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A landlord fascinated by the space and the sky set up an observatory – in the back garden of his pub.

Alan Boddington, 67, first took interest in the space when looking at the moon with his uncle using a brass telescope on top of a coalbunker.

His fascination was further sparked when watching Neil Armstrong landing on the moon in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission.

When he took over The Poltimore Inn, he saw an opportunity to build an observatory in back garden of the pub.

Located in the village of North Malton, Devon, the pub is on the edge of Exmoor National Park – Europe’s first ever dark sky reserve.

Minimal light pollution and cloudless nights mean thousands of stars and astronomical sights such as the Milky Way can be spotted.

He said: “When a cloud comes over it means you can pop into the pub, have a pint and maybe sit by the fire to warm up.

“Once the sky clears you can come out with your pint and appreciate the dark sky.

“Takes a little while for your eyes to adjust but we have got red lighting all the way down to the observatory.

“It’s an unusual thing to have a pub with an observatory but also with our accommodation we can give people the opportunity to look at the Dark Sky.

Mr Boddington bought the Poltimore Inn in October 2012 from a large pub chain.

With his “long term” love for space he saw a potential to create an observatory outside the pub.

Five years ago he set up with observatory and it was funded by himself.

The telescopes costed around £10,500 and the building which was self-built was £27,000.

On a cloudless night it is possible to see the milky way, thousands of stars and astronomical sights from the Exmoor National Park.

He said: “I was introduced to the moon as a 9-year-old when my uncle brought over his telescope and set it up for me to have a look at the moon.

“The moon project Apollo went off and it was one of those things that your parents let you stay up for.

“I still have a lot of the newspaper cuttings.

“When it came to setting up the pub I thought it would be the ideal opportunity for me, with the Exmoor Dark Sky, to take advantage and also enjoy my hobby.”

Within the observatory, there is a permanently Polar and star aligned Meade LX200 12-inch telescope and a new era “smart” telescope in the Unistellar Ev-Scope.

There are also numerous other manual telescopes and Skywatcher Dobsonians for beginners.

It features an electronic roll off roof, a private outdoor decking observation area, as well as private amenities, plus tea and coffee making facilities.

He continued: “This has been a great boost to go from being youngster to seeing the Apollo to seeing this venture Artemis going off and going looping round the moon is amazing.

“Also the technology that is gone with it – we are going to be looking at tremendous pictures for the next six months as they are released.

“The Darkside of the Moon is something that we don’t generally see and I think we will have a lot of surprises from that.

“Also the eclipses will show us different details. We are really pleased to see the astronauts coming back safely and leave safely.

“I hope it really stimulates the whole space idea in Europe, in England and with the scientists in this country.”

The building of the Poltimore Inn Observatory helps him share his passion for astronomy and space exploration.

The Poltimore Inn Observatory holds regular monthly events run by astronomers Jo and Pete Richardson.

The primary school in North Malton also visits the observatory as part of their education.

He hopes his observatory keeps inspiring both young and old about the space and the sky.

To get to know more about The Poltimore Inn visit their website here.

HOLLY Willoughby is turning up the heat — as she plans to install a sauna at her £8million London home.

The TV host, 45, has been researching fancy brands and asked her 8.1million Instagram followers about the health benefits of classic and infrared units.

Mum-of-three Holly and her telly producer husband Dan Baldwin, 50, bought the six-bedroom home in South West London last year.

Her sauna search comes as the ex-This Morning host and former golden girl of ITV shuns ­traditional broadcasters and prepares a comeback on YouTube with an edgier image.

A source recently told The Sun: “Charli XCX might think she’s the original Brat girl, but Holly will give her a run for her money.”

Recently Emma Bunton was spotted beaming alongside pal Holly at a Disney launch after the Spice Girls reunion was cancelled.

The singer, 50, attended the press day of Disney Adventure World and World Of Frozen at Disneyland Paris in France.

She appeared to put her band’s woes to one side as she posed for pictures with her longtime friend Holly.

