career

Ezola Foster, Pat Buchanan’s running mate on the Reform Party ticket, collected workers’ compensation payments for nearly a year for a mental disorder she now says she did not have.

The disability claim, which was contested by her employer, the Los Angeles Unified School District, capped a checkered career in which Foster struggled financially as a result of bad business deals and twice resigned as a teacher after becoming embroiled in controversy, according to court records and interviews.

Foster applied for workers’ compensation in 1996, shortly after refusing to return to her job as a typing teacher at Bell High School.

“I have two choices to survive,” Foster said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “Since it wasn’t physical, they make it mental, don’t they? If I don’t have a broken leg or they don’t see blood, or I’m not dead, they said I have to be crazy. And I would have been to go back there.”

The real reason she could not return to work, she said, was that her outspoken opposition to illegal immigration had made her a target of what she claimed was hatemongering and physical threats at an overwhelmingly Latino school.

The diagnosis of a mental disorder–which she declined to specify–was worked out “between my doctor and my attorney. . . . It’s whatever the doctor said that, after working with my attorney, was best to help me,” she said.

But although she claimed a mental disorder to receive the benefits, she strongly asserted that she has no mental problems and never did.

“I am perfectly sane,” Foster said.

Queried further about the matter, Foster asked whether a story was being done about her. She then told a reporter that it was his decision “if you want to put down there I pretended to be crazy when I’m not.” Shortly afterward, she hung up.

In a statement, Bay Buchanan, the candidate’s sister and executive co-chairwoman of the campaign, said: “Ezola Foster is an outstanding individual. Pat could not be more proud of his choice for vice president. As for her personal life from many years ago, we have no comment or concern.”

Buchanan, a conservative commentator and former speech writer for Richard Nixon, is battling a rival Reform Party faction for $12.6 million in federal campaign financing that goes to the party’s nominee. The party was founded in 1992 by billionaire industrialist Ross Perot.

When Buchanan picked Foster, his aides hailed her as a proponent of family values. Commentators saw the choice of Foster, an outspoken black conservative, as a smart political stroke that gave Buchanan an ideological soul mate and a buffer against charges that his rhetoric is racially inflammatory.

Records obtained from the state Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board show that Foster applied for benefits based on a mental condition. The precise claim, however, was blacked out of the public records, and attorneys for Foster have opposed a request by The Times to obtain the complete file. The appeals board has scheduled a hearing for Monday. She collected benefits until becoming eligible for retirement at age 60.

The disability claim was the final act in a long-running saga of Foster’s difficulties with the Los Angeles school district. District records show that in 1984 she resigned her teaching job at Jordan High School in South-Central Los Angeles. Her record there included one incident in which she filed a complaint with the teachers union charging a colleague with spreading rumors about her.

“It was so bizarre,” said Don Baer, a retired teachers union official who investigated the complaint, which he found merited no action. “I tried to drop it out of my memory bank.”

As Foster tells it, she fell out of favor because she stuck up for students who were being failed based solely on absences, a practice she contends violates state law.

After fighting off a forced transfer, Foster said, she faced so much hostility that she had to demand a transfer. It was denied.

“The only way I could get a transfer was to leave the district,” she said.

She returned to teaching in less than a year when she got the job at Bell.

After about a decade at that school, she filed suit against the district. According to the suit, two teachers inflamed the school against her after she appeared on the nationally televised “McNeil/Lehrer News Hour” in 1996 to argue for legislation that would have allowed states to prohibit schools from enrolling illegal immigrants.

On the show, Foster said she believed that illegal immigration was the primary cause of overcrowding in the Los Angeles school system.

“They called me a racist, a liar,” Foster said. “They called me a Nazi.”

Foster also charged that students under the supervision of a teacher threatened her with death and threw frozen soda cans in her direction when she spoke at an anti-immigration rally sponsored by Voice of Citizens Together. The group contends that Mexican political leaders and agitators in the U.S. are conspiring to reclaim Mexican sovereignty over the Southwest.

Despite her entreaties, Foster said, school officials took no action to investigate the threats or protect her.

Her suit sought damages for “serious physical ailments, emotional distress, fear, anxiety, depression and loss of self-esteem.” A Superior Court judge dismissed the suit without a trial.

Court records and other documents show that other aspects of Foster’s life have been complicated.

For example, court records show that Foster filed for divorce from her husband, Charles, in 1983, shortly after he had completed the adoption of her son by a previous marriage. The petition indicated the couple were separated for about a year and cited irreconcilable differences.

But in the interview, Foster laughed off the notion that she had wanted to divorce.

“We’ve never had that kind of problem,” she said.

“I have had some bad advice given to me legally in the past,” she said. “Maybe that was part of it.”

Real estate records trace two transactions in which the Fosters fared badly.

In 1986, the Fosters ran into trouble with a small house in South-Central they owned as an investment. The couple eventually sold out, receiving only the value of their debts.

A second real estate investment turned out worse. The Fosters bought a Long Beach duplex in 1993, intending to live in one unit and rent the other. Three years later, they defaulted on their mortgage.

