afford

Two years ago, reaching the first major crossroads of his UCLA athletic director career, Martin Jarmond drove the Bruins into a ditch.

He should have fired the unhappy and unsuccessful Chip Kelly at the end of the 2023 regular season. He did not. He instead praised Kelly for building a “strong and phenomenal culture.”

Three months later Kelly fired himself with an escape that seemingly everyone but Jarmond saw coming.

Soon thereafter, upon reaching the second major crossroads of his athletic director career, Jarmond drove the program into an even deeper ditch.

Requiring less than 72 hours to replace Kelly, Jarmond did so by hiring a head coach who was preeminently unqualified to be a head coach, a former running back who had never led a team at any level, a reticent former Bruin who had never even called a play.

It took barely a season for that mistake to be formally acknowledged, and now that DeShaun Foster was fired Sunday after winning just five of 15 games, the real issue becomes obvious.

Martin Jarmond has steered this football program into a steaming wreckage, failing to properly manage the most important asset of any modern-day athletic director, turning the Bruins’ largest and most lucrative national presence into a sputtering embarrassment, and you have to wonder.

Now that he has buried them, is Martin Jarmond the right person to dig them out?

It’s difficult to imagine the budget conscious UCLA administrators would spend about $8 million to fire a guy who just last winter was given a five-year contract extension. Then again, they just spent $6.43 million to can Foster less than two years after they hired him.

But something has to happen. Hire a football general manager and let them pick the new coach while Jarmond moves to the background. Or simply pay Jarmond, let him walk, and start from scratch like you should have done two years ago at the end of the Chip Kelly era.

Whatever happens, considering the huge stakes involved, how can Bruins chancellor Julio Frenk allow Jarmond to hire the next football coach?

Jarmond has whiffed on situations involving the last two coaches and you’re going to let him come to the plate again? Risking a third consecutive strikeout? It’s an outcome so humiliating that baseball even has a name for it, terming three strikeouts in one game as earning that player a “silver sombrero.”

Can UCLA really afford to let their athletic director wear that?

Certainly, Jarmond has done some great things with other sports since arriving at UCLA as a relatively untested and unknown administrator five years ago. Last season, when including the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, Bruin teams won more conference championships than any other Big Ten school.

UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond has done well in many areas, but football is not one of them.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

A men’s water polo national title. The only school with both baseball and softball teams in the College World Series. Women’s basketball in the Final Four. The list goes on.

Jarmond has done well in many areas. But in today’s collegiate sports environment, a Power Five athletic director basically has one job and one job only.

Don’t fumble football.

Football is the cash cow. Football is the monthly rent. Football drives campus revenue. Football creates national reputation. So many people are ridiculing UCLA football this fall that many have forgotten the Bruins greatness in other sports, and in the name of John Wooden, that’s unacceptable.

Football is just too important to be led by someone who would get embarrassed by consecutive coaches, someone who would allow Chip Kelly to leave before firing him, someone who would then hire DeShaun Foster without qualifications, someone who just doesn’t seem to be in touch with the most vital part of his job.

Jarmond had a chance to take full responsibility for both coaching misfires during a Sunday afternoon conference call with reporters.

He did not.

He basically said that the decision to keep Kelly involved higher authorities and the choice of Foster was due to unusual circumstances.

Regrettably, nowhere in the two explanations were the words, “I just blew it.”

About keeping Kelly when he should have been dumped: “What I’ll remind you is these decisions aren’t made in a vacuum. There are many stakeholders and factors that go into where and when and how to make a coaching change. That said, ultimately, I’m the athletic director. I’m the steward of this program, and the buck stops with me. But I want to reiterate: These kinds of decisions at this level are not made by one person, they’re made by the stakeholders and factors and circumstances that surround that.”

Disagree. When it comes to handling a football coach, no stakeholder’s voice should be stronger than that of the athletic director, or you need a new athletic director.

About hurriedly hiring Foster, he said: “I made the best decision with the circumstances and resources that I had to work with… I’m very confident in my ability to hire coaches that win championships … this search is going to be very different than the last one … when it was after football signing day, and we had to make a change and get that done quickly.”

