A wealthy young Silicon Valley venture capitalist hopes to recruit statewide and congressional candidates and launch an affordable-housing ballot measure in 2018 because he says California’s leaders are failing to address flaws in the state’s governance that are killing opportunities for future generations.

Sam Altman, 32, said in May that he was considering a run for governor. But he said in an interview with The Times this week that he has no plans to run for office — at the moment — and will instead roll out an effort Wednesday to enlist candidates around a shared set of policy priorities — including tackling how automation is going to affect the economy and the cost of housing in California — and is willing to put his own money behind the effort.

“I think we have a fundamental breakdown of the American social contract and it’s desperately important that we fix it,” he said. “Even if we had a very well-functioning government, it would be a challenge, and our current government functions so badly it is an extra challenge.”

Altman is the president of Y Combinator, a technology incubator that has provided start-up funding to hundreds of Silicon Valley companies, notably Airbnb, Dropbox and Stripe. He first made his mark by co-founding a social media app called Loopt when he was 19 that later sold for $43 million.

He said he hopes to recruit a slate of four candidates to run for office — possibly for governor, lieutenant governor, mayor of a major city in California and Congress — and could provide technology platforms and seed money for their campaigns.

Though Altman said he is not specifically targeting Democratic politicians, he made clear he is not happy with incumbents such as Sen. Dianne Feinstein or the current gubernatorial field, which includes Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

“I’m not satisfied with the current choices,” Altman said. “I don’t want to make this about dumping on specific people, [but] I don’t think any of the current candidates are the best we could do.”

He would not be the first wealthy Silicon Valley entrepreneur to try to shake up California politics based on his tech resume. Among them are former eBay chief Meg Whitman, who spent $144 million of her own money on an unsuccessful gubernatorial run in 2010, and former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Carly Fiorina, who ran for Senate in 2010 before running for president in 2016.

In recent years, tech industry executives have played notable roles helping candidates get elected to top office, including Google parent company Alphabet Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt, who backed former President Obama, and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, who supported President Trump.

Altman declined to say how much he was willing to spend on his effort but said he would prefer to invest heavily on a cause rather than underwriting individual campaigns.

“That’s always felt gross to me,” he said. “I’m happy to spend a lot of money supporting the movement.”

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Over the years, Altman has been registered as a Democrat and as having no party preference, and his political donations swing between liberal and center-left.

Last year, he donated $100,000 to a San Francisco group working to elect moderates to the county Board of Supervisors, and $50,000 to an Airbnb committee that backed an increase in the city sales tax. He has also spent thousands of dollars backing Obama and national and local Democratic groups, as well as congressional, legislative and local candidates.

On a website that launches Wednesday, Altman lays out his concerns and policy goals. He argues that the state’s priorities have become unbalanced, resulting in inequality, stalled growth and declining opportunity. And it will only become worse because of an upcoming economic shift driven by automation, he says.

“We need to figure out a new social contract, and to ensure that everyone benefits from the coming changes,” Altman writes on the site.

Altman lays out 10 principles including lowering the cost of housing, creating single-payer healthcare, increasing clean energy use, improving education, reforming taxes and rebuilding infrastructure.

He has few specific policy edicts, and floats proposals that will generate controversy, such as creating a universal basic income for all Americans in an effort to equalize opportunity, public funding for the media and increasing taxes on property that is owned by foreigners, is unoccupied or has been “flipped” by investors seeking a quick return on an investment.

Altman said he recognizes he faces an uphill battle.

“Maybe this will go nowhere,” he said. “There’s always the possibility I put this out and there’s exactly one person who believes in this stuff and it’s me.”

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For the latest on national and California politics, follow @LATSeema on Twitter.

Updates on California politics

So much can happen in seven minutes of football.

Carson proved that on Saturday night in the City Section Open Division championship game, scoring five touchdowns in a 7:05 span of the second quarter to produce a 36-0 shutout of Crenshaw at Southwest College.

After a scoreless first quarter, Zach Brock broke several tackles on a 12-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter, opening the floodgates for the No. 1-seeded Colts (10-3).

Chris Fields III connected with Royal Moore on a 46-yard touchdown and the two-point conversion made it 15-0 at the 7:32 mark. Darren Panton returned a punt 28 yards for another touchdown with 6:20 left in the stanza and recovered a fumble at the Crenshaw 22 two plays later, setting up Craig Walker’s reverse that made it 29-0. Panton ended the scoring barrage with a 23-yard interception return 4:46 before halftime.

“We saw in the first quarter that they were overly aggressive and if we gave them a fake, they’d bite on it,” said Fields, who completed eight of 15 passes for 147 yards with an interception and ran seven times for 38 yards. “I just took advantage of what the defense gave me. Darren’s punt return sealed the deal.”

Carson sacked Cougars quarterback Danniel Flowers four times in the first half — two of those by end Kingston Sula and one each by Derric Myers and Xavier Allen — and forced him into several other hurried throws. Flowers, who made several clutch throws in the semifinals at Birmingham, was held to four-of-10 passing for 37 yards in the first half Saturday while running back Joshua Jones had 11 yards in five carries by intermission.

Carson High receiver Royal Moore sprints down the sideline on his way to a 46-yard touchdown against Crenshaw in the City Section Open Division final Saturday night.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Eric Myers finished with 88 yards in 18 carries to keep the chains moving for the Colts, who claimed their 12th City crown and first since winning Division I in 2003 under coach John Aguirre, who later became City Section commissioner.

Carson moved to within one of second-place Banning on the all-time titles list. Manual Arts holds the record with 17.

