Prince Ali bin Hussein said nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media at the AFC Congress.

The head of Jordan’s Football Association (JFA), Prince Ali bin Hussein, has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of hijacking the Asian Football Confederation Congress for political purposes ahead of his re-election bid for a fourth term.

At the AFC’s extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday, its president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa endorsed Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president.

Months after the confederation accused Infantino of a “fundamental breach of trust” over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, Sheikh Salman told the congress that Asia was now united behind Infantino.

But JFA’s Prince Ali, who has been a vocal critic of FIFA’s leadership, painted a starkly different picture of events in Tokyo.

“Having come back from Tokyo where the AFC Congress took place, the first two days were about football, which we all serve. The last day was pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino,” Prince Ali wrote on X.

“There were reports that Asia has a united position when it comes to electing the next FIFA President. In fact, nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media.

“Lack of transparency leads to lack of accountability. No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed.”

Prince Ali did not elaborate on his statement.

Al Jazeera reached out to FIFA and the AFC for a comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Infantino also addressed the AFC Congress, giving Sheikh Salman his backing for another term.

In August, Prince Ali launched a public attack on Infantino, accusing him of “blackmail” and saying FIFA had offered to help solve the kingdom’s problems in exchange for his endorsement.

Two days later, Prince Ali confirmed Jordan’s players and staff had received outstanding reward money for their participation in the 2025 Arab Cup.

The association had been waiting since December for prize money for reaching the Arab Cup final in Qatar.

On Saturday, Infantino laughed off questions about whether he had considered resigning in the wake of the failed FFE proposal, pointing to what he described as overwhelming support from member associations around the globe.

The Swiss-Italian administrator’s re-election prospects were strengthened significantly after the AFC endorsement, leaving Europe increasingly isolated and exposing the lack of a challenger.

Manchester United’s 0-3 home loss to Bournemouth has left the 20-time champions winless in eight Premier League games.

Amid increasing pressure on his team and a growing threat to his own position as manager, Michael Carrick says he will do what is best for Manchester United after a 3-0 demolition by Bournemouth plunged his future into doubt.

Winless in eight games in all competitions, the 20-time English champions slipped to within one point of the relegation zone after a damaging defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday.

“It’s a tough situation,” Carrick told British broadcaster Sky Sports. “What is next? I don’t know.

“I’ll always do what’s best for this football club. I’ve said it all along; I don’t change that now. I love what I do. I love the responsibility, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Asked in a post-match news conference if he expects to be sacked in the coming days, Carrick replied: “I totally understand the situation. I’m not expecting anything in particular, to be honest. I’m carrying on as normal. I love this place.”

Despite a dismal run of results, the United fans largely supported the former midfielder as he made his way off the field at full-time before they turned on the club’s players.

“I have mixed emotions to have that connection with the supporters in the moment we’re in. I need time to digest that,” added Carrick.

“I appreciate their support but the situation is where it’s at. We haven’t been good enough.”

Carrick’s decision to drop captain Bruno Fernandes to the bench and not even introduce the Portuguese international as a substitute backfired.

Fernandes, last season’s Premier League player of the year, had criticised Carrick’s tactics after the 4-1 thrashing by Como on Wednesday.

Carrick said before the game that his call was a “pure football” decision, but it was hard to believe Fernandes was not being punished as he was left on the bench for the entire match.

“There’s always times in games when you are trying to change the course of the game and to make a difference,” said Carrick as he swerved questions on Fernandes’s absence. “Those were the decisions we made today.”

Carrick was appointed on a two-year deal only in May after a successful caretaker spell in charge led United to third place in the Premier League last season.

However, he has been unable to arrest the club’s steep decline since his former boss Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.

United were outspent by many of their rivals in the transfer market as they added just three midfielders – Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba.

But Carrick said a lack of investment did not justify such a decline in results.

“Last season to finish third was a really good achievement in the circumstances,” added Carrick.

“We understood where that left us, what was next, what needed to be done and how we needed to improve, and where we were at as a team and as a group at that stage.

“I definitely knew that we hadn’t cracked it and there was a lot of work to be done, but that doesn’t mean to say that it should have gone this way.”

On the same week that a court filing showed that construction on President Trump’s hotly contested triumphal arch could begin as soon as Nov. 5, another less reported development pointed to the possibility that the government might be misrepresenting its plans for Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park.

On Monday, the National Park Service held a meeting about a proposed redesign to the park, which is part of the National Mall and also where Trump wants to put his Garden of Heroes featuring more than 250 statues ranging from Humphrey Bogart to Kobe Bryant to Benjamin Franklin. Trump first proposed the idea in 2020, but it wasn’t until his second term — when he began a crusade to remake much of Washington, D.C.’s historic core according to his own predilections — that the plan looked as if it might manifest. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act even appropriated $40 million for the project.

The Garden of Heroes has remained largely in the background while preservationists focused on the demolition of the White House East Wing and the construction of a massive ballroom in its place, as well as the botched painting of the Reflecting Pool, and, of course, the gigantic triumphal arch.

But Monday’s NPS meeting about plans for West Potomac Park rang alarm bells for some when Judy Chesser, chair of the nonprofit conservation and preservation group the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, asked, “How does this relate to the Garden of Heroes that is being discussed in West Potomac?” to which the NPS spokesperson replied, “This is just an update to the tidal basin master plan we started before. This is not the Garden of Heroes.”

However, the Washington, D.C.-based education and advocacy organization Cultural Landscape Foundation noted that the rendering in NPS’ presentation and the illustrated “Pledge Agreement” from the National Garden of American Heroes Foundation contain similarities that “go way beyond coincidental.”

“Each includes a great lawn, a giant oval/circle, an amphitheater, a fountain, and a staircase to the Potomac River,” Charles A. Birnbaum, founding president and chief executive of the foundation, wrote in an email.

“In addition, the new design shown Monday amputates part of the FDR Memorial to accommodate the Oval. This is intentional. Clearly the Oval is meant to host something else or it would be re-scaled so as not to interfere with the FDR Memorial,” the email continued.

If this is the case, the strategy of downplaying or downright denying an intention to work on a Trump-backed project is eerily reminiscent of the strategy government lawyers used in a recent, highly publicized court battle over the removal of dozens of trees from a golf course that Trump is trying to transform into a premiere golfing destination.

In that instance lawyers repeatedly said there were no plans to renovate the golf course (thus preventing U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes from issuing an injunction against said renovations), only to chop down hundreds of trees on the course with no notice over a holiday weekend. Reyes was irate and sources familiar with the feud say that the judge expects the case to go all the way to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, as of 2 p.m. PDT, Thursday, opponents of Trump’s arch have filed a motion for an injunction on the possible Nov. 5 construction, arguing that Congress needs to approve any plan moving forward. This head-snapping whirlwind of motions and counter motions is expected by critics to continue to be the norm as Trump tries to push through as many of his D.C.-based renovations as possible before a new Congress is seated in January.

“What better way to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary than to shut down the legally required review process, ignore some 100,000 negative public comments, and fast track the construction of a bloated and deeply unpopular monument that the president claims is for him,” wrote the Landscape Foundation’s Birnbaum in a statement about the arch.

