former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao.

“As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” Beshear wrote in a Monday letter shared with the media.

“Per our research, a vacancy in the Senate occurs when a senator dies, resigns, or is expelled by a vote of the Senate itself,” the governor wrote. “If you are unwilling to voluntarily show that you still have the capacity to serve, I will insist Leader [Sen. John] Thune [R-S.D.] fully investigate your condition, report to the American people, and begin the process if warranted.”

CNN first reported details of the letter, which was also sent to Thune.

On July 8, Beshear requested details of McConnell’s condition. McConnell’s office has said that he is recovering and working closely with doctors and medical staff. But McConnell himself hasn’t been shown in video or heard publicly via phone call. Images released of him have been met with public skepticism.

In the latest letter, Beshear said that “important events are happening in our country right now during your absence.”

“President Trump is stuck in a war of his own making and has greatly strengthened the very country he claims is a threat,” he said. “Prices continue to rise, crushing Americans who are working hard but not getting ahead. Americans’ voting rights are being eliminated by the Supreme Court and threatened by congressional action. All while you are absent and refuse to communicate clearly and directly to the people you serve.”

McConnell’s office released a statement Monday about the Senator’s health from the hospital’s Office of the Attending Physician.

“Senator McConnell continues his recovery from a fall at home in June. OAP physicians visit with the Senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care. Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls. His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”

McConnell also said in the update that he is sad to miss the annual Fancy Farm picnic in western Kentucky, an event that draws thousands to hear speeches from political candidates from around the state. The picnic is scheduled for Aug. 1.

Beshear noted the update but said it isn’t enough.

“I understand anyone’s desire for privacy, but when you run for office and serve as one of a state’s two U.S. senators, you willingly abdicate much of your personal privacy,” he said in the letter. “That’s the deal, and we all know it when we run.”

McConnell has said he will retire at the end of his term in January. He was hospitalized in February for flu-like symptoms and has fallen in the U.S. Capitol several times.

BOOKING a holiday in advance doesn’t necessarily pay off anymore and more Brits are leaving up until the last-minute to book a break.

loveholidays found that year-on-year bookings for holidays departing the next day are jumping 26 per cent.

The most popular destinations for these spots include Majorca, Tenerife, Antalya, Costa Blanca and Ibiza.

Sun Travel did some digging of our own, and found some of the best last-minute loveholidays breaks with some flights leaving as soon as tomorrow.

Ona Don Juan, Spain

The four-star hotel in the coastal town of Lloret de Mar is a short-flight away and there’s plenty to do from paddling in one of its three swimming pools to tennis, and trying out the games room.

There’s even an on-site nightclub for those who want to enjoy their break well into the evening and the local beach at Lloret de Mar is a short walk away.

PARK UP

Epic UK holiday parks with waterparks, theme parks & Spoons pubs from £3pp a night

HOL YES

Cheapest summer for holidays in YEARS – with August breaks still on sale for £188pp

A five-night holiday for two people on a full board basis at Ona Don Juan starts from £459pp – including return flights to Bournemouth departing on July 29

Cosmelenia Hotel Apartments, Cyprus

Found in Ayia Napa, this hotel is a great find for soaking up the Cypriot sunshine it also has cosy rooms, a swimming pool and food is served throughout the day.

For fans of waterparks, WaterWorld which is one of the biggest in Europe with 30 rides and attractions is a short walk away.

A five-night holiday for two people on a full board basis here starts from £519pp – including return flights to Manchester Airport from July 31 returning

Hotel Troya, Tenerife

This hotel is in Tenerife’s resort of Playa de las Américas a resort known for having beaches, nightlife and restaurants all in one place.

The Hotel Troya has three outdoor pools and a full spa with a sauna and Jacuzzi – it also has two restaurants and bars including one that’s right next to the pool.

A five-night holiday for two people on a full board basis at Hotel Troya starts from £609pp – including return flights from Bristol Airport on August 1

Sol Costa Daurada, Spain

In the heart of Salou, Costa Dorada is Sol Costa Daurada which has Mediterranean-style rooms and plenty of places to eat from its buffet restaurant to poolside bar.

There’s an outdoor swimming pool and a separate one for children with sunloungers dotted about – guests can try their hand at games like table tennis.

A four-night holiday for two people on a full board basis at Sol Costa Daurada starts from £429pp – including return flights from Manchester Airport on July 29

Hotel Playa, Spain

Yet another Spain pick is to Hotel Playa in Torrevieja which is within walking distance of a local beach and rooms to suit families and couples too.

The hotel has two outdoor swimming pools as well as a gym, restaurant and bar – for activities, there’s the opportunity to go cycling and the hotel has live music during the evenings.

A five-night holiday for two people on a full board basis here starts from £479pp – including return flights departing Manchester Airport on July 29 and returning on August 3 to Leeds Bradford.

Hotel Matheo Villas & Suites, Crete

If you fancy splashing out on a last-minute holiday, head to Crete – the hotel is found in Malia which is a popular resort on the island.

The hotel has three swimming pools with sunlounger beds, a wellness area, and a poolside restaurant serving up Greek specialities.

A five-night holiday for two people on a full board basis here starts from £689pp – including return flights departing East Midlands Airport on July 30

*Prices correct at the time of publication.

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 reached its final week, Gourav Roy, an Indian software engineer living in San Francisco, drove more than 9,650 kilometres (6,000 miles) across the United States to attend both the semifinals and the final.

For Roy, it was the next best thing to what he had grown up dreaming of: seeing India play in the World Cup.

But the possibility of that dream coming true is looking ever more distant as deep-rooted systemic issues and the failure to implement reforms have left the country of 1.45 billion ranked a lowly 138th in the world, failing to even qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup.

“I’ve learned to love without expectation. That’s the burden of the Indian football fan,” said Roy.

While countries with tiny populations like Curacao and Cape Verde qualified for the 2026 World Cup, India remains a prime example of wasted potential in the planet’s most popular sport.

Those working in Indian football say the problems range from poor youth development systems, a lack of popularity, and a national federation (the All India Football Federation) struggling to implement a uniform vision with a loose patchwork of state associations.

“If you ask me, to clean up the system and reorganise it will take a full cycle of four years,” Ravi Puskur, the CEO of Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa, told Reuters.

“Then it’s another 20-25 years to get us to the World Cup.”

Confined to pockets

In cricket-mad India, football remains popular only in a handful of states like West Bengal, Goa, Kerala, Mizoram and Manipur.

The ISL, launched in 2014 with the backing of Reliance Industries, one of India’s biggest conglomerates, tried to change that with limited success.

In 2025, the AIFF and Reliance did not renew their partnership as negotiations stalled amid a Supreme Court case to implement a new constitution for the federation.

This year, under new management led by clubs, the ISL is yet to finalise a broadcaster and announce fixtures.

NorthEast United CEO Mandar Tamhane, who previously led Bengaluru FC, said clubs alone cannot fix Indian football.

“You’re talking about the government, corporate India… it has to be a collective effort,” he said.

“The federation has to make sure the clubs, state associations, the corporates and other stakeholders all work together.”

Weak youth development

AIFF executive committee member and Mizoram’s sports minister Lalnghinglova Hmar said the government can help with infrastructure, but for Indian football to improve, the country’s youth development system needs a drastic overhaul.

“In South Korea and Japan, kids play over 40 competitive matches per season. This is missing in India,” he said.

“We start developing players too late. Most under-15 players get only 12 to 15 competitive games yearly. Some get called up to the youth national camp after playing less than 20 competitive games.

“We’re short on qualified coaches. Many states don’t even have a youth league… we just can’t compete like that.”

But India’s size, the very thing that makes it an attractive sports market and led to the huge success of cricket’s Indian Premier League, also makes it difficult for the AIFF to implement widespread reforms.

“If even half the states were doing a proper job at grassroots, things would grow,” Hmar added.

The uncertainty over the ISL, which forced some teams to suspend player salaries last year, also dealt a blow to the clubs’ development programmes.

“If you can provide stability, gradually the investment will increase,” Puskur said.

A limited window

With India bidding to host the 2036 Olympics, the government is considering the launch of a “sports passport” that allows Indian-origin athletes to represent the country.

The AIFF leadership has backed the initiative, believing it will help improve the national team’s performances. But the proposal is still far from becoming law, and Hmar said Indian football needs to act fast.

“The other nations aren’t sitting idle… if we don’t match them, even if we improve, we will remain where we are,” he said.

While Indian football hangs in limbo, fans like Roy can only live in hope.

“They are talking about a 64-team World Cup,” he said. “It won’t gift us anything, but more places mean more hope.”

LEIGH-ANNE Pinnock has come under fire for telling fans they can pay to ‘follow her pregnancy’ by signing up to a paywall site.

It comes despite the former Little Mix singer, who is currently expecting her third child with her footballer husband Andre Gray, having an estimated net worth of around £5.9 million.

Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, Leigh-Anne explained to fans that she had set up a Patreon page where she will be sharing ‘pregnancy, bump updates, everyday life and all of the things in between’.

Fans can pay £5 per month to access the content.

Leigh-Anne, who already shares twins with Andre, wrote in her Patreon bio: “Hey It’s Leigh-Anne here!

“As some of you may know by now I’m pregnant with my third child and wanted to create a space for you all to get a deeper insight into my world, my pregnancy journey and general life as a mother, singer, wife and woman who’s trying her best.

PRICE-LESS REACTION

Katie Price leaves son Junior mortified as she talks her ‘hairy bits’

BIRTHDAY GIRL

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“Excited to see where this journey takes us and can’t wait to show you all the things I get up to along the way.”

Patreon is a platform used by influencers and creators to share exclusive content.

Following the page’s release, some fans were confused as to why the multi-millionaire singer is charging for her content.

