The small Little Lake school district, which serves mainly low-income families in southeast Los Angeles County has become the setting for one of the longest teacher strikes in state history — reaching the the 10-day mark on Wednesday — as its 200-member union takes on significant issues straining districts throughout California.

The teachers have walked out over health costs increasing by $14,000 a year for some, crowded special education classes and proposed class size increases in a district grappling with declining enrollment and unsustainable past spending. The teachers aren’t asking for a pay raise — but their high-cost benefits are tantamount to a big pay cut.

While a settlement appeared close with negotiations to resume Wednesday afternoon, the dispute has taken a toll. Although schools are open with substitutes, the strike has consumed about 6% of the academic year. Most parents have kept children home, while scrambling to manage disrupted work and home routines — especially difficult in a school system where about 80% of students qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch because of family poverty. Teachers have typically lost several thousand dollars of pay that they are unlikely to get back.

“We’re trying to stay positive but every day feels like a punch to the gut,” Sabrina Ireland, a 6th grade math and science teacher, said on the picket line Wednesday in front of her campus, Lake Center Middle School. “I’m losing sleep… We have some teachers that both the husband and the wife teach here. They have no income right now.”

It’s hard for Little Lake to be noticed alongside the mammoth L.A. Unified School District, which has about 390,000 students. An L.A. Unified strike was dramatically averted with hours to spare on April 14 in a conflict that commanded local and national attention for weeks.

But this district — with seven elementary and two middle schools — is enduring a crippling strike, affecting about 3,400 students drawn from Santa Fe Springs and parts of Norwalk and Downey.

In terms of lost instructional days Little Lake ranks high. Earlier this school year, teachers went out for 12 days in the sizable Twin Rivers Unified School District in north Sacramento County. Teachers in New Haven Unified in Union City in Alameda County struck for 14 days in 2019. And an Oakland teachers strike in 1996 lasted about a month.

Teacher demands statewide

Numerous shorter walkouts and near strikes have unfolded throughout the state this year, part of a loosely coordinated effort by the California Teachers Assn. to align unions’ contract expiration dates and benefit from collective force. The union dubbed the effort as “We Can’t Wait.”

The issues surfacing in Little Lake echo the dynamic in L.A. Unified and elsewhere.

“Up and down the state, educators have won life-changing healthcare benefits and support for special education and have forced districts to create the safe and stable classrooms our students deserve,” said Gabriella Landeros, a spokesperson for the California Teachers Assn.

In the broad picture, district budgets throughout the state are likely to be a little larger, level or somewhat smaller — and schools could yet receive a big boost by the time the state’s budget is adopted in June.

Martin Gonzalez,13, left, a seventh-grade student at Lake Center Middle School, and Sebastian Escobedo, 11, a sixth-grade student at Lake Center Middle School, join striking Little Lake teachers at Lakeland Elementary School on Wednesday in Norwalk.

(Gary Coronado/For The Times)

But cost pressures have escalated quickly in many regions. In Little Lake, as in L.A. Unified, the cost of services for students with disabilities and percentage of students identified as having disabilities has risen sharply. Healthcare costs also have gone up fast.

Meanwhile, enrollment is declining, offsetting the benefit of state increases in spending per pupil. Inflation hit hard in recent years, while prompting employee groups, especially in urban areas, to fight for wage boosts to keep pace. This comes as one-time pandemic relief aid has expired.

Thousands more for healthcare

In Little Lake, strike supporters say they are fighting over issues that justify the sacrifice. Starting in January, the monthly premiums for the health plan used by many teachers rose from zero to $1,400 a month paid over 10 months each year — an enormous reduction in take-home pay.

To back off from that charge, district officials proposed raising average class sizes in kindergarten through fourth grade from 24-to-1 to 28-to-1, according to the district. Union negotiators want to keep class sizes where they are.

District officials acknowledge their proposals are painful, but said they face an unsustainable financial situation.

“We are at a point fiscally where the district can no longer support 100%,” of healthcare premiums, said Acting Supt. Monica Martinez-Johnson, a career district employee who started as a teacher.

A fact-finding report endorsed that account, but also noted that the district suddenly ended health subsidies on January 1, when a previous agreement expired. Employees were immediately forced to pay about 40% of the cost of their monthly premiums.

“This decision … has soured the relationship and [affects] all aspects of this reopened negotiations,” said Donald S. Raczka, who prepared a fact-finding report, issued April 12, as chair of a panel that included district and union representatives.

Jennifer Conforti, center, a teacher at Lake Center Elementary, pickets at Lake Center Middle School in Santa Fe Springs on Wednesday.

(Gary Coronado/For The Times)

Dollars and sensitivities

The financial implications of the strike are difficult to calculate at this juncture, but the district doesn’t necessarily lose money. Subs are making $500 a day, but there are fewer subs than teachers and striking teachers forfeit pay.

In-person student attendance has ranged from 18% to 31%, which will mean lost funding linked to student attendance. The annual operating budget of the district is $73 million, of which salaries and benefits are $53 million, according to the district.