I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt pitching preservationists for my personal garden of heroes. This is your arts and culture news for the week.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY

American Sound Takes Flight
MUSE/IQUE explores the nation’s music from Aaron Copland to Paul Simon in a concert setting infused with storytelling and cultural context. Featuring Brandon Victor Dixon, Liv Redpath and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra, led by Artistic and Music Director Rachael Worby.
7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org

Bach to Broadway
The 31st annual concert, featuring Pueri Cantores SGV, the St. Andrew School Choir, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and members of the L.A. Opera and L.A. Master Chorale benefits the restoration of historic St. Andrew Church.
7:30 p.m. St. Andrew Church, 311 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. saintandrewpasadena.org

Ballet Festival: Jerome Robbins at the Ahmanson Theatre

(Steven Pisano / The Joyce Theater Foundation)

Ballet Festival: Jerome Robbins
Three programs of the choreographer’s masterworks, curated by New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck, with dancers from New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and other major companies performing to live chamber music
7:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. musiccenter.org

Andrew Bird
The acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter joins with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to mark the 20th anniversary of his album, “The Mysterious Production of Eggs,” with orchestral arrangements, plus popular songs from his catalog.
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

Aymeric Hainaux and François Chaignaud
The musician and choreographer team up for “Mirlitons,” a marathon vocal and dance duet.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Nimoy, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu

Museum on Haunted Hill: A Celebration of Vincent Price
The institution pays homage to its original patron, the noted actor, art collector, advocate and historian, with an evening of after-hours access to exhibitions, casual screenings of classic Price films, drinks and snacks, music, a photo booth and haunted decor.
5-8 p.m. Vincent Price Art Museum, East Los Angeles College, 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park. vpam.org

PLAY: A Play
EmIly Mast’s unscripted conceptual performance features six players, guided by a coach, working against a clock and an evolving set of rules to examine “the invisible systems that govern power, behavior and care.” With Hugo Armstrong, Gregory Barnett, Chu-Hsuan Chang, Jessica Emmanuel, Jessica Hemingway, Aramazd Stepanian and Maxwell Transue.
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., Little Tokyo. moca.org

Sinners: Sounds That Summon
This exhibition examines the standout Club Juke scene in Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning 2025 film focusing on the guitar played by the character Sammie Moore (Miles Caton), costumes, objects and archival material.
Through March 14, 2027. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. caamuseum.org

SATURDAY

Grand Ave Arts: All Access
Tenth annual celebration of L.A. downtown cultural corridor with free exhibitions, tours, performances, family-friendly activities and more from participating organizations including the Broad, Center Theatre Group, Colburn School, Classical California, Dataland, Gloria Molina Grand Park, Grand Performances, L.A. Opera, L.A. Phil, Los Angeles Central Library, Metro Art, MOCA, the Music Center and REDCAT.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Grand Ave., between Temple and 6th Streets, downtown L.A. grandavearts.org

Kabuki in Motion: The Lion Returns
U.S. Kabuki Ken Kyu Kai presents this program of kabuki dance, Nihon buyō (Japanese classical dance), and live koto and shamisen music featuring artists from Japan and California.
4:30 p.m. The Huntington, Rothenberg Hall, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. huntington.org

Picasso Ceramics From the Rosenbaum Collection
The exhibition presents 63 original prints and limited-edition ceramics, including vessels, plates, pitchers and sculptural forms created by the artist after 1947.
Through Feb. 28, 2027. Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. bowers.org

SUNDAY

Lucile Dollat
The French organist performs music from the 16th century to the present.
7:30 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

TUESDAY

Jason Moran Presents Duke Ellington: My Heart Sings
The pianist and composer performs with members of the Pacific Symphony to engage with Ellington’s work through a contemporary frame.
8 p.m. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org

The Music Man
Meredith Willson’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy brings smooth-talking con man Harold Hill to River City, where his schemes are curtailed when he falls for Marian, the local librarian.
Through Nov. 8. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. centertheatregroup.org

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal with Rafael Payare
The Canadian ensemble and its charismatic Venezuelan conductor (who also leads the San Diego Symphony) perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93,” plus Felix Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64” with Leonidas Kavakos.
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

The 39 Steps
Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 spy thriller (itself an adaptation of a novel by John Buchan) about an ordinary man entangled in international intrigue. Directed by Hunter Foster.
Through Nov. 22. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. lagunaplayhouse.com

The Who’s Tommy
The band’s 1969 rock opera featuring “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Sensation” and, of course, “Pinball Wizard,” is transformed into a Broadway musical by composer Pete Townshend and original director Des McAnuff.
Through Nov. 15. Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. broadwayinhollywood.com

WEDNESDAY

Nedra Ryan Taylor and Sarah Scott Davis in the play “Confederates.”

(Davis Northern)

Confederates
Institutional racism, as experienced in two different eras by Black women, is the subject of Dominique Morisseau’s 2022 dramatic comedy. Best known for her three-play cycle “The Detroit Project” as well as the book for the musical about the Temptations “Ain’t Too Proud,” Morisseau juxtaposes the plight of an enslaved rebel and Union spy during the Civil War with that of a contemporary political science professor facing a threatening work environment. Fountain Artistic Director Raymond O. Caldwell directs this sharp-eyed satire examining an unbroken thread of racial and gender bias in American history. (Charles McNulty)
Previews, 8 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, play runs through Dec. 13. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. fountaintheatre.com

THURSDAY

Seasons of America With Teddy Abrams & Ray Chen
The world premiere of Abrams’ L.A. Phil commission, written especially for violinist Chen, along with Julia Perry’s “A Short Piece for Orchestra.” Charles Ives’ “Three Places in New England, S. 7” and George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

Sasha Velour: Travesty
The Season 9 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performs a new solo work that spans queer history through lip-sync performances embodying various personas including a witch burned in a field, a clown who builds a theater and patrons of an underground gay bar.
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Oct. 30. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org

The SoCal scene

Katie Folger gets ready at her home before her performance of “Getting in Bed With the Pizza Man” at the Elysian Theater.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

ICYMI, the best of this week’s L.A. Times arts coverage:

Katie Folger moved to L.A. hoping to make it for the third time in nine years. She created a one-woman show and sold it out. Will the TV pilot sell next?

Former Times arts columnist Carolina A. Miranda wrote a fantastic profile of Todd Gray as he opens a new solo show at the Brick.

The Broad announced that it’s shipping 164 works to Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris for its most extensive exhibition ever mounted outside Los Angeles, timed to coincide with the most extensive phase of construction on its expansion.

Reggie Burrows Hodges, “Blackness in the Looking Glass and the Images of Currency: Carriage,” 2022.

(Reggie Burrows Hodges / Karma)

Artist Reggie Burrows Hodges has three concurrent shows in L.A. at the Getty, Art + Practice and California African American Museum. He prefers a low profile, but contributor Tara Anne Dalbow penned this lovely profile.

Latino Theater Company’s production of “Yamel Cucuy” is the story of a 13-year-old girl, ICE and Mexican folkloric monsters.

Times theater critic Charles McNulty headed to New York to review Billy Crystal’s “tremendously moving new Broadway show” “860.”

Culture News

Ahmanson Theatre.

(Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging)

Center Theatre Group and the YMCA of Los Angeles this week announced a new partnership called “Every Age. Every Stage,” with the aim of making live theater more accessible to a larger swath of city residents. The program includes free ticket offers for Y members as well as theater workshops and career mentorship.

A marble torso sculpted during the early Roman Empire set a new world record for ancient classical sculpture at auction earlier this week when it sold at Sotheby’s New York for $34.3 million. That was almost three times more than its pre-sale estimate of between $8 million and $12 million.

— Jessica Gelt

And last but not least

California has an adults-only train car featuring stiff drinks and great views of the redwoods.

Many of us were running errands, working out, or having breakfast when, in true 2026 Venezuelan fashion, one event we expected happened: María Corina Machado came back to her country.

She reappeared in the middle of a Sunday mass at the Santa Rosa basilica, a church near the city of Barquisimeto, home to the most popular Virgin Mary cult: la Divina Pastora. 