Baby Spice got into the spirit of things by donning a pair of Mickey Mouse ears as well as a tie with the famous character on it.

She looked chic in a white shirt tucked into a pair of straight leg jeans and a cream wool coat.

Emma wore her blonde locks straight and opted for a subtle make-up look.

Meanwhile, Holly wore a black t-shirt tucked into jeans with a black coat and some brown boots.

She too got into the Disney spirit with a set of ears as the two put on their widest smiles for photos.

The two women have been firm friends for several years and are often spotted socialising with their group of friends, including Melanie Blatt and Christine Lampard.

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: The score wasn’t the only thing that made this the Lakers’ worst loss of the season.

Even more concerning than the Lakers’ 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday was watching superstar guard Luka Doncic hobble off the court with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter.

The 27-year-old guard was held to just 12 points and seven assists, and he committed six turnovers before he pulled up on a drive with 7:39 left in the third quarter. He grabbed at the back of his left leg and limped to the baseline, where he lowered himself to the court, rolled onto his back and covered his face. Concerned teammates surrounded him. Coach JJ Redick offered one hand to pull him to his feet.

Doncic will undergo an MRI scan Friday, Redick said, before the Lakers (50-27) play Doncic’s former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on Sunday. In a subdued locker room, the Lakers were left to wrestle with their largest margin of defeat since Nov. 27, 2023 amid the possibility of having to finish the regular season without the NBA’s leading scorer.

“At this juncture of the season, it’s the last thing you want to see,” said LeBron James, who had 13 points, six rebounds and two assists. “Especially — anybody on our team — but when you have an MVP candidate on your team, the last thing you want to see is somebody go down with a hamstring injury. … I don’t know obviously what the case may be, so pray for the best for sure and a speedy recovery.”

Guard Austin Reaves shook off his own injury scare to finish with 15 points, one assist and four turnovers after grabbing at his left lower back for most of the first quarter. He said he overextended himself chasing a loose ball. He turned the ball over trying to connect with Deandre Ayton on the next possession, reaching immediately for his lower back after the pass went awry.

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Lakers-Thunder box score

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UCLA women know it’s all or nothing

From Marisa Ingemi: You’d be forgiven if you thought this year’s Final Four was just a case of déjà vu.

On paper, that seems true — four No. 1 seeds who have dominated every round of the NCAA tournament arrived in Phoenix this week and they are the same four teams who reached the Final Four last year in Tampa, Fla.

Sustaining that level of success during the modern college basketball era, the four teams insist, isn’t as easy.

Connecticut doesn’t have Paige Bueckers; South Carolina doesn’t have Kamilla Cardoso; and UCLA coach Cori Close and the Bruins have a much different lineup.

“Getting here,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said, “is the hard part.”

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NCAA women’s basketball tournament bracket

UCLA gymnastics focused on staying calm, confident

From Anthony Solorzano: The UCLA women’s gymnastics team enters the NCAA regionals on Friday in Corvallis, Ore., focused on three principles — calm, confidence and commitment to one another. The Bruins started leaning on the mantra to help them stay dialed in as they took home the Big Ten tournament title, Mika Webster-Longin said.

Now, they will use it as they to push to reach the NCAA championship.

“The Big Ten win really feels good and helps our confidence going [into NCAA regionals],” she said. “It felt great to put everything together because I feel like we really built off of one another and showed what we can do to not only the Big Ten competition, but to everyone.”

“It gives us just the right amount of confidence going into regionals and then seeing where it takes us,” Tiana Sumanasekera said.

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Kawhi Leonard and Clippers fall to Spurs

From the Associated Press: De’Aaron Fox scored 22 points on nine-of-13 shooting, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Clippers 118-99 on Thursday night without Victor Wembanyama in the lineup to win their 11th in a row.

Wembanyama was rested on the second night of a back-to-back. He had 41 points and 18 rebounds in a 127-113 win at the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

The Spurs (59-18) had six players in double figures, including Stephon Castle with 20 points and Dylan Harper with 19 off the bench.

