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New restaurants and pop-ups to try in Los Angeles in November 2025

After years of cooking at the Spanish restaurants of humanitarian-chef José Andrés in L.A. and D.C., including Minibar, the Bazaar, Café Atlántico and Zaytinya, chef-owner Joshua Whigham has opened Casa Leo, a sun-drenched restaurant in Los Feliz dedicated to celebrating Iberian cuisine with gambas al ajillo, seasonal gazpacho, boquerones with potato chips and pan con manchego. Weekend brunch brings Catalan flatbreads topped with tuna conserva and fire-roasted eggplant, along with scones and a Spanish tortilla.

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Haunted UK pub with grave under bar and lights that won’t go off until you say ‘goodnight’ to ghost

The pub is said to be haunted by the spirit of a teenage girl whose grave is under the bar – and she won’t let you turn the lights off till you wish her ‘goodnight’

A charming pub in England is making a strong bid for the title of Britain’s ‘most haunted’ boozer.

From the outside, it’s a quintessential British pub with white exteriors, hanging baskets and breathtaking riverside views. But step inside and you’re in for a scary surprise.

The eerie history of the pub becomes immediately apparent when you spot the grave under the bar. This isn’t your average local watering hole — it’s a supernaturally charged marvel.

The inn is said to be haunted by a heartbroken lover from the 11th century, whose gravestone lies within the bar and whose spirit is believed to still inhabit its four walls. A chilling tale surrounds this Cambridgeshire gem — the ghost of a teenage girl who died around 900 years ago is said to roam its corridors.

Staff insist she won’t let them switch off the lights until someone bids her ‘goodnight’, and there are numerous reports of menus mysteriously scattered on the floor. In fact, patrons have reported strange happenings at this St Ives pub — from restless nights spent on the premises, sudden cold spots and unexplained noises in the night.

The delightful pub, known as one of Cambridgeshire’s ‘most haunted’, gives The Eagle in Cambridge a run for its money. Not only does it serve up top-notch Sunday roasts and boast a stunning beer garden, but it also carries a chilling reputation that sets it apart as one of the county’s ‘most haunted’ pubs.

Once you hear the eerie tale associated with the tavern, it’s easy to see why. The story tells of a young woman named Juliet Tewsley, who was hopelessly smitten with a forester called Tom Zoul. Sadly, her feelings were not returned, a classic case of unrequited love.

Heartbroken, the 17-year-old is said to have taken her own life on March 17, 1050, by hanging herself from a tree near the Inn so that Tom would find her body on his way to work (or she drowned herself in the River Ouse on the same date in 1078, the details are somewhat unclear).

Given the stigma attached to suicide in the 11th century, Juliet was buried in unconsecrated ground near the Inn, her grave marked only by a simple stone slab. Over time, the pub has been extended and refurbished, and the young girl’s grave is now marked by a flagstone on the pub floor in the bar, having become an integral part of the interior.

Legend has it, her heartbroken spirit haunts the Old Ferry Boat Inn at midnight each year on the anniversary of her death. Juliet’s ghostly presence is said to be responsible for a series of unexplained phenomena, including lights that stubbornly refuse to turn off until someone says ‘Goodnight Juliet’, eerie sounds in the dead of night, and one particular night each year (March 17) when patrons claim they are kept awake by the palpable sense of paranormal activity.

In a 2019 interview with Cambridgeshire Live, Jamie Toms, former team leader and duty manager at the Old Ferry Boat Inn, shared some of the spine-chilling experiences he had while working – and living above the pub.

He said: “There’s a lot of things which go on at the pub, which people can’t really explain. Like sometimes the lights just won’t go out unless you say ‘goodnight Juliet’. Or menus will just appear on the floor.

“Sometimes when you’re here on your own you’ll hear things too like bangs and noises of doors opening. We’ve never seen an apparition but some guests and customers have said they’ve felt someone watching them in the bar or have felt very cold even when the heating is on full. Sometimes it can make you feel nervous but I’m pretty chill about it, we know we’ve got to respect the building and remember that it’s her building.”

Discussing Juliet’s death, Jamie revealed the week leading up to the anniversary is more challenging than the actual day. During this period, lights often flicker or brighten without explanation. “Guests will come down in the morning and say they’ve had a really bad night’s sleep – if that happens we always ask if they’ve walked over the grave which is in the restaurant.”

Jamie, who had been managing the establishment for eight weeks when he spoke to the publication in 2019, admitted he avoids crossing the grave himself.

The St Ives pub, like many others, claims to be England’s oldest. Dating back to 560 AD, it boasts connections to Anglo-Saxon England, reports Cambridgeshire Live. The Old Ferry Boat Inn is just four miles from St Ives and today, the venue preserves its heritage through its bar, traditional pub grub, and seven guest rooms.

Both locals and visitors can enjoy classic British dishes under the pub’s low wooden ceilings or in its charming beer garden by the River Ouse. The riverside pub offers a dog-friendly environment in a cosy setting, while the on-site accommodation provides guests with the convenience of staying overnight with parking available right outside.

So, if you’re a fan of the macabre and looking for a unique experience this spooky season – The Old Ferry Boat Inn might be just the ticket.

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Trump administration sets rules to bar groups it opposes from loan relief | Education News

Advocates say new rules let Education Department to politically punish groups working on immigration, transgender care.

The United States Department of Education has finalised new rules that could bar nonprofits deemed to have undertaken work with a “substantial illegal purpose” from a special student loan forgiveness programme.

Those rules, finalised on Thursday, appear to single out certain organisations that do work in areas that President Donald Trump politically opposes, including immigration advocacy and transgender rights.

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Under the new rules, set to take effect in July 2026, the education secretary has the power to exclude groups if they engage in activities like the “chemical castration” of children, using a politically charged term for gender-affirming healthcare, including puberty-delaying medication.

It also allows the education secretary to bar groups accused of supporting undocumented immigration or “terrorist” organisations.

The Trump administration has said its decisions “will not be made based on the political views or policy preferences of the organization”.

But advocates fear the move is the administration’s latest effort to target left-leaning and liberal organisations.

Trump has already threatened to crack down on several liberal nonprofits, which the White House has broadly accused of being part of “domestic terror networks”.

Thursday’s rules concern the Public Service Loan Forgiveness programme, created by an act of Congress in 2007.

In an effort to direct more graduates into public service jobs, the programme promises to cancel federal student loans for government employees and many nonprofit workers after they have made 10 years of payments.

Workers in the public sector, including teachers, medical professionals, firefighters, social service professionals and lawyers, are among those who can benefit.

In a statement, the Trump administration defended the updated rules, calling them a necessary bulwark to protect taxpayer funds.

The programme “was meant to support Americans who dedicate their careers to public service – not to subsidize organizations that violate the law, whether by harboring illegal immigrants or performing prohibited medical procedures that attempt to transition children away from their biological sex”, said Education Undersecretary Nicholas Kent.

Critics, however, have denounced the administration for using false claims of “terrorism” or criminal behaviour to silence opposing views and restrict civil liberties.

Michael Lukens, executive director of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, said the new rules weaponised loan forgiveness.

Lukens explained that many of the lawyers, social workers and paralegals who work at his organisation handle cases to stop deportations and other immigration litigation.

They count on public service loan forgiveness to take jobs that pay significantly less than the private sector, he said.

“All of a sudden, that’s going away,” Lukens told The Associated Press news agency. “The younger generation, I hope, will be able to wait this out for the next couple of years to see if it gets better, but if it doesn’t, we’re going to see a lot of people leave the field to go and work in a for-profit space.”

 

Organisations have raised concerns over the education secretary’s broad power to determine if a group should be barred. Short of a legal finding, the secretary can decide based on a “preponderance of the evidence” whether an employer is in violation.

The National Council of Nonprofits was among the associations criticising the change.

It said the rules would allow future administrations from any political party to change eligibility rules “based on their own priorities or ideology”.

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Where to host a big birthday party in L.A.: Restaurants, bars, patios

Looking for things to do in L.A.? Ask us your questions and our expert guides will share highly specific recommendations in our new series, L.A. Times Concierge.

Where can I host a big birthday party on a restaurant patio or rent out a bar during the day? That’s not outrageously expensive? — Kristen Silva

Here’s what we suggest:

First and foremost, I respect — and deeply relate to — your desire to celebrate your birthday on a budget. It’s tough right now. The good news, though, is that L.A. is brimming with delicious restaurants and aesthetic bars that go easy on the pockets — both for you and your guests. And some even allow you to bring your own birthday cake.

For a laid-back spot where you and your friends can sit at picnic tables and enjoy juicy pastrami sandwiches, loaded French fries and refreshing cocktails, check out Johnny’s in West Adams. Senior food editor Danielle Dorsey recommends the spot in a guide to West Adams, calling the umbrella-dotted parking lot patio “the perfect al fresco setting.” Because Johnny’s has a walk-up service counter, its easy for your guests to come and go as they please. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the headache of trying to split the bill at the end of the night. Reservations are only necessary if you’re looking to rent out the space, but there is a $35 cake fee.

If you don’t mind being indoors, my colleague Deborah Vankin suggests Far Bar in Little Tokyo, where she celebrated her birthday on the mezzanine with about 50 friends. “It was a cozy, but still roomy space that felt festive and provided the best people watching below,” she says. “The price was beyond reasonable and, afterwards, a group of us walked down the street for dessert and karaoke.” If you’re open to hosting your party on a slower night (not Friday or Saturday), a manager told me you can avoid rental fees. (FYI: There’s also a narrow outdoor seating area here, but Vankin says it’s not great for parties.)

Music lovers will appreciate Zizou, a vibey French-Moroccan restaurant nestled in Lincoln Heights. Owned by two lifelong friends from France, Zizou features a stunning vintage sound system, where DJs can be found spinning jazz, French hip-hop, South African rhythms and other global sounds on the weekends. My friend Tori Johnson hosted her birthday party on the starlit patio earlier this year. “We were able to invite friends post-dinner to come and have wine with us until the restaurant closed,” she tells me. “It felt intimate and just what I was looking for for my 31st birthday.” For parties of eight or more, there’s a $75 minimum per person for seated dining, but no minimum if you’re planning to just chill at the bar or near the sound system. You can either bring your own cake at no additional cost or order Zizou’s house-made French apple tart for dessert. And don’t worry, the servers won’t look at you with disdain if you ask for separate checks — at least from my experience.

Another worthy option is Everson Royce, which deputy food editor Betty Hallock calls “one of the best bars in the city (with great food),” and I can’t agree more. This spot is popular because of its happy hour and its breezy outdoor patio. “It’s like being in a friend’s backyard, with picnic tables, string lights and a vine-wrapped tree, except you’re in the middle of downtown,” Hallock reports in a guide to the most picturesque restaurant patios in L.A. An Everson Royce staffer told me that you can book a normal reservation for up to 100 people — yes, you read that correctly — and that the restaurant doesn’t charge extra fees or require any deposits. Staff will even split the checks for each of your guests.

In the mood for dancing? Start your night with focaccia-style pan pizzas at De La Nonna, then head next door to the Let’s Go! Disco & Cocktail Club. I DJed a wedding here last year and it was a seamless transition, sweating out the delectable pizza at the Italian-inspired nightclub where 1970s disco hits (and related genres) are the soundscape. Reservations are highly recommended. For 20 guests, De La Nonna requires its prix fixe menu with optional drink packages, but 30 or more guests are considered a “partial buyout,” so both are required. There’s also a room fee. If you’re still in the mood for partying once the cocktail den closes at 1 a.m., then walk across the street to EightyTwo, an arcade bar with dozens of pinball machines and classic video games. (Note: De La Nonna charges a $20 cake fee.)

If these spots don’t satisfy your needs, some of my food colleagues also suggested Le Great Outdoor in Santa Monica, Mr. T in Hollywood, Good Neighbor Bar in Altadena and Benny Boy Brewing in Lincoln Heights — all of which have a patio.

As you can see, there are loads of options depending on what type of food, vibe and part of L.A. you prefer. Wherever you end up, I hope you have a wonderful time and, most importantly, that you have a great birthday and year ahead.



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Where to find Dodgers food and drink specials in L.A. for the World Series

With 23 TVs blasting the game indoors and on the patio, and in the heart of Little Tokyo just beneath the Shohei Ohtani mural, Far Bar is one of the city’s top spots for viewing. Even Robert Vargas, the muralist behind that now-iconic mural, is a regular. Look for a range of specials during World Series games, such as a free sake shot whenever Ohtani hits a home run, or dishes and drinks such as a furikake-topped, bacon-wrapped Little Tokyo Wagyu Dog or the Sho’time cocktail, which contains Haku vodka, Midori, yuzu and pineapple.

The Shohei-inspired sushi roll, available only during games, features spicy tuna inside — representing Ohtani’s Japanese heritage — and avocado on top, representing California. “That’s the whole idea: the mixing of the cultures,” said owner Don Tahara. Other World Series specials — available all day, even when the game’s not on — include chili cheese fries, cocktail specials and Canadian poutine in a nod to the Blue Jays.

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Best Los Angeles restaurants and bars near Dodger Stadium

It’s Dodgers mania. Los Doyers clinched their spot in the World Series for the second year in a row.

Game 1 kicks off Friday. The first two games facing the Toronto Blue Jays will be away, with the Dodgers returning home for Games 3 and 4. Local restaurants and bars are preparing for back-to-back World Series wins by hauling in extra TVs and adding food and drink specials.

Whether you’re heading to Dodger Stadium and looking for a pre- or post-game destination or just want to be in the thick of Dodger madness, keep reading for 11 places near the stadium that are screening all of the games:

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Inside the newly-reopened UK bar loved by Prince Harry

IT WAS like being back in Blockbusters, with video tapes stacked on shelves and a rogue Pepsi machine in the corner that would take me on a funky 90s adventure.

Formerly Bunga Bunga, located in London, Bunga 90 is a fun experience bar themed all around the 90s.

Bunga 90 follows Bunga Bunga in Battersea, which was popular with celebs like Prince Harry but sadly closed in 2022Credit: Ikon Pictures
Bunga 90 can be found in Covent Garden, and the experience starts by entering a video storeCredit: Cyann Fielding

It follows the massive success of a previous site in Battersea, which often hosted wild parties and was a haunt for major celebs including Cara Delevingne and Margot Robbie.

Prince Harry was such a regular that he earned the title of the ‘Bunga Bunga Prince‘.

Sadly, the venue closed its doors in 2022 but I have a feeling Bunga 90 in Covent Garden more than makes up for it.

Upon entering, I was surrounded by video tapes – cult classics like the 1996 Romeo and Juliet and Fight Club and 90s memorabilia.

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Everything was a feast for the eyes, with an ‘Adult Only XXX’ section and even two PlayStations set up on old TVs – static fuzz and all.

There was no way this was the entrance to a bar, I thought, looking around for a doorway but failing to see one.

At the back of the store stood a classic Pepsi vending machine.

“This is no regular Pepsi vending machine, this is the Pepsi Time Machine”, the host announced gesturing to the front of the appliance.

Before I knew it, he was prying at its edges and for a second I thought he was genuinely mad.

But lo and behold, the front peeled off to reveal a portal into a world of neon lights.

Venturing through the drinks machine, I found myself in a neon-lit room, with a mass of cables running across each wall.

Music was thumping and the lights pulsing – it felt like what I would imagine travelling in Doctor Who‘s Tardis would be like, only a bit more hip.

At the other end of the small room was a door which opened to reveal a landing and a set of stairs adorned with 90s wallpaper and wooden frames, leading to the bar.

And much like Doctor Who‘s Tardis where it looks smaller on the outside but is huge on the inside – a sprawling bar appeared before my eyes.

Old TV screens with grainy music videos playing sit behind the bar, giant sneakers hang from the ceiling and wooden paneling is plastered across the walls.

I sat at my table, looking around with my mouth open – every single inch of the venue was covered in things from the 90s – The Spice Girls, Champagne Supernova… you name it.

And the theming doesn’t stop at what surrounded me.

After stepping through the Pepsi vending machine, you enter the Pepsi time machineCredit: Olivia West
It is full of neon lights and Pepsi memorabiliaCredit: Cyann Fielding
After leaving the Pepsi time machine, you head downstairs to the main barCredit: Olivia West
The entire space is full of icons from the 90s – even the cocktails are themedCredit: Cyann Fielding

For drinks, I ordered three of the bar’s signatures that have been doing the rounds on social media – Fresh Prince, Britney B*tch and The Brick – costing £13 each (for London prices, I didn’t think this was too bad).

The cocktails each come in giant mugs of either the celeb or the item – I never thought I’d say I drank out of Britney Spears‘ head.

Both Fresh Prince and Britney B*tch were great, the former being tequila, Aperol, cactus, prickly pear, hibiscus, lime and grapefruit and the latter being gin, bergamot, lychee, raspberry, lime and lemonade.

The Brick on the other hand – coming in a giant ceramic brick phone – was not to my fancy, but I can imagine others would like it.

It featured spiced rum, Malibu, even more rum, pineapple, coconut and lime.

For my fourth choice, I had The $10 Shake, costing £10 and featuring Belvedere Dirty Brew vodka, vanilla ice cream and Pepsi, but couldn’t manage more than a few sips.

The bar also offers some food choices including giant 20 inch pizzas for £25 a pop.

They are great for sharing and the pepperoni one was super tasty, with gooey, stringy melted cheese.

I had a great time in at my table, which meant I wasn’t quite ready to leave when the 90-minute table booking was up.

If you plan on going, I’d suggest that two people book back-to-back slots, so you can spend more time enjoying drinks and food at your own table.

Not that you have to leave afterwards, as there is a bar and dancefloor.

Make sure to drop your stuff in the cloakroom so you don’t have to worry about it when you no longer have a table.

There are lots of activities and photo ops throughout the venue, like classic arcade machines and karaoke.

Not a karaoke fan myself, I sat back and thoroughly enjoyed someone defrosting Mariah Carey‘s ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ way too early, and a man perfectly reciting Sir Mix-a-Lot’s ‘Baby Got Back’.

For those who like a sing-along but with a bit more privacy, head to the foyer of the toilets, where you’ll find a screen constantly playing karaoke.

I left through the ‘staff only’ door of the video game store – a nice touch to keep you feeling like you are in the 90s, and not a bar.

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If you love themed bars, then also head to the Benidorm-themed bar in the UK with bingo, karaoke and cabaret.

Plus, ‘Capri-inspired’ beach bar with real sand and Ibiza-style DJ sessions opens in UK city.

Some of the bar’s signature cocktails are in the heads of famous 90s charactersCredit: Cyann Fielding
And you can also request to perform karaoke near the main barCredit: Cyann Fielding

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At least 4 dead, 20 injured in S.C. bar shooting

Oct. 12 (UPI) — Gunfire erupted close to 1 a.m. at Willie’s Bar and Grill in St. Helena Island, S.C., the sheriff’s office said. Four people were pronounced dead at the scene about an hour north of Savannah.

“It was learned that hundreds of people were in the location when the shooting occurred,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said. “Multiple victims and witnesses ran to the nearby businesses and properties seeking shelter from the gunshots.”

When officers arrived on scene, police confirmed that there were multiple gunshot victims.

Of the 20 victims transported to a local hospital, officials confirmed that four were in critical condition. Some of the victims were transported to Beaufort County EMS, and others arrived separately seeking medical help.

A private security guard hired to police an event at the bar was among the deceased victims, police said.

“This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone,” the sheriff’s office statement said. “We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident.”

Police have not made any arrests but confirmed they are pursuing a “person of interest.”

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At beautifully weird Cento Raw Bar in L.A., flamboyance meets fish dip

The cantina on Tatooine in the first “Star Wars” film. A Greek taverna on a layover in Miami. A mermaid’s womb. Every friend I take to, or even ask about, Cento Raw Bar and its fantastical design has a knee-jerk one-liner at the ready.

The wildest new bar in Los Angeles

Walk into the West Adams space adjoined by an awning to Cento Pasta Bar — both conceived by chef Avner Levi — and the first sight of the curving walls will spin anyone’s mind. They look plastered with a mixture of stucco and meringue, smeared like a frosted cake in progress, that’s meant to evoke the shimmer and shifting light of a Mediterranean cave. A three-sided seafoam-green bar anchors the room, girded by tall white chairs with metal backs patterned in a snail’s spiral. Details fill every corner: rounded, sculptural pillars and pedestals; a blue-tile floor mosaic resembling a pond; pendant sconces in shapes that remind me of the “energy dome” hats worn by the band Devo in the 1980s.

A mosaic moment in the dining room of Cento Raw Bar.

A mosaic moment in the dining room of Cento Raw Bar.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

The effect leans more toward trippy than transportive. As one stop during a night out for a drink and a stopgap plate of seafood or two, I’m into it.

Idiosyncrasy is welcome right now

Maybe in another era I would gawk once and move on. But in times like Los Angeles is living through, in a half-decade that has begat one trial and horror after another, the operators of new restaurants, particularly those in the highest-rent districts, tend to default to conservative choices. Menus full of comforts familiar to whatever cuisine is being served. Atmospheres easily described as “pleasant.” The decisions are so understandable, and given a particular neighborhood or desired audience perhaps it pays off economically. Familiarity is a priority to many diners. Hospitality workers deserve stable incomes.

Culturally, though? The restaurant pros who can’t stomach the status quo, who go regionally specific or deeply personal or brazenly imaginative, are the forces who inspire cities toward creative rebellion. Thinking about this, I found an article from 2011 by former Times critic S. Irene Virbila about the year’s restaurant openings. The nation was burrowing out of the Great Recession at the time, but the roster of emerging talents mentioned by Virbila would wind up shaping the 2010s as the decade that landed Los Angeles on the global culinary map: names like Bryant Ng, Josef Centeno, Nyesha Arrington, Michael Voltaggio, Steve Samson and Zach Pollack.

She also pointed out Ludo Lefebvre, who in 2011 was still in pop-up mode before launching his defining restaurants Trois Mec (felled by the pandemic) and Petit Trois. Maybe it’s a sign that this week Lefebvre came full-circle with a new occasional pop-up series he’s calling Éphémère.

Point is, we could use more extreme individualism in restaurants right now. I appreciate the obsessiveness from designer Brandon Miradi, who has the title of “creative director” at Cento Raw Bar and who counts Vespertine, Somni, the Bazaar at SLS Beverly Hills and Frieze Art Fair as previous projects. Note the spiraling ends of the silverware, matching the chairs, and the ways napkins too are rolled into a tight coil. He managed to find colored glassware in geometries that register at once as retro and postmodern.

Guests sit around the bar at Cento Raw Bar, an all-white restaurant and bar

Cento Raw Bar, the sibling cocktail and seafood bar to chef Avner Levi’s pasta restaurant, features an all-white interior.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Maybe no surprise, but the TikTok-magnetic vibes keep the bar full of young, beautiful groups — Angelenos or visitors modeling their best L.A. looks, who can say. In June, about a month after the place opened, a friend and I were sitting at one of the low tables and she pointed over to the bar: The women seated in the high stools all came in wearing stilettos that were now dangling half off their feet. Panning this shoe moment could have been a montage sequence during a Carrie Bradshaw voiceover in an early season of “Sex and the City.”

What to eat and drink

Perhaps to fully center or to balance Miradi’s visual extravaganza, the food and drink options are quite straightforward. A few cocktails do wink right into the camera, among them a play on a Screwdriver made with SunnyD (which the menu calls “Sunny Delight,” the branding name I also remember from my Gen-X childhood). Most are mainstays: a classic escapist piña colada, a spicy margarita, an Aperol situation spiked with mezcal. The bartenders listen kindly when I request they stir my dry gin martini well.

A martini at the bar of Cento Raw Bar.

A martini at the bar of Cento Raw Bar.

(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)

Seafood towers, served on undulating green-glass plates designed by Miradi, are stylish and modest in size and arrive as two levels for $83 or three levels for $97.

A buddy and I recently split the smaller one, neatly polishing off a handful of tiny, briny oysters along with scallops served in their shells, some bouncy shrimp and a couple meaty lobster claws. We had shown up to Pizzeria Sei without a reservation — because scoring one at a prime hour is maddening, and so I take my chances as a walk-in — and were told the wait was an hour and 15 minutes. Cento Raw Bar was a 12-minute drive away, ideal for one round of drinks and pre-dinner shellfish.

On another occasion, I might skip the pricey tower and order a plate of hamachi crudo (dotted with stone fruit during the summer season) and a dip of smoked cod with bagel chips. I’ve found more substantial plates, such as ridged mafaldine tangled in lobster sauce, in need of spice and acid.

Fish dip topped with trout roe, ringed with a circle of crostini, at Cento Raw Bar.

Fish dip topped with trout roe at Cento Raw Bar in West Adams.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Desserts riffing on a Hostess cake or an ube cheesecake spangled with prismatic bits of flavored gelatins? Fun, but I’ve had my share of outlandish décor and cocktail nibbles — exactly what I came for.

4919 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 795-0330, cento.group

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Hayley Williams: Morgan Wallen is song’s ‘racist country singer’

Hayley Williams is happy to confirm that Morgan Wallen is the “racist country singer” she is referring to in her song “Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party.”

During a recent interview on the New York Times’ ”Popcast” to discuss her latest solo album, the Paramore lead singer was asked whether she would like to “name names” to reveal who she means when she sings about being “the biggest star / At this racist country singer’s bar” in the title track.

“It could be a couple but I’m always talking about Morgan Wallen,” Williams said. “I don’t give a s—. Find me at Whole Foods, b—, I don’t care.”

In 2021, Wallen was caught on video drunkenly using a racist slur. The Grammy-nominated country star’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen, named after one of his songs and paying homage to his upbringing, opened in Nashville last year.

(Video of Wallen’s 2024 arrest for reckless endangerment is making headlines again this week too. In police bodycam video obtained by the Associated Press, Wallen denies throwing a chair off a Nashville bar’s roof but apologizes for “caus[ing] problems.” He took a plea deal after being charged in the case and was sentenced to seven days’ incarceration at a DUI Education Center, two years’ probation, a $350 fine and payment of court fees.)

Williams, who was born in Mississippi, met her future Paramore bandmates after moving to Tennessee as a child. She has been open about her political beliefs and having to navigate her own upbringing as a white southern Christian. Some of her latest music addresses religious hypocrisy and the racial tensions and racist legacy of the South.

“I’m never not ready to scream at the top of my lungs about racial issues,” Williams said in her interview. “I don’t know why that became the thing that gets me the most angry. I think it’s because it’s so intersectional that it overlaps with everything from climate change to LGBTQIA+ issues.”

In addition to her years with Paramore and the inspiration behind her latest solo work, Williams spoke about how proud she is of the diversity of Paramore’s fan base and audience at shows.

“I’m very passionate in that we have a long way to go in making people feel like that they belong in the world,” she said. “The repercussions of people not feeling like they’re a part or they belong, we see it all the time in the news. I think music is not only the easiest but the beautiful way to tap into people’s hearts and their subconscious and change their minds.”

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7 ridiculously cool cruise ship activities from terrifying rides to ‘flying’ bar

Cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruises all offer up some very cool activities and attractions onboard their cruise ships

Long gone are the days when entertainment on cruise ships consisted of lounging around by the pool all day before heading over to the buffet.

Yes, those experiences are still absolutely available for those who want them, but nowadays cruises have seriously upped the ante when it comes to their onboard entertainment. Cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises and Celebrity Cruises have pulled out all of the stops with onboard rollercoasters, go-kart tracks and thrill attractions for guests who are after an adrenaline rush during their holidays.

That’s not even including the epic water parks that often boast high speed slides and fun for the whole family (although make sure you’re aware of a little-known pool rule before getting in, or you could face having to leave the pool area!).

We take a look at some of the ridiculously cool attractions you can find on cruises – check out our top picks below!

1. Crown’s Edge, Royal Caribbean

Usually a stroll around a cruise ship involves a dedicated track, or just wandering through the decks; but Royal Caribbean has added a major thrill factor for those who dare to brave Crown’s Edge. Described as a “part skywalk, part ropes course, part thrill ride”, it’s definitely not one for the faint-hearted as you step onto the walkway that takes you right above the water below! The attraction is available on the cruise line’s newest ships, Icon of the Seas and Star of the Seas, which also happen to be sharing the title of world’s biggest cruise ship!

Find out more on royalcaribbean.com.

2. Robotron, MSC Cruises

If you love a fairground ride, then you’re going to want to check out Robotron onboard MSC Seascape. This terrifying ride involves a giant robotic arm that’s attached with a gondola to seat three guests, and sends them soaring 53 metres above the sea, with 360 degree views of the horizon (just be prepared to be flipped upside down and in all sorts of directions!).

Find out more on msccruises.com.

3. Go-karting, Norwegian Cruise Line

Get ready to show off your competitive side on board Norwegian Joy and Norwegian Bliss, where you can find some of the world’s longest race tracks at sea. Passengers can race their electric karts at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, with highlights including a pit lane, viewing spaces for spectators, and engine sounds through the headrest so you feel like you could be joining the F1 line-up.

Find out more on ncl.com.

4. BOLT, Carnival Cruise Lines

Riders who brave the world’s first rollercoaster at sea will not only be treated to epic sea views, but they’ll get to control the speed at which they ride on the motorcycle-style car, with the ability to reach up to 40 miles per hour. The ride is available on ships including Mardi Gras, Carnival Celebration, and Carnival Jubilee.

Find out more on carnival.com.

5. AquaDuck, Disney Cruise Line

Thrill attractions don’t always have to be for adults and big kids; on Disney’s Cruise Line, the Aquaduck water ride can be ideal for smaller adrenaline-seekers. Families can get propelled along the water tunnels in a dinghy around the ship, across a four-deck drop.

The cruise line’s newest ships including the Disney Wish, Disney Treasure and Disney Destiny will feature a similar water ride, although this one is the AquaMouse and features cool features including screens as you join Mickey and Minnie Mouse on their adventures.

Find out more on disneycruise.disney.go.com.

6. Magic Carpet, Celebrity Cruises

Before you get visions of joining Aladdin for a quick-stop flight around the world, this one’s actually a bar! Celebrity’s cantilevered platform is a firm favourite with holidaymakers as you can enjoy a tipple or two while moving up and down the ship. Plus, as it’s on the edge of the ship, you can get unrivalled views of the ocean! You’ll find this very cool feature on Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Ascent.

Find out more on celebritycruises.com/gb.

7. Zip line, Royal Caribbean

If you’re not afraid of heights, then this suspended zip line that zooms over the Boardwalk, offering you brilliant views of the ship (if you dare keep your eyes open that is). You’ll typically find this attraction on the cruise line’s Oasis Class ships, including Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Utopia of the Seas.

Find out more on royalcaribbean.com.

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How Dodgers’ new minor league team in Ontario came up with its name

You can say you are building a ballpark, but the anticipation accelerates when the community sees what the ballpark might look like. For the city of Ontario and its architects, the rendering of its minor league ballpark included a team name.

A placeholder, that is. The new team owners did not yet own the team. The name would come later. The Dodgers’ California League team would not move in until 2026.

On that drawing last year: the Ontario Sky Mules, with a whimsical logo of a grinning donkey wearing sunglasses and flying a prop plane. It was, frankly, awesome.

It was the essence of the minor leagues. Don’t know what a sky mule is? Hardly anyone knew what a trash panda was, either, and the Trash Pandas are one of the hottest brands in the minors.

This year, the newly hired team staff dropped hints about the actual name, about the buzz in town. On the walls of the team offices: “Cleared for Takeoff.” The city referenced ballpark fan zones nicknamed “The Airfield” and “The Tarmac.”

And, just last week, the biggest hint of all: the announcement of a naming rights deal with Ontario International Airport, close enough to the ballpark that you’ll be able to see flights take off. The ballpark name: ONT Field (spell it out: O-N-T, like LAX).

On Thursday, eight months in advance of its first game, the team finally revealed its name: the Ontario Tower Buzzers.

It’s an homage to the movie “Top Gun,” and to the defiant line uttered by the pilot played by Tom Cruise: “It’s time to buzz the tower.” The Tower Buzzers’ mascot, a bee called Maverick, is named after Cruise’s character.

The team name balances heritage and whimsy. The city is paying for the ballpark and wants to promote its airport, which was used as a World War II air base before reverting to civilian use and expanding into an Inland Empire transportation hub.

“We want to honor that legacy and have fun with it,” Tower Buzzers general manager Allan Benavides said. “We found something we think is a fun minor league name, rather than just, say, Pilots or Aviators.”

Allan Benavides, GM of a yet unnamed Dodgers minor league affiliate, stands in front of a rendering of the new stadium.

“We want to honor that legacy and have fun with it,” Tower Buzzers general manager Allan Benavides, standing in front of a rendering of the team’s new stadium, said of the name.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Aviators? Already in use in Las Vegas. The Pilots? The name of a failed California League team in Riverside (the college landlord wouldn’t allow beer sales, which is akin to a death sentence in the minor leagues).

The Tower Buzzers should fare better, in a ballpark that figures to be the second-best place to see a ballgame in Southern California, behind Petco Park and ahead of Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium.

The city’s latest cost estimate is $120 million, for a Class A ballpark. The stadium that opened this year for the Angels’ triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City cost $140 million and holds 8,000.

ONT Field is expected to hold 6,500 — but with 3,200 seats between the foul poles, and the rest wherever you prefer: in the outfield, on the grass, in picnic areas, on a playground, or in bars, clubs and suites, including a couple where you can converse with the players.

There’s an ice cream parlor, a food hall, and a bar shaped like a luggage carousel. After a home run, the splash pad will erupt, and propellers will whirl in a bar. A runway will light up, and so will the antennas on the mascot.

The scoreboard is a hexagon, just like the one at Dodger Stadium. Soon to appear: a mural of Fernando Valenzuela. All fans, not just the ones in the fancy seats, can watch players in the batting cage.

On the afternoon I visited, the temperature was 108 degrees. The seating area will not have mist machines, as the Angels’ old California League stadium in Palm Springs did.

“It won’t be 108 at 7 o’clock,” Benavides said.

His target audience: the “30-year-old moms” that he said control the calendar and the spending for the family.

“Not everybody is a baseball fan, but they want to have time,” he said. “They want to be away from their cellphones and the TV and be outside, not spend a ton of money, and not have to drive to L.A. or San Diego.”

Crews work on the construction of ONT Field in Ontario last month. The team last week announced a naming rights deal with Ontario International Airport.
Ontario, California, Thursday, August 7, 2025 - Work continues on a stadium for the yet unnamed dodgers minor league affiliate. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Crews work on the construction of ONT Field in Ontario last month. The team last week announced a naming rights deal with Ontario International Airport. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The Angels’ California League affiliate will play in Rancho Cucamonga, eight miles away. Another California League team plays in San Bernardino, 25 miles away. The Angels themselves are 35 miles away.

“We’re going to fight for dollars, certainly, but I think our affiliation with the Dodgers is huge,” Benavides said. “They’re the hottest brand in baseball, depending on who you ask. I’m a Dodger fan, so I think they are.

“And I think this will be the nicest minor league stadium in the country, regardless of classification.”

If the Tower Buzzers do not win that fight for dollars, Ontario’s investment in the ballpark could turn out to be a poor one.

The ballpark is the anchor of what the city is modestly calling the Ontario Sports Empire, a 200-acre facility for training and competition billed by the city as the “largest sports complex of its kind west of the Rocky Mountains.”

There absolutely is a market for sports tourism, for all those kids and all their parents shuttling to weekend tournaments in baseball, softball, football, soccer, tennis and more. But that market can be tapped without a nine-figure investment in a minor league ballpark. (The naming rights payments come from airport revenues, not city taxpayers; the airport is administered jointly by the city and San Bernardino County.)

A rendering of ONT Field, set to open in 2026.

A rendering of ONT Field, set to open in 2026.

(Courtesy of City of Ontario)

That ballpark investment is more about a local entertainment option for residents, with so many homes in the pipeline that the population could double from close to 200,000 to about 400,000 within two decades. The NHL’s Kings already have a minor league affiliate playing in the city’s arena, and city officials plan for restaurants, hotels and shops to surround the ballpark and sports complex.

Dan Bell, a city spokesman, said Ontario is adding about 1,200 new homes every year.

“And they’re reasonable,” Bell said. “You can’t afford the L.A. market anymore.”

On Thursday, at the moment the team announced the Tower Buzzers name, the team merchandise went on sale. The home jerseys say Buzzers.

So is it Buzzers or Tower Buzzers? It’s like Blazers or Trail Blazers.

“We’ll let fans decide,” Benavides said.

I still wondered about the homage. When the Tower Buzzers take the field next year, “Top Gun” will turn 40. To a fan of a certain age, the reference is obvious. It would be like opening a pizza delivery service and calling it Spicoli’s.

To a younger generation, “Top Gun” might mean a blank stare. No worries, Benavides said. You’ll be able to enjoy a night at the ballpark all the same.

“We’re not going to 100% lean into that film,” he said. “This isn’t going to be a ‘Top Gun’ museum.”

Well, then, Tower Buzzers: You are cleared for takeoff.

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James McAvoy ‘punched by stranger in a bar during a night out’ in Canada while in town for premiere of new film

JAMES McAvoy was allegedly punched by a stranger at a Toronto bar while in town for the premiere of his directorial debut, California Schemin’.

The 46-year-old Scottish Hollywood star was enjoying a quiet night out with his wife, Lisa Liberati, when things reportedly turned sour at around 11.55pm on Monday.

James McAvoy at the Toronto International Film Festival.

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James McAvoy was allegedly punched by a stranger in CanadaCredit: EPA
James McAvoy sitting in a chair.

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The star has been in Toronto over the past week for the premiere of California Schemin’ at the Toronto International Film FestivalCredit: Getty
James McAvoy and Lisa Liberati at a film premiere.

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James McAvoy and his wife Lisa LiberatiCredit: Getty

“James was having a casual get-together with the producers of his movie and, as he later learned when speaking with the staff, there was a man who drank too much who was getting escorted out,” a source told People.

“James’ back was to him and the man just punched him.” 

McAvoy apparently tried to defuse the tense situation.

Despite taking a blow, he stayed at the bar and even laughed off it with others, the source added.

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The alleged assault happened at Toronto bar Charlotte’s Room.

It’s unclear whether the stranger knew he was punching the X-Men star – or if McAvoy was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Scotsman is believed to have escaped injury.

He had been in the Canadian capital for the premiere of California Schemin’ – his directorial debut – at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday.

The movie tells the wild true story of two Scots – Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd – who tricked music label bosses into singing them a record deal by posing as Eminem protégés from the US.

Performing as Silibil N’ Brains, the duo partied with Madonna, appeared on MTV and toured with rap legends.

Hollyoaks actor Rizwan Khan guilty of raping two women including one who was asleep at time of assault

The cast includes Séamus McLean Ross as Gavin, Samuel Bottomley as Billy, Lucy Halliday as Mary Boyd and Rebekah Murrell as their manager, Tessa.

The film is based on Bain’s memoir California Schemin’, which was later reprinted as Straight Outta Scotland.

McAvoy, who grew up in the Drumchapel area, said that coming from a council estate in Glasgow himself, he wanted to tell stories about people from similar backgrounds.

Speaking last year at Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom, he said: “I was interested in telling a story not just solely set in Scotland, but about people from backgrounds where they have fewer opportunities, whether that’s council estates or whatever.”

The star added that he was passionate about “telling a story that was entertaining and aspirational, and not just dwelling on the grime and dirt, which is part of that sort of lower economic background, definitely”.

McAvoy rose to global fame as Mr. Tumnus in the 2005 fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and as an assassin in the 2008 action blockbuster Wanted.

He won the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2006 and went on to earn BAFTA Award nominations for the period dramas The Last King of Scotland and Atonement during that time.

In 2011, he took on the role of Charles Xavier in the superhero film X-Men: First Class, reprising it in the later X-Men films.

Georgie Henley and James McAvoy in *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe*.

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McAvoy and Georgie Henley in The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion The Witch And The WardrobeCredit: Rex

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3 off-duty L.A. County deputies beat man at bar, lawsuit alleges

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has relieved three deputies of duty while it investigates the circumstances of the bloody beating of a Valencia man outside a Santa Clarita bar last year.

Parker Seitz, 25, alleged in a federal lawsuit that off-duty sheriff’s deputies attacked him outside a bar called the Break Room last Thanksgiving Day.

He sustained multiple serious injuries, according to the complaint filed in California’s Central District federal court on Aug. 25, including a fractured jaw, a punctured lung and a bruised collarbone.

Seitz is suing the county, multiple L.A. County sheriff’s deputies, hired security guards at the Break Room, and the bar itself for unspecified damages.

“Parker Seitz was violently attacked by off-duty Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputies, under the watchful eye of security guards contracted by a local business,” Josh Stambaugh, an attorney for Seitz, said in a statement. “He suffered serious injuries and, as we allege in our lawsuit, members and leaders of the LASD then attempted to conceal the truth of the attack and evade accountability on behalf of the organization.”

The sheriff’s department said in an email that it “takes these allegations seriously,” and that on Dec. 2 it “initiated an internal investigation into the incident. Three employees have been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.”

Management at the Break Room did not respond to requests for comment.

The complaint alleges assault and battery by off-duty deputies Randy Austin and Nicholas Hernandez and an unidentified third assailant, along with a civil conspiracy by the county and a number of sheriff’s department employees accused of trying to bury the incident.

Parker Seitz

Parker Seitz, 25, alleges off-duty sheriff’s deputies attacked him outside a Santa Clarita bar called the Break Room last Thanksgiving Day. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has relieved three deputies of duty while it investigates the incident.

(Robert Hanashiro / For The Times)

About 10:30 p.m. Nov. 27, Seitz and two friends visited the bar, where Austin, Hernandez and the third assailant “began to bother and harass Seitz, including by repeatedly reaching for the sunglasses resting on” his head, according to the complaint. Minutes after Seitz left the bar about 1:36 a.m. Nov. 28, the complaint said, Hernandez knocked the shades off Seitz’s head “in a rude and offensive manner” and “an altercation broke out.”

The altercation dissipated quickly, according to the complaint, but then at about 1:46 a.m., Austin, “suddenly and without any justification,” punched Seitz and knocked him down, then Austin, Hernandez and the unidentified third person proceeded “to beat and stomp on him while he was on the ground.”

Seitz was bloodied during the beating and taken to a nearby hospital. Shortly after his arrival there, Justin Diez — who was a captain in charge of the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff’s station at the time of the incident and was promoted in April to lead the department’s North Patrol Division as commander — and deputy Richard Wyatt allegedly defamed him and violated his constitutional and civil rights in an effort to intimidate him and cover up the assault, the complaint said.

Wyatt, Seitz alleged, told one of Seitz’s friends that he had thrown the first punch and that he had been disruptive while at the hospital, which Seitz denies.

Later that morning, Diez called Seitz’s father, Ryan Seitz, and told him his son had “started a fight with off-duty deputies of the LASD” and “if Ryan Seitz would leave it to” Diez, he “would make sure the situation would go away,” the complaints said, describing the call as an attempt “to cover up the true circumstances of the beating … and to intimidate and dissuade Seitz from filing or pressing charges or pursuing any claims against the deputies” or the county.

The Sheriff’s Department did not directly respond to the allegations outlined in Seitz’s complaint, but it said that it “has established policies and procedures that clearly outline the standards of conduct required of all employees. … Any violation of these standards will be addressed promptly, and appropriate action will be taken if evidence is found to support the allegation of misconduct.”

Stambaugh said Seitz “was out with friends after a Friendsgiving dinner celebrating the purchase of his first home” the night he was allegedly assaulted.

“Parker Seitz’s lawsuit is a demand for accountability in response to the wrongs he has personally suffered, and an effort to ensure that the actions of these specific LASD members remain an anomaly,” Stambaugh said in his statement. “This is not the LASD that the Seitz family had supported and believed in.”

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Fine dining at happy hour prices. Beyond wings and sliders

There are happy hours that function as post-work gatherings, fueled by discounted pitchers of beer, buckets of chicken wings, sliders and the sort of commiserating that can only happen between colleagues. If the beer is cold and the chicken wings properly sluiced in hot sauce and ranch dressing, this happy hour can be the happiest of hours.

But it wasn’t until I was seated at the bar of Josiah Citrin’s Citrin in Santa Monica that I understood a happy hour’s full potential. Here, happy hour is known as Glass Off, a 90-minute stretch of food and drink specials at the bar. Instead of a truncated list of fried foods intended to coat your stomach while you sip on discounted wine, you’ll find tasting-size portions of some of Citrin and fellow chef-partner Ken Takayama’s signature dishes.

Those spot prawns with young turnip and green tomato finished with a nori sabayon that normally cost $52 an order? You can enjoy a smaller portion at the bar for $22. The $49 risotto studded with Dungeness crab, artichoke and peas with aged Parmesan and Meyer lemon? During Glass Off, you can taste a portion of it for $24.

At the following restaurants, happy hour is designed to give diners a glimpse at a kitchen or bar’s full potential, at a more accessible price point. It’s not simply about ordering as many discounted drinks as possible during a limited window. That’s the sort of thinking that prompted the state of Massachusetts to ban happy hours in 1984. It’s prohibited in six other states, and allowed but highly regulated in a handful of others.

In the great state of California, happy hours abound. Just make sure you indulge responsibly.

Here’s a list of my current favorite happy hours. Save me a seat at the bar, will you?

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Marseille: Team-mates Adrien Rabiot and Jonathan Rowe altercation was like ‘bar fight’

“It’s true that no teeth were broken during the fight, but it was a fight like I’ve never seen in all my years in football,” said De Zerbi.

“For the first time in my career, I didn’t know what to say or what to do. I’ve never seen anything like it. I come from the streets, I’m used to fights, but I’ve never seen anything like this.

“The club’s bodyguards were trying to separate them. Normally they’re supposed to protect us from others, not from ourselves.”

While Marseille president Pablo Longoria described the incident as “extremely violent,” Rabiot’s mother Veronique subsequently called the club’s decision to place the midfielder on the transfer list as a “betrayal” and compared his situation to Mason Greenwood joining the club.

But De Zerbi responded: “The mother has forgotten two things. I decided to make him captain… and in one year, I gave her son more attention and affection than I did my own son.

“For Rabiot’s mother to say that we gave Greenwood a second chance, that’s crazy. We’re talking about private life here. It’s not fair to talk about other people. We’re talking about a fight in a workplace.”

England Under-21 international Rowe signed for Marseille from Norwich on an initial loan in August 2024, before making the move permanent this summer. The 22-year-old forward, who has three goals in 31 appearances for the club, has been linked to Bologna.

Former Paris St-Germain player Rabiot joined Marseille last September on a free transfer after five years at Juventus, and has scored 10 times in 32 games.

The 30-year-old, capped 53 times by France, has been linked with Monaco and also Manchester United, who are keen to sign a defensive midfielder.

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Greg Gutfeld reminds Fallon about their ‘wasted’ night in NYC

Jimmy Fallon once grabbed a cigarette out of Greg Gutfeld’s mouth, crinkled it up and tossed it to the ground, hollering at the Fox News personality, “Those things will kill you!” But it sounds like the place where they were hanging out had a shot at killing them too.

The two late-night hosts were both “wasted” about 15 years ago when he and Fallon met for the first time at an illegal Hell’s Kitchen bar run by a mutual friend — one who looked like “a cross between a Viking and a larger Viking,” the “Gutfeld!” host said Thursday night on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

The bar looked “like a place where special-ops forces waterboard terrorists,” he added. “There was no bar … it was a cooler, like the kind you take to a beach.”

“Dude, you’re not making this up,” Fallon said. “I totally know what you’re talking about. … I think I remember bringing beer into the bar and then him charging me for my own beer.”

The men’s magazine editor-turned-satirist recalled that their mutual friend operated that way. “He is very cheap, but if you want someone dead, he’ll do it.”

So he walks into the illegal bar with his buddy Andy Levy after the two had just finished taping something — perhaps “Red Eye w/Greg Gutfeld” — and Fallon sees him and then tackles him, he said, “like a giant golden retriever.” Then the NBC host grabs Andy and the two fall to the ground wrestling. So Gutfeld decides it’s a good time to spark up a cigarette.

But Fallon leaps up, rips it out of his mouth and shouts the aforementioned you’re-gonna-die warning. “I go … ‘Dude, I’m not rich. You’re rich,’” Gutfeld said. “Cigarettes are expensive in New York City.”

He said Fallon’s face suddenly changed to one of sadness. “And then you left.”

Five minutes later, the “Saturday Night Live” alumnus came back toting a fresh pack of Parliaments, which he handed to the co-host of “The Five.”

“And I go, ‘That was really sweet. You want me to die.’”

Gutfeld, who was on “The Tonight Show” to promote a new game show he’s hosting, then remembered the group piling into Fallon’s car and tooling around to another bar that was, well, in the same building. “We literally drove from one door to another door … I think you wanted to impress that you had a driver.”

These are the things, apparently, that happen to the rich.

“Yeah!” Fallon said. “We had a nice ride, right?”

A nice ride indeed. Short, but nice. Meanwhile, over on “Gutfeld,” fill-in host Kat Timpf was talking about her erstwhile boss taking two full days off work to get a colonoscopy. Oh, how times have changed.

And the tables have indeed turned quite a bit in the last 15 years: “Gutfeld!,” which airs on Fox News at 7 p.m. local time and 10 p.m. Eastern and riffs on politics and the news of the day, is leading the nighttime chat show pack with — according to LateNighter — 3.289 million viewers in the second quarter and 238,000 in the advertiser-coveted demographic of those ages 18 to 49.

Fallon’s “Tonight Show” drew only 1.19 million viewers in the second quarter with 157,000 in the demo. That trails Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show,” which has a year to go before cancellation and leads the 11:35 p.m. broadcast pack with 2.42 million viewers and 219,000 in the demo in the second quarter, followed by “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with 1.77 million viewers and 220,000 in the demo.

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Suspect arrested in shooting deaths of 4 at rural bar in Montana

Aug. 8 (UPI) — The suspect in a shooting that killed four people at a bar in rural western Montana was arrested Friday, seven days after a multiagency manhunt.

Michael Paul Brown, a 45-year-old Army veteran, was arrested at 2 p.m. local time in the search area in Anaconda, the Montana Department of Justice said.

The shooting occurred on Aug.1 in Anaconda, which is 130 miles east of Idaho and 198 miles west of Bozeman, Mont.

He is in the custody of the Anaconda-Deer Lodge authorities.

“Incredible response from law enforcement officers across Montana,” Gov. Greg Gianforte posted on X. “May God continue to be with the families of the four victims still grieving their loss.”

During a news conference, he appeared with several involved in the search. “These brave men and women in uniform sacrificed their lives and time away from family to ensure this killer was brought to justice,” he said.

Gianfort said the search was lengthy because the search terrain was rugged as personnel spent hours climbing over these mountains looking for this criminal.”

Brown was on the run in what authorities describe as the “biggest shooting” in the state in a decade.

Surveillance video captured Brown fleeing Old Owl Bar where he lived next door. His white Ford F150 was found on the day of the shooting.

“We think that was directly correlated to flushing him out today — getting him down into an area that we know we had searched before,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said. “It was not someplace he’d been hiding. He was flushed out.”

He was armed.

Authorities with 38 agencies — local, state and federal — were searching for him, including in the western Montana wilderness.

“I am proud of the unrelenting law enforcement effort this week to find and arrest Michael Paul Brown,” Knudsen said at the news conference. “The support we’ve seen for the community of Anaconda from across the state and the nation has also been remarkable.”

Killed were bartender Nancy Kelley, 64; and three patrons: Daniel Baillie, 59; Nancy Kelley, 64; David Leach, 70, and Tony Palm, 74.

“It just isn’t real. It’s totally overwhelming,” said Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at the Owl Bar who wasn’t working at the time, said in a CNN report.

He was a known regular at the bar.

Brown served in the Iraq war and the Montana National Guard.



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Best new bars to grab a drink in Los Angeles

Bar Benjamin’s cocktail program feels a little like alchemy: Seemingly disparate ingredients enter a drink, but the results can be liquid gold. White chocolate mingles with English peas, lemon, olive oil tequila and cream sherry, while in another potion there’s fermented-mushroom green tea with red curry, olive-leaf gin, coconut rum, cilantro, and lemongrass foam. At the upstairs follow-up to the Benjamin, one of 2024’s best new spots to grab a drink, the cocktails are taken far beyond the downstairs focus on martinis and classics.

Owners Ben Shenassafar, Kate Burr and Jared Meisler tapped Jason Lee (formerly of n/soto, Baroo) and Chad Austin (formerly of the Mulholland, Bootlegger Tiki) to steer the new venture, and they’ve injected the dimly lit space with equal parts creativity and technical prowess. They draw on L.A.’s cross-cultural landscape with ingredients like Parmesan-washed Oaxacan rum, Sichuan peppercorn-laced mezcal and miso-imbued rye. There’s taro in the clarified milk punch and everything-bagel seasoning in the Gibson, and there’s a selection of bar snacks and small plates — beef tartare, shrimp rolls, deviled eggs — to round it all out.

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Police seek suspect who shot, killed 4 people in Montana bar

Aug. 2 (UPI) — Authorities are searching for a suspect in the shooting deaths of four people at a bar in a small town in western Montana.

The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation identified the gunman in the shooting, which happened on Friday morning at the Owl Bar in Anaconda, Mont., as 45-year-old Michael Paul Brown.

Anaconda is 130 miles east of Idaho and 198 miles west of Bozeman, Mont..

“This is a small, tight-knit community that has been harmed by the heinous actions of one individual today who does not represent what this community or Montanans stand for,” Lee Johnson, with the agency, said.

Johnson said his Ford F-150 pickup was found, and that officials were searching the mountains near Stumptown Road just west of Anaconda.

Residents of the town, of whom there are roughly 10,000, were told Friday night to stay in their homes and be vigilant because he was considered armed and dangerous.

SWAT team members cleared his home in neighboring Granite City, the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County Law Enforcement Center said. The home is about 25 minutes from the bar.

“I’ve bartended quite a few years, so I’m pretty familiar with most everyone,” Sierra, a 7 Gables employee, told KPAX-TV about Brown. “I have met him multiple times. I have served him multiple times. I have had conversations with him multiple times. I have not served him up here yet.

“We’re waiting for the kitchen chef to be done so we can actually all leave together and so we all know each other made it safe.”

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the investigation and the FBI’s Deputy Director posted on X that agents are being sent to the area to assist.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianfort also posted Friday on X that he was “closely monitoring the situation involving an active shooter in Anaconda.”

Officials have identified the four victims have been identified, but they declined to release their names until their families had been notified.

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