Many parents and students have joined teachers on picket lines.

“We’ve stuck it out this long, we wouldn’t want them to fold on an agreement that doesn’t benefit them,” said Melissa Maggard, who has two daughters at Lakeland Elementary.

Therapist Sherry Gonzalez has kept her fourth-grade son at home, rescheduling work hours, hiring babysitters. Her son receives special services for a disability at Lake Center Elementary, and home routines are harder without this support.

“I don’t feel comfortable taking him in during a strike with subs who do not know my son’s needs,” Gonzalez said. “As a parent it’s just been hard. It’s been so frustrating. We feel worn down, tired, and we feel like we’re being ignored and unheard.

“To see this drive a wedge between the community, it feels hurtful,” she added. When asked how she’s been trying to cope, she responded: “Crying.”

What’s next?

The turmoil has included the sudden resignation of then-Supt. Jonathan Vasquez a week into the strike. After a 10-hour negotiating session on Monday, an altercation or a feared altercation — accounts vary — resulted in the district calling police.

A potential deal in the works includes employees paying zero to $630 a month in healthcare premiums — depending on their choice of health plan. Class size would not rise. Budget cuts would be necessary. On the chopping block are six intervention teachers serving students who need intensive academic help.

The union this week was pushing for a one-time $4,000 bonus for its members, but not a permanent increase. The pay scale for teachers ranges from $58,752 to $118,363.

Negotiations resumed Wednesday afternoon at a location considered more secure than district headquarters.

Birmingham coach Matt Mowry works with his players on going with pitches to right field. The Patriots came through with perfection on Wednesday.

Four times in the decisive fourth inning, Birmingham hitters hit outside pitches to right field for base hits, igniting a four-run inning and leading to a 10-2 victory, pulling the Patriots into a first-place tie with El Camino Real in the West Valley League going a Friday game at Birmingham.

Sophomore Carlos Acuna threw a complete game for Birmingham in 10-2 win over El Camino Real.

(Craig Weston)

Sophomore catcher Jordan Lindsay had the biggest hitting of the fourth, an RBI double down the right-field line to tie the score, 1-1. Ethan Dalumpines followed with RBI single to right field. JuJu Monroe-Truitt and Larkin Fleming also contribued RBI singles to right off Jackson Sellz.

“He’s on us at practice to go to the right side,” Lindsay said of Mowry.

The Patriots blew the game open with a six-run fifth, including an RBI single from Lindsay and one walk and one hit batter with the bases loaded to push across runs. Carlos Acuna threw a complete game. Both teams are seeking a win Friday because the league champion figures to be the No. 1 seed for the City Section Open Division playoffs.

RJ De La Rosa had an RBI single and double for ECR.

Harvard-Westlake 8, Chaminade 0: James Tronstein continued his impressive power display by hitting two home runs, a double and driving in three runs. He has eight home runs on the season. Evan Alexander struck out 10 in five innings.

Norco 1, Corona 0: It took nine innings to settle this Big VIII League showdown with Jayden Serna delivering the walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jordan Ayala threw seven scoreless innings for Norco. Mason Sims gave up one hit in eight innings for Corona.

Sierra Canyon 3, Loyola 2: The Trailblazers won despite home runs from Loyola’s Bobby Rapp and Jack Murray.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 8, Bishop Alemany 3: Benett Pace went four for four and Jacob Madrid homered for the Knights.

Carson 6, Narbonne 5: Nate Ruan and Fernando Barajas each had two hits for Carson.

Edison 4, Corona del Mar 0: Noah Hunter struck out 10 and gave up two hits in six innings for Edison.

Ayala 8, Claremont 0: Easton Sarmiento struck out eight in four innings. Caleb Trugman had three hits.

Huntington Beach 2, Newport Harbor 1: Jared Grindlinger thew his first complete game of the season, striking out seven and walking none. Ely Mason had a home run.

JSerra 13, Santa Margarita 3: The Lions hit four home runs, including another from Blake Bowen, in the Trinity League win. Aidan Rae had three RBIs.

Garfield 10, South East 3: Michael Santillan had four hits for Garfield.

Bell 6, Legacy 1: Jayden Rojas had two hits and four RBIs.

Chatsworth 16, Cleveland 1: Nihaan Kothari had three hits and Damian Ayala had three RBIs for Chatsworth.

Granada Hills 12, Taft 0: Landon Tuch had four hits and Luke Chau struck out nine with no walks in five innings for Granada Hills.

West Ranch 6, Hart 5: Josh Price went three for three with three RBIs.

Etiwanda 14, Rancho Cucamonga 2: The Eagles celebrated a Baseline League championship. Adam Ornelas had four hits.

Corona Santiago 13, Corona Centennial 4: Jonathan Thornton had four hits and six RBIs, including a grand slam, for Santiago.

This beach stuns visitors with its white sand, crystal-clear waters and dramatic cliffs.

The best bit of summer is unwinding on a spectacular beach with waves gently rolling onto the shore, seagulls crying above and sunshine beaming down. If this represents your ideal day, it’s essential that you discover the perfect beach to experience it on.