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Clippers-Spurs box score

Kings lose to Predators in eight-round shootout

From the Associated Press: Luke Evangelista scored the only goal of the shootout in the eighth round, and the Nashville Predators tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a 5-4 win over the Kings on Thursday night.

Nashville, the Kings and San José are now even with 79 points apiece for the second wild-card playoff spot in the West, but the Sharks — who beat Toronto 4-1 earlier Thursday — have a game in hand.

Steven Stamkos scored his 37th goal and Jonathan Marchessault ended his 14-game goal drought for the Predators, who snapped their three-game skid despite blowing a three-goal lead. Filip Forsberg and Zachary L’Heureux also scored.

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Kings-Predators box score

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Bob Chesney grading Bruins on effort

From Anthony Solorzano: UCLA football coach Bob Chesney wasn’t looking for star performances during the Bruins’ first spring practice on Thursday — instead, he wanted his players to focus on holding themselves accountable for putting in their best effort.

“We talk about the mirror test. Don’t worry about what your coach says, don’t worry about what your other teammates say,” Chesney said. “Go look at yourself in the mirror. That’s really the only guy that’s gonna know, right?”

There was excitement and intensity but perfection wasn’t expected. For the new head coach, it was about whether the fundamentals UCLA worked on throughout the winter carried over, he said.

“While I watch it out here, the things that don’t take skill, the things that don’t take great genetics, were the things I wanted to focus on today more than anything — the effort,” Chesney said.

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Trevor Bauer set to pitch for Long Island Ducks

From Chuck Schilken: Former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will pitch for a U.S. team for the first time since 2021 when he serves as the opening day starter for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League later this month.

Since his last MLB start, on June 28, 2021, Bauer has been accused of sexual assault by four women. He denies all the allegations and has never been charged with a crime.

After Bauer served a 194-game suspension for violating the league’s sexual assault and domestic violence policy, the Dodgers severed ties with the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner on Jan. 6, 2023, less than two years after signing him to a three-year, $102-million contract.

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Rams weigh future with Puka Nacua

From Los Angeles Times staff: Puka Nacua shattered Rams rookie records after the wide receiver was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft.

Nacua became known for his infectious enthusiasm and ability to catch almost anything Rams MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford threw his way.

Now Nacua, 24, finds himself at a crossroads, with his NFL production suggesting he’s in line to sign a massive contract extension but his off-field issues raising questions about whether the Rams would be better off trading him. His attorney confirmed on Wednesday that Nacua began receiving treatment at a rehabilitation care facility in March.

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More details from Tiger Woods’ arrest

From the Associated Press: After crashing his SUV last week in Florida, Tiger Woods took out his phone and told a deputy, “I was just talking to the president,” according to body camera footage released Thursday showing Woods’ arrest on a DUI charge.

The phone conversation was not captured on video, but Woods could be heard saying, “Thank you so much,” as he hung up and the deputy approached. It wasn’t clear if Woods was referring to President Trump, whose former daughter-in-law, Vanessa Trump, is dating Woods.

Shortly after the golfer’s March 27 arrest, Trump was asked about Woods and told reporters: “I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person. Amazing man. But, some difficulty.”

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This day in sports history

1923 — “Black Sox” sue White Sox (unsuccessfully) for back salary.

1930 — The Montreal Canadiens win the NHL Stanley Cup with a two-game sweep of the Boston Bruins.

1933 — Ken Doraty’s overtime goal gives the Toronto Maple Leafs and 1-0 victory over the Boston Bruins in semifinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The goal comes at one hour, 44 minutes and 46 seconds of the overtime beyond the one-hour regulation game.

1966 — P Tom Seaver signs with the NY Mets.

1975 — Bobby Fischer stripped of world chess title for refusing to defend it, title awarded to Russian Anatoly Karpov.

1977 — Jean Ratelle of the Boston Bruins scores his 1,000th point with an assist in a 7-4 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

1982 — Buffalo’s Gil Perrault scores his 1,000th point with an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

1983 — 2nd NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship: USC beats Louisiana Tech, 69-67.

