Performance Shipping to sell Aframax Vessel M/T P. Aliki for $42.6M
Performance Shipping to sell Aframax Vessel M/T P. Aliki for $42.6M
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That’s where your baggage fees went! Inside the stunning village that was bought by the founder of Ryanair
IN the depths of Ireland is a beautiful village estate with a hotel and restaurant – and very unusual former owner.
Before Michael O’Leary, Ryanair was actually owned by Tony Ryan, who co-founded the airline back in 1984.
And the ex-boss of the budget airline actually bought the Village at Lyons, tucked away in County Kildare, in the 1990s.
The fully restored heritage village – which he owned until his death in 2007 – is around a 30-minute drive from Dublin and includes 47 bedrooms ranging from cottages to apartments.
The recently restored Cliff at Lyons is the country estate’s five-star hotel which has 32 individual rooms and five self-catering two-bedroom stone cottages.
It has a Victorian-inspired glass orangery, an award-winning spa with Finnish barrel saunas and hot tubs, and a lakeside chapel.
A one-night bed and breakfast stay in one of the Estate Rooms in April starts from €224 (£194.97).
The hotel has great reviews on Tripadvisor with an average of 4.4 out of 5.
One guest said: “The setting is stunning—peaceful, beautifully maintained, and full of charm.”
Another called it a “magical escape haven”.
The estate has several restaurants, including the Shackleton Mill Restaurant which is inside a restored flourmill.
The Pantry is a canal-side cafe in the main Dove Square which is stocked with baked goods like muffins and scones, perfect for a coffee break.
When it comes to a drink, head to The Lyons Den, which is the pub – here you can grab a pint, and some light bites to eat.
Want the 20-acre village to yourself? It is currently up for sale for a cool €20million (£17.5million), along with the wider Lyons Demesne estate,
The Village at Lyons is being sold by Sotheby’s International Realty.
For more on staycations – here are some of our favourite UK hotels…
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Margate House, Kent
This stylish boutique hotel is in a seaside townhouse, a short walk from Margate’s coolest bars and restaurants. Decked out with plush velvet sofas, candles flickering and striking independent art, inside feels like a warm welcome home. Rooms are stunning, especially the ones that give you a glimpse of the sea.
The Alan, Manchester
The Alan looks extremely grand, being built into a beautiful Grade II listed building. Spread across six floors, with 137 rooms, each one looks like a fancy design magazine. From the concrete coffee tables to the pink plastered walls, the industrial-inspired designs perfectly replicate the history of the city.
The Queen at Chester Hotel
This historic hotel has welcomed the likes of Charles Dickens and Lillie Langtry through its doors. Rooms have richly-patterned carpets with super soft bed linen and premium toiletries in the bathroom. Go for a superior room for extra goodies including bathrobes and snack boxes.
The University Arms Hotel, Cambridge
This Cambridge hotel is in the ideal spot, within walking distance to bars, shops and hotspots like the university colleges and Parker’s Piece. The inside couldn’t be prettier, with huge stained glass windows, grand chandeliers, and rooms with enormous clawfoot bath tubs.
Tony Ryan’s family still currently own an estate house in the village, which is not included in the sale.
About the estate, he previously said: “Places like this have roots that run deep, not only into the cultural strata that informed their design and creation over the centuries, but also into the life of the community that continues to enjoy its landscape.”
For more on staycations, here are six of the best staycation deals across the UK from Cotswolds cottages to lakefront lodges.
And check out one of the UK’s best holiday cottages has seals and dolphins swimming offshore where a week-stay costs under £85pp a night.
Clinton Vows to Help California : Economy: President is mobbed in campaign-style stops in inner city and Valley College. He says he will pick a ‘compassionate but hard-headed’ INS chief.
Closing a two-day Western trip, President Clinton on Tuesday pledged to Los Angeles audiences his special commitment to help the California economy, while asking state residents to do their part for the economic plan he is pushing through Congress.
Clinton, in mobbed campaign-style stops in South-Central Los Angeles and at Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys, asserted that the U.S. economy won’t recover until the nation’s largest state can pull itself out of its slump. “We can’t turn this economy around unless we’re going to lift California up,” Clinton told students at the community college.
The President also signaled his interest in California immigration problems, saying that he will soon pick a “compassionate but hard-headed” person to head the Immigration and Naturalization Service. He said he hopes to get Atty. Gen. Janet Reno’s recommendation for that post as early as this week.
Clinton, who has traveled out of Washington for part of the past two weeks trying to drum up support for his economic plan, visited a black-owned apparel store on South-Central’s Florence Avenue to illustrate his view that the riot-torn area can only be rebuilt through a joint effort of government and business. He used the community college stop to stress his advocacy of continually retraining workers to make them competitive in a world economy.
The Clinton road show has been part economics seminar and part campaign extravaganza, and his visit to Los Angeles was no exception.
At the community college, he sat on a wooden stool under flowering mimosa trees to field questions from students on education, jobs, immigration and other subjects. At the South-Central stop, he and Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown toured the store, then stripped off their suit jackets and ties and shot baskets for a few minutes with a group of youngsters.
The crowds were large and warm, but Clinton’s most impassioned defense of his program came when hecklers taunted him at the community college. To their chants “You broke your promise”–referring to his pledge not to raise taxes on the middle class–and “No new taxes,” the President rejoined:
“You know what the ‘no new tax’ crowd did for 12 years? They cut taxes on the rich, raised taxes on the middle class and left the country in a ditch,” he said. “The free lunch crowd has had their chance.”
He cited as proof of his commitment to California the efforts of Commerce Secretary Brown, who has visited the state seven times since January to help coordinate the government’s effort to help the economy. He said he had asked Brown to “map a specific plan to turn this economy around.”
The President told the college students he would like to help the state’s economy through increased aid for laid off defense workers and their communities, additional community policing and financial aid to offset immigration-related costs.
He made again a pitch for the central idea of his economic plan, that the country needs to cut its deficit while increasing spending–”investment”–for other purposes that will strengthen the economy over the long term.
In South-Central Los Angeles, Clinton visited The Playground, a community center and sporting goods store on Florence Avenue just one mile west of where rioting erupted last year. It was founded by a business person, a lawyer, a doctor and ex-gang members from the Crips. A basketball court was established in back so youths could play as well as buy merchandise.
While the store has received no federal aid, Clinton used it to illustrate his Administration’s redevelopment strategy, which also calls for the use of tax-advantaged “empowerment zones” to bring commerce to distressed areas.
After touring the store and meeting its owners, Clinton headed for the basketball court. He shed his coat, removed his shoes and socks and deposited the contents of his pockets in a shoe box.
In front of a phalanx of several dozen photographers, Leonard Baylor, 8, presented Clinton with a gift of size 13 sneakers.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for coming,” Leonard told the President. “Here, take these shoes.” Then, the boy said to the President: “Shoot some hoops with us?”
Baylor broke into tears–because he was overcome with emotion, a store owner later said. The President pulled Baylor close to comfort him.
Clinton pulled off his tie and pulled on athletic socks and the sneakers. Brown did the same. They then joined 18 youths on the court ranging in age from 6 to 17.
The President captained one team and Brown led another while a friendly crowd of about 200 as well as reporters and camera crews looked on.
Clinton, with shirttails flapping from the back of his baggy suit pants, missed his first two shots, then saved face by hitting from 10 feet out. Brown, however, swished from 20 feet away.
Clinton also grabbed five rebounds. “I made some good passes,” he said, but seemed to acknowledge that his commerce secretary stole the show, declaring, “Can Ron Brown shoot a jump shot or what?”
After the game, Clinton told the crowd: “I want everybody in America to know that there are people here in Los Angeles who believe that we can bring business to this area, that we can put people to work, if you have the help you need.”
“I wanted to come here today not just to have a little fun with a basketball, but to say to you and all of America that we’re going to have to rebuild this country from the grass roots up,” Clinton said. “This is an incredible untapped resource for America. If everyone in this country who wanted a job had one, we wouldn’t have half the problems we’ve got.”
Clinton said that he and Brown planned to go back to Washington to try to pass an economic program that will put “you back to work.”
The crowd in South-Central was clearly with him. Dorothy Redmond, a nursery school owner in the neighborhood, said: “I’m very encouraged. I am an entrepreneur of a small business and I think this is a step in the right direction.”
“I’m just speechless,” said Flora Lane, who traveled to South-Central from her home in the Wilshire district. “He is a person who cares about all people. I am for him 100%, plus his wife.”
But all the reviews of Clinton’s program weren’t favorable.
In Washington, Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) characterized Clinton’s trip as “heading West while his poll numbers go South.”
“His West Coast public relations blitz is just another political make-over to try to convince people he’s cutting spending when he’s really breaking all world records for tax increases,” Dole said.
In Sacramento, the Wilson Administration released a report contending that Clinton’s five-year plan would cost Californians $11.6 billion more than their “fair share” of spending cuts and tax increases.
The state Department of Finance said it drew its figures from Clinton’s proposals for defense cuts, defense conversion and retraining, tax increases on personal income and energy, and tax credits for investment. The analysis also included estimates of the indirect effect of changes in spending and tax policy and a possible reduction in interest rates.
The study said it was assumed that “California will receive a disproportionate share of benefits included in the Clinton proposals–tax credits, investment spending and defense conversion spending.”
But those benefits, it said, will only partially offset the “dampening effect” of the defense cuts. Although California’s population is about 12% of the nation, the study said it appeared the state would absorb at least 25% of the cuts.
