WASHINGTON — A group of moderate Democrats has a tentative deal to reopen the government if Republicans promise to hold a vote on expiring healthcare subsidies by December, a potential breakthrough as lawmakers seek to end the shutdown.

The group of three former governors — New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine — has a deal to pass three annual spending bills and extend the rest of government funding until late January, according to three people familiar with the agreement who requested anonymity until the deal is made public.

The deal was far from assured, and final passage of the legislation could take several days. Republicans had not yet said whether they supported the deal, and it was unclear whether there would be enough Democrats to support it absent their central demand through the now 40-day shutdown — an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1.

After Democrats met for more than two hours to discuss the proposal, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer emerged to say he would vote “no.” Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucuses with the Democrats, said as he walked into the meeting that it would be a “horrific mistake to cave in to Trump right now.”

Republicans have been working with the group of moderates as the shutdown continues to disrupt flights nationwide, threaten food assistance for millions of Americans and leave federal workers without pay. But many Democrats have warned their colleagues against giving in, arguing that they can’t end the fight without an agreement to extend the health subsidies.

Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said earlier in the day that a potential deal was “coming together.” But he has not yet publicly endorsed it.

“We’ll see where the votes are,” Thune said.

Returning to the White House on Sunday evening after attending a football game, Trump did not say whether he endorsed the deal. But he said, “it looks like we’re getting close to the shutdown ending.”

Democrats have now voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they have demanded the extension of tax credits that make coverage more affordable for health plans offered under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans have refused to negotiate on the healthcare subsidies while the government is closed, but they have so far been supportive of the proposal from moderate Democrats as it emerged over the last several days.

The contours of a deal

The agreement would fund parts of government — food aid, veterans programs and the legislative branch, among other things — and extend funding for everything else until the end of January. It would take up Republicans on their longstanding offer to hold a future vote on the healthcare subsidies, with that vote occurring by the middle of December, the people said.

The deal would reinstate federal workers who received reduction-in-force, or layoff, notices and reimburses states that spent their own funds to keep federal programs running during the shutdown. It would also protect against future reductions in force through January, the people said, and guarantee all federal workers would be paid once the shutdown is over.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, home to millions of federal workers, said he would support the deal.

“I have long said that, to earn my vote, we need to be on a path toward fixing Republicans’ healthcare mess and to protect the federal workforce,” Kaine said.

Alongside the funding fix, Republicans released final legislative text of three full-year spending bills Sunday. That legislation keeps a ban on pay raises for lawmakers but boosts their security by $203.5 million in response to increased threats. There’s also a provision championed by Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to prevent the sale of some hemp-based products.

Democratic pushback expected

Republicans only need five votes from Democrats to reopen the government, so a handful of senators could end the shutdown with only the promise of a later vote on healthcare. Around 10 to 12 Democrats have been involved in the talks, and the three people familiar with the agreement said they had enough votes to join with Republicans and pass the deal.

Many of their Democratic colleagues are saying the emerging deal is not enough.

“I really wanted to get something on healthcare,” said Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. “I’m going to hear about it right now, but it doesn’t look like it has something concrete.”

House Democrats were also chiming in against it. Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that didn’t reduce healthcare costs was a “betrayal” of millions of Americans who were counting on Democrats to fight.

“Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise — it’s capitulation,” Casar said in a post on X. “Millions of families would pay the price.”

Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota posted that “if people believe this is a ‘deal,’ I have a bridge to sell you.”

Even if the Senate were to move forward with funding legislation, getting to a final vote could take several days if Democrats who oppose the deal object and draw out the process. The first vote, which could come as soon as Sunday evening, would be to proceed to consideration of the legislation.

Republicans preview healthcare debate

There is no guarantee that the Affordable Care Act subsidies would be extended if Republicans agreed to a future vote on healthcare. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said he will not commit to a health vote.

Some Republicans have said they are open to extending the COVID-19-era tax credits as premiums could skyrocket for millions of people, but they also want new limits on who can receive the subsidies and argue that the tax dollars for the plans should be routed through individuals.

Other Republicans, including Trump, have used the debate to renew their years-long criticism of the law and called for it to be scrapped or overhauled.

“THE WORST HEALTHCARE FOR THE HIGHEST PRICE,” Trump said of the Affordable Care Act in a post Sunday.

Shutdown effects worsen

Meanwhile, the consequences of the shutdown were compounding. U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights on Sunday for the first time since the shutdown began, and there were more than 7,000 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.

Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that air travel ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday would be “reduced to a trickle” if the government didn’t reopen.

At the same time, food aid was delayed for tens of millions of people as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were caught up in legal battles related to the shutdown. More than two dozen states warned of “catastrophic operational disruptions” as Trump’s administration was demanding states “undo” benefits paid out under judges’ orders last week, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed those rulings.

And in Washington, home to millions of federal workers who have gone unpaid, the Capital Area Food Bank said it was providing 8 million more meals than it had prepared to in this budget year — a nearly 20% increase.

Jalonick and Mascaro write for the Associated Press. Associated Press writers Stephen Groves and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Match of the Day pundit Wayne Rooney says the “commitment” shown by Aston Villa on and off the ball was the key to their emphatic 4-0 win over Bournemouth at Villa Park.

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The United States Senate is moving towards a vote that could help end the longest government shutdown in the country’s history, with senators expected to approve a Republican stopgap funding package as early as Sunday evening, according to media reports.

The breakthrough came after a group of centrist Democrats negotiated a deal to reopen the government if Republicans promise to hold a vote on expiring healthcare subsidies by December, The Associated Press news agency reported.

Senator Angus King, who led the talks, told reporters that the Democrats backing the legislation feel the shutdown has gone on long enough, according to The Hill.

When asked if he was confident that there would be enough votes to pass the bill, he said: “That’s certainly what it looks like.”

The package would include a stopgap funding bill that would reopen the government through January 31 and fund other elements – including food aid and the legislative branch – until the end of the fiscal year.

The amended package would still have to be passed by the House of Representatives and sent to President Donald Trump for his signature, a process that could take several days.

Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, told reporters that he would vote against the funding measure but also suggested there could be enough Democratic support to pass it.

“I am unwilling to accept a vague promise of a vote at some indeterminate time, on some undefined measure that extends the healthcare tax credits,” Blumenthal said.

Fallout deepens

The shutdown, currently in its 40th day, has caused thousands of flight cancellations, put food assistance for millions of Americans at risk, and furloughed about 750,000 federal employees.

Air traffic staffing shortages led at least 2,300 flights travelling within the US and to and from the country to be cancelled as of Sunday, according to data from tracking platform FlightAware, along with more than 8,000 delays.