Surrounded by churchgoers and members of her party, Vente Venezuela, Machado joined the mass and embraced people, in a public demonstration of prayer, faith, and hope, in line with her religious persona that made her massively popular in 2023 and 2024, when she crossed the country meeting the communities more affected by mass migration and economic collapse. 

Now, many questions arise. 

How did Machado come back? For the region where she is now, in western Venezuela, we can speculate she took a private plane or a boat from the Dutch islands near the Falcon coast, on a route similar to the one she made during her clandestine trip to Oslo to collect her Nobel Peace Prize in December 2025.  

What will the chavista regime, and their Washington sponsors, do? As we described many times in our Political Risk Report, the chavista regime was preparing for this for months, speaking as if it wasn’t their fault that Machado wasn’t there, as if they would not have persecuted her and charged her with several crimes. Donald Trump just said that she is nice because she gifted him the Nobel Prize, so he hopes she is right. 

What can happen now? Machado will organize pressure to accelerate the complicated roadmap towards rebuilding the institutions and hold elections, including a presidential one where she is finally allowed to compete. At the same time, we expect Machado to channel the public ire about blackouts and inflation, and lead a more coherent and productive campaign towards a true democratic -not only economic- transition. With the appointment of the committee that will choose new justices for the Supreme Court, while the repressive apparatus led by Diosdado Cabello continues to show muscle by harassing activists, we must expect more street action and political negotiation. This is a challenge to both Machado and Delcy Rodríguez, and a shock to the dead calm chavismo was trying to settle. 

More to come. But Venezuela will get frenzied, and be interesting to global media, again. 

WEEK 10 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

SOUTHERN SECTION

Sigma League

Saddleback at Costa Mesa, 3:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Marine League

Wilmington Banning at Gardena

Valley Mission League

Canoga Park at San Fernando

SOUTHERN SECTION

Baseline League

Chino Hills at Upland

Damien at Rancho Cucamonga

Big West League

Chaparral at Vista Murrieta

Corona Centennial at Murrieta Mesa

Norco at Murrieta Valley

Riverside King at Corona Santiago

Bravo League

Capistrano Valley at Tustin

Camino Real League

St. Genevieve at Bosco Tech

Citrus Belt League

Cajon at Redlands

Citrus Valley at Beaumont

Yucaipa at Redlands East Valley

Conference 12 League

El Monte Arroyo at Mountain View

Delta League

Western at El Modena

Desert Sky League

Adelanto at Barstow

Foxtrot League

Irvine at El Dorado

Golden League

Eastside at Antelope Valley

Hacienda League

Baldwin Park at South Hills

Iota League

Laguna Hills at Garden Grove Pacifica

Ivy League

Vista del Lago at Rancho Christian

Kappa League

Esperanza at Portola

Manzanita League

Nuview Bridge at California Military Institute

San Jacinto Valley Academy at Anza Hamilton

Miramonte League

Bassett at Ganesha

Garey at Workman

Mission Valley League

Arroyo at Mountain View

Sierra League

Ayala at Colony

Charter Oak at Northview

Glendora at Bonita

Sunbelt League

Moreno Valley at Paloma Valley

Valley View at Hillcrest

Sun Valley League

Cathedral City at Desert Mirage

Tango League

Century at Santa Ana Valley

Garden Grove Santiago at Loara, 6:30 p.m.

Godinez at Magnolia

Valle Vista League

Diamond Ranch at Chino

Nonleague

Compton Centennial at Dominguez

Hemet at Heritage

Riverside Prep at Riverside Notre Dame

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

City League

Stella at New Designs Watts

Valley League

Valley Oaks CES at South LA College Prep, 3 p.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION

Majestic League

Cornerstone Christian at Calvary Baptist

Public Safety Academy at United Christian Academy

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Central League

Maywood CES at Hollywood

Mendez at Contreras

Roybal at Bernstein

Coliseum League

Crenshaw at Washington Prep

King/Drew at Dorsey

Eastern League

Garfield vs. L.A. Roosevelt at East L.A. College, 7:30 p.m.

Legacy at South East

South Gate at Huntington Park

East Valley League

Arleta at Sun Valley Poly

Fulton at North Hollywood

Monroe at Arroyo

Verdugo Hills at Grant

Exposition League

Fremont at Santee

Marine League

Narbonne at San Pedro

Metro League

Dymally at Hawkins

Rancho Dominguez at L.A. Jordan

Northern League

Eagle Rock at L.A. Marshall, 3:30 p.m.

Franklin at L.A. Wilson

Southern League

Diego Rivera at West Adams, 4 p.m.

Valley Mission League

Panorama at Sylmar

Reseda at Granada Hills Kennedy

Western League

L.A. Hamilton at Fairfax

L.A. University at Venice

Westchester at Palisades

West Valley League

Birmingham at El Camino Real

Chatsworth at Cleveland

Taft at Granada Hills

Nonleague

Locke at Lincoln

Los Angeles at Belmont

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alliance League

Alhambra at Montebello

San Gabriel at South El Monte

Alpha League

Edison at San Clemente

San Juan Hills at Mission Viejo

Yorba Linda at Los Alamitos

Angelus League

Bishop Montgomery at St. Paul

Cathedral at St. Pius X-St, Matthias Academy

Paraclete at St. Francis

Arroyo League

Crescenta Valley at La Canada

Bay League

Leuzinger at Palos Verdes, 3 p.m.