Absolutely, the hiring of Foster was conducted in a tight timeline. But to make such a giant decision and not even take a week? That bordered on athletic director malpractice. And eventually, we all saw the result.

Actually, few saw the result. One of the reasons Foster was fired so quickly was that the Rose Bowl had become an empty shell of more broken Bruin dreams.

OK, so the good news is that UCLA now has an entire season to find a bright young coach — where is the Sean McVay of college football? He has to be out there! — and they will have the first shot at many good candidates.

The bad news is that Jarmond was talking Sunday about assembling a search committee full of a bunch of so-called experts and former Bruins. That never works. Too many voices drown each other out and you end up with a compromise candidate.

The hire needs to be made by a strong athletic director willing to make a bold hire for which they accept full responsibility and hold themselves completely accountable.

More bad news. Until further notice, that athletic director is Martin Jarmond.

For the last year, Los Angeles political leaders have searched for a way to upgrade the downtown Convention Center without also delivering cuts to core services.

The city’s budget team pushed for the facility to be emblazoned with digital billboards, which would produce tens of millions in ad revenue. A city-hired consultant came up with several cost-cutting measures, including the elimination of a public plaza originally planned as part of the expansion.

Despite those efforts, the project has only lost ground. On Tuesday, City Council members were informed the price tag has gone up yet again, reaching $2.7 billion — an increase of $483 million from six months ago.

Some at City Hall are growing nervous that the project’s first phase won’t be finished in time for the 2028 Olympic Games, jeopardizing the Convention Center’s status as one of the main venues. Beyond that, city officials have begun worrying publicly that Gov. Gavin Newsom might not support a state bill permitting the installation of two digital billboards that would face the busy 10 and 110 Freeway interchange.

Those two signs — hotly opposed by groups such as Scenic America — are expected to produce the vast majority of the project’s advertising income, according to the city’s budget team.

If state and federal support for the signs fails to materialize, the city’s general fund budget would have to provide an average of $111 million each year through 2058 to cover the cost of the Convention Center expansion, City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo said.

The earliest years would be the most expensive. In 2031, for example, an estimated $167 million in taxpayer funds would go toward the Convention Center’s debt and operations — even after the revenue from the project is factored in, Szabo told the council’s economic development committee on Tuesday.

“Since we last met in this room on this matter, the costs have increased dramatically,” Szabo said. “The serious [construction] schedule risks remain. And revenue that the project relies upon — will rely upon — is in jeopardy.”

For some on the council, the latest bad news is proving to be too much.

Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who heads the council’s powerful budget committee, told The Times she believes an overhaul of the Convention Center is key to making downtown “stronger, more economically vibrant.” But with the city already struggling to pay for police officers, street repairs and other basic services, the current plan is “just too expensive,” she said.

“Without the signage revenue, the risk to the City’s budget is massive and unaffordable,” Yaroslavsky said in a statement.

Newsom spokesman Izzy Gardon declined to discuss the digital billboard bill, saying the governor’s office “does not typically comment on pending legislation.” State Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles), who represents part of downtown, said he is “engaging productively” with the Newsom administration on the bill.

“I’m confident we’ll find a path forward,” he said.

Council members must decide by Sept. 15 whether to move ahead with the project, Szabo said. Even some of the council’s downtown boosters sound nervous about their next step.

What “I hear some of my colleagues saying is, ‘Do we want a very beautiful Convention Center but a bankrupt city?’” said Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents the vast majority of downtown.

Business groups have rallied around the expansion, saying it will finally allow L.A. to compete for large conventions, while also injecting new life into a downtown still reeling from the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The project has also amassed broad support from organized labor, especially the region’s construction trade unions, which say it would create thousands of jobs.

“With over 800 members out of work, we need a project like this,” said Zachary Solomon, business representative for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 11. “The cost of this project will only continue to increase, so we need this project now.”

