Month: August 2026

BRITS heading to Europe now have to go through the new Entry/Exit System (EES), but some parents have been unclear on whether kids have to use it too.

Some families hadn’t realised that children under 12-years-old need certain biometrics taken at the border.

On ABTA, the confirmed advice reads: “People of all ages will need to go through the EES checks.

“Children under 12 will not need to provide fingerprints, but they will need to have a facial scan taken.”

This is where the confusion lay as some parents believed their younger children were exempt from checks altogether.

Any Brit over the age of 12 is required to have both their fingerprints taken and their face scanned for registering.

HOL YES

Cheap holiday destinations with 86p beers, £15 flights & £129pp package breaks

CHEAP CHIC

Cheap UK stays from £9.50pp – with FREE bottomless wine & £11pp coastal cottages

If you are heading abroad as a family, it’s important to leave extra time for EES checks as delays have been reported to be up to six hours.

Some passengers have even missed flights as a result.

Passengers returning to the UK from Athens in June were still in the airport queuing through passport control and missed their flight to London Luton.

One holidaymaker told the BBC there had been a “mega queue” at Athens International Airport.

Hundreds of people were waiting at both security and passport control and the plane was forced to leave without them.

Something else to be aware of if travelling as a parent with a different surname, as this can result in airport delays.

Tough rules at the border are in place to prevent child trafficking and parents could be asked for proof of relation.

Along with valid passports, it’s advised to keep important documents to hand, these include;

• A sealed copy of any Court Order you have permitting you to travel alone.
• A consent letter from the parent(s) or holders of parental responsibility not accompanying you.
• Your child’s birth or adoption certificate.
• Your marriage certificate or Decree Absolute if you were married to the non-accompanying parent but are no longer married.

While we can’t guarantee that it will make journeys any quicker, Sun Travel do have suggestions on how to make it a bit more bearable with kids.

The first is bring entertainment, it could be worth setting the kids up with an iPad or something that will keep them occupied.

Take advantage of the priority lane if there is one for families – usually this is for those with young children.

For more tips on how to avoid EES chaos at the airports, head here.

There are certain spots that people will want to reserve – and some they should try to avoid

People might only just be jetting off for a bit of sunshine before the schools go back in September, but others may already be planning their next getaway. Knowing a few tips when picking your seat can improve your experience on carriers like Ryanair, EasyJet, Jet2, and TUI if you book accordingly.

It’s no secret that not all seats are made the same – with some specifically having perks like extra legroom. But most do not realise that the position of the seats can make a bigger difference than a few extra inches of wiggle room.

Depending on how you plan to spend the flight, selecting a ‘cheaper’ seat in certain spots could make your flight more enjoyable – and bring perks that money can not often buy. For example, some seats are prime spots for getting on and off the plane more quickly, while others offer great views and first call on snacks.

However, with these seat perks come some seats that customers may wish to avoid if given the option. Some may say that these can make even a short flight feel uncomfortable.

Below, we’ve had a look at some popular seat perks you can expect on Ryanair, EasyJet, Jet2, and TUI planes. For the most part, these money-can’t-buy upgrades are often much more sought after.

Best seats for pictures

If you’re keen to document your trip from start to finish, or simply enjoy an unrivalled view above the clouds, then certain seats will be the best for you. Opting for certain sections in the front or back can give those Instagram-worthy snaps that aren’t just a shot of the metal plane wing.

When booking, pick any of the window seats in rows one to five across all of the named airlines above. These sit well forward of the engines, meaning clear glass and no heat haze will distort the look of your photos.

Best seats for getting on and off the plane

Some of these same rows will benefit from another perk of getting off the plane and starting their holiday not long after the seatbelt sign goes off. Most people caught in the middle of the cabin end up trapped until they can find an opening to leave, whereas these seat holders can usually slip straight out if they have their hand luggage ready and waiting.

There are options for the front and rear of the plane – just check before choosing that your plane has exits that it uses from the rear as some airlines may only open one. These are the rough seat areas to pick if you want to be first in line:

• easyJet: Rows 1–3 (front exit) or Rows 29–31 (Airbus A320) / Rows 38–40 (Airbus A321neo) for the back doors.
• Ryanair: Rows 1–3 (front exit) or Rows 31–33 (Boeing 737-800) / Rows 33–35 (Boeing 737 MAX 8-200) for the rear stairs.
• Jet2: Rows 1–2 (front) or Rows 31–33 (Boeing 737-800).
• TUI (Short-haul 737): Rows 1–2 (front) or Rows 31–33 (rear).

Being near the front also puts passengers as some of the first in line for meals, snacks and drinks when cabin crew make their rounds. On very short flights, sitting to close to the middle means passengers may risk missing out on refreshments entirely.

Seats you may want to avoid

Picking some of these front seats appears to offer a few perks, along with the extra legroom that often comes at a premium in the front row. But, they aren’t all perfect – and it may pay more to sit a few rows back.

Toilets are often located near the front and back of the plane, so anyone sitting in the first and last rows may face a steady queue and unavoidable smells. Some seats might also end up being windowless.

Due to the configuration of some budget planes, seats are pushed closer together than in the original layout to boost passenger capacity per flight. There are a handful of left-hand seats that are often so misaligned that people end up with a solid wall instead of a view outside.

If you have a slightly longer journey, or just want to recline and unwind as your holiday starts, be aware that some seats don’t offer this option. Aside from every Ryanair seat being locked in place, certain back-row or emergency-exit seats cannot recline either.

• easyJet A320: Avoid reclining in Rows 11 and 12 (ahead of exit Rows 12 and 13).
• Jet2 / TUI / Ryanair 737s: Avoid Rows 15 and 16 (ahead of emergency exit Rows 16 and 17).

Outer Banks officially came to an end with a heartwarming final scene, but one thing was missing.

Outer Banks fans struggled to make it through the final season following a devastating death.

Outer Banks is back with a fifth and final season on Netflix and fans have already binged their way through all 10 episodes.

The final outing saw the Pogues cope with a tragic loss and seek revenge, while racing around the world to claim back the Blue Crown. Fans were quick to point out the notable absence of JJ Maybank (played by Rudy Pankow), a beloved Pogue who died in the season four finale.

*Warning: this story contains spoilers for Outer Banks*

He was fatally stabbed by his biological father, Chandler Groff (J. Anthony Crane), and fans were devastated at the tragic loss. While watching the season five episodes, they admitted the series “didn’t feel the same” without JJ.

They flocked to X to share their thoughts, with one saying: “I hoped so much that JJ would come back to life thanks to the Blue Crown, but it was no use. I mean, why is it always my favourite characters?”

Another shared: “It’s really hard watching this show with JJ gone, it just doesn’t feel the same, he should be there with them [crying emojis].”

The finale included a group shot of the gang, but JJ was missing, and one fan pointed out: “The last frame being just the Pogues. But JJ should be there, man.”

Another viewer commented: “JJ was genuinely one of the best characters in Outer Banks. Season 5 didn’t hit the same without him…” Someone else shared: “20mins into Episode 1 of @obxnetflix and it already feels weird without JJ.”

Fans were also emotional over a heartbreaking flashback scene, which depicted the first time JJ and his best friend-turned-love interest, Kiara Carrera (Madison Bailey), met as young children.

“That JJ & Kiara flashback of when they were young and they first met [crying emoji],” one fan said, while a second echoed: “The first time Kiara and JJ met. Aww, my babies [crying and heartbreak emojis].”

Just before the final season dropped, it was announced that a prequel series had been given the green light and would detail the origin story of the feud between the Pogues and the Kooks.

Set 20 years before the events of Outer Banks, creator Josh Pate explained the premise to Deadline: “It really is the story of how the island split — and it’s particularly relevant in our country right now — how it split into the haves and have-nots, how the Kooks and the Pogues started. How did this rift start?”

Creator Shannon Burke added: “And seen through the stories of some of the characters you know and some new characters. But they’re 20 years before, so it’s the parents’ generation.”

Outer Banks featured John B (Chase Stokes) and JJ’s dads, as well as Sarah (Madelyn Cline) and Rafe Cameron’s (Drew Starkey) dad, Pope’s (Jonathan Daviss) and Kiara’s parents and Topper’s (Austin North) mother and grandfather.

Outer Banks is streaming on Netflix

Uber have launched stylish open-top convertible rides for newlyweds this August Bank Holiday after research claimed 72% of couples suffer from severe stress over their big day.

Travel giants Uber say many are ditching traditional country-estate weddings and instead fleeing to sleek, fast-track town hall ceremonies like pop star Dua Lipa had.

Research claims 72% of couples experience severe stress leading up to their big day and 42% have considered cancelling it completely.

Top drivers for the shift include slashing exorbitant costs (28%), keeping the vows quick and meaningful (24%), and paring down the guest list (23%).

Despite this, 72% of brides still demand an ‘iconic, internet-breaking photo moment’, while 46% worry a low-key wedding lacks that signature ‘wow’ factor.

Uber says it’s stepping in to give registry office couples the ultimate post-ceremony upgrade via rides in their open-top convertible ‘Hitch ‘n Ride’ service

Couples getting married during the August Bank Holiday are being promised a paparazzi-style entrance and exit from the registry office.

They’ll let couples step straight from their doorstep into a luxury convertible ride directly to their ceremony and onwards to their reception venue.

Uber say they’re working with ‘expert chauffeurs’ who will provide direct transport for the couple and two witnesses.

They add a chilled bottle of premium English sparkling wine will be provided for the drive between the registry and the reception.

Uber say the experience is available to couples getting hitched at registry offices in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham, Bristol, Sheffield and Leicester.

This news comes as registry office couples say cutting the traditional guest list saved them an average of £2,171 in venue and catering costs.

They say couples are opting to reallocate that budget where it actually counts, such as 28% putting it toward house deposits, while 22% are prioritising dream honeymoons.

Uber UK’s general manager, Andrew Brem, said “At Uber, we believe showing up for our riders matters, whether it’s for the everyday trip or one of life’s biggest moments.

“For couples saying ‘I do’ at their local town hall, ‘Hitch ‘n Ride makes getting to the celebration easier, while adding a little extra magic to the journey.”