Overall, the report said, the plan would cost Californians $68.7 billion, or 14.6% of the total. Based on the state’s 12% share of the nation’s population, the “fair share” of the deficit-cutting burden would cost the state and its residents $57 billion, the report said.
Times staff writer Daniel M. Weintraub contributed to this story from Sacramento.
* RELATED STORIES: A3, B1
Virgin Atlantic makes major change for all passengers travelling from May 2026
Flying is about to feel very different for travellers with Virgin Atlantic thanks to a major change set to transform how passengers spend hours in the air
A Virgin Atlantic Airbus A350(Image: Getty Images)
Passengers flying with Virgin Atlantic will start to notice a major change the moment they board. The airline has confirmed it will begin rolling out a new onboard service that promises to change the in-flight experience entirely.
Installation of Starlink will begin on its Airbus A350 aircraft from May 2026, Virgin Atlantic has announced. It says the new amenity will deliver high-speed, low-latency internet from take-off to the moment you land – but there’s a catch.
It will be available to passengers completely free of charge as part of their journey. This means they can scroll social media, stream TV shows or films, and even make calls or send messages while cruising at 30,000ft.
The first flight to feature the service is expected to depart in early May on route VS153 from London Heathrow to New York JFK. Virgin Atlantic says this marks the beginning of a wider rollout across its long-haul fleet.
All Airbus A350 aircraft are expected to be equipped by early summer, according to the airline. Installation will then expand to Boeing 787 planes later in 2026, reaching around two-thirds of the fleet by the end of the year.
The remaining Airbus A330neo aircraft are set to follow, with full fleet coverage expected by 2027. According to Starlink, its low-Earth-orbit satellite network is designed to deliver faster and more reliable internet, even over remote areas like oceans.
Unlike traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which relies on older satellite systems, Starlink offers significantly lower latency and higher speeds. According to Ookla, low-Earth-orbit satellite technology can deliver speeds comparable to fixed broadband in some cases.
Virgin Atlantic first announced the partnership in July 2025, becoming the first UK airline to commit to free, fleet-wide Starlink connectivity. The airline says Flying Club members will be able to access the service at no extra cost.
Passengers will be able to stream TV shows, make video calls and browse the internet on multiple devices simultaneously. According to International Air Transport Association, demand for onboard connectivity has surged in recent years, with more travellers expecting seamless internet access in the air.
Juha Järvinen, Chief Customer Officer at Virgin Atlantic, said: “We were the first UK airline to announce free, fleet-wide Starlink Wi-Fi, and from May, we’re starting to deliver it for our customers.” He added that the airline aims to achieve full connectivity across its fleet by 2027.
He said the move is part of a wider push to create a “brilliantly connected experience” for passengers. The airline believes the upgrade will allow customers to use their flight time more flexibly, whether for work or leisure.
Industry experts say reliable Wi-Fi is becoming a standard expectation rather than a luxury. According to research from Inmarsat, a majority of airline passengers consider onboard internet a key factor when choosing flights.
Virgin Atlantic’s move is seen as a major step forward in meeting that demand. With rollout beginning in just weeks, passengers could soon experience a new era of fully connected air travel.
LeBron James takes the reins for Lakers entering playoffs
Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where it’s finally the postseason.
The Lakers begin the playoffs Saturday against the Houston Rockets, a team that a month ago looked like one of the most vulnerable playoff targets in the West. Now the tables have turned. The Lakers, without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, are the team everyone wanted to see in the first round. They’re shorthanded. They’re vulnerable. But they’re not giving up.
“All season people have counted us out and all we season we have continued to show why we belong here and that we really don’t care what people say,” guard Marcus Smart said. “And that’s us. That’s who we are and I think it shows with our two guys down and the way we finished the season and the miles we had going into the playoffs.”
One player on this team has significantly more miles on his tread, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from watching him race down the court for another crowd-pleasing dunk.
The crown still fits
LeBron James chuckled at the suggestion. He smiled before the question was done.
How does he feel like he’s handled the shift back to the being the Lakers’ primary option?
“What’s wrong with you, man?” James said with a smile.
He’s not new to this. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is taking back the reins as the Lakers’ No. 1 playmaker and steering the team straight into the postseason.
Since Doncic and Reaves were injured, James has averaged 25.5 points, 11 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals, finishing the season with an exclamation point against the Utah Jazz: 18 points, six assists and three steals in less than 17 minutes Sunday. A month after acknowledging and adjusting to life as the world’s most accomplished third fiddle, James was named Western Conference player of the week Monday, the 70th such honor of his career.
“He had not a good season, not a great [season],” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, “he had a remarkable season, all things considered.”
Like the wine he’s cut out of his diet, James is aging just fine. After sitting out of the first 14 games, James played in 60 of the final 68. Even though he often joked that at his age he was questionable for every game, he averaged 23.3 points in his six appearances playing with zero days of rest, shooting 58% from the field with 8.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game. It was more points than he averaged on one or two days’ rest.
With Doncic orchestrating most of the Lakers’ offense, James found a different way to thrive. The 41-year-old led the league with 5.7 fast-break points per game.
Of James’ 919 total made field goals, 97 were dunks. The 11.2% was tied for the largest percentage of dunks in a season in his career. It was nearly a decade ago — 2016-17 — that he dunked this often. More than 20% of his made field goals are dunks, the most of any season in his career.
“I think there’s an enjoyment level that I think he gets from making highlight plays and it feeds into it with the crowd,” Redick said. “I think that’s just part of it. The other part of it is, for him, I think he recognizes that’s one of the ways that he can really impact winning on our team. And so he’s taken [the] responsibility of, like, ‘I’m going to be the best transition player in the NBA,’ and he has been.”
James’ ruthlessness in transition set the tone for teammates, who couldn’t be seen moving slower than someone who is closer to their father’s age than theirs.
“If we see him run down, he beats us down the court, that’s not a good thing,” center Jaxson Hayes said. “So I feel like I got to get down there when I see him start going.”
The 22-time All-Star is now leading more than just a fast break for the Lakers. The team experienced an emotional hangover after the regular season-ending injuries to Reaves and Doncic. The Lakers needed more than just points from James to cure their woes.
He delivered by locking in against Golden State, being vocal during the team’s pregame meeting and showing the trademark determination that teammates can’t help but follow. It sparked a three-game winning streak to finish the regular season that James punctuated with several soaring dunks against the Jazz.
“You have no idea how much I have a respect for him,” forward Rui Hachimura said. “It’s his Year 26 or 27, or whatever the hell it is. He’s still playing the last game of the season against the team that, they’re not trying to win. We really appreciate that.”
Smart moves
Marcus Smart
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
He’s not Doncic. He’s not Reaves. But Smart’s return to the Lakers’ lineup is still significant in time for the playoffs.
The guard played the final two games of the regular season after missing what felt like the longest, three-week, nine-game stretch in basketball history. Scrambling on the floor next to Maxi Kleber to find Jarred Vanderbilt for a cutting dunk against the Suns on Friday, Smart made the expected immediate defensive difference. But with 17 assists in two appearances, Smart flashed his ability to deliver in different ways on offense.
His timely return can ease the playmaking pressure on Luke Kennard, who filled in admirably in an emergency stretch with 31 assists in four games, and help handle the load next to James.
Smart is especially aware of the energy of his teammates. He is eager to reward centers for running the floor. He shovels the ball to teammates who are going through shooting slumps to prioritize scoring over his own. It’s not a coincidence that he fired two early passes to Deandre Ayton for dunks against the Jazz and Ayton finished with his first 20-point double-double in a month.
“Even post-Boston the last couple seasons he’s graded out well as a secondary playmaker,” Redick said of Smart. “So he’s been in that position before. He knows how to get other guys involved.”
Smart knows the pressure of the playoffs. He helped the Boston Celtics reach the NBA Finals in 2022, but hasn’t played in the postseason since he was traded in 2023. He missed it. So even if he’ll begin this postseason journey without two of his main teammates, Smart will relish this chance.
“It ain’t gonna be easy,” Smart said. “We all know it, but it’s gonna be fun, and we’re gonna enjoy this ride.”
On tap
Saturday vs. Rockets, 5:30 p.m.
Here we go, friends. Game 1 of the playoffs. In March, these teams played a two-game series in Houston that felt like a playoff preview, but circumstances have changed completely since Doncic’s clutch time brilliance led the Lakers to two key wins. The Lakers went 22-8 in games within five points in the last five minutes this season, but the Rockets had a 22-23 clutch time record, which ranked 16th in the NBA, the worst clutch-time winning percentage for any Western Conference playoff team.
Status report
Jaxson Hayes: left foot soreness
Hayes missed the past four games of the regular season. He was a late scratch before the game against Oklahoma City on April 7 and has remained day to day since.
Luka Doncic: left hamstring strain
After getting injections on his injured hamstring in Spain, Doncic will be back stateside by Friday but there is no timetable for his return to the lineup.
Austin Reaves: left oblique strain
Reaves is working hard to return this season but similar to Doncic, there’s no timeline for his comeback yet.
Favorite thing I ate this week
Lotus root kofta curry (left), paratha and duck confit biryani from Rasa in Burlingame, Calif.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
On my way to San Francisco last week, my colleague Broderick Turner texted me to “find a good restaurant.” You don’t have to tell me twice.