One fan branded the move ‘out of touch’ as they said: “Genuinely this is extremly weird for someone as big of a name to start a patreon to… show a pregnancy? Tbh it feels a bit out of touch for my taste.”

Another asked: “Are you broke?”

A third slammed: “Wow.. she really needs that money eh?”

However, some were on board with the idea and have already signed up.

“Just signed up to follow your journey, can’t wait to see what it all brings!,” wrote a fan.

Another defended: “The Patreon is strictly for the fans that want to follow her pregnancy journey a little more closer. She doesn’t have to show anything at all but she’s choosing to on her terms. That’s the difference from posting publicly.”

On her Patreon page, Leigh-Anne urged fans to keep the content she shares exclusively for there and not share it elsewhere online.

There is a free option on Patreon which allows you to watch some videos, but not the subscription-only posts.

Alongside her ultra-successful run with Little Mix, Leigh-Anne has had a booming solo career since 2023.

Her husband, Andre, has played for football clubs such as Brentford, Burnley, Watford and Port Vale.

A NEW ferry linking a quirky English seaside town with France is setting sail in just a few weeks.

The crossing will take around eight hours with each sailing limited to 12 passengers.

SailLink has teamed up with award-winning sailor Michel Desjoyeaux, who will personally skipper each journey from Shoreham to Fécamp, Normandy.

Mr Desjoyeaux, the only sailor in history to have won the Vendée Globe, a round-the-world sailing race, twice, built the wind-powered catamran from parts of other race boats that had already sailed round the world.

He hopes to prove that regular, wind–powered crossings can become a practical alternative to traditional cross-Channel ferries.

The pilot project will run from September 8-13 .

MAKE IT RAIN

Incredible moment planes scoop water from busy lake to fight French wildfires

FERRY SCARY

Shocking moment huge waves repeatedly slam packed ferry against pier

Billed as a fishing port and religious pilgrimage site, Fécamp is renowned for its striking chalk cliffs and Benedictine liqueur.

The sailing itself retraces the historic voyage of Charles II, who reached Fécamp from Shoreham in 1651.

Ticket prices start from £220 for a one-way trip, with return journeys starting from £440.

Tom Willis, chief executive at Shoreham Port, said: “We are delighted to see Shoreham Port working with SailLink and the Port of Fécamp to offer this unique cross-Channel crossing experience.

“As global warming challenges the way we travel, wind propulsion offers a compelling alternative.”

Tickets for the pilot project go on sale on August 1.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. New ranking of the summer movies I’ve seen this year: 1. The Odyssey; 2. Supergirl; 3. Young Washington; 4. Disclosure Day; 5. Masters of the Universe; 6. The Devil Wears Prada 2

We are less than a week away from the trade deadline (Monday at 3 p.m. PT). The Dodgers have a commanding lead in the NL West and are going to make the postseason. Their current team is good enough to win the World Series, but there’s now a big question mark over Shohei Ohtani, whose knee is preventing him from pitching.

Ohtani’s last start was July 3. And, in the category of things that make you wonder, his batting stats since then: .250/.300/.500, 16 for 64, four doubles, four homers, five walks, 17 strikeouts. Could just be a down couple of weeks, which every batter goes through. But when paired with the sore knee, it makes you think.

The Dodgers are counting on getting Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell back in August. That would give them a postseason rotation (if Ohtani can’t pitch again this year) of:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Snell
Glasnow
Justin Wrobleski

If Ohtani can pitch again, one of those guys drops off. But what if he can’t come back and Snell and/or Glasnow aren’t able to come back? Emmet Sheehan? Roki Sasaki? Bullpen game? Sasaki has pitched well his last couple of starts, but we’ve been down that road before.

Or do the Dodgers add a reliever? Another hitter? Stand pat?

And then add in the fact that getting someone, even someone like Tarik Skubal, guarantees nothing. The Dodgers have made big deals in the past and not won. They have made marginal deals and won it all.

What would you do? Assuming the trade is fair, which would you acquire first, a starting pitcher, reliever, batter or would you stand pat?

Click here to vote in our survey.

Maddie Lee offers her trade deadline take here.

In the meantime, here’s a look at some previous trade deadline deals by the Dodgers.

2017

—Acquired pitcher Yu Darvish from Texas for A.J. Alexy, Willie Calhoun and Brendon Davis.

—Acquired pitcher Tony Cingrani from Cincinnati for Scott Van Slyke and Hendrik Clementina.

—Acquired pitcher Tony Watson from Pittsburgh for Angel German and Oneil Cruz.

—Acquired outfielder Curtis Granderson from the New York Mets for Jacob Rhame.

Dodgers record before deadline: 74-31, .705

Record after deadline: 30-27, .526

2018

—Acquired shortstop Manny Machado from Baltimore for Rylan Bannon, Yusniel Diaz, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop and Breyvic Valera. (This trade was made July 18, but we will count it.)

—Acquired pitcher John Axford from Toronto for Corey Copping.

—Acquired second baseman Brian Dozier from Minnesota for Logan Forsythe, Luke Raley and Devin Smeltzer.

—Acquired infielder David Freese from Pittsburgh for Jesus Valdez.

Record before deadline: 59-49, .506

Record after deadline: 33-22, .600

2019

—Acquired pitcher Adam Kolarek from Tampa Bay for Niko Hulsizer.

—Acquired infielder Jedd Gyorko from St. Louis for Jeffry Abreu and Tony Cingrani.

Record before deadline: 71-39, .645

Record after deadline: 35-17, .673

2020

Nothing significant. This was the 60-game COVID season.

2021

—Acquired pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner from Washington for Gerardo Carrillo, Donovan Casey, Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz.

—Acquired outfielder Billy McKinney from the New York Mets for Carlos Rincón.

—Acquired pitcher Danny Duffy from Kansas City for Zach Willeman.

Record before deadline: 63-43, .594

Record after deadline: 43-13, .768

2022

—Acquired pitcher Chris Martin from the Chicago Cubs for infielder-outfielder Zach McKinstry.

—Acquired left fielder Joey Gallo from the New York Yankees for Clayton Beeter.

Record before deadline: 68-33, .673

Record after deadline: 43-18, .705

2023

—Acquired Kiké Hernández from Boston for Justin Hagenman and Nick Robertson.

—Acquired pitchers Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn from the Chicago White Sox for Jordan Leasure, Nick Nastrini and Trayce Thompson.

—Acquired infielder Amed Rosario from Cleveland for Noah Syndergaard.

—Acquired pitcher Ryan Yarbrough from Kansas City for Derlin Figueroa and Devin Mann.

Record before deadline: 59-45, .567

Record after deadline: 41-17, .707

2024

—Acquired pitcher Jack Flaherty from Detroit for Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney.

—As part of a three-team deal, acquired infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman from St. Louis and pitcher Michael Kopech from the Chicago White Sox for Alexander Albertus, Jeral Perez and Miguel Vargas.

—Traded pitcher Ryan Yarbrough to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier.

Record before deadline: 63-46, .578

Record after deadline: 35-18, .660

2025

Traded pitcher Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox. Received Zach Ehrhard and James Tibbs III.

Traded pitchers Paul Liñan and Eriq Swan to the Washington Nationals for outfielder Alex Call.

Traded catcher Hunter Feduccia to the Tampa Bay Rays for pitchers Adam Serwinowski and Paul Gervase and catcher Ben Rortvedt.

Traded outfielder James Outman to the Minnesota Twins for pitcher Brock Stewart.

Record before deadline: 63-46, .578

Record after deadline: 30-23, .566

See, last year, the most important acquisition was getting Rortvedt, and no one was exactly extolling his virtues when they got him. I remember when the Dodgers acquired Darvish, it seemed to guarantee the World Series title. And when they got Scherzer, that seemed like a slam dunk for the title. But you never know what’s going to happen.

And are there any trades up there that make you say, “Wow, that was a terrible deal?” No. Andrew Friedman has a great track record on trades, so, it will be interesting to see what the Dodgers do.

The postseason

Here’s a look at the NL. Remember, the three division winners plus the next three teams with the best record make the postseason. The two division winners with the best record get a first-round bye.

Division leaders
1. Dodgers, 67-39
2. Milwaukee, 66-40, 1 GB
3. Atlanta, 62-44, 5 GB

Wild-card standings
1. Chicago, 60-46
2. Philadelphia, 57-50
3. Pittsburgh, 55-52

4. Arizona, 55-52
5. Washington, 54-53, 1 GB
6. St. Louis, 53-53, 1.5 GB
7. San Diego, 53-53, 1.5 GB
8. Miami, 53-54, 2 GB
9. Cincinnati, 49-55, 4.5 GB

These names seem familiar

How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:

Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 97 ERA+, out for the season

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .259/.350/.420, 434 PA’s, 21 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 53 RBIs, 113 OPS+, on the IL

Walker Buehler, Padres: 6-5, 5.12 ERA, 100 IP, 99 hits, 42 walks, 91 K’s, 80 ERA+

Mike Busch, Cubs: .247/.368/.405, 468 PA’s, 18 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 56 RBIs, 117 OPS+

Michael Conforto, Cubs: .237/.326/.481, 178 PA’s, 11 doubles, 9 homers, 24 RBIs, 122 OPS+

Justin Dean, Cubs: .286/.444/.571, 9 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 1829 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 3.86 ERA, 1 save, 21 IP, 23 hits, 10 walks, 20 K’s, 115 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-8, 4.59 ERA, 86.1 IP, 80 hits, 42 walks, 102 K’s, 93 ERA+, on the IL

Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 2-4, 3.90 ERA, 12 saves, 27.2 IP, 17 hits, 17 walks, 31 K’s, 111 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.35 ERA, 31 IP, 26 hits, 12 walks, 29 K’s, 99 ERA+

Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL

Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-7, 4.59 ERA, 104 IP, 104 hits, 33 walks, 103 K’s, 87 ERA+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .200/.277/.298, 277 PA’s, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 20 RBIs, 61 OPS+

James Outman, Tigers: .161/.219/.295, 160 PA’s, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 16 RBIs, 42 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers: .251/.341/.491, 318 PA’s, 11 doubles, 2 triples, 17 homers, 36 RBIs, 140 OPS+

Luke Raley, Mariners: .230/.284/.447, 280 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 15 homers, 39 RBIs, 107 OPS+

Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors

Corey Seager, Rangers: .182/.292/.374, 219 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 25 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL

Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .292/.394/.472, 254 PA’s, 21 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs

Trea Turner, Phillies: .244/.295/.391, 455 PA’s, 18 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 41 RBIs, 82 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .242/.348/.484, 449 PA’s, 24 doubles, 1 triple, 22 homers, 63 RBIs, 131 OPS+

Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-5, 3.65 ERA, 3 saves, 24.2 IP, 16 hits, 11 walks, 30 K’s, 114 ERA+

Up next

Tuesday: Seattle (Luis Castillo, 3-9, 4.85 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Seattle (Emerson Hancock, 6-4, 3.16 ERA) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Thursday: Seattle (Bryce Miller, 4-5, 2.75) at Dodgers (TBD), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

All times Pacific

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

Tarik Skubal blockbuster deal likely isn’t part of Dodgers’ trade-deadline plans

Swanson: Hall of Famer Joe Torre passionate about going to bat for kids at risk of family violence

Huntington Beach’s Jeff Kent credits his parents for helping fuel his Hall of Fame career

Shohei Ohtani suffers setback in his plans to return to Dodgers’ rotation

Jeff Kent starting to feel like a Hall of Famer this weekend

Miguel Rojas on decision to visit Capitol Hill, White House: ‘I’m representing the Dodgers’

Dodgers Debate: The White House and the trade deadline

Lopez: 5 reasons the Dodgers should not go back to the White House again next year

And finally

Vin Scully narrates a wacky play at Candlestick Park. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Both countries expect to see temperatures soar into Wednesday, which could cause the blazes to spread.

The spread of wildfires in France and Spain that had come dangerously close to the cities of Bordeaux and Madrid appears to be slowing, authorities say, but they are bracing for yet another stifling heatwave this week, which could fan the flames of current blazes and ignite new ones.

Nearly 4,000 people were evacuated from tourist sites in the Lacanau area of the Gironde region in southwestern France on Tuesday, bringing the total number who have fled Gironde to well over a quarter of a million. The wine-growing region, which includes the historic city of Bordeaux is the worst affected in France by the wildfires

“We are at a point of fragility,” Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s national firefighters federation, told BFMTV on Tuesday. “We will continue attacking this fire despite the forecast rise in temperatures.”

Images posted by the French newspaper Le Figaro showed ash on a beach in Lacanau. Sophie Brocas, Gironde’s prefect, has banned all sporting and cultural events until August 8.

France’s fourth heatwave of 2026 is expected to begin on Tuesday as temperatures are forecast to reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the coming days. When the heatwave reaches Spain on Wednesday, temperatures are expected to be even hotter there.

In Spain, 116,000 people have had to leave their homes since the wildfires began, but some have since been able to return. In the central province of Toledo, people from nine of 11 evacuated towns were allowed to go back to their homes on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said people “can be a little more at ease” after progress overnight in tackling the many blazes in the country, which are mostly concentrated in central Spain.

Firefighters are also dealing with blazes in the neighbouring provinces of Avila and Toledo. About 800sq km (310sq miles) of land have burned.

One Spanish evacuee from the east of the country told the Reuters news agency he had witnessed “total chaos”.

“It was like in the movies where hell cracked the ground open, and you see the red hell.”

The scorching heat has renewed concerns about climate change with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez describing the fires as “the most painful expression of a climate emergency”.

Sanchez said authorities are beginning “to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the fight against wildfires” but cautioned that the upcoming heatwave still has to be dealt with.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is leading a high-level delegation to Turkiye, in his first visit to the neighbouring country since taking office in May.

Accompanied by ministers and senior officials, al-Zaidi’s visit on Tuesday will focus on “strategic cooperation” between the two countries, as well as issues related to security, water and the economy, according to government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi.

Relations between Iraq and Turkiye have fluctuated over the past decade but remained a priority for both sides, particularly for Iraq in relation to oil and water resources.

And the launch of the US-Israel war on Iran in February and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz have elevated Ankara’s importance for Baghdad, prompting it to press Turkish authorities to resume and increase the exporting of oil through the Iraqi-Turkiye pipeline after years of suspension.

New oil agreement

The two countries are seeking to sign an oil pipeline agreement that governs the export of Iraqi oil after the expiration of the previous deal on Monday.

A source from Iraq’s Ministry of Oil told Al Jazeera that a technical delegation arrived in Ankara late last week to finalise a one-year extension of the old oil-exporting agreement until a new deal is concluded.

“The new Turkish terms regarding a new agreement are very difficult to be accepted by Iraq. For this reason, no one other than the Iraqi council of ministers is to take such a decision regarding this issue,” said the official on condition of anonymity.

”Turkiye wants to increase the interest from $1.35 for each barrel to $7, and the export capacity must not be less than 1.5 million bpd [barrels per day], whether Iraq can reach this level or not,” the source added.

Part of al-Zaidi’s plan is to find new energy deals and secure alternate routes to export Iraqi crude via Turkiye and Syria and to the Mediterranean Sea.

Iraq signed energy deals estimated at $200bn with US companies during al-Zaidi’s visit to the United States earlier this month, and the government aims to increase its oil and gas production, as well as to diversify exporting options.

“There is an urgent need to find new export outlets away from the Strait of Hormuz, which no longer meets Iraq’s requirements. We must expedite and shorten the timeframe for negotiations and contracting in order to establish new export routes,” said Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Khudair.

Development Route 

During his visit, al-Zaidi is also expected to pursue the establishment of strong trade, development and economic ties while seeking to draw from Turkiye’s experience across different industries.

A government source told Al Jazeera that the prime minister will highlight the importance of utilising Turkish expertise in the energy, infrastructure and transport sectors to boost Iraq’s development initiatives.

Among the main projects is the so-called Development Route – a vital transport project that connects Iraq’s al-Fao port in the south all the way north to the Iraq-Turkiye-Syria border triangle through a 1,200km (746-mile) rail and a highway network that passes through 10 Iraqi provinces.

Abd al-Jabar Ahmad, a professor of political science, said continued attacks by armed groups “have effectively derailed” the project.

He also cast doubt al-Zaidi visit’s will yield major results in relation to it, pointing to Ankara’s involvement in a transport corridor seeking to link Turkiye to Jordan through Syria and then Saudi Arabia.

“In my view, the Saudi project stripped Iraq’s Development Road Project of much of its economic and investment appeal,” he added.

Water and security   

Water management is also expected to be prioritised during al-Zaidi’s discussions in Turkiye.

Iraq blames Turkiye for building dams that have affected the flow of water from its two main rivers – the Tigris and the Euphrates – which originate in Turkish territory.

“Iraq views it as an issue that impacts the future of millions of Iraqis,” said the government source.

But the most complicated and sensitive issue concerns security – particularly, the presence of Turkish forces on Iraqi soil to fight the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which Turkiye, the US and European Union have designated as a “terrorist” group.

Military estimates suggest that Turkiye has about 50 small and big bases in three Iraqi provinces – Erbil, Duhok and Nineveh – hosting some 5,000 soldiers and weaponry, including artillery and armoured vehicles, as well as heavy and medium arms.

In mid-2025, the PKK announced it had taken its first steps towards disarmament as part of a wider peace deal with Ankara to end 40 years of war against the Turkish state in a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people. Still, Turkiye continues to view the armed group’s presence in different mountainous areas in northern Iraq as a national security threat.

But despite the challenges, there is wide support in Iraq to strengthen relations with Turkiye, driven by the belief that ties with the neighbouring country remain important and serve Iraq’s national interests.

“There is a strong Iraqi desire to deepen relations with Turkiye in many aspects, especially in oil as Turkiye becomes one of the most important countries in the region in terms of transit routes for exporting oil to Europe and the rest of the world,” said Issam al-Faily, a political science professor.

“The problem lies in the nature of the Iraqi political climate, which is affected by the ongoing power struggles. The covert Turkish–Iranian rivalry may be one of the reasons that could prevent al-Zaidi from achieving his aspirations in relations with Turkiye. He should balance these very critical issues, if he wants this visit to be successful,” added al-Faily.

A mum-of-three who left the UK three years ago and moved her family across the world has said the biggest reason for moving abroad was how expensive things are at home

A mum-of-three has claimed her “life is better” after taking her family across the world to escape the cost-of-living crisis. Many Brits have been feeling the pinch over the past few years, with the cost of everything from food to energy bills and petrol costs skyrocketing and leaving everyone with less money in their pockets.

But while many of us look at ways we can cut our spending by being more frugal with our food shopping or cutting back on family holidays, one mum has taken matters into her own hands – by moving somewhere more affordable. Lucy Richardson shared a video on social media in which she said rising costs were one of the biggest factors in deciding to move her family abroad for a new life.

In a video shared on TikTok, Lucy explained that she, her husband, and their three young children decided to leave the UK in 2023. They now live in Bali, Indonesia, where prices are so low that she can completely fill her moped for just £4 – and the tropical weather and gorgeous views are just a bonus.