Fortunately, recent research has just ranked some of Europe’s finest beaches to identify the ultimate summer getaway destination. The study, carried out by airport transfer firm hoppa, has examined dozens of sought-after holiday destinations.

Each location was assessed based on its average three-star hotel price, journey time from airport to beach, and Google reviews to determine the very best options.

Taking the top spot as the finest beach for summer 2026 is Praia da Falésia in Portugal. Situated in the renowned Algarve area, this beach offers an utterly stunning day out, reports the Express.

The pale sand extends over 8km, protected by striking orange and white cliffs.

Those who visit the beach describe it as among the finest in the area, with one individual commenting on Tripadvisor: “The blend of the colours of the golden sand, the crystal blue sea and the imposing cliffs make it one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal.”

Another said: “A wide expanse of golden and red sand, nice rock formations in the background and the waves here are gentle, perfect for swimming. It’s a popular beach, but due to its size, it’s a big, long beach; it never seems crowded even in high season.

“It’s a beach to most definitely check out if you’re planning a holiday to Albufeira.”

With lifeguards on duty and sunloungers available to hire, it caters to every need. Suitable for both families and couples, the beach’s generous size means it rarely feels overcrowded.

Europe’s best-rated beaches

• Praia da Falésia — Algarve, Portugal

• Platja de Muro — Majorca, Spain

• Myrtos Beach — Kefalonia, Greece

• Promenade des Anglais Beach — Nice, France

• Playa de Poniente — Benidorm, Spain

Israeli forces have intercepted around a dozen Gaza-bound aid boats from the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters near the Greek island of Crete, more than 1,000km from Israel. Organisers call it an illegal attack on civilians in international waters.

Over the course of a nearly two-month old war with Israel, Hezbollah has been increasing its use of fiber-optic controlled first-person view (FPV) drones against Israeli troops and vehicles, something we were among the first to note. Now, it appears that Israel is resorting to the use of anti-drone netting on its vehicles to help protect them from the one-way attack drones. These attacks are occurring even amid an ongoing, though extremely fragile, ceasefire.

A video emerged Wednesday on social media showing an Israeli vehicle festooned with the netting, draped like a soccer goal from metal arms extending out and above. The idea, as we have reported in the past, is that drones will get caught up in the nylon or mesh metal nets and become disabled, or the nets will help keep the drones far enough from the occupants before exploding to keep them from being killed. The latter is a far more limited scenario and depends on the vehicle type and the warhead on the drone. Based on the video we are seeing, the level of protection netting can provide passengers in the open-top Israeli vehicle if a trapped drone’s warhead were to detonate is likely very little.

The video began to circulate amid growing controversy in Israel over what is perceived as the IDF’s inability to counter the Hezbollah FPV drone threat. The frustration reached a new level over the weekend, after an Israeli soldier was killed and six were wounded by a Hezbollah drone. A followup attack was launched while the IDF was medevacing the wounded, narrowly missing the helicopter.

You can see the drone narrowly miss the helicopter in the following video. 

“The attack laid bare a growing vulnerability: the Israel Defense Forces’ lack of preparedness for first-person view (FPV) drones in Lebanon, which have been an increasingly prominent weapon in Hezbollah’s arsenal during the current fighting,” the Times of Israel reported on Monday. “The Israel Defense Forces has reported dozens of drone-related injuries in recent weeks, though most were minor. Sunday’s attack marked the first fatal FPV drone strike on Israeli forces.”

“Yet the emergence of fiber optic-guided drones should not have come as a surprise,” the paper highlighted. The reason is what we noted in our previous story about this issue. The militant Lebanese group has used FPV drones against Israel since 2024 and they have been widely used by both sides in the Ukraine war for several years, as well as in other conflicts zones around the globe.

These strikes have become more prevalent the deeper Israel went into southern Lebanon. Videos of these recent attacks have been showing up on social media.

Hezbollah conducted more fiber-optic FPV strikes on Israeli vehicles in Lebanon, including two ‘Merkava’ Mk.4 tanks, a D9 Caterpillar armored bulldozer, and what appears to be a rare ‘Namer’ heavy IFV equipped with a turret mounting a 30 mm Bushmaster Mk 2 cannon.
1/ https://t.co/ms2nagNHrD pic.twitter.com/WDs6M3SpwW

— Roy🇨🇦 (@GrandpaRoy2) April 5, 2026

Moreover, Israeli Merkava tanks began sporting metal additions on top of vehicles meant to deflect top-down attacks from drones during the conflict in Gaza two years ago, which you can read more about here. Some of those tanks that have come under attack recently have been observed with them as well. So Israel has been working to deal with the evolving FPV drone threat, on some level, for some time and it is not alone in struggling with it. Most militaries in the world face the possibility of this same vexing threat with no clear blanket countermeasure to deal with it.

Israeli military officials acknowledge that the IDF still lacks an effective counter to fiber-optic-guided drones, the Times of Israel noted, for reasons we have frequently reported. Fiber optic cables mitigate the effect of electronic warfare efforts to jam radio signals as well as some of the limitations imposed by geographical features that can impede the line-of-sight radio connection between drone and operator.