1987 — Chicago Cubs trade Dennis Eckersley to Oakland A’s.

1988 — Louisiana Tech wins the NCAA women’s basketball championship with a 56-54 come-from-behind victory over Auburn.

1988 — Amy Alcott shoots a 1-under 71 to win the Dinah Shore by two shots over Colleen Walker.

1988 — Mario Lemieux wins NHL scoring title, stopping Gretzky’s 7 year streak.

1989 — Michigan beats Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime to win the NCAA basketball championship. Rumeal Robinson hits two free throws with three seconds left for the Wolverines. It’s the first time that a first-year coach, Steve Fisher, wins the national title.

1991 — Bo Jackson signs 1-year contract with Chicago White Sox.

1993 — For the first time in its 157-year history, the Grand National steeplechase is declared void because of a false start. Esha Ness crosses the line first, but most of the jockeys are unaware a false start is called and the majority of the 39-horse field continue the 4½-mile race around the Aintree course even though nine stay behind at the start line.

1994 — Charlotte Smith’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gives North Carolina a 60-59 victory over Louisiana Tech in the NCAA women’s basketball championship game.

1995 — UCLA wins its first national basketball championship in 20 years and record 11th NCAA title, keeping Arkansas from repeating with an 89-78 victory.

1996 — St Francis Fighting Saints scores college baseball run record with 71.

2000 — 62nd NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship: Michigan State beats Florida, 89-76.

2004 — St. Louis clinches its 25th consecutive NHL playoff berth, the longest in major league sports, with a 4-1 win over Nashville.

2006 — Joakim Noah dominates UCLA with 16 points, nine rebounds and a record seven blocks to key a 73-57 blowout for Florida’s first national title in men’s basketball.

2006 — Steve Yzerman scores his final NHL goal (#692).

2007 — After a nine-year title drought, Tennessee and coach Pat Summitt are NCAA champions. The Lady Vols capture an elusive seventh national title, beating Rutgers 59-46.

2010 — Bernard Hopkins wins a brutal unanimous decision over Roy Jones Jr. in their long-delayed rematch, emphatically avenging his loss in the famed champions’ first fight nearly 17 years earlier.

2012 — Brittney Griner scores 26 points and grabs 13 rebounds to help Baylor finish off an undefeated season with an 80-61 win over Notre Dame in the women’s national championship game. Baylor becomes the first team in NCAA history to win 40 games.

2017 — Justin Jackson delivers the go-ahead three-point play and North Carolina scores the last eight points for a 71-65 win over Gonzaga and an NCAA title that heartbreakingly eluded the Tar Heels last year. It’s an ugly game, filled with 44 fouls and 52 free throws. Carolina was down 2 with 1:40 left when Jackson took a pass under the bucket from Theo Pinson, made a layup and got fouled. The free throw made it 66-65, and after a Gonzaga miss on the other end, Isaiah Hicks made a shot to help North Carolina start pulling away to the school’s sixth title.

2019 — San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich is ejected after an NBA record low 63 seconds in the Spurs 113-85 loss in Denver; receives 2 technical fouls in a verbal confrontation with a referee.

Compiled by the Associated Press.

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

The Irish drama has already been compared to Line of Duty

The BBC have added new episodes of ‘television’s most stressful thriller ‘ to their iPlayer service as it prepares to return to our screens this weekend.

All episodes of Hidden Assets are now available to stream at no extra cost on the platform. This includes its recently released third season, which was previously only available via Acorn TV late last year.

Those who are caught up to the most recent chapter of Hidden Assets can settle down to the latest episodes as they air each Saturday on BBC Four at 9pm. Otherwise, the complete collection is already available to stream on iPlayer right now.

The series is actually a joint Irish-Belgian-Canadian production. It is developed and written by Peter McKenna who previously penned other hit crime dramas including Kin and Gangs of London.

Each season contains six episodes, meaning those who have yet to watch any of it have plenty to catch up on. However, it should be a quick binge watch with fans and critics claiming it does not take long for viewers to be hooked.

