Month: August 2026

Who pissed off Ariana Grande? Well, who didn’t?

On her new album, “Petal,” the pop superstar opens the spigot on what she’s described as an “unfiltered rage” to blast any number of feckless exes, a prying public obsessed with her body and her personal life — and not least herself for allowing anyone the power to hurt her in the first place.

“Tell me who’s to blame — is it the people or myself?” she wonders against the icy synth stabs of the title track.

Her answer, delivered as a sneering little aside: “Yeah.”

“Petal” marks a dramatic shift from Grande’s previous LP, 2024’s “Eternal Sunshine,” a tender and melancholy electro-pop collection that laid out a kind of emotional philosophy of heartbreak. She recorded the new album with the same team — the hit-making writer-producers Ilya Salmanzadeh and Max Martin — but here they go for a murkier, more percussive sound to match Grande’s dark mood.

Tolling electric guitar accompanies her in “Freak” as she muses on “all of the life I’ve been denied,” while “Oh Well” puts a jittery U.K. garage beat under her sneering farewell to an unnamed antagonist: “Good luck on your way to hell.” In “Hate That I Made You Love Me,” which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 when Grande released it as “Petal’s” lead single, she sings, “I’ve held your projections when you’ve felt so insecure,” over a trudging groove that moves like a funeral march.

These downcast observations arrive at what would seem to be a professional high point for Grande, who recently wrapped her extended stay in the “Wicked”-verse and who’s in the middle of a tour that’s drawn adoring fans to arenas across the country.

But perhaps that’s the point: Almost every song on “Petal” can be interpreted two ways — as a story about a broken relationship between two people or as a tale about the toxic connection between an idol and her audience. (More than once did this record make me think about Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department.”)

“My pain is music — do you hear me everywhere?” Grande asks in “Warning Signs (Interlude),” which climaxes with a pithy diagnosis of pop stardom in the parasocial age: “You don’t deserve me / You know you don’t, you never have / But I want you to feel me / I wish someone could hear me.”

Complaints about celebrity can be pretty tedious, of course; sometimes it feels as though famous pop singers have forgotten how to write about anything other than life in the social-media fishbowl.

Yet “Petal” gets some creative traction from how Grande chooses to use her voice; instead of belting, she rarely rises above a whisper, which gives a spooky, slightly creepy quality to her thoughts on being endlessly scrutinized. The airiness of her singing provides some comedy too in a hard-edged song such as “Like I Do,” where after noting that “all that s— talk keeps me well-fed,” she tells whoever needs to hear it, “No one f— you like I do.”

Having gotten all this off her chest, Grande finishes the album by allowing in some light: Over a zippy new wave arrangement, “Bad Thing (Bunny Hop)” ponders the renewing energy of a fresh romance — or maybe a rekindled old one — while the glistening “Nowhere, Nobody” has her taking deep breaths with a lover she’s convinced might finally give her what she needs.

“Convinced” is probably the wrong word.

“Hard to believe in a perfect ending,” she admits, “But that’s all right.”

Bill (Spaceman) Lee, presidential candidate of the Rhinoceros Party, is turning his attention to the environment. According to USA Today, he’s telling people to imagine the Earth as a single-cell organism on its way to decay.

“For every smokestack in Gary, Ind., we need a Tums factory next door putting out antacid to absorb the pollution,” said Lee, a former pitcher for the Montreal Expos.

If elected, Lee said he would name writer Hunter S. Thompson as his vice president.

“Nobody knows more about vice than he does,” Lee said.

Kinerism-of-Week: The latest from New York Mets announcer Ralph Kiner: “We’ll be right back after this word from Manufacturer Hangovers.”

Said Chicago quarterback Jim McMahon, when asked about the heroics of former teammate Doug Flutie in New England’s win last Sunday: “Who? Oh, Bambi. It was great, wasn’t it? He’s America’s midget again. You guys send that quote out to New England for me.”

The Bears visit New England Oct. 30.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Mike Boddicker, on Game 3 mound opponent Bob Welch of Oakland: “He is hyper out there. He digs a hole in front of the rubber that you could hide a tiger in.”

New York Mets pitcher Ron Darling claims ABC’s Jim Palmer went too far in criticizing David Cone for writing the column that stirred up the Dodgers.

“He isn’t Mother Teresa,” Darling said of the former Baltimore pitcher.

Trivia Time: Who is the only catcher to win the Gold Glove in both the American and National leagues? (Answer below.)

80 Years Ago Today: On Oct. 8, 1908, the Chicago Cubs won the National League pennant when Mordecai (Three Finger) Brown beat Christy Mathewson, 4-2, in the playoff of the disputed game in which Fred Merkle made his memorable boner.

In the Sept. 23 game, with the score 1-1 in the ninth inning, Merkle failed to touch second base when a teammate delivered an apparent game-winning hit for the Giants. The Cubs retrieved the ball and touched second base, forcing Merkle and negating the run.

New York fans, thinking their team had won, swarmed the field, which led to the halting of the tie game. It was made up after the other teams had completed their seasons, with the Giants and the Cubs tied for first with 98-55 records.

From Baltimore outfielder Jim Traber, whose soft single broke up the second-straight no-hit bid by Toronto’s Dave Stieb: “A month from now, I’ll remember hitting .216, not breaking up a no-hitter.”

Add Forgettable Quotes: Said Lou Piniella when he was named manager of the New York Yankees June 23: “I expect to be here a good while.”

Trivia Answer: Bob Boone. He’s won Gold Gloves twice with the Philadelphia Phillies and three times with the Angels.

Quotebook

“Late Night’s” David Letterman: “Baseball was an exhibition sport in the Olympics this year–sort of like it was in Baltimore.”

Aug. 1 (UPI) — Two ransom notes sent by people claiming to be the kidnappers of Nancy Guthrie were released Friday by local police in hopes of generating new leads.

The second note, which was sent Feb. 6, told the Guthrie family that Nancy Guthrie died soon after she was kidnapped.

“We believe it was heart related,” the note said. “She is buried in nature now. Nothing you could have done could have changed the outcome. We want your family to know this and hope you all can find peace. We are truly sorry.”

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was the mother of Today co-host Savannah Guthrie. She was kidnapped from her home near Tucson, Ariz., on Feb. 1. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department marked six months since the kidnapping on Thursday and reiterated that the investigation is ongoing.

The family posted a new plea on Instagram Saturday.

“This is our beautiful Mom. Six months ago, someone took her out of her bed in the dead of night. We have lived every moment, every breath and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since,” the post said. “Every day, we wake up and try to be strong and go on — because that’s what our joyful and resilient Mom taught us to do. But make no mistake — our hearts are in ruins.”

The post asks that people review the letters for possible recognition.

“We are begging for help. We are desperate. We need someone to come forward. Someone knows something. Someone suspects something. Someone recognizes the writing in the ransom demand notes. Someone has noticed something different, strange, troubling or just unusual — perhaps with someone they deeply love. … There is a way to end this situation and do the right thing. Please. Bring her home,” the post said.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department posted the emailed ransom notes on X for the public to view, as well as a list of behaviors that could signal involvement.