Many of the groups backing the Convention Center expansion have played a role in electing council members. Still, if the council presses ahead with the project, it will do so in the face of major warning signs.

The city’s top policy analysts have cautioned that any major construction delay could cause organizers of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games to pull the Convention Center, which is scheduled to host judo, wrestling, fencing and other competitions, off its list of venues.

“It would be really bad to pay such a premium on such a project and [have] it not be ready in time to host the Olympics,” said Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso, who advises the council.

Stuart Marks, senior vice president of Plenary Americas, the development company spearheading the Convention Center project, told council members he is “highly confident” the work will be done on time, saying there is flexibility in the schedule — and major penalties if the developer fails to perform.

Marks, whose company has partnered with Anschutz Entertainment Group on the Convention Center, said the companies tasked with construction have an established history, having worked on projects such as Staples Center — now Crypto.com Arena — and the expanded Moscone Center in San Francisco.

“Their reputations are on the line. Our reputations are on the line. Nobody’s saying there’s no risks. But there are contingencies … mitigation strategies, security packages and contractual regimes that equally meet that risk,” he said.

The proposed timeline calls for APCLA, also known as AEG Plenary Conventions Los Angeles — the joint venture that would oversee the expansion — to start construction later this year, pause that work during the Games and then finish once the event is over.

Under the proposal, a new wing would connect the Convention Center’s landmark green South Hall with the blue West Hall.

Much of the increase in the construction price has been attributed to the city’s Department of Water and Power, which recently issued higher cost estimates for the relocation of utilities under Pico Boulevard and the installation of several miles of cable and conduit.

DWP officials have already warned that they lack the staffing to carry out the project and would need to hire outside labor. They also indicated that work on the Convention Center is likely to result in delays to other projects — including construction of a new rail line in San Fernando Valley — because staff would have to be diverted, according to Szabo’s memo.

Tso has echoed many of Szabo’s concerns, saying in a separate report that the project would have an “acute negative impact” on the general fund budget, which pays for police, paramedic responses and other basic services.

Times staff writer Laura J. Nelson contributed to this report.

A British man living in Benidorm has claimed the party city may be ‘finished’ after witnessing its surprising ’emptiness’ this summer, and people claim it’s all down to cost

A British expat living in Benidorm has claimed the renowned party city is “finished” as tourists are being “priced out,” with some claiming they are instead flocking to a more affordable destination. Harry Poulton, a TikTok influencer known for sharing his travel advice on the Spanish resort, suggested in a recent video that Benidorm might be “finished” after noting the streets this summer appeared more empty than usual.

In a clip which has racked up over 125,000 views, hints at the city’s rising costs as a potential reason for its decline. “[Is] Benidorm finished? Where is everybody? It’s the middle of July, and it’s absolutely dead,” he noted.

The 24-year-old, originally from Brighton, remarked: “Normally at this time of year, Benidorm’s mentality – it’s busy, there are people absolutely everywhere,” according to Luxury Travel Daily. Harry added that he’d just been down to the beach, and there was simply nobody around.

“I’ve been down the Benidorm strip; hardly anyone there. Bars [aren’t] even that busy – what’s going on? Is everyone going to Tenerife now? I’ve only been away a week.”

Harry also expressed his astonishment at the lack of crowds, noting that even during usual peak hours around 7pm, the streets remain deserted.

His observations have sparked a flurry of theories among TikTok viewers, one of whom commented: “Have to say hotels are getting more and more expensive. Crazy prices.”

Meanwhile, a different user suggested where all the missing tourists might be. “Everyone is going to Salou, Spain,” they said. A third person agreed: “It’s got too expensive.”

A fourth individual lamented: “People are fed up with being robbed, mate [sic].”

Meanwhile a fifth TikTok user expressed: “Getting too expensive. Used to be my go-to holiday. However, I cannot afford Benidorm this year. Other Spanish places half the price.”

In a separate video, meanwhile, Harry reiterated his frustration with the rising costs in the city. The content creator asserted: “Benidorm is getting expensive. Everything this year has gone so much more than last year. I’m not the only one that feels this way.”