She said in her video: “The cost of living in the UK was completely out of control, and that’s why we left. We left nearly three years ago because two full-time working parents were not enough for us to sustain the life that we had in the UK.”

Lucy revealed that she and her husband were working full-time to try and support their family and pay their rent, but were finding that they were barely getting by and described their situation as “surviving” and not “living”.

She continued: “We just felt like we were constantly chasing our tail and constantly paying stuff out. Then we had this tiny little pot left over to actually enjoy ourselves and do things that we wanted to do. Then, because there wasn’t enough money, we would put it on a credit card, and then we were in this massive circle of debt.”

The mum-of-three said she could see her family being in this cycle for years, potentially never being able to live their lives until they were retired, by which point they could be “too ill or too old” to enjoy it.

What’s more, Lucy felt like she was missing out on spending time with her three children, as they were growing up without her while she worked full-time to support them. So, the family made the decision to leave the UK and move to Bali.

She said: “It was a crazy, vicious circle that I didn’t want to be a part of. So we left. We now have a much simpler life.

“Today, we just filled up our moped for £4. The same petrol that you have in the UK, and that’s a full tank that’s going to last me for two weeks. Four quid. It’s absolutely crazy.

“Now, we have a much simpler life. We don’t have to go to a nine-to-five [job], and I get to see my kids’ childhoods. So I know what I would rather pick, and that’s why we left the UK. So many people ask, and it’s the cost of living. It was just too high.”

Many commenters on the post praised the mum for having the courage to take her family across the world for a better life, with many saying they wish they could do the same.

One person said: “Well done, you, for taking that step and leaving the UK to better your lives. We are a family of five and totally understand where you are coming from. We class ourselves as the working poor. Working but have nothing to show for it because everything goes on paying taxes and bills.”

Another added: “Agree totally, Britain is a rip off. You did right in getting out.”

A third posted: “Same here. We left six years ago for Spain and it’s so liberating. Our relatives can’t believe how much less we pay month to month here and can now appreciate why we left.”

Other than “The Odyssey,” the biggest news in Los Angeles film circles last week was the return of the Cinerama Dome.

The iconic theater, which has been closed since March 2020, will be restored and reopened by Sony Pictures Entertainment and its Alamo Drafthouse theater chain. As my colleague Cerys Davies reported, renovations begin next month and will continue until early 2028.

For more than 60 years, the dome has been a landmark on Sunset Boulevard. With its 86-foot-wide curved screen, it has premiered such iconic Hollywood films as 1977’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and made a cameo of its own in 2019’s “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.”

Ever since the dome closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been questions about whether it would return. Filmmakers like “Anora” director Sean Baker and “Baby Driver” director Edgar Wright publicly called for its reopening, while a “Save Your Cinema” preservation campaign led by Benjamin Steinberg kept the geodesic icon in the public eye.

“It was definitely the capital of, like, the movie-going experience in L.A.,” Steinberg told my colleague, adding that he plans to visit the theater two to three times a week when it reopens. “I can’t wait to go back inside the Cinerama Dome and watch movies.”

The theater will be operated by Alamo Drafthouse, though Sony says it plans to keep the “Cinerama” name and exterior branding, as well as the dome’s “traditional concession experience” — meaning you won’t be able to order food and drinks to your seat. (Cinephiles recently have criticized the chain for changing its in-seat ordering system to require use of mobile phones in the theater.)

Alongside traditional theatrical showings, the dome also will include some Alamo Drafthouse specials, including repertory screenings, premieres, events and filmmaker series.

Adjacent to the dome, the 14-screen former ArcLight Cinemas will reopen as an Alamo Drafthouse, Sony said, offering dine-in food and beverages, as well as karaoke rooms and “fan celebrations.”

Sony was interested in the dome even before the Culver City-based studio acquired Alamo Drafthouse in 2024.

“It’s such a great location,” Ravi Ahuja, chief executive and chairman of Sony Pictures, told me. “It’s historic, people love it and the theater was successful before it closed. It’s one of a kind, which is the kind of experience we’re after.”

The move also highlights the opportunity Sony sees in the experiences business — an increasingly important strategy for Hollywood.

The Alamo Drafthouse acquisition was part of this, as was the studio’s recent $100-million investment and minority stake in Cosm, a virtual reality venue operator that has a location at Inglewood’s Hollywood Park.

The studio also has “Wheel of Fortune Live!,” a touring version of the popular game show, “Jeopardy! Bar League,” which was incubated at Alamo Drafthouse, and events for its streaming service Crunchyroll at anime conventions.

“It’s another leg of the franchise stool,” Ahuja said. “Fans want to engage in person with each other. It’s part of a human need when you have deep fandom around something.”

As the theatrical market waxes and wanes and the television business has become more unpredictable, it makes sense that studios like Sony increasingly look to diversify and attract fans in new ways.

After all, people have a lot of things they can do with their time and money. And after a period of slow returns since the pandemic, they’ve increasingly been coming back to in-person activities. To keep loyal fans in the fold, studios need to give them more ways to interact with the stories and entertainment they love, or they’ll move on.

Betting on the experiences business isn’t new. Walt Disney Co. makes the majority of its operating income not from its theatrical movies or streaming service, but from its theme parks and cruise line division. Last year, Universal opened Epic Universe, a major investment in its Orlando theme park resort that indicates the importance of this business for the company and owner Comcast.

But not every company wants or needs to start a theme park business. For one, it’s expensive. And for a studio like Sony, which doesn’t have a lot of kid-focused franchises, it doesn’t really make sense.

As a result, some are getting into the experiences space in more specific and limited ways, such as studio tours or branded attractions.

For Sony, that’s meant building a business around these in-person offerings that align more with its adult-leaning audiences. Lionsgate has a “John Wick Experience” in Las Vegas, while Warner Bros., among other things, recently debuted “Harry Potter: A Hogwarts Express Adventure” train event at the Southern California Railway Museum in Perris. (Universal licenses Harry Potter from Warner Bros. for inclusion in its parks.)

For most studios without a major theme park presence, this kind of location-based entertainment is still likely a relatively small part of their corporate revenue, potentially less than 1%, said Dennis Spiegel, founder and chief executive of the International Theme Park Services, Inc. consulting firm. But what these experiences do is help lengthen the life of a franchise by keeping licensing revenue flowing and keeping brands relevant between film releases, he said.

“Hollywood increasingly sees it as an essential part of maximizing the lifetime value of its intellectual property,” he wrote in an email. “In many ways, we have seen how these experiences have become as much of a marketing engine as they are a profit center.”

As for the Cinerama Dome, don’t take it as a sign that Sony is looking to build out an exhibition empire. The studio is looking for only special and selective deals like the dome, Ahuja said, and there are no plans to add more L.A. exhibition locations.

Stuff We Wrote

Film shoots

Number of the week

Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” continued its dominance at the box office in its second outing with a three-day domestic haul of $90 million, down only 27% from its debut weekend.

Internationally, the Universal Pictures film raked in $137.6 million for a worldwide total of $652 million.

The big box office performance came as an unauthorized copy of the film leaked online over the weekend. The studio said it “immediately initiated takedown protocols” once it became aware of theillegal posting on X and “will pursue all appropriate remedies to protect our content and intellectual property rights.” The post was viewed more than 2.1 million times before a takedown notice replaced the copy of the film.

What I’m watching

I did not expect Amazon MGM Studios’ “The Sheep Detectives” to deliver a profound message on death and grieving when I sat down to watch it with a friend, but those talking ovine sleuths really got to me.

DEVON has lots of beautiful seaside towns, but when it comes to finding one that is more peaceful than most, it can feel tricky.

Sidmouth in East Devon is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the UK and, surprisingly, has no arcades or rides.

And soon the spot will be getting a £21million glow-up.

The multi-million pound project will focus on protecting Sidmouth’s seafront.

There will be new offshore breakwaters, a 120 metre beach groyne, flood gates and a number of repairs to existing sea walls.

Ultimately, the upgrades will help to not only protect the seafront, but homes and businesses in the area too.

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When visiting the Victorian seaside town, make sure to head to the Blue Flag-awarded beach, which is known for being one of the cleanest beaches in the UK.

Have a look at the cliffs as well, which form part of England‘s only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As for the town, instead of amusement arcades, loud sports bars and dodgy street food vendors, you’ll find galleries, antiques shops, independent boutiques and tearooms.

Travel reporter Cyann Fielding has previously visited the town and said: “Growing up, I always associated Sidmouth with ‘that place that had donkeys’.

“This is due to Sidmouth being home to the free-to-visit Donkey Sanctuary that has over 100 donkeys that they have improved the lives of.

“Away from the sanctuary, I also visited the beach on occasions growing up.

“Sidmouth is pretty, but I often think people also forget how impressive it is with the dramatic cliffs dating back 200million years.

“They are part of the Jurassic Coast – which is made of vibrant reed sandstone cliffs from the Triassic period.

“They are a wonder to see and within the area, there are many places to go and things to do where families can learn more about the Jurassic Coast.”

Brock Whiston was already Paralympic champion, world champion and world record holder before these Commonwealth Games.

There were two things missing, however.

First, a Commonwealth gold medal. Second, it had been 17 years since her father Gel was poolside to watch her race.

“He doesn’t like swimming,” England’s Whiston, 29, told the BBC.

“He finds it too hot – doesn’t like the smell of chlorine.”

The last time Gel came to watch was when Whiston’s mother had cancer. She has since recovered.

Since then he has been a big “sideline supporter” from home – Whiston says he worked “so hard to get me to where I am today” – but has recently received a Parkinson’s diagnosis.

This time he was keen to make the trip.

“I just wanted to make him proud,” Whiston told TNT Sports.

“I just wanted to win this race for him. I didn’t care about the time.”