Redondo Union at Mira Costa

Big West League

Corona at Great Oak

Boulder League

South Pasadena at San Marino

Bravo League

Corona del Mar at La Habra

Villa Park at Crean Lutheran

Camino Real League

St. Monica at St. Bernard

Channel League

Moorpark at Westlake

Oak Park at Oxnard

Rio Mesa at Ventura

Santa Barbara at Thousand Oaks

Citrus Coast League

Carpinteria at Nordhoff

Channel Islands at Grace

Santa Clara at Del Sol

Coastal 101 League

Agoura at Calabasas

Buena at Camarillo

Oak Park at Oxnard

Conference 12 League

Keppel at Rosemead

Cottonwood League

Arrowhead Christian at Vasquez

Riverside Prep at Riverside Notre Dame

Webb at Whittier Christian

Crest League

Hoover at Glendale

Del Rey League

Alemany at La Salle

Crespi at Salesian

Harvard-Westlake at St. Anthony

Del Rio League

California at Santa Fe

Delta League

Dana Hills at Troy

Laguna Beach at Huntington Beach

Desert Empire League

Palm Desert at La Quinta

Palm Springs at Rancho Mirage

Shadow Hills at Xavier Prep

Desert Sky League

Silverado at Granite Hills

Desert Valley League

Banning at Coachella Valley

Desert Hot Springs at Yucca Valley

Epsilon League

Aliso Niguel at Santa Ana Foothill

Tesoro at Brea Ollinda

Trabuco Hills at Newport Harbor

Foothill League

Saugus at Castaic

Valencia vs. Hart at College of the Canyons

West Ranch vs. Golden valley at Canyon Country Canyon

Foxtrot League

Beckman at Segerstrom

Orange at El Toro

Gano League

Chaffey at Don Lugo

Nogales at Rowland

Walnut at Montclair

Gateway League

La Mirada at Mayfair

La Serna at Downey

Warren at Cerritos

Gold Coast League

Brentwood at Viewpoint

Golden League

Knight at Littlerock

Palmdale at Highland

Quartz Hill at Lancaster

Hacienda League

Covina at West Covina

Diamond Bar at Los Altos

Hub City League

Dominguez at Compton Centennial

Long Beach Cabrillo at Compton Early College

Inland Valley League

Arlington at Canyon Springs

Citrus Hill at Lakeside

Iota League

Cypress at Northwood

Marina at La Palma Kennedy

Ivy League

Liberty at Riverside Poly

Orange Vista at Rancho Verde

Ironwood League

Aquinas at Capistrano Valley Christian

Heritage Christian at Cerritos Valley Christian

Village Christian at Western Christian

Kappa League

Fullerton at St. Margaret’s

Sunny Hills at Anaheim Canyon

Lambda League

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Fountain Valley

Sonora at Placentia Valencia

Woodbridge at Westminster

Manzanita League

Desert Chapel at Silver Valley

San Jacinto Valley at Anza Hamilton

Marmonte League

Bishop Diego at Oaks Christian

Newbury Park at St. Bonaventure

Simi Valley at Oxnard Pacifica

Mesquite League

Linfield Christian at Maranatha

Santa Rosa Academy at Ontario Christian

Metro League

El Monte at El Rancho

Schurr at Bell Gardens

Mid-Cities League

Gahr at Bellflower

Paramount at Norwalk

Mission League

Bishop Amat at Sierra Canyon

Chaminade at Loyola

Gardena Serra at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

Mojave River League

Apple Valley at Sultana

Hesperia at Oak Hills

Serrano at Ridgecrest Burroughs

Montview League

Duarte at La Puente

Ontario at Hacienda Heights Wilson

Sierra Vista at Azusa

Moore League

Millikan at Long Beach Wilson

Mountain Pass League

Tahquitz at Elsinore

West Valley at San Jacinto

Mountain Valley League

Rubidoux at La Sierra

San Bernardino at Jurupa Valley

Ocean League

Lawndale at Hawthorne

South Torrance at Peninsula

Omicron League

Buena Park at Garden Grove

Los Amigos at Irvine University

Santa Ana at Estancia

Pioneer League

El Segundo at West Torrance

Santa Monica at Culver City

Torrance at North Torrance

Rio Vista League

Glenn at Pioneer

Lynwood at Artesia

Whittier at Firebaugh

River Valley League

Miller at Pacific

Norte Vista at Ramona

Patriot at Big Bear

San Andreas League

Colton at Kaiser

Rialto at Rim of the World

Sigma League

Anaheim at Saddleback

Costa Mesa at Katella

Rancho Alamitos at Ocean View

605 League

Glenn at Pioneer

Skyline League

Carter at Fontana

Indian Springs at Bloomington

San Gorgonio at Arroyo Valley

Sunbelt League

Riverside North at Perris

Sunkist League

Eisenhower at Grand Terrace

Jurupa Hills at Summit

Sun Valley League

Cathedral City at Desert Mirage

Indio at Twentynine Palms

Tango league

Bolsa Grande at Westminster La Quinta

Tri-County League

Royal at Hueneme

San Marcos at Dos Pueblos

Santa Paula at Fillmore

Trinity League

Santa Margarita vs. Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College

Servite at JSerra

St. John Bosco vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium

Valle Vista League

Claremont at Alta Loma

Los Osos at San Dimas

Nonleague

Burbank at Burbank Burroughs

Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Verbum Dei

Crescenta Valley at La Canada

Monrovia at Arcadia

Pasadena at Muir

Rio Hondo Prep at Desert Christian Academy

Temple City at Gabrielino

INTERSECTIONAL

Mary Star of the Sea at Carson, 7:30 p.m.

Victory Christian Academy at St. Jeanne de Lestonnac, 7:30 p.m.

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

Valley League

SOCES at East Valley

City League

USC Hybrid at Animo Robinson

Nonleague

TEACH Tech at Sotomayor

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agape League

Hesperia Christian at PAL Academy, 3:30 p.m.

Lucerne Valley at Academy of Careers & Exploration

Coast Valley league

Cuyama Valley at Maricopa

San Luis Obispo Classical Academy at Coastal Christian, 6 p.m.

Express League

Vista Meridian at Legacy College Prep

Freelance League

Laguna Blanca at Villanova Prep, 4 p.m.

Tri-Valley League

Sage Hill at Flintridge Prep

Nonleague

California Lutheran at California School for the Deaf Riverside

Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian at Malibu, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Express League

Southlands Christian at Downey Calvary Chapel, 12 p.m.

Heritage League

Faith Baptist at Desert Christian, 6 p.m.

Lancaster Baptist at Santa Clarita Christian

Tri-Valley League

Chadwick at Pasadena Poly, 11 a.m.

Nonleague

Avalon at Trinity Classical Academy, 12 p.m.

Thacher at Cate, 2 p.m.

In late August, United States President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on certain beef tariffs, making beef cheaper to import, particularly from Brazil.

That decision was framed as a way to bring down prices for consumers, but it landed as a betrayal for many US ranchers, who were getting ready to take their cattle to market.

It is too soon to tell how the decision will ultimately affect grocery prices, but the impact on ranchers was immediate: prices at cattle auctions plummeted, temporarily lowering ranchers’ profits. The United States Cattlemen’s Association, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Farm Bureau, all member organisations that represent ranchers, opposed the decision.

Rural Republican members of Congress also distanced themselves, but it is not yet clear how ranchers will vote in the midterms — or whether those votes will decide races.

Chad Basinger, a rancher in Pretty Prairie, Kansas, is sceptical that the imports will have a significant impact.

“I know there’s people that have said, ‘Well I’m just gonna vote for the other party’ or ‘I’m not gonna vote’ or ‘This administration’s really let me down’. So yes, there will be people that swing the other way in the midterms. But overall I don’t think it’ll be that much,” Basinger said.

Ranchers will also be weighing the administration’s other actions, Basinger said, such as the $8bn in farm relief announced in Kansas on October 19.

Basinger’s House of Representatives district in Kansas is expected to remain safely Republican in the midterms. But Kansas faces an unexpectedly tight Senate race and ranchers in House districts elsewhere may find themselves closer to the political fray: potential swing districts in Montana, Iowa, Texas and Colorado are all in cattle country.

Still, it is unlikely that ranchers alone will decide elections: ranchers — along with farmers more broadly — represent a shrinking percentage of rural voters and a smaller voting bloc in practice than in the public imagination.

America’s cattle herd is near its smallest size since 1951 and the number of ranchers has declined alongside the number of livestock. Observers worry that ongoing uncertainty fuelled by tariffs, fuel prices and drought may cause the ranching population to shrink further.

David Anderson, an agricultural economist at Texas A&M University who advises ranchers, said that high prices this year should have given ranchers the confidence to invest in the future and expand their herds. Making imports cheaper, however, may have helped nudge ranchers in the opposite direction.

“It really works against the market signal to expand and produce more domestically,” Anderson said. “That got a lot of people pretty angry.”

Tariff changes add volatility

This is not the first time that Trump’s tariffs have impacted cattle supplies. Last year, the president added a 50 percent tariff on Brazil, a key trade partner for beef, raising the cost of importing Brazilian lean beef, which is often mixed with fatty US beef to make hamburger patties, a staple in most homes.

In February, Trump allowed more tariff-free beef imports from Argentina. In August, he did the same for Brazil and Paraguay.

Both tariff changes led to swift price swings in cattle futures markets, which are often volatile in response to the news cycle.

Cattle prices also moved this year in response to more fundamental drivers of supply and demand: plant closures by meatpackers, labour shortages late last month related to ICE actions at Kansas packing plants, the second-largest in the country, and the reopening of the southern border after a closure due to New World screwworm disease.

Big picture, the shrinking US cattle herd has less to do with short-term price changes and more to do with drought cycles, which are growing more intense as warming temperatures increase evaporation.