New York City area airports, along with Chicago’s O’Hare and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airports, were especially hard-hit.

Meanwhile, the 42 million people – one in eight Americans – who rely on the food aid programme Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have seen their benefits threatened amid ongoing legal battles.

Although two courts ordered that the Trump administration must pay out SNAP funds during the shutdown, the Supreme Court paused one of the rulings until further legal arguments could be heard.

“Now, the Trump administration has told states they cannot pay more than 60 percent of the funds due this month, and it is threatening to cut all federal funds to any state that does so,” said Al Jazeera’s Mike Hanna, reporting from Washington, DC.

“For Americans, this is really beginning to bite home, and they are trying to ramp up the pressure on senators,” he added.

Health subsidies

The shutdown started on October 1, when the Senate failed to agree on spending priorities. Since then, Democrats have voted 14 times not to reopen the government as they demanded the extension of credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Democrats have pushed for a one-year extension of the subsidies, which have helped double ACA enrolment to 24 million since they were put in place in 2021.

But Republicans, who hold a simple majority in the Senate, have maintained they are open to addressing the issue only after government funding is restored.

Republicans only need five votes from Democrats to reopen the government, so a handful of moderate senators could end the shutdown with only the promise of a later vote on healthcare.

Many Democratic legislators, however, said the emerging deal is not enough.

“I really wanted to get something on healthcare,” said Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin. She added that the deal on the table “doesn’t look like it has something concrete”.

House Democrats were also chiming in against it.

Texas Representative Greg Casar, the chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said a deal that does not reduce healthcare costs is a “betrayal” of millions of Americans who are counting on Democrats to fight.

“Accepting nothing but a pinky promise from Republicans isn’t a compromise – it’s capitulation,” Casar said in a post on X. “Millions of families would pay the price.”

Trump, meanwhile, pushed again to replace subsidies for the ACA health insurance marketplaces with direct payments to individuals.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump blasted the subsidies as a “windfall for Health Insurance Companies, and a DISASTER for the American people”, while demanding the funds be sent directly to individuals to buy coverage on their own.

“I stand ready to work with both Parties to solve this problem once the Government is open,” Trump wrote.

Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, said he believed Trump’s healthcare proposal was aimed at gutting the ACA and allowing insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

“So the same insurance companies he’s railing against in those tweets, he is saying: ‘I’m going to give you more power to cancel people’s policies and not cover them if they have a pre-existing condition,’” Schiff said on ABC’s This Week programme.

Nell Frizell

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Schedule sex

Big Brother 2025 viewers have been left in hysterics over Richard’s savage response to Caroline’s eviction

Big Brother viewers have been left “screaming” at Richard’s brutal reaction to Caroline’s exit, with many now backing him as their “clear winner”.

The Big Brother 2025 final is merely days away, but only one housemate can claim the winning title and a substantial cash prize. As personalities continue to clash, tensions keep rising as the finale approaches.

On Friday, Caroline and Nancy were evicted from the house during the series’ second double eviction, which followed just days after housemate Sam’s unexpected back-door departure. Now, ITV2 viewers are all sharing their predictions on who they reckon could be crowned the 2025 champion.

Tonight’s episode (November 9) showed the housemates reacting after Friday’s live eviction. And it was Richard’s seemingly savage response that got fans talking.

Chatting to Big Brother in the Diary Room, Richard was questioned if he missed Caroline, as he said: “Deeply. I could hear violins playing as I sobbed myself to sleep, and the pillow was steeped with my tears.”, reports OK!.

He added, “I wondered how on earth I’m going to manage when I wake up in the morning and she’s not there on the other side of the room to throw her barbed comments in my direction.

“And I woke up this morning and I looked across at the empty bed and I thought Yes.”

Richard then laughed at his remarks as he appeared to celebrate the eviction outcome.

Taking to X, viewers said they were “screaming” at the star’s response. One person wrote: “I’ve seen enough. Richard has to win.”

Another viewer wrote: “I knew Richard was a winner from the moment i saw his VT Maybe i have a boring sense of humour but this man has me howling everytime hes in the diary room.”

A third added: “Richard, I’m screaming.” A fourth penned: “I’m crying at Richard in the diary room, he’s so funny.”

One person said: “I love when Richard just starts howling over himself, he’s so me.”

Another commented: “Richard’s wheeze actually cracks me up.”

One person echoed: “Richard is an absolute comedy genius.”

The ongoing tension between Richard and Caroline began when the pair first met following Richard’s late entrance to the house. Caroline was frequently spotted making digs at him, never letting him forget about ‘pinching’ her eyeball currency.

Richard has characterised their dynamic as “pantomime-like”. Yet during her departure interview, Caroline stuck to her guns that she found Richard “boring”, saying it multiple times, leaving hosts Will and AJ uncertain whether she genuinely meant it.

Big Brother airs Sunday to Friday on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm.

SEATTLE — Lenny Wilkens, a three-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame who was enshrined as both a player and a coach, has died, his family said Sunday. He was 88.

The family said Wilkens was surrounded by loved ones when he died and did not immediately release a cause of death.

Wilkens was one of the finest point guards of his era who later brought his calm and savvy style to the sideline, first as a player-coach and then evolving into one of the game’s great coaches.

He coached 2,487 games in the NBA, which is still a record. He became a Hall of Famer as a player, as a coach and again as part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team — on which he was an assistant. Wilkens coached the Americans to gold at the Atlanta Games as well in 1996.

“Lenny Wilkens represented the very best of the NBA — as a Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach, and one of the game’s most respected ambassadors,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Sunday. “So much so that, four years ago, Lenny received the unique distinction of being named one of the league’s 75 greatest players and 15 greatest coaches of all time.”

Wilkens was a nine-time All-Star as a player, was the first person to reach 1,000 wins as an NBA coach and was the second person inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach. He coached the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA title in 1979 and remained iconic in that city for the rest of his life, often being considered a godfather of sorts for basketball in Seattle — which lost the Sonics to Oklahoma City in 2008 and has been trying to get a team back since.

And he did it all with grace, something he was proud of.

“Leaders don’t yell and scream,” Wilkens told Seattle’s KOMO News earlier this year.

Wilkens, the 1994 NBA coach of the year with Atlanta, retired with 1,332 coaching wins — a league record that was later passed by Don Nelson (who retired with 1,335) and then Gregg Popovich (who retired with 1,390).

Wilkens played 15 seasons with the St. Louis Hawks, SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers. He was an All-Star five times with St. Louis, three times in Seattle and once with Cleveland in 1973 at age 35. A statue depicting his time with the SuperSonics was installed outside Climate Pledge Arena in June.