“This is a testament to these kids and how hard they work,” first-year coach William Lowe said. “They have good practice habits on the field and in the weight room and are mentally tough. Any play can win or lose a game and when good things happen we try to build on that.”

The sixth-seeded Cougars (10-2) were vying for their seventh City title since 1991. Terrence Whitehead has served as interim head coach all season in the absence of longtime coach Robert Garrett (the winningest football coach in section history with 300 wins to his credit), who is on administrative leave.

“Chris has grown in leaps and bounds,” Lowe said of Fields. “I credit all of my coaches. Our defensive alignment allows the kids to play fast and physical and we were battle-tested despite some tough losses early in the year.”

Israeli army carried out attacks east of Rafah city, demolitions east of Khan Younis; arrests reported during Israeli raid in occupied West Bank.

Kurdish authorities say one killed, several wounded in riots in Erbil’s Gwer, as authorities try to restore power after attack on Khor Mor.

A group of “rioters” have opened fire at fuel tanker trucks in the northern Iraqi governorate of Erbil, killing at least one person and wounding several others, Kurdish authorities said, days after a rocket attack on the region’s Khor Mor gas field.

In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency late on Saturday, the Ministry of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) linked the shooting to the Khor Mor attack.

The rocket attack hit a storage tank at the gas field, which is one of the region’s largest facilities, late on Wednesday, leading to production shutdown and extensive power cuts.

The ministry said the KRG sent liquid fuel to supply power plants following the Khor Mor attack, but that “a group of rioters blocked the road used by fuel tankers and civilians in Gwer, opening fire on passersby and travellers”.

The shooting “resulted in the death of one citizen and injuries to several others”, it said.

The ministry pledged action against the “riots”, saying “we will put an end to these acts of sabotage”.

The ministry statement followed an earlier report by the Iraqi News Agency in which it said there had been armed clashes between the Harkiya tribe and security forces in Erbil, near the village of Lajan on the Erbil-Gwer road.

The agency cited security forces as saying that the clashes, adjacent to the Lanaz Company refinery, had “resulted in fatalities and injuries”.

Meanwhile, Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has announced that the KRG has agreed with the company operating the Khor Mor gas field to restart production within hours to restore electricity.

The attack on Thursday on Khor Mor was the most significant violence since a series of drone attacks in July that cut production by about 150,000 barrels per day.

“I have spoken with the company’s [Dana Gas] leadership to thank them and their workforce for their extraordinary resilience and determination amid eleven attacks on the Khor Mor field,” Barzani said in a statement posted in English.

“I have urged [Iraqi] Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to hold the perpetrators of this attack accountable to the full extent of the law, whoever they may be and wherever they are,” Barzani added.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack on Khor Mor, and authorities have not said who was behind the attack.

Abdulkhaliq Talaat, a military expert and former official from the Kurdish region of northern Iraq, however, told the Rudaw news channel that the drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field was launched from an area under the control of Iraqi forces.

The storage tank at Khor Mor is part of new facilities partially financed by the US and built by a US contractor, an industry source told the Reuters news agency earlier this week.

The KRG exercises autonomy in parts of northern Iraq, where US companies have significant investments in energy.

Benedict Hardie, Alex Dimitriades and Darren Gilshenan are joining Marta Dusseldorp for season two of Bay Of Fires

Bay Of Fires is returning to ITVX with series two. The Australian drama will see Marta Dusseldorp reprise her role as Stella alongside Toby Leonard Moore, Nicholas Bell, and Bob Franklin.

However, the new series, which will continue to showcase Tasmania’s rugged west coast will also introduce some new cast members, including Benedict Hardie, Alex Dimitriades and Darren Gilshenan.

The second season opens with Stella now the leader of the Mystery Bay residents while also juggling solo parenting and keeping her criminal bosses at bay. As synopsis for series two reads: “Mystery Bay is prospering under Stella’s guidance – albeit in a somewhat chaotic fiscal manner.

“But such joys are short-lived when she and her kids find themselves sandwiched between an unhinged apiarist drug lord, a maniacal millenarian doomsday cult, the resurrection of her nemesis, Russia, and a growing civil war in the town.

“Slowly it dawns on Stella that she may be the cause of much of this nightmare. Perhaps the only way out is to go back to the source and blow it sky high.” Here’s what you need to know about the cast list.

Bay Of Fires returning cast

Marta is reprising her role as Stella Heikkinen. Viewers will recognise Marta from A Place to Call Home, Jack Irish, Janet King and The Twelve.

Also reprising their roles are Toby Leonard Moore (Billions), Nicholas Bell (Scrublands), Bob Franklin (Please Like Me), Kim Ko (Utopia), Matt Nable (Plum), Roz Hammond (Irreverent), Pamela Rabe (Wentworth), Kerry Fox (The Dressmaker) Andre de Vanny (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries), Ilai Swindells (Retrograde).

As well as Imi Mbedla (Australia ’s Got Talent), Ava Caryofyllis (The Twelve), Emily Milledge (Fires), Elle Mandalis (The Twelve) and Ben Knight (White Fever).

Bay Of Fires new cast members

Benedict Hardie as Neil Roebuck

Benedict is known for his roles in Total Control, The Survivors, NCIS: Sydney, as well as films Upgrade and Hacksaw Ridge.

Alex Dimitriades as Allesandro

Alex has starred in Strife, The Tourist, Total Control, Amazing Grace and The End.

Darren Gilshenan as Joel

Darren Gilshenan is known for Dark City (1998), A Moody Christmas (2012) and No Activity (2015). He has also starred in Colin from Accounts, Harrow and No Activity.

The brand new second season will be available on ITVX from Sunday, November 30, with the first series available on the streaming site now.