And win the race Whiston did – in a new Games record for the women’s 100m breaststroke SB8.

This month Whiston, who works in a primary school, spoke about wanting to keep her emotions in check, having missed out on gold in the same event at the Paris Paralympics after being overawed by the crowd.

“I didn’t spot him until I was doing my lap with my medal,” Whiston said.

“He gave me a kiss on the head and said ‘love you’. I think he was shellshocked.”

So will he be back? Whiston’s Games in Glasgow are finished but there are more meets to come.

“He said he’s done it now. He’s not coming back,” she said.

“He is very happy to support from home.

“Just to have him there that once was a special moment.”

July 28 (UPI) — U.S. healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson said it has reached a proposed $5.5 billion settlement to resolve most remaining lawsuits alleging its talc-based baby powder and other products caused ovarian cancer.

The agreement, announced Monday, follows more than a decade of litigation, including nearly a decade of consolidated federal litigation in New Jersey, along with related cases throughout the country. Tens of thousands of claimants accused Johnson & Johnson of marketing its talc products for feminine hygiene and failing to adequately warn consumers about an alleged cancer risk, despite studies dating back to the 1980s reporting an association between genital talc use and ovarian cancer.

Johnson & Johnson has denied the allegations, describing the litigation as meritless, but said it reached the agreement “to put this matter behind it and remain focused on its mission to develop medicines and devices that save lives,” Erik Haas, Johnson & Johnson’s worldwide vice president of litigation, said in a statement.

Before becoming final, the settlement is condition on thee participation by law firms representing at least 95% of the approximately 76,000 ovarian-cancer claimants covered by the agreement.

Johnson & Johnson expects to pay up to $3 billion in 2027, with no additional payments to be made until 2028.

Johnson & Johnson has been facing talc-related lawsuits since at least the late 2000s and has paid out billions of dollars in judgments and settlements. In 2021, it paid about $2.5 billion, including interest, to women whose claims that the company’s talcum powder caused their cancer were consolidated in Missouri.

In 2024, it agreed to pay $700 million to resolve a separate investigation launched by a coalition of 43 attorneys general into allegations that it deceptively marketed the safety and purity of its talc-based products.

The agreement announced Monday was made on the heels of a federal magistrate judge overseeing the multi-district litigation ordered plaintiffs last week to explain why claims should not be dismissed for failing to present specific causation in pending talc claims. Johnson & Johnson said the order affirms its position that the allegations are “premised on junk science.”

Johnson & Johnson discontinued its talc-based Baby Powder in the United States and Canada in 2020 and worldwide in 2023.

‘Here’s a more natural flowing version of that section…’
Canadian politician Bill Oliver has gone viral after he appeared to accidentally read AI-generated editing instructions aloud, not once, but twice, during a speech to lawmakers in early June.

Emmy-nominated composer Bear McCreary has taken a reverse road to symphonic rock. Prog rockers have traditionally integrated symphonic elements; other rock bands have done orchestral versions of their songs. McCreary began creating television and film scores, discovered his inner metalhead, and has since bridged those worlds with his “Singularity” project. It all adds up to a different take on that time-honored formula.

The second of the two albums, “The Singularity: Ekleipsis,” is out Friday and features contributions from guitarist Steve Vai, Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez, Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump and McCreary’s younger brother Brendan, who sings on half the tracks. The multifaceted album feels like “I am Bear, hear me roar.”

“I love that quote,” he says, laughing, during his two-hour interview with The Times. “I want to put that on the posters. I feel like ‘The Singularity’ is a temper tantrum of a record from someone who had been writing music for other people for 20 years, then all these ideas exploded out.” Two years after the release of the first “Singularity” album, “Ekleipsis” feels more focused and personal to him.

From Anthrax dinners to sessions with Slash, Stewart Copeland and Bulgarian choirs, McCreary’s restless curiosity drives genre-bending songs that wrestle with identity, diaspora and the world listeners are trying to survive.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The first “Singularity” double album — which featured guests like Serj Tankian, Corey Taylor, Rufus Wainwright and Joe Satriani — tied into a graphic novel about a man who repeatedly experiences loss and death at the hands of a villainous character in his every life across their multiverse. This leads to a major revelation at the end. Although McCreary says that “Ekleipsis” is not disconnected from that universe, it is not strictly tied to a narrative.

“I wasn’t setting out to write a concept album again,” McCreary admits, “but there’s something immediate in all the lyrics. Half of them are specifically talking about the world that we all find ourselves living in and trying to overcome in some way.”

McCreary’s sonic diversity continues with “Ekleipsis.” Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier collaborated with the McCreary brothers and the Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices choir on “Black Box” to create a work of dissonant majesty. The composer improvised his way through the initial stages of “Pray for a Storm,” his high-energy collaboration with famed drummer Stewart Copeland.

“Let’s all go into your studio with nothing,” McCreary recalls telling the irrepressible percussionist. “I’m not even going to bring an idea. We’ll plug in our instruments, set the mics up and play. I want to capture your ideas and your energy, then shape it into a song based on the pieces that I get.”

McCreary sees new endeavors as a learning experience. He meets his collaborators in the way they like to work. He was awed while writing with Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith on the anthemic “Cool Kids.”

“Those guys are true songsmiths,” the composer declares. “I think they’re unrecognized as songwriters. They wrote for Ozzy Osbourne. They’re focused on hammering down a riff until it works. We walked into a studio with a riff that Duff had written and walked out with this song that we brought Slash onto. We got that band experience [with them].”

McCreary is best known for scoring series like “Battlestar Galactica,” “The Walking Dead” and “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” along with movies such as “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and the “God of War” video game franchise. He gained entry into metal through a dinner with Anthrax guitarist and “Battlestar” fan Scott Ian two decades ago.

“‘I know you. You’re a guy who loves Sepultura,’” Ian told him, invoking a musical link for the composer. Intrigued, McCreary listened to Sepultura’s folk-infused Brazilian death metal and loved it. His metal journey began.

Ever since, McCreary has been itching to dive into that arena. He has an important collaborator in that quest.

“My brother’s my secret weapon when it comes to rock,” McCreary says. “His body of [rock] knowledge makes up for mine. Our emphasis is in a different place. He is a fantastic producer because he’s got a really good radar for when things are useless, when a part of a song isn’t pulling its weight. It’s a very good influence to have someone like that. He’s got a great lyrical sense and an incredible voice.”

McCreary says Brendan is often the driving force of their lyrical efforts, and “sometimes we co-write with other people. Claudio Sanchez wrote all the lyrics on ‘Sweet Misery.’ It just depends.”

The younger McCreary was the propelling wordsmith on “One Fine Day.” “It’s about our experience as being in the Armenian diaspora and exploring what that means to us,” McCreary elaborates. “All the songs are very personal, which is another thing that sets this record apart from the last record. Many of them were personal, but I also had a weird song about an automaton that fell in love.”

Mentored at USC by Elmer Bernstein, McCreary now leaps from “God of War” themes to a Higgs boson rock musical and a roaring Singularity tour that hits L.A. on Sept. 17.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Before he jammed with rock icons, McCreary was mentored by the late, iconic Elmer Bernstein for nearly the last decade of his life. The burgeoning young composer organized Bernstein’s music archives, sat in on recording sessions and audited his senior-level classes for three years while studying at the Thornton School of Music at USC. McCreary says that Bernstein “really set me on the path that I am now on, not because I learned how to orchestrate or how to write music from him. But he showed me the life that I could envision myself having when I was 15 or 16, that crucial time when you’re really setting the rudder for where you’re going to go in life.”

That rudder has steered him to many shores. McCreary has been co-writing the musical “Particle Fever” with Zoe Sarnak (“Galileo).” Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony winner David Henry Hwang (“M. Butterfly)” wrote the book, and Tony nominee Leigh Silverman (“Suffs”) is its director. It is based on the documentary of the same name about the discovery of the Higgs boson — the “God particle” — at the Large Hadron Collider in CERN. It will debut at the La Jolla Playhouse in February 2027.

“It is a really kick-ass, earnest rock musical about a really ambitious discovery,” McCreary says. “My hope is that it actually has some of the swagger and fun that people found in ‘Hamilton,’ which also was a very dry subject that you learned about in eighth grade.”

The 47-year-old composer exudes an infectiously upbeat energy. He loves challenges and says he learned that charisma and charm are valuable assets to get in the door to prove one’s talents.

“I’m wired to be very positive and collaborative,” he concedes. “But I got so oppressively excited in my 20s that I started annoying people. My lesson was walk it back.”

His creative energy continues unabated. He’s even scored shorts for filmmakers he met through Twitter. (“I’m down to work.”) He has been blogging about his musical life for 20 years for a core group of followers. (“In hindsight, if Jerry Goldsmith had done that in the ‘80s, my God, my life would be different.”)

McCreary started as a high school keyboardist, then found the accordion in college, an instrument that gave him greater stage motion and which he later used to great effect in his music for the “Outlander” series. He loves to headbang while playing the hurdy-gurdy, an instrument he picked up in 2010 and later employed in the “Black Sails” show and “God of War: Ragnarok” video game. He learned guitar to play rhythm during his 2025 shows.

Those riffs will be on display at the Wacken Open Air festival on Friday and during McCreary’s eight-date September “Singularity” tour of the West Coast that hits L.A. on Sept. 17. McCreary has performed his symphonic scores in Europe and America with orchestras, but now he also loves to rock out (loud).

A big secret of the ambitious McCreary’s success harks back to lessons of simplicity that Bernstein taught him.

“The giant theme that I wrote for ‘God of War’ can be played with one finger on a piano,” McCreary reveals. “That is the thing that it boils down to, and that is what I listen for in music. Most of the time it means there’s a melody in there that sticks with you, and it doesn’t matter how well it is produced or how epic it is or how loud it is. A good song is a good song is a good song, and it really doesn’t matter how good a band performs. If the song is good, it will connect with people.”