For those that have yet to see any of the series, the first season is set in present day Shannon, County Clare, Ireland, its Free Zone and airport, and the port of Antwerp, Belgium. The plot focuses on the Irish Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and the Belgian Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU).

The second is also set between Antwerp and County Clare (Limerick, specifically). Meanwhile, the third series is set in Dublin and Bilbao where CAB joins forces with Ertzaintza detectives.

According to the synopsis, the narrative begins when evidence from a raid links a small-time drug dealer to a series of bombings in Belgium. This leads to Irish detective Emer Berry heading to Antwerp, where she’s confronted by Christian de Jong of the anti-terrorism squad. Together, they begin to untangle an international conspiracy involving drugs, terrorism, and corrupt business and political leaders.

While it hasn’t received enough professional reviews to warrant a score on Rotten Tomatoes, plenty sing its praises. The Guardian simply labelled it as ‘television’s most stressful thriller’ upon its return while one reviewer called it “a first-rate Irish crime drama series with Scandi-noir twists.”

Fans have been just as vocal for the series and recommending it to others. One posted online: “Brilliant Irish police thriller so much better than the BBC’s Northern Irish attempt, ‘Blue Lights’.”

Another added: “Compelling drama. Well written , directed and acted. Could not wait to see next episode and good ending. Definitely recommend. As good as Line of Duty.”

While someone else claimed: “Ever since Love/Hate we’ve been waiting for a gripping Irish Crime series to come along and here it is.” And another commented: “Right away you get sucked into the storyline and get caught up in the action. The acting is first class from all. I’m already looking forward to the next episode.”

Hidden Assets airs Saturday at 9pm on BBC Four and is streaming on BBC iPlayer.

The three part series has recently been added to BBC iPlayer as true crime fans say it is ‘well worth a watch’

A “mind blowing” true crime documentary with a twist fans do not see coming, is now available to stream online for free.

The mini series, titled Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, was first released on Disney Plus and Hulu back in 2022 as it follows the real life story of a seven year old boy who suddenly vanishes from his home in California.

Named Steven Stayner, he miraculously returns seven years later, sparking a media sensation, but where had he been? Spanning across three episodes, the documentary is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer as it has been dubbed the perfect watch for fans of true crime.

A BBC synopsis reads: “A story that captivated a nation – and destroyed a family. A boy missing for seven years miraculously returns home, but it wasn’t the Hollywood ending it seemed to be.”

The three-part series plunges viewers back to 1972 when the unusual kidnapping case first came to light. It then explores his return as well as the family being thrust back into media headlines decades later.

Featuring heartbreaking accounts from family members, including Steven’s daughter and mother, fans have also admitted they were not expecting the revelations made in the third episodes.

Viewers may also recognise a TV film titled I Know My Name is Steven, which was released in 1989, also exploring the same case.

The documentary has been branded a must watch for fans of the genre as one person said in a TikTok video: “It’s really good, well worth a watch.”

Another commented: “I watched the three episodes of Captive Audience last night and OMG I never dreamed of what was coming in episode 3.”

A third added: “I was fascinated watching Captive Audience. It was shocking and sad.”

In another video, recommending the documentary, one viewer said: “You will want to watch it because it is a mind blowing story.

“It’s a really fascinating documentary. If you haven’t watched it already, I would definitely recommend it.”

Another commented: “It’s absolutely mad, very sad as well.” A third echoed: “It’s a heartbreaking real life story from beginning to end.”

Over on Facebook, one user said: “A heartbreaking and chilling story about trauma, survival, and the long shadow of tragedy.”

An IMDB reviewer said: “This documentary is heart breaking and captivating. To learn what this kid went through and his own heroic act to save another child, is mind blowing.”

Another added: “I loved this story and the way it was told. It is not often in true crime that we get to see the family and friends and how their lives have been impacted by the crime.”

Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story can be streamed on BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus.