“The IDF initially assessed that Hezbollah’s fiber optic drones could only operate over a few kilometers,” the outlet stated. “Later, the military discovered launches occurring from distances of up to 15 kilometers (nine miles).”

“The gap was underscored on April 11, when the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development issued a public call for solutions to the threat — nearly two years after such systems first surfaced in Ukraine, and weeks into the current conflict with Hezbollah,” according to the Times of Israel. “The Defense Ministry is seeking additional capabilities to address this threat. The purpose of this request is to identify innovative and mature technologies.”

⚡️🇮🇱🇱🇧Times of Israel: Sunday’s Hezbollah drone attack in Taybeh, which killed Sgt. Idan Fooks and wounded six others, has exposed the IDF’s lack of preparedness for first‑person view (FPV) drones, particularly those guided by fibre‑optic cables which are immune to electronic…

— War Monitor (@monitor11616) April 28, 2026

It’s unclear how widespread the use of netting is currently by the IDF in southern Lebanon.

“The issue of drones carrying fiber-optic cables is currently a threat without a clear solution,” a high-ranking IDF official, who just returned from Lebanon, told us. “What’s been shown in the video seems more like an experimental concept rather than something that is already operational in the field.”

“In practice, forces are using various improvised solutions—fishing nets, camouflage nets, even soccer nets, along with drills involving small-arms fire at drones,” he added. “However, I personally haven’t seen the specific net system mentioned being used on the ground yet.”

The official said someone from the IDF’s ground forces research and development team told him that the conclusion in the military is that “this solution is highly problematic. It allows the lower parts of the vehicle to remain exposed, areas that the net doesn’t cover. The likely next step for the adversary would be to detonate the drone at a distance from the net, causing shrapnel to disperse toward the forces.”

In a post on X Tuesday, Israeli military journalist Doron Kadosh said the issue of how to deal with Hezbollah FPV drones “took up significant volume in [Monday]’s discussion at the IDF’s senior command forum at Ramat David. The commander of the 282nd Artillery Brigade, which is currently fighting in Lebanon, Col. G., told the commanders: ‘The drone threat is a significant operational challenge that we’re dealing with. We need to think about how to organize better against this threat.’”

IDF combat unit commanders fighting in Lebanon “now express great frustration with the drone threat and the few tools the IDF has to counter them,” Kadosh added. “‘There’s not much you can do about it,’ says a commander currently fighting in Lebanon. The briefing the forces receive boils down to— ‘Stay alert, and if you spot a drone—shoot at it.’”

Some IDF units “have already begun developing independent responses to the threat—for example, nets deployed over positions, houses, and windows—so that the drone gets caught in the net and doesn’t hit its target,” Kadosh continued. “This is an improvised response; we’ve started deploying it with some of the forces, but it’s far from sufficient,” an officer currently fighting in Lebanon told the reporter. This would follow exactly what we saw in Ukraine, as both sides looked to improvised forms of protection from incoming drones, leading to rapid experimentation and many dead ends.

הבוקר אצל @efitriger:

איום רחפני הנפץ שמאתגר את כוחות צה״ל בדרום לבנון בשורת התקפות יומיומיות של חזבאללה:

הסוגיה תפסה נפח משמעותי גם בדיון פורום הפיקוד הבכיר של צה״ל אתמול ברמת דוד. מפקד חטיבת התותחנים 282 שנלחמת כעת בלבנון, אל״ם ע׳, אמר למפקדים: ״איום הרחפנים הוא אתגר מבצעי… pic.twitter.com/jiSGrSEBGH

— דורון קדוש | Doron Kadosh (@Doron_Kadosh) April 28, 2026

Despite the limitations, this netting has become fairly common in Ukraine, with both sides using netting over vehicles, buildings and miles and miles of roadway to provide safer corridors of travel.

About anti-FPV road net tunnels:

“Thousands of kilometers of equipped anti-drone corridors block the main logistical routes all the way to the forward positions
The goal is to ensure security up to a depth of 100 km from the contact line.”
6/ https://t.co/Avipifv6Fr pic.twitter.com/ES7gq20lln

— Roy🇨🇦 (@GrandpaRoy2) April 29, 2026

As we noted in our last piece on the growing FPV threat to Israeli forces, active protection systems (APS) on armored vehicles are being adapted to provide hard-kill counter-drone protection. These systems use sensors to detect incoming rocket-propelled grenades, missiles, and other projectiles, and fire projectiles to hit them before they strike the vehicle. Israel is a major pioneer in the APS space, with systems being deployed for decades, but just how soon it can upgrade existing systems, such as Iron Fist, for this application isn’t clear. Also, this doesn’t help many lighter vehicles that do not have APS capabilities. Still, it is one bright spot of hope of creating a defense against fiber optic FPVs, at least for lower volume attacks, although these are also very costly systems.

