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Wall Street ended higher on Thursday after President Donald Trump announced that the planned military action against Iran was called off. Semiconductor stocks were front and center among the top gainers.
The benchmark S&P 500 (SP500) closed +1.7%, while the tech-heavy
AMC’s plan to launch a new interactive live concert series in theaters is on ice, for now. With a booming box office full of films like “Obsession,” “Backrooms” and “Scary Movie,” the theater chain has postponed the concert project until later this year.
In a statement, AMC said due to the “robust lineup of upcoming films and strong advance ticket sales in the weeks ahead,” it needed to make some programming adjustments. Some of the major upcoming releases for June include Disney’s “Toy Story 5” and Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day.”
Acts like Bebe Rexha, Paris Hilton, Kim Petras and Marren Morris were lined up to test out the new format next week, as a part of the Girls Night Live concert series.
The chain is partnering with live entertainment company Arena One to bring new technology to theaters. This tech would allow artists on a remote stage to see, hear and respond to the theater audience, in effect turning your local cinema into a stadium, the companies said. Fans who already purchased tickets have received refunds.
The series was initially marketed as a new draw to get customers to the theaters, but given the strong box office numbers so far this year, it’s clear the demand for theaters is already growing
Focus Features’ “Obsession” is now nearing $230 million in global box office revenue, according to Box Office Mojo, and is the studio’s highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office.
Similarly, A24’s “Backrooms” is the indie studio’s highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office, with nearly $140 million. It pulled in $100 million at the box office only six days after its initial release.
Most recently, “Scary Movie” topped the box office last weekend with a $105.5-million worldwide debut, ranking among the top five biggest R-rated comedy openings of all time.
AMC said it would announce new dates and additional artists for the interactive concert series in the coming months.
From Maddie Lee: It was just one moment in the midst of a persistent Dodgers scoring spree. But in the context of a long and decorated career, Freddie Freeman’s run-scoring single into shallow center field carried weight.
In the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ 12-3 win against the Pirates on Tuesday, Freeman notched his 2,500th major-league hit.
“It means a lot,” Freeman said. “And then when your manager and teammates appreciate what you’ve done over the course of your career, it does mean a lot. Yeah, there’s always another goal to get to. But to step back and realize how long you have to play, … to play at a high level over many, many years to get there, it does mean a lot.”
Only 101 other players have achieved the milestone, according to Baseball Reference. And Freeman, in his 17 major-league seasons, leads all active players in hits.
The future Hall of Famer isn’t really a memorabilia collector, but for this one, Freeman made sure to get the ball and the lineup card. When asked if he wanted his bat authenticated, he said he’d hold on to it.
There are still more hits in it.
“If you would have asked me 10 years ago, I probably would have brushed it off and kept going,’ Freeman said. “But as you get older, you do get more emotional and sentimental. It is nice for people to take a moment and appreciate what you’ve done in this game. It is special.”
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Wade Meckler and Jo Adell keyed a five-run second inning with two-run doubles, and Walbert Ureña navigated heavy traffic through five shutout innings to lead the Angels to a 10-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
Houston put two runners on in the first, second and fifth and loaded the bases in the third, but Ureña (4-4) pitched out of each jam to lower his ERA to 2.44 on the season and 1.84 in eight starts since early May.
The 22-year-old right-hander gave up three hits, struck out seven and walked five in his 107-pitch effort, which included a 97-mph fastball to whiff Joey Loperfido with the bases loaded to end the third.
From Kevin Baxter: A strike that had the potential to disrupt the U.S. World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium has been averted, with United Here Local 11 and Legends Global, the stadium’s food-service operator, agreeing Tuesday to a tentative deal.
The nearly 2,000 workers represented by the union, which includes dishwashers, concession workers, bartenders and servers, voted last week to authorize a strike with 96% of those voting supporting the decision to walk off the job. Workers were demanding salary increases, protection against subcontracting and job loss through automation, and were refusing to comply with FIFA’s request to collect sensitive private information such as nationality and home addresses.
Details of the new contract were not released but the union had demanded “substantial increases” in pay to more than $30 an hour while Legends proposed wage freezes for some workers and a 25-cent hourly increase for cooks and dishwashers.
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From Ryan Kartje: His 7-6 record at USC in 2024 would go down as the worst mark of Lincoln Riley’s career as a head football coach. But in his third and rockiest year at the helm of the Trojans, Riley was still compensated like one of the kings of the sport.
Riley was paid more than $11.8 million in total compensation during the fiscal year 2024, according to USC’s latest federal tax returns, which were obtained by The Times. That total includes a $100,000 bonus and $10.4 million in base pay, believed to be more than all but three college football coaches that season: Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Ohio State’s Ryan Day. All three have won a national title.
For Riley, his pay in 2024 marks just a slight increase from the 2023 season, when USC paid Riley more than $11.5 million in total compensation. The coach’s base pay increased by $145,143 between fiscal years 2023 and 2024, slightly less than it rose following his debut season in 2022 ($168,000).
USC freshman linebacker Talanoa Ili joins lawsuit seeking to upend new NIL system
Jordan Staal scored his second goal of the game while stretched out on his stomach at 6:32 of the third period to put the Carolina Hurricanes ahead for good in their 5-3 victory on Tuesday night over the Vegas Golden Knights and even the Stanley Cup Final after four games.
Game 5 is Thursday night at Carolina, which will potentially have two games on home ice to win its first Cup in two decades. The Golden Knights are searching for their second in four years.
This was the first game not decided by one goal.
A two-goal lead has disappeared in all four games in what has been a remarkable series in which momentum often changes at a moment’s notice. Each team has led by at least that many twice.
Rams offensive lineman Alaric Jackson was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence Monday night in Los Angeles, according to a person with knowledge of the incident not authorized to speak publicly.
Jackson was arrested shortly before 11 p.m. after police responded to a call at a home in West Hills. Upon arrival, police determined that the woman involved in the incident had recorded the interaction and noticed scratch marks on her arms, the person said. Jackson was arrested and later released on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records. His next court date is scheduled for June 30.
The specific charge Jackson was arrested for is a person who “willfully inflicts physical or corporal injury resulting in a ‘traumatic condition’ [such as a bruise, scratch, swelling, or internal injury] on an intimate partner.”
“We are aware of the incident regarding Alaric Jackson, and we take these matters very seriously,” the Rams said in a statement. “Due to this being an ongoing legal situation, we cannot comment further at this time.”
From Chuck Schilken: Serena Williams is back.
And so is her blistering serve.
After almost four years away from the sport, the 44-year-old tennis legend made a triumphant return Tuesday at Queen’s Club in London. She teamed with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko for a 7-6 (2), 6-2 victory against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand in an opening doubles match at the grass-court HSBC Championships.
Williams recorded service winners of up to 120 mph during her first professional match since the 2022 U.S. Open.
“It was so fun,” Williams said afterward in an on-court interview. “I had so much fun playing with Victoria. She really was able to hold up the team and really play big on the big points. I could really rely on her. We’ve never played together, but it just felt so natural playing with her.”
1890 — The Preakness Stakes is run outside Baltimore, at Morris Park in New York. The race is then suspended for three years, and resumes at the Brooklyn Jockey Club’s Gravesend Course from 1894-1908.
1932 — Gene Sarazen leads wire-to-wire to win the British Open by five strokes ahead of Macdonald Smith at Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England. Sarazen finishes with a tournament record of 283.
1933 — Johnny Goodman wins the U.S. Open golf title, making him the last amateur to win this event.
1934 — Italy beats Czechoslovakia 2-1 in extra time to win the second FIFA World Cup at the Stadio Flaminio in Rome. Italy trailing 1-0, ties the game at the 80th minute. Angelo Schiavio scores the winning goal in extra time.
1944 — A rare triple dead heat occurs in the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct with Bossuet, Brownie and Wait a Bit crossing the finish line together.
1950 — Sixteen months after near-fatal car accident, Ben Hogan wins the U.S. Open. Hogan beats Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio in an 18-hole playoff at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.
1968 — UEFA European Championship Final, Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy: Italy beats Yugoslavia, 2-0 in a replay (first game, 1-1).
1973 — Mary Mills shoots a 63 in the final round of the LPGA Championship to beat Betty Burfeindt by one stroke.
1977 — Al Geiberger sets a PGA Championship 18-hole record when he shoots a 59 in the Danny Thomas Classic.
1978 — Affirmed, ridden by Steve Cauthen, wins the Belmont Stakes to capture the Triple Crown in one of the greatest battles in racing history. Affirmed edges Alydar for the third time.
1989 — Wayne Gretzky of the Kings is named the NHL’s MVP, winning the Hart Trophy for a record ninth time.
1995 — Trainer D. Wayne Lukas wins a record five straight Triple Crown races as Thunder Gulch takes the Belmont Stakes. Lukas is the first trainer to win the Triple Crown races with two different horses. Lukas’ Timber Country won the Preakness.
1996 — Colorado’s Patrick Roy makes 63 saves before Uwe Krupp scores 4:31 into the third overtime to give the Avalanche a 1-0 victory against the Florida Panthers at Miami Arena and complete a four-game sweep of the Stanley Cup Final.
2000 — Stanley Cup Final, Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX: New Jersey Devils defeat Dallas Stars, 2-1 in double OT for a 4-2 series victory.
2006 — In Atlantic City, N.J., Bernard Hopkins wins a unanimous decision over light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, capping an 18-year career with an upset for the ages.
2010 — USC is placed on four years probation, receives a two-year bowl ban and a sharp loss of football scholarships. The NCAA cites USC for a lack of institutional control. The NCAA found that Reggie Bush, identified as a “former football student-athlete,” was ineligible beginning at least by December 2004. The NCAA also orders USC to vacate every victory in which Bush participated while ineligible. USC loses 30 scholarships over a three-year period, 10 annually from 2011-13.
2012 — Shanshan Feng wins the LPGA Championship to become the first Chinese player to win an LPGA Tour title and a major event.
2018 — Rafael Nadal won a record-extending 11th championship at Roland Garros by beating Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Nadal became the second player in tennis history to win 11 singles titles at any Grand Slam tournament after Margaret Court, who claimed 11 Australian Open titles.
2018 — Kristen Gillman led a U.S. singles sweep in the biggest blowout in Curtis Cup history. Gillman, a 20-year-old University of Alabama star, beat 16-year-old Annabell Fuller 5 and 4 to cap a perfect weekend at Quaker Ridge in Scarsdale, N.Y. The Americans won 17-3, breaking the record for margin of victory of 11 set in a 14 1/2-3 1/2 victory at Denver Country Club in 1982.
2023 — UEFA Champions League Final, Ataturk Stadium, Istanbul: Manchester City beats Inter Milan, 1-0 to complete historic Champions League, Premier League & FA Cup trifecta.
Compiled by the Associated Press
1921 — Babe Ruth of the New York Yankees became baseball’s career home run leader by hitting his 120th off Cleveland’s Jim Bagby in the third inning. The Indians took the game 8-6.
1944 — Joe Nuxhall, at 15 years, 10 months and 11 days, became the youngest player in major league history when he pitched for the Cincinnati Reds in an 18-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
1959 — Rocky Colavito of Cleveland hit four consecutive home runs at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium, a tough home run park. Billy Martin and Minnie Minoso also homered in the Indians’ 11-8 victory.
1966 — Cleveland’s Sonny Siebert threw the only no-hitter of the year as the Indians beat the Washington Senators 2-0.
1972 — Hank Aaron’s grand slam pushed the Atlanta Braves to a 15-3 rout over the Philadelphia Phillies. It was Aaron’s 649th home run, moving him ahead of Willie Mays into second place on the career home run list. It was also his 14th grand slam, tying Gil Hodges’ NL record.
1997 — Kevin Brown threw a no-hitter and kept himself from a perfect game by hitting a batter in the eighth inning, leading the Florida Marlins over the San Francisco Giants 9-0.
2005 — Baltimore’s 4-3 win over Cincinnati marked the first time that three 500-homer players appeared in the same game — the Orioles’ Sammy Sosa (580) and Rafael Palmeiro (559), and the Reds’ Ken Griffey, who hit a solo shot in the eighth inning for No. 511.
2006 — Reggie Sanders became the fifth player in major league history with 300 homers and 300 stolen bases when he hit a two-run shot in Kansas City’s 9-5 loss to Tampa Bay. Sanders homered off Chad Harville in the ninth to reach the milestone joining Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Andre Dawson and Bobby Bonds.
2011 — Tony La Russa managed his 5,000th game when the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 8-0. La Russa complied a 2,676-2,324 record with the White Sox, Athletics and Cardinals. Only Connie Mack managed more games with 7,755 over 53 years.
2012 — Frankie Vanderka threw a three-hitter, Travis Jankowski had four hits and Stony Brook completed an improbable run to the College World Series with a 7-2 victory over LSU in the deciding game of the Baton Rouge super regional. Stony Brook became only the second team to open the tournament as a No. 4 seed in the regional round and advance to the World Series. The first was Fresno State during its stunning 2008 run to a national title.
2019 — The Diamondbacks and Phillies play “Home Run Derby” at Citizens Bank Park, in a 13-8 win by the D-Backs. Arizona opens the game with three straight homers off Jerad Eickhoff, by Jarrod Dyson, Ketel Marte and David Peralta, on their way to hitting 8 long balls. The Phillies reply with 5 of their own, including two by Scott Kingery, but it’s not enough on a night when balls are flying out of the park right and left. Eduardo Escobar homers from different sides of the plate in consecutive innings for Arizona, and Ildemaro Vargas also homers twice. The combined 13 homers set a new major league record. The D-Backs had been the last team to open a game with three dingers, back on July 21, 2017.
2020 — Because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 amateur draft is held virtually and limited to five rounds.
Compiled by the Associated Press
That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
22:31, 08 Jun 2026
Death in Paradise’s Commissioner Selwyn Patterson is played by actor Don Warrington. (Image: BBC)
Death in Paradise fans need to watch this “wonderful” show that’s just made its eagerly anticipated comeback.
Death in Paradise is currently on its yearly break from BBC One, leaving dedicated fans desperately searching for something to fill the void left by the beloved cosy crime drama until it returns.
While they wait, viewers could instead tune into the real-life equivalent of Death in Paradise, documentary series Policing Paradise, which returned for its second series today, Monday, June 8.
The programme follows the day-to-day workings of the Bermuda Police Service, capturing both local and British officers patrolling the tropical islands as they juggle police duties with ensuring thousands of tourists remain safe.
What makes Policing Paradise particularly thrilling for Death in Paradise enthusiasts, however, is its connection to two of the beloved drama’s prominent cast members.
The debut series of Policing Paradise, which aired in March 2025, was narrated by none other than Officer Ruby Patterson actress Shyko Amos.
Yet for this fresh second series, it is the Commissioner himself, actor Don Warrington, who has assumed narrating responsibilities.
Policing Paradise season two continues to broadcast Monday to Thursday at 2pm on BBC One, with the opening four episodes now available on BBC iPlayer.
Series one of the documentary is already accessible to stream, with the remainder of the second series anticipated to follow at a later date.
Beyond the day-to-day hurdles of tackling petty crime and managing summer festivals, Policing Paradise also shines a light on various specialist units, including marine patrols, dog handlers and drug-enforcement officers.
Ahead of its return, one enthusiastic fan praised the first series on IMDb, writing: “This show has it all; insightful access to the full range of Bermuda police duties from dog handling to diving, beautifully photographed with great skill, and narrated with tact, wit and affection by Shyko Amos (Ruby, Commissioner Pattersons’ niece from Death In Paradise).”
They continued: “This show is an informative documentary with the bonus of that lovely camerawork with Shykos’ voice-over work deftly remaining appropriate and informed across the wide-ranging situations. More of this please!”
A second viewer agreed: “Great to see all the places we love and very interesting to see how Bermuda is policed.
“Hoping there will be another series to get a bit more about it and see more on wonderful Bermuda. Island paradise in the Atlantic.”
Policing Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
On a 75-mile cliff-hugging stretch of highway in California, traffic is way up, despite soaring gas prices. And locals expect the busiest summer in years.
The road is Highway 1 in Big Sur, which reopened in January after three years of repair and reconstruction following a pair of landslides. Drivers can once again embark on the state’s most famous road trip, covering the 100 miles between Cambria to the south and Carmel to the north without leaving the two-lane coastal highway. And they’re heading out in big numbers.
Caltrans estimates that as of May, Big Sur restaurant and retailer guest counts are up 40% from last year, and that northbound traffic at Ragged Point, the southern gateway to Big Sur, has risen 900% year-over-year.
People pose for photos near Bixby Bridge. Monterey County’s Board of Supervisors voted to explore a 12-month ban on parking around the bridge.
Safety cones prevent parking along Coast Road near the Bixby Bridge.
“Take your time,” said Kirk Gafill, co-owner of the popular Nepenthe restaurant and president of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, offering advice to travelers. “You’re going to be sharing the road with a number of people.”
As travelers rediscover the road, the cost of driving has been shooting skyward. California’s average gas price ($6.11 per gallon as of May 26) is up 26% from the year before. In early April, rates hit $9.99 at the isolated gas station in the Big Sur community of Gorda.
For spring and summer travelers, these numbers would seem to pose a stark question: Stay home and save money, or head for the coast because the road is finally open and it’s still cheaper than flying?
So far, the latter answer is winning big.
Fog lingers off the coast of Highway 1.
“We are definitely seeing a huge uptick in our reservations,” said Megan Handy, assistant general manager at the upscale Treebones resort. She estimated that bookings are 30% or more ahead of last year, and rates are unchanged since then. But “it’s still not feeling super crowded, which is nice. Everything still feels kind of calm.”
But added traffic has raised some anxiety. On May 19, Monterey County’s Board of Supervisors voted to explore a 12-month ban on parking at Bixby Bridge, one of the region’s top photo spots.
Over the years, the number of cars parking near the bridge — often illegally, sometimes impeding emergency vehicles — has risen. The proposed parking moratorium won’t take effect until the supervisors discuss it further.
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Busy as things are, several business owners pointed out that many international travelers have not yet returned — perhaps because most make their plans more than six months ahead, perhaps because of global politics, perhaps a little of each.
The biggest challenge for businesses during this resurgence? “Restaffing and retaining,” said Handy at Treetops.
At Nepenthe, Gafill said his business has seen a 45% boost in guest volume since the road’s reopening. Gafill said he would have expected a 35% pickup, “simply by virtue of reopening the highway.” The additional 10%, he said, might be “all that pent-up demand,” aided by “a very beautiful and very dry winter,” followed by a mild spring.
A lunch crowd dines at popular restaurant Nepenthe.
Another possible factor: Nobody can be sure how long the road will remain open.
To cope with the influx of people, Gafill said, “everybody is trying to recruit and retain their existing staff.”
At the Ragged Point Inn, where rates dropped as low as $149 nightly last fall, rates are back over $200 and staffers are suggesting that customers book at least six months ahead. The inn has reopened its snack bar for the first time since early 2023, and management is investing in capital upgrades and staging live music on weekends throughout the summer.
Business “is up over 100%,” said Diane Ramey, whose family owns the inn. “I know not all of our neighbors are having the same lift, but everybody is doing better.”
Traffic approaching Bixby Bridge.
A visitor poses in an oversized chair at Big Sur River Inn.
Even at the New Camaldoli Hermitage, a Benedictine monastery above Lucia, the road’s reopening and coming summer season have made a difference. Bookings are up an estimated 30% at the hermitage, which rent rooms and cottages (for two nights or more) to visitors who agree to its requirement of silence.
Big Sur business owners advise visitors to travel on weekdays for less traffic and the best hotel rates, and to get on the road as early as possible.
Since its opening in 1937, the highway has been vulnerable to landslides and shifting ground, operating on a longstanding cycle of landslide, closure, repair, reopening and then another landslide, or sometimes a fire. The U.S. Geological Survey has identified the Big Sur coastline as one of the most landslide-prone areas in the western United States. The 2023-2026 closure was the longest in the highway’s history.
Over time, road crews have used increasingly sophisticated strategies. In the most recent efforts, Caltrans said, it used drones to help survey the slopes and remotely operated bulldozers and excavators to reduce risks to workers.
During the closure, no traffic was allowed on 6.8-mile span from just north of Lucia until about a mile south of the Esalen Institute. Drivers detoured inland by way of U.S. 101.
18:11, 02 Jun 2026
An EasyJet aircraft moves past a Ryanair airplane while taking off for London at Lisbon Airport in Portugal – file image(Image: Getty)
EasyJet and Ryanair travellers have been issued with an official update as a UK holiday spot prepares for a major strike. Portugal will see a general strike on Wednesday, June 3.
It has previously been reported that around 500 flights from different airlines could be affected. EasyJet has said there could be some disruption for passengers on the day.
TAP Air Portugal says it is planning to operate at least 79 flights. The airline is also reportedly rebooking travel options for affected passengers.
Air Europa has reportedly cancelled all flights between Madrid and Lisbon and Porto. Tram services in Porto are also set to be affected.
Ryanair has said it will operate as normal. It will be the second time the nation has been hit by a general strike in recent months in protest at labour reforms the Portuguese government is planning. The disruption is likely to affect many areas of the country.
Portuguese media reports say that for those providing essential social services, minimum service levels have been established. Information has been reported in local media, based on official documents, about what minimum services are therefore expected for some airlines.
Local media reports say that some flights involving major national carrier TAP will go ahead. Sapo reports that a deal has been reached between easyJet and the trade unions, providing for the following minimum services:
That information emerged in reports published by the Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). It stated that the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Crew also warns that, “if striking staff are replaced by crew from other bases, the conditions for future agreements will no longer exist”.
Sapo also reports that in the case of Ryanair, minimum services have been set by order of the Minister for Infrastructure and Housing. These reportedly state that, on the day of the strike, staff must report for duty to ensure the following connections:
“The staff required to ensure minimum services shall be designated by the trade unions that have called the strike no later than 24 hours before the start of each of the declared strike days or, if they fail to do so, the companies must make such a designation,” the order states.
EasyJet told the Sun: “Due to a national strike in Portugal on 3 June, like all airlines operating to and from the country we can expect some disruption to our flying programme. We will be doing all we can to minimise the impact of the strike action and will contact customers directly with their options if their flights are affected.
“While this is outside of our control we are sorry for any inconvenience this strike action may cause.”
Anthropic, which operates AI chatbot Claude, did not disclose the size or the terms of the offering.
Published On 1 Jun 20261 Jun 2026
Artificial intelligence giant Anthropic has confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States, teeing up what could become a watershed moment for Wall Street’s AI frenzy.
The move, announced on Monday, sets up a high-stakes test of whether investor appetite for the AI revolution that has reshaped white-collar work around the world can match the sky-high expectations surrounding the booming sector.
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Anthropic, which operates AI chatbot Claude, did not disclose the size or the terms of the offering. Confidential submissions let companies advance IPO preparations while shielding sensitive financial details from rivals and the public.
Anthropic last raised $65bn at a post-money valuation of $965bn in late May, putting it ahead of rival OpenAI. The company said at the time it was making annualised revenue of $47bn from selling its technology to people and organisations using Claude to write code and do other work and personal tasks on their behalf.
The crucial step towards a listing comes on the heels of SpaceX’s mega-IPO, which is on course to rewrite the record books as the Elon Musk-led company pursues a $75bn offering at a $1.75 trillion valuation.
Anthropic was formed in 2021 by ex-OpenAI leaders, and now both AI firms, along with Elon Musk’s rocket and AI company SpaceX, are all expected to become publicly traded. All three are also still losing more money than they make, fuelling concerns of an AI bubble.
OpenAI and Anthropic have become the face of the AI boom that has redrawn corporate strategies, sparked a global arms race for computing power and talent, and turned AI-linked companies into some of the market’s most richly valued firms.
Anthropic’s rapid rise in early 2026 rattled markets, triggering sharp sell-offs in software and IT stocks as investors worried its increasingly autonomous AI tools could upend traditional business models and accelerate disruption across industries.
“OpenAI and Anthropic are in a race to go public before capital runs out,” said analyst Gil Luria from the investment firm DA Davidson.
“The other reason for Anthropic to try to beat OpenAI out to the public market is that they will get to set the agenda for how a frontier model reports financials and do so in a way that is favourable to their financial model.”
OpenAI is also preparing to confidentially file for a US IPO in the coming weeks, adding to a wave of blockbuster listings anticipated in the year ahead.
As many blockbuster listings race towards public markets, companies from SpaceX to AI giants are competing for a finite pool of investor capital.
“The combined demand for capital from SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic will be so considerable that it is likely to create disruptions in the capital markets, so going early will be a great advantage,” Luria said.
The listing would represent one of the most consequential stock market debuts in years, potentially reshaping benchmark indexes, investor flows and the broader narrative driving US equities.
At close to a $1 trillion valuation, Anthropic would vault into the top tier of the S&P 500, alongside a handful of elite companies that dominate global equity markets.
An Anthropic debut would be a major boost for the long-sluggish IPO market, though experts and bankers warn an offering of such scale could drain liquidity and investor attention from smaller listings.
California’s decision to redraw its congressional map to flip as many as five House seats to Democrats in November is poised to play a big and potentially decisive role in the nation’s broader, bare-knuckle fight for control of Congress.
Tuesday’s primary races — where the top two candidates will advance to November runoffs — won’t determine which Republicans are ousted in most cases, but they will provide an important first look at voter sentiment and bring the fall’s most crucial head-to-head contests into focus.
“There will be some real cues and signals about what to expect,” said Christian Grose, a redistricting scholar and political science professor at USC. “We’re going to know how strong the Democrats’ chances are going to be based on who advances.”
As one example, Grose pointed to the redrawn 22nd Congressional District in the Central Valley, where incumbent Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) is facing challenges from moderate Assemblymember Jasmeet Kaur Bains (D-Delano) and progressive college professor Randy Villegas.
Grose said Bains is probably a stronger challenger than Villegas in a district that’s still a reach for Democrats — even if “either one could probably beat Valadao if 2026 is a big Democratic wave.”
Grose will also be closely watching the race between incumbent Reps. Young Kim (R-Anaheim Hills) and Ken Calvert (R-Corona) in the redrawn Congressional District 40, which covers a swath of inland Orange County and portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including parts of Kim’s and Calvert’s current districts.
The district race wasn’t designed to deliver Democrats a seat, but will produce “one of the first casualties for Republicans from the new map” — months before other expected ousters — if Kim and Calvert don’t both advance.
The redistricting war was prompted by President Trump’s unprecedented pressuring of Republican-controlled states to redraw their maps mid-decade for partisan advantage in order to retain control of Congress, given his sinking approval ratings and a history of midterm voters punishing the president’s party.
After Texas Republicans heeded Trump’s call to redraw five districts in their party’s favor, California Democrats responded with Proposition 50, a ballot measure passed by voters in November to sideline the state’s independent redistricting committee and allow Democrats to redraw five congressional districts in their favor.
The war ratcheted up — with more Republican states suddenly considering map changes — after a U.S. Supreme Court decision in April that weakened the 1965 Voting Rights Act and its long-standing protections for majority-Black districts in the South.
Republicans have now acted to redraw congressional maps in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee, with varying degrees of success, while a battle in Utah could add a single additional Democratic seat there. Attempts in other states have failed, including by the GOP in South Carolina and Democrats in Virginia.
Experts say the net result from the flurry of redistricting will probably be a gain of a handful or more seats for Republicans — but in a year when Democrats are expected to make gains more broadly, leaving control of the House up for grabs. California’s new map is “a huge deal” precisely because that math is so close, said David Wasserman, senior editor and elections analyst for the independent, nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
“Democrats are modest favorites for House control based on the political environment, but also because of California,” Wasserman said in an interview with The Times. “Picking up these four or five seats is a prerequisite to Democrats getting the majority.”
California has 52 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, by far the most of any state. With their new map, California Democrats are hoping to increase their 43 House seats to 48. That would leave just four seats represented by members of the GOP despite Republicans accounting for a quarter of the state electorate.
But that outcome isn’t guaranteed.
Paul Mitchell, a Democratic redistricting expert who devised California’s new map, said the reconfigured congressional districts had to create a pathway for new Democrats to win additional seats without undermining incumbent Democrats’ reelection. And the result is a map with three pretty safe pickups for Democrats, and two districts that are “100% on the table, ready for Democrats to win,” but will nonetheless “require shoe-leather and grit.”
The redrawn congressional district boundaries enacted by Proposition 50 promise to shake up at least three seats, experts said.
Congressional District 1: Held by the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) for 13 years until his death in January, the district is currently rural and conservative, stretching from the Sacramento outskirts through Redding to the Oregon border and California’s northeastern corner. Under the state’s new congressional district map, it loses some of its rural reaches and picks up liberal coastal communities, and favors a Democrat such as state Sen. Mike McGuire, who is one of the leading candidates.
Congressional District 3: The seat is currently held by Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Rocklin) and stretches from the Sacramento suburbs through Lake Tahoe and south along the Nevada border. Under the new map, it holds more tightly to the Sacramento suburbs, favoring a Democrat.
The changes were enough to convince an incumbent Democrat, Rep. Ami Bera (D-Elk Grove), to leave his current district — Congressional District 6, which includes the city of Sacramento and the suburbs of Roseville and Rocklin in Placer County — and run in District 3 instead.
Meanwhile, Kiley did the reverse. He quit the Republican Party, became an independent and announced he would be leaving District 3 and running instead in District 6 — the one Bera is leaving — against a slate of new Democratic challengers.
Congressional District 41. The seat is now held by Calvert, a 17-term incumbent, and currently stretches from Corona to the Coachella Valley. The new map made the district more liberal, losing voters in Riverside County and gaining them in Los Angeles County, and Calvert decided to run instead in Kim’s redrawn but still Republican-leaning Congressional District 40 that is just to the west.
The two toughest flips for Democrats, experts said, are Congressional District 22, Valadao’s heavily Latino district in the Central Valley, followed by Congressional District 48 in San Diego and Riverside counties, where Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) decided to retire rather than run for reelection.
Valadao is viewed as especially vulnerable because of his recent support for Medicaid cuts, but he has proved resilient in the past. Meanwhile, his two leading Democratic challengers, Bains and Villegas, are in a bitter fight, with Bains receiving Democratic establishment support and Villegas winning endorsements from prominent progressives.
In Issa’s district, moderate Republican San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond is running against several infighting Democrats, including San Diego Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert and former Obama labor official Ammar Campa-Najjar.
Jeff Wice, a New York Law School professor who was involved in California redistricting efforts in 2010, said the state “has long played hardball politics on redistricting,” including when then-Rep. Phil Burton, a powerful San Francisco Democrat, bragged more than 40 years ago that the complex congressional boundaries he’d crafted for Democrats were his “contribution to modern art.”
But in five decades studying redistricting, Wice said he has never seen such “politically driven, partisan politics” as are occurring now across the nation, which he said have “no root in law, reason or fairness” — and are only likely to continue.
“This state-by-state war is far from over, and may continue all the way through 2030,” he said. “A lot of it depends on the outcome of this November’s election.”
Wasserman said the country has “entered an era of no-holds-barred redistricting,” and he also sees redistricting efforts continuing — including in California, where they would present a distinct threat to the state’s few remaining Republicans.
Michael Li, senior counsel in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, said California is a “big part of the story” this election cycle, thanks to Proposition 50. “Democrats in California proved to be very determined and resourceful and managed to get that done, and right now California is the big offset to Republican gerrymandering around the country,” he said.
But what will come of it all — in California and across the country — is still to be determined.
“When you’re gerrymandering, you’re making a bet that you know what the politics of the future will look like, and it’s hard to predict,” he said. “It’s a high-risk, high-reward venture.”
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court heads into the final month of its yearly term facing decisions on birthright citizenship, gun rights, transgender athletes and President Trump’s power over independent agencies.
Unlike in years past, the term’s most significant rulings were not left for the last week in June.
The court dealt Trump a major defeat in February by striking down his sweeping worldwide tariffs. The president is likely to suffer a second defeat when the justices reject his plan to revise the citizenship laws via an executive order.
Republicans won when the court struck down a Louisiana congressional district that favored a Black Democrat.
That decision has already shifted several congressional districts toward the GOP, but its greatest impact will be seen in 2028 and 2030.
Republicans are likely to prevail in two other pending cases.
One would free party committees to raise and spend more money to support their candidates. A second would change state laws to bar counting of mail ballots that arrive after election day.
The justices have 26 cases waiting to be decided before they go on a summer recess. Here are the major cases due for decision:
Does the 14th Amendment of 1868 mean what it says about who is a citizen?
It declares: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the United States.”
The Supreme Court upheld that understanding in 1898, ruling that Wong Kim Ark, who was born to Chinese parents in San Francisco, was a U.S. citizen at birth. Congress adopted birthright citizenship in the Immigration and Nationality Acts of 1940 and 1952.
But on his first day back in the White House, Trump issued an executive order to deny citizenship to the newborns of parents who in the country unlawfully or temporarily on a student, work or tourist visa.
Judges blocked the order from taking effect, and in April, the justices gave a skeptical hearing to Trump’s lawyers as the president sat in the gallery.
The best outcome for Trump would be a ruling that rejects his executive order based on U.S. immigration law alone. Although a defeat, that could in theory permit Congress to revise the law and deny citizenship to the newborns of so-called “birth tourists.” (Trump vs. Barbara)
Can the government make it a crime for “habitual users of unlawful drugs” to have a gun, or does that violate 2nd Amendment rights?
Since 1968, federal law has prohibited gun possession by anyone who is an “unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance.”
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in a Texas case struck down this provision as unconstitutional, except for someone who is “under an impairing influence” of drugs at the time of his arrest.
The Trump administration appealed and urged the Supreme Court to uphold the law against “habitual users of unlawful drugs,” including regular users of marijuana. (U.S. vs. Hemani)
In a second gun rights case, the court will decide whether Hawaii, California and three other states led by Democrats may forbid licensed gun owners from carrying a firearm into stores or private businesses open to the public unless they have the “express authorization” of the owners. (Wolford vs. Lopez)
Can states maintain separate sports teams for boys and girls “based on biological sex determined at birth” or does excluding transgender girls violate the Title IX law or the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection?
The justices heard appeals from West Virginia and Idaho after lower courts ruled they had discriminated against transgender girls, and most of them sounded ready to rule for the states.
The only question was whether the court will rule narrowly to uphold laws in the red states or go further to decide how Title IX applies nationwide. (West Virginia vs. B.P.J. and Little vs. Hecox)
Can the president fire the leaders of special agencies who were given a fixed term by Congress?
For most of American history, Congress created new boards or commissions with a specific mission, such as regulating railroad rates in the 1880s or nuclear power in the 1970s. By law, these agencies are led by a bipartisan board of experts who had a fixed term and could be fired only for cause.
But Trump and the court’s conservatives believe the president has the executive authority to control the government and to fire agency officials — but with one exception. The majority wants to preserve the independence of the Federal Reserve Board. (Trump vs. Slaughter)
Separately, the court will rule on whether Trump had the power to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook for cause. He alleged she engaged in mortgage fraud and dismissed her in a social media post. The justices blocked her removal and sounded ready to rule she deserved due process of law and a full hearing to contest the allegations. (Trump vs. Cook)
Can the Trump administration cancel legal protection for more than 300,000 Haitians and Syrians who are living and working in this country?
In 1990, Congress created this protected status for foreign nationals who could not return home safely because of armed conflicts or natural disasters.
The Obama administration extended protection to Haitians and Syrians. Last year, Trump’s then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sought to terminate it, but judges blocked her orders because it was still dangerous and unsafe in those countries.
Before the Supreme Court, Trump’s lawyers argued the law forbids “judicial review” of these executive decisions. (Mullin vs. Doe)
Do the 50-year-old limits on how much political party committees can raise and spend to directly support their candidates violate the 1st Amendment?
During the Watergate era, Congress adopted limits on money in political campaigns, but the court has struck down the spending limits on free speech grounds. Left standing were the limits on direct contributions to candidates, including from political parties.
Republicans led by then-Sen. JD Vance sued, arguing the party limits were outdated and unwise in an era when super PACs are free to spend huge sums on campaigns. (National Republican Senatorial Committee vs. FEC)
The court also will rule on the GOP’s bid to strike down laws in California and most states that allow for counting mail ballots that were postmarked by election day but arrive a few days later. (Watson vs. Republican National Committee)
Hayley Anderson Screen Time TV Reporter
18:25, 30 May 2026
Death in Paradise is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. (Image: BBC)
Death in Paradise fans need to watch this “incredible” drama, especially after this important update.
Death in Paradise legend DS Florence Cassell (played by Josephine Jobert) originally debuted in the BBC cosy crime back in season four before leaving in series eight.
She thankfully returned to Saint Marie and her story ended in season 13 when she happily sailed away with former boss DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little).
For those who are missing watching Jobert on their screens, Death in Paradise fans can now catch her in the Canadian detective drama Saint-Pierre.
The first season has only recently become available on U&Alibi, as well as Sky and NOW, in the UK, after first airing in Canada in January 2025, followed by series two in January 2026.
Now it’s been confirmed that Saint-Pierre will be back for a season three with UK fans expecting the latest two series to soon be made available to them.
Filming for this 12-episode third season will reportedly begin in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Newfoundland, Canada, in July.
As of yet though, there has been no confirmation as to when UK fans will be treated to the second season.
Jobert portrays mysterious Parisian Deputy Chief Genevieve “Arch” Archambault who is forced to work alongside disgraced officer Donny “Fitz” Fitzpatrick (Allan Hawco) after he’s exiled to the small French collectivity.
While the pair initially clash because of their different styles of investigation, they soon realise that they make a great team, delving into a new case every episode.
Scoring an impressive 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s no wonder fans have been praising Saint-Pierre on IMdB.
“Obsessed! Seriously, I’m hooked. Every week, they leave you hanging with a cliffhanger, and I’m just dying!”, a fan commented.
Another described it as a “must watch”, while a third echoed: “The cast are excellent – they have great chemistry.
“Also Saint-Pierre is STUNNING! It’s a character all on its own and the scenery makes me want to visit someday – I didn’t even know it existed!”
Someone else said it was an “incredible series” as another added: “Just love this show! It’s so much more than a police procedural. The chemistry between Fitz and Arch has me hooked!”
Saint-Pierre is available to watch on U&Alibi, Sky and NOW.
WITH over 6,000 islands, travellers are simply spoiled for choice when it comes to booking a holiday in Greece – but one quieter island offers a serene retreat.
Often dubbed the ‘Goldilocks’ of the Greek Cyclades, Sifnos “is quite possibly the perfect Greek island: not too big and not too small” according to Conde Nast Traveller.
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Its ‘perfect’ appearance is helped by the lack of crowds on the island compared to other Greek islands.
So much so, Swedish news website News55 has said the island is one of the top travel destinations this year as it avoids mass tourism.
Apollonia is the main village on the island and when visiting, make sure to have a wander down Steno, which is the main pedestrian street lined with traditional shops and cosy cafes.
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On the coast of the island, you can visit the former capital Kastro.
Dating back around 3,000 years, Kastro is completely pedestrianised and is full of quaint, whitewashed buildings with paths leading down to the sea where you can spot Church of the Seven Martyrs, perched on a rock islet just below the village.
There are a number of other villages on the island too, including Artemonas, which is just a short walk from Apollonia.
In Artemonas, visitors can see a number of 19th century neoclassical mansions along the main stone path.
The village is also known for its churches, such as the Church of Panagia Kohi, which is built over an ancient temple to Artemis.
If you’re more of an outdoorsy person, you won’t be short of hiking routes including a well-marked trail between Artemonas and the sea.
Wherever you go on the island, make sure to look out for amigdalota – a type of almond sweet that the island is famous for.
Scattered across the island you’ll see lots of quaint tavernas too, serving traditional Sifniote food such as chickpea balls and slow roasted lamb.
One Sun reporter who previously visited the island said: “Everything is delicious on Sifnos.
“There’s the food bursting with zingy, sunny flavour, a landscape of steep hillsides carved with agricultural terraces, azure-domed churches perched by the sea and whitewashed villages.
“For a beach day, head to Platis Gialos – a stretch of sand backed by chic bars and eateries, such as Omega3 which serves seafood dishes such as sea urchin ceviche, paired with regional wines.
“The coastline is laced with smaller beaches and secluded rocky coves, with my favourite being below the blue-domed church of Panagia Poulati –reached via a short, but steep, hike down from Verina Astra.
“Floating in the clear water, and having the place all to ourselves, was the most delicious feeling of all.”
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If you are keen to explore more beach spots, Cherronisos is another good choice and can be found in a small fishing village on the far north of the island.
One recent visitor said: “Amazing beach, amazing walking trail to the church on the top of the hill and AMAZING tavern.”
Dotted around the beach you will find a number of holiday homes too, costing as little as £63 per night and boasting panoramic views of the sea.
Sifnos doesn’t have an airport, so you’ll have to catch a ferry to reach the island which takes between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half hours from Athens.
The main and only port on Sifnos is Kamares, where you will also find a number of places to stay including AirBnBs costing as little as £209 for a five night stay.
A single ticket from Athens to Sifnos on the ferry costs from €40.50 (£35.01) and the return leg costs from €35 (£30.26).
May 29 (UPI) — Ukraine on Friday evening said that it expects Russia to launch ‘big attacks’ against it sometime on Friday or Saturday, and warned its citizens to take cover.
Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelynsky told CBS News on Friday evening that it expects Russia to launch new attacks at the country in the next 24 to 48 hours, and advised his citizens to take cover.
“Our people have to be very, very careful, cautious and children – they have to use bomb shelters,” he told the news organization.
“Today, at night or tomorrow night, high percent – of course, nobody knows 100% – but there is high percent,” he said.
Russia on Friday evening already launched missiles toward Ukraine, with explosions reported in Kyiv and nearby regions, among other parts of the country, The Kyiv Post reported.
“We have intel that Russia is preparing a new massive attack,” Zelensky said in the post.
“Please pay attention to air raid alerts and stay safe,” he said.
The warnings follow an alleged drone hitting the roof of an apartment building in Romania, which was reportedly aimed at nearby location in Ukraine, which is neighbors the country.
Sharyn Alfonsi, the longtime “60 Minutes” correspondent who clashed with CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss over a story on Trump White House immigration policies, said Wednesday her contract is not being renewed.
“Over the weekend, my contract with CBS News expired, drawing to a close nearly twenty years with the network, including more than a decade at ’60 Minutes,’” Alfonsi, 54, said in a statement to The Times.
“Following an intense editorial dispute over our CECOT story, repeated attempts by my representation to establish a path forward were met with absolute silence from network executives,” she added. “The message could not be clearer: my time at 60 Minutes is apparently over.”
CBS News declined to comment on Alfonsi’s remarks. Her contract expired this past weekend but she remains employed at the division on an “at will” basis, which means she can be terminated at any time, according to people familiar with the discussions. Producers who worked with Alfonsi have been assigned to other correspondents.
Alfonsi made her comments as the “60 Minutes” staff anticipates significant changes in the coming days, which could include shifting the lineup of correspondents. Anderson Cooper has already announced his departure from the program after 20 seasons.
A scene from the “60 Minutes” report “Inside CECOT.”
(CBS News)
The segment at the center of Alfonsi’s likely exit, “Inside CECOT,” detailed the Trump administration’s treatment of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants who were deported to an El Salvador prison known for its harsh conditions.
“Inside CECOT” was scheduled to run Dec. 22 but was pulled the day before air by Weiss, who believed it needed more reporting, including a direct on-camera response from the administration, which did not participate.
Alfonsi protested the decision to hold the story, calling it politically motivated in an email she sent to colleagues that was shared publicly.
Alfonsi said at the time the story was ready for air after being vetted by the network’s attorneys and the standards and practices department.
“It is factually correct,” Alfonsi wrote. “In my view, pulling it now — after every rigorous internal check has been met is not an editorial decision, it is a political one.”
“Inside CECOT” eventually ran on Jan. 18 without any substantial changes to its tone or reporting. Weiss acknowledged internally that pulling the segment after it had already been promoted was a mistake.
The move created the first public relations fiasco under Weiss’ watch and tarnished the strong journalistic reputation of “60 Minutes.” The matter also added to the narrative that Weiss was installed at CBS News to placate the Trump administration as parent company Skydance Media sought government regulatory approval to buy Paramount and its current deal to merge with Warner Bros. Discovery.
The program has been in turmoil since October 2024 when President Trump filed a $20-billion lawsuit against CBS over an interview conducted with then-Vice President Kamala Harris that was settled to help clear the regulatory path for Skydance Media’s acquisition of Paramount last year.
Weiss joined CBS News in October with a mandate from Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison to pull the division to the political center. The founder of the conservative-friendly digital news site the Free Press, Weiss has wanted to make changes to “60 Minutes” but put them off until after the 2025-26 TV season ended this past weekend.
In her statement, Alfonsi predicted CBS News would try to make her exit an administrative decision not related to her work.
“In the coming days, network leadership may attempt to hide behind corporate euphemisms like ‘modernization’ and ‘restructuring’ to explain away my departure,” Alfonsi said. “Don’t be misled. This was not a routine corporate transition; it was a deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize factually accurate reporting, and it sends a chilling message to the entire newsroom.”
Insiders at CBS News are uncertain about the extent of the planned overhaul. Weiss has been advised to limit any disruption to “60 Minutes,” which is coming off a strong season of ratings performance.
Nielsen data showed the program averaged 9.1 million viewers in its Sunday time period, up 9% from the previous year. The program’s views across digital and social media platforms were also up substantially.
Spotify Technology SA announced several new initiatives — from concert ticket perks to a major AI-generated music licensing deal — that the Swedish audio streaming company said will help fuel growth over the next four years.
At the first investor day led by new co-chief executives Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, Spotify outlined a vision revolving around features that will allow people to personalize their listening experience, whether with music, podcasts, audiobooks or working out. Investors liked what they heard, pushing Spotify shares up as much as 18% over the course of the presentation.
Spotify addressed one of Wall Street’s biggest concerns about artificial intelligence by announcing a major new licensing deal with Universal Music Group NV. The agreement will let Spotify launch a tool to let fans create covers and remixes of their favorite songs from artists and songwriters who opt in. Powered by generative AI, the tool will be available as a paid add-on for Spotify Premium users. It will open up additional revenue streams for Spotify and create a new source of income for artists and songwriters on top of what they already earn on the platform, according to the companies.
Spotify has been working with the music industry on ways to harness the power and consumer interest in AI without violating artists’ rights. Last October, the company announced an agreement with the biggest record labels to use AI in a “responsible way,” but didn’t specify at the time what those tools would look like.
“This era of generation doesn’t need to threaten the future of music,” said Charlie Hellman, Spotify’s head of music. “Because we built the system legal, trusted and aligned, we can make sure that the value flows back to the people who created it.”
In another big announcement, the company laid out plans to work with Live Nation Entertainment Inc. to offer Spotify subscribers the option to purchase two tickets to their favorite star’s concert before they go on sale to the general public. The move could help resolve some of the issues fans have had in beating ticket resellers to face-value tickets, while encouraging customers to stay on as subscribers even as Spotify raises monthly fees.
Fans have long complained about the ticketing process for live performances, which often pit people against bots and scalpers, leading to high prices and sold-out shows.
“It’s frustrating for fans,” said Rene Volker, head of live events. “It’s frustrating for artists too, who look out at a crowd and wonder, are the fans who built my career actually here?” The new “Reserved” perk is designed to relieve some of that tension. “No racing bots, no chasing around online for presale codes. Just two tickets held for you,” she said.
The presentations Thursday were designed to comfort investors and prove that Spotify can still innovate. Wall Street has been skeptical that the company can rein in costs while staying ahead of competitors, particularly as it relates to AI. Those concerns have weighed on shares this year, sending them down 25% through Wednesday’s close. While the company makes most of its money through subscriptions, the executives sought to reinforce the idea that they have other levers to pull in order to generate sales beyond monthly fees and that people are willing to spend more for certain features.
The company outlined its growth targets through 2030, including a compound annual growth rate in the mid teens, a gross margin of 35% to 40% and an operating margin above 20%. Spotify remains committed to its long-term goal of 1 billion subscribers, $100 billion in revenue and over 40% in gross margin, the executives said.
Spotify sees its podcast and audiobook features as complementary to music and said the combination of the multiple verticals has helped broaden its community and convert users from free listeners to paid subscribers. Today, more than 500 million people have streamed a video podcast on Spotify, up nearly 50% from a year ago. And in just a few years, Spotify has captured about 20% of the audiobooks market in the US, executives said. People who use all three verticals — music, podcasts and audiobooks — are engaging with Spotify almost every day of the month, according to the company.
Giving people the tools to personalize their listening experience helps keep them in Spotify’s universe — creating what executives described as the “all day user.”
Personal Podcasts, for example, lets people write a prompt in the Spotify app and AI will create a unique podcast in response.
“We see this much more as a daily brief and a recommendation engine than something that would replace you listening to one of your favorite podcasts,” Söderström said in an interview. He noted that 60% of users in mature markets for Spotify don’t yet listen to podcasts, so features like Personal Podcasts could get them to dive into the medium.
The company said its podcast business has been profitable for two years.
Spotify’s Audiobook+ tier gives listeners more than their allotted 15 hours of audiobook listening per month for an additional fee. It has 1 million subscribers and is on track to generate $100 million in annualized revenue, the company said. To capitalize on the demand, Spotify will start selling even more audiobook hours to super users. Additionally, it will allow podcasters to offer memberships, so subscribers can access special episodes and other content. Spotify will take an undisclosed slice of revenue from the memberships.
Carman writes for Bloomberg.
SUPERSTAR Lizzo has turned heads looking smoking hot in a skimpy pink bikini.
The 38-year-old looked fabulous as she showed off her newly-slimmed-down figure in a neon tiny two-piece.
The Truth Hurts singer – who has lost around 60 pounds over two years – posed proudly in front of a decadent gold mirror.
Making the pink pop even more, she colour coordinated with a vase full of peonies and she captured herself in the striking swimsuit.
She wrote alongside the pictures: “Not enough big grrrls w they whole stomach out fa me.” (sic)
Followers commented: “Wish I had your confidence.”
Another agreed:” Queen!! If only we all shared the same confidence!”
A third praised: “Pray she never gets a tummy tuck! I love her this way!”
With her hair tied back in a silk headscarf, she accessorised with a colourful beaded necklace and bracelet.
Looking fresh and flawless, she added to the outfit with black shades as she posed up a storm.
She further delighted fans by posting a sassy video wearing a red string bikini sporting long blonde hair as she strutted up and down.
It’s rumoured the pop icon has lost 60lb, though she has never publicly revealed this because she didn’t want others to make comparisons.
Prior to the weight loss, she helped kick-start her health journey by going two months with no alcohol.
In June last year, she said: “I’ve tried everything. It’s just the science for me – calories in, calories out. Ozempic works because you eat less food.
“That’s it. It makes you feel full, so if you can just do that on your own and get mind over matter, it’s the same s**t.”
Lizzo explained how she ditched her vegetarian diet, realising it was causing her to eat in excess of 3,000 calories, after visiting Japan.
Lizzo began her weight loss journey at the end of 2023 when she was “severely depressed”.
She previously admitted she would order hundreds of dollars of food delivery and eat everything until her stomach ‘felt like it would explode’.
In 2025, Lizzo noted that she had ‘quit drinking for the longest’ but reincorporated it into her lifestyle because she’d ‘earned it’.
Last November, she wrote in an essay on Substack: “So here we are halfway through the decade, where extended sizes are being magically erased from websites.
“Plus sized models are no longer getting booked for modeling gigs. And all of our big girls are not-so big anymore.”
She said: “We’re in an era where the bigger girls are getting smaller because they’re tired of being judged.
“And now those bigger girls are being judged for getting smaller by the very community they used to empower.
“There’s nothing wrong with living in a bigger body. There’s nothing wrong with being fat.
“But if a woman wants to change, she should be allowed to change.”
POWDERY sands, vibrant wildlife, crystal waters and less crowds – one Caribbean island has it all.
South Caicos is one of the islands found in Turks and Caicos, a British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean.
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The picturesque island often known as the fishing capital of the archipelago, with a variety of sea life including eagle rays, hawksbill sea turtles, nurse sharks, parrotfish, bonefish and conch.
Despite historically having a prominent fishing and salt industry, today the island remains largely untouched and according to Travel and Leisure, it is becoming the next Caribbean hotspot.
When it comes to things to do on the island, a lot of the top activities revolve around the local wildlife.
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For example, you can go bird watching at the salt ponds across the island.
These salt ponds were operational until the 1960s, but today stand still as a haven for birds including wild flamingos.
The salt ponds aren’t just home to birds though; you might even catch a glimpse of a wild donkey.
Another wildlife-based activity you can do from the island, is heading on a boat tour to see whales such as humpbacks, between January and April.
Thanks to the island being largely underdeveloped, it is also a great spot to stargaze as there is little light pollution.
Cockburn Harbour is the main town on the island and here, visitors can expect to see dramatic cliffs and reefs – which make for great snorkelling spots.
The town itself boasts Bermudian style buildings as well as stone walls down each street and is the best place to try some of the local cuisine such as conch fritters and conch salad, spiny lobster in garlic butter and whole boiled fish.
Another popular spot to visit nearby, is The Boiling Hole, which is a tidal pool connected to the ocean via underground caves.
If you head to the outskirts of Cockburn Harbour, you’ll see the salt salinas (marshes and ponds) as well.
Away from the main town, head to Highland House and Government Hill, where you’ll find a ruined colonial home that has views of the town as well as the surrounding area.
Down from Highland House, you can visit Highlands Beach – a rugged spot backed by limestone rocks and sand dunes, that also makes a great start or end point for hikes.
At the north end of the island, there’s the remote Plandon Cay Cut and beach, and if you want a more swimmin-g friendly spot, head to Long Beach, which stretches on for 1.25 miles.
This spot is often thought to be the best on the island for snorkelling as well.
If you happen to be on the island in May, you can experience the Annual South Caicos Regatta where there are a number of parties, boat races and games.
There are even beauty pageants, Maypole dancing and float parades as well.
In fact, it is the oldest native festival across the Turks and Caicos islands.
When it comes to places to stay in South Caicos there are a few options – though be warned they do come with a bit of a price tag.
For example you could stay at the Sailrock South Caicos, an SLH Hotel, from £611 per night.
The hotel features a variety of suites and villas as well as a spa, Ridgetop Spa Cabanas, sailing experiences, snorkelling and sand volleyball.
There’s also Marriott’s Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa which was named one of the best new hotels of 2025 by Travel and Leisure.
Inside, there are around 100 rooms for guests to choose from as well as a sprawling swimming pool, spa and a number of experiences including sunset cruises and flyfishing sessions.
A stay at the resort costs from £525 per night.
The best way to get to the island is by catching a short 20-minute flight from Providenciales.
A one-way flight between London and Providenciales in June costs from £362 per person.
The UCLA comeback kings are Big Ten tournament champions.
A clutch hit by Aidan Espinoza and two reviews fueled the No. 1 Bruins’ rally for a dramatic 3-2 win over Oregon in 11 innings in the Big Ten tournament title game Sunday in Omaha, Neb.
UCLA rallied for wins during all three of its Big Ten tournament games and has earned 28 comeback wins this season.
“I’m just glad we won,” UCLA junior Mulivai Levu said during a postgame interview on the Big Ten Network. “It was a team effort today. Everyone did their job. Once again, we came from behind and did it.”
The Bruins trailed Oregon 2-1 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Espinoza tied the game with a single. The Bruins could not tack on another run, and the contest moved to extra innings.
In the bottom of the 11th, UCLA loaded the bases with no outs after an official review determined that Roman Martin was narrowly safe at third base following a bunt.
Oregon closer Devin Bell got Cashel Dugger and Espinoza to strike out swinging. Then the winning run advanced after the umpire ruled Phoenix Call was hit by Bell’s pitch. After a lengthy review, the call on the field was upheld, and UCLA celebrated the program’s first Big Ten tournament title.
“Just a lot of fight,” UCLA coach John Savage said on the Big Ten Network when asked about the Bruins’ penchant for comeback wins. “They certainly believe in one another. We’ve done it all season long. Good teams keep getting better.
”… You might see a couple of Big Ten teams back here in a couple of weeks.”
Will Gasparino was ejected in the fourth inning for malicious contact after he was caught in a rundown and ran over an Oregon player ready to tag him out at third base.
Oregon challenged the on-field ruling that Gasparino was simply out on the play. After a review, Gasparino was ejected and will miss UCLA’s NCAA regional opener.
The Bruins, the top-ranked team in the country, will learn their NCAA tournament seeding and regional matchup Monday morning.
After a nearly seven-year absence from theaters, Star Wars proved it still has the Force, as the latest installment, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” is on track to earn an estimated $102 million in the U.S. and Canada for the Memorial Day weekend.
The movie, which is a continuation of “The Mandalorian” streaming show that debuted on Disney+ in 2019, met studio expectations for its opening weekend results.
Globally, the film was on track to pull in $165 million for the four-day holiday weekend.
Director Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” now ranks as the year’s third-highest grossing domestic opening, based on its Friday-Sunday ticket sales of $82 million, according to ticket tracker Comscore.
The results are likely a relief to Walt Disney Co.-owned Lucasfilm, which had not released a theatrical Star Wars film since 2019’s “Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker.”
Since then, the San Francisco-based studio has largely focused on its Star Wars streaming shows, which have included both live-action and animated series. Some of those shows received mixed reviews, though “The Mandalorian” and “Rogue One” spin-off “Andor” were breakout hits, praised by critics and largely revered by fans.
The movie — starring Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White — benefited from positive reviews from moviegoers, but it stopped short of shattering expectations. Its initial financial performance was on par with the disappointing 2018 opening weekend for “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” That film notched $103 million in its opening weekend.
Still, as cinemas struggle to recover from pandemic-era shutdowns, a film that generates more than $100 million in its the opening weekend is typically seen as a success.
Box office revenue for “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which played in 4,300 theaters, will be just one indicator of the movie’s success.
The Burbank entertainment giant is counting on the film to boost other parts of its business, including views of Star Wars shows on the Disney+ streaming service, its gaming collaboration with Fortnite and its all-important theme parks sector. The main characters are present in the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge-themed land, and the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ride has been overlaid with a new “Mandalorian and Grogu” storyline at Disney parks in Anaheim and Orlando.
The weekend ticket sales underscore the enduring appeal of Star Wars, which remains among Disney’s top five franchises, producing more than $1 billion in annual retail sales.
Reception for the film was seen as critical to keeping the franchise fresh in moviegoers’ minds, particularly as Disney prepares for the upcoming 50th anniversary of Star Wars and a new movie starring Ryan Gosling set for next year.
Locally, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” is the first Star Wars movie to be made entirely in Los Angeles.
The film received a state tax credit to film in the Golden State, Favreau said at the premiere last week.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” faced little new competition at the box office this Memorial Day weekend. Rival studios largely stayed on the sidelines, with no other potential blockbuster debuting at the same time.
Focus Films’ horror hit “Obsession” came in second at the box office with $22.4 million for its three-day total, according to Comscore.
Lionsgate’s blockbuster Michael Jackson documentary, “Michael,” snared $20 million, bringing its total to $314 million. “The Devil Wears Prada 2” came in fourth with $12.6 million, bringing its purse to $196 million since it opened earlier this month.
Amazon’s MGM studio’s “The Sheep Detectives” rounded out the top five with nearly $9 million.
The second World Cup to be played in the U.S. will kick off in less than three weeks but apparently some people can’t wait since the American team’s tournament roster was leaked to The Guardian on Saturday.
The Athletic said it had independently confirmed the 26-player list with multiple sources. U.S. Soccer is scheduled to formally release the team in a nationally televised event in Manhattan this week. Contacted by The Times for comment Saturday a U.S. Soccer spokesman said, “What I can tell you is we will make the official announcement Tuesday.”
But it’s the roster, and not the way in which it was released, that is of most importance here and among the striking omissions are midfielders Tanner Tessmann and Diego Luna. Tessmann had been called into six training camps under U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and was seen as a potential starter for the U.S. before being shut down by his French club, Lyon, at the end of the season, leaving his fitness for the World Cup in question.
Luna, who plays in MLS for Real Salt Lake, also has been a regular under Pochettino, playing in 17 of the U.S. team’s 18 games in 2025, scoring four goals and contributing four assists. But he missed time earlier this season because of a knee injury and sat out his club team’s last two games with a muscle problem.
Thirteen of the 26 players who were selected — including midfielders Tyler Adams, Gio Reyna, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie — were on the U.S. team in Qatar four years ago. They will be joined by defenders Miles Robinson and Chris Richards, who missed the last World Cup to injury, and forward Ricardo Pepi, one of the final cuts in 2022.
Richards was included on the roster confirmed by the Athletic despite tearing two ligaments in his left ankle in Crystal Palace’s penultimate Premier League match with Brentford last weekend. The final roster, which can include between 23 and 26 players, must be filed to FIFA by June 1. However teams can replace players up to 24 hours before their opening match in the event of injury or illness.
Reyna, one of the most gifted players in the U.S. talent pool, was named to the team despite having played just one full 90-minute game for club or country in the last four years. And in the last World Cup in Qatar, he was nearly sent home for a perceived lack of effort in training after he learned he wouldn’t be a starter in the tournament.
“No spot is guaranteed or safe,” he said of the World Cup during an interview earlier this month alongside his German club teammate Joe Scally, who also made the U.S. roster. “I want to be there. It’s a World Cup in your home country.
“It’s a dream come true.”
“It only happens every four years,” added Scally, who made the 2022 team but did not play in the tournament. “Everyone’s just super excited, especially to be in America. It’s going to be very special.”
Among the first-time World Cup selections are midfielder Malik Tillman, the German-born brother of LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman; Mexican-born attacker Alejandro Zendejas, who plays for Club América in Liga MX; and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, son of Gregg Berhalter, the U.S. coach in the last World Cup.
The inclusion of Zendejas on the roster was a bit of a surprise since his last appearance with the national team came in September but he has played well with América this season.
After Tuesday’s roster announcement in New York, the team will fly to Atlanta for training camp ahead of friendlies with Senegal in Charlotte, N.C., on May 31 and against Germany on June 6 in Chicago. The U.S. opens World Cup play at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, facing Paraguay.
Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
Defenders: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sergiño Dest (PSV), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse) Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Auston Trusty (Celtic)
Midfielders: Tyler Adams (AFC Bournemouth), Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Gio Reyna (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alejandro Zendejas (Club América)
Forwards: Folarin Balogun (AS Monaco), Ricardo Pepi (PSV),Haji Wright (Coventry City)
Mulivai Levu helped UCLA remain the comeback kings of college baseball, hitting a walk-off, three-run home run to seal a 7-5 win over rival USC on Saturday and a spot in the Big Ten tournament championship game.
It was No. 1 seed UCLA’s 27th comeback win of the season and the second consecutive game Levu’s hit sealed a victory during the Big Ten tournament played in Omaha, Neb.
On Saturday night, Levu hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to seal UCLA’s comeback 4-3 win over Purdue in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
UCLA improved to 50-6, a record that Levu said gives the team confidence it will find a way to win.
“It’s the power of friendship right there. We’re all well connected,” Levu said during an interview Saturday on the Big Ten Network. “… We just don’t give up. We’re never out of it, we’re never doubting ourselves. We know what kind of lineup we’ve got, we’ve just got to use it.”
USC’s Augie Lopez hit a double and the rest of the Trojans were active early, building a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Levu hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit. Dominic Cadiz had an RBI single in the fourth before pitchers held both teams scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings.
Dean West hit a two-run home run in the seventh to give UCLA its first lead at 4-3, and both teams were scoreless in the eighth.
In the ninth, Adrian Lopez and Augie Lopez managed to score runs for USC, taking a 5-4 lead. Top Trojans reliever Adam Troy got No. 1 MLB draft prospect Roch Cholowsky to fly out.
Then Levu entered the batter’s box with two outs and hit the home run that sent USC (43-15) back to Los Angeles for a break before the NCAA tournament brackets are revealed Sunday night.
“They’re rivals on the field, but those are our boys off the field,” Levu said of the Trojans. “They’re good guys and they’re good team. We’ll probably see them again later on in the playoff run. Props to them, it was a great game, they made it very interesting. I’m just glad we won.”
ZARA McDermott looked proud as punch as she watched boyfriend Louis Tomlinson perform from the side of the stage.
The reality star stood in pride of place throughout his set at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Sunderland.
Zara, 28, kept it casual for the festival outing in a black cropped T-shirt teamed with low-rise green trousers.
The former Love Island star accessorised with a beige Miu Miu baseball cap while wearing her brunette hair loose over her shoulders.
Holding a can of Diet Coke, Zara appeared animated as she chatted and clapped from the VIP viewing area while watching Louis, 33, perform.
Their relationship was recently rocked by rumours Zara was more than just good friends with Joey Essex.
The pair formed a tight-knit bond after meeting while starring together on ITV’s Cooking With The Stars.
In pictures taken after filming wrapped on the reality show, Zara and Joey were seen together, with him leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.
Zara was met with furious trolling despite multiple reports insisting the snaps were completely innocent.
Zara and Louis were first linked in March 2025 after fans noticed they had followed each other on Instagram, with many believing the pair were introduced through the singer’s sisters.
The couple have proved an unlikely match given the singer’s past views on Love Island, the ITV2 dating show that made her famous in 2018.
When Zara’s series came to an end, Louis publicly celebrated online, tweeting: “Can I just say, thank f**k Love Island is over!”
He later doubled down on his criticism of the programme, claiming the hit reality series was “not a good message for the younger people watching”.
Spencer Pratt, please give me a call.
We should talk.
You say you want to be mayor of Los Angeles, but do you really?
I know that being a candidate has rescued you from anonymity after your career in reality TV went off a cliff. You’ve got CEOs backing you, and fans raving, and you’ve managed to milk social media attention.
But at some point you might have to answer questions from the reporters you’ve been avoiding.
And if you win, you’re going to have to drive to City Hall five, six, seven days a week, and I don’t know if you saw my column a few weeks ago, but the fountain on the south lawn hasn’t worked in about 60 years. If you get elected, you better put a wrench in your lunch box, because nobody has figured out how to fix it.
So that’s the reality, pretty much. And the unions will want what they want, and the socialists on the City Council will be lying in wait, especially after President Trump blew you a cross-country air kiss and certified your MAGA credentials.
More than 30,000 people are waiting for their broken sidewalks to get fixed (I’m not exaggerating) but there’s no money, and if you hire several thousand more police officers as you’ve pledged, the city would be bankrupt for the next decade or so and you’d need to take out a loan to buy a doughnut.
So call me, like I say, because I think there’s still time to change your mind.
If you choose to proceed, and if you actually win, it might feel like you’re in a sequel to that reality show you did called “I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here,” and you may end up praying the show gets canceled. The mayor’s hours are long, and everywhere you go, someone will want you to fix this problem or that, and as you wander the halls of power you’ll think back on your campaign pledges and hear the constant echo of a line from H.L. Mencken:
“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”
Can I confess something?
I’m feeling guilty about all of this.
Not to sound presumptuous, but I feel partly responsible for the fact that you’re in contention for the job.
Like you, I’ve been calling out issues with the management of L.A., and I’ve been doing it for years. But I had the good sense not to run for mayor.
Why’s that?
Because unlike you, I know the fixes aren’t as easy as we’d like them to be.
When Karen Bass was running the first time, I had a long talk with her about her homelessness plan, among other things. At the end of the day, she asked for my input.
I reminded her that as much as people would like for the city’s top elected official to immediately clear the streets, a mayor is limited by shared power with the City Council.
By drug epidemics and untreated mental illness that are largely under county authority.
By uncertain funding from the nation’s capital.
By global forces that transformed the economy and created staggering levels of inequality that are made all the worse by the high cost of housing.
Bass was aware of all that, but said that having worked in Sacramento and D.C., and having built relationships with county supervisors, she’d be able to build better systems and get better outcomes.
So how has she done?
Not great. And then there’s the fire.
As I’ve said before, leaving the country despite forecasts of elevated wildfire risk was probably the worst mistake of her political career.
I don’t need to remind you of that. Having lost your house in the Palisades, you know that Bass badly underreacted, then stumbled on the rebuilding, and then had a hand in downplaying the Fire Department’s failure to adequately deploy and extinguish the fire that became an inferno.
To summarize, she’s left herself wide open to a challenge.
And she probably can’t believe how lucky she is that you might be her November competition, if the two of you bounce out Councilmember Nithya Raman and the other candidates in the June 2 primary.
I don’t hold it against you that you haven’t worked in government or politics before. These days, a lot of voters prefer outsiders. But it might have helped if you’d done something of purpose at some point in your life, like run a successful business or volunteer at a food bank. Were you junior high class president, or were you in the Boy Scouts? Anything could help.
Not that being the boyfriend and later the husband of someone on an MTV reality show called “The Hills,” which chronicled the work of a woman who went from “Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” to an internship at Teen Vogue, can’t prepare a young man for statesmanship.
In this culture, you could ride that all the way to the White House.
But the flimsy resume could explain, Spencer, why you’ve been taking so many social media-fueled potshots at Bass without offering anything of substance.
Let’s arrest drug zombies.
OK, then what?
I’d advise you to study the primer by my colleagues Doug Smith and Andrew Khouri on what you can and can’t do about homelessness as a mayor in L.A. Clearly, you’ve got a lot of boning up to do. In fact, I’m reminded of a line by a Philadelphia columnist years ago, when he said of a politician who wasn’t up to the job: He’s been standing in shallow water for so long, he doesn’t realize he can’t swim.
If I were you, I’d consider the fact that President Trump made the mistake of promising easy fixes. He was going to deliver a massive infrastructure program. He was going to deliver healthcare reform that was better and cheaper for everyone. He was going to lower consumer prices on Day One, and here we are, with millions of people wondering how they’re going to pay their bills while Trump rigs it so he doesn’t have to pay the IRS.
All that being said, I’m glad you decided to run, because elected officials need constant reminders that their jobs are not secure, even when the challengers are way in over their heads. I’d almost like to see you win, because that’s one reality show I’d be sure to watch.
And I say this despite the fact that you once told your talk show buddy Alex Jones — who insisted that 9/11 was an inside job and that the Sandy Hook massacre of 20 children was a hoax — that melting ice caps are overrated. Or, as you explained it to Jones, “we’ve all seen footage of the polar bears swimming to new pieces of ice.”
When the general election rolls around, and the ice begins to break, will you know how to swim?
steve.lopez@latimes.com