EXCLUSIVE: Kelly Williams and her family spent an adrenaline-inducing four days at PortAventura World as the Costa Dorada theme park celebrated its 30th anniversary

There’s something special about a really good theme park that makes it feel timeless. Places where parents get to be kids again, and children’s laughter (and screams) fill the air.

So when PortAventura World in Spain announced its 30th anniversary celebrations, it seemed like it was the perfect excuse for an autumn escape. With our three children – aged 15, 11 and three in tow – my partner and I packed our sense of adventure and set off for a few unforgettable days of rollercoasters, shows, and sunshine.

Our base for the trip was Hotel Gold River, one of PortAventura’s on-site themed hotels. Stepping into the lobby felt like walking onto a film set where we half expected John Wayne to burst through the saloon doors at any moment.

Our room overlooked a Wild West “main street,” and each morning we’d wander past the clapboard façades to reach the park entrance. The convenience of staying on-site made all the difference – no parking wars or traffic jams, just an easy stroll to the day’s adventure. Plus, it helped that the plentiful breakfast buffets ensured we were well-fuelled and ready for the day ahead.

PortAventura is divided into several themed lands that celebrate different parts of the world, and exploring them felt like a global journey without the jet lag. Dining here is half the fun, too, as each “continent” offers a different culinary world. Even the snacks feel part of the story.

We began in Mediterrània, where Spanish music floated across the waterfront and the scent of paella drifted from the restaurants. From there, we crossed over into Mexico, where we celebrated the Day of the Dead before braving the towering Hurakan Condor drop tower.

In China, we took on the legendary Dragon Khan, a twisting roller coaster that roars through the air, weaving around our park favourite – Shambhala. If there’s anywhere to start rollercoaster training your kids, it’s definitely here. Thanks to our Express Passes, we were able to skip the ride queues – perfect for keeping the excitement high and the meltdowns low.

But if fast rides aren’t your thing, there’s still plenty else to do. Over in the Far West, the kids delighted in the old-fashioned shooting galleries and funfair games. The log flumes and water rapids are also a giggle (if you don’t mind getting drenched).

There are parades and shows aplenty for people who prefer to keep their feet firmly on the ground. Not to mention meet-and-greets with characters from the past, including Woody Woodpecker and Bert and Ernie. The little one was mesmerised by the Sesame Street characters and the 3D dark ride – Street Mission where he kicked butt at shooting at 3D cookies – even beating me!

The park’s newest attraction, Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence, was a highlight for the older two. Inspired by the action-packed film, this is no ordinary coaster.

It’s a fully enclosed, multi-directional ride that hurls you into darkness with sudden twists, drops, and reversals you never see coming. We screamed, laughed, and stumbled out slightly dizzy but exhilarated, unanimously declaring it among our top five favourite rides of the trip.

This year, the entire resort buzzed with celebration, adorned with banners marking 30 years of thrills and family fun, along with themed menus to boot. But no visit to PortAventura World is complete without a detour to Ferrari Land, we couldn’t wait to test Red Force – Europe’s tallest and fastest roller coaster, which rockets from 0 to 180 km/h in just five seconds.

The kids’ faces when they climbed off said it all – pure, speechless awe. We spent time exploring the interactive exhibits, racing, simulators, and child-friendly driving zones, where even our three-year-old braved Junior Red Force.

Each evening we returned to Gold River, dusty, sun-warmed and grinning. From our window, we could see the distant glow of the park lights fading into the night – a perfect backdrop to the hum of tired excitement that only a day at a theme park can bring.

PortAventura’s 30th anniversary turned out to be more than just a milestone for the park, it became a celebration for our family too. A few days of laughter, adventure, and shared memories that reminded us how good it feels to play, to explore, and to be together. Our only regret was that we couldn’t be there for longer.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has approved two major initiatives that will require utilities to pay consumers for generating extra power and will boost the payoff for certain solar facilities.

Homes, businesses and schools that have solar panels or wind turbines previously had no financial incentive to use less electricity than they generated. But AB 920, written by Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), will encourage efficiency, supporters say.

SB 32, by state Sen. Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino), requires utilities to purchase solar electricity from facilities that produce up to three megawatts and could increase installations on unused spaces such as warehouse roofs. The old limit was 1.5 megawatts.

The two bills will go into effect Jan. 1. Schwarzenegger signed them late Sunday, the last day to act on bills from this year’s legislative session.

Under AB 920, the state Public Utilities Commission will set a rate for utilities to compensate customers whose solar or wind systems produce more power than they use in a year. Under California’s current law, customers are not paid for any surplus electricity they feed back into the grid.

The state requires that when a consumer installs a solar power system, it be the right size to produce only enough power necessary for on-site use. Rebates from the California Solar Initiative, overseen by the utilities commission, discourage anything larger. So customers who later reduce their energy consumption often end up underutilizing their solar panels.

“The current system instills a perverse incentive for people to waste their solar electricity just so they don’t give it away for free to the utilities,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, a clean energy advocate with Environment California, which sponsored the bill.

The new law could boost sales of photovoltaics, especially in regions with sunny summers. Homes that use less power than they did when their solar panels were installed — such as those that add energy-efficient appliances, insulation or weatherproofing — and those with children who have moved out can also benefit.

“This bill applies to individual homeowners as well as small businesses, farms, wineries, schools and even affordable housing developments,” Huffman said in a statement.

Customers can either receive a check for the extra energy or have credit rolled forward on their electricity bills. Experts, however, said they should expect little profit.

SB 32, meanwhile, could spark more interest in commercial rooftop systems. The law expands an existing program to include municipal utilities, which now must purchase solar power at a set rate until they reach their portion of a statewide 750-megawatt cap. The limit was previously set at 500 megawatts.