1 of 3 | Union Station is largely empty amid lockdowns and social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic April 24, 2020, in Washington, D.C. On March 26, 2020, new unemployment claims in the United States surged to 3.3. million, the largest weekly increase in U.S. history to date amid job losses related to the pandemic. File Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo

March 26 (UPI) — On this date in history:

In 1830, the Book of Mormon was published. There are about 200 surviving first editions of the book, one of which was stolen before being returned to its owner in 2013.

In 1953, U.S. Dr. Jonas Salk announced he had successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes polio.

In 1971, East Pakistan declared independence as Bangladesh, sparking the Bangladesh Liberation War. The war ended Dec. 16, 1971, when West Pakistan surrendered.

In 1975, the city of Hue in South Vietnam fell to the North Vietnamese army.

In 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty at the White House, ending 30 years of hostilities.

In 1991, Mali’s dictator, Gen. Moussa Traore, was overthrown in a violent overnight military coup. Fifty-nine people died.

In 1992, former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, convicted of raping a teenage beauty pageant contestant, was sentenced to six years in prison. Tyson was released after three years.

In 1997, 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate religious cult were found dead in a large house in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in what authorities said was a mass suicide.

In 1998, Bill Clinton became the first U.S. president to visit South Africa.

In 1999, Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the euthanasia advocate, was convicted of second-degree murder in an Oakland County, Mich., courtroom for the videotaped “medicide” of a man suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease.

In 2000, acting Russian President Vladimir Putin was elected president by a more than 20 percent margin. Putin won a third term in 2012.

In 2014, a National Labor Relations Board regional director ruled that Northwestern University scholarship football players were employees of the school and entitled under federal law to form a union.

In 2020, new unemployment claims in the United States surged to 3.3. million, the largest weekly increase in U.S. history to date amid job losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, a Singapore-based cargo ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing a catastrophic collapse of the structure. Six people died in the failure of the bridge, which crossed the Patapsco River.

NEW YORK — Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton acknowledged Sunday that he had experimented with marijuana while a 22-year-old student in England in the late 1960s, an admission that could raise doubts about his past candor in answering questions about his personal conduct.

For five years, the 45-year-old Clinton has answered questions about whether he had ever used drugs by saying he had never broken a U.S. law. During a televised debate here with Democratic presidential rival Edmund G. (Jerry) Brown Jr., a questioner for the first time asked Clinton explicitly whether he had ever broken either a state, federal or a foreign drug law.

“When I was in England I experimented with marijuana a time or two,” he answered on the WCBS-TV broadcast, “and I didn’t like it. I didn’t inhale and never tried it again.”

Asked the same series of questions, Brown answered bluntly: “No.”

Clinton’s disclosure, which overshadowed one of the most substantive exchanges of the political season between the two rivals, is hardly unusual for a person of Clinton’s generation. Two of the Democratic presidential candidates in 1988 acknowledged similar behavior. And nothing Clinton said about his use of marijuana contradicted what he had said before.

But his decision until now to fend off drug-use queries with a narrow response, which could mislead voters into thinking he had never used drugs of any kind, was likely to add to concerns of those who regard him as less than straightforward.

Clinton said he did not believe the episode would hurt his candidacy, noting that other politicians had admitted to using marijuana and had suffered no apparent electoral consequences. He defended his previous denials by saying he had seen no need to volunteer a reply to something he had not been directly asked.

“Nobody’s ever asked me that question point blank,” he said, adding: “I said I’ve never broken the drug laws of my country, and that’s the absolute truth.”

It was the second time in a week that Clinton found it necessary to clarify previous statements on drugs.

On Thursday, a Clinton campaign aide, Betsey Wright, volunteered to the Los Angeles Times that the governor had never used cocaine or knowingly been around it.

The Times had contacted Wright to ask about a state police drug investigation in the mid-1980s of Clinton’s half-brother and a political contributor. After answering the questions, Wright said: “I assume from the questions that you were implying guilt by association in a state where everybody is associated. For that reason, when I verified with Gov. Clinton the answers to some of the questions, I asked him the following questions:

“ ‘Bill, have you ever used cocaine?’