“Even more impressive than Lenny’s basketball accomplishments, which included two Olympic gold medals and an NBA championship, was his commitment to service — especially in his beloved community of Seattle where a statue stands in his honor,” Silver said. “He influenced the lives of countless young people as well as generations of players and coaches who considered Lenny not only a great teammate or coach but also an extraordinary mentor who led with integrity and true class.”

Wilkens twice led the league in assists but was also a prominent scorer. He averaged in double-figure scoring in every season of his career, except his final one in 1974-75 with the Trail Blazers. His best season as a scorer came in his first season with the SuperSonics in 1968-69 when he averaged 22.4 points, 8.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds.

Leonard Wilkens was born Oct. 28, 1937, in New York. His basketball schooling came on Brooklyn’s playgrounds and at a city powerhouse, then Boys High School, where one of his teammates was major league baseball star Tommy Davis. He would go on to star at Providence College and was drafted by the Hawks as the sixth overall pick in 1960.

His resume as a player would have been enough to put Wilkens in consideration for the Hall of Fame. What he accomplished as a coach — both through success and longevity — cemented his legacy.

Countless other honors also came his way, including being elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, the College Basketball Hall of Fame, the Providence Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Wall of Honor.

His coaching stops included two stints in Seattle totaling 11 seasons, two seasons in Portland — during one of which he still played and averaged 18 minutes per game — seven seasons in both Cleveland and Atlanta, three seasons in Toronto and parts of two years with the Knicks.

Wilkens also has the most losses in NBA coaching history with 1,155. But his successes outweighed the setbacks. He guided the SuperSonics to their lone championship with a victory over the then Washington Bullets, a year after losing to them in the Finals.

Wilkens moved into first place on the wins list on Jan. 6, 1995, while coaching the Hawks. His 939th victory surpassed Red Auerbach’s record. From there, he became the first coach to reach 1,000 career wins, a mark since matched by nine others.

The possibility of playing and coaching at the same time was raised before the 1969 season when Wilkens was at the home of SuperSonics general manager Dick Vertlieb and playing a leisurely game of pool.

“I thought he was crazy,” Wilkens recalled. “I kept putting him off, but he was persistent. Finally, we were getting so close to training camp, so I said, ‘What the heck, I’ll try it.’”

From there, he became increasingly enamored with coaching.

Seattle trailed the Cincinnati Royals by four points with a few seconds remaining when Wilkens set up a play that resulted in a dunk. Then, he ordered his players to press since the Royals were out of timeouts. The Sonics stole the inbounds pass, scored again to tie it and won in overtime.

“I was like, ‘Wow!”’ Wilkens said. “I had just done something as a coach that helped us win, not as a player.”

After his coaching career ended in 2005, Wilkens returned to the Seattle area where he lived every offseason. Wilkens ran his foundation for decades, with its primary benefactor being the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic in Seattle’s Central District.

He also restored a role with the SuperSonics in 2006 as the team’s vice chairman, but he left the post a year later after it became clear new owner Clay Bennett wanted to move the club out of Seattle.

Wilkens is survived by his wife, Marilyn; their children, Leesha, Randy and Jamee; and seven grandchildren.

Booth and Destin write for the Associated Press.

Nov. 9 (UPI) — The Senate was poised to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history Sunday night as Democrats and Republicans said the two sides have reached a tentative budget agreement.

Axios and The Hill reported on Sunday afternoon that 10 Senate Democrats are expected to vote in favor of the House bill to fund and reopen the government through January. Politico reported Sunday night that there are “more than enough” votes for passage.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who said that the Senate would remain in session until the impasse is resolved, said earlier Sunday that he expected a 15th vote on the bill Sunday night.

The vote would include a “minibus” package of legislation, which, if it is approved by the Senate, would then be amended to include a full year of government funding.

The deal also includes a vote, on a date established in the package, on extending tax credits for people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act — agreement on which has been the linchpin in the 40-day federal government shutdown.

Democrats are set for a caucus meeting tonight, CBS News reported.

Some lawmakers expressed hope that they may be able to end the shutdown after Senators discussed three bills that would fund the government for a full year.

Programs for veterans affairs and agriculture subsidies were released early Sunday, and a more complete funding measure for the legislative branch was released later in the day.

The extended shutdown has put SNAP benefits on hold and snarled air traffic at the nation’s busiest airports amid the ongoing impasse, which has stretched well into its second month.

Staffing shortages and flight cancellations have caused travel disruptions and forced many air traffic controllers to work without pay.

Senate Democrats have been holding out for a one year extension of Biden-era subsidies for health insurance premiums for people who buy coverage on the federal Marketplace under the Affordable Care Act. Thune promised Democrats a vote on extending the subsides in December as part of the agreement.

The shutdown also prompted the Trump administration to cancel scheduled military flyovers at a handful of NFL games, including at the Washington, D.C, area stadium that hosts the Washington Commanders, where President Donald Trump attended the game Sunday between the Commanders and Detroit Lions.

Trump has expressed wishes to have the Commanders name the stadium after him. ESPN reported that it would be discussed between the president and team ownership during the contest.

During the past several years, war scenarios and analyses issuing from Washington have hewed to a familiar but deceptively reassuring image of the future: one of an “absoluteness of reliance on technological superiority, precision initial strikes, and the illusion of a ‘quick victory’ as some sort of magic solution to crises like a Chinese attack on Taiwan.” This is arguably decisive and reassuring on the surface but is, on closer and realistic examination, a dangerous fantasy rather than a practical operational scenario. Not only is it wholly incompatible with the military, industrial, and political situation in which the United States currently finds itself, but it also conceals the danger of involving the world in a nuclear escalation and a prolonged conflict, which the United States cannot afford.

In reality, U.S. military strategists are faced with an insoluble dilemma: Insisting on the “quick victory” doctrine raises the chances of a preemptive nuclear response from Beijing to certainty. If they start preparing for a long, grinding war, the more important question becomes: Is the U.S., in terms of industry, military capability, and political will, even capable of it? The realistic answer is no—at least not on the scale that many American decision-makers imagine.

Most Pentagon war plans, accordingly, emphasize cyberattacks and long-range strikes against China’s command structures, communication hubs, logistical networks, and missile bases. Ideally, this would leave China paralyzed within days, with a collapsed will to fight. In the real world, this can backfire: hitting essential Chinese systems, the leadership in Beijing—operating under unprecedented isolation and pressure—might revert to “escalation vertically,” that is, the early use of nuclear weapons to sustain their deterrent.