The utilities commission will set the rate, which will be higher than market price after incorporating environmental compliance costs and other benefits, said Sue Kateley, executive director of the California Solar Energy Industries Assn., which sponsored the bill.

Between the sweeping solar installations in the desert and the small-scale ones on homes, she said, there had been a category of properties that had plenty of space but didn’t use enough power to justify setting up huge solar panels.

But now, owners of large storage units and similar low-energy facilities will be able to install solar power systems and sell the extra electricity back to the utilities, a program known as a feed-in tariff.

The program took cues from countries such as Germany — where, some in the industry have complained, a similar tariff format stimulated the market so much that prices of solar energy shot too high. Other critics are worried that the tariff could be too low to interest investors.

“We didn’t want to replicate the German model, which was a social movement to create an industry,” Kateley said. “In California, we already had an industry, but we wanted to fill a market gap. And within the community, it’s really exciting because this law will create local jobs.”

In a note to the state Senate on Sunday, Schwarzenegger encouraged the utilities commission to continue investigating an expanded tariff for small to medium-size producers of renewable energy.

“In order to meet our greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and a Renewable Portfolio Standard of 33% by 2020, we will need to use all the tools available under our existing programs,” he said.

But Schwarzenegger vetoed a slate of bills — including SB 14 and AB 64 — that would have required the state to rely on renewable resources for at least one-third of its electricity. He has issued an executive order to meet the 33% goal using a different plan and supports efforts to create 1 million solar roofs by 2018.

Assemblyman Paul Krekorian (D-Los Angeles), chairman of a renewable energy committee, called the vetoes a dangerous setback. The bills, Krekorian said, would have created “green” jobs and steadied price volatility while cutting market manipulation from solar hubs outside of California. He said the vetoes would sour developers to the California market, leading them elsewhere.

“If we don’t get started now,” he said, “our opportunities to complete projects are going to be missed.”

—

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Match of the Day pundits Joe Hart and Danny Murphy analyse Guglielmo Vicario’s mistake for Tottenham that allowed Fulham’s Harry Wilson to produce “a piece of art” and increase the pressure on Spurs manager Thomas Frank.

WATCH MORE: Booing whilst we’re still playing is completely unacceptable – Frank

Available to UK users only.

Tens of thousands of people have marched in cities across Europe, denouncing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and demanding tougher global action against its continued and deadly violations of a United States-brokered ceasefire.

The demonstrations, held to mark the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Saturday, came as the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza surpassed 70,000 people.

The latest victims include two boys, aged eight and 10, who were killed in an Israeli drone attack on the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

In the French capital, Paris, an estimated 50,000 marched along the city’s major streets, chanting “Gaza, Gaza, Paris is with you” and “From Paris to Gaza, resistance!”.

They also waved Palestinian flags while denouncing “Israeli genocide”.

“This is not acceptable. We are still so far from justice or accountability,” one protester told Al Jazeera.

“We, the people, know that this [Israel’s war] is wrong. But why do the people in power not feel that this is wrong?” asked another protester.

Anne Tuaillon, head of the France Palestine Solidarity Association (AFPS), one of about 80 non-government organisations, unions and parties behind the call to protest, said that “nothing has been resolved” seven weeks after a ceasefire took effect on October 10.

“The ceasefire is a smokescreen. Israel violates it every day, blocks humanitarian aid and continues to destroy homes and infrastructure in Gaza. We are calling for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the genocide,” she told the AFP news agency.

Protests were also held in London, Geneva, Rome and Lisbon.

Al Jazeera’s Sonia Gallego, reporting from Paris, said that for the organisers, the march represents a “sustained pressure” on Israel at a time when negotiations for a more lasting peace in the Palestinian territory remain stalled.

“This worldwide mobilisation is not just maintaining focus on Gaza, but also [on] the broader unresolved issue of Palestinian rights.”

In the British capital, London, organisers said that up to 100,000 joined the march demanding accountability for Israeli “crimes” against Palestinians and pleading for “protection” of those still suffering under siege despite a ceasefire.

In Italy, where mass demonstrations and union-led strikes have repeatedly mobilised against Israel’s war, the UN’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, and climate activist Greta Thunberg, attended the main demonstration in the capital, Rome.

The Wanted In Rome news website, in a report ahead of the rally, said some 100,000 were expected to take part.

In a statement posted on X, Albanese said that Israel is “committing genocide against the Palestinians” not just in Gaza, but in the occupied West Bank, too.

“Look at the totality of conduct/crimes against the totality of the Palestinians in the totality of the land slated for ethnic cleansing. Israel must be stopped, and we will,” she wrote.

Under the US-brokered ceasefire, Israel has pulled back to a so-called “yellow line” inside the Gaza Strip. But it remains in control of more than half of the besieged territory, and has launched several deadly attacks in breach of the agreement.

Since the ceasefire deal, at least 500 Israeli violations have been recorded, resulting in at least 347 Palestinians being killed and 889 being injured.

Fadi and Jumaa Tamer Abu Assi were aged eight and 10, respectively.

Alaa Abu Assi, an uncle of the two boys, said they were “innocent children who have no rockets and no bombs”.

“They were gathering firewood to help their disabled father, who has platinum plates in his legs. We went and found them in pieces, and we brought them back,” he told the AFP news agency.

In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “the killing of so many civilians, the repeated displacement of an entire population and the obstruction of humanitarian aid should never be acceptable”.

Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Gaza City, said that even as Palestinians welcome the international support, most “are simply trying to survive”.