I went straight from the airport to Rasa in Burlingame, which specializes in Southern Indian dishes. We explored the tasting menu, which offered two appetizers, a dosa and two entrees. We started with the rasa sliders, which were spiced potato fritters with a tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney, General Tso’s cauliflower, an Indian-Chinese crossover with a familiar spicy sauce. The dosa was filled with a tamarind-spiced potato masala with basil chutney, ginger, garlic and cilantro. It was my favorite dish of the night, but I was so consumed by eating it, I forgot to take a picture. The mains (pictured) were a vegan lotus root kofta curry and duck confit biryani. I could barely touch my entree because I was so full from the first two courses, but it made great leftovers for the morning after the game.
In case you missed it
Luka Doncic rejoining Lakers after getting injury treatment in Europe
How do the Lakers match up against the Houston Rockets entering their playoff series?
‘Mr. 82.’ How Jake LaRavia became the injury-plagued Lakers’ iron man
Lakers defeat Jazz, will open playoffs at home against Houston
‘He does so many more things.’ How Luke Kennard became the Lakers’ emergency point guard
Plaschke: Broken Lakers need to shut down the season
Lakers great Michael Cooper is introduced as Cal State L.A. men’s basketball coach
Until next time…
As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!
LG joins with London Stock Exchange Group to develop AI services
LG AI Research chief Lim Woo-hyung (C) poses with London Stock Exchange Group senior executive Nicolas Falmagne (L) and Kiwoom Securities CEO Eom Ju-sung after agreeing to cooperate on AI agent services for retail investors at the head office of Kiwoom Securities in Seoul on Monday. Photo by LG AI Research
SEOUL, April 14 (UPI) — South Korea’s LG AI Research said Tuesday that it will work with local brokerage Kiwoom Securities and London Stock Exchange Group to develop AI agent services for retail investors.
Under the contract, the three parties aim to provide stock-specific forecast scores alongside easy-to-understand explanations on Kiwoom’s retail trading platform. They also plan to introduce AI-powered wealth management services.
Toward that end, LG AI Research plans to leverage its EXAONE-Business Intelligence system. LG said the system is built on four specialized AI agents — AI journalist, AI economist, AI analyst and decision-maker.
They are intended to collect real-time data, analyze it to forecast market trends and generate reports before evaluating various scenarios to produce final scores for stocks.
Established in 2020 as an affiliate of LG Group, LG AI Research focuses on developing cutting-edge AI technologies and addressing related challenges.
“For financial AI agents, explainability and reliability are just as crucial as accuracy,” LG AI Research chief Lim Woo-hyung said in a statement.
“EXAONE Business Intelligence is evolving into a practical AI system that supports human judgment as expert agents collaborate to perform tasks ranging from analysis and forecasting to report preparation,” he said.
London Stock Exchange Group senior executive Nicolas Falmagne said the three-way alliance would mark a turning point in creating greater value across the entire financial ecosystem.
LG AI Research is not publicly listed. The share price of LG Group’s holding company, LG Corp., edged down 0.11% on the Seoul bourse Tuesday. Those of Kiwoom Securities rose 4%.
Jailed Senegal fans deny wrongdoing in AFCON final chaos in Morocco | Football News
Jailed Senegal fans await judge’s reply to their denial of wrongdoing at the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco.
Published On 14 Apr 2026
Eighteen Senegalese football supporters convicted over a pitch invasion during the chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat in January have denied any wrongdoing.
A Moroccan court in February sentenced the 18 Senegalese football fans to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months on charges of hooliganism.
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Prosecutors sought stiffer penalties in the appeals court in Rabat, but the initial sentences were upheld on Monday.
The Senegalese argued that they had been forced onto the pitch because of a surging crowd or to avoid being spat upon and projectiles thrown towards them.
They said it was not to protest against a refereeing decision at the end of the contentious AFCON final on January 18, which Senegal won 1-0. Senegal Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko spoke out to decry the decision.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed Senegal’s win last month, awarding the title to Morocco two months after the final.
The Senegalese Football Federation immediately instructed its lawyers to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Defence lawyer Naima El Guellaf asked on Monday that videos of the incidents be shown to verify the identities of the 18 Senegalese in court.
It is a move rejected by the prosecution, who said the Senegalese were caught in the act.
“The entire world saw these terrible images live,” it argued.
The judge is yet to respond to the request to replay videos of the incidents.
“There have been mistakes; the people involved in what happened are currently in Senegal and are not present here,” a second defence lawyer, Patrick Kabou, told the AFP news agency.
Delivery robots are creating more problems than they solve
When I was a child, I watched “The Jetsons” and “Lost in Space” and imagined my adult self living in a world of high-tech ease: flying cars, self-cleaning rooms, high-speed trains, personal jetpacks and wise-cracking robotic companions capable of solving any problem in a trice.
Instead I got Google (now with an irritating and frequently wrong AI feature), increased gridlock, Roombas, far too many passcodes/two-factor authenticator systems and a bunch of motorized ice chests cluttering up the sidewalks.
The last of which were recently banned, mercifully if temporarily, in Glendale. Reading about the city’s upcoming moratorium on delivery robots, I literally cheered. I hate them so much.
I know, I know, they’re adorable, with their wide “eyes” and squat toddler-like determination as they trundle along, pausing in careful recalculation whenever they encounter a curb, street sign, a sidewalk cafe table. Hating them makes me feel a bit like those folks who ban children from weddings or make snarky comments about dogs showing up just about everywhere (two things I would never do).
A Serve Robotics delivery robot heads to work Feb. 13. They navigate autonomously using LiDAR and only require human intervention if they get stuck, damaged or are heavily vandalized.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
But though I am happy to accommodate dog walkers, stroller-pushers and other slow-moving/space-requiring pedestrians, I am less happy to do so for a tricked-out little metal box as it picks its way over potholes and sidewalk cracks on a “heroic” mission to deliver takeout to someone who, presumably, lives less than a mile away from its source.
And it isn’t just cranky-pants impatience. I recently became part of a face-off between two opposite-running Coco bots on the small strip of sidewalk in front of Cafe Figaro. The minutes-long standstill forced several people into the street; many more, including my husband and his cane, engaged in a potentially perilous stutter-step around the two knee-high, randomly moving yet noncommunicative vehicles.
One of which was, for reasons of its own, sporting an American flag — maybe it wants to be a Mars rover when it grows up.
Delivery bots, including those made by Coco, a company begun in 2020 by two UCLA graduates, have been around for a while. Early rollouts, however, were small and often plagued by trouble. Stranded or struggling robots became the new Bird scooters — nifty ideas that proved more problematic in practice.
In the last two years, however, improved models have become an increasing presence; Coco, which has expanded across the country, recently announced a bigger, bolder next-gen model.
The Coco 1, left, alongside the new Coco 2 (Next-Gen) at the Coco Robotics headquarters in February in Venice. Coco Robotics launched its next-generation, fully autonomous delivery robot, Coco 2.
(Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)
Many people love Coco and other delivery robots, which partially replace traffic-clogging, exhaust-spewing delivery drivers with a more environmentally friendly alternative.
Others do not, viewing the bots as sidewalk lice that create hazards and take jobs from humans. Several cities, including Chicago, Toronto and San Francisco, have already instituted bans; Glendale is, as Long Beach recently did, taking a less draconian approach, putting the robots on pause while city officials figure out a regulatory framework.
Good luck with that. The e-bike craze, which is putting many people, including kids, in the hospital at an alarming rate, has thus far defied similar regulatory frameworks. As with delivery robots, the possible benefits of e-bikes — environmentally friendly, traffic-decreasing, super fun to ride — created a demand that ignores the dangers created by popularity.
Unlike e-bikes, or the electric scooters that preceded them, delivery robots aren’t yet causing widespread physical harm. Even my own feelings for those motorized metal coolers are fueled by existential disappointment as much as personal irritation.
In many ways, the high-tech future I envisioned as a child has come to pass — we have computers in our pockets, driverless cars, thumbprint and face ID, and voice-activated remote controls for everything. We may not be able to teleport, either physically or via hologram, but we can Zoom or video chat with pretty much anyone anywhere. ChatGPT is not exactly J.A.R.V.I.S., but it’s something. High-speed trains, and pretty much any mass transportation improvement, continue to elude the United States, but one can experience them elsewhere.
Matt Wood, Serve Robotics supervisor, drives a robot to a holding area earlier this year in the company’s parking lot where it and 26 others were to be transported by delivery truck to a farther service location.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The problem is, of course, that reality is much more complicated than futuristic visions sold by “The Jetsons,” “Minority Report” or the cultural marketers of Silicon Valley. Like e-bikes, every advancement creates a host of new problems — hackers, identity theft, system failures, increased energy demands. Labor-saving devices are rarely that — instead labor is shifted, from one department to another, from the body to the brain, or standards are raised — when laundry is done by a machine, its operator must ensure that all clothing is bright, soft, sweet smelling and stain-free just as those who have been given a company smartphone must be available 24/7. After all, how hard is it to answer a text?
Delivery robots are both disappointing in their reality and alarming in their symbolic implication. With all manner of industries constricting and AI threatening entry-level positions, many people have become delivery drivers, full-time or as an economically necessary side gig. Are robots coming for them as well? And are we all going to step around them and post photos on Instagram as they do?
It’s a lot to put on a relatively new and small industry that remains, thus far, a cute and novel way to receive a salad or a few groceries. Those who fear imminent robotic world domination can actually take heart — like the AI actor Tilly Norwood, these little geezers have limited abilities. They don’t go very far, or move very fast; they are easily damaged and disabled (especially in Philadelphia). If they are the vanguard of a sentient nonhuman enemy, we don’t have much to fear yet.