The first note, which was sent on Feb. 2 to a local news outlet, noted that there was a white smartwatch on the floor at the foot of her bed, and that the backyard floodlight had been destroyed. It demanded $4 million in bitcoin by Feb. 5.

“Do not play games, law enforcement will not be able to help you,” the note threatened.

In July, a California man pleaded guilty to sending phony ransom notes to the Guthrie family to harass them.

Choosing an Arctic cruise to Svalbard means comparing operators whose actual ice access, passenger capacity, and wildlife programming vary more than their brochures suggest. Polar bear sightings, walrus colonies, and ice-edge cruising depend directly on hull capability and itinerary design — not just cabin category.

What separates a genuinely strong Svalbard operator from an average one:

• Ice-class hull rating enabling pack ice approaches where bears concentrate in summer
• Passenger capacity under 200 for efficient, low-impact Zodiac landings
• Naturalist teams experienced specifically in Svalbard wildlife behavior
• All-inclusive coverage of kayaking, parka, and boot loans

7 Best Operators for Svalbard in 2026

Swan Hellenic

Travelers booking an Arctic cruise to Svalbard with Swan Hellenic choose a boutique operator purpose-built for ice-edge access. SH Diana and SH Vega carry approximately 152 guests each with PC5 Polar Class hulls, reaching the northern pack ice where polar bear sightings concentrate during summer months.

What’s included on every voyage:

• Daily Zodiac landings and ice-edge cruising
• Kayaking where conditions allow
• Expedition parka to keep, boot loans, and heated mud room
• All meals, premium beverages, and gratuities

Onboard scientists from the SETI Institute partnership frame the voyage through a scientific lens rarely found on Arctic itineraries, while glaciologists explain retreating ice fronts firsthand. At 152 guests, bear sightings rarely turn into crowded viewing scrums the way they can on larger ships.

Hurtigruten Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic

Quark Expeditions

Oceanwide Expeditions

Ponant

Aurora Expeditions

What to Check Before Booking a Svalbard Voyage

Book Your Svalbard Arctic Cruise with Swan Hellenic

BRITNEY Spears bares it all while showing off her risque dance moves to fans on social media. 

The toxic hitmaker, 44, stripped off to just trousers and a hat, a day after flashing her boobs on a horse riding trip.

In a number of dance videos uploaded to the popstars Instagram page, Britney was snapped performing some racy dance moves for the camera. 

One clip saw her twerk around on the floor whilst whipping her long blonde locks back and forth. 

Dressed in a cropped pink T-shirt and mini black shorts, Britney shows off a fast paced dance routine as she moves to the track Mi Gente.

Another video shows the star outside in a bikini as she stares into the camera lens.

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Britney prances around to piano music before abruptly smacking her behind. 

The series of video clips then take an even raunchier turn with Britney posting a video of her topless. 

The singer edited symbols over her breasts to conceal her modesty as they flash on and off the screen. 

Britney goes on to move her arms in a rhythmic style dance sliding her hands across her breasts and stomach, 

What seems to be a dance routine is met with occasional chants from the Star.

In some frames the hitmaker almost exposes herself multiple times throughout the racy display. 

The Gimme More songstress turned off the comments on the post, but it has already been liked by over 60k fans. 

Britney is no stranger to going topless on her Instagram page, just a day ago the singer flashed her boobs while on a horse riding trip. 

The clip, which sent fans into a frenzy, showed Britney sitting on a horse as she exposed her chest. 

She pulled her red top down whilst basking in the sun covering her modestly simply with just two diamond emoji’s. 

Sticking her tongue out she was all smiles as she galloped through a dirt road backdrop. 

Many fans took to X reeling over the video, one user said: “I really can’t believe that Britney posted her boobs on top of a horse on Instagram.”

“Brittney spears be riding horses in Malibu, top off in just a skirt I wanna be her,” penned another. 

“That top was so hanging on for dear life, we all know Britney doesn’t wear a bra a lot,” added a third. 

Many also came to the singer’s defence, one fan commented: “Leave her alone. Let her be naked. She’s ok.”

Financial companies remained in the spotlight this week as investors digested quarterly results from payment companies, insurers, exchanges, brokers, and asset managers.

Major names including PayPal (PYPL), Visa (V), Robinhood (HOOD), S&P Global (

For California businesses, 2020 will be a year of reckoning.

Sweeping new laws curbing longtime employment practices take effect, aimed at reducing economic inequality and giving workers more power in their jobs.

Under one, companies could be forced to reclassify hundreds of thousands of independent contractors as employees with broad labor law protections. Under another, bosses could no longer force workers into closed-door arbitration proceedings, a tactic which protects businesses from costly lawsuits.

The new laws are about “job quality — what it means to work in a just workplace,” said California Labor Secretary Julie Su. “California leads the way on labor standards and we’re not going to let employers do end runs around those standards. We want to support businesses who look at their role in a holistic and humane sense.”

Many new measures, she added, are “not big splashy things, but day-to-day things.” She cited a law giving working mothers a place to express breast milk besides a bathroom. And a law making it easier for firefighters and other first responders to gain workers’ compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Other new statutes ban discrimination based on hairstyle, such as Afros, braids, cornrows and dreadlocks; grant organ donors additional guaranteed leave; and extend whistleblower protection to patient rights advocates at county mental health centers.

The California Chamber of Commerce, a leading voice for business, picked its fights. It did not list Assembly Bill 5, the independent contractor bill, on its annual “job killer” list, preferring to help negotiate for a slew of professionals, such as doctors and real estate agents, to gain exemptions.

“We felt it was important to participate in the compromise,” said Chamber President and Chief Executive Allan Zaremberg. “This is a work in progress, and it will continue to be.”

But the chamber, along with the National Retail Federation and other business groups, filed suit against Assembly Bill 51, the first-in-the-nation law preventing companies from making workers sign arbitration agreements as a condition of employment. And it helped defeat other bills favored by the Legislature’s labor-friendly majority, including one extending unemployment benefits to striking workers and another curbing the University of California’s ability to hire temporary workers.

“A lot of employers feel the rules are complex and tough to deal with,” Zaremberg said. “Our job is to make sure laws are reasonable and fair … and they can afford to stay in business. From that perspective, it has been a successful year.”

Here are a few of the changes coming to California workplaces in 2020:

Minimum wages

On Jan. 1, the statewide minimum wage steps up to $13 an hour for employers with more than 26 employees, and to $12 an hour for those with 26 or fewer employees. The increases are mandated by a 2016 law that gradually raises the floor to $15 an hour for nearly all workers by 2023.

Several local jurisdictions have higher minimums including the city and county of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Malibu and Pasadena, all of which will raise them on July 1 to $14.25 an hour for small employers and $15 an hour for large employers.

“People talk about prosperity and GDP growth, but that’s not enough,” Su said. “One in 3 California workers makes less than $15 an hour. That is not how we want to build an economy.”

Some 2.6 million Californians will be due a raise in January under the statewide floor, according to a UC Berkeley study. California will have the nation’s second-highest minimum next year after Washington state’s $13.50.