China’s nuclear arsenal, though still smaller than that of the US, is growing rapidly. By 2040, estimates suggest, China could possess some 600 operational warheads, compared with the United States’s stockpile of about 3,700. This growing disparity could be driving Beijing toward a more perilous posture—one in which it resorts to using nuclear weapons before that option disappears. Most Chinese missile systems are dual-use, meaning they can be equipped with either conventional or nuclear warheads. A U.S. strike against DF-21 or DF-26 launchers might thus be viewed as an attack on the survivability of China’s nuclear deterrent and could invite a nuclear response.

This is far from theoretical. Recent Pentagon war games have set off alarms. In many of the simulations, U.S. anti-ship missile stocks are depleted in just days; long-range munitions, in two weeks. Even scenarios in which Taiwan, supported by the U.S. and Japan, resists Chinese aggression depict victories at a devastating cost: dozens of ships sunk, hundreds of aircraft destroyed, and thousands of U.S. casualties—numbers that the American public and policymakers could scarcely accept.

For a global power, effective strategy must correspond with the country’s real industrial, financial, and societal capacity. In recent decades, the U.S. has drastically reduced its military production capabilities while increasing dependence on foreign supply chains. The war in Ukraine has given a glimpse of how even modest arms support for allies can deplete critical stockpiles quickly. Imagine the strain should the U.S. fight a full-scale war with the world’s second-largest economy thousands of miles from its shores.

The problem goes far beyond military planning and munitions shortages. Domestically, the U.S. does not have political and social consensus with regard to defending Taiwan. In contrast with the Cold War era, when the Soviet threat unified the American public, today Americans feel much less that their vital interests in East Asia are at stake. In such a context, how could the public accept tens of thousands of casualties and astronomical costs to defend a small island?
It is during any protracted conflict that national will plays as important a role as weapons and technology. Without political unity, industrial capacity, and societal tolerance, technological superiority means nothing. Washington will continue to remain enmeshed in the same fantasy that has brought empires low: that technology and military power can somehow substitute for strategic judgment.

A way out of this deadlock is quite evident, but the political will is lacking. Firstly, the U.S. should recognize that technological superiority does not necessarily translate into strategic dominance. Secondly, if it is serious about defending Taiwan, it needs to start rebuilding industrial capacity now, expand munitions production lines, and level with its people about what war would really look and feel like. Thirdly, diplomacy and sustainable deterrence must be reinstated—not through threats or arms races, but through dialogue, crisis management, and reduction of the risk of miscalculation between Washington and Beijing.

If the U.S. keeps on fantasizing about a quick and cost-free victory, then it will not only face defeat on the battlefield but also push the world to the brink of a nuclear catastrophe. The ability to engage in war depends not only on the number of missiles and ships but also on political wisdom, economic capability, and a clear-eyed view of reality—three things the U.S. plainly lacks in its confrontation with China. It is time for Washington to wake up from its comforting illusions of power and face reality in terms of true strength—before it is too late.

ZARA McDermott looked incredible as she showed off outfit for ‘date night’ with Louis Tomlinson in Los Angeles.

The Love Island alum, 28, shared a duo of snaps on Instagram from her GRWM process, showing off her simple yet stunning outfit.

Zara opted to wear a pair of high waisted denim jeans with embroidered navy patterns on each knee.

She finished off the outfit with a plain black tank top that hugs her waist to perfection.

Her beauty spoke for itself as she posed for two mirror selfies, in one fully facing the mirror and in the other using a hand to playfully touch her hair.

Zara elevated the look with a soft glam makeup look featuring a natural pink overlined lip, clean brows, and a flick of eyeliner.

GAGA FOR ZARA

Louis Tomlinson breaks silence on Zara romance saying he’s ‘so in love’

FINAL GOODBYE

Zara McDermott cuts last ties with ex Sam as she moves in 1D’s with Louis

Her freshly styled hair falls down her shoulders in a gorgeous balayage of blonde and brown tones.

“date night vibes, ft my new jeans,” Zara penned in the caption.

The star loves a good casual-come-cute outfit, as shown in her other Insta posts, and fans adored this one just as much as any other.

“Oh wow, glowingggg girly,” gushed one user in her post’s comment’s section.

Others followed suit, adding: “Gorgeous,” “Where are you jeans from!!!,” “I hope you and Louis have fun on your date.”

Zara and Louis, 33, were first seen out together back in March of this year, though it wasn’t clear whether the pair were dating.

It was only in July that Zara and Louis made their relationship public, where Louis posted a subtle pic of them handing out.

Zara hardlaunched the romance on Instagram the following month though by posting a snap of them kissing.

The pair have kept a relatively low profile, though last month Louis couldn’t help but gush about his stunning girl on Steven Bartlett‘s The Diary of a CEO podcast, hinting at how much she’s inspired his new music.

“I’m a deeply, deeply romantic person,” began the musician.

“It’s easy to be romantic when you are a creative… [but] I really struggle to write in a fictional sense, I really struggle.

“For me, I have to have been living it, it has to be real to me.

“So, if I wasn’t feeling so good, like right now, I wasn’t feeling so in love… the record probably would have a slightly different feel to it.”

Before sparking up romance with Louis, Zara dated Made in Chelsea star, Sam Thompson.

The former flames dated for five tumultuous years before calling it quits in 2024.

Whereas Louis last girlfriend was Danish model Sofie Nyvang who he dated for a couple of months at the beginning of 2023.

WIFE’S AGONY

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MADDIE SCAM

I looked into the eyes of Maddie fraudster…Chilling move proved she was a sham

Match of the Day pundits Wayne Rooney and Danny Murphy believe Rob Edwards has “too big a mountain” to climb to keep Wolves in the Premier League, as the Middlesbrough manager is set to takeover at the club he spent four years at as a player.

READ MORE: Edwards to hold Wolves talks as deal agreed with Boro

Manchester City celebrated Pep Guardiola’s 1,000th game in management with a statement 3-0 win over Liverpool to close to within four points of Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Erling Haaland shrugged off missing an early penalty on Sunday to head in his 99th Premier League goal before Nico Gonzalez’s deflected effort and a wonder strike from Jeremy Doku confirmed City’s status as Arsenal’s major title rivals.

Liverpool have now lost four of their last five league games to leave the defending champions down in eighth, eight points off the top.

Arsenal’s 10-game winning run came to an end in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland on Saturday and Guardiola’s men took full advantage in the battle of the two sides that have dominated English football’s Premier League over the past decade.

Even if decisions went against Arne Slot’s men, this was another display of how far they have fallen since cruising to a 2-0 win at the Etihad in February.