“It’s a daily struggle,” she said. “Palestinians are suffering to get their basic necessities; they’re suffering to find shelter.”

“There are lots of Palestinians still living in tents. They’re saying that they do not have any source of shelter. There’s no medication. Their children are without any education. The Palestinians are still dying slowly, despite the fact that it is ceasefire,” she added.

On Thursday, rights group Amnesty International warned that “Israeli authorities are still committing genocide” in Gaza, waging new attacks and curbing critical aid access, despite the declared ceasefire.

MODEL Hailey Bieber drinks in her success on a bed to celebrate a year in which she sold her beauty business for $1billion.

The mum of one, 29, also posed in a swimsuit for GQ magazine after it named her Tycoon of the Year.

Hailey confessed: “I always said that I would never sell the company unless it was a billion dollars.

“But of course when you hear that it’s a real thing and the number is real and that’s a real situation being put in front of you, it’s definitely like, ‘Whoa. Okay.’

“It is very cool.”

Talking about life as a mother, she added: “I’ve become a lot more of a homebody than I used to be.

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“I just don’t feel like I’m really missing out on much anymore.”

Her firm Rhode was bought in May and she is now working with pop star hubby Justin, 31, on his fashion brand.

She said: “It’s obviously really fun . . . to do anything with the person you love.”

Justin’s brand Skylrk launched in July.

Sen. Kamala Harris aggressively challenged Joe Biden on his nostalgic comments about working with segregationists and his record on school integration during an often contentious debate between Democratic presidential candidates.

“It was actually very hurtful to hear you talk about the reputation of two United States senators who built their reputations and career on the segregation of race in this country,” Harris said, her voice thick with emotion, to the former vice president and senator. She noted she was the only black person on the debate stage and drew on her own experiences.

“You also worked with them to oppose busing,” the California senator said. “And there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public school, and she was bused to school every day. And that little girl was me.”

The exchange between two Democrats fighting to occupy the same lane in the presidential nominating contest was a pivotal moment in Thursday’s debate from Miami, the second night of the event.

Harris was referring to the Biden’s remarks this month about lost “civility” in the nation’s capital, including being able to work with segregationist Sens. James O. Eastland of Mississippi and Herman Talmadge of Georgia, even though he disagreed with them.

Biden said his position was being mischaracterized, that he did not praise racists; he pointed to his work with President Obama without mentioning him by name.

This is not your father’s Democratic Party: Debate shows how leftward it has moved »

Biden also said he did not oppose busing, but rather believed it was an issue that should be handled by the states rather than the federal government.

“You would have been able to go to school the same exact way because it was a local decision,” he said.

Harris noted that such states’ rights arguments were used to fight integration in certain parts of the country.

“That’s why the federal government must step in,” Harris said. “That’s why we have the Voting Rights Act, that’s why we have the Civil Rights Act, that’s why we need to pass the Equality Act. That’s why we need to pass the ERA, because there are moments in history when states fail to preserve the civil rights of all people.”

Biden noted his support for the Equal Rights Amendment and the Voting Rights Act before noting that he had run out of time.

Harris clearly came prepared to go after Biden on this issue. Her campaign tweeted a picture of her as a schoolgirl shortly after the exchange.

I was sure the magic in me had died long ago, as a burned out 35-year-old dad – so was the hype over the ‘most magical place on earth’ even real?

As a sceptical 35-year-old and rapidly approaching my grumpy dad era, I wasn’t convinced that the Disney magic would win me over on a recent trip to Walt Disney World.

Well, I was about to very quickly be proven wrong. As I touched down in Florida, I was sure that I’d be the quietly excited, loudly exhausted adult that looked forward only to the thrill rides and breakfast buffets.

I’m getting used to being wrong; Walt Disney World isn’t just for kids. It sneakily rewires grouchy grown-ups, too.

Somewhere between a zippy run on the first ride of the trip – a hello-goodbye to Dinosaur before it closes for good in February 2026 – and an unexpectedly emotional meet-cute with Eeyore at the Crystal Palace’s character dining experience, the magic found me once again. It’s not just the experiences either; I couldn’t help but be swept up by the infectious enthusiasm of other parkgoers.

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge was my base, with its huge beds and views of giraffes from the rooms. After keeping jet lag at bay and sinking into the first full night of sleep I’ve enjoyed since becoming a parent three years ago, I was ready for my first taste of Disney magic and headed to Animal Kingdom park. (Walt Disney World is actually made up of four theme parks; Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT and Animal Kingdom).

The new Zootopia experience, ‘Better Zoogether!’ set the tone for the rest of the week. Launching just as Zootopia 2 hit cinemas, the attraction was a sugar rush of fun, silliness and wholesome humour. I found myself unable to resist chuckling along and wasn’t ready for some of the clever effects that made for some fun surprises (I won’t spoil them here though!).

Next on the itinerary was a trip to the themed Pandora – The World of Avatar, where I was taken aback. The spectacular surroundings immersed me in a land unlike any other experience I’d had before.

That ended up being the theme of the week; every attraction had its own way of absorbing you in the world it represented and the story it told the guests. In World of Avatar, the visually stunning Na’vi River Journey and then the truly groundbreaking Avatar: Flight of Passage were great examples of how you can get swept into those worlds.

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A self-professed fan of all things from a galaxy far, far away, I was always going to enjoy the attractions in Galaxy’s Edge, the Star Wars themed land, but Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance was arguably the best of the narrative-driven attractions I’ve ever been on. Each time I thought the ride was either ending or taking a certain direction, it both physically and thematically shifted.