Meanwhile, several large businesses have already raised their floors to $15 an hour or more, including Costco, Spectrum, Amazon and Disneyland Resort.

Independent contractors

In April 2018, the California Supreme Court dropped a bomb on a vast swath of companies, from Uber and Lyft to yoga studios and hair salons, which have built their businesses on independent contractors. To classify workers as contractors rather than employees subject to minimum wage and overtime laws, companies would have to satisfy a strict three-pronged test.

Under the “ABC test,” a business may only contract with independent contractors who satisfy all three of these conditions: a) they are free from control and direction of the hiring entity; b) they perform work outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business; and c) they are customarily engaged in an independently established business of the same nature as that of the work involved.

The court decision set off a scramble in the Legislature. Backed by labor unions that see an opportunity to organize newly empowered employees, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) authored AB 5 to codify the decision, expanding it to areas such as workers’ compensation and unemployment and disability insurance.

Even under a previous, looser standard, state officials estimated misclassification was costing California some $7 billion a year in payroll taxes. Companies also avoid paying federal Social Security and Medicare taxes for contractors.

“Structural reform was necessary because more and more companies want to reduce their obligations,” Gonzalez said. “We’re playing whack-a-mole trying to protect workers while companies try to get more profit for shareholders.”

A lobbying frenzy led to exemptions for some professions in which workers have more negotiating power or autonomy than in low-wage jobs. Among them: lawyers, accountants, architects, dentists, insurance brokers and engineers.

But the Legislature declined to exempt app-based ride-hailing or food delivery companies, whose workers complain they often earn less than minimum wage and are subject to arbitrary dismissals. Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart, arguing that they are technology companies, not transportation employers like taxi businesses, set aside $110 million to mount a ballot initiative exempting them from the law.

Supporters of AB 5, a California law requiring companies to reclassify many independent contractors as employees, rally in August in Sacramento.

(Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)

Trucking associations, freelance writers and photographers filed suits to avoid the new law’s strictures.

“AB 5 fundamentally disrupts the right of Californians to have independent working relationships with their clients or employers,” said Sen. Mike Morrell (R-Rancho Cucamonga). By favoring some industries over others, he added, “Sacramento Democrats embrace a slide towards socialism.”

Gonzalez said she is open to changes in the bill next year, including an exemption for musicians — but not for app-based ride-hailing and delivery giants. “We will continue to clarify this law, but rest assured, it won’t be repealed,” she added.

Arbitration

Former Gov. Jerry Brown twice vetoed bills to curb the exploding practice of mandatory arbitration, which allows companies to make employees resolve disputes in a private, closed-door session rather than in public court proceedings.

Brown argued that a U.S. Supreme Court decision allows the practice. And businesses contend that in conflicts over wages, discrimination, disability, harassment and other issues, arbitration saves them, and workers, the needless expense of class-action lawsuits.

But in the last year, allegations of sexual harassment and assaults by serial perpetrators, many of whom were protected by arbitration agreements, fueled public outrage, as in the cases of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and CBS Chief Executive Leslie Moonves. At Google, 20,000 workers staged a global walkout demanding an end to forced arbitration. Other tech workers, including at Los Angeles’ Riot Games, followed suit.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new version of the law, which avoids invalidating existing agreements. “AB 51 just prohibits firing or threatening employees who refuse to sign,” said UC Berkeley law professor Catherine Fisk. “Forced arbitration is clearly used as a device to prevent workers from bringing claims. So it allows companies to violate the law.”

But Zaremberg argues: ”Our employment laws are more complex than those in the rest of the country. People make honest mistakes every day trying to comply with them. With arbitration, they can be resolved through an expedited process.”

An estimated 67% of California workplaces had mandatory arbitration policies in 2018, higher than the national average, and the number may have grown this year as attorneys advised companies to get ahead of the new law.

A new activist strategy this year — filing thousands of individual arbitration claims against Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Postmates — hit companies with millions of dollars in processing fees. Companies used to dealing with employee grievances one by one refused to pay. A new law, Senate Bill 707, imposes stiff penalties on businesses that stall payments, and allows workers to then take their grievances to court.

#MeToo

#MeToo scandals lent impetus to other measures besides the arbitration statute.

Under current law, workers have a year to file complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation in court. AB 9 extends the deadline to three years. Brown had vetoed the bill in 2018, saying claims should be filed “while memories and evidence are fresh.” Victim advocates contend a year is often insufficient for workers to come to terms with what happened to them and seek counsel.

Often companies will require a worker who gains a financial settlement for harassment or discrimination to quit his or her job. Assembly Bill 749 prohibits “no re-hire” clauses affecting the “aggrieved employee.”

Assembly Bill 547 requires training for janitors to be conducted by their peers. “We’ve seen reports of rape on the night shift,” Su said. “This law means immigrant women with lived experience will make the training real. So companies can’t just pay lip service to training, letting people go through the motions and check a box.”

Child-care workers

Home-based child-care workers are not covered by federal labor law. Now, some 40,000 private family day-care providers, paid by California to service more than 360,000 low-income children, will gain the right to bargain collectively with the state under Assembly Bill 378.

The new law sets the stage for California’s largest union election since 1997, when home-care workers were granted the right to bargain over wages and working conditions. Child-care workers, who are largely Latino and African American, earn close to minimum wage — pushing many out of the industry. The new law will lead to “creating quality jobs, not poverty jobs,” said Assemblywoman Monique Limón (D-Santa Barbara), the bill’s author.

Corporate diversity

Senate Bill 826, enacted last year, requires publicly traded companies headquartered in California to have at least one woman on their boards of directors by January 2020. By the end of 2021, boards with five directors must include two women, and boards with six or more directors need to include three women.

Noncompliant companies could be fined as much as $100,000.

Several European countries have similar laws. But California’s is the first U.S. board diversity mandate. When the law passed, 188 of 650 affected California companies had all-male boards, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission compiled by Clemson University scholars.

Two conservative groups, the Pacific Legal Foundation and Judicial Watch, have filed lawsuits to overturn the statute, but businesses have largely complied. According to Clemson finance professor Daniel Greene, just 32 companies had failed to add any female directors as of Dec. 26.

“I love to eat street food so much,” said Thaim chef-owner Ruethai Boonlieng. “I go back to Thailand all the time, and I always ask my friends, “Hey, don’t take me to the mall — take me to street food. It’s a true food for my soul, and people make the street food with care.”

Boonlieng’s Thaim is a portmanteau of “Thai” and “I am.” While some of her recipes are traditional — such as her mom’s preparation of Sukhothai pad Thai — others are modern spins, like brightening her sweet-spicy mango salad with fresh dill or turning her childhood favorite, egg tofu, into a deep-fried egg custard.

The chef grew up in Bangkok and learned to cook by watching her mother prepare home meals, then took pastry courses in Thailand as an adult. Boonlieng studied finance but entered the restaurant industry to help an aunt and a friend open a Thai restaurant — then discovered she loved it. She opened multiple restaurants in the Bay Area, then moved to Los Angeles to help open another and never wanted to leave.

As an owner of sweets-focused cafe U Dessert Story, with two locations in the Bay Area, Boonlieng wanted to incorporate some of her signature desserts at Thaim, too. Look for Thai tea panna cotta, matcha lava cakes and more.