The Reds showed signs of a revival in beating Aston Villa and Real Madrid in the past eight days, but had no answer to the slickness of a rejuvenated City, who have won 11 of their last 14 games in all competitions.

Conor Bradley shut down the threat of Madrid’s Vinicius Junior on Tuesday, but was given a torrid time by the pace and trickery of Doku down City’s left.

Early in the first half, Doku made the most of Ibrahima Konate’s clearance off Bradley to round Giorgi Mamardashvili before his trailing leg was clipped by the Georgian goalkeeper.

Referee Chris Kavanagh was initially unmoved, but pointed to the spot after a VAR review.

Haaland has struck 28 times already this season for club and country, but has yet to score for City from the penalty spot in 2025-26.

Mamardashvili redeemed himself by getting down low to his left to turn the Norwegian’s penalty to safety to briefly lift the mood among the Liverpool players and travelling support.

City remained in control of the game, though, as Rayan Cherki’s effort was deflected wide before Mamardashvili turned Doku’s strike after another mazy run into the side netting.

Haaland has only failed to score in two of his 18 appearances this season, and duly delivered with a looping header to meet Matheus Nunes’s wicked delivery at 29 minutes.

Liverpool thought they were level nine minutes later, when van Dijk’s header from a corner arrowed into the far corner.

However, Andrew Robertson ducked out of the way of his captain’s effort and was deemed to have interfered with Gianluigi Donnarumma from an offside position.

Instead of going in all square, City rubbed salt in the wounds of Liverpool’s perceived injustice.

The visitors were slow to get out from a corner, and Gonzalez had time to take aim before his shot deflected off van Dijk to wrong-foot Mamardashvili.

Liverpool only had themselves to blame for not getting back in the game early in the second period as Cody Gakpo blazed over with the goal gaping at the end of a fine move involving Mohamed Salah and Bradley.

But Doku fittingly rounded off arguably his best performance in three seasons at City to seal a statement victory.

The Belgian jinked inside the leaden-footed Konate before curling into the top corner from outside the box.

Salah summed up Liverpool’s day and season so far when he dinked wide a glorious chance 10 minutes from time.

Despite the visitors’ need for goals, Slot left 125-million-pound ($165m) striker Alexander Isak on the bench for the entire match due to his lack of match fitness.

The decision to tear up the squad that coasted to the title with a near 450-million-pound ($692m) spend in the transfer window looks more misguided by the game as Liverpool find themselves in a battle just to make the top four rather than the title race.

After the game, Doku told Sky Sports that he was very happy with the team’s performance.

“It is always good for the confidence [to dominate a match], but I have great players around me. That gives me the feeling that I have to do more in every game and every day I want to improve,” he said.

Van Dijk said Liverpool struggled to recover from a difficult first half.

“Our pressing just wasn’t good enough; it should have been better. We need to find more consistency. Losing hurts, always, but 3-0 especially,” he said.

“There were some good moments in the game, but you play Man City at home, who can make it very difficult. The focus should be on reflecting on this when we come back and then fight again.”

Earlier on Sunday, Aston Villa thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 to move into seventh place in the Premier League. But Newcastle United’s poor domestic form continued as they slumped to defeat at Brentford.

Nottingham Forest ended a winless Premier League run stretching back to the first weekend of the season as they came from behind to beat Leeds United 3-1 at the City Ground.

Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion shared the spoils in a dour 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park.

People fleeing el-Fasher for Al Dabbah tell Al Jazeera many died on the way from wounds or lack of food.

A Sudanese medical organisation has accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of engaging in a “desperate attempt” to conceal evidence of mass killings in Darfur by burning bodies or burying them in mass graves.

The Sudan Doctors Network said on Sunday that paramilitaries are collecting “hundreds of bodies” from the streets of el-Fasher, in Sudan’s western Darfur region, after their bloody takeover of the city on October 26, saying the group’s crimes could not be “erased through concealment or burning”.

“What happened in el-Fasher is not an isolated incident but rather another chapter in a full-fledged genocide carried out by the RSF, blatantly violating all international and religious norms that prohibit the mutilation of corpses and guarantee the dead the right to a dignified burial,” it said in a statement.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that 82,000 of el-Fasher’s total population of 260,000 fled after the RSF seized the last Sudanese military stronghold in the region, amid reports of mass killings, rape, and torture. Many residents are believed to still be trapped.

Reporting from the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan said many people fleeing el-Fasher for Al Dabbah in the north died on the road, “because they had no food or water, or because they sustained injuries as a result of gunfire”.

Morgan said that escapees told Al Jazeera they learned of the deaths of relatives from social media videos of their killings posted by RSF fighters. Several videos depicting extreme acts of violence have emerged in the public domain since the group overran the city.

Targeted ethnic killings

With the “communications blackout” in the city, many did not know what happened to their family members.

“They believe if their relatives are still alive inside el-Fasher, then they may not be so for long because of a lack of food and water… or because the RSF has been targeting people based on their ethnicities,” Morgan reported.

The RSF, which has been fighting the Sudanese army for control of Sudan since April 2023, traces its origins to the predominantly Arab, government-backed militia known as the “Janjaweed”, which has been accused of genocide in Darfur two decades ago.

Between 2003 and 2008, an estimated 300,000 people were killed, and nearly 2.7 million were displaced in campaigns of ethnic violence.

Sylvain Penicaud of Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, who spoke to civilians who fled el-Fasher for the town of Tawila, said many of those fleeing said they were “targeted because of the colour of their skin”.

“For me, the most terrifying part was [civilians] being hunted down while they were running for their lives; being attacked simply for being Black,” Penicaud said.

The Zaghawa, the dominant ethnic group in el-Fasher, has been fighting alongside the army since late 2023.

The group, which initially remained neutral when the war began, aligned with the military after the RSF carried out massacres against the Masalit tribe in West Darfur’s capital, el-Geneina, killing up to 15,000 people.

Hassan Osman, a university student from el-Fasher, said residents with darker skin, especially Zaghawa civilians, were subjected to “racial insults, humiliation, degradation and physical and psychological violence” as they fled.

“If your skin is light, they might let you go,” he said. “It’s purely ethnic.”

Jeremy Renner, a star in the “Avengers” universe and the HBO series “Mayor of Kingstown,” is facing allegations of misconduct from filmmaker Yi Zhou.

In an extensive series of posts on Instagram last week Zhou alleges that beginning in June Renner sent “a string of unwanted / unsolicited pornographic images.” After a relationship over calls and text, according to Zhou, “The first physical encounter was not consensual. … Later interactions became consensual, yet the earlier incident remained deeply distressing.” Another post claims that Renner “threatened to call immigration/ICE on me,” which left her “shocked and frightened.”