AMMAN, Jordan — When Iranian ballistic missiles repeatedly struck Jordan last week, killing three American service members and wounding dozens of others, it brought the spotlight on a U.S. military presence the government of this desert kingdom has long worked to downplay.

Jordan has been a decades-long military and counterterrorism partner with the United States, opening its territory over the years to U.S. and other Western troops in their engagements throughout the region. But faced with a population that is overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian and suspicious of the U.S. for its all-out support of Israel, the government had kept those relationships at a low profile.

But now, Jordan’s growing role in the United States’ war with Iran — and the intensifying Iranian retaliation that role invites — is spurring uncomfortable conversations for the government.

“Jordanians are trapped in a dilemma: They’re being dragged into a war they didn’t want, but the cause of that war is ironically the ally they bargained with to protect them in the first place,” said Sean Yom, a professor of political science and Jordan expert at Temple University who wrote the book “Jordan: Politics in an Accidental Crucible.”

“So they’re asking what’s the wisdom of having this geopolitical bargain with a patron like the U.S. when one of the sources of our instability is the relationship that’s supposed to guarantee our security.”

Since the ceasefire broke down July 8 and the U.S. began launching near-daily waves of strikes on Iran, Jordan has been targeted on nine occasions, with ballistic missiles and drones hitting U.S. assets and facilities and endangering some 4,000 service members at a number of Jordanian military bases across the country.

One of those salvos, on July 17, hit a housing unit in Muwaffaq Al-Salti, a Jordanian base in the country’s east, killing three U.S. service members and wounding at least four others. Also attacked were King Faisal Airbase, Prince Hassan Airbase and the airport in Aqaba.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the strikes not only killed and wounded dozens of U.S. military personnel, but also damaged drones, helicopters, F-15 preparation hangars, radar sites, missile defense systems and munitions depots.

More worryingly for Jordan, the IRGC issued statements thanking “honorable people” in Jordan for providing “sincere cooperation and precise information,” which it said enabled it to target and kill “dozens of American terrorist forces.”

“Seize every opportunity to dismantle American institutions and expel the American occupation army from Jordan,” one of the statements said.

As word of the attacks spread, Jordan’s government, normally reticent about foreign military deployments in the country, embarked on damage control.

Officials and members of parliament swiftly condemned Tehran for violating the country’s sovereignty, while the foreign ministry summoned Iran’s charge d’affaires in Amman, the Jordanian capital, and demanded Iran cease attacks on the kingdom. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, meanwhile, rejected Iran’s claim that the U.S. has bases in the country.

“There are no American bases in Jordan. We have American troops that are in Jordan as part of our long-standing military cooperation,” he said at the Aspen Security Forum earlier this month. Safadi was referring to the 2021 defense agreement that allows U.S. forces unfettered access to 12 facilities in Jordan, including five air bases; the agreement was approved via royal decree and bypassed parliament.

“Their presence is governed by a defense agreement that fully respects our sovereignty,” he said.

Yet government statements didn’t do much to allay concerns. Though many Jordanians have little love for Iran, more than 300 politicians, academics, lawyers, retired military officers and tribal leaders signed an open letter last week calling on the government to withdraw from the defense agreement and keep Jordanian installations neutral — a bold move in a country where opposition to government policies (especially in security matters) can be a red line.

“Jordan is not a party to this war. Its people should not have to bear the consequences or pay the price for policies that do not serve the nation’s supreme interests,” the letter said.

“We urge the avoidance of the dangers associated with aligning ourselves under the American umbrella; this requires adopting a policy of genuine neutrality, based on refraining from any military or logistical involvement that serves any party to the conflict.”

Another sign of popular anger came Sunday: When one member of parliament exhorted the body to send condolences to Congress for the killing of the U.S. service members, others shouted him down, saying the legislature wasn’t a funeral parlor to console “criminals” and “child killers,” in reference to the United States’ support for Israel in Gaza.

Jordan grapples with questions similar to those facing its gulf neighbors, all of which rely on the U.S. security umbrella that has exposed their nations to Iranian attack. But those countries’ oil riches afford them leverage to push back on the U.S. presence, while Jordan — a resource-poor nation of some 11 million people — cannot.

The conflict, meanwhile, has only compounded Jordan’s economic woes. Tourism, which official figures say accounts for almost 15% of the country’s GDP and had just begun to recover from the 2023 Gaza war, has cratered since the start of military operations against Iran. One month after the war, gas prices rose by 11%, a body blow for Jordan’s perpetually anemic economy.

All that has made the kingdom ever more reliant on U.S. largesse. Washington gives Amman roughly $1.45 billion annually, including around $800 million that go straight to government coffers for budgetary support. It would be hard pressed to substitute that level of support from Europe or elsewhere, experts say.

At the same time, Jordan has become a vital nerve center for U.S. forces. The U.S. military has since 2019 spent hundreds of millions of dollars on upgrades for Muwaffaq Al-Salti and other facilities, according to U.S. federal contracting documents, laying aircraft aprons, taxiways, munitions depots and other infrastructure.

Satellite imagery of those bases from 2019 onward show significant construction and an increasing presence of U.S. assets, including F-16s, F-18s, drones and helicopters.

Now, with U.S. troops deployed in gulf nations proving vulnerable to Iranian barrages, Pentagon planners have transferred assets to locations farther away from Iran, especially Jordan.

In recent days, despite a pause in operations against Iran, flight tracking sites showed brisk U.S. military traffic, with logistical aircraft — including the massive C-17 Globemaster and KC-35 fueling tankers — making repeated trips between Jordan and U.S. military hubs in Europe.

A HISTORIC UK train station has partially reopened after a massive fire forced its closure last week.

Paignton Station in Devon sits in the heart of the town centre and acts as a gateway to one of the three towns on the English Rivera – a popular summer family holiday spot.

Last week, a fire broke out at the station causing “significant damage”.

Three boys aged 13, 15 and 16 were arrested on suspicion of arson.

Despite the damages, Great Western Railway and Network Rail have confirmed that services returned to the station from 8am.

Services to resume include between Paignton and Newton Abbot.

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However, due to a damaged platform the station cannot currently host nine carriage trains, which provide direct services between the town and London Paddington.

If you are due to travel to London, you’ll need to head to Newton Abbot or Exeter St Davids instead, for the time being.

There are also currently temporary entrances and exits at the station, as well as temporary ticketing facilities.

And the car park remains closed.

According to the BBC, Daniel Parkes from Network Rail said that they are working to restore “services as swiftly and as safely as possible”.

He added that “work to fully rebuild parts of the station will continue for some time”.

LA28, Rams give out free Olympics tickets

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Growing up in Inglewood, Andrew Hernandez heard plenty about the Olympics. Since L.A. was awarded the Games almost a decade ago, the 18-year-old watched preparations slowly improve the infrastructure of his hometown. He still never thought he would ever be able to attend.

Until now.

LA28 and the Rams donated 1,000 free tickets to 10 nonprofit organizations Monday, giving local youth such as Hernandez a seat at Olympic flag football or swimming competitions in 2028.

The tickets are the first gifts from LA28’s community ticket program, which launched in November with a $5 million inaugural donation from the Rams. When Rams coach Sean McVay delivered the news to members of the nonprofits at Rams training camp Monday, kids’ jaws dropped as the group broke into applause.

Hernandez, a member of South L.A.-based Brotherhood Crusade, posed in the group behind a giant commemorative Olympic ticket.

“Having grown up in Inglewood, you don’t really have the funds to [go to sporting events],” Hernandez said. “So if it wasn’t for programs like this or the Rams giving out tickets, a person like me, I would have never had imagined I’d be in a stadium watching the game. It’s opened my eyes.”

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Dodgers probably won’t get Tarik Skubal

From Maddie Lee: Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is one of the few players who could actually elevate the Dodgers’ roster at the trade deadline. And the Dodgers are one of the few teams that could reasonably part with the prospect capital it would take to acquire the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.

That doesn’t mean it will come to fruition.

With a week to go before the MLB trade deadline on Aug. 3, the Dodgers don’t appear to be moving toward a trade for Skubal, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. And it’s unclear whether the Tigers will indeed trade him; rival executives’ expectations appear to be inconsistent.

The Dodgers can never be fully counted out for a big swing, of course. They weren’t expected to sign closer Edwin Díaz or right fielder Kyle Tucker during the offseason, either.

But having a strong farm system supplements big spending. And part of the reasoning behind those indulgent offseason moves was to make a big trade-deadline move unnecessary. So, barring a significant shift either in rotation health or in the market, don’t count on Skubal joining the Dodgers in their quest for a three-peat.

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Dodgers survey

What would you do? Assuming the trade is fair, which would you acquire first, a starting pitcher, reliever, batter or would you stand pat?

Click here to vote in our survey.

Angels

LaMonte Wade Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk that forced home the go-ahead run in a four-run ninth inning, and the Houston Astros came back to beat the Angels 6-4 on Monday night.

The Astros rallied on a hit, two walks, two errors and two hit batters to hand the Angels (42-65) their ninth loss this season when leading after eight innings.

Houston (53-55) trailed 4-0 after three, but Taylor Trammell homered for a second straight game and the fifth time this season to cut it to 4-1 in the fourth

Angels starter Walbert Ureña gave up a run on two hits in six innings and left with a 4-1 lead.

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Angels box score

MLB standings

This day in sports history

1913 — The United States wins its first Davis Cup since 1902 by beating Britain three matches to two.

1928 — The Summer Olympics open in Amsterdam and the Olympic flame is lit for the first time.