Jaden Soong, a rising junior golfer at St. Francis High, charged from behind on the leaderboard to win the prestigious Junior PGA Championships in Frisco, Texas, on Friday.

He entered the final round with a two-stroke lead but was down by four strokes with nine holes to play. He regained the lead with a birdie putt at No. 17 and finished the four rounds at seven-under par.

Soong won the CIF state individual championship as a freshman. He did not compete in the CIF event this past season, focusing on traveling around the country to compete in junior tournaments.

By winning the Junior PGA, he earns an exemption to compete at the 2027 Tulum Championship on the PGA Korn Ferry Tour. The same course Soong won on will be used next year for the PGA Championship.

Backlash to FIFA’s private investment plan for World Cups and events was huge; now football reacts to the U-turn’s fallout.

FIFA President ‌Gianni Infantino has said that world football’s governing ⁠body had ⁠scrapped plans to sell a stake in the World Cup and other events to private investors after widespread backlash.

The response to the plan, which was announced on Tuesday by Infantino, was overwhelming.

The wording of the outcry from around the globe was damning of the proposal, but stopped short of directly criticising Infantino.

The reaction to Infantino’s decision late on Friday to scrap the investment scheme, which would have sold minority stakes in World Cups and other FIFA events, ranges from overt votes of no confidence in the FIFA president to more subtle, but equally notable, condemnation of the week’s events.

“UEFA welcomes FIFA’s decision to withdraw its plan to sell a stake in ⁠its competitions – including the World Cup – into private hands,” European football’s governing body said.

“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.”

“UEFA will begin ⁠work immediately with partners and stakeholders all over the world and right across the game to propose a new way of distributing resources through the existing FIFA Forward programme.”

“This is a victory for the whole game. But it must not be the end of the story. The proposal ‌has gone. The task of rebuilding trust in FIFA has only just begun.”

AFC’s president, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa

“The future of global football must always be shaped through ⁠proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game,” said Sheikh Salman, president of the Asian Football Confederation.

“The AFC stands ready to support any initiative that strengthens the unity of the football family, contributes to ‌the continued growth of the game globally and delivers meaningful benefits to all stakeholders.”

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with our European colleagues and fully support the collective view,” an FA spokesperson wrote on its website.

“We oppose FIFA’s plans – the FIFA World Cup belongs to football and always will.”

Dutch FA statement

“With the withdrawal of the proposal, the matter is not settled for the KNVB,” the Dutch statement read.

“The ⁠way this process has unfolded has led to a fundamental breach of trust in the leadership of FIFA President Gianni Infantino. The KNVB no longer has confidence in his leadership.”

“We welcome FIFA’s ⁠decision not to proceed with the proposal. It is in line with our expectations in light of the flawed process and the reactions the proposal ‌has provoked,” Astrom said.

“At the same time, we are still concerned about deficiencies in transparency and governance, and want to emphasize ‌the ‌importance of continued discussion and dialogue about how football should be governed and developed.”

“As a founding member of FIFA and a representative on the FIFA Council, the RBFA remains committed to a strong, independent and sustainable model for international football,” Van Damme said.

“Football has never stood still, nor should it,” Isaac said.

“Throughout its history, our game has evolved through innovation, investment and new ideas that have strengthened football, created greater opportunities for players, ⁠coaches and referees, and enhanced the experience ⁠of supporters around the world. That spirit of progress must continue.

“Some principles, however, should never change. Integrity. Independence. Good governance. Transparency. Meaningful consultation. Due process. ⁠These are not constraints on progress. They are what make lasting progress possible.”

An Israeli air strike has destroyed a warehouse full of medical supplies for Gaza’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, according to hospital staff. The Israeli army had no immediate comment.

Hip Hop International, which turns 25 this year, brought some of the world’s best dance crews and choreographers to mainstream attention. Groups including Jabbawockeez and Quest Crew, and choreographers such as Parris Goebel (Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Justin Bieber) and Sienna Lalau (BTS, Blackpink, Ciara) all got their start through the group’s annual dance competition, which connected dance cultures in a pre-YouTube era through global shared artistry when breaking was a mostly underground activity.

This year’s weeklong contest concludes Saturday in Phoenix, when a new world champion will be crowned. Involving 3,000 dancers from 55 countries, the competition has grown to be among the largest in the world due to the efforts of founders Howard and Karen Schwartz, whose globetrotting history led to HHI’s current prominence in the dance world.

In the late 1980s, the Schwartzes were known as “the mother and father of aerobics.” The duo were pioneers of the aerobics craze that gripped the nation and helped create the National Aerobic Championship. ESPN followed the Schwartzes’ competitions, as did the Soviet Union, which was in the midst of the massive social, economic and cultural upheaval that culminated with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

B-Boy Vico from France was the winner of Hip Hop International’s World Battles in 2023.

(Steven Lam)

Soon after, the Soviet Union asked the Schwartzes to bring their aerobic champions to teach fitness and aerobics there, Karen said. So they did.

“We grew that,” Howard said, adding that the aerobics championship became “almost as big as what HHI is now. We were all over the world with it.”

The pair later transitioned out of aerobics but still had the desire to create communal experiences. While traveling, the Schwartzes went to Paris and saw kids breaking on the street. The seed of an idea was planted. It blossomed later on a trip to Tokyo, as they emerged from a subway.

“We were walking and we saw a group of dancers that were practicing in the streets, but utilizing a storefront window reflection where it became a mirror,” said Karen, who was struck by the creativity of the art form.

When the Schwartzes first began to establish HHI, they reached out to people who would lend credibility, including Don Campbell, creator of the street dance style Locking; Ken Swift, a longtime b-boy and member of the Rock Steady Crew; and Toni Basil, a member of the 1970s dance crew the Lockers (with Campbell) and singer of the ’80s hit “Mickey.”

Basil has since received HHI’s Icon Award and is often a judge during championship weeks and worldwide competitions. She is a stalwart ambassador of dance worldwide. The Lockers were the first group of dancers to travel outside of the “Soul Train” sphere to be seen on television as a singular act. They appeared on “The Tonight Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show,” and were among the first crews to legitimize the art form by making a living from it.

“I don’t know how Karen and Howard organize it,” Basil said of the HHI competitions, noting that so many “kids get to come to America. It’s a big deal. It’s their life. It’s incredible. And to be dancing morning, noon and night, that’s a serotonin-raising life. I mean, everybody’s high on dance.”

Basil touts the international expansion of hip-hop dance and says that “there’s no more important crew battles in the world than HHI. Period.” She also said that HHI’s penchant for group choreography in the U.S. has translated worldwide. Dancers like Goebel and Lalau have graduated from the HHI community to stand on global stages as choreographers and artistic directors with music’s biggest artists.

Goebel operates out of Auckland, New Zealand, in a dance studio she created called the Palace. Her large dance crew, the Royal Family, helped establish the mold of choreographer-dancer-musician after unprecedented success at the HHI competition.