“He replied, ‘No.’

“I said, ‘Bill, have you ever been in a room where you were aware there was cocaine?’

“He replied, ‘No.’ ”

When asked Friday why she had posed questions never asked by The Times, Wright said she had heard “rumors” that reporters were trying to place Clinton at parties where cocaine had been used. “I decided it was best to go ahead and put the issue on the table,” she said. (Interviews by The Times with some people said to have been in attendance at those parties have produced no evidence linking Clinton to the drug.)

Later Friday, Clinton called The Times to say that the campaign had not intended to provoke a story quoting him as denying cocaine use. Senior Clinton campaign officials said they feared such a story might be seen by the public as raising yet another question about his personal life.

Clinton’s Sunday acknowledgement of marijuana use while a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford came only three days after Clinton was asked by a member of the editorial board of the New York Daily News whether he had been asked previously about his drug use.

Clinton said that he had been asked such questions, and that his answer had always been that he had never violated a U.S. law.

Clinton campaign officials later described the new admission as an “elaboration” of Clinton’s previous comments and suggested that it and the earlier, narrow denials were merely two ways of looking at the same issue.

“Bill Clinton told the truth at every step of the way,” his chief strategist, James Carville, said. “It’s like the old saying about the guy who’s being sworn into office and he’s asked, ‘Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?’ and he answers, ‘Which one do you want?’ ”

Carville and other senior Clinton aides nevertheless expressed concern that the issue would be given undue prominence and further tar their candidate at a time when polls show that a large number of Democratic voters still harbor questions about Clinton’s personal record.

For his part, however, Brown chose not to make an immediate issue either of Clinton’s marijuana use or his handling of questions about it.

After denying that he had violated any drug laws, Brown demanded of a questioner: “Why don’t you lay off this stuff? What you did 10 or 20 years ago is not really relevant.”

But Brown himself was forced during the debate to respond to a new suggestion of impropriety in a Washington Post story detailing his ties to a company that paid a $400,000 settlement to the federal government after being accused of making exaggerated claims about a product said to help treat AIDS.

Brown, who served on the board of directors of a subsidiary to the company, Costa Mesa-based ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc., until he began his presidential campaign, said he had had “nothing to do” with the episode. He said his position gave him “no responsibility and no contact” with the parent firm.

Clinton did not press the issue during the debate, saying his own experience made him wary of “piling on.” But he suggested later in the day that justice was being done as he told a Bronx audience that “the press is finally starting to look at” a rival he believes has been treated too gently.

Clinton framed his response to the drug question during an era when the issue rose to political prominence.

In 1987, Supreme Court nominee Douglas H. Ginsburg was forced to withdraw his name from nomination after it was learned that he had used marijuana when he was a law-school professor.

But other politicians, including Sen. Albert Gore Jr. of Tennessee and Gov. Bruce Babbitt of Arizona, both 1988 Democratic presidential candidates, acknowledged using marijuana while in college and suffered no apparent political consequences.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has also admitted to having used marijuana, but the issue was given only passing attention during his confirmation hearings.

Clinton, by contrast, has steadfastly refused to answer “have you ever” questions about drug use, adultery or other matters of personal conduct on grounds that they are not legitimate subjects of inquiry.

He has said it is legitimate, however, for an officeholder or a candidate to be questioned about violations of law, and has always responded to questions about his drug use by stating that he had adhered to U.S. drug laws.

Earlier in the morning, Clinton delivered what amounted to an impassioned political sermon to the enthusiastic congregation of an African Methodist church in a mostly black neighborhood in Queens.

But faced with continued criticism of his periodic use of an all-white country club to play golf–conduct that Clinton has said was a mistake–his message Sunday was in part a plea for redemption from a black community from which he has so far drawn deep support.

“I have seen myself turned into a cartoon character of an old Southern deal-maker by the tabloids and television in a total denial of my life’s work,” he said.

He told the congregation he had made “a foolish mistake.” And as he cited Scripture later, the congregation joined him in a sympathetic chorus to murmur “those who are without sin should cast the first stone.”