‘Hitch ‘n Ride’ will run exclusively over the August Bank Holiday [August 28-31] across the UK.

Tickets will go live on www.hitchnride.co.uk at 10am on August 24 on a first-come-first-served basis.

GOING to the airport follows a strict process – check in, drop your bags off, head through security and – for many of us – get stopped for a search.

And when that inevitably happens, nine out of 10 times the reason is something that seems silly or you could have easily prevented.

And there are actually two items that we all carry that cause issues.

The first is our gadgets – whether that be a laptop, iPad or phone.

According to Which?, layering electronics can trigger a manual search.

Smiths Detections has said that layering electronics should be avoided.

Read more on travel inspo

SEA IT

All 25 of the English Riviera beaches ranked from best to worst – by a Devon local

ALL IN

I found the best value all inclusive London hotel… just £55pp with free food & booze

Instead, travellers should place them next to each other.

They explained: : “Where possible, avoid stacking multiple electronic devices directly on top of one another in cabin baggage. Instead, place them side by side.”

And another popular item most of us travel with – a water bottle – can also cause an issue.

Smiths Detection explained that travellers should avoid packing bottles and liquid containers near to gadgets.

They explained that they “should ideally be packed separately from electronic devices and not directly underneath or immediately adjacent to them”.

While in a lot of airports new CT scanners allow us to keep all our gadgets and liquids in our bag, these items can still be flagged.

The scanners are meant to make the security process faster, but you could still queue to have your bag manually checked.

If you are heading through an airport as a family, make sure to look out for family lanes which can help you bypass queues.

At London Luton Airport you can reserve a 30-minute window online from between four days and 60 minutes before you arrive at security to bypass the queues, for free.

Manchester Airport has a similar system but you get a 15-minute slot.

Recently revealed evidence from government investigators and court filings renewed questions about Southern California Edison’s claim that it operated its electrical grid safely before last year’s deadly Eaton fire.

Most records surrounding the fire’s cause have been sealed at the request of Edison and plaintiff attorneys. Yet new details revealed in court show that critical fire prevention equipment needed repair before the blaze and that vegetation under the tower where it ignited hadn’t been trimmed for years.

Los Angeles County and state fire investigators cited eight violations, including three of California’s criminal code, in their report released on Aug. 4. The details were blacked out as the district attorney continues an investigation into the devastating fire.

“We don’t believe there is a basis for criminal liability and we will cooperate with any review,” said Kathleen Dunleavy, an Edison spokeswoman.

The investigators said in the report that the Jan. 7, 2025 inferno, which killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 homes and other structures, was caused by electrical arcing on an out-of-service transmission line in Eaton Canyon, which caused hot metal fragments to fall into the dried vegetation below.

Here are key takeaways from the investigative report and recent court filings by lawyers representing fire victims:

Edison didn’t turn off power on its Eaton Canyon transmission lines, despite emergency conditions.

Before the fire, the National Weather Service predicted a “life-threatening” windstorm, investigators wrote in their report released Aug. 4. Santa Ana wind gusts were forecast to reach speeds of 60 to 80 miles per hour, with peak gusts of 90 miles per hour in the mountains.

Earlier that day, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency because of an out-of-control fire that was burning homes in Pacific Palisades.

Despite those conditions, Edison kept power flowing through its high-voltage transmission lines built in the mountains above Altadena. Investigators noted that wind gusts at a weather station about a half-mile from the Edison tower where the fire started recorded gusts up to 68 miles per hour just before the first flames at 6:11 p.m. By 7, gusts were up to 85 miles per hour.

Dunleavy said the conditions did not meet the company’s internal standards for shutting off the lines.

“SCE was actively monitoring the transmission lines in Eaton Canyon on Jan. 7 and none of these lines met our de-energization criteria,” Dunleavy said.

Safety equipment on the out-of-service line was damaged before the fire but not fixed.

Edison had installed safety equipment at both ends of the out-of-service, unconnected transmission line in Eaton Canyon, including at the pylon known as Tower 208 where the fire ignited. But on the night of the fire, the equipment was broken, according to a June court filing.

The equipment was designed to send any unexpected power on the out-of-service line safely into the earth. The grounding equipment was necessary because the idle Mesa-Sylmar line ran parallel to 12 energized high-voltage lines, creating the danger of induction.

Induction happens when electromagnetic fields cause power on energized lines to jump to nearby idle equipment.

At Tower 208, a component known as a compression paddle was not securely bonded to the pylon, allowing debris to form and creating a dangerous air pocket, the filing said. The paddle was meant to be secured with four bolts, but only one bolt was used.

Government fire investigators also found broken equipment at one of the Mesa-Sylmar towers during a tour of the site with Edison after the fire. According to their report, investigators observed “the center conductor dangling free from the bridge section of the tower; it appeared that the remaining two conductors were not bored down to the tower bridge.”

The investigators said they discussed the equipment “abnormalities” with an Edison lineman and lawyer on the tour. “The Lineman said that they were not new and were like this last year; he was also unsure why they were not corrected when it was inspected,” the investigators wrote.

Asked why the equipment was not fixed, Dunleavy said, “We’re looking into that.”

She said the company strives to have a strong maintenance and inspection program and still was performing post-fire examinations and testing.

Edison kept the century-old, out-of-service Mesa-Sylmar line in place for decades, despite knowing idle lines could reenergize and spark fires.

Utilities have known for decades that unused lines can become energized from nearby electrified equipment through the induction process.

To teach employees about the danger, Edison created a training video featuring a 2007 incident in which a line known as the Kramer-Coolwater circuit was de-energized to allow work by a crew. The line became reenergerized while laying on the ground and started several fires, according to a retelling of the video in a July court filing by lawyers representing victims. Later that day, the crew’s foreman was injured when he touched the line.

Eleven years later, the Kramer-Coolwater circuit was unconnected from the grid, similar to the line in Eaton Canyon. Yet the line was electrified by induction from adjacent lines again in 2018, electrocuting a lineman who touched the conductor, the court filing said.

The company has said it kept the line in place even though it hadn’t carried power since 1971 because executives believed it could be used in the future.

Dunleavy said the induction event in the training video was different from what appears to have happened on Jan. 7 with the Eaton Canyon transmission lines.

“We had never seen an idle, de-energized transmission line cause an ignition,” she said.

Edison failed to clear vegetation below the tower where the fire ignited.

The investigators’ report said the fire ignited when electrical arcing on the idle line caused hot metal particles to fall into “the receptive fuel beds consisting of dry vegetation” below the tower.

The June court filing includes details from Google Earth images showing that the vegetation under Tower 208 had not been trimmed since at least 2021. Leaving the brush to grow violated Edison’s safety standard for “structure brushing,” the filing said.

Edison explained structure brushing in an article last year, describing how it cleared all vegetation around certain equipment, creating a 10-foot barrier to reduce the fire risk.

Asked why Edison let brush grow below the idle line, Dunleavy said, “We inspect and maintain all our equipment according to existing regulations and laws.”

Edison has sued L.A. County and other public entities, saying that their failures, including not clearing brush and delayed evacuation warnings, increased the fire’s destruction.

A fight over accountability

The first jury trial looking at whether Edison acted negligently in igniting the fire is scheduled to begin Jan. 25.

Later, state regulators will evaluate whether the company acted “prudently” in its actions related to the fire’s start.

Under a 2019 law brought by Newsom to protect utilities from bankruptcy, the companies automatically are deemed to have acted prudently if regulators sign off on their wildfire prevention plan.

Newsom’s safety regulators approved Edison’s plan just before the Eaton fire. That means Edison will be fully reimbursed for the billions of dollars in Eaton fire damages by a state fund that Newsom’s legislation created unless outside parties can prove Edison acted imprudently, negligently or worse.

“We continue to believe we will make a good faith showing of prudency,” Dunleavy said.

Newsom is working behind closed doors on legislation to further protect Edison and the state’s two other big for-profit electric utilities from the cost of wildfires caused by their equipment, the Times reported this year.

The three companies’ equipment ignited at least seven of the state’s 20 most destructive wildfires, according to CalFire. The Eaton fire was the state’s second-most destructive fire after the 2018 Camp fire, which killed 85 people and destroyed most of the town of Paradise. That fire, according to investigators, was ignited by an old transmission line owned by Pacific Gas & Electric.

The survivors of Eaton and other fires are fighting Newsom’s plan, saying it would leave California more vulnerable to utility-sparked fires.

“The real danger is what will happen to Californians if we further strip away these corporations’ financial incentives to prevent catastrophic fires,” Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network, wrote in an analysis sent to state lawmakers this week.

“These are not innocent companies overtaken by climate change, nor is this an abstract problem of ‘wildfire liability,’” she wrote. “It is a continuing pattern of catastrophic corporate failure.”

Three races into this season, after the Japanese Grand Prix, the frustrations of driving the new hybrid engines of this year boiled over in Verstappen.

The need to constantly recover energy to power the batteries, the impossibility of doing so to the extent that they are fully charged at all times, and the artificiality that had been introduced into the racing as a consequence, were too much for the Dutchman after a race at Suzuka, arguably the greatest circuit on the calendar.

“Is it worth it?” Verstappen pondered out loud. “Or do I enjoy being more at home with my family? Seeing my friends more when you’re not enjoying your sport?”

By 2028, the split between internal combustion and electrical power will be 60:40 in favour of the internal combustion engine, when it is more like 53:47 now.

That will reduce – but not eliminate – the energy starvation suffered by the engines, and as a consequence make driving the cars feel more enjoyable.

Verstappen is the purist’s purist. He wants to drive on the limit all the time.

So it was total anathema to him having the engines run out of battery power, robbing them of 470bhp, before the end of long straights, needing to recover energy through the fastest corners, and having power off-sets between one car and another decide overtakes.

In May, he had an experience that underlined to him what F1 had lost, to his mind.

He raced a Red Bull-branded Mercedes AMG GT at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, and he was nothing less than sensational, particularly in a first stint that took the car he shared with two other drivers from 10th to first. Only a late driveshaft failure robbed him of victory.

This, to him, was what racing was all about.

Since Japan, the complaints of the drivers – Verstappen was far from the only driver to express his discontent – have been heard by the sport’s bosses.