A representative for Renner responded to a request for comment Sunday by saying, “The accusations being made by this individual are totally inaccurate and untrue.”

Many of Zhou’s Instagram posts, which include images of supposed messages between the two of them and what appear to be candid, personal photos of the actor, added the hashtag “#CancelJeremyRenner.”

Zhou, born in China and based in Los Angeles, has directed two films, the documentary “Masters of Cinema: Chronicles of Disney” and the animated “Stardust Future,” which she says Renner participated in and then refused to promote.

People reported that Renner’s attorney, Marty Singer, sent Zhou a cease-and-desist letter to prevent further “salacious lies” on Friday. A message to Singer’s office Sunday was not immediately returned.

In one of her posts, Zhou wrote of her motivation for speaking out. “My intention is not retaliation but transparency,” she said. “I have the right to protect my professional reputation, to set boundaries, and to correct misinformation when selective reporting distorts the facts.” She posted a cease-and-desist letter she purportedly emailed to Renner on Instagram asking him to stop “any form of verbal abuse, yelling or intimidation.”

In a 2025 interview with the Guardian promoting his memoir “My Last Breath,” which chronicles the 2023 accident involving an industrial snowcat that nearly killed him, Renner denied previous allegations of misconduct — substance abuse and a verbal threat — that came out in a custody dispute with his ex-wife Sonni Pacheco over their daughter, Ava.

“Being accused of things you’ve not done, right? That doesn’t feel good to anybody,” Renner said. “It certainly doesn’t feel good when you’re a celebrity and it’s known to everybody.”

CIF SOCAL REGIONALS

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

DIVISION I

#16 Santa Barbara San Marcos at #1 Harvard-Westlake

#9 Long Beach Poly at #8 San Luis Obispo

#12 Bishop Montgomery at #5 La Jolla Country Day

#13 Redlands at #4 West Ranch

#14 San Diego San Marcos at #3 Santa Margarita

#11 JSerra at #6 Coronado

#10 Bakersfield Centennial at #7 Bishop’s

#15 Orange Lutheran at #2 Temecula Valley

DIVISION II

#16 Oak Park at #1 Liberty

#9 Arroyo Grande at #8 Flintridge Prep

#12 La Canada at #5 Christian

#13 Ventura at #4 Santa Ana Foothill

#14 Venice at #3 Cypress

#11 St. Margaret’s at #6 Scripps Ranch

#10 Palisades at #7 Carlsbad

#15 Dana Hills at #2 Westview

DIVISION III

#16 Arrowhead Christian at #1 Academy of Our Lady of Peace

#9 Garces Memorial at #9 Royal

#12 Cleveland at #5 Patrick Henry

#13 El Camino Real at #4 Santa Fe Christian

#14 Taft at #3 Mission Vista

#11 Santa Barbara at #6 Ontario Christian

#10 Eagle Rock at #7 Chadwick

#15 Wiseburn Da Vinci at #2 Frontier

DIVISION IV

#1 Nipomo, bye

#8 Grant at #9 Oceanside El Camino

#12 Capistrano Valley Christian at #5 Chatsworth

#13 West Valley at #4 Olympian

#14 Cate at #3 Granada Hills

#11 Garden Grove Pacifica at #5 LA University

#10 Rock Academy at #7 Granada Hills Kennedy

#15 California Academy of Math & Science at #2 Mammoth

DIVISION V

#1 East Valley, bye

#9 Loma Linda Academy at #8 Panorama

#12 South East at #5 Artesia

#13 Legacy at #4 Elsinore

#14 Moreno Valley at #3 O’Farrell Charter

#11 Nogales at #6 Schurr

#10 South El Monte at #7 Foothill Tech

#15 Anaheim at #2 Morro Bay

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

First Round

OPEN DIVISION

#8 Mira Costa at #1 Sierra Canyon

#5 Marymount at #4 San Diego Cathedral

#6 San Juan Hills at #3 Torrey Pines

#7 Redondo Union at #2 Mater Dei

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions I-V) Nov. 13 at higher seeds; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 15 at higher seeds; Finals (all divisions) Nov. 18 at higher seeds.

Nov. 9 (UPI) — Britain, France and Germany have announced that they will deploy anti-drone teams to Belgium after a wave of recent unidentified drone incursions.

Last week, authorities suspended flights at airports in Brussels and Liège after unidentified drones were spotted in their airspace, as well as over a military air base. Previous drone incursions were spotted over other NATO countries.

The British Defense Ministry said Sunday that it had agreed to deploy a specialist counter-drone unit from the Royal Air Force Regiment, following France and Germany.

“Working with NATO allies, we stand ready to counter hybrid threats and keep skies safe,” the British Defense Ministry said.

Belgium’s Defense Minister Theo Francken thanked Britain for the decision in a post to social media.

“The deployment of a U.K. anti-drone team in Belgium strengthens our collective security and showcases our unity in countering hybrid threats,” he said. The message mirrored those he sent Friday after Germany and France made similar announcements.

Britain’s top general Richard Knighton told the BBC on Sunday that Francken had asked for the assistance last week and that personnel and equipment were already on their way to Belgium.

While the origin of the drones has not been verified, NATO nations believe Moscow may have ordered the drone incursions, Knighton said.

Francken said Saturday that “quite a few people on social media” seemed to be annoyed that eyes were turning to Russia after the drone incursions.

“But evidently, Russia is a plausible suspect. The other European countries that experienced this all stand firmly behind Ukraine. Coincidence? Could be. But could also not be,” he said.

“Russia certainly has the capabilities to organize such operations. And for just as long, Russian hacker collectives have been waging a hardcore cyberwar against our networks.”

And so, Francken said, looking toward Russia “isn’t abnormal” and Moscow’s possible involvement can’t be ruled out.

“Yet quite a few people feel called to do exactly that. This would be ‘impossible’ work of Russia, they pontificate,” he said. “What do they base this on? And all those others claiming the drone flights are staged, or don’t exist at all, and are deliberately exaggerated to sow panic?”

Trump promises to defend Hungary’s finances amid Orban-EU tensions and to sign $600m gas deal, says Hungarian leader.

Hungary has struck a deal for what Prime Minister Viktor Orban called a “financial shield” to safeguard its economy from potential attacks following talks with US President Donald Trump.

Orban, a longtime ally of Trump and one of Europe’s most outspoken nationalist leaders, met the US president at the White House on Friday to seek relief from sanctions on Russian oil and gas. Following the meeting, he announced that Hungary had secured a one-year exemption from those measures.