“Definitely the Royal Family competing at HHI and winning three gold medals in a row gave us international recognition for the dance crew and in turn made the Palace well known as I had many crews coming of out my studio,” Goebel wrote in an email.

Lalau‘s classes during the competition week at the HHI championships are coveted events, and she has led numerous classes and groups for the Lab, a Los Angeles-based hip-hop dance crew and studio.

“As my career evolved, I realized HHI is about so much more than competition,” Lalau wrote in an email. “It’s a place where culture, community, and creativity come together. That mindset has stayed with me throughout my career. Whether I’m creating for an artist, building a cast, or teaching a class, I always come back to the idea that the strongest work comes from collaboration.”

In 2008 the Schwartzes’ success led to them serve as producers for the Emmy Award-winning “America’s Best Dance Crew,” an MTV dance competition series that ran for eight seasons. Success stories from the show include crews such as the Jabbawockeez, which has been a fixture in Las Vegas since its first-season win, Quest Crew, Snoop Dogg and Far East Movement.

“ABDC” shone a spotlight on background performers and treated its participants with respect. JC Chasez, a member of N*Sync who also served as a judge on the show and was a talent competition participant himself, wrote in an email that he was excited to be in the mix.

“I know a lot of shows are about the judges, but I thought ‘ABDC’ did a really good job at making sure the audience at home knew that the stars of the show were the dancers,” Chasez wrote.

Chasez, now a producer on the Broadway musical “Titanique,” also noted that “ABDC” alumni are everywhere.

“I’ve really been enjoying seeing crew members succeed … on different projects,” he said. “I was in New York for the Tonys, and some of the people in ‘Jellicle Ball,’ … had competed on ‘Dance Crew.’”

Now that it’s hit the 25-year mark, supporters believe HHI will continue to evolve along with hip-hop dance itself. Always looking forward while reaching back to keep the past alive.

Reinvention is necessary, Chasez said, because hip-hop music today no longer sounds like it did in the ’80s.

“And so as the sonics change and as the rhythms evolve, I think that’s where interpretations will continue to evolve as well because they are visualizing the rhythms that you’re hearing and telling a story in a unique way.”

Lalau said she expects the next 25 years will bring even more authentic creativity, but that she hopes “that we still prioritize the human side of dance [over tech advancements]. Hip-hop has always been rooted in community, connection and self-expression.”

“We really are so proud of a number of the things that we have been able to accomplish, because it’s made a difference,” Karen Schwartz said of herself and her husband, adding that it’s hard to stop and think about those things because they’re so busy thinking about the future.

“That’s the problem, actually,” Howard said. “We’re constantly, ‘What can we do next? What can make the experience better for everyone?’

“Our ultimate goal is of course to bring ‘ABDC’ back,” he said, “and we haven’t stopped trying.”

Until then, a new world champion will be crowned Saturday night, continuing a tradition that has become much more than a trend.

Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s David Zahniser, with an assist from Gavin J. Quinton, giving you the latest on city and county government.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Marissa Roy did big numbers in the June 2 primary election, coming in first place in the race for city attorney and knocking City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto out of the running entirely.

Roy secured 43% of the vote in round one. Now that she’s in a head-to-head contest against Deputy Dist. Atty. John McKinney, she’s well ahead in fundraising as well.

Campaign spending reports for the Nov. 3 runoff, filed over the last few days, show that Roy’s campaign collected nearly $74,000 during the fundraising period that ended June 30. By comparison, McKinney collected just $3,000, according to his own contribution report.

“I plan to be a City Attorney for the people, and I’m proud to have a campaign supported by the people. If your campaign isn’t, then I think it’s fair to ask who it is for,” Roy said in a statement.

The race is one of three downballot contests where the candidate who came in first on June 2 is also well ahead in the scramble for campaign contributions. Things were similarly lopsided in council races in South L.A. and the San Fernando Valley.

McKinney, who received nearly 29% of the vote in the primary, said his campaign will have plenty of resources to “educate voters that Marissa Roy is a bad fit for Los Angeles.”

“The recent financial disclosure reflects just one week of activity,” he said in a statement. “Since the June 30th [fundraising] deadline, we’ve raised more than $65,000 from more than 80 individual donors and have nearly 15 fundraising events scheduled.”

Several of the donors who gave to Roy occupy the left end of the political spectrum, such as Loraine Lundquist, who ran for City Council twice in the San Fernando Valley, losing both times to Councilmember John Lee. Roy also picked up a donation from airport commissioner Victor Narro, project director for the UCLA Labor Center.

Roy received $1,800 from attorney Carol Sobel, who has sued the city many times on behalf of various clients over policing and its treatment of the homeless population. Another $1,800 came from Genie Harrison, who is representing former fire chief Kristin Crowley in her lawsuit over her ouster.

McKinney, who works for Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman, is likely to have his own big-money support in the coming weeks. During the primary, an array of well-financed allies, including Airbnb, spent a combined $3.2 million on efforts to elect him.

In South L.A., Ugarte ramps up his fundraising

The fundraising was also lopsided in the race to replace City Councilmember Curren Price, a veteran lawmaker who is stepping down after 13 years in a district stretching from the Convention Center south to 95th Street.

Former Price aide Jose Ugarte collected about $35,000 for the runoff, much of it from other city workers, particularly council aides, records show.

Community organizer Estuardo Mazariegos took in about $5,400, pulling in donations from the progressive L.A. Forward Action Fund and from Lundquist, the former council candidate.

A number of elected officials have lined up behind Ugarte, who garnered 39% of the vote in the primary. He received $1,000 apiece from State Assemblymembers Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles), Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) and José Luis Solache (D-Lynwood), according to his filing. Ugarte also received $1,000 each from former Councilmember David Ryu and from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Records show that Ugarte received $1,000 from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file police officers, but then returned the contribution. Ugarte does not accept donations from the police union, his campaign strategist said.

“I support Mayor Bass’s efforts to increase staffing, strengthen community policing, and improve transparency and accountability. I also want to see more officers on foot patrols and bike patrols in our neighborhoods,” Ugarte said in a statement. “Returning this contribution does not change or influence my views on these priorities.”

In the Valley, Gaspar pulls in a big haul

In the race to replace Councilmember Bob Blumenfield in the west San Fernando Valley, businessman Tim Gaspar is proving to be a fundraising powerhouse.

Gaspar reported more than $180,000 in donations to his runoff campaign through June 30, compared with about $31,000 for Barri Worth Girvan, an aide to County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, according to her filing.

“After finishing with the most votes in the primary, our campaign is grateful for the outpouring of support from business owners, neighbors, and friends across the West Valley,” Gaspar said in a statement.

Gaspar received 46% of the vote in the primary, compared with more than 42% for Worth Girvan.

In an interview, Worth Girvan said she’s not troubled by the fundraising gap. During the primary, backers of Gaspar spent about $1.4 million on independent expenditures supporting his election bid.

“We still came within 4 percentage points,” she said. “To me, it’s always been about the voters, so that’s what I’m focused on.”

Worth Girvan picked up donations from longtime Democrats, including Gonzlaez, the state Assembly member, former state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Ryu, the former City Council member. She told The Times her fundraising picked up significantly after the June 30 fundraising deadline, bringing her total haul to more than $100,000.