Wandering around these massive playgrounds built to resemble the stunning worlds of blockbuster movies was the one thing I was most excited for. They lived up to the hype and then some – seeing the Millennium Falcon in Galaxy’s Edge, not knowing it was coming, literally took my breath away.

But there was another heartwarming feeling I didn’t expect. I was transported back to my younger self. All of the characters wandering the resort – whether it was Kylo Ren, Buzz Lightyear or the various Disney Princesses – encapsulated all the charm and wonder I felt as a boy.

Is this what it feels like to be a ‘Disney adult’? If it wasn’t, then the shows – including the delightfully camp Villains: Unfairly Ever After – and stunning fireworks displays got me as close to becoming one as I’m ever likely to.

The thrill rides too were truly brilliant – the Tower of Terror was my personal favourite, offering a unique adrenaline rush that I couldn’t help but laugh the whole way through, and TRON Lightcycle/Run was as fast and exhilarating as you’d expect. As a huge Marvel fan, the Guardians of the Galaxy ride lived up to the hype – not even a touch of motion sickness could dampen the feel-good vibes.

Then there’s the food. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to come to a theme park and enjoy fine dining. But tastes and smells of culinary excellence from across the world were truly astounding here. From the uniquely moorish bread at The Boathouse in Disney Springs – if you know, you know – to the opulent Hollywood Brown Derby’s upscale dinners, you don’t have to simply eat fast food all week. But if you choose to, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater restaurant in Hollywood Studios has a unique diner experience.

But the most magical experience of the week had to be the Happily Ever After fireworks display. Being sat in front of Cinderella Castle as the night sky engulfed everything around it became a spectacular memory I’ll never lose. The combination of a medley of Disney’s greatest uplifting musical numbers and a truly impressive fireworks show made for a surprisingly emotional evening.

It was at this point that I truly shed the stressful reality of modern life as a father of two – all the pressures melted away as I got lost in the wonder. Well played Mickey Mouse, well played.

Just another theme park? Not on your life. I’m completely converted and can see why some people will return for holiday after holiday; the magic within me was relit all over again.

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Nicholas Fonseca snared a tipped ball in the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown on an untimed down as South Gate pulled out a miraculous 63-58 victory over Marquez in the City Section Division I final Saturday at Southwest College.

Marquez had taken a 58-57 lead on a one-yard sneak by Angelo Gutierrez and his subsequent two-point conversion pass to Elyjah Staples with six seconds left. After a fair catch, South Gate took over at its 46 and when Anthony Ford intercepted a pass the Gladiators began celebrating, thinking they had won. However, a pass interference penalty advanced the ball to the Marquez 39 and gave the Rams one last gasp with zeros on the clock.

Quarterback Michael Gonzalez rolled to his right to buy time and launched a pass into a maze of players in the end zone. The jump ball was tipped by two defenders into the waiting arms of Fonseca, who calmly grabbed it out of midair — shocking even his own teammates.

“I said to myself I’m not going to go up for the ball, I’m not that tall. … I’m gonna wait for it to come down and that’s what happened,” said Fonseca, who had 10 catches for 152 and two touchdowns and also scored on a six-yard run.

“I seen it coming, I saw them hit it down but it went right into my hands and I caught it. This is one of the most special moments of my life!”

Gonzalez completed 26 of 34 passes for 450 yards and six touchdowns. Ephaunie Lewis had 10 receptions for 193 yards and three scores — the last a three-yard lob from Gonzalez with 52 seconds left, immediately followed by Fonseca’s two-point run to put South Gate up 57-50.

Marquez tailback Gilberto Cisneros drags Rams defender Jordan Olivares to the goal line in the second quarter Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Nicholas Quintanilla returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a score that pulled the second-seeded Rams (11-3) even and his 39-yard touchdown catch gave South Gate its first lead, 35-28, late in the third quarter. He finished with five catches for 90 yards and rushed five times for 54 yards.

The teams combined for six touchdowns in a wild fourth quarter.

Angelo Gutierrez-Molina threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns, Marcus Juan ran for 113 yards and one touchdown in 15 carries and caught four passes for 50 yards. He raced 68 yards on a hook and lateral to give the fifth-seeded Gladiators (11-3) a 50-49 lead with 1:57 left.

Gilberto Cisneros added 84 yards and three touchdowns in 22 carries and Staples had four catches for 129 yards and one touchdown.

“Never give up!” coach Francisco Saldana shouted before raising the trophy

South Gate lost to Chatsworth 38-36 on a field goal with no time left in the Division II final last year — one of the most bizarre endings in City playoff history.

“On the last play my coach told me to run a corner route to the pylon,” Fonseca said. “Last year we were up late and it bit us. This time we came through and it feels great.”

South Gate captured its third City title and first since winning the 3A Division in 1988 under Gary Cordray.

Nov. 29 (UPI) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials might be readying to deploy agents in New Orleans amid the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

At least 200 ICE agents are bound for New Orleans in December, but the deployment plans might change, ABC News, NBC News and Nola.com reported based on information allegedly provided by anonymous sources.

The deployment comes as ICE wraps up its deployment in Charlotte, N.C., where it made more than 250 arrests.

Customs and Border Protection Commander-at-Large Greg Bovino led the Charlotte action and is to lead the New Orleans deployment, according to ABC News.

The pending deployment has local officials and others in New Orleans and nearby preparing for it.

Many public school officials are messaging parents and others to reassure them that all students are safe while on respective school campuses, Nola.com reported.

New Orleans and adjacent Jefferson Parish have significant numbers of “immigrant communities” that likely would be among those impacted by ICE activities.

Many schools also are informing parents and students of their legal rights and advising them on how to communicate with federal agents as needed.