1929 — The Chicago Cardinals become the first NFL team to train out of state, holding camp in Michigan.

1972 — The American Basketball Assn. announces that San Diego will receive a franchise and the NBA’s Buffalo Braves relocate to San Diego and are renamed the San Diego Clippers.

1972 — The Dallas Cowboys beat the College All-Stars in Chicago 20-7.

1984 — The Summer Olympics open in Los Angeles with a record 140 nations competing. The Soviet Union and 13 Communist allies, including Cuba and East Germany, boycott the games.

1987 — Laura Davies shoots a 1-under 71 to defeat Ayako Okamoto and JoAnne Carner in an 18-hole playoff to win the U.S. Women’s Open.

1987 — Angel Cordero Jr. becomes the fourth U.S. jockey to win 6,000 races when he rides Lost Kitty to victory at Monmouth Park, N.J.

1992 — American Mike Barrowman sets a world record in winning the 200-meter breaststroke, and Russian Evgueni Sadovyi becomes the Summer Olympics’ first triple gold medalist, also smashing a world record in the men’s 400-meter freestyle.

2000 — Blaine Wilson, America’s pre-eminent gymnast, wins his fifth straight championship in St. Louis. He becomes the first gymnast to win five straight national titles since George Wheeler did it from 1937-41.

2009 — Germany’s Paul Biedermann hands Michael Phelps his first major individual loss in four years, setting a world record in the 200-meter freestyle at the world championships in Rome. Phelps, a body length behind, loses for the first time in a major international meet since Ian Crocker beat him in the 100 butterfly final at the 2005 worlds.

2011 — Ryan Lochte celebrates the first world record set since high-tech bodysuits were banned 1 1/2 years ago. Lochte edges Michael Phelps in 200-meter individual medley at the world championships at Shanghai.

2013 — Brek Shea scores less than a minute after entering the game as a second-half substitute, giving the United States a 1-0 victory over Panama in the Gold Cup final. It’s the fifth Gold Cup title for the Americans but their first since 2007.

2016 — Mirim Lee shoots a 10-under 62 to match the Women’s British Open record and take a three-stroke lead in the major championship at tree-lined Woburn (England) Golf Club.

2016 — Stephan Jaeger shoots a 12-under 58 in the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic in Hayward, Calif., for the lowest score in major tour play. The German finishes with a 10-foot birdie putt.

2019 — 22-year-old Egan Bernal becomes the first Colombian and Latin American cyclist to win the Tour de France.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1931 — Bob Fothergill of Chicago hit a home run and a triple in an 11-run eighth inning. The White Sox set an American League record with 12 hits in the inning and beat the New York Yankees 14-12.

1940 — King Kong Keller hit three homers to give the New York Yankees a 10-9 win over Chicago in the first game of a doubleheader split.

1951 — Clyde Vollmer of Boston hit a grand slam in the 16th inning, the latest ever hit in a major league game. The Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 8-4.

1971 — Sixteen-time Gold Glove winner Brooks Robinson committed three errors in the sixth inning against the Oakland A’s. Frank Robinson’s three-run homer in the ninth won the game for the Orioles.

1976 — John Odom (five innings) and Francisco Barrios (four innings) combined on a no-hitter, and the Chicago White Sox defeated Oakland 2-1.

1983 — AL President Lee McPhail ruled that George Brett’s “pine tar” home run against New York on July 24 should count. The umpires had disallowed the homer because the pine tar on Brett’s bat exceeded the 18-inch limit. The rest of the game was played Aug. 18 with the Kansas City Royals beating the Yankees, 5-4.

1989 — Atlanta’s Dale Murphy tied two major league records by hitting two homers and driving in six runs in the sixth inning in the Braves’ 10-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Murphy’s two home runs equaled the record shared by 13 others and the six runs batted in matched a record shared by nine players.

1990 — Shawon Dunston tied a major league record with three triples and led the Chicago Cubs to a 10-7 win over the Montreal Expos.

1990 — Cal Ripken’s errorless streak ends at 95 consecutive games, as Baltimore loses to Kansas City, 10-9. The streak is a new major-league record for a shortstop, eclipsing Kevin Elster’s 89-game mark.

1991 — Dennis Martinez pitched a perfect game for the Montreal Expos, who topped Los Angeles 2-0 at Dodger Stadium.

1993 — Ken Griffey Jr. tied a major league record by homering in his eighth consecutive game, but it wasn’t enough for the Seattle Mariners in a 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

1994 — On the night the baseball players set an Aug. 12 strike date, Kenny Rogers of the Texas Rangers pitched a perfect game for a 4-0 victory over the Angels.

2004 — Troy Percival recorded his 300th save after John Lackey gave up three hits over 8 1-3 innings to help the Angels beat Texas 2-0.

2006 — Houston rookie Luke Scott hit for the cycle and drove in five runs, but the Astros lost to Arizona 8-7.

2018 — Rookie Francisco Arcia had a homer and six RBIs, giving him a major league-record 10 RBIs in two career games, and Angels rolled past Seattle 11-5.

2021 — In the first Olympic baseball game in thirteen years, Japan rallies to defeat the Dominican Republic 4-3.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

July 28 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday to seek U.S. support to defend Ukrainian cities against Russian ballistic missiles, as well as a broader partnership to help hasten the end of the war.

In a post on X shortly after he arrived in Washington on Monday night, Zelensky said the top priority for Ukraine was “anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America.”

“Peace needs to be brought closer,” wrote Zelensky.

The talks come days after a conference call between Zelensky and his negotiating team and Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on how to kickstart stalled diplomatic efforts to bring peace closer and three weeks after a Trump-Zelensky meeting in Turkey.

Trump used the meeting on the sidelines of NATO’s annual summit to praise the way Ukraine was prosecuting the war and announce that he wanted to give Ukraine rights to manufacture Patriot air-defense missiles.

A worldwide shortage of missiles for the U.S.-made Patriot air-defense batteries has degraded Ukraine’s ability to defend itself amid a sustained Russian airborne campaign targeting Ukraine’s cities with highly destructive ballistic missiles in recent months.

Zelensky said he would also join Trump and other world leaders at Washington National Cathedral for the funeral of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a staunch supporter of Ukraine who passed away suddenly July 11 on his return from a trip to Kyiv.

“On behalf of all of Ukraine, we will honor the memory of Senator Lindsey Graham. Together with everyone attending the ceremony in Washington, we will remember his commitment to security and freedom across the transatlantic community and around the world,” said Zelensky.

Graham had just secured Trump’s backing for a long-delayed bipartisan bill imposing tough new secondary sanctions targeting Russia that he introduced along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., in the U.S. Senate in April 2025.

In recognition of Graham, his Senate colleagues vowed to expedite the passage of his Sanctioning Russia Act, albeit a version that waters down the 500% tariff he wanted imposed on the imports of countries that purchase Russian oil and natural gas.

A first procedural vote was scheduled for later Tuesday with Zelensky expected to meet with senators afterward.

Balloon-maker Aerostar says recent tests of its Lightning design as a launch platform for a single surveillance drone open a path to a larger “mothership” concept. The company envisions its high-altitude balloons carrying multiple high-endurance uncrewed aircraft that could search for targets and otherwise monitor broad swaths of the battlespace, and do so persistently for days or even weeks on end. These balloon motherships could also carry payloads configured for other missions, such as electronic warfare jamming, signal relay, or even attacking targets. These are capabilities the U.S. Army and other branches of the U.S. military are actively pursuing, and that other countries, including China and Ukraine, have been developing and fielding to varying degrees, as well.

Aerostar put out a press release last week regarding the testing of the Lightning balloon paired with the Apollo-R from drone-maker Icarus. TWZ subsequently reached out for more information.

“In the current test configuration with the Aerostar Lightning balloon, it’s one Apollo UAS [uncrewed aerial system] per balloon — the Lightning is our smaller, tactical micro-balloon designed to carry a single payload. However, the architecture is scalable,” Russ Van Der Werff, Aerostar’s Vice President of Stratospheric Solutions, told TWZ. “Our larger Aerostar Thunderhead platform can serve as a ‘mothership,’ carrying multiple Apollo-R’s (or other payloads).”

The balloons in Aerostar’s portfolio are modern high-altitude designs with GPS-assisted navigation systems that can transit to areas of interest and then, in many cases, hold their general position despite prevailing winds. By moderating their altitudes, they can remain on station persistently for long periods at a time. Control is exercised via satellite communication suites and/or line-of-sight links, the latter of which can also be used in relay as part of a mesh network made up of multiple balloons.

The Lightning design is capable of operating for up to three days while soaring at typical altitudes between 50,000 and 78,000 feet, and can carry payloads weighing up to 45 pounds, according to a company fact sheet. The larger Thunder has similar altitude performance (typical operations at between 55,000 and 75,000 feet), but can stay aloft for 60 days or more and has a payload capacity of up to 200 pounds.

The Apollo-R drone is a solar-powered, glider-like design that is also optimized for high-endurance flights at very high altitudes. The exact capabilities of the R model are not entirely clear, but Icarus has said in the past that the baseline Apollo design can fly up to 60,000 feet and remain airborne for weeks at a time.

“The Apollo-R is a powered UAS – not a one-way munition – so it’s designed to be recovered after completing its mission. It flies under its own power after separation from the balloon and can land at a designated recovery point,” Aerostar’s Van Der Werff also told us. “This recoverability is part of what makes the system cost-effective for ISR and communications relay missions, where the UAS can be reflown and payloads be recovered and reused. Should the mission dictate, the Apollo-R could be used in a one-way capability, with its price point in the low-six figures, this could be an attractive use case for certain end users.”