Still, tariff changes add uncertainty. “This has been a hot topic for the last six weeks,” said Anderson. “It just adds a little more uncertainty or volatility — or worries or stress.”

This year, extra price volatility as many ranchers prepared to sell meant ranchers faced lower profits and more risk.

Basinger says that for many established ranchers, the tariff announcement was frustrating, but not existential.

“People are upset. They have a right to be upset. But they’re not going to change their strategy,” he said. For most ranchers, Basinger said, the imports would not be the biggest factor shaping decisions about their herds this year.

Where price volatility may matter more, Basinger said, is for the next generation. Most of today’s ranchers are eyeing retirement. Their heirs must decide whether to make a go of ranching or sell their family’s land. Other aspiring ranchers are also watching the industry.

“If you’re seeing your dad not make money, or somebody else not make money…it’s not easy work!” Basinger said. “It has to be very enticing for somebody to want to jump in and be like, ‘I’m gonna be a rancher and go break ice in the middle of winter when it’s cold and I could be inside’.”

Record revenue and record costs

This year, low US cattle supplies meant that ranchers commanded record-high cattle prices, despite added imports and other market shifts.

But high revenue doesn’t always mean huge profits: Many ranchers operate at a loss for years in a row. Then, they rely on a few good years to pay down debts or expand their herds.

This year, profits were lower than hoped, because ranchers also faced high costs.

Interest rates on loans are high and the war with Iran meant ranchers paid extra for fuel and fertiliser. A drought across much of America’s ranchland meant they paid more for feed.

In states such as Kansas and Nebraska, ranchers also faced destructive wildfires and aid groups like Farm Rescue coordinated hay donations.

Still, Basinger said, ranchers who raise cows and calves generally did well this year. In Kansas, he is seeing ranchers use profits to make repairs and upgrades. He said this year’s high cattle prices have been helping. “But it needs to help for a little longer to give them more of an edge,” he said.

More of an edge might mean, for example, enough money for bigger purchases, like buying land from a neighbouring ranch to make room for a growing herd.

Rangeland, however, is increasingly expensive. When it is up for sale, outside investors can often pay more than ranchers, which can mean less land for cattle. That’s just one more pressure shrinking the US herd decade after decade.

Ranchers had hoped that 2026 would be a turnaround year. So far, however, “we really don’t have much evidence of herd expansion,” Anderson said.

MOLLY-MAE Hague shared an emotional video about ‘blocking out’ the first months after daughter Bambi’s birth.

The former Love Islander, 27, became a mum for the first time when she gave birth to her baby girl on January 23 2023.

Molly-Mae and fiance Tommy, also 27, welcomed their second child, son Midas, into the world back in June.

The new mum has been very honest with fans and shared the ups and downs of motherhood on social media over the years.

The Maebe owner has previously admitted she felt like her ‘life was over’ after giving birth to Bambi and opened up about the ‘really low lows’.

Molly-Mae recently took to her TikTok account to open up about different her two postpartum experiences have been.

MONEY MAE

Molly-Mae reveals new Adidas collab after backlash over ‘boring’ first drop

UNITED FRONT

Molly-Mae & Tommy enjoy family day after ‘boozy’ boxer is kicked out of event

The video started with star giving Midas a kiss on the cheek, followed by a clip of a younger Molly-Mae bottle feeding Bambi on the sofa in her pyjamas.

Molly-Mae told fans: “For the mums who need to know that no two postpartums have to look the same.

“I didn’t realised how much of my first postpartum I’d blocked out until having Midas and realising I could barely answer questions about it.”

Fans rushed to the comments section to share the love.

One said: “You’re doing absolutely amazing.”

Another wrote: “The best mummy.”

“This makes me cry, well done mama,” a third chimed in.

A fourth added: “The difference is unbelievable, you should be so proud of yourself Molly. You’re a true inspiration.”

A fifth said: “I love that you’re showing the raw and real side of becoming a mummy.”

Molly and fiance Tommy shot to fame on Love Island in 2019.

The pair placed second on the series and moved in together after returning to the UK.

Then in September 2022, they announced that they were expecting their first child together and she gave birth the following January.

The happy couple got engaged in June 2023.

Then in August 2024, they announced that they had split, but in May 2025, they were back together.

Molly-Mae and Tommy later revealed that they were expecting their second child, and gave birth to Midas in June this year.

McALLEN, Texas — The Ford Expedition rumbled to a stop and Cindy Banda’s bedazzled flip-flops landed on the asphalt of the Houston cancer center’s vast parking lot. She threaded through the rows of cars, a tally of patients who gather here to sit with chemotherapy needles or lie on radiation machines.

The elevator dinged open. A year ago in this building, surgeons removed Banda’s right breast, and she still didn’t know whether treatment had expunged the cancer from her body. Doctors had told her it would be tough to beat.

“I’m more of a positive person myself,” Banda said, now sitting with a white wristband in a dim waiting room. But the bills are harder to dismiss, and the single mother with six children in her care repeated something like a mantra. “Keep the house. Keep the cars. And just keep the kids stable.”

That’s true for many Americans, as rising healthcare costs leave more families with a sinking feeling after seeing the bill for surgery or medication. Heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections, about half of registered voters said healthcare costs are a major problem for them and their families, up from a little more than one-third four years ago, according to a Fox News poll from September.

With party control of Congress at stake, registered voters are nearly twice as likely to say they trust Democrats over Republicans to handle healthcare, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll from the same month. Those frustrations, combined with broader concerns over rising prices, have sapped support for President Trump and his Republican Party.

Banda knows how that feels. She backed Trump in each of his three campaigns, motivated by her opposition to abortion. But when cancer came, the ensuing scramble to make ends meet was painful enough to rearrange her priorities, and she started to think about voting Democratic for the first time.

The 46-year-old was ushered into a sterile room for her appointment, her phone lighted up with a text. “Please contact TD Auto Finance.”

“This one’s $1,300,” she said of the car payment bill. “I have to go back to work.”

She had been on sick leave for a year from her job selling internet service, and she needed the income to support her three children and three more she had taken in after her sister’s death.

The doctor said her reconstruction surgery could be scheduled early next year. “I was hoping for maybe December,” Banda said, “only because I’ve met my deductibles.” Come January, she would have to pay down the $7,500 again. Earlier may be possible, the doctor replied, if the skin around her surgical scar loosens.

The evening had cooled slightly by the time she walked back through the rows of parked cars, their ebb and flow marking the tide of sickness, survival and death in a small corner of a colossal healthcare industry that saves lives while taking in over $5 trillion every year.

Banda paid $8 for parking as she left.

Confronting death and debt

Two weeks later, Banda was back at work, making door-to-door rounds to sell Spectrum’s Wi-Fi in McAllen, her city along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley. Banda, holding blue fliers, walked along a row of storefronts, some that closed since she last was in the area.

She hadn’t had a sale and commission since October of last year, after the biopsy and diagnosis.

The doctor who gave her the news had hugged Banda, and she sobbed even though, she says, she never really sobs in front of other people. During chemo, her children took turns buzzing off her wispy hair. When her 9-year-old daughter’s hand quivered, a teenage cousin helped guide the clipper over her mother’s scalp.

Banda’s first impulse was to maintain normality, stability, for the children.

But that requires roughly $7,000 a month for utilities, mortgage, car payments and groceries, along with the two water leaks. Then, even with insurance through her job, the surgeries, chemo and radiation added up to over $25,000 that she’s been paying off, making Banda one of tens of millions of other people in the United States in medical debt.

Banda tries not to dwell on death and debt.