Still, as these robots grow in number and size, those big innocent “eyes” and the cutesy design take on an unnerving air. As Albert Brooks said in “Broadcast News”: “What do you think the devil is going to look like if he’s around … he will be attractive, he’ll be nice and helpful.”
And deliver your lunch.
Intelligence Reform Legislation Is a Sham
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (“Intelligence Bill Slipping Away, but Foe Won’t Budge,” Dec. 1) is a hero in my book. The Senate and Bush administration want a sham “intelligence reform” bill that does little more than shuffle around boxes on an organization chart, in order to make it look as if they are doing something in response to 9/11.
Any provisions that actually might do something to protect the lives of American citizens are “too controversial” and therefore must be kept out of the bill. Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) refuses to be a party to the charade. He is to be congratulated for his integrity.
Lance B. Sjogren
San Pedro
*
There are more than enough votes in both houses of Congress to pass the bill in its present form. However, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has refused to bring it to a vote unless it receives more Republican votes. Apparently a partisan win is more important than the safety of the United States.
Can someone explain to me how the GOP is better at protecting the United States than the Democrats?
Michael Stark
Santa Monica
Joyful UCLA dominates WNBA draft on record-setting night
UCLA women’s basketball just keeps winning.
The latest edition of UCLA Unlocked was delayed one day so that we could include what turned out to be a magical, recording setting WNBA draft night for the Bruins.
UCLA set a WNBA draft record with five players selected in the first round and another draft record with six selected overall during the three-round draft Monday night in New York.
The Bruins rocked the orange carpet and then waited with UCLA coach Cori Close and their families to learn their draft fate.
UCLA Bruins Angela Dugalic, Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens, Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez pose on the orange carpet at the WNBA draft in New York.
(Angelina Katsanis / Getty Images)
They didn’t wait long. Lauren Betts was first off the board, selected by the Washington Mystics with the No. 4 pick.
“These are like my sisters, and getting to watch your family do something like that is amazing,” Betts told the Associated Press. “But I mean, this team is just so special. We knew the type of players that we had on the team, and to really just have this night really showcase all of the things that we’ve worked on all season is just amazing.”
Gabriela Jaquez was next in line, getting drafted higher than expected when the Chicago Sky used the No. 5 pick to select her.
“Jaquez is a battle-tested three-level scorer who improved every year in college,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “Combine her on-skill talent with the fact that she’s a proven winner, and you have a player that perfectly fits the Sky’s vision.”
Next, Kiki Rice was selected No. 6 by the Toronto Tempo.
After a few gaps, Angela Dugalic was drafted at the No. 9 spot by the Mystics and Gianna Kneepkens was drafted at the No. 15 spot by the Connecticut Sun.
“We’re excited to welcome Gianna to our team,” Sun general manager Morgan Tuck said. “She’s experienced success UCLA within a winning culture and brings a mindset defined by toughness and consistency every time she steps on the floor on both ends. Her shooting ability is elite and truly sets her apart, but we’re equally impressed by the complete game she’s shown throughout her college career.”
UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 18 by the Connecticut Sun on Monday in New York.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
The WNBA made a ridiculous decision, opting not to officially invite the sixth member of UCLA’s super senior and graduate student class to the draft. Charlisse Leger-Walker went anyway as a guest and was the record sixth Bruin selected, getting drafted in the second round by the Sun with the No. 18 overall pick. She became the first player from New Zealand to ever be drafted.
Leger-Walker told reporters in New York that Dugalic gave up two of her seats at the draft so Leger-Walker and her mother could attend. For the record, Leger-Walker was picked ahead of one player the WNBA officially invited to New York.
“Given how critical the point guard position is, we’re thrilled to welcome Charlisse to our team,” Tuck said. “Her ability to push the pace while also running the offense and leading her teammates is something we truly value. She comes from a winning program, and her skill set, poise and basketball IQ position her game to translate seamlessly to the professional level.”
Close kept popping up to hug her stars and after a season of insisting the journey mattered more than the result, she conceded Monday night mattered.
“Well, I mean, I sort of do care about this one actually, because No. 1, it helps us in recruiting. I think we’ve really taken a developmental approach to this and to see it come to fruition the way it has is obviously really gratifying,” Close told the Associated Press.
“Just to be a part of an historic night and for them to be so excited for each other, that’s sort of representative of how they’ve been all year long. But it’s a pretty cool record to be a part of.”
Bob Chesney leads the UCLA football team in its first spring practice on April 2.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The UCLA-feel good energy hasn’t skipped the football program, with new coach Bob Chesney and his staff leading the Bruins through spring football workouts.
Here are three takeaways from the first five spring football practices:
1. No one is naming names.
It’s hard to get coaches or the two football players UCLA has made available for interviews so far this spring to volunteer the names of any players who have performed exceptionally well during spring practice.
“Yeah, um, I don’t want to name drop because I know I’m going to miss a couple, but I think the whole O-line and the whole receiver room collectively have been bringing it every practice and I’ve loved competing with them,” UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava told reporters when asked for his thoughts about the receivers and offensive linemen.
When he was asked who on the defense was making his life difficult, Iamaleava responded: “From the defense? You know, I’m not going to give them too much credit, but I think they do a good job of disguising their coverages.”
Safety Cole Martin was equally measured in his response when asked who were the toughest offensive players to cover.
“I feel like everybody just has their own skill set. You know, learning what they do good, what they don’t do well and trying to figure out how to beat them — ’cause, I mean, it’s spring ball,” Martin said.
The team held its first workout in full pads Saturday and it’s unlikely this embargo on identifying top performers will last forever, but an emphasis on wide open competition has been adopted by coaches and players.
2. Iamaleava is trying to stay on the field.
The quarterback said Saturday he weighs 218 pounds and hopes to reach 220 to 225 pounds by the season opener.
“I took a couple of hits last year and it took a toll on the body, but I think just me recovering over the offseason and coming in ready to work and getting bigger was the main thing for me this offseason,” he said. “So yeah, hopefully when I get to the season I’ll be able to take those hits a little easier.”
3. Martin and Iamaleava have fully embraced Chesney’s emphasis on winning on and off the field.
“How you live your life is going to correlate with how you are on the field,” Martin told reporters Saturday. “When you have great habits outside, you’re going to have great play on the field. Coach Chesney is big on making sure that we realize that you can’t live an average life and then go be amazing at football. Everything has to match up, so if it means that you gotta go to class super, super early or if you gotta wake up really, really early — or whatever that may mean for you and how that individual is — do that and your play on the field will correlate.”
Reddemann recognized
Logan Reddemann of UCLA tied a record with 18 strikeouts on Friday against Rutgers.
(Craig Weston)
UCLA junior right-handed pitcher Logan Reddemann swept weekly awards for his performance during the Bruins’ 4-1 win over Rutgers in 14 innings Friday night.
Reddemann earned Golden Spikes player of the week, College Baseball Foundation pitcher of the week, Perfect Game pitcher of the week and Big Ten pitcher of the week and was named to Baseball America’s team of the week. He delivered an NCAA single game record-tying 18 strikeouts over eight innings, leading a Bruins staff that totaled 30 strikeouts, one shy of the NCAA single-game record.
No. 1 UCLA will put its program record 27-game winning streak on the line when it hosts UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The game air on the Big Ten Network.
UCLA’s next national title?
UCLA senior Jordan Chiles shouts while competing on the floor exercise during the the meet against Utah.
(Jesus Ramirez / UCLA Athletics)
Is the Bruins’ gymnastics team is next in line to win a national title?
Jordan Chiles, an Olympic gold medalist and the NCAA West Region gymnast of the year, will lead UCLA during the NCAA gymnastics championships starting Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.
UCLA will compete in a semifinal against Oklahoma, Arkansas and Minnesota. The Bruins will start on the bars, then proceed to the beam, floor exercise and vault.
The top two teams advance to the finals Saturday against the top two teams from another semifinal featuring LSU, Stanford, Florida and Georgia.
UCLA’s semifinal begins at 6 p.m. Thursday and will air on ESPN2. The finals will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday and air on ABC.
Transfers help basketball teams reload
The men’s and women’s basketball teams have picked up transfers since the portal opened last week.
The women’s basketball team added North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarinsalo, senior TCU guard Donovyn Hunter and Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but she missed all of this last season with an injury and has one season of eligibility left.
The men’s team has picked up commitments from Auburn forward Filip Jovic, Mississippi State forward Sergej Macura and Texas Tech transfer guard Jaylen Petty.
UCLA coach Mick Cronin also retained key pieces of his roster, including Trent Perry and Eric Dailey Jr.
In case you missed it
UCLA breaks WNBA draft records with five first-round picks and six overall
‘Coach Chesney is a winner.’ Nico Iamaleava and Cole Martin sold on Bruins’ new leader
Letters to Sports: Celebrating UCLA’s inspiring national title win
Logan Reddemann strikes out 18; No. 1 UCLA wins in 14 innings over Rutgers
UCLA women’s basketball lands first transfer since winning NCAA championship
‘L.A. cares about women’s basketball now’: UCLA celebrates its national championship
Sondheimer: Mira Costa High volleyball star Mateo Fuerbringer thrives when under pressure
Water spray, chaos and stress tests: Inside Bob Chesney’s UCLA practice philosophy
Here is who decimated national champion UCLA could target in the transfer portal
Plaschke: Aday Mara’s Michigan national title exposes UCLA coach Mick Cronin’s failure
UCLA women’s basketball players crown Cori Close as their champion
Have something Bruin?