Gaspar picked up donations from several public safety unions, including $1,000 from the Police Protective League and $500 from a political action committee set up by the city’s port police. He received $1,000 from real estate developer Rick Caruso, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2022.

State of play

— WINDS OF CHANGE: For the first time since 1963, L.A.’s 9th Council District will not have a Black representative. The race to represent that South L.A. district features two Latino candidates who immigrated to the U.S. as children, both of them undocumented at the time. Ugarte, the former council aide, was born in Oaxaca and is Mazateco, an Indigenous group native to the Mexican state. Mazariegos, a community organizer, was born in Guatemala.

— DISAPPEARING ACT: Records dealing with the activities of the Los Angeles Police Department — emails, text messages, audio recordings — have vanished from a city website devoted to the release of public information. Although the removal of such records does not violate any laws, “it’s certainly not a best practice,” one expert said.

— PERMIT PROBLEMS: A representative of Lineage, whose massive cold storage facility burned down in Boyle Heights two months ago, filed a permit this week to rebuild the company’s 491,000-square-foot warehouse to its original pre-fire condition. Bass called the filing a “slap in the face” to families in Boyle Heights and ordered her department heads to put the application on hold until the site receives extensive study.

— SCHOOLS AND SAFETY: Meanwhile, with less than two weeks left before the start of school, families in Boyle Heights and East L.A. are worried about health and safety at eight campuses located within a mile of the Lineage site, which has been beset with the stench of rotting food, rats and swarms of flies.

— ZOO COUP: Feldstein Soto may have lost her bid for a second term, but she did rack up a key court victory in the city’s battle over money for the Los Angeles Zoo. The city has been trying to claw back about $50 million raised for the facility by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., the nonprofit that helped run it until recently. GLAZA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June, citing “incessant litigation” from the city. This week, at the city’s request, a judge dismissed the bankruptcy filing.

— TAKING IT TO THE STREETS: L.A. is on track to repeal a city law prohibiting kids from playing baseball, basketball, soccer or other ball games out in the street. The law was passed in 1936 out of a fear that children would be struck by cars. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield says it’s time the ordinance was erased from the books.

— FIXING THEIR MISTAKE: L.A. County’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to send voters a charter amendment that would reverse the repeal of Measure J, which was approved six years ago and sets aside money for alternatives to incarceration. Measure J, through a series of errors, was supplanted in 2024 by Measure G, which will increase the number of supervisors. The new measure would restore Measure J to the county charter.

— SPEAKING OF ERRORS: Last week, we mentioned a proposal to reduce the number of required council meetings from three per week down to one, saying that the idea failed to make the ballot. That was wrong! The measure will in fact go before voters in the Nov. 3 election as part of Charter Amendment EE.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature program to bring homeless people indoors went to Skid Row, bringing 23 people inside, according to the mayor’s team. The area is represented by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.
• On the docket next week: After a month off, the City Council resumes its business on Tuesday.

Stay in touch

That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@latimes.com. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The first day all the members of the Women’s Professional Baseball League were at the same field, it rained.

That didn’t dampen the smiles around Robin Roberts Field the day before the league opens play Saturday, marking the first professional women’s baseball games in 72 years.

“Getting to be together for six whole weeks or around two whole months with them [if we make the playoffs] is honestly going to be a game changer,” said third baseman Ashton Lansdell, who stars for the USA national team. “I think we’re going to build a really unique and exciting culture that is going to last a very long time, especially with the inaugural season at WPBL. Like we’re starting from the ground up, so we get to build all of these things from the very beginning.”

The Los Angeles Queens, managed by former Dodgers second baseman Eric Young, have arguably the most star-studded roster, behind Savannah Bananas third baseman Lansdell, former Little League star Mo’ne Davis and Japanese ace pitcher Ayami Sato.

The Los Angeles Queens’ Ayami Sato pitches during a Women’s Pro Baseball League exhibition game in March 19 in Fort Myers, Fla.

(Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

“I pretty much have an idea who I want to lead off and who’s my starter,” Young said. “Those two things I do know. But the rest of the lineup, I’m looking forward to making it. The first one will be very special, just like everything else.”

Women’s baseball has been long fractured with few opportunities for the best to gather in one spot. The only consistent tournament has been the Women’s Baseball World Cup, with the U.S. going undefeated in group play this week in Rockford ahead of the WPBL’s quick week of preseason practices.

The WPBL will be the first women’s baseball league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which operated from 1943 until 1954 to offset the loss of male baseball players called into action during World War II. The league gained popularity and notoriety when it was dramatized in the 1992 film “A League of Their Own.”

While women’s baseball didn’t boom and girls were mostly limited to playing softball, some women sought a chance to play the sport they loved.

The WPBL, even with a limited six-week season at one location, is helping many players realize seemingly impossible dreams and honoring the first recorded women’s game with a paid crowd and the home of the single-season Springfield Sallies.

Games will span seven innings and the league will use aluminum bats featured in college baseball and softball, while outfield dimensions were altered to be closer to the Women’s World Cup field dimensions. Salaries range from $300-$500 per game for the 15-player rosters.

“It’s just what we’ve all dreamed of our whole lives,” Lansdell said. “The coolest thing out of all of it is that we’re starting this league this year, but in the next five to 10 years, even two years down the road, I’m so excited to see just the growth of women’s baseball and the amount of hope and inspiration that we have.”

Like many women’s baseball players, Lansdell had a history in softball, contributing to the Women’s College World Series season in 2025 at Ole Miss. More recently, she went 11-for-13 with two doubles and two home runs in five games during the U.S. World Cup group stage for a historic .846 batting average.

Players warm up before a game on the fourth day of tryouts for the Women’s Professional Baseball League in August 2025 at Nationals Park in Washington.

(Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press)

She will be the core of the Queens’ lineup, surrounded by some of the biggest name in the sport. Brittany Apgar grew up playing in all-boys baseball tournaments before playing college softball at Greensboro College.

“I think this is really when the quote that baseball is 90% mental and 10% physical kicks in because that game’s going to be a lot,” Apgar said of the Saturday opener. “Like we have the honor of doing the first game. That will be a lot of pressure on everyone.”

The Queens flaunt one of the best right sides of the infield in the league with Lansdell at third and Curacan 19-year-old shortstop Thaima Maximiliana.

Australian shortstop Caitlin Eynon hit .375 in the World Cup and could contribute to the Queens’ lineup, too.

Davis highlights an outfield that includes Apgar and Japanese center fielder Suzu Narasaki. Amira Hondras, 18, played for the U.S. after spending time with MLB Develops and the Chicago White Sox youth league and is one of the best young women’s baseball prospects in the nation.

Sato leads a staff of pitchers from several backgrounds. Canadian 19-year-old right-hander Michelle Roche plays college baseball in British Columbia while 38-year-old veteran Meggie Meidlinger has been a bullpen stopper for the U.S.

“More than anything, I’m excited for the opportunity to play with talented players from around the world,” Sato said through her translator, Mayo Hiran. “That’s something that I’ve been working for for a long time.”