Iron Fist APS | Active Protection System for Armored Vehicles

Regardless, we are likely to see more Israeli vehicles equipped with nets and other forms of passive protection in the coming days, and likely more advanced countermeasures if the war grinds on for a prolonged period.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com

Adam Thomas has claimed David Haye lied to him while they were in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! South Africa camp, leaving the actor at a complete loss for words

Adam Thomas has claimed David Haye lied during their time on I’m A Celeb. The Waterloo Road star was crowned the winner of I’m A Celebrity… South Africa last week during a tense live final.

Throughout the series, former boxer Haye came under fire for comments he made, including branding his girlfriend, Sian, an “ugly duckling”. He said: “She’s like tall, blue eyes. She’s lovely. She’s got the personality of a proper ugly bird.” He added that “ugly girls” need to have “a personality and banter,” to overlook “the fact that they’re not aesthetically amazing”.

Elsewhere, when Adam, who suffers from psoriatic arthritis, stated he didn’t feel physically able to take part in a trial, Haye branded him “useless,” adding he didn’t “give a s**t”. While the pre-recorded show was airing, Adam explained that he felt “broken” in the camp and considered leaving.

Adam has now spoken out on his podcast, claiming that David lied to him in an attempt to rile him up. Despite his struggles in the camp, Adam never spoke to anybody about his feelings. “I didn’t talk about it to anyone,” he told his brothers, Scott and Ryan on At Home With The Thomas Bros.

He went on to say: “It wasn’t until I was with David, and I came back from this trial, and he was goading me about fainting, that’s when I finally had the courage to go, ‘Listen, shut up now, enough is enough’.

“He got pulled to the Bush Telegraph, and then he came out and he sat me down and said, ‘They’re worried about your mental health. They’ve told me to stop now. Have you been crying about me in there?’

“So that was when I realised, I was like, ‘So, they know, they know what’s been going on’, and that upset me more. Because it’s the fact that I’ve never once talked about [David] or mentioned what [David’s] done to me in here to them.”

Adam later confronted the producers of the show to ask why they would disclose such information to David, who confirmed that there had been no conversation about Adam’s mental health. “I asked David when I got out and he said ‘Yeah, I just made it all up,'” Adam said.

He fumed: “I was like, ‘Wow, you really fu***ng manipulated the s*** out of me!'” Following the dramatic final, Ant and Dec broke their silence tonight, branding it “weird”.

In the preview to their podcast Hanging Out with Ant & Dec, the duo joked about the chaos from the event, with Ant joking, “If you didn’t see it, I bet you read about it!”

“It was quite the night!” said Dec, promising to explain the “ins and outs” of the event. Ant replied: “It was a weird night of TV,” adding that there were “walk-outs” Highlighting the main topics of the upcoming podcast episode, the pair promised to discuss Jimmy Bullard as Dec said: “The first question was to Jimmy about why did you call I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.”

Ant added in response: “On the night I said I disagreed with him,” likely speaking about Jimmy Bullard, whom Ant publicly disagreed with when Jimmy asked him to confirm that Adam was aggressive on the show.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Legislature approved a new congressional map intended to maximize Republicans’ advantage in the state as part of the national redistricting battle that President Trump launched ahead of this year’s midterms.

The vote came just two days after Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled his proposal and the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. The decision could make it harder for Democrats to challenge Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts in ways that limit the influence of nonwhite voters.

DeSantis’ map could increase Republicans’ advantage in Florida’s House delegation to 24 to 4, up from the current split of 20 to 8. The potential four-seat gain is the same as what Virginia Democrats expect from a recent redistricting referendum, which is being challenged in state court there.

Florida’s new districts are certain to face lawsuits as well, especially because the state constitution prohibits redistricting for explicitly partisan purposes. DeSantis and his aides believe those provisions will not be a legal barrier because they have been weakened previously by the Florida Supreme Court and again by Wednesday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Florida Republicans, comfortable in their supermajority in both legislative chambers, said little about the new districts during the whirlwind special session. The measure’s sponsor, Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-Fort Myers), limited her remarks to careful answers about an “evolving legal landscape” as Democrats’ asked her about the redistricting effort.

“I believe that there is a likelihood that that map will be upheld against legal challenge,” Persons-Mulicka said.

Opposition was vocal but futile

Democrats, activists and some citizens to decried the process as a partisan power play to satisfy Trump, boost DeSantis’ future ambitions and hurt the majority of registered Florida voters who are not Republicans.

“Y’all are doing this because y’all’s daddy in the White House is injecting national political objectives into what should be a state-driven process,” Rep. Michele Rayner (D-St. Petersburg) told her Republican colleagues before an 83-28 vote in favor of the measure.

The Florida Senate later approved the plan in a 21-17 vote.

Rep. Angie Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, chided Republicans for yielding the redistricting process to DeSantis, whose second term expires in January.

“Last time I checked, we’re the ones who were supposed to be drawing the map,” she said, “and yet we are allowing y’all to continue to hold the water of the governor, who is a lame duck and just trying to figure out what his next job is going to be.”

Democrats diminished in metro areas

The new map reshapes districts in Democratic areas around Orlando, the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and in south Florida around Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. The changes could cost Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, among others, their seats.