Do you have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future UCLA newsletter? Email newsletters editor Houston Mitchell at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Founder of Chinese property giant Evergrande admits theft, fraud, bribery
Hui Ka Yan, the founder and former chair of troubled Chinese property giant, Evergrande Group, pleaded guilty to a slew of charges on Tuesday in a showcase trial in the southern province of Guangdong. File photo by Wu Hong/EPA
April 14 (UPI) — The founder and former chairman of Chinese property giant China Evergrande Group pleaded guilty Tuesday to a slew of charges, including embezzlement, securities fraud and corporate graft at a trial in the southern city of Shenzhen.
Hui Ka Yan admitted “illegally absorbing public deposits” where buyers’ down payments on apartments off-plan were used to fund hundreds of other projects in the case in which Evergrande Real Estate Group also faced a similar set of charges, the Intermediate People’s Court of Shenzhen said in a statement online.
Evergrande took in millions of dollars from buyers that, instead of being used to complete the properties they were purchasing, were diverted to new developments, the court heard.
Hui also admitted fundraising fraud, illegal issuance of loans and unauthorized disclosure of “important information” during the high-profile two-day trial, which was attended by deputies from the National People’s Congress, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference of which he was once a standing committee member, and investors.
The court statement said China Evergrande Group and Evergrande Real Estate Group were also indicted on charges of illegally collecting public deposits, fundraising fraud, illegal issuance of loans and fraudulent issuance of securities.
The downfall of the business tycoon, once Asia’s richest with a net worth of more than $42 billion, began in 2021 when the property empire he founded 25 years earlier collapsed after a massive Chinese property bubble burst, leaving 1,300 half-finished Evergrande developments financed with $300 billion of debt.
Hui was placed under house arrest in September 2023, prompting the suspension of trading in Evergrande shares by market regulators across the border in Hong Kong, only a month after trading had resumed following a 17-month suspension.
The company was also the subject of a winding-up petition in a Hong Kong court brought by creditors and had sought protection from being made bankrupt in the United States in a New York court the previous month.
Hong Kong regulators initially suspended Evergrande for failing to issue financial results for two years. When it did report in July 2023, it said it had lost $81.1 billion total in 2021 and 2022, mostly through payments to suppliers and lenders, as it battled to finish thousands of housing projects across 280 Chinese cities.
In January 2024, after repeated reprieves to allow it time to come up with a viable plan to restructure liabilities that had by then grown to at least $325 billion, the court in Hong Kong placed Evergrande into liquidation.
Hui was handed a $6.5 million fine in March 2024 for Evergrande, stating in its results that revenue was $78 billion more than it actually was and was handed a lifetime ban from participating in China’s capital market.
The final blow came in August 2025 with the delisting by regulators of Evergrande shares from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, almost 16 years to the day after it was the most oversubscribed IPO of 2009 with a valuation in excess of $50 billion.
The ban was imposed after an 18-month deadline for Evergrande stock to resume trading passed the previous month, with the company opting not to appeal the decision.
Hui had led a 15-year drive to grow Evergrande into one of China’s largest businesses, spending billions expanding into tourism and recreation, healthcare, finance, EV manufacturing and infrastructure, entertainment and agribusiness.
In 2020, it began work on a new $1.7 billion, 100,000-seat stadium for Guangzhou FC, the soccer club it had purchased 10 years earlier.
However, the company’s growth was delivered through massive borrowing, much of it highly leveraged, with the result that six years on the stadium, like many of Evergrande’s projects, it remains incomplete after it was seized by the government in November 2021.
Children race to push colored eggs across the grass during the annual Easter Egg Roll event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on April 21, 2025. Easter this year takes place on April 5. Photo by Samuel Corum/UPI | License Photo
The UK’s first PAW Patrol land to open in just weeks at top theme park with four new rides
THE highly anticipated World of PAW Patrol has announced when it will open – and you don’t have to wait long.
The pup-tastic themed-land will open at Chessington World of Adventures with four new rides and a new play attraction on May 3.
The new £15million attraction was first announced in April last year and will welcome guests over the early May bank holiday weekend.
It will be be the UK’s first and only PAW Patrol-themed land designed specifically for preschool-age children.
Inside will be new rides and meet and greets with the beloved pups Rubble, Skye, Rocky, Everest and Marshall.
Fans of the show will recognise the new land as it looks like the fictional Adventure Bay.
It’s all centred around Lookout Tower which is also part of ‘Chase’s Mountain Mission’ ride – the attraction’s entry-level rollercoaster for littler kids.
Another of the new rides is Skye’s Helicopter Heroes where riders can climb aboard Skye’s helicopter and take to the skies.
Zuma’s Hovercraft Adventure will be the UK’s first ‘Drifter’ ride – visitors can hop onto their own hovercraft.
Kids will feel like they’re skidding across the water from Adventure Bay to Seal Island.
There’s also Marshall’s Firetruck Rescue, guests can climb aboard a firetruck and ‘rock and roll’ through the streets of Adventure Bay.
There will be themed playscapes too including Rubble and Rocky’s Play Zone.
At Rubble and Rocky’s playzone, kids can get their hands dirty at the construction zone.
Then children can head to Rocky’s Recycle Yard to crawl and climb through a maze of repurposed parts.
Another will be The Flounder Boat Play where little explorers can help Captain Turbot on a high-seas adventure.
The themed-land will also have a cafe, a picnic space and a shop where visitors can pick up PAW Patrol merch.
Chessington World of Adventure’s Vice President, Nick Bevan said: “We can’t wait for families from across the world to experience the magic of PAW Patrol here at Chessington World of Adventures.”
Chessington already has hotel rooms based on the TV show – each room sleeps up to two adults and three children.
PAW Patrol hotel stays start from £155 for a family of four, including bed and breakfast.
Hotel stays include early ride access into Chessington, a ‘Pup Pass’ Meet and Greet fast track pass, and a Reserve & Ride one-shot pass.
You can book a day ticket to Chessington from £34 – if booked in advance.
The seven great UK seaside towns with beachfront theme parks – and you can stay with Hols from £9.50.
And nine of the best theme parks with something new in 2026 from multi-million lands to epic thrill rides.
Who controls the Strait of Hormuz? | US-Israel war on Iran
A US move to block the strait has intensified a broader struggle over who controls access and under what terms.
Now, the United States is the one shutting the Strait of Hormuz, even as President Donald Trump was calling for it to reopen just a few days ago. He said ships entering or leaving Iranian ports would be stopped by the navy after talks between Tehran and Washington fell apart.
However, this is not just about a blockade. Iran is tightening its grip on the strait, demanding the right to impose tolls on ships passing through it.
The ripple effects could go beyond energy and trade flows, challenging the dominance of the US dollar in global shipping.
Published On 14 Apr 2026
Why Katie Price’s family concerns have put a strain on marriage with Lee — as she does a U-turn on move to Dubai
KATIE Price’s marriage to Lee Andrews is facing its first proper test as her family’s concerns, and her loyalty to them, have raised questions about the long-term future of the relationship.
The defiant 47-year-old publicly insists she’s head over heels with Lee, 41, sharing romantic quotes about true love and cosy selfies, but behind the scenes his seeming reluctance, or inability, to leave Dubai is causing issues.
Her family has made it clear they’re no fans of the union, with Katie and sister Sophie’s podcast taking a temporary break after the marriage blindsided her sibling.
A source said: “Katie felt like she was in a fairy tale when Lee swept her off her feet and showered her with love and a diamond engagement ring.
“The wedding and initial trips back and forth from Dubai only added to the romantic dream.
“But the growing concerns from friends, fans, and particularly family members, who Katie is very loyal to, began to take the shine off.”
They continued: “The knock-on effect the war in Iran had on Dubai also made her realise how far away she was from home and she missed her kids.
“The toll was clear to see in her vlog when she snapped about staying in England and ruled out a permanent move to the Middle East.
“Though she’s still committed to Lee and being loved-up on socials, she knows her primary concern is her kids and all the luxury promises and multimillion pound villas won’t change that. There’s a niggling feeling how all of this is going to work long-term.”
Self-described multimillionaire businessman Lee denies he’s subject to a flight ban preventing him from leaving the UAE following three weeks spent in jail last year for allegedly obtaining funds by deception.
Numerous times he has gone on the record and said he is jetting to the UK to be with Katie only to U-turn and stay put.
In a YouTube vlog last week, a frustrated Katie questioned why people thought she was moving to Dubai and said it was for Lee to come to the UK if he wanted them to live together.
However, it is Lee who has spoken about buying a £36m mansion in cash for the pair to live in and start their own family.
If his timescale is to be believed, the couple should be in the property, on the prestigious Palm, now.
However, Katie remains in the UK.
Lee, who recently got “owned by Katie” tattooed on his lower back, has never met his stepchildren in the flesh.
Eldest son Harvey, 23, who has Prader-Willi Syndrome and autism, has a particularly close bond with Katie and she doesn’t like to be apart from him for too long.
While her kids with Peter Andre — Junior, 20, and Princess, 18, are forging their own successful media careers — they also maintain a strong relationship with their mum.
So far they have been diplomatic about their mum’s latest relationship, telling interviewers she is her own woman.
Katie’s beloved mum Amy, 73, is also living with a terminal lung condition (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) on the Isle of Wight.
Claims of abuse and narcissistic behaviour from ex-fiancée Alana Percival of Lee’s have horrified the family.
As have claims by American businesswoman Crystal Janke that she lost £123,000 when she invested money into Lee’s now dissolved business amid assurances she would see a £1m return.