Reacting to a follower who had spent nearly £1,000 for a week’s stay in a single room, Harry sympathised: “Ouch, that’s got to hurt. Don’t get me wrong – eating out, drinking, all those sorts of things are still very reasonable, especially price-wise compared to the UK.

“Everything has got really expensive; not just in Benidorm, but in general.”

And he concluded, reflecting: “Is Benidorm falling off? Or is it just the world in general? Mad, really – what are holidays? What’s a cheap holiday now?”

Brits abroad have been warned to brace for more summer holiday protests from anti-tourists, meanwhile.

The Southern European Network Against Touristification (SET) group, already revelling in the widespread disruptions caused on a Europe-wide day of action on June 15, is threatening there is more disruption to come. In a strong statement they said: “Common sense is changing.

“The myth of tourism as economic salvation is over. Touristification is no longer a problem perceived by a few. It has become a widespread concern across generations, social classes, cities and regions. And this is just the beginning.”

The group added: “Given the situations we are witnessing everywhere, there is no doubt that more actions and mobilizations will take place here and there this summer, much like there might be more anti-touristification actions on 27th September for World Tourism Day. The struggle against touristification is growing, expanding, and is being organized. Because our lives are worth more than their profits.”

In what marks a major shift for NATO, the bloc’s member states have agreed to raise defence spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The move will inject billions more dollars into armies and weapons, raising questions over how governments will foot the bill.

With public budgets under strain, many European politicians dismissed the target as unachievable earlier this year, when US President Donald Trump demanded it.

Europe’s priorities now appear to be shifting to security, citing growing threats from Russia.

And Chinese goods are flooding markets from Southeast Asia to Europe.

Plus, top economists call for debt relief in developing nations.

A new patio in the UK typically costs between £80-£150 per square meter, but it depends on the materials and layout.

So a typical homeowner could end up paying a few hundred, to thousands to get a new one.

Amy on Facebook didn’t have that kind of money to sort her patio out.

2

Instead, she came up with a genius idea to transform her wonky slabs, into an area she would love.

Posting in the Facebook group Garden Makeover Ideas On A Budget, she said: “On a very tight budget, I couldn’t stretch to funding a new patio.

“So, last year, I bought some ground covering seeds and planted them between some of my wonky pavers.

“I’m thrilled with how they now look but, the amount of bees that have been collecting the nectar from them is incredible. I’m so pleased.”

She added a photograph of the results, showing her wonky patio slabs covered with gorgeous purple, white and blue flowers.

As for what flowers she sowed, replying to a comment, Amy said: “Mixed ground cover,” and said it “will bring new life to your garden/patio”.

She “added a little sand to the compost” which she was advised to do so by her local garden centre because “the sand stabilises the wonky pavers”.

Her post has received 11,000 likes so far and hundreds of comments.

One replied: “I absolutely love this idea! I have a horrible concrete area that I cover with benches and pots! Also have an old paved area all sunken forever taking out the weeds in between! Thank you for the great idea x.”

Someone else wrote: “I think that looks lovely & far nicer than a new boring patio, it looks how nature would have intended it to look with plants tumbling out if cracks & crevices.”

One comment read: “It looks so pretty! Love your solution and how nice that it’s attracted pollinators too.”

Another said they make a great replacement for pesky weeds: “Oh I love this. I’m going to pulled out those weeds and put in seeds.”

Someone else was keen to know if any weeds grew amongst her flowers. They asked: “That looks lovely. Do you have any problems with weeds pushing through too?”

Amy replied: “I have had a couple yes, but by and large, the flowers are winning the ‘cosy’ and limited space.”

2

How to grow flowers between your patio slabs

1. Clean the area

Remove any weeds or debris from the cracks between your patio slabs. A weeding tool or a stiff brush can help with this. 

Make sure the holes are at least six inches deep to help roots develop.

2. Fill with soil and compost

Use a mix of soil and compost to fill the cracks.

3. Choose your plants

Opt for low-growing, spreading plants that can tolerate foot traffic. 