“It’ll consume you,” she says. She smothers those thoughts beneath her bubbly demeanor and avoids being alone. But that truce, between her insistence on positivity and the fears that it covers, is brittle.

Certain thoughts still arrive uninvited. Banda’s late sister, Melissa, didn’t have life insurance. Banda makes sure it’s a payment she never misses.

“Sometimes I think, and I shouldn’t think like this, but I’m worth more gone than here,” she said one day. “Obviously, the goal is not that, the goal is to beat it,” she continued, “to keep the house and keep the cars.”

So far she has, with the help of others.

On top of child support, the father of Banda’s 9-year-old often pays $400 a week for a nanny to help with the kids. Banda’s own father sent her $700 before for her recent Houston appointment, one of his many cash infusions. Her high school classmates, whom she hadn’t been in close touch with in decades, fundraised by selling grilled chicken, rice and beans from a roadside tent. Two GoFundMe fundraisers collected nearly $30,000, and Banda rented her late sister’s house while putting her own in forbearance.

But months of insecurity takes its own, sleepless toll. She needed to sell some internet services to catch up.

After sticking the Spectrum Wi-Fi fliers onto empty storefronts, she drove to pick up her kids from school. The following day she had a morning meeting at a barbershop for what would be her first sale back at work.

Turning on Trump

A lifelong Christian, Banda had voted her antiabortion stance in past elections. When her sister was kidnapped and murdered by her ex-husband in 2020, Banda retreated from religion. The cancer brought her back to church with an apology to God, but it also made her rethink her politics.

She voted for Trump in 2016, and his first four years seemed steady, she said, so she voted for him again in 2020. President Biden’s tenure, including a global pandemic and related inflation, felt like bedlam, so she voted for Trump to return to the White House in 2024.

But two years later and fighting an expensive disease, she had found no respite from high prices.

So when James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminary student running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, visited one of Banda’s fundraisers — speaking about his diabetes and his work in the Texas Statehouse to lower the price of insulin — it moved her. “Imagine if he can do that for the cancer,” she said.

Talarico and his Republican opponent, state Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, have different approaches to healthcare. Talarico wants all Americans to be able to join Medicare; Paxton proposed a $25,000 tax deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Talarico also supports a law guaranteeing abortion access nationwide, which Banda has voted against for years. But after she slid into debt to stay alive, after her grocery bills mounted and the high school had to comp the kids’ soccer gear she couldn’t afford, Banda’s antiabortion concerns have been superseded by worry about costs.

“Because it’s what I’m living,” she said. “I’m living it.”

Banda cast an early ballot for Talarico. “Never voted Democrat before today!!” she wrote in a text with blue heart emoji.

Awaiting news

Banda had just started a new cancer-targeting medication that cost $16,000 a month, reduced to $500 by insurance. By the afternoon, she was nauseated and fatigued, unable to eat. The malaise would keep her home the next day. She would miss the meeting with the barbershop to close her first deal since getting sick, though she felt confident it was in the bag.

But Banda pushed through the discomfort one evening to join her family as they replaced the flowers at her sister’s tomb.

She drove past the headstones and oak trees in the evening’s slanting light, and the family gathered around Melissa Banda’s tomb in an open-air mausoleum. There was no speech. Their eulogy was her father, Fidel Banda, methodically clipping and arranging the flowers for his daughter.

Banda walked along the wall of tombs. She will find out on election day whether the cancer is in remission or whether it’s spread to her organs.

“This one’s for me,” she said, pointing to a blank tomb next to her sister’s.

“Mom!” said her daughter with the huffiness of a 9-year-old. “Why would you say that?”

Banda smiled and added, “in a hundred years.”

Bedayn writes for the Associated Press.

When it comes to top individual performances from Friday night football, few can challenge Santa Barbara High’s secret weapon, Cade Mault, a junior soccer player committed to Cal Poly who taught himself how to kick and punt.

Against Westlake, Mault accounted for all of Santa Barbara’s points in a 13-10 win over Westlake. He had an 85-yard touchdown reception. He made field goals from 49 and 43 yards. He made the PAT. He even picked up a first down on a fake punt.

“We believe in him,” coach Nathan Mendoza said.

He’s four for four on field goals this season, has not missed a PAT, is booming punts and still plays club soccer on weekends while practicing soccer four times a week from 6 to 9 p.m.

Soccer is his sport, but he’s progressing so well in football, options could be opening up for someone who insists no one taught him how to kick or punt.

His family is all about competing in sports. He has an older brother, Kai, who was an All-Southern Section receiver for Santa Barbara and now plays baseball for UC Davis. A younger brothers plays football and lacrosse.

He has a 3.9 grade-point average, so all options are open. Mendoza hopes he keeps playing football for at least one more year.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

RHIAN Sugden looked utterly sensational in her latest Instagram snaps, combining sexiness and sequins.

The former glamour model, 40, stripped down to a barely-there set of purple lingerie and posed up a storm for the camera.

Rhian looked over her shoulder in the set, which featured hot pink straps and a thong-style panty.

Her brunette hair fell beautifully down her back in soft waves, with her face framing pieces drawing attention to her pink pout.

The star finished the look off with a sparkly silver sequin bolero shrugged off down to her elbows.

Fans of Rhian’s gushed all about her beauty in the post’s comments section.

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RED HOT

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One user said in utter awe: “Just wow”.

A second shared: “Absolutely gorgeous.”

Meanwhile a third added: “What a stunner.”

The post comes shortly after Rhian opened up about her marriage being under strain, admitting that she sleeps in a separate bed to her husband.

Speaking on the Private Parts podcast, Rhian explained: “The thing that’s changed our marriage is having [a] child.

“Like, we’re like strangers at the minute. It’s hard. Even when we go on holiday, we’re not really getting much time alone.

“George just didn’t sleep as a baby, and I was like, I can’t do this. Just get him in bed.

“So we’ve just bought him a double bed and now I’m in George’s bedroom.”

Rhian and Oliver began dating in 2013 and tied the knot in Turkey in 2018.

They welcomed their son George together back in 2024 after a five-year long journey with IVF.

AstraZeneca (AZN) said its experimental stomach cancer treatment doubled survival time in a late-stage clinical trial, strengthening prospects for a medicine the British drugmaker estimates could generate as much as $5 billion in annual sales.

The drug, sonesitatug vedotin, also known as

As Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy came under fire for releasing an attack ad featuring his Democratic competitor’s estranged mother, a mysterious news site was running a Facebook ad boosting the controversial video.

The Buckeye Bulletin, which bills itself as an Ohio-based news platform committed to “reliable journalism” and “strong editorial standards,” popped up suddenly this spring and began pumping out a steady stream of pro-Ramaswamy content.

The publication’s articles have no bylines. There is no list of staff. The website does not feature digital advertisements, nor does it prompt readers to subscribe, but there is also no disclosure of who is funding it.

A closer look at the Buckeye Bulletin’s Meta advertising data shows that its Facebook and Instagram accounts are managed by the Lincoln Media Foundation, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Orange County-based Lincoln Club — the oldest and largest conservative donor organization in California. IRS documents show that the club and foundation are associated organizations and share at least two key executives.

Meta’s advertising data shows that the Lincoln Media Foundation manages the Instagram and Facebook accounts for the Buckeye Bulletin.

(Meta)

The Buckeye Bulletin, Lincoln Club and Lincoln Media Foundation did not respond to requests for comment.

The Bulletin appears to be a partisan site posing as a local news outlet ahead of the midterm elections, a strategy political scientists refer to as “pink-slime” journalism.

This is not the first time a “pink-slime” outlet has been linked to the Lincoln Media Foundation. In 2024 Max Read, director of civic innovation for the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, identified seven such alleged outlets.