Tweaks to the rules are being introduced over the next two years, to increase the proportion of the total power output of the engine coming from the internal combustion side.

At the last couple of races before the summer break, which is brought to an end by this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, a softening of Verstappen’s tone in F1 was discernible. And on Thursday he confirmed it.

“After the first few races, I said to Laurent [Mekies, the Red Bull team principal], ‘Don’t come to me with any kind of questions about the future’. Because I didn’t even know if I wanted to stay,” Verstappen said.

“I love racing. I had a lot of very good discussions with F1, but also with the FIA. And I think we are slowly working towards something that becomes better and better.

“Also from my side, of course, I adapted. I accept the situation that we’re all in and just trying to make the best of that.

“Also with the year that I signed to, it again opens up the door maybe, you know, when potentially the V8s come in to look at that again as well.”

That is a reference to ongoing discussions about the next engine regulations, due to come in by 2031 at the latest.

It says something about the mess the sport has got itself into with the latest engine rules that discussions about the next ones, due in five years’ time, started even before the first race of the new power-units.

The FIA, the sport’s governing body, was primarily responsible for the issues with energy starvation that have caused so much angst this season.

They were warned by teams and drivers for the last two years or more that this energy starvation situation would become an issue. But they did not listen, instead focusing on adding ever-more complexities to the rules to try to address some of the consequences of it.

Aug. 20 (UPI) — President Donald Trump has nominated White House aide Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration, drawing anger from Democrats and criticism from a key Republican senator.

Trump announced his nomination of Overton to be the next FDA commissioner on his Truth Social platform Wednesday, calling the deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council “a ROCKSTAR in my administration.”

“She is known to take on the HARDEST issues, and bring me solutions that work best for the Country,” Trump said. “We need her leadership at the FDA now to ensure that the U.S. remains the WORLD LEADER for Scientific Discovery and CURES.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Overton will be tasked with overseeing agency policy concerning drugs, vaccines, tobacco products and much of the food supply, among other responsibilities. Kyle Diamantas, a friend of Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. has been serving as acting FDA commissioner since Marty Makary resigned as head of the agency in May following reported clashes with the Trump administration over its decision to authorize fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes.

“Heidi brings exceptional judgment, professionalism, discipline and an unwavering commitment to the American people,” Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement supporting her nomination to lead the FDA under him.

“I have seen her challenge assumptions, demand excellence and turn bold ideas into meaningful results.”

She has had an increasingly visible presence near the president in recent months and most recently appeared with him earlier this month when he signed an executive order to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children, which has sparked widespread concern among the medical community.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called Overton “a woman of deep faith, an accomplished physician and a champion of the America First agenda” as he congratulated her on the nomination.

“I have seen firsthand her ability to navigate complex policy challenges with conviction and clarity,” he said in a social media statement.

“She will serve our country well.”

While Republicans praised Trump’ pick, Sen. Bill Cassidy, a doctor, broke ranks, saying that while he respected her experience as a physician, “I have strong concerns about her nomination,” citing her lack of managerial experience of a large organization, such as the FDA, which is dealing with staffing and morale issues.

“Additionally, Dr. Overton’s active role in last week’s nonsensical vaccine executive order calls into question her commitment to standing up for sound science and protecting children’s health,” he said online.

“That alone is almost disqualifying.”

Cassidy, who represents Louisiana, will play a key roe in her confirmation as chairman of the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Committee a key vote in whether she is confirmed. Republicans can afford to lose only three votes on the Senate floor, as they only hold a 53-seat majority. The two independent senators caucus with the Democrats, who are all expected to all vote against her nomination.

“Heidi Overton is a far-right, anti-abortion extremist who has no business leading the FDA,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement.

“The American people deserve someone who will put science and facts FIRST, not another Trump sycophant who will make it their mission to attack medication abortion.

“I will vote NO.”

Reproductive health organizations also criticized Trump’s pick, pointing to Overton’s celebration of the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, returning oversight of abortion to the states, as a “huge victory” and to her advocacy for what they described as the politicization of government agencies when she worked at the far-right America First Policy Institute think tank.

“Donald Trump is trying to put an anti-abortion extremist in charge of any agency that could seriously undermine reproductive healthcare — including the agency that could roll back access to mifepristone nationwide,” Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju said in a statement, referring to a prescription oral medication used to terminate an early pregnancy.

“Her nomination is another alarming step in Trump’s plan to weaponize every part of the federal government to restrict abortion nationwide.”

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the top United States diplomat in Islamabad on Wednesday, hours after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described Indian-administered Kashmir as “an important part of India” during his first visit to the territory.

Islamabad rejected the remark and reasserted Kashmir’s status as disputed territory.

The visit by Gor, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s special envoy for South and Central Asia, was the first standalone trip by a serving US ambassador to Indian-administered Kashmir since 2019, and the first since India stripped the territory of its autonomy that year.

His remarks were made publicly, alongside Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, adding to Islamabad’s irritation.

The episode also comes at a delicate moment for Washington’s ties with both South Asian rivals, as Pakistan courts Trump’s administration more closely than it has in years, and as the US tries to balance that relationship against its strategic partnership with India.

So, what exactly did the US ambassador say, why has it caused such offence, and does it change anything? Al Jazeera explains.

What did the US ambassador say?

Sergio Gor, a 38-year-old former Trump aide who was confirmed as US ambassador to India in January, spent two days in Srinagar and Ladakh this week.

After meeting Abdullah in Srinagar, he told reporters he was thrilled to be visiting “an important part of India” for the first time.

He also said Washington was reconsidering its “do not travel” advisory, citing improved security under Abdullah’s administration.

The advisory at the moment places Jammu and Kashmir at a “Do Not Travel” level, citing terrorism and civil unrest, though it exempts the eastern territories of Ladakh and Leh.

Islamabad’s response came the same Wednesday evening. The Foreign Ministry summoned Charge d’Affaires Natalie Baker, who currently heads the US mission in the country.

The ministry lodged what it called a “strong demarche”, rejecting the “characterisation of Indian-administered Kashmir as a ‘part of India’” and reasserting it as an internationally recognised disputed territory awaiting final disposition under United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The statement called Gor’s remarks factually incorrect and said they negated Washington’s longstanding position on the dispute.

It also thanked Trump for his offer – made after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire ending their four-day war last year – to help resolve the Kashmir question, urging Washington to keep its public language consistent with that position.

Why does Kashmir trigger such a reaction?

Kashmir is a Himalayan region claimed by both India and Pakistan since British colonial rule ended in August 1947.

India and Pakistan each administer part of the territory but claim it in full and have fought several wars over it.

A UN Security Council resolution passed in 1949 called for the territory’s final status to be decided by a plebiscite, which has never been held.

In June, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas signed a joint statement with Pakistan’s foreign minister in Islamabad that bracketed Kashmir alongside the war in Ukraine and called for its resolution “through dialogue and diplomacy”.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs rejected the reference, saying those with no standing in the matter should refrain from commenting on it.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has drawn similar protests from Delhi at least twice after voicing support for Pakistan’s position on Kashmir.

Trump himself triggered a dispute in 2019 when, during a meeting with then-Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, he claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had personally asked him to mediate on Kashmir. Modi’s government swiftly denied the account in parliament.

For Pakistan, US language on Kashmir’s disputed status is an important external validation of its effort to internationalise the issue.

For India, meanwhile, any suggestion that Kashmir remains open to outside mediation cuts against the foundation of its position.

What has the US position been, historically?

The US has officially maintained that Kashmir is disputed and its status should be settled between India and Pakistan, taking into consideration the wishes of the Kashmiri people.

American officials have repeated some version of “our policy has not changed” across successive administrations, including in 2019, when a senior US diplomat told Congress that India’s move had not altered Washington’s view of the Line of Control as a “de facto” boundary.

Formally, Washington has avoided recognising sovereignty over the territory for either country.

A major turning point came in 1999, when President Bill Clinton told Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that Pakistani forces would have to withdraw from Kargil in Indian-administered Kashmir, following the fighting there between the two countries in the region.

Analysts widely saw the episode as the beginning of Washington’s tilt towards Delhi.

But after the two countries’ most intense clash in decades last year, Trump claimed credit for the ceasefire and offered to “work with you both” on a Kashmir “solution”.

Pakistan welcomed the offer and nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. India rejected suggestions of US mediation, saying the ceasefire had been reached through direct military talks.

Jauhar Saleem, Pakistan’s former foreign secretary and president of the Islamabad-based Institute of Regional Studies, told Al Jazeera that Gor’s remark should not be mistaken for a change in US policy.

“US policy on a question as consequential as Jammu and Kashmir cannot be read from an off-the-cuff formulation during a visit by a US ambassador posted in India,” Saleem said. “Any change in policy would be reflected in Washington’s formal statements, State Department language and, in fact, should be at the level of the White House.”

He said such lapses were not new.

“Sometimes ambassadors fall prey to what we call ‘localitis’, and in an attempt to please their hosts can make comments entirely out of line with their country’s stated policy, creating unpleasant situations,” he said. “This is a classic example and has therefore evoked an expected strong demarche from Pakistan’s Foreign Office.”

Saleem said Trump’s repeated offers to mediate between Pakistan and India, “which was not appreciated in New Delhi”, showed that Washington’s position remained unsettled at the top rather than shifting towards India. “I would actually expect a clarification from Washington soon,” he added.

Will it affect Pakistan-US ties?

Saleem, who summoned a US ambassador in Islamabad during his tenure as foreign secretary in late 2022 over what he called “a very objectionable remark” by then-President Joe Biden, said a demarche was not primarily a tool to punish Washington. Biden had described Pakistan as “one of the most dangerous nations in the world”.

“A demarche is not just made to increase the cost of a policy; rather it is made to press a point and ask for an explanation,” the former ambassador told Al Jazeera. “The US response was constructive [then], and will be in this case as well, I believe.”

He said the Pakistan-US relationship was too broad-based for one ambassador’s remark to unsettle it, pointing to Pakistan’s role as a peacemaker between the US and Iran, economic cooperation, counterterrorism, regional security, Afghanistan, defence cooperation, “and of course Pakistan’s relationship with the Trump administration itself”.