DeSantis and his aides said before and during the session that new map is necessary to account for population growth in suburban and exurban areas since the 2020 census and to ensure Florida has a “race-neutral” congressional plan.

The proposal presumed the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wednesday decision, which specifically struck down a Louisiana congressional district drawn for the electorate to be majority-Black. Historically, Black voters have aligned more with Democrats, while a majority of white voters lean toward Republicans.

The changes in Florida include the effective elimination of one nearly majority Black south Florida district that was represented by Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Black Democrat, until her resignation earlier this month.

Lawmakers fast-tracked the measures

From the session’s opening bell Tuesday morning, Republican leaders moved swiftly.

In one of just two committee hearings, Senate Rules Chair Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) said she wanted “everybody who has taken the time and effort to come to Capitol to have an opportunity to speak.” Then she declared each speaker would have 30 seconds.

“I know that doesn’t seem like a lot but it actually is, uh, if you’re concise,” she said.

Deborah Courtney drove more than two hours from from Jacksonville and noted that all citizen speakers expressed opposition.

“Why are you doing this redistricting now?” she asked senators. “I doubt that your phone have been ringing off the hook from your constituents going, hey, we need some new maps.”

Rob Woods came from the Tampa area, which under the new map could have no Democratic representation in the U.S. House. A Black man, Wood told senators he was a veteran who said he “bought in from elementary school” on notions of the U.S. as an equal-opportunity democracy.

Now, he said, “it seems as if we are back in that period of Reconstruction, moving back to Jim Crow.”

On the House floor, Persons-Mulicka sidestepped specifics about what factors went into the map. She repeatedly called it “race-neutral,” citing testimony from DeSantis aide Jason Poreda, who took sole credit for the map during the session and did not disclose the names of any architects. But asked about Poreda’s admission that he examined party affiliation and voting patterns, Persons-Mulicka balked.

“I cannot speak to the intent of the map drawer,” she said.

DeSantis unveiled the map on Fox News

Persons-Mulicka and Sen. Don Gaetz, who sponsored the map in the Senate, deflected questions about why DeSantis unveiled the plan on Fox News.

Gaetz, a Crestview Republican, confirmed he had no part in drafting the map and forwarded the governor’s proposal to other senators as soon as he received it late Monday morning.

There’s no guarantee that new maps across the country will play out the way two parties hope. For example, Texas based its revised lines largely on Trump’s performance in 2024, redistributing the president’s voters across more districts to pull them into the Republican column. But Trump’s popularity has waned since his reelection, including among Latino voters who figure prominently in the state.

Florida could face a similar conundrum. Creating more majority-Republican districts could leave margins thin enough to allow for Democratic victories, especially if there’s an anti-Trump backlash at the polls this year.

Some Republicans have expressed worry about that possibility, and a handful voted against the measure in the Florida Legislature.

The governor already took a hit because of the session. He had wanted lawmakers to adopt state regulations on artificial intelligence, ostensibly protecting minors from harmful material, while rolling back vaccine mandates for students in Florida’s public schools. House Speaker Daniel Perez, a Republican but not a DeSantis ally, spiked both ideas.

DeSantis called it “political shenanigans.”

House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa) lamented that Republicans still delivered DeSantis the big-ticket item that he wanted.

“On destroying our democracy, they’ve been aligned,” she said, “and that’s what we did here today.”

Barrow writes for the Associated Press.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes that the penalty awarded against Atletico Madrid for a foul on Eberechi Eze was not a “clear and obvious error”, meaning VAR did not need to intervene and the original on-field decision to give the penalty should have stood.

MATCH REPORT: Arsenal draw at Atletico after penalty controversy

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WASHINGTON. April 29 (UPI) — Fritz Emmanuel Lesly Miot left Haiti in 2010 after a deadly earthquake hit the island nation. As hundreds of thousands of Haitians died in the catastrophe, Miot fled to the United States, where he was granted temporary protected status, a short-term visa program.

Miot, 33, has lived in the States ever since and now researches Alzheimer’s disease in California as a doctoral candidate.

But last year, the Trump administration attempted to revoke his status and send him back to Haiti, along with all other Haitians who had been granted temporary protected status.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Miot’s case, along with a similar case that affects Syrian nationals living under temporary protected status. These legal battles, Trump vs. Miot and Mullin vs. Doe, could decide the future of some 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians living in the United States.

What is TPS?

Temporary protected status began in 1990, enacted as a way to provide foreign nationals relief from war, natural disaster or other “extraordinary and temporary conditions.”

Those with temporary protected status are granted legal status for up to 18 month periods, which can be extended based on an evaluation of the safety conditions in the countries they have left behind.

Currently 1.3 million people in the United States — from 17 countries — rely on temporary protected status. The Trump administration has attempted to terminate that status for those from 13 of those nations in the last year, including Afghanistan, Venezuela, South Sudan and Nicaragua.