Some good choices are: thyme, chamomile, creeping speedwell, dwarf mondo grass, daisies.

4. Plant

If using seeds, mix them with a little compost and sand and push them into the cracks. 

For plug plants, carefully remove and gently plant them into the cracks. Fill any surrounding gaps with compost.

5. Water

Water the seeds thoroughly and continue to water regularly, especially during dry spells, until the plants are established. 

June gardening jobs

The Sun’s Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the tasks you should take this month.

Stake out leggy perennials

With all the dramatic weather we’ve been having, it’s definitely time to stake out your leggy perennials (the ones that come back every year). Heavy rain and growth spurts, can make them collapse and flop.

Picking out the slugs and snails

Hopefully as we move into summer they  will do less damage as the plants get bigger.  The best way is still to go out at night with a head torch to find them. 

Pick elderflower heads

You can use them to make your own cordial, or add to cakes, champagne or even fry them in batter. 

Get on top of weeds

It’s around now that weeds really ramp up in the garden, so keep on top of them with hoe-ing – or just the traditional ‘on your knees with a hand fork’. Try and avoid chemicals – remember weeds are just plants in the wrong place. 

Up the mowing

You’ll need to mow your lawn weekly now – if you’ve got time, weed it beforehand as once you mow you chop off the leaves and its harder to see them. 

Check on your tomatoes

Your tomato plants will need attention – water, feed and regularly and pinch out the sideshoots. 

Chelsea Chop

There’s still time for the Chelsea Chop – plants like Rudbeckia’s, Asters, Penstemons, Sedums and other perennials can be cut back by a third to help them get a bit more bushy, and prolong the flowering period.

Sort out your tulips

If you can be bothered and have space – lift and story your tulip  bulbs to ensure colour next Spring. 

Deadheading your roses

Take them down to the first set of healthy leaves – which will ensure more flowers for longer. 

Enjoy your space

Take some time to sit and enjoy your garden or outside space – it’s great for your mental health. Even just a few minutes a day can make a big difference. 

There are many reasons why people object to the death penalty. Opponents point to the ever-present risk of wrongful conviction. They note that there’s bias against people of color and low-income defendants, as well as geographic disproportionality in its administration. And there’s the fact that most other civilized societies around the world have concluded that it should be abolished.

But these days, there’s also a strong economic argument for doing away with capital punishment. With California facing its most severe fiscal crisis in recent memory — with draconian cuts about to be imposed from Sacramento that will affect every resident of the state — it would be crazy not to consider the fact that it will add as much as $1 billion over the next five years simply to keep the death penalty on the books.

Here’s the math.

Today, California has 678 offenders on death row, more than any other state. Yet, in the last 30 years, we’ve had only 13 executions. With 20 more people sentenced to death each year — and an average wait of 25 years from sentencing to execution — the number of inmates on death row is continuing to climb.

Now consider what capital punishment costs. According to the final report of the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, which I chaired from 2006 to 2008, the cost of a murder trial goes up by about half a million dollars if prosecutors seek the death penalty. Confinement on death row (with all the attendant security requirements) adds $90,000 per inmate per year to the normal cost of incarceration. Appeals and habeas corpus proceedings add tens of thousands more. In all, it costs $125 million a year more to prosecute and defend death penalty cases and to keep inmates on death row than it would simply to put all those people in prison for life without parole.

On top of that $125-million extra cost per year, California is also facing the need to build a new death house for death penalty inmates at an estimated cost of $400 million.

The commission, whose members were evenly divided between opponents and proponents of the death penalty, agreed that the present system is, as state Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George has said, “dysfunctional,” and it unanimously recommended a series of steps to rectify the most serious flaws in the system. We recommended increased staffing in a number of areas, including a 33% increase in the staff of California state public defenders to handle direct appeals and a 500% increase in the California Habeas Corpus Resources Center to take on habeas corpus filings at a much earlier time than is now the case. We also called for a commensurate increase in the staffing of the attorney general’s office to handle the increased caseload.

These staffing increases would cost $95 million more per year. They would bring the time needed to administer California’s death penalty down to about 12 1/2 years, near the national average.

Our report was issued almost a year ago, on June 30, 2008. Since that time, there has been no movement in Sacramento to seek implementation of our proposed reforms. They appear to be in quicksand. And with the fiscal crisis confronting the state, they look to be locked in granite.

So let me make another recommendation. I think it’s time to do away with the death penalty in California.

The system simply isn’t working. No one is being executed; there’s been a moratorium on executions for three years because of legal challenges. Yet death penalty cases are being prosecuted at great expense. We have a lengthy appeals process, death house overcrowding as offenders pile up and millions of dollars being wasted on a system that does not do what it is supposed to do.

It’s time to convert the sentences of those now on death row to life without parole. Doing so would incapacitate some of the worst of the worst for their natural lives, and at the same time ensure that a person wrongfully convicted will not be executed. And it would save $125 million each year.

A courageous governor facing an unprecedented budget crisis would take this step and use the taxpayer money saved to preserve some of the vital services now on the chopping block.

Khadija Mahmoud* is pulling an all-nighter, filled with caffeine and surviving on adrenalin to pack up her belongings so she can catch the train in the morning from Washington, DC to New York City for her summer internship.

Mahmoud is a 21-year old international student who has just finished her junior year at Georgetown University. She is anxious and worried after her immigration lawyer advised against leaving the country for the summer due to the recent border control policies for international students.

On 27 May, the State Department instructed United States embassies around the world to temporarily pause scheduling new student visa appointments, as the Trump administration seeks to expand social media screenings for applicants, the latest in a string of restrictions targeting international students.

“It’s been very turbulent, and equally terrifying with each development that comes,” Mahmoud told Al Jazeera, speaking from her college dormitory in Washington, DC.

Mahmoud isn’t alone in feeling this way. Many other international students say they feel they need to stay under the radar, afraid that even a small issue could get them deported.

1.1 million international students

According to NAFSA, a US nonprofit organisation that focuses on international education and student exchange, over the 2023/2024 academic year there were just more than 1.1 million international students studying in the US.

These international students made up 5.6 percent of the nearly 19 million total higher education students across the US.

Together, students from India and China made up 54 percent of the total, with India leading at 331,602 (29 percent) and China at 277,398 (25 percent).

‘Major loss for the United States’

Fanta Aw, executive director and CEO of NAFSA, who is herself a former international student, says she knows on a personal and professional level how important the cultural exchange between international students and local communities is, especially in today’s hyper connected world.

“I think this is a major loss for the United States; other countries will open their doors and they are already welcoming students,” Aw told Al Jazeera.

“Students want certainty. They want consistency. And they want to know that the system works. And if they continue to see action after action, they’re already losing trust,” she adds.

“Once you continue down this road, you will have years to recover from this, and you may never recover from it. Because by then, more other countries are competing for these same students.”

“We’re seeing Germany. We’re seeing Japan. We’re seeing South Korea. Malaysia has always been a destination for students. The Middle East, with all of the American-style universities – this is what the US is competing with.”

Where are international students studying?

Although many international students are concentrated at major universities on the East and West coasts, a sizeable number also study at prominent universities in the Midwest and other parts of the US.

According to data compiled by Open Doors, during the 2023/2024 academic year, New York City hosted the largest number of international students, with 27,247 at New York University and 20,321 at Columbia University. Northeastern University in Boston follows, with 21,023 international students.

One such student headed to the Midwest is Noor Ali*, a 23-year-old from Karachi, Pakistan, who is embarking on her masters in journalism on a full scholarship from the university.

Ali has requested her identity be concealed and her institution not be named for her security. Despite having already received her student visa, she’s still concerned about entering the US.

“I got my visa the day that India attacked Pakistan and Pakistan retaliated against India,” she laughs as she explains how she ventured out that day when both nuclear neighbours were engaged in an aerial face-off, far above in the skies.

“Miraculously, the appointment did not get cancelled. And I ended up going there for my interview. And I ended up getting the visa, which was like, insane. I didn’t really know how I got it. But I mean, I’ve gotten it now!” Ali beams, her excitement undeniable at her luck.

Although she had the option to study in Europe, she chose the US because of her familiarity with the country through movies and TV shows. Even without having visited, she feels like she understands American life and culture.

“These values of American democracy are about American freedom. And, you know, just a lot of focus on ethics and morality, and it used to be known for its academic freedom, and a lot of focus on diversity.”

Ali’s ideals are not without scepticism or worry. She admits being very scared and has reconsidered her decision several times. Still, she feels encouraged by the pushback the Trump administration’s policies have received lately.

“The core of American democracy or ideals of freedom are getting reinforced,” says Ali.  She feels strongly that the cultural experience will be worth it for her.

Crackdown on pro-Palestine students and staff

The Trump administration’s latest step in its crackdown on US universities has particularly focused on international students who have shown support for Palestinians in Gaza over the past year.

“Georgetown has a pretty large international student population compared to other schools in the US, so you’d think that would translate into a lot more advocacy and more grassroots work going on on campus,” Mahmoud goes on to say.

Mahmoud feels her college hasn’t been a very vocal campus when it comes to the rights of students, nor in providing a proper safety net for freedom of speech.

“I think a massive inflection point on campus was the detention of Dr Badar Suri. I felt the need to have to scrape through my social media, see if I posted anything that could get me flagged,” says Mahmoud.

Dr Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral scholar of conflict studies, was arrested on March 17 outside his home in Rosslyn, Virginia and held in immigration detention for two months before being released on May 14, following a federal judge’s order. Suri, whose wife Mapheze Saleh is a US citizen of Palestinian descent, has spoken out against Israel’s war in Gaza.

That particular case became a real turning point on the campus, she says, where a lot of international students had spoken up and taken to social media.

How much money is at stake?

According to NAFSA, the 1.1 million international students studying in the US contributed $43.8bn to the US economy during the 2023–2024 academic year, creating 378,175 jobs nationwide.

That means that for every three international students enrolled, one US job was created or supported.

California hosted the highest number of international students, with 140,858 contributing $6.4bn to the state’s economy and supporting 55,114 jobs. New York followed with 135,813 students, generating $6.3bn and creating 51,719 jobs. Texas came third, with 89,546 international students contributing $2.5bn and supporting 22,112 jobs.

In total, 12 states gained more than $1bn each from the economic contributions of international students. According to NAFSA, international student spending in these 12 states combined to generate 57 percent of the total dollar contribution to the US economy.

“When your enrolment declines, then you’re going to have some economic challenges and that’s going to force institutions to have to make some very difficult decisions and choices,” NAFSA executive director Fanta Aw explains.

“The number of high schoolers that are graduating is on the decline in most parts of the country. So it’s not like they can make that up with American domestic students because that’s already on the decline.”

“So when you cannot have the level of enrollment at the undergraduate level here in the US and that is then compounded with the decline in international students, that’s a perfect storm.”

Aw says many international students who return home contribute to their countries, while those who stay in the US contribute through taxes and help boost the overall economy.

What do international students study?

In the 2023-2024 academic year, among the 1.1 million students, the most popular majors were Math and Computer Science, Engineering, and Business and Management.

International students enrolled in English language programs contributed $371.3m and supported 2,691 jobs.

In terms of degrees, nearly half (502,000) of all international students were registered for postgraduate programmes, 343,000 in undergraduate programmes, 243,000 in Optional Practical Training (OPT), and 39,000 in non-degree programmes.

*Name has been changed to protect anonymity

For Spurs, the prospect of a first trophy since 2008 is also a chance to salvage something from a desperate Premier League campaign that – just like United – has redefined what domestic failure looks like for a so-called ‘Big Six’ club.

Their season has also featured furious fan protests over a perceived lack of investment by the club’s owner Enic and the approach of chairman Daniel Levy.

“Qualifying for the Champions League would be in the desirable category for Spurs, rather than essential,” says Maguire.

“They are the best-run business in the Premier League. They have the most profits historically. They have an ability to generate money from non-football activities to a far greater extent than any other club, so they’ve always got this as a support mechanism.”

At United, a second consecutive season out of the Champions League means the club will have to pay kit provider Adidas a £10m penalty under the terms of their deal.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one former senior United figure predicts that the sponsorship revenue the club have prided themselves on over so many years could be at risk of “collapsing” if they are out of Europe for only the second time in 35 years, and that their brand value is now at a pivotal moment.

“Not being a European team creates more existential issues around the whole model” they told BBC Sport, pointing to the end of the Tezos sponsorship of the club’s training kit this summer.

“It’s not healthy, and people start to question whether you are still a ‘big club’. But win, and it keeps the wheels spinning. The cash will be ‘lifeblood’ that allows them to keep trading. If not, they’ll have to look at selling homegrown talent like Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo to give them the funds they want.”

Some United fans travelling to Bilbao will hope the match evokes memories of the 1991 Cup Winners’ Cup triumph – which helped spark the subsequent Sir Alex Ferguson glory years, and showed the club could perform again at a European level.

Others will look to 2017 as inspiration, when Jose Mourinho’s team won the Europa League final to rescue Champions League qualification after finishing sixth in the Premier League. But given how much worse United’s league performance has become, this feels much more significant.

Lose against Spurs, and many will feel that Ineos’ already ambitious Mission 21 plan to turn United into Premier League champions by 2028 could start to look like Mission Impossible. However, senior United insiders dispute the suggestion that this is “win or bust”, insisting that the cost-cutting programme the club are implementing is designed to give flexibility in the summer transfer window, and has been predicated on a ‘no-Europe’ scenario.

While they accept that winning the Europa League would provide a major boost, they say the key is fixing the club’s structure.

Both Amorim and his counterpart, Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, have played down suggestions that the Europa League offers some kind of panacea. Indeed, with Spurs also on course for their worst-ever Premier League season, victory may not be enough to keep Postecoglou in his job, while Amorim seems secure in his, even if his team loses.

And yet there is no denying that there will still be a huge amount at stake on Wednesday, making this one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of the season.

While the neutrals can enjoy the jeopardy, United and Spurs fans will long for a much-needed sense of hope at the end of a season to forget. Here in Bilbao, a city known for its regeneration, lies a chance to kickstart a revival.

Lose, however, and the road to recovery will feel much longer.

Ange Postecoglou has signalled he will rest key players when Tottenham play Aston Villa on Friday as he “can’t afford to lose another” to injury with the Europa League final less than a week away.

Midfielder Dejan Kulusevski has become the latest first-team regular to suffer an injury that will rule him out of Wednesday’s final in Bilbao against Manchester United.

Fellow midfielders Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison are both also set to miss the final, while defender Radu Dragusin is a long-term injury absentee after suffering a serious knee injury in February.

Head coach Postecoglou rested several players against Crystal Palace last weekend.

Plans to field his strongest side against Villa to “sharpen up” for the Bilbao trip may now have to be scrapped.

“The reality of our existence at the moment is we can’t lose another player to an injury,” Postecoglou said. “It’s just too finely balanced for us considering what’s at stake.

“Look, in a normal world you use this to be sharpening up, but we’re not living in a normal world.

“Even with the best planning we’re still getting hit with these setbacks. From my perspective I’ve got to take that into account when considering the [Aston Villa] game.”

He may take the opportunity to try new combinations in midfield.

“We’ve always had to try to find creative ways to cover the absences we’ve had and we’ll find a way to do that again,” Postecoglou said.

“There’s obviously a few players who will play [on Friday] who haven’t played regularly or a lot lately who will get an opportunity.”

Spurs are 17th in the Premier League table – one place above the relegation zone but out of danger, and one behind United in 16th.

Both Europa League final sides have endured dismal domestic league campaigns but the winner next Wednesday will qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Tottenham have not won a trophy since lifting the League Cup in 2008.