With the exception of one Los Angeles-focused site, those outlets all targeted critical states for the 2024 presidential election such as Georgia, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Read reported that the media group had spent more than $63,000 on Facebook and Instagram ads, resulting in up to 18 million impressions during the last election cycle.

“[The sites were] very clearly designed to try to influence the information environment ahead of the presidential election,” Read told The Times. “They had all been started early in the year and used advertising on Meta platforms to juice their engagement numbers.”

When asked by The Times to take a look at the Buckeye Bulletin, Read said it appeared to be “pretty much copy and paste the same tactic that they used in 2024, even down to the aesthetics of the Facebook page and Instagram account.”

“It seems like they realized this worked at some level in 2024 and is worth doing again this year,” he said.

Earlier this year, CalMatters identified another outlet tied to the Lincoln Media Foundation called the California Courier, which had been circulating Facebook advertisements criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom and the statewide redistricting ballot measure Proposition 50.

Since the Buckeye Bulletin’s Facebook and Instagram pages launched in March, the outlet has shared posts touting endorsements of Ramaswamy — a biotech billionaire and former presidential candidate — as well as his platform for addressing Ohio’s healthcare crisis and his stance on religious freedom in schools.

Simultaneously, the outlet’s social media posts have highlighted the refusal of his opponent — Amy Acton, Ohio’s former public health director — to debate, comments on how she “shut down” the state’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and a video with a watermark from right-wing political activist Laura Loomer.

This week, the outlet turned attention to Ramaswamy’s controversial campaign ad featuring Acton’s estranged mother, Donna Arthur. In the ad, Arthur calls her daughter a liar and urges voters not to support her.

However, the ad did not acknowledge that Arthur lost custody of her children after their stepfather, Arthur’s husband, was indicted for raping Acton when she was a child — an omission that drew fierce condemnation from Democrats and some Republicans, including Ohio’s Republican Gov. Mike DeWine. Others, including President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, an Ohioan, have defended the ad.

Arthur and her husband fled to Pennsylvania after his 1978 indictment where he died in 2004 without having been brought back to Ohio to face the charge.

Peppered in between political content on the Bulletin’s social media feeds is a smattering of reels related to non-political news, often featuring videos lifted directly from local TV stations. These other posts are used to create a “veneer of genuine local journalism,” Read said.

The language on the Bulletin’s About Us page displays markers of artificial intelligence such as generic mission statements, polished but repetitive phrasing and vague claims about journalistic standards with no details about the publication’s staff.

Of the last 30 posts shared on the Bulletin’s Facebook as of 5 p.m. Friday, 21 were about state or national politics and 10 were about the gubernatorial race. Engagement on the posts dealing with Ramaswamy and Acton is consistently strong for a page with around 5,600 followers.

For example, a Wednesday post on Ohio State Medical Assn.’s PAC endorsing Ramaswamy received more than 770 likes, 260 comments and 150 shares. Another video posted Wednesday with the label “Amy Acton refuses to debate, says mother is lying about her” received more than 4,800 likes, 1,500 comments and 500 shares.

Meanwhile, a non-political Wednesday post on a chemical explosion in Toledo received two likes, no comments and no shares.

The unassuming social media scroller or person who clicked onto the website would have no clue of the Buckeye Bulletin’s apparent connection to a group of wealthy Southern California Republications.

The Lincoln Media Foundation was started by leaders of the historic Lincoln Club, which was founded in 1962 and once counted John Wayne and former President Richard Nixon as members.

Today, the club describes itself as being home to “the most prominent business and thought leaders” in California and says it offers members the opportunity to meet world leaders and “experience their hobbies come to life through a combination of extravagance and leisure.”

The foundation notes that it uses a digital approach to reach communities left out of the national conversation, but its website does not disclose providing funding to any news outlets.

IRS records show that the nonprofit’s financial activities kicked up dramatically in 2024, the latest year for which data are available. The Lincoln Media Foundation reported $3.88 million in revenue in 2024, compared with $738,000 in 2023, $453,000 in 2022 and $415,000 in 2021.

The Buckeye Bulletin’s Facebook and Instagram accounts have spent just over $10,000 boosting posts this year, according to Meta’s ad library.

That’s barely a drop in the bucket in Ohio, where hotly contested races for governor and U.S. Senate have drawn hundreds of millions in spending. But presenting a slanted political view under the guise of local news tends to offer more bang for your buck than traditional advertisements, said Georgia Kernell, an associate professor in the departments of communications and political science at UCLA.

“Voters are so sick of ads; they’re getting tons of clear paid advertisements on the radio, on the television and on their social media feeds now,” she said. “Anything that can kind of look different is going to be more likely to keep their attention.”

Presenting as a traditional news source also increases the likelihood of viewers believing that the information presented is well-researched, she said.

Nik Usher, associate professor of communications at the University of San Diego, said it’s unclear how much influence pink-slime journalism is having on voting behavior, but political strategists are willing to try any new approach to possibly make a difference in tight races.

“This is one strategic effort to throw more spaghetti at the wall, hoping it’ll stick,” Usher said.

Creators of these partisan sites further stand to benefit from the fact that artificial intelligence tools are constantly scraping content from news websites without paywalls.

Researchers at NewsGuard recently found that leading AI chat bots are citing pink-slime websites nearly half the time when users ask questions about candidates and issues in the midterm elections.

Democrats and Republicans have increasingly leveraged pink-slime journalism to influence voters in the past few election cycles.

In 2020, the New York Times identified a network of 1,300 news sites that paid freelance writers to produce biased content for Republican groups and corporate public relations firms. In 2024, the left-leaning Star Spangled Media group used a site called the Morning Mirror to promote down-ballot Democratic candidates, according to research from Columbia Journalism School’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism.

More recently, the evolution of AI has increased the ease with which these websites can be populated with content, eliminating the need to pay writers and automating the production of social media posts.

Usher described pink-slime websites as “explosive bombs for public trust” that take advantage of the gap created by the loss of independent local papers and further diminish expectations for news to be fairly reported.

“Once these sorts of sites are pointed out to the public it further undermines distrust in political institutions, political parties, the news media,” Usher said, “especially when AI is associated with this kind of stuff.”

Jake Jarman becomes the first British male gymnast to win two individual medals in the World Gymnastics Championships, after winning silver in a thrilling men’s vault final in Rotterdam.

WATCH MORE: Gymnastics World Championships BBC iPlayer

Available to UK users only.

Jordan’s prime minister represents king at funeral for eight of the church attack victims as hunt for gunmen continues.

Thousands of mourners have gathered for the funerals of eight of the victims of a deadly attack on a church in southern Jordan, with Prime Minister Jafar Hassan also in attendance.

The burials on Sunday were beside St George’s Greek Orthodox Church in the village of Hamoud, southwest of the capital, Amman, two days after attackers opened fire during another funeral there.

Nine people were killed and dozens wounded in a rare attack on Jordan’s Christian minority, prompting three days of national mourning.

The ninth victim, Mohammed al-Qasous, is due to be buried on Monday, his family told the AFP news agency.

Coffins wrapped in Jordanian flags were carried through crowds gathered around the church in Karak province, as priests led prayers and security personnel stood guard.

Prime Minister Hassan attended the service alongside government ministers and senior military and civilian officials, according to Jordan’s state news agency, Petra.

Thousands of citizens also participated in the funeral procession, Petra said.

Among those caught in Friday’s shooting was Sahar al-Halsa, who told the Reuters news agency from her nearby home that she sheltered behind a pillar as gunfire erupted and people screamed.

When she rushed outside, she found her cousin Assem lying wounded.