The hourlong debate here between Clinton and Brown, who participated via satellite from Wisconsin, was one of the better illuminations of the differences between the Arkansas moderate and the California populist-liberal.

Again and again, the two candidates clashed on issues ranging from economic policy to capital punishment to labor issues to Middle East strategy.

On economic issues, Brown advanced his proposal to overhaul the current tax systems and replace them with a 13% flat-tax as a “progressive tax” whose simplicity would “jump-start the economy.”

But Clinton, who favors a more conventional middle-class tax cut and an increase on taxes for the wealthy, again derided Brown’s idea as a plan that would benefit only the wealthy and would “triple taxes on the poor and raise taxes on the middle class.”

In answer to a question, Clinton said he favored capital punishment as well as a proposal to accelerate what is now the time-consuming process under which a death-row inmate may appeal his sentence.

But Brown described Clinton’s decision earlier this year to order the execution of a man whose lawyer claimed he was retarded as a “moral abomination.” He contended that the proposal to limit death-penalty appeals was part of a “systematic erosion of civil liberties” and said: “I would oppose it with every ounce that I have.”

Brown said he would favor a five-year moratorium on the manufacture of handguns. But Clinton, while describing himself as an advocate of gun control, said he was unsure whether he could embrace such an approach.

On Israel, Clinton defended what he described as a longstanding U.S. willingness to “wink” at Israeli settlements on the occupied West Bank and criticized the Bush Administration’s recent get-tough policy. But Brown bluntly said he regarded the settlements as “a problem.”

Asked about an issue important to labor unions, the two candidates made clear that their allegiance pulled them in different directions.

Clinton said he would favor placing young people in jobs of all kinds as part of a civilian corps to give them training for the future.

But Brown warned that the low wages paid to such employees would undermine working people and suggested that any such corps be limited to outdoor conservation efforts.

Some viewers have dubbed the new documentary a ‘wake up call’

A brand new documentary just added to Netflix has been dubbed a “wake up call” by terrified viewers.

The Plastic Detox arrived on the streaming service just this week, exploring the impact of exposure to everyday plastic items such as clothing fibres, cosmetics and kitchen tools on human health and fertility.

The feature-length film centres around six couples who are all trying for a baby. They all have one thing in common: they have been unable to conceive, with some of the pairs having spent years trying unsuccessfully to make it happen.

They are tasked with lowering their exposure to plastics over the course of three months supported by scientists and researchers to see if doing so can turn their fortunes around.

Netflix’s official synopsis reads: “Strange symptoms. Unexplained infertility. Human extinction? Six couples cut back on plastics while trying to conceive in this absorbing documentary.” The film is directed by Louie Psihoyos who was behind 2024 Netflix documentary, You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.

Viewers have been quick to flood social media with their first thoughts about the documentary, with one warning fellow viewers: “I was not prepared to be so enraged and also disgusted. So many chemicals. In everything. All the time. Just watch at your own risk.”

A second said: “Everyone needs to watch this. It’s a wake-up call,” as a third remarked: “I just made the grave mistake of watching The Plastic Detox on Netflix and that was a mistake. I mean, it wasn’t, but it was. I would not recommend if you’re a spiraller… because, wow.”

Environmental and reproductive epidemiologist Dr Shanna Swan who appears in the documentary, told Netflix’s Tudum: “I think it empowers people to know that they can do things to protect themselves, at least if not completely, to a large extent.

“And that’s what the film really shows — when these couples took action and reduced their exposure, they saw differences.”

At time of writing, it has been revealed that three of the six couples that took part in the experiment have since gone on to become pregnant. One of the couples, Monique and Bruno, are actually expecting their second baby at the end of this month.

As well as seeing a difference in fertility, the couple shared that they had seen a huge impact in their overall health too. They shared with Tudum: “We sleep better, our skin is less dry, and Bruno’s extreme eczema has decreased considerably.”

The Plastic Detox is now available to stream on Netflix.