The ‘Walter Mitty’ figure admitted to the Sun that he lied on his LinkedIn CV about his career, blaming a former assistant for including false information.
His sustainable vehicle business, which was registered in the British Virgin Islands, was dissolved in 2024 in official paperwork seen by the Sun, yet he insists that isn’t true.
Lee claims to have met Kim Kardashian and worked with her mum Kris, despite their team saying they have never met.
More recently, he has claimed to have submitted a £2bn offer to buy a majority stake in Chelsea FC.
There remains more questions than answers around the relationship, and Lee is facing an increasingly uphill battle to win around his doubters.
Katie Price’s relationship history
We take a look back at the highs and lows of Katie Price’s relationship history.
1996-1998: Katie got engaged to Gladiators star Warren Furman – aka Ace – with a £3,000 ring. But their relationship didn’t make it as far as ‘I do’.
1998-2000: Katie described Dane Bowers as ‘the love of her life’ but she broke up with the singer after he allegedly cheated on her.
2001: Footballer Dwight Yorke is the father of Katie’s eldest child Harvey. He has had very little to do with his son throughout his life.
2002: Rebounding from Dwight, Katie famously had one night of passion with Pop Idol star Gareth Gates, allegedly taking his virginity.
2002-2004: Katie was dating Scott Sullivan when she entered the jungle for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!. He threatened to “punch Peter’s lights out” when chemistry blossomed between her and Peter Andre.
2004-2009: The jungle romance resulted in Katie marrying Aussie pop star Peter. They had two kids, Junior and Princess, before their bitter split in 2009.
2010-2011: Fresh from her break-up with Peter, Katie enjoyed a whirlwind relationship and marriage with cage fighter Alex Reid. They split 20 months after their Las Vegas wedding.
2011: Katie briefly dated model Danny Cipriani… but it ended as quickly as it begun.
2011-2012: They didn’t speak the same language, but Katie got engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna in 2011. He later fled home to South America.
2012-2018: Wedding bells rang once more after Katie met Kieran Hayler in 2013. They had two kids together, Jett and Bunny, before their break-up and divorce.
2018-2019: Katie moved on quickly with Kris Boyson. They had an on-off romance for one year and even got engaged. They split for good in 2019.
2019: Katie was linked to Charles Drury during her on-off relationship with Kris. Charles, who also dated Lauren Goodger, has always denied being in “official relationship” with her.
2020-2023: Car salesman Carl Woods took a shine to Katie in 2020. Their relationship was up and down for three years and finally ended after a failed IVF attempt.
2024-2026: After weeks of rumours, Katie confirmed her relationship with Married At First Sight star JJ Slater in February 2024. The pair split in January 2026 after two years together.
2026: Katie shocked fans when she revealed she was engaged and then married to businessman Lee Andrews.
Pope Leo isn’t afraid of President Trump. We shouldn’t be, either
“I’m not afraid.”
With these three words Sunday morning, Pope Leo XIV offered as powerful a rebuke of President Trump and everything he has wrought on the world as anyone ever has.
Three words that mocked Trump for being the bully that he is.
Three words that undercut Trump’s self-hyped aura of invincibility.
Three words to inspire all good people to fight against Trump — because if a mild-mannered man of God such as Leo isn’t afraid, no one should be.
Pope Leo’s words thrilled me as an American but especially as a Catholic. His quiet, confident witness since becoming pontiff in May had already reignited a spiritual light in me to adhere closer to the faith I was brought up in.
Trump’s actions during his second term — war, deportations, nasty rhetoric and a love of himself above all else — have been like fuel to that fire. They stand against everything I was ever taught was good and holy.
Hearing Leo’s simple smackdown of the president, at a time when too many people insist we must sink to Trump’s lows to beat him, is like receiving a sacrament I never knew I needed.
Leo spoke a few hours after Trump trashed him on social media, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” — all because of the pope’s critiques of perpetual wars and this country’s vile treatment of undocumented immigrants, while never mentioning anyone by name.
Until now.
“I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the church works for,” he told reporters while traveling to Algeria to kick off a 10-day African mission. He repeated the message later, stating: “I have no fear.”
In response, Trump melted down like the Nazis at the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” critiquing the pope to reporters and then posting an image on social media of himself as a robed savior healing a sick man, light emanating from his hands.
This pathetic fusillade offended even Catholic League President Bill Donohue, who has made a career of trashing liberal Catholics and who defended Trump last year after the president shared an image of himself in papal robes and mitre after the death of Pope Francis. This time, Donohue deemed Trump’s Christ-like imagery “offensive and immature.”
President Trump waves as he returns to the White House on Sunday. During a short interaction with reporters, he blasted Pope Leo XI as “very liberal.”
(Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press)
The president has a lot to fear these days, and not just because he violated most of the Ten Commandments with his bonkers Jesus post, which quickly disappeared. One of the few sane adults left in his administration must have reminded him that antagonizing Catholics is a terrible political move. About 55% of them voted for him in the 2024 election, many in swing states such as Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that had sided with Joe Biden — a Catholic — four years before.
A Fox News poll released last week found that only 48% of Catholics nationwide approve of Trump’s overall performance. While 57% of white Catholics still support Trump, a majority of them aren’t happy with his actions in Iran — the issue that’s turning out to be a millstone around his neck.
Trump’s second term has been a nightmare that seems to worsen every day. Yet not only is this country still standing, but more and more people are waking up to the mockery he’s made of American values. One of the new warriors is Leo, who told reporters he spoke out not to sway politics in his home country, but to offer, in his role as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, a reminder of what Jesus practiced and preached.
No wonder Trump, who wants to erect idols to himself like a Canaanite king, is so upset.
May Leo’s words wake up more good people, regardless of their faith, to rise against Trump — and especially stir lapsed Catholics to return to Mother Church.
U.S. Catholics have long served as a barometer of acceptance for newcomers and the working class. But only about 20% of Americans identify as Catholic, per a Pew Research Center study released last year. And only 30% of those Catholics attend Mass weekly. Many more leave the faith than adopt it, at rates that far exceed other Christian denominations. This collapse has allowed the Catholic church’s conservative wing to take over, departing from the historic mission and instead leading us to Trump.
My lifelong commitment to social justice and my eternal skepticism of power and avarice comes from what I learned growing up at St. Boniface in Anaheim. I even had aspirations to become a priest, because I find few things more noble than dedicating your life to helping others.
I stopped attending Mass once I began covering the church’s sex abuse scandals as a journalist. I was outraged that men who held themselves up to be the custodians of God on Earth not only allowed such crimes to happen but usually covered them up and shunted off the offenders to poor parishes like mine.
I never stopped praying or considering myself a Catholic — but I couldn’t bring myself to support institutions headed by men such as L.A. Archbishop José H. Gómez and Diocese of Orange Bishop Kevin Vann, who always seem to have sharp words for progressives but never for Trump.
It’s been a long road back for me to openly write about my faith with pride — but Trump’s continued heresies have made it necessary. I still don’t know when or if I’ll start attending Mass again regularly, but the fact that I’m even thinking about it shows Leo’s impact on me.
Recently, someone I was interviewing noticed my scapular of the Santo Niño de Atocha with the word “Amor” on the other side. Last year, I tucked this simple necklace that’s a sign of devotion inside the plastic sleeve holding my Los Angeles Times badge, along with a few religious medals.
Pope Leo caused that. Trump caused that. Any chance to talk about my Catholic faith and why Trump is bad, I’m going to take.
I’m not afraid.
UCLA has historic day at WNBA draft
UCLA dominates WNBA draft
From Marisa Ingemi: The NCAA national champion UCLA women’s basketball team made history Monday night, with five players selected in the first round of the WNBA draft and six picked overall.
The first Bruin off the board was Lauren Betts, who went No. 4 overall to the Washington Mystics.
Betts’ selection touched off a lengthy Bruins celebration in New York, with UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez selected No. 5 by the Chicago Sky and teammate Kiki Rice selected No. 6 by the expansion Toronto Tempo.
After a brief break, UCLA forward Angela Dugalic was selected with the No. 9 pick by the Washington Mystics, where she will join Betts.
UCLA guard Gianna Kneepkens completed the Bruins’ record-setting first round when she was selected by the Connecticut Sun at No. 15.
The Bruins’ party continued, with Charlisse Leger-Walker selected with the No. 3 pick of the second round by the Sun.
Sparks surprised, excited to land versatile South Carolina guard late in WNBA draft
Dodgers beat the Mets
From Maddie Lee: Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski threw a gem in the Dodgers’ 4-0 win over the Mets on Monday.
He held the Mets to two hits in eight scoreless innings, the longest start of his pro career. He carried a perfect game into the fifth inning, with his defense backing up his efficient effort.
Shortstop Miguel Rojas fully laid out to his left in the second inning to field a sharp grounder off Bo Bichette’s bat, and then casually threw to first to complete the diving play. Third baseman Max Muncy made a leaping grab on Tyrone Taylor’s third-inning line drive.
Wrobleski made quick work of the rest.
Whatever happened to Julio Urías? ‘Teams ask me about him all the time,’ agent says
Angels fall to Yankees
Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham both homered twice and the New York Yankees scored on a game-ending wild pitch in a three-run ninth inning to overcome Mike Trout’s two homers and five RBIs in an 11-10 win over the Angels on Monday night that stopped a five-game losing streak.
Judge and José Caballero each hit a two-run homer off Yusei Kikuchi for a 4-0 second-inning lead on an unseasonably warm 77-degree night, but Caballero’s error on Trout’s fourth-inning leadoff grounder to shortstop led to four unearned runs.