Tariq Rashid Khan, a Pakistani former military general and diplomat, described the episode as “issue-specific boundary-setting”.

Islamabad’s protest, he told Al Jazeera, signals that a close strategic partnership with Washington “does not mean acceptance of any position on Kashmir contrary to Pakistan’s stated position”.

“Kashmir remains an unfinished agenda of the 1947 partition, which is why even one sentence can become strategically significant,” he said.

For Saleem, the significance lies less in Gor’s specific words than in what any drift in language could set in motion.

“Jammu and Kashmir is not just a territorial dispute; it is an issue of national identity, legitimacy and security for Pakistan,” he told Al Jazeera. “Neither Pakistan nor India can afford to let the international community’s vocabulary on Kashmir drift even slightly, because both sides believe that language today can become precedent tomorrow.”

Aizaz Chaudhry, a former Pakistani ambassador to the US, told Al Jazeera he believed Gor’s remarks “might be his personal comments”, adding that the US position on the disputed territory is well known.

“Our demarche is only a reminder that the US envoy in Delhi must comply with the US position on the subject. The Kashmir dispute is a longstanding issue that must be resolved for the larger peace and stability of South Asia,” Chaudhry said.

All episodes of the beloved series have found a new streaming home for your next binge watch

Many fans say the series now with a new streaming home is one of their all time favourites.

The show has been labelled as ‘best comedy of the century‘ with many viewers rewatching it constantly. It’s now easier than ever for potentially new audiences to discover it for themselves.

That is because all episodes of Parks and Recreation were just added to a new platform. At the time of writing, it is now available via Paramount+ as of today (August 20).

Users can sign up to the service directly through its own platform and app. Alternatively, those worried about the cost of yet another streaming service can also find the series on Channel 4 or U, at no extra cost.

The advantage of watching on Paramount+ is that viewers can sign up to watch without adverts interrupting their latest binge watch. For those unaware, Parks and Recreation follows the titular department in the local government based in the fictional town of Pawnee, based in Indiana.

There, we find Leslie Knope, the second-in-command of the department. Her life revolves around her work as well as her friends and colleagues. In the early seasons, she does everything she can to help concerned citizen and nurse Ann Perkins turn an abandoned construction site into a new park.

She is somewhat assisted by less enthusiastic colleagues including her boss Ron Swanson and intern April Ludgate. As the show progresses, viewers will see them come across plenty of red tape and other hurdles as they seek to improve their community.

Its impressive cast include Saturday Night Live alum Amy Poehler, now Marvel star Chris Pratt along with the likes of Severance actor Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Nick Offerman and more.

Get Paramount+ free for a week

This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more

£4.99

£0

Amazon/Paramount+

Get Paramount+ here

Telly fans can get seven days of free access to Paramount+ shows like Tulsa King and Dexter: Original Sin by signing up for a free trial via Amazon Prime’s Paramount+ channel.

The show was co-created by Mike Schur and Dan Goor in what was originally seen as a spin-off of The Office US. It eventually developed into a standalone series in its own right.

Schur went on to create other beloved sitcoms after Parks including Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place and A Man on the Inside for Netflix. However his work on Parks is still praised to this day.

Many fans suggest that it even surpassed The Office. One fan shared their thoughts online, as they posted to Reddit: “Parks and Recreation is better than The Office The first season was rough, but the rest of the show managed to be hilarious and heartwarming – an extremely difficult combo.”

They continued: “I’ve never seen a show with such distinctly interesting characters that was genuinely laugh out loud funny without having to be cringy, and for that, Parks and Rec wins it all in my book.”

Someone else added: “Hilarious, endlessly rewatchable Parks and Recreation is my favourite show of all time.”

While one person claimed: “Absolutely incredible series. In fact it’s probably the best thing to come out of American television ever and that’s the honest truth. It’s so impressive how consistently funny it is after season 2. Could honestly start re-watching it again and again and be content.”

One person went so far as to label it the “best comedy of this century”. As they went on: “This show has everything you would expect in a comedy series. When binge-watching this show I laughed, I cried, I became emotionally attached to characters, I said ‘aw’, I said ‘wow’, I was sad when characters left, I was happy when new characters were added and so on and so forth.

“The writing is fantastic because the various story lines and running gags are completely engrossing and make me laugh every time. The acting is superb because the dialog flows very well and seems very natural, while the improve scenes are absolutely hilarious. I have never laughed out loud so much when watching a show by myself.”

Parks and Recreation is streaming on Paramount+, Channel 4 and U.

RAIN is on the way and whether you’re excited for the end of the heatwave or not, indoor play is back on the cards.

Here are some of the top indoor attractions to keep the kids occupied when bad weather strikes from indoor gaming to trampolining and soft play.

The Playhive, North Yorkshire

The Playhive at Stockeld Park in North Yorkshire is one of the biggest indoor playgrounds in the UK.

Inside is everything from massive spaceships – with rocket walkways, ladders and nets – to planes and submarines.

Jungle-themed climbing walls and under-the-sea play areas are also part of the attraction – there are even toddler-friendly areas too.

Tickets to Stockeld Park start from £13.55pp.

HOL YES

Cheap holiday destinations with 86p beers, £15 flights & £129pp package breaks

CHEAP AS CHIPS

10 UK summer holidays that are CHEAPER than a takeaway – all £12pp or less

Activate, London

Activate is a popular immersive experience with nine different rooms filled with games.

You can have a go at dodging lasers, digital dodgeball, basketball and challenges to test reflexes.

There are four venues across London: The O2, Oxford Street, Vauxhall, Westfield White City and Islington and children have to be over six-years-old.

Tickets to Activate start from £22.95pp.

Woodlands Family Theme Park, Devon

Woodlands Family Theme Park is home to Devon‘s largest soft play.

Inside there are drop slides, ball pools, climbing tubes, obstacles even an Ice Palace.

In the Circus Drome Zone there’s even more soft play as well as a bouncy castle, rope swings and slides for kids.

Tickets to Woodlands Family Theme Park start from £12.25pp.

Play Factore, Manchester

Play Factore in Manchester has the tallest standing indoor slide in the UK as well as a laser tag arena.

Kids can enjoy a bounce on the interactive ValoJump trampolines, the zip wire and play frame which has network of tunnels, slides and obstacles.

In the Toddler Area, there are two floors of play designed for kids under the age of five.

Tickets to Play Factore in Manchester range from £3.95 to £21.95pp.

Riverside Hub, Northampton

The Riverside Hub will keep children entertained for hours with lots of different zones to explore and an enormous climbing frame with a huge beanstalk climbing wall.

There’s a Role Play Village too where kids can use their imagination to explore a make-believe world, with a cafe, shop, witch’s house and tooth fairy dentist.

Inside is also a football pitch and a dedicated zone for toddlers with ball pits and activity walls.

Tickets to the Riverside Hub start from £7.45 for adults and £12.50 for children.

Flip Out

Flip Out are family-friendly trampoline and adventure parks filled with more activities than you can imagine.

The facilities vary depending on location, but most have a whole floor of trampolines for bouncing about, as well as inflatable obstacle courses and even a Ninja playground.

Some venues also have soft play centres and ones dedicated to toddlers.

There are over 30 Flip Out venues across the UK too so one is bound to be near you – tickets start from £8.

Gravity Max

These massive entertainment venues are great for a rainy day with lots of activities to try out.

There’s electric go-karts, digital darts, street golf, karaoke, an arcade with lots of classic games and even AR bowling.

At the sports bar there are food stalls and live sporting events are shown on the TV.

There are Gravity Max venues in Liverpool, Cardiff, Yorkshire and London and tickets vary in cost depending on activities but start from £10.99.

Junkyard Golf Club

Anyone who is a fan of crazy golf should head to one of the putting venues of Junkyard Golf Club – of which there are six in the UK.

The venues are known for their uniquely designed courses which are all made from reclaimed items.

The very creative golf course themes go from Circus Fear-Ground to Polluted Paradise, 90s Garage Scrapyard and Basement Horror.

Tickets to Junkyard Golf Club start from £16.50pp.

TeamSport, Warrington

There are 38 TeamSport tracks around the UK – but the one in Warrington has the UK’s biggest indoor track at 1000 metres.

There are 22 corners and a Monaco-style tunnel split over three levels, so it will prove to be a challenge whether or not you’re a pro-driver.

Their e-karts hit speeds of 40mph and the average lap time is just over a minute – if you’re really fast you might appear on the leaderboard.

Tickets to TeamSport Warrington start from £47.66pp.

Arcade Club

Arcade Club is the perfect spot for gamers where you can return to the golden age of gaming with these classics.

From pinball machines to Astro Blaster and Pac-Man, it’s the best place for a bit of pixel nostalgia – the arcades can be found in Blackpool, Leeds and Bury.

They also have food and drink on site, offering pizzas, burgers, hot dogs and nachos at their restaurants.

Adult tickets to Arcade Club are £18 with children under 16s being able to get their game on for £10.

BEFORE I had kids, my holiday checklist was blissfully simple: how far is the pool, is it near a beach and, more importantly, how far will I have to carry four pints back from the bar?

Now I’m a dad to two kids under two, the goalposts have been shifted completely.

My checklist now demands shallow splash pools, food they’ll actually eat instead of throwing it on the floor, separate bedrooms so my wife and I don’t have to sit in the dark from 7.30pm, and enough safe green space for them to burn off every ounce of relentless energy.

And a toddler-friendly holiday starts long before you reach reception – a brilliant kids’ pool means nothing if you’ve suffered a four-hour flight delay followed by two hours trapped on a sweaty transfer coach, or if you land only to realise the nearest shop selling nappies is three towns away.

That’s why all six of these properties hit my strict travel criteria: easy UK flight links, short airport transfers and pushchair-friendly resorts packed with local supermarkets and bakeries.

Having personally stayed at all six with my own young family, these are the ones that actually deliver for babies, toddlers, and weary parents.

6. Zafiro Ca’n Picafort, Majorca

This was one of the single easiest stays I’ve managed with a toddler because it hits two absolute non-negotiables: elite pool options and hassle-free dining.

There are multiple swimming zones, including two brilliant splash pools that kept my toddler entertained for hours without us having to camp out in one noisy, crowded area all day.