Lower courts have blocked many of these terminations, deeming them unlawful, and immigrants under temporary protected status have remained in a state of limbo since. The results of these cases could set a legal precedent that would allow the termination of temporary protected status for citizens from these countries, with minimal oversight.

Two questions

Central to Wednesday’s debate were two questions: First, did then Secretary of Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem follow correct procedure when deciding it would be safe to send people back to Haiti and Syria? Second, did the judicial branch have the legal right to interfere in the secretary’s decisions on temporary protected status?

Noem was criticized for not sufficiently consulting other state agencies when evaluating Haiti and Syria’s safety conditions. She was accused of violating the Administrative Procedures Act. Some Democratic-appointed Justices highlighted brief email exchanges Noem made with the State Department that led her to terminate Haiti and Syria’s status.

In the case of Haiti, she wrote last September to the State Department in an email, “Can you advise on State’s views on the matter?” The State Department simply replied, “State believes there would be no foreign policy concerns with respect to a change in the TPS status of Haiti.”

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Wednesday questioned whether a “meaningful exchange” of information was made and whether Noem made any effort to actually evaluate the nation’s safety conditions, which is the basis of how temporary protected status is granted.

The government’s attorney, Solicitor General John Sauer, argued that minimal oversight was required of the DHS secretary in these decisions. But Jackson took issue with that, saying it would mean that Noem “can basically do whatever she wants.”

Sauer also vehemently argued that the DHS secretary’s actions should not even be open to judicial review, citing a law that states judges cannot interfere in “any determination with respect to the designation, or termination or extension,” of temporary protected status.

However, Justice Sonia Sotomayor responded that while the courts can’t challenge the secretary’s ultimate decision, they can question whether the procedures taken to come to those decisions fall within the law.

The immigrants’ attorney, Sotomayor and Jackson all later grilled Sauer on whether the Trump administration’s terminations were racially discriminatory.

Sotomayor and Jackson referenced Trump’s previous hostile rhetoric toward both communities. The justices repeatedly referenced one particular post on Truth Social in which Trump said that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”

Sotomayor said Trump’s statement showed that “discriminatory purpose may have played a part in this decision.”

Immigrant advocates watched the case closely.

“Certainly the goal of this Trump administration is to make people… immediately vulnerable,” Lucas Guttentag, a Stanford law professor who started the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said in an interview.

He said this was part of a much larger campaign to “de-legalize” lawful immigrants and potentially “eviscerate the immigration and asylum protection system covered in this country for decades and generations.”

However, Ira Mehlman, the media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said that many of the immigrants living under temporary protected status had been here far too long.

He said many Haitians arrived 16 years ago. “By no reasonable assessment of the law or English language could you consider that time frame temporary,” he said in an interview.

He added that refugees from many countries, including Haiti and Syria, received temporary protected status because of natural disasters or civil wars that have already ended. So the reason to keep them in the United States has also ended.

“None of them were the Garden of Eden before the earthquake or hurricane … and they’re probably never going to be,” he added.

Kavanaugh echoed this sentiment, saying “The whole thing was the Assad regime was 53 years of brutal treatment and repression. It’s gone.”

Return to literally nothing

Liana Zogbi, a spokesperson from the non-profit Syrian Forum USA, painted a different picture. She said that Syrians would be “returning to literally nothing” should the Supreme Court rule in the government’s favor and Syrians be sent home.

“The majority of the country has been destroyed physically,” she said, explaining that schools, hospitals and even roads are still being rebuilt.

The State Department currently advises U.S. citizens not to travel to Syria “for any reason due to the risk of terrorism, unrest, kidnapping, hostage-taking, crime and armed conflict.”

Haiti is under a similar travel advisory from the State Department, which cites “crime, terrorism, unrest and limited healthcare.” Zogbi said the government would be contradicting itself were it to rule these countries safe for its nationals’ return but not safe enough for U.S. citizens to visit.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants await a decision by the court, which is expected before July.

“Not only does it bring back up … the kind of trauma around instability and destabilizing their lives,” Zogbi said. “They [TPS holders] never know what can happen and how fast they have to leave. They constantly have to make plan A, B, C and D to just kind of prepare for any outcome of a situation.”

Dubbed a ‘Mediterranean masterpiece’ that’s like ‘stepping into a screensaver’, this unspoilt beach has been among the world’s best – and it’s just three hours from the UK with £28 flights

The world’s best beaches have been named, and there’s one pristine shore just three hours from the UK with turquoise waters and sugar-white sand.

Fteri Beach on Greece’s Kefalonia island is officially Europe’s most beautiful beach after it was named on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Beaches list. The stunning coastline of Fteri was ranked second-best in the world in the annual awards and was the only European coastline to secure a place in the top 10, while Entalula Beach in the Philippines took the top spot.

The votes were decided by a team of more than 1,000 travel experts, who noted that Fteri Beach was an “isolated and majestic Greek perfection”. They highlighted that its position tucked away in a secluded cove contributes to its “pristine and serene atmosphere,” which sets it apart from other tourist hotspots.