Grisham’s pinch-hit, three-run homer off Shaun Anderson lifted New York into a 7-4 lead in the fifth. Trout, like Judge a three-time AL MVP, tied the score again with a three-run drive in the sixth against Jake Bird.
Kings clinch playoff spot
Quinton Byfield scored twice, Anton Forsberg made 28 saves and the Kings secured a playoff spot with Monday night’s 5-3 win over the Seattle Kraken.
Trevor Moore, Adrian Kempe and Alex Laferriere also scored for the Kings, who won their fifth straight and are playoff-bound for the fifth consecutive season.
With two games left, the Kings are in position for the second Western Conference wild card and fourth in the Pacific Division, just two points behind second-place Edmonton. The Kings’ victory, combined with Nashville’s loss to San José earlier Monday night, wrapped up their playoff spot and eliminated both the Predators and the Sharks.
Jonathan Quick retires
From Chuck Schilken: New York Rangers goalkeeper Jonathan Quick is calling it a career after 19 NHL seasons and three Stanley Cup championships — with 16 of those seasons and two championships as a member of the Kings.
The 40-year-old goalie told reporters Monday that he would be playing in his final game that night, where the Rangers lost to the Florida Panthers, 3-2. It marked Quick’s 921st game appearance, counting playoffs.
“Tonight will be my last game in the league, and I am looking forward to it,” Quick said after the morning skate ahead at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla. “My wife flew down with the kids, my parents will be here. I am looking forward to this last one, try to get one more win here.”
Selected by the Kings in the third round of the 2005 draft, Quick became a fixture in front of the net for L.A. during the 2008-09 season. He was a key member of the Kings’ Stanley Cup champion teams in 2012 and 2014, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 16-4 record, a .946 save percentage and 1.41 goals-against average.
Luka Doncic returns to L.A.
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Luka Doncic will be back for the beginning of the Lakers’ playoff run. Just not on the court.
The Lakers’ superstar will rejoin the team by Friday after traveling to Spain to receive specialized treatment on his Grade 2 hamstring strain, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Times, but there is no timetable for Doncic’s return to the lineup.
Doncic suffered the injury in a game against Oklahoma City on April 2. A Grade 2 strain typically requires four to six weeks of recovery, but Doncic traveled to Europe to receive injections on his left hamstring with the hope of speeding up the recovery process.
The Lakers (53-29) face the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the first round on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Crypto.com Arena. The fourth-seeded Lakers are looking for their first playoff series win since 2023.
They are underdogs without Doncic and guard Austin Reaves, who suffered a Grade 2 left oblique strain in the same game. Doncic led the league in scoring with 33.5 points per game. Reaves, the team’s second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, was initially expected to miss four to six weeks with his injury, and is working hard to come back, a source told The Times. There is still no official timetable for his retur
How do the Lakers match up against the Houston Rockets entering their playoff series?
Lakers playoff schedule
First round
All times Pacific
Saturday: Houston at Lakers, 5:30 p.m, ABC
Game 2: Houston at Lakers, TBD
Game 3: Lakers at Houston, TBD
Game 4: Lakers at Houston, TBD
*Game 5: Houston at Lakers, TBD
*Game 6: Lakers at Houston, TBD
*Game 7: Houston at Lakers, TBD
*-if necessary
Clippers playoff schedule
Wednesday vs. Golden State, 7:30 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Loser is eliminated, winner advances to second play-in game on Friday, where they will play the loser of the other play-in game. Winner of that game becomes the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
This day in sports history
1928 — The New York Rangers beat the Montreal Maroons for the Stanley Cup, 3-games-to-2.
1931 — The Montreal Canadiens beat the Chicago Blackhawks to win the Stanley Cup after trailing 2-games-to-1.
1941 — 45th Boston Marathon won by Leslie Pawson in 2:30:38; his third victory in the event.
1948 — The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup in four games as they beat the Detroit Red Wings 7-2.
1955 — Stanley Cup Final, Olympia Stadium, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings win back-to-back titles; beat Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 for a 4-3 series victory.
1960 — The Montreal Canadiens win their fifth straight Stanley Cup with a four-game sweep of the Toronto Maple Leafs, including tonight’s 4-0 victory.
1962 — Elgin Baylor scores a record 61 points to lead the Lakers to a 126-121 triumph over the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals.
1968 — Bob Goalby wins the Masters when Roberto de Vincenzo of Argentina is penalized for signing an incorrect scorecard.
1974 — 38th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Gary Player wins the 2nd of his 3 Masters titles.
1985 — Bernhard Langer beats Curtis Strange, Ray Floyd and Seve Ballesteros by two strokes to win the Masters.
1991 — Ian Woosnam of Wales made a par putt to turn back Tom Watson on the last hole and capture the Masters.
1993 — The NHL’s longest winning streak ends at 17 games as the Pittsburgh Penguins settled for a 6-6 tie with the New Jersey Devils on a late goal by Joe Mullen.
1996 — The Detroit Red Wings wrap up the winningest season in NHL history by defeating Dallas 5-1. The Red Wings finished with 62 victories, beating the 60 wins of the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens.
1996 — Greg Norman shoots a startling 78 in the greatest collapse in Masters history, giving Nick Faldo his third green jacket and sixth major championship.
2002 — Tiger Woods becomes the third player to win back-to-back Masters titles. He closes with a 1-under 71 to claim a three-stroke victory over Retief Goosen.
2013 — Adam Scott becomes the first Australian to win the Masters, beating Angel Cabrera on the second hole of a playoff on a rainy day at Augusta National.
2016 — Breanna Stewart leads a UConn sweep of the first three picks in the WNBA draft, going first overall to the Seattle Storm. Moriah Jefferson went second to San Antonio and Morgan Tuck third to Connecticut, the first time in draft history that three players from the same school went 1-2-3. It’s a first in any major sport.
2019 — 83rd US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Tiger Woods wins his 5th Masters title by 1 stroke from Xander Schauffele.
2024 — 88th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: World #1 golfer Scottie Scheffler beats Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg by 4 strokes for his second Masters win in 3 years
Compiled by the Associated Press
This day in baseball history
1910 — William Howard Taft became the first U.S. president to throw out the first ball at a baseball opener in Washington.
1910 — Chicago’s Frank Smith pitched a one-hitter in the season opener to give the White Sox a win over the St. Louis Browns.
1915 — In the opening game at Philadelphia, left-hander Herb Pennock of the A’s blanked the Red Sox 5-0. He gave up only one hit — a scratch single by Harry Hooper with two out in the ninth.
1917 — Ed Cicotte of the Chicago White Sox pitched an 11-0 no-hitter over the St. Louis Browns.
1925 — The Cleveland Indians opened the season with a 21-14 victory over the St. Louis Browns, the most runs scored by one club on opening day. The Indians scored 12 runs in the eighth inning when the Browns made five errors. Browns first baseman George Sisler had four errors in the game.
1925 — In the first regular-season Chicago Cubs game to be broadcast on the radio, Quin Ryan announces the contest from the grandstand roof for WGN.
1931 — Jack Quinn of the Brooklyn Robins becomes the oldest pitcher to start an Opening Day game at 47 years old.
1961 — The “new” Washington Senators franchise wins its first game, defeating the Cleveland Indians, 3-2.
1964 — Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax throws his ninth complete game without allowing a walk.
1967 — Boston rookie Bill Rohr lost a no-hit bid in his first major league start when Elston Howard singled in the ninth inning for the New York Yankees’ only hit in a 3-0 loss to the Red Sox.
1969 — The first major league game outside the United States was played in Montreal’s Jarry Park with the Expos defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-7.
1976 — In the 6th inning of today’s 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs, Mets’ Dave Kingman hits what will become widely regarded as the longest home run ever hit in Wrigley Field, estimated at 600 feet.
1991 — Nolan Ryan becomes the 12th pitcher in major league history to surpass 5,000 innings pitched.
1999 — John Franco struck out the side in the ninth inning of the New York Mets’ 4-1 win over the Florida Marlins, becoming only the second pitcher to reach 400 saves. The only reliever with more saves than Franco is Lee Smith, who retired with 478.
2004 — A day after Yankees teammate Mike Mussina earned his 200th victory, Kevin Brown reaches the same plateau.
2005 — Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield got into a brief scuffle with a fan along the right-field fence at Fenway Park during New York’s game against the Boston Red Sox.
2010 — Jorge Cantu homered, making him the first player in major league history to have at least one hit and one RBI in each of his team’s first nine games, and the Florida Marlins beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-3.
2014 — Neil Walker and Gaby Sanchez hit back-to-back homers twice, and the Pirates and Reds combined for 10 homers in only six innings before rain forced a suspension. Pittsburgh had three sets of back-to-back homers, only the third time that’s happened in major league history. The NL Central rivals completed the game the next day. Andrew McCutchen doubled and came around on Russell Martin’s single in the seventh inning, giving the Pirates an 8-7 win.
2016 — Bryce Harper makes the 100th home run of his career his first-ever grand slam.
2017 — The Braves open their new ballpark, SunTrust Park, with a 5-2 win over the Padres before a sellout crowd of 41,149.
2021 — Carlos Rodon of the White Sox throws the second no-hitter of the season, blanking the Indians, 8-0.
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.
Bahamas police release husband of missing American Lynette Hooker
April 14 (UPI) — Authorities in the Bahamas have released the 58-year-old American man detained last week in the investigation into missing American Lynette Hooker.