“I have also made an agreement with the US president on a financial shield,” Orban said in a video posted by the Hungarian outlet index.hu on Sunday. “Should there be any external attacks against Hungary or its financial system, the Americans gave their word that in such a case, they would defend Hungary’s financial stability.”

A White House official said the deal also included contracts worth roughly $600m for Hungary to buy US liquefied natural gas. Orban gave no details of how the “shield” would work, but claimed it would ensure Hungary would face “no financing problems”.

“That Hungary or its currency could be attacked, or that the Hungarian budget could be put in a difficult situation, or that the Hungarian economy could be suffocated from the financing side, this should be forgotten,” he said.

The move comes as Orban faces economic stagnation and strained relations with the European Union, which has frozen billions of euros in funding over what Brussels calls Hungary’s democratic backsliding. Critics accuse Orban of using his ties with Washington to sidestep EU pressure and secure new financial lifelines.

Orban said on Friday that Hungary also received an exemption from US sanctions on Russian energy after a meeting with Trump.

Hungary’s economy has struggled since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but its currency, the forint, has shown some recovery this year, supported by high interest rates.

Trump, meanwhile, has extended his support to another far-right leader, Argentina’s Javier Milei, pledging to strengthen the country’s collapsing economy through a $20bn currency swap deal with Argentina’s central bank. Trump said he would also buy Argentinian pesos to “help a great philosophy take over a great country”.

Milei, who has made more than a dozen trips to the US since taking office in December 2023, including to attend Trump’s second inauguration, is battling inflation, debt, and dwindling reserves. Argentinian bond prices plunged in late September as the central bank scrambled to stabilise the peso.

Channel 4’s new drama Trespasses aired its first episode on Sunday night

Channel 4 viewers have voiced their frustrations over Gillian Anderson’s new series, Trespasses.

While some fans were enamoured with the fresh drama, others were less than impressed by what they deemed to be “dodgy” Irish accents.

Taking to social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, one disgruntled viewer wrote, “At times, I can’t understand a word people are saying …. It’s not just the accents, it’s the dodgy sound quality too #trespasses.”

Another chimed in, “Think I need subtitles on. #Trespasses.”

A third quipped, “#trespasses channel four….. I see what you did there! Getting down n dirty to Into the mystic by Van the man!!! Giving you points for this x, but some of the accents are again shocking!” (sic), reports the Express.

One surprised fan tweeted, “Crikey! I’ve only just recognised Gillian Anderson in #Trespasses. Her # Belfast accent sounds authentic. Struggling to understand when actors speak too rapidly.”

Another queried, “Is it common to say ‘I’m going to the bathroom’ in Northern Ireland? I always assumed that was purely an American phrase.”

Expressing anticipation for the series, one viewer penned, “Looking forward to watching the TV adaptation of #Trespasses on C4. Enjoyed the book when I read it this summer. Lola Petticrew was incredible in Say Nothing, so I have high hopes!”.

Another enthused, “God, it’s fantastic. I’m so glad that it lives and breathes like the book.”

The plot of Trespasses unfolds in a town outside Belfast in the 1970s.

The four-part drama is based on Louise Kennedy’s acclaimed first novel and features Lola Petticrew, Tom Cullen, and Gillian Anderson. The story centres on a forbidden romance during the Troubles.

The synopsis reads, “Working behind the bar of her family pub, serving a mixed crowd including locally stationed soldiers, Catholic schoolteacher Cushla meets Michael, an older Protestant married man, who often defends IRA suspects and is friends with cultured Bohemians who enrage and intrigue her.

“Worlds apart, Cushla knows a relationship like this spells all kinds of trouble, but they are irresistibly drawn to each other.

“In a place where loose lips cost lives and danger lurks in the shadows, amid the fear and paranoia, this illicit affair between the pair ignites and burns bright.”

Trespasses can be streamed on All4.

PALM DESERT — Joy Miedecke, who runs the largest Republican club in the Coachella Valley, handed out scores of “No on Prop. 50” lawn signs before election day.

But Tuesday morning, she knew the ballot measure would pass.

Proposition 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to challenge President Trump, easily prevailed last week. The ballot measure, created to level the playing field with Republican gerrymandering efforts in Texas and other GOP states, reconfigured California congressional districts to favor Democrats as they try to take back the U.S. House of Representatives in next year’s midterms.

As a consequence, Coachella Valley’s Republicans could soon be represented by anti-Trump Democrats in Washington.

California Republicans, far outnumbered by those on the left, for years have felt ignored in a state where Democrats reign, and the passage of Proposition 50 only adds to the sense of political hopelessness.

“The Democrats get their way because we don’t have enough people,” said Miedecke, of her party’s struggles in California.

Bordered by the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains, the desert basin has long been a magnet for conservative retirees and vacationers, including former Republican presidents.

A cluster of palm trees light the evening landscape on Frank Sinatra Drive in Rancho Mirage.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

The local hospital is named after President Eisenhower. President Ford enjoyed the many emerald golf courses in his later years and his wife, former first lady Betty Ford, founded her namesake addiction treatment center in the desert valley.

Voters in Indian Wells, parts of La Quinta and Cahuilla Hills backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Under Prop. 50, some or all of those areas will move to a congressional district led by Democrat Raul Ruiz, an emergency room physician raised in the Coachella Valley, or join with left-leaning San Diego County suburbs in a new meandering district specifically crafted to favor Democratic candidates.

Joy Miedecke of Indio is president of the East Valley Republican Women Patriots. She blames the California GOP for failing to adequately fund opposition to Proposition 50.

“The party is at the bottom,” said Miedecke, 80. “It’s at the very bottom. We have nowhere to go but up.”

Sitting in her club’s retail store on Wednesday, Miedecke blamed the California Republican Party and its allies, saying they failed to raise enough money to blunt Prop. 50’s anti-Trump message.

A life-sized cardboard cutout of California Republican gubernatorial candidate and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco stood near stacks of red MAGA hats and “Alligator Alcatraz” T-shirts. A President Reagan cardboard cutout also greeted visitors.

Volunteer Chris Mahr checks signatures on petitions at the East Valley Republican Women Patriots on Nov. 6 in Palm Desert. Republicans fear Proposition 50’s passage will weaken representation in the Coachella Valley.

Republican voters in the Coachella Valley spent the days after the Nov. 4 special election criticizing the Republican Party and California’s Democratic leadership. In Facebook chat groups, in bars and on neighborhood walks, locals weighed in on the new congressional district lines and the proxy battle between Trump and Newsom.