The food options here are a massive win for parents too.

While the barbecue station serves up proper, high-end grilled meats for adults, the main buffet includes all the essential toddler safety nets including plain pasta and chips (when your child has rejected every new food offered to them, a familiar bowl of penne is worth more than a Michelin star).

The real insider perk here though is the low-rise apartment layout, thanks to the separate living room and a private ground-floor garden terrace.

This means you can put the kids down for bed, step outside with a glass of wine, and ACTUALLY enjoy your evening without whispering in the dark.

Ca’n Picafort itself is flat, exceptionally pushchair-friendly, and sits just a manageable 50-minute drive from Palma Airport.

I spotted a five-night, self-catering stay here from £233pp, flying direct from Bristol on September 30.

5. H10 Suites Lanzarote Gardens, Lanzarote

Travelling with a baby often feels like managing the logistics of a small company, but H10 Suites Lanzarote Gardens completely removes the heavy lifting.

You can pre-book potties, baby baths, and stair gates straight to your room, meaning half your bulky nursery gear stays at home.

The absolute highlight for us was the hotel’s specialised baby club which lets parents stay with their toddlers.

This is a game-changer for toddlers who want access to brand-new toys and soft play, but aren’t quite old enough to be dropped off with strangers.

The pools feature gentle, splashy slides rather than terrifying drops designed for teenagers, and the location in Costa Teguise is ideal.

It’s completely flat and surrounded by supermercados for emergency nappy runs.

Not only that, but it sits just a painless 20-minute transfer from Arrecife Airport – meaning you go from baggage reclaim to the poolside before a meltdown hits.

You can lock in a five-night holiday here with breakfast included from £333pp, flying direct from London Stansted on September 30.

4. Atlantica Mikri Poli Rhodes, Rhodes

Some massive family resorts look incredible in brochures but feel like an overcrowded theme park the second you walk through reception.

The Atlantica Mikri Poli in Kolymbia completely avoids that trap by being across five distinct swimming spots.

This includes a dedicated toddler splash park and a quiet, adult-friendly pool.

Because the resort footprint is so spread out, we could easily move between the lively waterpark sections and the quiet, shaded gardens depending on where we were in the daily nap cycle.

The top-tier insider trick at this hotel is the location of the main playground – it sits directly adjacent to the outdoor evening entertainment stage, surrounded by shaded seating.

You can sit back with a drink from the all inclusive bar while keeping direct line-of-sight on your toddlers as they burn off their final energy reserves before bed.

Transfer-wise, it’s a smooth 25-minute drive from Rhodes Airport, entirely cutting out long coach tours across the island.

I found a five-night all inclusive package from £443pp, flying direct from London Luton on September 29.

3. Iberostar Selection Albufera Park, Majorca

If you want a property that makes younger children feel like the entire resort was designed specifically for them, Iberostar Selection Albufera Park is it.

Even on arrival, you will spot the soft play slide directly inside the reception lobby – a small detail that perfectly sums up the hotel’s family-first ethos.

The children’s buffet section is built at eye-level for toddlers, allowing them to actually see and choose their own food.

There’s even a dedicated fresh fruit market counter to keep things healthy.

The ultimate parent perk here is direct access to Playa de Muro beach.

The sand is powder-soft and the walk into the sea slopes so gently that the water stays ankle-deep for yards out, making it infinitely safer for paddling with a one-year-old than steep, pebbly coastlines.

The transfer from Palma takes around 50 minutes along direct main roads, dropping you straight into one of the island’s calmest family pockets.

I clocked a five-night all inclusive stay here from £563pp, flying direct from Bristol on September 30.

2. Mediterranean Palace Hotel, Tenerife

The Mediterranean Palace earns its spot on my shortlist purely for its world-class facilities.

Its supervised kids’ club includes a massive soft-play arena, cinema room, and dedicated baby-changing bays.

Not only that, but the outdoor splash park gives toddlers a safe way to cool off without needing to tread water in a deep pool.

This property is my absolute go-to recommendation for winter sun – the hotel sits right on the border of Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos, giving you direct access to miles of flat, paved seafront promenade.

My best insight for parents here is the tactical “nap walk” route.

You can wheel the pushchair straight out of the hotel gates onto a wide, traffic-free coastal path lined with cafes, pushing the buggy over smooth paving until they fall asleep, while you grab a coffee in the sun.

Best of all, Tenerife South Airport is barely a 15-minute taxi ride away.

You can book a five-night stay with breakfast included from £588pp, flying direct from Liverpool on February 1 next year.

1. Sea Club Mediterranean Resort, Majorca

If you want the freedom of a self-catering apartment combined with full resort facilities, the Sea Club is a massive win.

Instead of one sterile, towering hotel block, the accommodation is arranged in low-rise, Mediterranean-style villas spread across extensive, tree-lined gardens.

The stand-out feature for parents here though is the layout of the one-bedroom apartments.

The separate living area is properly partitioned from the main bedroom.

This means once the kids are asleep at 7:30pm, parents can make the most of the full lounge and private balcony WITH the lights on (no more hiding in the bathroom with a book).

Port d’Alcudia is exceptionally flat, packed with pharmacies and supermarkets, and features a huge, sheltered bay with crystal-clear, shallow water.

Sitting a comfortable 45-minute transfer from Palma Airport, it delivers a high-spec family break for an absolute bargain price.

I spotted a five-night self-catering stay from just £208pp, flying direct from Birmingham on September 27.

PASSENGERS are facing travel chaos today after a train caught fire.

Trains running to Gatwick are being cancelled or delayed until further notice.

Passengers are being urged to check before they travel.

A train is on fire between Balham and London Victoria, with some lines between these stations closed as a result.

The Gatwick Express account posted on X: “A train is on fire between Balham and London Victoria.

“Some lines are closed between these stations until further notice.

“Gatwick Express services will still run but may be delayed due to congestion.

“Please check your train before you travel and allow extra time to reach your destination.”

Southern Rail also warned of disruption until 3pm.

“Both slow lines between Balham and Clapham Junction are blocked until further notice.

“We will be unable to stop at Wandsworth Common or Battersea Park until further notice.

“If you are travelling to or from these stations, you will need to use an alternative route for your journey.”

In an update, it said some trains are being delayed by at least half an hour.

Californians are more concerned about the Trump administration interfering in the state’s midterm elections than they are about voter fraud, noncitizens voting illegally or foreign interference, according to a new poll.

A majority of voters — 61% — identified potential federal interference as a “major concern” heading into November, slightly more than the 59% who cited possible foreign interference as such, according to the poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times.

By comparison, 41% of California voters identified voter fraud and 37% identified noncitizens voting as major concerns, the poll found.

The polling reflects the liberal leanings of the state, where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, as well as the nation’s hyperpartisan divide on voting issues and vulnerabilities.

That divide has been driven for years by President Trump’s relentless criticism of U.S. elections, particularly in large blue states such as California, and recently by his administration’s attempts to wrest control over voting processes from the states based on unverified claims of widespread fraud and the fierce pushback against those claims from California Democrats and other liberal leaders around the country.

The White House has dismissed concerns about interference and accused Democrats of obstructing its efforts to protect American elections from fraud, including through the proposed SAVE America Act — which would enforce strict new ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters nationwide.

While 80% of Democratic respondents to the poll said potential federal interference in the state’s elections was a major concern, just 28% of Republican respondents identified it as such.

Voter fraud was identified as a major concern by 84% of Republican voters but just 21% of Democratic voters, the poll found. Noncitizens voting illegally also was identified as a major concern by 85% of Republicans but just 12% of Democrats.

Republicans also have substantial concerns about the security of mail ballots and how slowly California counts its vote, while Democrats were far less concerned about those issues, the poll found.

Mark DiCamillo, the poll’s director, said it clearly reflects the partisan divide around election issues and “shows that in this state, federal interference is a big deal — more so than in other places around the country.”

He called that a “big finding” in line with previous polls that found “Californians are very concerned about prioritizing efforts to defend democracy and to protect election systems,” including in the face of threats from Trump — who routinely has focused on the state in his regular attacks on election integrity.

“For 61% of Californians to say that’s a major concern to them in terms of the threats to the election system, I think that’s very newsworthy,” DiCamillo said.

He also noted the particularly stark difference between state Democrats and Republicans on the issue of noncitizens voting.

“Nearly 90% of Democrats say that’s not a concern, whereas 85% of Republicans feel it is,” he said. “Californians have a lot of noncitizens in the state, but Democrats don’t think they’re infecting the voter rolls, so they’re not concerned about it.”

That was striking, DiCamillo said, given how much Trump has pointed to California to claim that noncitizens are voting.

“Obviously, the Democrats are very strongly opposed to the president, what he’s trying to do, and the Republicans are supportive,” DiCamillo said.

Other findings in the poll also support that conclusion.

For instance, while Trump has claimed without evidence that mail ballots are a major source of fraud and their use should be reined in, the poll found that 72% of Californians approve of mail ballots as a primary method for voting in the state — with 58% saying they strongly approve.

California law requires every registered voter in the state to be sent a mail ballot, and more than 80% of voters have used such ballots in recent elections.

Trump also repeatedly has accused California officials of failing to secure state elections against fraud and of cheating as they count later-arriving mail ballots. But the poll found that Californians by greater than a 2-to-1 margin — 65% to 31% — are confident local election officials are accurately and fairly counting ballots. However, the poll did find that more than half of respondents, 53%, had concerns about delays in California’s vote-counting process.

Overall, 64% of respondents were confident in the integrity of the state’s election system, compared to 34% who were not.

Kim Alexander, president of the California Voter Foundation, downplayed the threats of voter fraud and noncitizens voting in the state, but acknowledged they are real concerns for some voters — which is a problem in itself.

“I see election security as both a matter of actual security and perceived security. And the truth is that we have a great deal of actual security in California elections, but, unfortunately, that security is not being perceived by some voters,” she said. She attributed that in part to the “constant drumbeat that we’ve had now for a decade, coming from the occupant of the White House, that our elections are rigged.”

Alexander said California law requires registering voters to prove and attest to their identity and has multiple verification measures to ensure people casting ballots are who they say they are. She said there are “common sense” reasons why noncitizens do not try to vote — including that it requires them to turn over personal information and could be grounds for criminal charges and deportation, which is “a huge disincentive.”