ICE agents generally avoid schools, but the Trump administration has provided federal law enforcement with guidance on how to operate on school campuses.

The guidance so far has not been needed, but many arrests and immigration law enforcement activities have occurred near schools.

Department of Homeland Security officials have said arrests only would be made on school campuses to protect the public.

Despite assurances from federal and local officials, many parents of students remain concerned, which spurred some schools to offer free rides for students while immigration law enforcement activities are underway.

Did the Biden administration help cover up the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces?

This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill speaks to Steve Gabavics, a colonel-turned-whistleblower who was sent by the United States Department of State to investigate Abu Akleh’s killing in 2022.

Gabavics found that Israel intentionally killed Abu Akleh, who was fired at 16 times while wearing a blue vest marked “press”, but the State Department labelled her killing “accidental” to avoid angering the Israeli government.

Gabavics claimed that Abu Akleh is among several American citizens killed by the Israeli military for whom the US has taken no action to hold Israel accountable.

In August, New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani hosted a citywide scavenger hunt, inviting voters to scour the boroughs in search of historic political sites. (Grand prize: a bag of chips.) Clues for it were written by veteran puzzle maker Natan Last, who has long endorsed the idea that puzzles at their best blend politics, community and a nerdy good time.

If you missed the hunt, Last’s book, “Across the Universe,” delivers similar pleasures. Though its subtitle — “The Past, Present, and Future of the Crossword Puzzle” — suggests a history tome, Last approaches the subject essayistically. Crosswords, for him, are arguments on behalf of things: of what qualifies as “common knowledge,” of what role puzzles should play in informing a citizenry, of how wordplay and slang snake into the mainstream. “The crossword is a uniquely capacious artifact ready to absorb and recast any group’s predilections and passions into puzzle form,” he writes.

That may seem like making too much out of an everyday diversion. But as Last points out, crosswords have long been a miniature version of America’s larger culture wars. Crosswords’ popularity exploded in the 1920s in various newspapers; Ernie Bushmiller, cartoonist of “Nancy” fame, exploited the “crossword craze” in a strip called “Cross Word Cal.” But killjoys swiftly arrived to dismiss it as paleolithic brain rot. The New York Times, now the best-known purveyor of crosswords, thought the puzzle beneath it, and didn’t offer one until 1941. (“The last adult in the newsroom,” Last smirks.)

The New York Times’ crossword is synonymous with its current editor, Will Shortz, who gave the puzzle a refresh in the 1990s, jettisoning academic jargon and obscurities in favor of layered puns and pop-culture references. Last recalls working as Shortz’s intern in 2009 and loving the experience. But Last is also the point of the spear among constructors who insist there’s plenty of room for improvement: tokenized ethnic terms, lack of gender parity among constructors, double standards (“erotica” is acceptable, but “gay erotica” isn’t?), a narrow view of what readers know or will accept. “The bar is on the floor,” USA Today crossword editor Erik Agard tells Last.

Last’s public statements on this subject, he writes, are often met with eye rolls: “Oh, so now the crossword puzzle needs to be woke?” But that high dudgeon, he notes, is “as good a proof as any that it’s not just a puzzle.” Not for the solvers he speaks to, who use their puzzle routines as calming influences or mementos of relationships. Not for constructors like India-born Mangesh Ghogre, who came to the U.S. on a specialized visa to make puzzles and who cleverly works Indian themes into his grids. And certainly not for institutions like the New York Times, which has made games a profit center in a news industry that’s often hemorrhaging cash.

Last’s range and intelligence help sell the importance of the crossword, then and now. Still, its lack of a direct throughline can be frustrating. Like a particularly manic solver, he attacks the subject in an across-and-down fashion, here contemplating the impact of AI on the game, there considering what role crossword-style wordplay had on Modernist writers like T.S. Eliot and Gertrude Stein, now contemplating the 1920s crossword craze, now skipping to its 2020s COVID-prompted renaissance. It’s all relevant, and Last is a bright and witty guide through all of it. He demands a certain comfort level with disorientation, though.

Still, that’s kind of the point: For him, puzzles should motivate solvers to be more than half-thinking box fillers. Instead, we should be comfortable learning new ideas through the puzzle. Mamdani’s scavenger hunt didn’t play a big role in his eventual election to the mayorship in October; it probably didn’t even play a small one. But it spoke to the concepts of play, surprise and diversity that the crossword at its best represents for Last. Maybe you don’t have immediate recall on the word “Haudenosaunee” (the Native name for the Iroquois Confederacy), but what’s so bad about a crossword puzzle introducing you to it? Like every other section of the paper, the crossword can bring the news. It can evoke — and shape — a culture.

A winter storm blanketed much of the central Midwest with snow on Sunday at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, bringing blizzard-like conditions that grounded hundreds of flights and forced the closure of major highways on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

“It’s going to be messy,” said Todd Kluber, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service who is based in suburban Chicago.

With much of the central Plains and Great Lakes region under blizzard or winter storm warnings, about 1,200 flights headed to or from the U.S. had been canceled as of Sunday evening, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.

Most were supposed to be routed through Chicago or Kansas City, Mo. — areas forecast to be hit hard by the storm.

Strong winds and snow created blizzard conditions across much of Nebraska and parts of Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. The National Weather Service was warning that those conditions would make travel difficult in places.

By midday, the blizzard warning was extended to parts of eastern Illinois near Chicago, where snow is forecast to fall at a rate of about 2 inches an hour.

Other parts of the central Plains and Great Lakes region were under a winter storm warning that could see a foot or more of snow dumped in some places by the end of the day.