The Queens face the New York Heights to begin their season and will play 30 games through the start of September before a two-week playoff period.

By this time next year, they may get a chance to play home games in the Los Angeles area. The league hasn’t announced its plans for shifting games outside of Illinois other than to confirm they aspire to do so.

But for a few moments this weekend, in Springfield alone, dreams will come true and a sport will be reborn.

“It’s going to be a lot of people’s first time for a lot of things,” Apgar said. “Some of the people didn’t actually get to make it to tryouts, so there’s some people that are drafted that I haven’t even seen in person before. It’s all exciting.”

July 31 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s National Assembly passed legislation Friday eliminating prosecutors’ authority to conduct direct and supplementary investigations, advancing a major restructuring of the country’s criminal justice system.

Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the governing Democratic Party, said before the vote that the revision to the Criminal Procedure Act would mark the beginning of a new system rather than the end of prosecution reform.

“Today’s revision of the Criminal Procedure Act is not the end of prosecution reform but the beginning of a new criminal justice system,” Han said during a party Supreme Council meeting.

He said the government and governing party must prevent investigative gaps and ensure that crime victims and other citizens remain protected during the transition.

The legislation passed later Friday after lawmakers ended a filibuster by the opposition People Power Party.

Under the revised law, prosecutors will no longer be allowed to conduct their own investigations, including additional investigative work after receiving cases from police.

Prosecutors will instead be permitted to request supplementary investigations from judicial police officers.

Police generally must complete the requested work within one month and report the results to prosecutors. The period may be extended for up to one additional month when necessary.

The legislation also requires investigative information to be recorded in South Korea’s criminal justice information system.

Han said the Democratic Party would take responsibility for completing the regulations and institutional arrangements needed to launch the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency on Oct. 2.

The new Public Prosecution Office will be responsible primarily for indictments and maintaining prosecutions in court. The Serious Crimes Investigation Agency will investigate major offenses formerly handled directly by prosecutors.

“We will take responsibility until the end so that the two agencies can begin operating in a stable manner,” Han said.

Opposition lawmakers and some legal professionals have warned that eliminating prosecutors’ supplementary investigative authority could create delays, weaken oversight of police investigations and leave victims with fewer avenues for redress.

The Democratic Party says the legislation includes safeguards intended to prevent cases from being ignored or delayed and to preserve the rights of victims and complainants.

Governing party promises further legislation

Han said the governing party would continue pursuing legislation dealing with public welfare and political reform.

“We will respond to people’s livelihoods with speed and to reform with results,” he said.

Han cited legislation authorizing a special counsel investigation of the National Election Commission and a proposal to shorten the review period for bills designated for fast-track consideration.

The fast-track proposal would reduce the maximum review period from 330 days to 90 days, including 60 days for consideration by the relevant standing committee and 30 days for review by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

The People Power Party opposes the change, saying it would weaken opportunities for negotiation and allow the parliamentary majority to rush controversial bills through the legislature.

Han said the Democratic Party would work to create a more productive National Assembly in which legislation affecting people’s livelihoods is reviewed and passed without unnecessary delays.

“We will not avoid the responsibility entrusted to us by the public,” he said.

Party vows to address stock market volatility

Han also said the Democratic Party and the government would work together to reduce uncertainty in South Korea’s capital markets.

The comments followed heightened volatility linked in part to leveraged investment products tied to individual stocks.

Han said officials would examine whether adequate investor protections were in place when the products were introduced.

“We recognize the current market conditions and investors’ concerns with the utmost seriousness,” he said. “We will calmly and transparently review the introduction process and whether investor protection measures were sufficient.”

Han urged the People Power Party not to use investors’ concerns as political ammunition.

“Using investor anxiety for political attacks and increasing market uncertainty through unverified claims can undermine confidence in the South Korean stock market and cause serious harm to investors,” he said.

He said lawmakers should instead identify the causes of instability and develop effective measures to address them.

The Democratic Party’s special committee on South Korea’s capital markets will communicate with financial regulators and industry officials to evaluate policy measures and market reactions, Han said.

The party will also continue efforts to improve corporate value and governance at publicly traded companies, he said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260731010011686

Police cases, social media takedowns and online abuse have followed many who took part in India’s Cockroach Janta Party-led demonstrations that ended on July 25. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he forgives ‘misled children’ who abused him during the protests.

The crime series, which dropped on Netflix today, is perfect for fans of gripping police dramas like Line of Duty and The Wire.

Netflix fans are urged to tune into ‘the best cop drama’ ever which is leaving viewers ‘glued until the end’.

The ‘excellent’ series, which comes from legendary Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, quietly arrived on Netflix today.

The police show is perfect for fans of Line of Duty and Blue Lights, while it has already been called ‘as good as’ US procedurals like The Shield and The Wire.

The popular drama is also a part of a larger franchise created by Wolf, which follows the fire fighters, police officers and medical staff working in the busy heart of Chicago, USA.

Named Chicago P.D., the 2014 show is the second installment of Wolf’s Chicago franchise after Chicago Fire (2012) and has since been followed up by Chicago Med (2015).

Chicago P.D. holds an impressive 8.1/10 score on IMDb and is set to return for a 14th season later this year.

The cast is led by the charismatic Jason Beghe, who plays fan favourite character sergeant Hank Voight.

The synopsis explains that the show “follows the lives of the personnel of the fictional 21st District, which houses both uniformed officers and the department’s elite Intelligence Unit as they fight every day to keep the city of Chicago, Illinois safe”.

Other cast members include Jon Seda as Senior Detective Antonio Dawson, Sophia Bush as Detective Erin Lindsay, Jesse Lee Soffer as Senior Detective Jay Halstead, Patrick John Flueger as Officer Adam Ruzek and Marina Squerciati as Detective Kim Burgess.

Taking to the reviews section of IMDb, fans shared their thoughts on Chicago P.D.

One person wrote: “Easily the best cop drama I’ve ever seen. I love this show because it’s so smartly written. There are none of those yelling at your TV moments when the cop goes in without backup or lets his guard down at the worst moment or tries to be a hero all by himself. In this show the characters act like a real cop should.”

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Another agreed: “Of all the police shows, Chicago PD is the best show I’ve ever seen. Chicago PD captures your attention from the start and keeps you glued to the show until the end.”

A third echoed: “Excellent!! Best ever crime drama. Writing and acting are exceptional. Thank you NBC. I am totally involved…”

Another fan compared the show to other highly-rated police procedurals, commenting: “I put PD in the same category as Streets of San Francisco, Hill Street Blues, The Shield and The Wire to name a few. That is the best TV available.”

However, not everyone is a fan, with one person calling it “cheap entertainment” and another complaining: “It started off brilliant, but last few years it’s gone down hill.”

Meanwhile, some viewers took the time to praise Beghe’s performance, with one enthusing: “The best show on television to me. Jason Beghe who plays Sgt. Hank Voight is like no other. He brings the whole show together.”

Another concurred: “Best show on TV! There are many good cop shows on tv but this one never fails. It has amazing actors and always entertaining plots. Beghe is my favorite!”

Chicago P.D. is available to stream on Netflix now.