READ MORE: Beautiful overlooked European gem outside Schengen zone has £17 flights and £2 pintsREAD MORE: World’s top 10 most beautiful beaches for 2026 ranked with new number one

The shore could easily be compared to those found in the Caribbean, thanks to its stunning white pebbles mixed with sand and the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea. Its breathtaking scenes are only enhanced by the dramatic white cliffs that tower around the beach, adding to its secluded oasis beneath the Mediterranean sun.

The unspoiled beach is a haven for those looking for a quieter day at the beach and to admire some of the most picture-perfect vistas. Despite its more remote location, the beach is accessible by boat or by hiking down a steep trail, and the journey is well worth it to experience this little slice of paradise.

What’s more, the island of Kefalonia is just over three hours from the UK, and direct one-way flights start from just £28 with Ryanair, departing from London Stansted, according to Skyscanner. You can also fly directly to Kefalonia from various UK airports, including Birmingham, Manchester and Cardiff, so it couldn’t be easier to jet abroad to one of the world’s best beaches.

Those who have visited Fteri Beach have been blown away by its azure waters and views that have been compared to a computer screensaver. One fan shared on TripAdvisor: “Such beautiful waters are hard to see! Of course, it requires an effort because they are only accessible by a mountain path, but it is absolutely worth it!

A second commented: “Fteri Beach is the real deal – glistening turquoise water, towering white cliffs, and the kind of peaceful silence you want to bottle and take home. Swimming here feels like stepping into a screensaver, and the lack of crowds keeps the magic intact. It’s not just one of Kefalonia’s best – it’s a full-on Mediterranean masterpiece.”

However, due to its untouched location, travellers noted that there aren’t any facilities, including toilets, bars, or sunbeds, so advised visitors to take their own umbrellas and drinks. Many also mentioned that they reached the beach by booking a water taxi within about 5 minutes and were able to swim in the crystal-clear waters during a serene day out.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Barcelona is the ultimate city break. It’s less than two hours from the UK, compact, and yet absolutely full of things to do. Here are five suggestions from iconic sights to inexpensive trips

Barcelona continues to be one of the top city break picks for Brits. Not only does it offer short flight times, it’s a destination that packs in plenty to do. And as a bonus, you’ve also got sunny weather and sandy beaches to enjoy alongside history, culture, and authentic Spanish food.

If you’re one of the many Brits heading to Barcelona this summer, here are five things not to miss, and how you can make the most of your break.

1. Sagrada Família

What else can be said about the Sagrada Família? It’s a must-see, no matter how long you’re in Barcelona for. But there are different ways to experience this spectacular basilica.

Many people simply walk around the outside, but definitely get tickets to go in if you can. The interior is perhaps even more breathtaking than the exterior, bathed in colorful lights from stained glass and featuring high ceilings inscribed with hundreds of tiny emblems and intricate details. For this reason, it’s worth taking a small private tour of Sagrada Familia with priority entrance from £57 per adult, as your guide can tell you so much about the vision behind the building and point out all the things you’re bound to miss.

2. Casa Batlló

Another attraction that’s best enjoyed on a tour is Casa Batlló. This Gaudí-designed home is also packed with the little details that the architect became famous for, so again, a tour is really worth it. You can get Casa Batilo early access with audio guide that allows you to avoid the queues that build during the day at this famous attraction and learn about Gaudí’s creative process, his vision that sculpted his iconic architecture, and the history of this incredible home.

3. Funicular de Montjuïc

Montjuïc is a 176-metre high hill that offers stunning views across Barcelona. It’s a great place to see the skyline, appreciating the scale of the Sagrada compared to the buildings around it, and seeing where the city meets the sandy beaches. You can take a cab or bus to the top, but the easiest option is to take the metro. A ticket costs €3( £2.60) and takes you up the steep hill in just a couple of minutes. Visit at sunset and watch the sun go down and this buzzing city come to life.

4. Bouquet d’Alella

If you’ve enjoyed Catalan wines at your dinner table, why not see where the grapes ripen in the sun? Bouquet d’Alella is just a short drive from the city, and from this charming winery you can enjoy views across the countryside, take a tour and learn about the traditional methods of wine making still used today, before sitting down for a tasting under the shade of the knotted trees.

You can visit this winery as part of TUI Musement’s full day e-biking, wine tasting, and sailing experience, which costs £122 per person and includes tasting different varieties of wine, plus snacks, including the best pan con tomate you’ll find in Barcelona. You can also organise an individual visit or book your own tour.

5.

La Boqueria is an incredible place to try authentic Catalan cuisine. Voted the world’s best market, it’s a maze of stalls selling Spanish cheeses, jamón, olives, and lots of tapas dishes you can try as you wander around. It also has a selection of small, independent restaurants where you can sit and have lunch amid the buzz of this always busy market. You can opt for a Barcelona food market tour with tastings, or simply visit and explore the stalls at your own pace.

Book it

TUI offers 3 night city break packages to Barcelona staying at the 4* H10 H10 Madison Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis, from £666 per person based on two adults sharing a classic double room travelling on Ryanair from London Stansted Airport on 15 September 2026. Price includes 10kg of hand luggage.