On Wednesday, gleaming Lincoln Navigators and Cadillac Escalades cruised down a main drag, past tidy green lawns before disappearing into residential communities hidden behind sand-colored gates.

Kay Hillery, 89, who lives in an Indian Wells neighborhood known for its architecturally significant Midcentury Modern homes, is bracing for more bad news.

She anticipates that GOP congressional candidates will have a harder time raising money because the new districts marginalize Republicans.

“I am ashamed of the Republicans for not getting out the vote,” said Hillery, who moved to the desert from Arcadia in 1989.

1

2

3

1. A ceramic figurine of Trump is on display at the East Valley Republican Women Patriots store in Palm Desert. 2. A Trump key chain dangles on top of a large God Bless America button which hangs next to a hair dryer and a Bible inside “Just Marylou” hair salon. 3. Inside the “Just Marylou” hair salon is decorated in Republican posters and slogans.

Voters who backed Prop. 50, however, were reenergized.

“It’s important to take a position when we need to, and we needed to take a position as a state,” said Linda Blank, president of the Indian Wells Preservation Foundation.

Indian Wells is best known for its premiere tennis tournament, top-level golf courses and palm tree-lined roadways. Eisenhower, who lived in Indian Wells part time, is memorialized with a statue outside City Hall.

The heavily Republican city for years hosted the state’s Republican Party convention and donor retreats organized by right-wing libertarians David and Charles Koch. (David Koch died in 2019.)

Following Tuesday’s election, Indian Wells will lose its Republican representative, Ken Calvert, and become part of the newly drawn district that reaches into San Diego County.

That area is represented by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall), but Democrats are trying to oust him by extending his district into bluer neighborhoods.

Michael Ford, left, Sonny Bono, center, and John Gardner Ford, right of Bono, attend the third day of the 1976 Republican National Convention at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

(Guy DeLort/Penske Media via Getty Images)

A major portion of the Riverside County desert region once was represented by Rep. Sonny Bono, the singer, who was a Republican. After he was killed in a ski accident in 1998, his wife, Mary Bono, also a Republican, ran for his seat and served in Congress until 2013.

The Coachella Valley is now a political patchwork, home also to the Democratic havens of Palm Springs and Cathedral City and divided towns of Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert.

Today, the region is split into congressional districts held by Calvert, a Republican who lives in far-off Corona, and Democrat Ruiz.

Calvert announced last week that he’ll run in a new district in Orange and Riverside counties. The good news for Calvert is that it’s a heavily Republican district. The bad news is Republican Rep. Young Kim of Anaheim Hills is also running in that district.

Calvert, in an emailed statement, blamed Newsom for disenfranchising Republicans throughout California — who account for 5.7 million of the 22.9 million voters in the state.

“Conservatives deserve to have their voices heard, not be drowned out by partisan moves to advance a one-sided political agenda,” said Calvert. His office didn’t respond when asked about the congressman’s views on Texas’ redistricting actions.

Indian Wells Mayor Bruce Whitman said Calvert was instrumental in directing millions of dollars to a wash project that will help development.

U.S. flags adorn El Paseo Shopping District on Nov. 6 in Palm Desert.

In nearby liberal Palm Springs, city leaders passed a resolution supporting immigrants and celebrated an all-LGBTQ+ city council in 2017.

Indian Wells’ political leadership remains apolitical, Whitman said.

“National issues like sanctuary city resolutions, or resolutions supporting Israel or Palestinians — it’s just not our thing,” he said.

At the Nest bar in Indian Wells, tourists from Canada and Oregon on Wednesday night mingled with silver-haired locals.

As Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” played, 60-something resident John — who declined to give his last name— predicted the redistricting wars would end as a “wash” between California and Texas.

“It’s just a game,” he said, sounding dismissive.

Sandra Schulz of Palm Desert, executive vice president of the East Valley Republican Women Patriots, stands in front of a wall covered with Trump photographs and paintings on Nov. 6 in Palm Desert.

Dan Schnur, who teaches political communications at USC and UC Berkeley, sees another outcome. Taking away congressional representation from the party’s last remaining conservative bastions leaves the party even less relevant, he said.

The California Republican Party hasn’t done meaningful statewide work since then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger left office, Schnur said.

“They decided many years ago that they just weren’t going to engage seriously in state politics anymore,” said Schnur. “If you’re a California Republican, you focus on national politics and you work on local races.”

Tourists look at the Republican items in the store window at the East Valley Republican Women Patriots store on Nov. 6 in Palm Desert.

In 2007, then-Gov. Schwarzenegger spoke at a GOP state party convention in Indian Wells and warned his fellow Republicans that they needed to pivot to the political center and attract more moderates.

Schwarzenegger drew a parallel to the film industry, telling the convention crowd: “We are dying at the box office. We are not filling the seats.”

The former governor opposed Prop. 50, but limited his involvement with Republicans in the campaign to defeat the measure.

Indian Wells resident Peter Rammer, 69, a retired tech executive, described himself as a Republican who didn’t always vote along party lines. He is increasingly frustrated with Democrats’ handling of homelessness in California.

He voted against Prop. 50, but predicted the Democratic wins in New Jersey and Virginia would force the Republican Party to pay more attention to regional issues.

“I’m just not happy with how everything is going on the country right now,” said Rammer, standing outside Indian Wells City Hall. “There’s just so much turmoil, it’s crazy. But Trump — the guy I voted for — causes a lot of it.”

American flags adorn El Paseo Shopping District in staunchly Republican Palm Desert.

Back in Palm Desert, Republican club president Miedecke was focused on the next campaign: Getting the word out about a ballot measure by Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego).

It would require voter ID and proof of citizenship in California elections — another polarizing issue.

It completed a miserable day for Ferrari with Charles Leclerc retiring earlier in the race after a collision with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli broke his front suspension. The Italian rookie had been knocked into Leclerc’s path by the McLaren of Oscar Piastri.

In a separate interview with Viaplay, Hamilton was more optimistic about the Ferrari and what he might be able to achieve in the future.

“It would be wrong to say that there are no positives at all,” he said.

“If you look at Charles’ performance in qualifying, it shows that the car does have some pace in it.

“But we are just really having to fight through those hardships at the moment. I have to believe that these hardships lead to… I believe there is something extraordinary up ahead in my life and in my destiny.

“I truly still believe in this team and what we can achieve together. I just have to keep pushing and keep giving them everything I can.”

The double Ferrari retirement in Sao Paulo left them fourth in the constructors’ championship, with Mercedes now 36 points clear in second and Red Bull third.