The man, Lynette Hooker’s husband, Brian Hooker, was released Monday, the Royal Bahamas Police Force said in a statement that only identified the individual by his age and nationality.
“The decision to release the individual was made following consultation with the Department of Public Prosecutions, which recommended that no charges be filed at this time pending the outcome of further investigation,” the police force said, without identifying the suspect.
Brian Hooker’s lawyer, Terrel Butler, had said the authorities had until 7:20 p.m. EDT Monday to decide whether to charge his client, who has been in police custody since he was detained shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday.
According to police, Brian Hooker reported his wife missing early on April 5. He told investigators that he and his wife had departed Hope Town at around 7:30 p.m. the evening before for Elbow Cay aboard an 8-foot hard-bottom dinghy.
During the journey, his wife fell overboard with the boat keys in her possession, causing the vessel’s engine to cut off. Strong currents carried the woman away, he allegedly said, according to police.
Brian Hooker reported her missing after paddling the dinghy back to shore.
When he was taken into police custody last week, police incorrectly stated the suspect’s age as 59.
Former Nato chief warns UK security 'in peril' as he accuses Starmer of 'corrosive complacency'
Lord George Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary, will use a speech to accuse “non-military experts in the Treasury” of “vandalism”.
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Little Rascals star ‘Bug’ Hall arrested after missing court hearing over traffic dispute
FORMER child star Brandon “Bug” Hall has reportedly been arrested after allegedly skipping a court date tied to a traffic dispute.
The 41-year-old actor – best known for playing Alfalfa in the 1994 hit The Little Rascals – was picked up in Ohio.
According to documents obtained by TMZ, he was charged with failure to appear after he allegedly missed a court hearing on December 31, 2024.
The case stems from a prior incident on October 29, 2024, when he was reportedly hit with a traffic citation for not having liability insurance.
The former Hollywood child favourite shot to fame as the lovable cowlick-haired Alfalfa in The Little Rascals, a role that made him a household name in the 90s.
He later appeared in films including Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves, The Stupids, and American Pie Presents: The Book of Love.
In more recent years, Hall has popped up in TV shows such as Castle, Masters of Sex, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
It comes after Bug Hall was arrested after allegedly inhaling air duster back in 2020.
A police report seen by The Sun states the then-35-year-old was taken into custody in Weatherford, Texas, after he was allegedly spotted near a hotel dumpster “huffing”.
He was later booked at Parker County Jail on suspicion of “possession use inhale/ingest volatile chemical”.
Most read in Entertainment
According to People magazine, the substance involved was reportedly “air duster”.
Huffing is a form of substance abuse where household chemicals are inhaled to produce a high.
Hall posted a $1,500 bond the next day and was later released.
The actor was charged but never sentenced for the 2020 air duster incident.
While he was initially arrested and booked on a misdemeanor charge, he later stated that he faced no formal charges in the end.
J&J raises 2026 outlook as oncology products power Q1 beat
J&J raises 2026 outlook as oncology products power Q1 beat
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Unexpected item most people take on holiday could get you stopped at airport security
This harmless item isn’t banned by any airline, and many people pack it in their hand luggage, but the shape of it can trigger warning signs at airport security and see you getting held up in the queue
Nobody wants to be held up at the airport(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Airport security is one of the worst parts of flying, so once you’ve finally got to the front of the queue, you don’t want anything to delay your progress any further.
Once you put that bag on the conveyor belt, you want it to come through quickly so that you can get on with more important tasks, such as perusing the duty free shop. Nobody enjoys that sense of dread when your bag is stuck in the scanner, or even worse, sent off to the lane of shame to be examined by hand.
But many travellers don’t realise that an innocuous item could be the thing that’s halting their progress through the scanners as it’s shape can raise the suspicions of airport staff.
If you’re off on holiday somewhere with bad WiFi, or simply want something fun to do in the evening, you might be planning on bringing a deck of playing cards, UNO, or other card game.
Trading cards such as Pokémon have also had a huge revival in recent years, and some people even travel with a set of tarot cards so they can do readings on holiday. But packing any set of cards, whether collectible or mystical, can cause a security issue.
A spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), who deal with airport security in the United States, told Travel and Leisure that they recommend people still place their cards in their carry on bag, especially if they’re valuable items like collectible trading cards.
Ian Cava from the TSA explained that it was the shape of the cards that can trigger additional checks, and it can make it seem like there’s something hidden inside. “Trading and playing cards can sometimes trigger additional screening because of the way they are packed and their density.
“When items are stacked tightly together, like decks, binders, or graded slabs, the X-ray image can make it difficult for officers to confirm there are no prohibited items concealed in or around them.”
Ian’s recommendation is that travellers should remove the cards from their hand luggage and place it in the tray next to the bag, alongside items like their mobile phone. “This helps speed up the process and reduces the likelihood of delays,” he claimed.
But if the cards still don’t show clearly on the scanner, don’t be alarmed if the airport security staff need to carry out a physical inspection. Travellers with large and bulky card collections should ensure they leave additional time for security screening.
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A pack of cards isn’t the only thing that can see you held up at security. There are a number of personal items banned from hand luggage that could cause you issues. Many items are banned due to being sharp and potentially dangerous, but even innocuous items such as corkscrews could potentially be confiscated.
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
Contributor: The results are in, and same-sex marriage was a win for children and society
Prior to the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell decision, opponents raised alarms about the severe and immediate harms that would surely occur if marriages between same-sex couples were recognized nationally. Afterward, when those harms failed to materialize, those voices grew quieter, but some have been returning with renewed vigor, in hopes that the current Supreme Court, after overturning Roe vs. Wade, may be willing to overturn the Obergefell decision as well — though the justices declined to do so in November.
To build public support for rolling back marriage rights, new campaigns have been repeating the claims that legal recognition of same-sex marriages may harm children or even the stability of different-sex marriages. These are some of the same concerns that were raised in the years prior to the Obergefell decision. They were groundless then, and, more than 10 years later, the data confirm these fears to be unfounded.
In 2024, for the 20th anniversary of the first legal marriages of same-sex couples (in Massachusetts), my lab at UCLA joined with a team of researchers at Rand Corp. to review what social scientists learned over those two decades about the consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage.
We addressed this question in two ways. First, we searched through the research literature to find every published study that had examined the consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage. Prior to 2015, states legalized and prohibited same-sex marriage at different times, and social scientists tracked a wide range of outcomes, including the well-being of children, national trends in marriage and divorce, and the physical and mental health of same-sex couples. Opponents of legalizing same-sex marriage predicted, in the strongest terms, that people would suffer after same-sex couples were granted the right to marry.
After 20 years of legalized marriage for same-sex couples, 96 independent studies confirm there is no evidence for the harms critics predicted. Our review identified not a single study that observed significant negative consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage. Instead, the research literature identified many significant positive consequences.
For same-sex couples, legal recognition of their marriages was followed by more stable relationships, increased mental and physical health, greater financial stability, and stronger connections to family. For the children of those couples, our review found no documented negative outcomes, but legal recognition of their parents’ marriages did result in more children obtaining access to health insurance. And what about the rest of the country? States that recognized same-sex marriages prior to Obergefell experienced economic gains and considerable savings in healthcare costs relative to states that did not.
One of the most striking predictions of the opponents of same-sex marriage was that recognizing marriage among same-sex couples would weaken commitment to the institution of marriage among different-sex couples. That did not happen either.
To address this question, our report conducted new analyses, drawing on census data and other sources to determine whether state-level rates of marriage, cohabitation and divorce changed in the states that recognized same-sex marriage, compared with states that did not. No matter how we conducted the analyses, we could find no effects of recognizing same-sex marriage on any of these outcomes. It makes sense: When different-sex couples are making personal decisions about their own relationships, they are not paying much attention to what same-sex couples are doing.
If any harm resulted from allowing same-sex couples to marry, it ought to be well documented by now. The fact that there has been no evidence of harms despite considerable effort to find some suggests that the predictions made by opponents of legalizing same-sex marriage were unwarranted at the time. Now that we have 20 years of research and experience, those predictions remain unwarranted now.
Benjamin Karney is a professor of social psychology at UCLA.
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Ideas expressed in the piece
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The article argues that research from over two decades demonstrates same-sex marriage legalization produced substantial benefits for same-sex couples, including more stable relationships, improved mental and physical health, greater financial stability, and stronger family connections[1][2].
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The piece contends that children of same-sex couples experienced no documented negative outcomes following legal recognition of their parents’ marriages, while gaining increased access to health insurance[2].
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The column suggests that states recognizing same-sex marriages prior to the 2015 Obergefell decision experienced measurable economic gains and considerable healthcare cost savings compared to states that did not recognize such marriages.
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The article maintains that one of the primary concerns raised by opponents—that legalizing same-sex marriage would weaken commitment to marriage among different-sex couples—failed to materialize, with analyses showing no effects on state-level marriage, cohabitation, or divorce rates.
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The piece contends that approximately 96 independent studies confirm there is no evidence for the harms critics predicted would result from legalizing same-sex marriage, and that not a single study documented significant negative consequences.
Different views on the topic
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Historically, some researchers suggested potential concerns about children raised by same-sex parents, with the New Family Structures Study initially concluding that people with same-sex parents faced greater risks of adverse outcomes including unemployment and lower educational attainment[3].
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Some research has indicated that same-sex couples, particularly female-female couples, experience higher divorce rates compared to different-sex couples, with a 2022 study finding female-female marriages had 29% higher divorce rates relative to female-male marriages, and that lesbian unions demonstrate considerably less stability than gay male unions[4].