Aerostar Thunderhead Balloon System Full Video Updated 1 5 23

“In this case, the Icarus Apollo uses its own BLOS [beyond-line-of-sight] radio so it doesn’t need the balloon for comms after drop. However, in support of other UAS, the Aerostar balloon systems can also serve as a stratospheric communications relay node,” Van Der Werff added. Aerostar’s platforms carry mesh-networking radios that provide high-bandwidth, line-of-sight data links with ranges exceeding 100 miles and throughput up to 40 Mbps. The UAS communicates with the balloon’s onboard radio, and the balloon relays that data back to ground stations — effectively giving the drone a much longer communications reach than it could achieve on its own at lower altitudes.”

“The balloon essentially acts as a high-altitude communications tower, extending the UAS’s effective operating range far beyond what a ground-based radio link could provide for normal military operations,” he also noted.

As already mentioned, Van Der Werff made clear that Aerostar sees the Lightning/Apollo combination as a step toward a larger capability set, and that the company’s Thunderhead could carry several Apollo-R drones on a single mission. The same scalable architecture could potentially support “deploying multiple effects from a single, persistent stratospheric platform,” which might include “multiple ALE kits,” he said.

ALE here is the abbreviation for “air-launched effects,” a term the U.S. military now commonly uses to collectively talk about air-launched drones configured for a wide array of missions. The ALE umbrella encompasses designs that can be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare tasks, or signal relay, as well as act as a decoy. It also includes loitering munitions, also often referred to as kamikaze drones, capable of carrying kinetic attacks. The ALE term has also been broadened more recently to just “launched effects” to cover uncrewed systems that can also be launched from platforms on the ground or at sea.

Aerostar’s Van Der Werff also highlighted benefits that using high-altitude balloons can offer in terms of flexibility, especially in the context of expeditionary and distributed operations where access to traditional runways that support crewed or uncrewed aircraft may be limited or unavailable entirely. There are also certain advantages in terms of survivability and cost.

Thunderhead Balloon System Launch

“An Aerostar Lightning balloon with an Icarus UAS can be launched by a small team from almost anywhere – no runway, no fixed site. It operates in the stratosphere, above conventional air defense threat envelopes, and provides persistent coverage measured in days or weeks rather than hours,” he explained. “For distributed operations, this means a forward-deployed unit can establish its own organic sensing and communications relay capability without depending on theater-level ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] assets or vulnerable fixed infrastructure.”

“The system is inherently survivable because it’s small, operates at extreme altitude, is difficult to detect and target, and is inexpensive enough to be treated as attritable if necessary — unlike a[n RQ-4] Global Hawk or [MQ-9] Reaper [drone] that represents hundreds of millions in sunk cost,” he added. “You can distribute many of these across a theater and create a mesh of persistent sensing that’s resilient to individual node loss.”

TWZ has been drawing attention to the military utility of high-altitude balloons for ISR and other missions for exactly these reasons for years now. Aerostar has a long history now in this market space, too, but is not the only company advancing these kinds of capabilities, which are themselves not entirely new.

Just last month, the U.S. Army also demonstrated the ability of Apollo-R to be launched from a different high-altitude balloon from a company called Urban Sky during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 in the Pacific. The Army has directly supported Apollo-R’s development through its xTech innovation challenge initiative.

Earlier in the year, during Exercise African Lion 26, high-altitude balloons carrying drones were also launched from the Army’s General Frank S. Besson class Logistics Support Vessel (LSV) USAV Maj. Gen. Charles P. Gross off the coast of Morocco. This also underscores the aforementioned points about the flexibility of where balloons can be deployed from.

The U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. special operations community, and other elements of the U.S. military are also actively pursuing high-altitude balloon-based systems to perform various missions. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) notably conducted extensive testing of drones launched from single high-altitude balloons in the 2010s as part of a project called Close-in Covert Autonomous Disposable Aircraft (CICADA). Those tests also demonstrated a tiered capability in which slightly larger drones launched the smaller CICADAs after being released from the balloons.

This being said, the Army has been a clear leader in the U.S. military in this regard. The service has previously outlined a vision for establishing “persistent, all-domain sensor architecture for the Indo-Pacific theater” in which high-altitude balloons are a central component. The Army has also talked in the past about using high-altitude balloons to deploy swarms of drones and loitering munitions, as well as seed remotely-operated sensors on the ground, deep inside enemy territory.

Last year, the Army disclosed plans to launch as many as 100 high-altitude balloons, and maybe even more, in an upcoming exercise. In that instance, the service also highlighted how these lighter-than-air platforms could offer a hedge against the loss of critical space-based capabilities.

“Our primary goal is to demonstrate autonomous swarming capabilities that generate a persistent, cost-effective presence in the stratosphere,” Andrew Evans, Director of Strategy and Transformation with the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, or G-2, told Breaking Defense in an interview in August 2025. “Once operationalized, this type of capability will enable us to conduct a range of military operations including enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), the extension of tactical communications, and the rapid reconstitution of on-orbit capabilities when space is denied or degraded.”

These are capabilities that U.S. forces, among others, could employ beyond the Pacific region, too.

“The challenge on the eastern flank [of NATO in Europe] is fundamentally one of persistence, survivability, and logistics. Legacy ISR approaches – manned aircraft, large UAVs, fixed ground sensors – are increasingly vulnerable in contested environments with advanced integrated air defense systems,” Aerostar’s Van Der Werff told us, outlining another regional use case. “They require significant ground infrastructure, large runways, and complex logistics chains. In a distributed operations concept across vast areas like the Baltics or Eastern Europe, those dependencies become liabilities.”

Balloon-launched drones are already seeing use to a degree in the conflict in Ukraine, where lighter-than-air platforms are also being used for surveillance and as decoys. Driven heavily now by the threat of spillover from the fighting in Ukraine, Poland is in the process of establishing a new early warning radar network utilizing tethered aerostats, too.

TWZ has previously outlined major investments in balloon-launched drone swarm capabilities in China, as well, as you can read more about here. High-altitude-balloons, in general, became a global cause célèbre after a Chinese intelligence-gathering type passed over parts of the United States and Canada, before being shot down over the Atlantic Ocean, in 2023.

For Aerostar, the company now sees ‘drone mothership’ as another important role on the horizon for its Thunderhead high-altitude balloon. The smaller Lightning design paired with the Apollo-R drone is providing a stepping stone toward that concept, while also capability that could still be valuable, if more limited, in the near term.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

THE most beautiful buildings in the entire world have been named and one surprising estate from the UK has made the list.

However, if you want to visit the pretty British attraction book to go as soon as possible is set to close for a multi-million pound revamp.

The Barbican in London has taken second place to India‘s grand Taj Mahal as Time Out’s 26 ‘most beautiful buildings’ to see in 2026.

The free-to-visit landmark attracts over a million visitors each year and is set to undergo a huge upgrade to save it falling into disrepair.

At the estimated cost of £231million, The Barbican will upgrade its indoor rainforest in its Conservatory which is home to 1,500 species of plant.

Also included in the plans is to protect Barbican’s brutalist foyers and lakeside terrace.

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Outside in the courtyard, the pond will be revamped to stop water leaking onto the Metropolitan Line below – there will be new fountains and seating outside too.

The visitor destination is already free to visit, and this will continue once the revamp is complete.

The refurbishment project is set to start in 2028 when it will close until 2029.

The Barbican was pipped to the post by the Taj Mahal, a picture-perfect landmark in India built in the 1600s – it’s not hard to see why it got top spot.

Coming in third place was the Hallgrímskirkja in Iceland which is a church standing at 244 feet.

Not only is it a place of worship, but it has an observation tower where visitors can get incredible city views.

In Europe, other honourable mentions go to the Sagrada Familia in Spain which is very near completion after 140 years.

The outside of Gaudi’s basilica was completed in February, but there is some work still to do before it’s officially finished.

The Twist in Norway came in twelfth position and is a spectacular art gallery that is also used as a bridge.

It’s part of the Kistefos Sculpture Park and sits across the Ranselva River.

Another UK building did make the list coming in at number 21 – and it’s the Maggie’s Centre at St James’s Hospital in London.

The publication described it as having “mushroom-shaped forms grow from the floors to form the tiered roofs, and the stems are deep enough to contain loos and lifts.

“The space is decorated with mostly natural materials – think cork-topped tables, resin floors and cascading potted plants.”

Some more classic monuments and structures on the list include The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, the Pantheon in Italy and Ad-Dayr in Petra, Jordan.

Colombia‘s impressive Santuario de Las Lajas comes in at number 19.

The enormous basilica sits on a bridge over the Guáitara River – it has been a pilgrimage destination since the eighteenth century and now gets up to 900,000 visitors each year.

Here’s the full list of Time Out’s ‘world’s 26 most beautiful buildings to see in 2026’…

1. Taj Mahal, India
2. The Barbican Estate, UK
3. Hallgrímskirkja, Iceland
4. Sagrada Familia, Spain
5. Museum SAN, South Korea
6. The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
7. Fallingwater, USA
8. Ad-Dayr (The Monastery), Petra, Jordan
9. Fondation Louis Vuitton, France
10. Trinity College Library, Ireland
11. Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali
12. The Twist, Norway
13. Nasir Ol Molk Mosque, Iran
14. Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, Bangladesh
15. Pantheon, Italy
16. Palmenhaus at Schönbrunn Palace, Austria
17. Bát Tràng Ceramic Community House, Vietnam
18. Museum at Eldridge Street, USA
19. Santuario de Las Lajas, Colombia
20. Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Australia
21. Maggie’s Centre (St James’s Hospital), UK
22. Baháʼí Temple of South America, Chile
23. Futuna Chapel, New Zealand
24. National Holocaust Monument, Canada
25. Komera Leadership Centre, Rwanda
26. Enryaku-ji, Japan