Truth Social, the social media firm owned by Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT), on Saturday launched Truth API, a licensed data feed that enables real-time access to posts from its high-profile users, including President Donald Trump.

With Trump Media & Technology

TUI is opening two new hotels in destinations a few hours from the UK.

New TUI Blue hotels will open their doors to guests in both Seville and Lisbon as it expands to European cities as well as beach destinations.

The first new TUI Blue Hotel will be in the pretty Spanish city of Seville, which is set to open later this year.

Called TUI Blue Sevilla Suites, it will be the first TUI Blue hotel to open in a European city.

It will have 89 rooms, co-working space and even a rooftop pool which will no doubt have incredible views.

It’s in Vega del Rey which is a 10-minute drive from the city centre.

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Seville is a city in southern Spain just two hours and 45-minutes away from the UK.

It’s easily walkable with plenty to see from the Royal Alcázar to the enormous cathedral which is the biggest Gothic Church in Europe.

The city is pretty affordable with tapas dishes ranging from around €3 (£2.56) to €6 (£5.15) per plate.

If you head to El Rinconcillo, you can pick up a huge glass of wine for £3.

The second European city hotel will be in TUI Blue Rossio in Lisbon‘s Baixa district.

It’s currently undergoing ‘a comprehensive redesign’ but is set to open as a 30-room boutique early next year.

Lisbon can be reached in as little as two hours 35-minutes from the UK and is the perfect spot for a city-by-the-sea break.

It’s also a cheap spot and one expat who moved there from the UK suggests picking up a local ‘vinho verde’ which costs “a few euros“.

The city itself can be explored via the tram system with tickets starting from as little as £2.70.

In Lisbon, a Lisboa card is a savvy way to save – buy one from £27 for access to 51 museums and galleries across the city.

TUI Group Chief Operating Officer Marco Ciomperlik said: “Following the first openings in cities across Asia, we are now bringing our distinctive leisure hotel concept to some of Europe’s most attractive urban holiday destinations.

“Lisbon and Seville are ideal destinations, combining strong city break appeal with the rich local culture, food and experiences that sit naturally at the heart of the TUI Blue concept.”

This comes after TUI announced its expansion in Asia.

It announced the opening of two new hotels last year in both Malaysia and Cambodia.

TUI also opened its first hotel in Bhutan in May called TUI Blue Paro Taktsang which is nestled in the Himalayas.

The ‘adults-only lifestyle resort’ has 34 suites, a restaurant and bar both with mountain views.

The Hundred women’s competition, Edgbaston

Welsh Fire 144-3 (100 balls): Voll 78 (55); Capsey 2-24

Birmingham Phoenix 145-3 (99 balls): Perry 68 (46), Capsey 51 (29); Voll 1-9

Birmingham Phoenix won by seven wickets

Scorecard. Table

Ellyse Perry and Alice Capsey starred as Birmingham Phoenix picked up their first win of the women’s Hundred with a nail-biting seven-wicket victory over Welsh Fire.

Chasing 145 in front of minority shareholder and England midfielder Jude Bellingham at Edgbaston, Capsey, who had earlier picked up two wickets, hit 51 (29) and Perry an unbeaten 68 (46) to help Phoenix home with one ball to spare.

Opener Davina Perrin fell just five balls into Phoenix’s chase while Tammy Beaumont couldn’t capitalise on being dropped on 10, picking out Heather Graham for 14, before Capsey and Perry came together for a match-changing 86-run third-wicket stand.

Capsey’s dismissal, caught cheaply at deep mid-wicket by Graham off the 82nd delivery, nearly proved the turning point, with Phoenix faltering from 24 runs required from 19 balls to needing 12 runs off the final set.

But captain Perry held her nerve, trading singles with Annerie Dercksen before dispatching Graham for a six and a four to see her side over the line.

The victory – only their third in 12 matches since the beginning of the 2025 edition – moves Phoenix off the foot of the table and into fifth place after four matches. Welsh Fire slip down to seventh, with one win and three defeats.

Earlier, the tournament’s leading run-scorer Georgia Voll struck a half-century for Fire against her former side, hitting nine fours and two sixes as she top-scored with 78 (55).

The Australian put on 58 for the first wicket with Ella McCaughan and a further 35 with Sophie Devine, who hit a flurry of late boundaries in her unbeaten 35 (19), but Fire were left to rue their lethargic powerplay, posting a run-a-ball 25-0.

Capsey collected 2-24 but Lauren Filer was the pick of the bowlers, conceding just 15 runs from her 20 deliveries.

Spain’s foreign minister maintains ‘the integrity of the Schengen area is absolutely guaranteed’.

Spain says “virtually all” of the estimated 60,000 migrants who stormed its North African enclave of Ceuta by land and sea in recent days have already left again voluntarily.

The number of people who had died trying to enter Ceuta was raised to at least 67 on Saturday, Spanish officials said, adding there could be additional casualties on the Moroccan side of the border. Some of the confirmed dead had drowned, and ⁠some were crushed while trying to climb the breakwater that holds the border fence.

“Virtually all those who entered Ceuta have now returned to Morocco,” Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jose Manuel Albares, wrote on X on Friday night.

The mass influx of migrants had dismayed European Union governments, and particularly those in the Schengen area – 29 countries that have abolished border controls for travel between them.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday described the images from Ceuta as “unacceptable”, while French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said France would tighten its borders with Spain.

In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy’s open-border Schengen agreement with Spain “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens”, though Italy does not share a border with Spain.

Spain’s Interior Ministry said about 50,000 people had crossed the border since Thursday morning, and estimated that 48,300 had returned by 6pm (16:00 GMT) on Friday. Juan Jesus Vivas, head of Ceuta’s local government, said as many as 60,000 people had pushed across over the past couple of days.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who travelled to Ceuta on Friday, said the mass crossing represented “a violation of Spain’s territorial sovereignty”.

Spain announced it was installing a containment barrier along the breakwater fence into the sea.

Moroccan police in riot gear used tear gas and water cannon trucks at the enclave’s border on Friday night to disperse people gathered near the fences and push them back.

“Honestly, I don’t even know why I came, and now I’m going back,” a young Moroccan man, who said he was from Tangier, told Reuters. “I haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday, even though I brought some money with me … What we’re doing is neither good nor enjoyable.”

Ceuta, together with Melilla – another autonomous ‌Spanish city in North Africa – represents the European Union’s only land border with Africa. Both cities often experience surges in attempted crossings by people seeking to migrate to Europe.

To reach Ceuta, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 5km (3 miles) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.

Ceuta authorities linked the surge in attempted crossings to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that prevented authorities from immediately returning migrants who arrive by sea. The ruling does not apply to migrants who enter Spain by land, including by climbing over the border fence.

Sanchez said on Friday that the influx of migrants was caused by mafias spreading rumours about this court ruling. But activists in Morocco expressed doubt that the ruling was behind the surge, arguing most migrants would have been unaware of such legal decisions.

Although the crossing appeared blocked later on Friday, many migrants still moved along the coast, seeking routes around the fence.

“I was late,” said Brahim, 32, who had arrived from Tangier hoping to cross through the gate, but found it effectively shut.