In eastern Nebraska, part of Interstate 80 between Lincoln and Omaha was closed Sunday morning because of multiple accidents after snow blanketed that area. That included semitrailer trucks jackknifed across the highway. It was reopened by Sunday afternoon.

In Kansas, Gov. Jeff Colyer issued a state of emergency declaration. The action came as a large stretch of Interstate 70, spanning much of the state, was closed between Junction City and WaKeeney.

in Missouri, a portion of Interstate 29 was shut down near the Iowa border.

As much as a foot was expected in Chicago. Four to 6 inches of snow was expected in the Kansas City area. Forecasters predict more than a foot of snow is likely in southeastern Nebraska, northeastern Kansas, northwestern Missouri and southwestern Iowa.

By Monday morning, the storm was expected to hit parts of northern Indiana and southern Michigan.

Kluber said that the storm was expected to hit the Chicago region Sunday night and that rain will give way to heavy snowfall and “near whiteout conditions” that will make for dangerous travel.

Match of the Day’s Joe Hart analyses how Phil Foden made the Etihad Stadium “his dancefloor”, scoring twice – including a late winner – in Manchester City’s 3-2 victory against Leeds United.

WATCH MORE: Foden stars as Man City leave it late to beat Leeds

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Ex-prime minister’s family calls for prayers for her early recovery after hospitalisation for a lung infection.

Bangladeshi former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been hospitalised in “very critical” condition, according to members of her party, as her family and supporters urged well-wishers to pray for her speedy recovery.

Zia’s personal physician, Dr A Z M Zahid Hossein, told reporters late on Saturday that the 80-year-old politician, who was taken to the Evercare Hospital in Dhaka on November 23, remains in intensive care.

She was admitted with symptoms of a lung infection and Hossein said she appeared to be responding to the treatment.

“At this moment, I can say her condition has been in the same stage for the last three days. In doctors’ language, we say ‘she is responding to the treatment’,” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Star news website.

“Please pray so that she can continue to receive this treatment.”

Hossein’s comments came a day after the secretary-general of Zia’s Bangladesh National Party (BNP), Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, told reporters that her “condition was very critical”.

According to the Daily Star, Zia has “heart problems, liver and kidney issues, diabetes, lung problems, arthritis, and eye-related illnesses”.

She has a permanent pacemaker and previously underwent stenting for her heart, the outlet reported.

Earlier on Saturday, BNP’s vice chairman, Ahmed Azam Khan, told reporters that an air ambulance was on standby to take Zia abroad for advanced treatment if her medical condition stabilises.

Zia’s eldest son, Tarique Rahman, who has been based in London since 2008, called on the people of Bangladesh to pray for his mother’s recovery.

“We express our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for all your prayers and love for the highly respected Begum Khaleda Zia,” Rahman, 60, said in a social media post on Saturday.

“We fervently request you to continue your prayers for her early recovery.”

Zia, who served three terms as prime minister, was jailed for corruption in 2018 under recently ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, which also barred her from travelling abroad for medical treatment.

She was released last year, shortly after Hasina’s removal.

Despite her ill health, Zia has promised to campaign in elections expected in February 2026, in which the BNP is widely seen as a frontrunner.

Waiting in front of the hospital since morning, Liton Molla, a driver for a private company, said he rushed there after hearing about Zia’s condition, describing her as his “dear leader”.

“I just pray she recovers and can contest in the election,” Liton, 45, told the AFP news agency.

“At this moment, Bangladesh needs a leader like Khaleda Zia.”

Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, also issued a statement.

“During this transitional period to democracy, Khaleda Zia is a source of utmost inspiration for the nation. Her recovery is very important for the country,” he said on Friday night.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will give his backing to the chancellor’s Budget in a speech on Monday, and commit the government to going “further and faster” on pro-growth measures.

He will say Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s statement will help to alleviate cost of living pressures, lower inflation and ensure economic stability.

It comes as the Treasury faces questions over whether it was transparent about the state of the public finances in the run-up to the Budget.

The Conservatives claimed Reeves misled the public by being too pessimistic about the economic outlook when official forecasts painted a more upbeat picture.

No 10 has denied that Reeves misled voters and defended her statement.

Despite the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) downgrading growth from next year, the prime minister will argue that “economic growth is beating forecasts”, but the government must do more to encourage it.

Protecting investment and public services will further drive financial growth, Sir Keir is expected to say.

The prime minister will also promise to cut “unnecessary red tape” in infrastructure after a report found the UK had become the most expensive place in the world to build nuclear power infrastructure.

He will call for reform in the sector and an urgent correction to “fundamentally misguided environmental regulation”.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle is to be tasked with applying the lessons of the nuclear power report to infrastructure more widely.

The prime minister’s speech on Monday, just five days after the Budget, may suggest some nervousness over how the government’s economic plans have been received by the public, though No 10 say a statement was already planned.

In the days since the Budget, Downing Street has been forced to publicly back Reeves after she was accused by political opponents of repeatedly warning about a downgrade to the UK’s economic productivity forecasts, paving the way for tax hikes.

In a letter to MPs sent on Friday, the chairman of the OBR revealed that he told the chancellor on 17 September that the public finances were in better shape than widely thought.

The Conservatives have accused Reeves of giving an overly pessimistic impression of the public finances as a “smokescreen” to raise taxes.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said the letter showed Reeves had “lied to the public” and should be sacked.

Last week, a spokesperson for the Treasury said: “We are not going to get into the OBR’s processes or speculate on how that relates to the internal decision‑making in the build‑up to a Budget, but the chancellor made her choices to cut the cost of living, cut hospital waiting lists and double headroom to cut the cost of our debt.”

Both the chancellor and Badenoch are scheduled to appear on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme.