brothers

Nov. 26 (UPI) — Federal authorities on Wednesday announced the arrest of a Virginia high school principal and his brother on charges of plotting to attack immigration agents.

John and Mark Bennett were arrested Nov. 19 — John Bennett in Virginia Beach, where he worked as an assistant principal at Kempsville High School, and Mark Bennett at Norfolk International Airport, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

According to authorities, an investigation was launched into the brothers on Nov. 17 after an off-duty Norfolk police officer heard the pair allegedly discussing plans to kill police officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

“Mark Bennett was also overheard saying he was planning to meet with like-minded individuals in Las Vegas, Nev., to purchase firearms with explosive rounds to carry out the attacks,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

Mark Bennett was arrested as he was to board a flight to Charlotte, N.C., from where authorities allege he planned to travel to Las Vegas.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused the brothers of discussing plans to secure a high-caliber rifle capable of piercing bullet-resistant vests.

“It’s chilling that a human being, much less a child educator, would plot to ambush and kill ICE law enforcement officers,” McLaughlin said.

The arrests come amid an increase in U.S. immigration enforcement operations in many Democratic-led cities as the Trump administration carries out a broader immigration crackdown, which has been met with protests, criticism and legal challenges.

According to Department of Homeland Security statistics, there have been 238 reported assaults on ICE agents so far this year, an increase of 19 from the same period last year.

The Trump administration has criticized Democrats for rhetoric it says is fueling the violence.

“Our law enforcement officers have had Molotov cocktails and rocks thrown at them, been shot at, had cars used as weapons against them and been physically assaulted,” McLaughlin said in a statement on Monday.

“Sanctuary politicians need to tone the rhetoric down before a law enforcement officer is killed.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. My name is Eric Sondheimer. It’s championship week in high school football. It’s also the 10-year anniversary of one of best and most entertaining high school basketball teams in history — the unbeaten 2015-16 Chino Hills Huskies, led by the Ball brothers

Looking back at greatness

LiAngelo Ball, center, is flanked by his brothers Lonzo, second from left, and LaMelo in 2016.

(Los Angeles Times)

High school basketball fans, sportswriters and coaches had the time of their lives watching the creation of Chino Hills’ 35-0 team from 2015, with brothers Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball in starring roles. They helped entertain and draw so many Oohs and Aahs that they became nationally recognized, along with their always talkative father, LaVar.

The tales of showing up with a lawn chair two hours before a game to make sure you got a seat before the gym sold out are legendary. The talent and chemistry of the Balls, along with Onyeka Okongwu and Eli Scott, was something to behold all the way to Chino Hills winning the state championship in March of 2016 in Sacramento.

Here’s a look back from a sportswriter’s perspective and that of the head coach, Steve Baik.

Keawe Browne (2) celebrates after a blocked Mater Dei field-goal attempt gives Corona Centennial 28-27 win.

(Craig Weston)

Who had Santa Margarita facing Corona Centennial in Friday’s Southern Section Division 1 final at the Rose Bowl? Both teams earned the spot, the first time St. John Bosco or Mater Dei have failed to participate in the championship game since 2012.

Here’s how Centennial beat Mater Dei 28-27 in the semifinals with a blocked field goal at the end of the game.

Santa Margarita took care of business in the other semifinal to defeat Orange Lutheran. The Eagles are surging because of their terrific defense and the threat Trent Mosley offers any time he touches the ball. Here’s the report.

Here’s a look at how Santa Margarita and Centennial cracked the code to create a new championship game.

In Division 2, two league rivals, Los Alamitos and San Clemente, will play for a second time this season on Saturday night at San Clemente.

Here’s this weekend’s championship schedule.

Here’s a look at the top individual performances from last week.

Crenshaw pulled off the win that few expected when the City Section season began last August. The Cougars handed Birmingham its first defeat after 55 consecutive wins over City opponents 12-7 in the City Open Division semifinals. What a coaching job by interim coach Terrence Whitehead. His team will face Carson for the City title on Saturday at L.A. Southwest College. Here’s a look at Crenshaw’s journey this season.

Carson first-year coach William Lowe has his team trying for a 12th City title.

(Nick Koza)

Carson is playing like a No. 1 seed after dominating Garfield in the semifinals. With quarterback Chris Fields’ ability to run or pass, the Colts will have an advantage against a Crenshaw team that hasn’t faced many teams with balanced offenses.

South Gate quarterback Michael Gonzalez tries to console William Smith of Dorsey in an act of sportsmanship after South Gate win.

(Nick Koza)

In Division I, South Gate will take on Marquez on Saturday. South Gate defeated Dorsey in its semifinal and Marquez toppled top-seeded Venice. Here’s a look at South Gate players showing sportsmanship after their game. Dorsey had to play on Monday after playoff game against Eagle Rock had a power blackout. Here’s a look at the Dons’ win.

In Division II, Cleveland rallied for a win over Fairfax and will face San Fernando. Here’s a report. In Division III, Hawkins will play Santee.

Basketball

Brandon McCoy of Sierra Canyon had nine dunks and 25 points in win over JSerra.

(Craig Weston)

The Trinity-Mission League Challenge at Pauley Pavilion produced lots of dunks and competitive games. The best game ended up being the last, with St. John Bosco beating Harvard-Westlake 57-55. Santa Margarita rallied for a 77-73 win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame behind 28 points from Brayden Kyman. Brandon McCoy had nine dunks in his Sierra Canyon debut, a win over JSerra.

Here’s a look at the games and top performances.

Here’s this week’s top 25 rankings by The Times.

In girls basketball, defending Southern Section Open Division champion Ontarior Christian started with two wins and Kaleena Smith scoring 45 and 35 points.

Redondo Union is hosting a tournament beginning Monday that includes Etiwanda.

Harvard-Westlake unveiled freshman Lucia Khamenia, the sister of Nikolas. Here’s a report.

Legacy of the Kymans

Brayden Kyman of Santa Margarita.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

The Kymans have been a sports family for years. Bernie Kyman was a coach and athletic direct. Son Coley starred in football and volleyball at Reseda and Cal State Northridge. His son Jake won a CIF title at Santa Margarita before playing for UCLA basketball.

Now Brayden is a senior basketball player at Santa Margarita. The family is moving to Montana after this season. A look at the impact and legacy of the Kymans.

Girls tennis

The Calabasas High girls tennis team won the Southern Section Division 2 championship.

(Courtesy Calabasas High)

Corona del Mar completed an unbeaten Southern Section girls tennis season with a victory over Portola in the Division 1 championship match. Here’s a report.

Calabasas defeated Harvard-Westlake for the Division 2 title. Here’s a report.

Alexa Guerrero holds the championship plaque as she and her Marshall teammates celebrate their City Section Open Division flag football championship win over Eagle Rock.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Marshall has climbed to the top in City Section flag football with a 20-0 win over Eagle Rock in the Open Division final.

Here’s a look at the newest City champions.

Cross country

Irvine senior Summer Wilson won the Southern Section Division 2 cross-country title.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

On the rain course at Mount San Antonio College, Summer Wilson ran away with the Division 2 championship at the Southern Section cross-country championships. Here’s the report.

The City championships were held at Elysian Park, and Palisades won boys and girls titles. Here’s the report.

The state championships will be held Saturday at Woodward Park in Fresno.

Girls volleyball

Mater Dei, Harvard-Westlake and Cypress won state championships in girls volleyball.

Here’s the report.

Notes . . .

Justin Utupo is out after one season as football coach at Long Beach Poly. The Jackrabbits (5-5) lost six players to ineligibility by the Southern Section and the school administration refused to allow the team to participate in the playoffs. The program has won 20 Southern Section football championships but last won a Division 1 title in 2012 under Raul Lara. Here’s the report. . . .

Aaron Huerta has resigned after one season as football coach at Bishop Alemany. . ..

The CIF state championship football games will be played Dec. 11-12 at Buena Park High, Fullerton High and Saddleback College. . . .

Bo Beatty, the co-head football coach at Bonita, has resigned to return to Azusa Pacific where he was a long-time assistant coach. Steve Bogan is the co-head coach. . . .

Defensive lineman James Moffat of Crespi has committed to UCLA. . . .

Santa Margarita won its third state title in girls golf at Poppy Hills Golf Course. . . .

It was the year of Newport Harbor in boys water polo. The team lost one match all season and avenged its only defeat with a win over Cathedral Catholic in the regional final. . . .

Kacey Norwood has been named interim girls’ lacrosse coach at St. Margaret’s. . . .

JD Hill, a defensive lineman at Mission Viejo, has committed to Washington. . . .

Cooper Javorsky, a lineman from San Juan Hills who decommitted as a UCLA recruit after the firing of DeShaun Foster, has recommitted to the Bruins. . . .

Here’s a report and update on former San Juan Hills linebacker Weston Port and his Mormon mission in Spain. . . .

From the archives: Carson Schwesinger

Former Oaks Christian and UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger.

(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

Former Oaks Christian and UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger is having a successful rookie season for the Cleveland Browns. After being selected No. 33 overall in the NFL draft, he’s been starting and earning rave reviews.

He went to UCLA as a walk-on and became a star.

Here’s a story from 2021 on Schwesinger walking on at UCLA.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on a high school football lineman who didn’t know how to put on pads three years ago and became an Oregon recruit.

From the San Diego Union-Tribune, a look at the top high school basketball teams in San Diego.

From NFHS.org, a story of sportsmanship across the country in high school sports.

From the Las Vegas Review Journal, a story on changes in Nevada’s football playoff system that will allow Bishop Gorman only one nonleague game starting in 2026.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

Did you get this newsletter forwarded to you? To sign up and get it in your inbox, click here.

Eddie Murphy is set to star in his own Netflix special Being Eddie, which will take a look at his life and career for the first time.

Eddie Murphy might be amongst the most celebrated comedy legends of our time, but his early years were overshadowed by his father’s tragic and unexpected passing.

Being Eddie, a brand-new Netflix documentary launching on Wednesday, November 12, will offer an unprecedented glimpse into the life of the beloved actor and comedian Eddie Murphy.

Viewers will not only hear directly from the star himself but will also be introduced to his loved ones and given exclusive access to his opulent Beverly Hills mansion.

However, his upbringing in Brooklyn, New York, was worlds apart from his current lifestyle, as he emerged from a fractured household following the separation of his father Charles Edward Murphy and mother Lillian Murphy when he was just three years old.

The Coming to America legend previously revealed to Rolling Stone that he retained only “very dim memories” of his father due to the divorce and Charles’ untimely demise five years afterwards.

In 1969, Eddie Murphy’s father Charles was allegedly killed in a stabbing by a woman consumed with jealousy.

The performer revealed: “He was a victim of the Murphy charm ‘chuckles’.

“A woman stabbed my father. I never got all the logistics.

“It was supposed to be one of those crimes of passion: ‘If I can’t have you, then no one else will’ kind of deal.'”.

He went on: “Someone said to me one day, ‘That’s why you don’t trust women.'”.

“Get the f**k outta here. What are you, a f*****g psychiatrist?

“I don’t think the two have anything to do with each other.

“But I was really f-ked up about his death. It was really traumatic.”

Eddie has faced more than his fair share of loss in his life.

His uncle and father figure, Raymond Leon “Uncle Ray” Murphy, passed away in October 2013 at the age of 74.

In Eddie’s early career days, Uncle Ray was the head of his security and even had minor roles in some of his nephew’s films like Coming to America and Beverly Hills Cop II.

Tragedy struck again when Eddie’s older brother, fellow actor and comedian Charlie Murphy, died from Leukaemia in 2017 at just 57 years old.

Charlie was a talented individual who wrote and starred in the sketch comedy series Chappell’s Show and featured in the sitcom Black Jesus.

Being Eddie is set to premiere on Netflix on Wednesday, November 12.

Big Brother star Richard Storry has been on the ITV show since its return in September

ITV2’s Big Brother is approaching its finale this month as viewers are having their say on who they reckon should triumph, with one clear frontrunner emerging victorious.

Since the revamped series made its comeback to ITV2 screens in September, there’s been plenty of explosive moments, from bitter rows erupting to personalities clashing spectacularly.

Just last week, three contestants were sent home, including Sam during a shock back-door eviction, and Caroline and Nancy after facing the public vote.

Caroline had been stirring up trouble during her stint in the legendary house, particularly with her “feud” with Richard. Caroline faced backlash from viewers for alleged “bullying” behaviour towards Richard, reports OK!.

However, as she’s now been evicted, Richard stays in the house, with massive backing from the public – so much so that, according to betting odds last week, the star was tipped to win, with odds at 5-4.

Coral’s John Hill said: “We have seen a strong wave of support for Richard in our Big Brother betting after he escaped Friday night’s double eviction.

“There is no doubt punters are siding with Richard in his feud with Caroline.”

Richard is also the champion for some viewers, as one person wrote on X: “RICHARD TO WIN!”. Another added, “Looks like Richard is the winner of Big Brother 2025.”

Who is Richard Storry?

Richard entered the Big Brother house later than the others, arriving alongside Cameron B, Feyisola, and George.

At 60 years old, he was among the eldest within the house. On the programme, Richard disclosed he is a writer and composer with expertise in classical music.

Based on his Instagram profile, Richard’s books belong to the supernatural and fantasy categories. His debut novel was published in 2015, whilst his most recent work emerged in 2021.

According to Amazon, his bestselling title is The Cryptic Lines, which takes place in a “sprawling gothic mansion”.

Richard and Caroline feud explained

Caroline and Richard’s dynamic has dominated social media discussion since their apparent clash started the instant they encountered each other.

Despite viewers condemning Caroline as a bully, Richard has characterised their dynamic as “pantomime-like”. Former housemate Farida also revealed details about their connection, telling Heatworld that it was simply “banter.”

Nevertheless, during her departure interview, Caroline stuck to her position that she considered Richard “boring”, leaving presenters Will and AJ baffled about whether she was being honest or not. Comparing him to Mr Bean, she declared, “Richard is not funny.”

Richard’s adoption story

Throughout his stint on the programme, Richard confessed he was unmarried and has, indeed, remained single throughout his life; nevertheless, he has an adopted son. Viewers will recall Richard’s touching tale about how he adopted his son, who was then a 33-year-old refugee.

While in Malaysia, he encountered a young man, who is now his son, and shared: “He was a refugee from Myanmar, which is the next country up if you know your geography, and he told me quite early on that he had lost his father when he was a kid.”

As their bond grew stronger, Richard frequently visited the country, and eventually, they decided to formalise their father-son-like relationship.

One viewer posted on X: “Richard’s adoption story is already one of the most intriguing and beautiful stories I have ever heard on Big Brother. I am sobbing.”

Another commented, “Can’t cope with Richard adopting a 33-year-old refugee. Stop the show and crown him already.”

Big Brother airs Sunday to Friday on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm.

As we mentioned last time when Sabrina Carpenter hosted “Saturday Night Live,” there’s no substitute for a host who fully throws themselves into “SNL.”

He may not have done double duty as host and musical guest the way Carpenter did, but Miles Teller appeared to fully embrace the challenge of returning to host for a second time (the first was in 2022). The “Top Gun 2: Maverick” star, who’ll next be appearing in the movie “Eternity,” gave a solid performance, appearing in nearly every sketch, including the cold open and two pre-recorded videos.

He first appeared as former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a candidate for New York mayor, in the cold open with help from Ramy Youssef and Shane Gillis as opponents Zohran Mamdani and Curtis Sliwa.

After that, Teller played a hungover game show contestant recovering from Halloween, a hockey player shooting a public service announcement for the unfortunately named Nashville Predators and both twin Property Brothers in a video sketch about the current White House renovation.

Teller was also in a sketch about a TV newsroom that decides to show viewers what its background employees are doing, a Netflix promo for a true crime story about husbands who don’t know where their wives went, one about a police press conference that takes a turn and a show closer about a silly Italian restaurant in Nebraska.

Teller handled it all well; he’s good with accents and earned strong laughs, especially playing two characters at the same time in the “Property Brothers” sketch and as Cuomo in the cold open.

Musical guest Brandi Carlile performed “Church & State” and “Human.”

This week’s cold open was one of the stronger (or at least funnier) political sketches of the season so far, tackling the New York mayoral race. As hosted by Errol Louis (Kenan Thompson), “the least famous person to be impersonated on ‘SNL,’ ” the debate sketch portrayed Cuomo (Teller) as a sexually harassing (“Yadda yadda yadda, honk honk, squeeze squeeze) panderer to Jewish voters; Mamdani (Youssef) as a force-smiling, TikTok-flirting candidate who’s pretty sure he won’t be able to implement his promises; and long-shot candidate Sliwa (Gillis) as an “old-fashioned New York nut” with one traumatic story after another to recount. The biggest surprise may have been Gillis, who as Sliwa recounted stories about being hung by his testicles and getting assaulted by a Times Square Spider-Man. Where was this energy when Gillis hosted “SNL”? As has been the habit on many a cold open, President Trump (James Austin Johnson) interrupts the proceedings to mock the candidates and insert his own commentary. This time, that included singing a song from “Phantom of the Opera” to conclude the sketch.

Teller’s monologue was short and simple, relaying how as a kid who moved around most of his childhood, “SNL” was a constant. He shared a photo of himself and his sisters dressed up as the “Night at the Roxbury” characters from the show and then made up a list of memories from the show, like having his first beer in the audience and falling over after having a few beers. Teller mentioned that he and his wife lost their Palisades home in January’s Los Angeles fires. As such, he made sure to point out the fire exits for the audience.

Best sketch of the night: An extreme White House makeover

The Property Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott (Teller times two) meet their toughest clients yet: Trump and First Lady Melania Trump (Chloe Fineman) who need help with their current renovation of the White House to make room for a new ballroom. Melania shared her skeleton and withered tree decorations (“They are for Christmas,” she said), and the couple complained that 55,000 square feet and 132 rooms just isn’t enough space. With a budget of “$350 million to infinity” the brothers get to work with the help of park rangers and astronauts working through the government shutdown. But when it comes to getting paid for their work, there’s a problem. “Aren’t you guys from Canada?” the president asks. Then he calls ICE on them.

Also good: Nobody asked for this much transparency in news

On a show called Newspoint, the host (Fineman) and her guest (Thompson) are trying to have a serious news discussion, but because the show has opened up its full newsroom to viewers, all the workers in the background draw attention. Among them are Mikey Day, who awkwardly notices the cameras are on him before spilling a carrier of drinks, Bowen Yang as a worker who gets electrocuted by a copy machine and Teller, who has manga erotica up on his work screen. It’s nice to see some physical comedy from Day in particular and the sketch’s visual gags work nicely.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: George Santos is back, untruthful as ever!

Andrew Dismukes and Ashley Padilla (who should be a full cast member at this point instead of a featured player) played a couple who just made out but are trying to discuss the government shutdown. But it was Yang as chronic liar George Santos who stole “Update” (and some jewels) after Yang missed an opportunity on the last “SNL” episode to play the former representative, whose prison term was commuted by Trump. Santos claimed he finished the New York marathon, which hadn’t happened yet, and kept interrupting his chat with “Update” co-host Colin Jost to take calls with prisoners with a jail window and phone he brought with him. He purported to speak with Ghislaine Maxwell, Luigi Mangione and Sean “Diddy” Combs before revealing that the key to making prison rice pudding is preheating the toilet to 350 degrees. Santos ended the segment by revealing the necklace he stole from the Louvre and insisting that he’d just won the World Series.