Alexander also said Trump administration interference in the midterms is a real concern, but so is overhyping the threat to the point it discourages voters from casting ballots.

“Not to dismiss the threats — the threats are real — but the more we talk about them, the more we scare voters,” Alexander said. “I’ve encountered voters who’ve said this to me: ‘What’s the point in voting when they’re just gonna cheat?’ Or, you know: ‘It’s all rigged.’ And that’s part of the play here — is to scare people into thinking that voting doesn’t matter.”

To counter that, Alexander said it is “really important that people be aware that there are threats, but to not let those threats be debilitating or to allow them to dissuade people from wanting to participate.”

The poll surveyed 4,207 registered voters in California from Aug. 3 to 9, online in English and Spanish, and has an estimated margin of error of about 2.5 percentage points in either direction.

History of the Buss family drama

Jerry Buss put together what was then thought to be a wild business deal to purchase the Lakers and related assets for $67.5 million in 1979.

Buss had a degree in chemistry, but his money came from real estate holdings and loans that moved between third parties to help him obtain the Lakers, Kings and the Forum from Jack Kent Cooke, who was going through a costly divorce.

Buss’ vision was to infuse Hollywood glamour into an NBA team few in Los Angeles seemed to care about, win championships and share that glory with his family.

Buss realized his Hollywood dream in more ways than he ever could have imagined, with his death in 2013 from complications from cancer touching off battles among his six children over control of the Lakers.

At least two siblings have tried to oust another from a leadership role. One sibling reportedly said two others never should have been born. And one sibling managed to fire the five others from jobs with the team.

The rifts mirror the HBO hit show “Succession.” Buss’ tenure and the family drama has been direct inspiration for two television shows and was chronicled in a docuseries the Lakers produced.

The latest daggers were delivered this week, with attorneys representing Buss’ daughter, Jeanie, admonishing her five siblings — Janie, Johnny, Jim, Joey and Jesse — for announcing the Buss Family Trust was selling its 17.8% ownership of the Lakers to new buyers Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner.

Continue reading here

Dodgers sweep the Rockies

From Maddie Lee: As Teoscar Hernández popped up from his slide across home plate, Mookie Betts retreated to first applauding.

While the long ball had been the key to the Dodgers’ earlier offensive success Wednesday, keeping it simple unlocked their 10th-inning push. And in the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory Wednesday, it was Betts’ third hit of the night, a low line drive through the middle of the infield, that widened the Dodgers’ lead to two runs.

“It was huge,” Betts said of completing the three-game sweep in Colorado. “Winning every ball game is important, especially now with the playoff race. Every game is important.”

The trip to hitter-friendly Mile High City, and a matchup against the last-place team in the NL West, came at the perfect time for the Dodgers, ending a collective slump. They’d just dropped three of four to the Brewers at Dodger Stadium, in what had already been a rough start to August.

“Obviously, we haven’t played our best baseball lately,” utility player Kiké Hernández said. “And as a good team, as a team that’s leading the division, … the teams at the bottom of the standings, you need to beat those guys.”

Continue reading here

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Angels lose to Astros

Ethan Pecko struck out four in his major-league debut, five Houston relievers pitched shutout ball for five-plus innings and Christian Vázquez homered as the Astros beat the Angels 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Pecko, a 2023 sixth-round selection by Houston, was ranked ninth in the Astros’ system by MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, two runs and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. He was the 17th starter used by the Astros this season, tying a franchise record set in 1965.

Vázquez’s solo homer, his seventh of the year, put the Astros ahead in the third inning.

Denzer Guzman put the Angels ahead in the fourth with what initially appeared to be a three-run homer. But, the call was changed to a two-run double due to fan interference.

Walbert Ureña (8-9) worked five innings for the Angels, giving up three runs and three hits with seven strikeouts.

Continue reading here

Angels box score

MLB standings

Sparks star Nneka Ogwumike to retire

From Marisa Ingemi: Nneka Ogwumike’s return to the Sparks this season, it turned out, was a goodbye tour.

The 15-year WNBA veteran announced on Wednesday morning that this would be her last WNBA season.

She made the announcement in an interview with Taylor Rooks at Boardroom Talks.

“I feel very fulfilled with the 15 years that I’ve been able to play and compete at such a high level and I am proud to say that I’m retiring from the WNBA,” Ogwumike said.

Drafted first overall in 2012, Ogwumike was the WNBA rookie of the year and went on to have one of the best careers in. league history. She was the league’s MVP in 2016, when she led the Sparks to their most recent WNBA title. She is also a four-time first-team All-Defensive player.

Continue reading here

Chargers-49ers: Five things to watch for

From Joaquin Ruiz: The Chargers had a pleasant start to preseason play with a 27-7 road win over the Houston Texans last week.

Now, after a physical joint practice with the 49ers on Tuesday in El Segundo, the Chargers will host San Francisco on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium.

Here are five things to watch for during the Chargers’ second preseason game.

Continue reading here

Galaxy defeat the Earthquake

Joseph Paintsil scored a short-handed goal in the 79th minute to lead the Galaxy to a 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night.

Paintsil used assists from rookie defender Harbor Miller and Marco Reus to find the net for the fifth time this season. Miller’s helper was his second, while Reus collected his seventh.

The Galaxy (6-8-7) were forced to play a man down from the 45th minute on after midfielder Lucas Sanabria was tagged with a pair of yellow cards in the final nine minutes of the first half.

Continue reading here

Galaxy summary

MLS standings

LAFC falls to Colorado

Nico Hansen finished with one save and had his third consecutive shutout to help the Colorado Rapids beat LAFC 1-0 Wednesday night.

The Rapids (9-10-1) have won three consecutive games, all by shutout, and four of five since the World Cup break.

LAFC (10-7-4) is winless in three straight for the first time this season.

The Rapids took a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute on an own goal by Jeremy Ebobisse. Youssef Maziz played a free kick from the right side into the area that was redirected by Ebobisse off the back post and into the net.

Continue reading here

LAFC summary

MLS standings

This day in sports history

1921 — Molla Bjurstedt Mallory beats Mary Browne, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to win the U.S. women’s national tennis title at the Germantown Cricket Club in Philadelphia.

1931 — Helen Wills Moody beats Eileen Bennett Whitingstall 6-4, 6-1 to capture the women’s title in the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship.

1944 — Robert Hamilton upsets Byron Nelson in the final round 1-up to win the PGA Championship.

1960 — Holland’s Hairos II, driven by Willem Geersen, wins the second International Trot at Roosevelt Raceway before a record crowd of 54,861.

1995 — Monica Seles completes a remarkable first week back in tournament tennis, routing Amanda Coetzer 6-0, 6-1 to capture the Canadian Open. Her 74 games sets a tournament record for the fewest played by a champion.

1999 — Seventh Athletics World Championships open at Seville, Spain.

2000 — Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship in a playoff over Bob May, becoming the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one year. He’s the first player to repeat as PGA champion since Denny Shute in 1937.

2003 — The U.S. wins the women’s overall team gold medal at the gymnastics world championships. It is the first gold for the Americans — men or women — at the biggest international event outside the Olympics.

2004 — Michael Phelps matches Mark Spitz’s record of four individual gold medals in Olympic swimming by winning the 100-meter butterfly. He edges teammate Ian Crocker to win his fifth gold medal. Shortly after winning his seventh medal of these Olympics, Phelps gives up his spot in the medley relay to Crocker.

2006 — Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship for a five-shot victory over Shaun Micheel and his 12th career major. He becomes the first player to win the PGA twice on the same course, having done so at Medinah in 1999.

2008 — Usain Bolt of Jamaica breaks the 200-meter world record, winning in 19.30 seconds at the Beijing Games. He is the first man since Carl Lewis in 1984 to sweep the 100 and 200 at an Olympics.

2012 — Augusta National invites former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore to become the first female members since the club was founded in 1932.

2016 — Allyson Felix and LaShawn Merritt anchor the 4×400 relay teams, and the U.S. exits the final night of action at Olympic Stadium with 31 medals — its most in a non-boycotted Olympics since 1956. The U.S. women’s basketball team beats Spain 101-72 for a sixth straight title.

2018 — Alabama becomes the second team to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll for three straight seasons. The preseason AP poll started in 1950 and since then only Oklahoma from 1985-87 had started No. 1 in three straight years.

2023 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Stadium Australia, Sydney: Spanish captain Olga Carmona scores the only goal of the game as La Furia Roja score a 1-0 win over England.

Compiled by the Associated Press

This day in baseball history

1912 — Walter Johnson won his American League-record 15th straight game, downing Cleveland 4-2 in the opener of a doubleheader. Washington’s Carl Cashion pitched a six-inning no-hitter to give the Senators a 2-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the second game, which was called to allow Cleveland to catch a train to Boston.

1938 — New York’s Lou Gehrig hit his 23rd and the final grand slam of his career and drove in six runs to lead the Yankees to an 11-3 win over the Philadelphia Athletics.

1945 — Tommy Brown, 17 years, 8 months, 14 days, of the Brooklyn Dodgers became the youngest major league player to hit a home run when he connected in Ebbets Field against Preacher Roe of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

1957 — Bob Keegan of the Chicago White Sox pitched a 6-0 no-hit victory over the Washington Senators in the second game of a doubleheader.

1958 — Detroit’s Jim Bunning pitched a no-hitter to lead the Tigers to a 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in the opening game of a doubleheader at Fenway Park.

1961 — The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Milwaukee Braves 7-4 in the second game of a doubleheader to end a 23-game losing streak, a modern record.

1965 — Milwaukee’s Eddie Mathews hit his 28th home run, and the Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3. With the homer, the duo of Mathews and Hank Aaron passed the Babe Ruth-Lou Gehrig total of 772 home runs to become the top home-run tandem in major league history.

1974 — Nolan Ryan of the Angels struck out 19 Tigers in a 1-0, 11-inning loss to Detroit. It was the third time this season that Ryan struck out 19 batters in a game.

1980 — Pittsburgh’s Omar Moreno stole his 70th base of the season in a 5-1 loss to Houston, to become the first player this century with three consecutive 70-steal seasons. The fleet outfielder swiped 71 in 1978, 77 in 1979.

1989 — New York’s Howard Johnson hit his 30th home run of the season in the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Dodgers and joined Bobby Bonds and Willie Mays as the only players to achieve 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in two different seasons.

1995 — Jose Mesa of the Cleveland Indians picked up his 37th save in 37 opportunities to set a major league record, and the Indians beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-5.

2005 — The Kansas City Royals ended baseball’s longest losing streak in 17 years, defeating the Oakland Athletics 2-1 to end a club-record 19-game skid.

2014 — The San Francisco Giants became the first team since 1986 to win a protest. Rain caused a delay during an Aug. 19 game after the grounds crew couldn’t put the tarp down quickly, and the umpires deemed the field unplayable. The Cubs were declared the winners by a 2-0 score after 4 1/2 innings. MLB ruled to resume the rain-shortened game with the Cubs batting in the bottom of the fifth.

2019 — By defeating the Blue Jays, 16-3, Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers notches win No. 166 to pass Sandy Koufax for most by a left-hander in franchise history.

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.

It had been a lengthy and productive meeting with the chief of staff to a Republican member of Congress. We had discussed United States policy towards Israel, and the scepticism of many of the Grand Old Party members towards the relationship and the challenge they face in saying anything about it given President Donald Trump’s iron grip on it. But there was one final agenda item I needed to raise: the member’s participation in the newly created “Sharia-Free America Caucus”, a group of US representatives standing against what one founding member described as “a religion of violence, abuse of women, and ruthless political conquest. Its laws and practices have no place in American society.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” the staffer said, with a wave of his hand. “Muslims are just the low-hanging fruit. Really it is about Indians. And brown people in general. And the Jews, too. It won’t get in the way of putting America first. Really the only Member [of the Caucus] who believes all the bullshit about Israel is Randy Fine.”

The whipping up of Islamophobia in the US has become visible and visceral, to the extent that many in the Muslim community now look back almost wistfully to the days of George W Bush, who made a point, in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, of visiting a mosque and declaring that “Islam is peace”. Such efforts at inclusivity have almost vanished entirely from the Republican Party, replaced by an outright bigotry that has inspired a spike in anti-Muslim attacks, such as the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in May that killed two worshippers and a security guard. A recent proposal by Dallas Fort Worth international airport to add unobtrusive foot-washing stations for Muslims wishing to perform wudu (and presumably anyone else with dirty feet) was swiftly abandoned in the face of condemnation by Texas Governor Greg Abbott that the installation of such stations would be unconstitutional.

Where is all this coming from? To be sure, some of it is a reflection of the politics that Trump has promoted since his very first day of presidential campaigning in 2015 to divide Americans by suggesting that the country’s White majority and its historic place atop the social hierarchy are at risk; in this context it is not only Muslims who are under attack, but all minorities, as demonstrated by his administration’s attacks on Black history or Hispanic culture. But when it comes to Islamophobia, there is a more targeted driver of the trend.

In January this year, the government of Israel hosted an anti-Semitism conference in Jerusalem. This, by itself, is rather unremarkable. But what is noteworthy is who attended: leaders from across the European far right, including representatives from Poland’s PiS, Spain’s Vox, Hungary’s Fidesz, and France’s Rassemblement National. The event was, perhaps, the largest gathering of European right-wingers to discuss anti-Semitism since the US-led umerziehung (re-education) process in post-war Germany.

But the far right are now allies, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told them, in the fight against the “invasion of radical Islam”. Since January, Netanyahu has continued on this theme, recently warning that “the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic republic of Britain”, and campaigning for re-election under a billboard titled “Don’t let them win” that features the faces of Hezbollah and Iranian leaders alongside those of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

Israel’s promotion of Islamophobia is not limited to Netanyahu, nor does it end at its own shores. As Israel’s own reputation has cratered, rather than examining its actions (particularly in Gaza), it has decided its salvation rests in more effective public relations and propaganda campaigns. Some of this has materialised in an effort to prop up its own reputation: “The US-Israel relationship promotes stability”, explained an automated text message that millions of other Americans and I recently received via Israeli-contracted Clock Tower X. But Israel is also going on the offensive by trying to knock down and delegitimise its critics and by rallying the right through a purposeful campaign of Islamophobia.

The strategy may have been informed by a leaked study solicited by Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs from US public relations firm Stagwell Global, which found that the most effective tactic in shifting public opinion would be to drive fear of “Radical Islam” and “Jihadism” but, in the absence of any compelling reason why the US should continue to back his country, Netanyahu has increasingly leaned into the argument that Israel is, as he claims foreign leaders have told him, the “model in the struggle against radical Islam which threatens the entire civilised world”.

This has manifested itself in Israel’s leveraging of increasingly virulent Islamophobia as part of its hasbara strategy, for instance in Canada in 2024, when an Israeli-government-funded influence operation using the name United Citizens for Canada conducted social media campaigns claiming that Muslim immigrants to the country posed a threat to society and were trying to impose Islamic law.

In many cases, Americans and Europeans have seen through such efforts. Recent primary wins for prominent Muslim congressional candidates such as Abdul El-Sayed have demonstrated a cross-communal rejection of Islamophobic rhetoric. But in other areas, Muslim communities increasingly feel under siege.

Israeli society is premised on Jewish supremacy and the pursuit of demographic homogeneity, but Western countries are increasingly diverse in both their demographics and their leadership. While the path to peace for Israel may be one that makes Israel look more like the West – a country with equality for all its people – at the core of its current propaganda campaign is the desire to make the West look more like Israel. That poses a test for Western pluralism, but even if the West fails that test, Israel should not assume that such a failure would inherently lead to an embrace of Zionism.

Fear and hatred are powerful tools, and the current Islamophobic campaign is likely to unleash further and deeper harms. But even on its primary objective, to stem the loss of support in Israel’s last bastion of Western far-right opinion, it is far from clear that it will succeed. In the meantime, Europeans and Americans would be wise to see it for what it is: a desperate foreign influence operation driven by a state that is increasingly running out of options.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

FORMER Hollyoaks cast members Sarah Jayne Dunn and James Dunn reunited on OnlyFans — as they took on Love Island and Skins stars.

The pair played Mandy Richardson and John Paul McQueen, respectively, on the Channel 4 soap.

They are set to reunite for Race of Wits, a new eight-part reality competition show launching on August 25.

It will be aired on OFTV, an on-demand streaming service founded by OnlyFans.

Meanwhile, the show will also feature Skins alum Megan Prescott and Love Island runner-up Hannah Elizabeth, among others.

The format sees teams of two OnlyFans creators face three fast-paced, London-based challenges.

holy moly

Hollyoaks’ Jen Metcalfe, 42, shows off abs in bikini on holiday with boyfriend

REAL-LIFE WIFE

Footballers Wives’ star Susie Amy reveals she’s married partner of 8 years

They are hoping to win a cash prize and claim the bragging rights by outwitting their competition.

Discussing the upcoming show, James said: “Reuniting with Sarah brought back amazing memories. It was like we’d never been apart.

“Most people will know me for the characters I played in soaps and dramas, so taking part in Race of Wits was a great opportunity to have a bit of fun and show a different side of myself.”

James bowed out from Hollyoaks as John Paul earlier this year, while Sarah was sacked in 2021 due to her involvement with OnlyFans.

The Sun told in May how James was set make a million pounds just months after quitting Hollyoaks and joining OnlyFans.

James had previously revealed he was following in the footsteps of former co-star Sarah by joining the adult subscription site.

A source said at the time: “It took James a little while to decide to join OnlyFans buts financially it’s the best move he’s ever made.

“He’s got thousands of subscribers paying £12 to see him in his pants and there’s more in priemium content.

“He’s surged up the OnlyFans charts to become one of the top one per cent — eclipsing the likes of Sarah.

“If he keeps up the momentum, which he will, he’ll make a million within months.”

It’s summer in the city, the pubs are crowded, and the coast beckons. In a year that has so far brought five significant heatwaves, it is a fair description of the current holiday season.

But the same was true, too, of the much less frequent hot, dry summers of the past, including 186 years ago when Charles Dickens put pen to paper in anticipation of escaping London for the sea breeze in Broadstairs, Kent.

“There is no news in London – everybody is hurrying out of town – the two great theatres are shut up – and all the watering places are crammed with hot people,” he writes to his brother Alfred on 12 August 1840.

His letter, which is to go on public display for the first time, is one of several items of correspondence shedding light on Dickens and his holiday pursuits, from picnics on the Thames, beach showering on the Isle of Wight, and being ravaged by mosquitoes, bugs and other insects

“While Dickens rarely slowed down, he made sure to find time for holidays and days off, packing up plenty of his belongings and heading to the Kent coast or the West Country with his family,” said Emma Harper, deputy director at London’s Charles Dickens Museum, where the letters will go on display in the study where he wrote Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby and The Pickwick Papers.

“While Dickens loved London, he was very happy to escape its crowded hot pubs for the cooler climes of the coast, or if he decided to break his routine by taking a spur of the moment day off, he would consider this a holiday. He would take his work on holiday with him and sometimes even brought his favourite pieces of furniture along so he could write from the chair and desk that suited him best.”

He positively gloated about his successful mission to construct an outdoor shower cubicle near his “very pretty” holiday cottage in Bonchurch on the Isle of Wight in 1849, expressing no qualms about spoiling the view for others. He writes to the printer William Bradbury: “We have made all visitors in search of the picturesque, mad, by putting up an immense wooden caravan on the beach, to shut in a noble waterfall and convert it into a shower bath! With some five hundred feet of fall. Which we take, every morning, to the unbounded astonishment of the aboriginal inhabitants.”

Of an 1851 trip on the Thames with his son Charley “and three other young Eton Shavers”, he promises that if his friend Thomas Beard joins them, he will be “armed with a hamper from Fortnum & Mason’s”. They can dine on a bank, “and if you can come, you and I will console ourselves for our antiquity, after dinner, with a trifle of tobacco and champagne”.

Dickens “relaxed energetically”, said Harper, and he loved to travel. To his biographer John Forster he writes of a 1842 trip to Italy: “I see myself in a striped shirt, moustache, blouse, red sash, straw hat, and white trousers, sitting astride a mule, and not caring for the clock, the day of the month, or the day of the week.”

Reflecting on one long excursion, he tells Beard in 1845 of “the gentlemanly vagabond I have been, for the last six or eight months – the extraordinary beds I have slept in – and the bewildering amount of fleas, mosquitoes, bugs, and other insects I have unwillingly bepastured – these things have hardly left me any leisure in my holiday, until within the last four or five weeks. During the whole of which time I have been employed, chiefly, in lying on my back on sofas, and leaning out of windows and over balconies, in a sort of mild intoxication.”

Barring some extraordinary event — a health emergency, a career-ending scandal, a killer asteroid destroying all life on earth — Xavier Becerra will be the next governor of California.

That’s not partiality or wish casting on the part of your friendly political columnist. The fact is Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents overwhelmingly outnumber Republicans in California, in both registration and inclination.

The GOP brand has been political poison in this Tahoe-blue bastion for decades now. But under Donald Trump, it’s grown even more toxic. His endorsement, which the president bestowed upon Republican Steve Hilton mid-primary, is the political equivalent of sarin; like the deadly nerve agent, it can kill on contact.

Still, give credit where due.

The gregarious and media-savvy Hilton has been waging an energetic and effervescent run for governor, with multiple appearances a day and frequent updates to his cheeky social media accounts.

“He’s going to San Francisco” — into the bowels of the liberal beast — “he’s going into schools, talking to labor groups,” said Hector Barajas, a campaign spokesman. “He’ll go everywhere.”

Becerra not so much.

The Democrat has appeared here and there since finishing first in the June 2 primary, securing one of two slots in November’s runoff. He’s offered a few modest proposals, including a plan to deliver two free hours of electricity a day to low-income households and a call for stiffer regulation of artificial intelligence.

A sprint vs. a stroll

That said, if Hilton is flat-out running for a job he stands virtually no chance of winning, Becerra is embarked on more of a leisurely stroll toward his all-but-certain perch in Sacramento.

That’s not a terrible thing at this midsummer stage of the race. Once, in the blessed era before the 24/7 news cycle and the omnipresence of social media, there was a lull in the months after the primary, with campaign activities picking back up around Labor Day.

On Tuesday, during a walking tour of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood, Becerra pushed back on the notion he was taking his election — and California voters — for granted. “If I were trying to coast,” he told reporters, “I’d be out on the coast right now instead of here with you all.”

Becerra’s pace aside, the days between now and the Nov. 3 election offer him plenty of time to spell out what, exactly, he has to offer his home state and how, in a broad sense, he plans to tackle one of the highest profile, most vexing jobs in all of American politics.

At least one of those days should include a face-to-face debate between Hilton and Becerra. The two shared a stage multiple times during the primary season. They have not appeared together since.

More than a half-dozen news organizations have offered to host the gubernatorial rivals in a one-on-one session. Several other groups have proposed forums that would allow them to discuss their differences together in person.

Barajas, the spokesman for Hilton’s campaign, said the Republican hopeful has agreed to each and every invitation.

“He’s got absolutely no problem” appearing anytime or anywhere, Barajas said. “He will go to East L.A.. He will go to South-Central. He will go into the heart of the Central Valley. It doesn’t matter to him.”

That’s no surprise.

When a candidate is an underdog, like Hilton, they’ll typically show up at the opening of an envelope if it means appearing before a crowd. Conversely, a candidate on a seeming glide path to election, like Becerra, will often balk at giving their opponent the exposure afforded by a debate, much less risk harming themselves with a bad performance.

The Democratic front-runner said Tuesday that “there will be debates,” though he didn’t say where or when.

An obligation to voters

There’s a lot of virtue signaling that surrounds the notion of candidate debates.

Far from a high-minded discussion of policy differences, they often devolve into a stale recitation of talking points and pre-scripted zingers. After a while, debates can grow redundant and, frankly, boring as contestants repeat well-worn phrases and replow deeply furrowed ground. Such was the case by the time California’s gubernatorial hopefuls met for their sixth televised debate in the spring.

Most voters — many of whom profess to care oh-so-deeply about issues and matters of great import — don’t even bother tuning in. If they found debates that captivating, shows such as the “PBS NewsHour” would routinely outdraw the latest season of “Love Island USA.”

No matter.

There is an audience, however limited, for debates. Even if they don’t bother watching, many voters read about the encounters afterward, catch snippets online, or glean useful insights from the extensive coverage that follows.

Above all, a willingness to debate is a sign of respect — for voters as well as the political process the candidates are a part of. Minimizing direct confrontation with Hilton may play to Becerra’s inherently cautious nature. It also makes sense from a purely strategic standpoint.

But it doesn’t serve the people of California, or give voters their due. This is a campaign for governor. Not a coronation.

Becerra owes California, and Hilton, the chance to take the candidates’ measure side by side before their contest is over. The sooner Becerra commits to a time and place, the better.

What else you should be reading

The must-read: Trump turns to containing the fallout from setbacks in Iran
The deep dive: War was supposed to crush Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance.’ Instead, it’s bloodied but unbroken
The L.A. Times Special: Xavier Becerra won’t deliver the home runs — or strikeouts — racked up by Newsom, Schwarzenegger

Until next time,
mzb
—
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here to get it in your inbox.

Thirteen years ago, on the final Sunday in September, Skip Schumaker struck out. It was the last out in the last game of the regular season.

For the Dodgers, no big deal: They had won the National League West, and the playoffs were four days away.

For Dodgers fans that subscribed to Cox Communications, it turned out to be the start of a bizarre and protracted blackout that cost viewers the final years of Vin Scully and the golden years of three World Series championships.

After 4,560 days, the blackout is over.

On Friday, for the first time in 13 years, Cox subscribers within the Dodgers’ broadcast territory will be able to watch the team on their local television home. Fans can find SportsNet LA on Channel 63 in Orange County, Channel 54 in Palos Verdes, Channel 36 in Santa Barbara and Channel 50 in Las Vegas.

How did this finally come to pass? Those channels no longer belong to Cox.

Charter Communications, the company responsible for getting SportsNet LA on as many cable, satellite and streaming options as possible, on Thursday closed its $34.5-billion purchase of Cox.

For Dodgers fans, the takeaway is this: It no longer matters that Cox did not want to pay Charter for the rights to air SportsNet LA. Charter made the 13 years of that moot by buying Cox.

Charter offers broadcast service under the Spectrum brand.

In 2013, with the team in the final year of its local television agreement with Fox Sports, the Dodgers announced it would launch a team-owned channel the following year.

In exchange for the rights to market and distribute that SportsNet LA channel, Time Warner Cable agreed to pay the Dodgers $8.35 billion over 25 years. It was the last great regional sports network deal, with traditional broadcast audiences about to fragment amid the rise of streaming and cord-cutting.

The guaranteed rights fees are as sure of a revenue stream as anything in baseball, and the Dodgers’ success amid all that cash is one of the triggers for major league owners in their push for a salary cap.

However, the great regional sports network deals relied on cable and satellite subscribers paying for every channel in a bundle, most of which viewers never watched.

With DirecTV leading the resistance, cable and satellite providers balked at signing up for SportsNet LA: a few dimes per month per subscriber for a news or entertainment channel was fine, but they drew the line at $5 per month subscriber for a baseball channel.

No major Los Angeles outlet besides Time Warner Cable carried SportsNet LA until 2016, and then only because Charter bought Time Warner Cable. Even then, less than half the households in the Los Angeles market could get SportsNet LA.

In 2020, DirecTV and AT&T struck a deal with Charter, not so much to liberate Dodgers fans as to help the parties maintain a shrinking base of subscribers amid a proliferation of video options.

“I think I can speak for a lot of people who will say this is, maybe, long overdue,” Dodgers star Justin Turner said then.

Six years later, as a longtime Cox subscriber excited to see SportsNet LA for the first time, your humble correspondent can say this: I think I can speak for a lot of people who will say this is definitely long overdue.

The foreign minister says in an interview that Turkish military officials had visited the airbase as part of training.

Syria has no plans to establish a Turkish military presence at the Abu al-Duhur airbase attacked by Israel earlier this week, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has said.

Al-Shaibani said in an interview with the US news outlet Axios on Wednesday that while Turkish military officials had visited the site as part of training and broader military cooperation, he denied any Turkish military build-up, explaining that the facility was largely empty.

“There was no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to establish a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site,” al-Shaibani said, adding that he had made this clear to Israel.

On Tuesday, Israel carried out eight air strikes on the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base near Aleppo, state media reported, in what appeared to be Israel’s first attack on Syrian government assets since March.

No casualties were reported from the attack, which drew international condemnation.

Al-Shaibani said Israel had no legitimate justification for attacking the facility.

He said that while Syria remained open to negotiations with Israel on de-escalation, any future deal must address the security concerns of both countries, reiterating that Israeli military operations would increase regional instability.

The strikes came amid worsening security tensions between Israel and Turkiye over Syria, where both countries’ militaries are active.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel warned Syria ahead of the strike not to allow a Turkish presence at the base.

“Our message was very clear. Don’t. I guess they didn’t quite understand the message,” Netanyahu said on Wednesday.

On Thursday morning, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was “dragging Turkiye into dangerous adventures in Syria”.

“Israel will not allow any entity to threaten its security,” he said.

“It is preferable for Erdogan to continue delivering empty, delusional speeches against Israel in the Turkish parliament rather than testing Israel’s resolve to defend itself,” Katz added.

Turkiye has rejected what it called “untenable allegations” by Israel over its military position in Syria.

The Turkish defence ministry said on Thursday that Ankara would continue supporting Syria’s efforts to develop its own military capacity and infrastructure.

It said there was no military delegation at the air base hit by Israel before or during the attacks, calling for the international community to take more concrete and effective measures against Israel’s actions, which it said threatened regional peace and stability.

Turkiye, a NATO member, has emerged as one of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s main allies and has accused Israel of trying to destabilise Syria and undermine its new administration.

It has also repeatedly called for international pressure and measures on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Last year, Turkiye and Israel established a line of communication to avoid any incidents in Syria.