“Assem, Assem, my darling, answer me,” she recalled calling to him. He briefly opened his eyes before dying, she said.

Father Yohanna Hamati told AFP that about 170 to 200 people were at the church for Friday’s funeral when firing began outside.

The mourners initially struggled to understand what was happening, he said, before people began rushing into the church to escape.

By Saturday, bullet holes remained in the walls and wooden pews, and windows had been shattered.

Church workers were cleaning away blood as villagers prepared to bury the dead. Jordanian authorities have described the attack as “extremist terrorism”.

King Abdullah, who visited some of the wounded in hospital on Friday, has promised a forceful response and the assailants are still being sought.

Officials say they have not established whether the attackers were connected to an armed group and no organisation has claimed responsibility.

The violence has also drawn expressions of solidarity across religious lines. Christians account for about 3 percent of Jordan’s largely Muslim population and AFP reported that Muslims were among those wounded.

Young volunteers visited a hospital in Karak with flowers and a message reading, “Our loss is one”.

The mourning reached Washington, DC, on Sunday, where members of the Jordanian community lit candles outside their country’s embassy.

Jordan’s ambassador to the US, Dina Kawar, told those gathered that efforts to stir religious division were “bound to fail”. Back in Hamoud, Father Hamati appealed for unity, stressing that Muslims had also suffered in the attack.

“We make no distinction between Muslim and Christian,” he told AFP.

Instead of running for office themselves, student-led assemblies at the country’s university faculties have chosen 250 candidates to stand in the parliamentary election, with Ilija Srdanović, professor at Novi Sad University, heading the list.

The Student List of candidates for parliament also includes doctors, actors, academics and sports personalities

“These are people that don’t know each other, you have no idea what their political beliefs are, and we now expect them to create a functioning government. So it’s anybody’s guess what happens after they win,” Korać says.

“On the other hand, if Vučić declares victory this evening, probably late in the evening, I don’t think the students will accept that.”

Korać suggests that many former Vučić loyalists in high office could change sides at the last moment, if the students win. A close result, however, with both sides claiming victory, could result in weeks or months of political instability.

The electorate is 6.45 million in a population of 6.53 million, raising concerns about the reliability of the electoral register. Serbs from Kosovo, and dual Serbian citizens from neighbouring Bosnia also have the right to vote.

Additional reporting by André Rhoden-Paul

SCARLETTE Douglas has revealed she’s expecting her first child with her fitness instructor fiancé Kyle Murray.

The A Place In The Sun host, 39, took to Instagram on Sunday afternoon to share the sweet news – alongside a picture of her blossoming bump.

The TV personality – who froze her eggs back in 2024 – shared a snap of herself and Kyle in front of a balloon arch and teddy bear display which read: ‘We can Bearly wait’.

In the snap, Scarlette donned a crop top to show off her bump, which Kyle cradled from behind.

Scarlette wrote underneath the post: “The exciting news is finally here!

“We’re over the moon to announce… We’re having a baby!!!!!!”

HEY BABY!

Gaz Beadle’s ex Emma shows off her growing baby bump after announcing pregnancy

FLOG IT

Helen Flanagan stuns in corset dress as she flogs her old clothes on Vinted

The star’s celeb pals flocked to the comments to share their congratulations – with Frankie Essex writing: “Yayyyyyyuuu love it!! Congratulations ❤️❤️❤️❤️”.

Scarlette did not share in the post how far along in the pregnancy she is, or whether the couple know the gender of their little one.

The TV star met her boyfriend in May last year, with Scarlette attending one of his fitness classes.

In March this year, Kyle popped the question and the pair are now engaged.

The expectant parents attended The Baby Show – a parenting exhibition – in London on Friday.

Snaps show the duo testing out prams and cots as they got their practice in ahead of the baby’s arrival.

Halloween candy sales are declining as financially strained Americans cut back on discretionary purchases, with higher chocolate prices and rising household expenses weighing on demand ahead of the holiday.

U.S. candy sales fell 6.7% in the four weeks ended Oct. 17 from a

OUR Spotlight On column gives you the lowdown on what to see and do in popular holiday spots and off-the-beaten-track destinations.

This week we’re shining a light on Limassol in Cyprus, home to gorgeous beaches and luxury marinas littered with quality restaurants.

Cyprus is one of the best Med destinations for some late winter sun, with it remaining one of the warmest European destinations in winter.

By that, I mean expect temperatures of 23C – not hot, but definitely t-shirt weather.

British Airways, Wizz Air and Ryanair all have direct flights to both airports which are around an jour from Limassol (with Ryanair offering them for as little as £14.99)

Here are some of our other top tips for a visit to the island city.

BOOK IT

20 ultra cheap girly hols – UK trips, city breaks & all inclusive stays from £59

SIP IT

Beachfront city with 300 sunshine days, wild sea lions & champagne vending machines

MUST SEE/DO

Limassol is so much more than a fly-and-flop destination – the second-largest city in Cyprus is rich in culture and fascinating history.

And you can unearth some of its magic at the Limassol Castle & Medieval Museum, which dates back to around 1590 (although it was demolished and has been rebuilt with several additions throughout the years).

Here you can take a detailed look at medieval pottery, old weapons and plates from the Byzantine era.

HIDDEN GEM

While most holidaymakers will spend their trip flopped on the beach, those with a more adventurous streak can take advantage of some gorgeous hiking trails, leading them to a couple of hidden waterfalls.

A little off the beaten track, at the foot of the Troodos Mountain, the tumbling Kaledonia and Millomeris falls are a magnificent sight – and great spot for a photo.

The stroll takes around an hour and is just shy of 3km from Pano Platres – you can reward your efforts with a refreshing dip in the waters.

BEST VIEW

Perched on a mighty hill, the ancient theatre of Kourion offers the most breathtaking view, with the Mediterranean ocean laid out below.

The horse-show-shaped archaeological site is pretty spectacular anyway, regardless of the sea views.

It was constructed at the end of the 2nd century BC, from local limestone and has seen many renovations over the years.

It’s no longer used for wild animal fights, understandably.

Instead, visitors today can expect regular theatre performances during the summer months.

RATED RESTAURANT

There’s no end to excellent restaurants in Limassol, but if you’re a meat-eater you can’t go wrong with a slap-up dinner at Prime Steakhouse.

Located within the City of Dreams resort, close to Limassol Bay and Salt Lake, the sophisticated restaurant has been nominated in the Hotel/Resort Luxury Dining category for this year’s Cyprus Eating Awards.

Properly juicy steaks are cooked inside a Mibrasa charcoal oven and can be paired with stilton, chimichurri or morel mushroom sauces.

Make sure to wash it down with one of the whisky-based cocktails.

For dinner with a view, right on the marina is Pyxida (another nominee in the Cyprus Eating Awards) which cooks up top notch, fresh seafood.

BEST BAR

Few bars serve better cocktails than stylish Catrinas Cyprus, a Mexican-restaurant-cum-bar close to the marina.

The classic menu features all the favourites from the zesty pornstar martini to aperol spritz

Travellers come for the fruity drinks in a laidback atmosphere, but stay for the lively music – sometimes as late as 2am.

HOTEL PICK

The sprawling City of Dreams Mediterranean sits right on the coast and is bursting with fun for families and adults alike, from its grand casino and late-night shows, to tennis coaching sessions and an adventure park with a zipline coaster and climbing wall.

The five-star setting is a great place to relax with several outdoor and indoor pools, a spa and even a hair salon for those wanting a holiday zhuzh.

Rooms cost from €340 in winter, on bed and breakfast basis. See cityofdreamsmed.com.cy.