“We didn’t realize that it was in a gang-infested area,” Foster said. “When we were taken there, you couldn’t tell. We went in the day, not at night when all the activity and the shooting went on.”

Foster said the gangs targeted her because of her prominence in the media. “With my speaking out against gang activity it was very unsafe for us,” she said. “We had to get out of there quickly.”

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Profile:

Ezola Foster

* Age: 62; born Aug. 9, 1938, in Texas.

* Education: Bachelor’s degree in business education, Texas Southern University, 1960; master’s degree in school management and administration, Pepperdine University, 1973.

* Career highlights: Founder and president of Black-Americans for Family Values, 1987 to present; teacher in Los Angeles school system, 1963-1996; ran unsuccessfully for California Assembly, 1984 and 1986.

* Religion: Member of a Congregationalist church.

* Family: Married to Chuck Foster; three children.

* Quote: “We all know the American nation is the most compassionate on Earth, but we have opened up our homes to immigrants and we have welcomed more immigrants than all other countries combined. How much more compassionate can we be? We want to be compassionate, but we want to cease being stupid.”

As a special tribute celebrates the extraordinary 50-year career of Bonnie Tyler, the Mirror takes a look at the Total Eclipse of the Heart icon’s wild life behind the scenes, including the accident that changed everything

With her unmistakable husky voice and theatrical music videos, there was nobody quite like Bonnie Tyler.

Her unexpected death earlier this month at the age of 75 came as a great sadness to those who’ve followed her distinctive work over the decades.

A legend of ’80s power ballads, many a fan has attempted a karaoke version of Holding Out for a Hero or Total Eclipse of the Heart. But few could hope to hold a candle to Bonnie’s signature rasp and melodramatic stage presence.

The Welsh singer’s extraordinary 50-year career will be celebrated this weekend in a special tribute compilation aired on BBC Two. And it will perhaps surprise no one that magnetic Bonnie’s personal life was every bit as explosive as her musical output.

Little-known real name

While the name Bonnie Tyler may adorn her Platinum-status records, it wasn’t actually the singer’s real name, and it took some time for her to find one that fit.

Britain’s First Lady of Rock was originally christened Gaynor Hopkins, a name she never much cared for as a budding star growing up in the sleepy village of Skewen, near Swansea.

In the early days of her career, young Bonnie began trying out the name Sherene Davies as a stage name, hoping to distinguish herself from the celebrated Welsh folk singer-songwriter, Mary Hopkin, who was just one year her senior.

Speaking with the Leicestershire Press in 2023, Bonnie revealed: “I never really liked my name, so it was a lovely opportunity to change it. My sister had a little girl called Sherene, and I loved that name – it was my name for seven years.”

It wasn’t to stick, however, and after being signed by RCA Records – Elvis Presley’s old label – Bonnie was told that Sherene just wouldn’t do, as it sounded, to their ears, “like a belly dancer”. A search began for a third moniker, with Bonnie taking a creative approach.

She remembered: “I bought two broadsheet newspapers, and I made a list of all the Christian names in one list and all the surnames in another list, and I matched them up until I came up with Bonnie Tyler. It’s been a great name for me, I reckon Steven Tyler must’ve been in the paper that day.”

Scream injury

She is often referred to as ‘the female Rod Stewart’, but the vocal similarities only became apparent after a grim post-surgery accident.

Speaking with the Mirror in 2023, the It’s a Heartache songstress shared how, as her star began to rise in the glitzy ’70s era, belting out ballads began to take a strain. And in 1977, she had to undergo surgery.

Bonnie said: “I started to get a sore throat because all the singing was taking its toll. A doctor discovered that I had nodules on my vocal cords. The only option was for them to be surgically removed. After the procedure, I was told by my surgeons not to talk, let alone sing, for six weeks.”

Unfortunately, after realising she’d forgotten to take strawberries to her brother, Lynn, who was hospitalised with a leg injury, Bonnie momentarily forgot about the doctor’s warning and let out a scream of frustration.

Detailing the incident in her 2023 memoir Straight from the Heart, Bonnie recalled: “I was so frustrated that I’d have to drive all the way back home, I let out an ‘Oh no!’ scream. When I went for a check-up with the specialist, he looked at me and said, ‘You could have done permanent damage’.”

While medics weren’t best pleased, Bonnie’s producer, David Mackay, was impressed by the gravelly sound her vocals produced, once healed. Bonnie said: “I’d always had quite a husky tone to my voice anyway, but as David joked, I now sounded like a female Rod Stewart!”

Marriage to Olympic athlete

Bonnie may have sung about doomed love affairs, but her marriage to a former Olympic judo athlete Robert Sullivan was a long and happy one. The couple first locked eyes back when Bonnie was still singing in Swansea nightclubs, and Robert was a nightclub manager. They tied the knot on July 4, 1973, with Bonnie officially becoming Mrs Gaynor Sullivan – her fourth name.

In a 2012 interview with The Guardian, Bonnie spoke fondly of those early days together, and it appeared the pair were just as smitten as they were as twentysomething newlyweds just starting out. She shared: “I married Robert, my first serious boyfriend, in 1973, when I was 22. I am still very much in love with him and he with me. We never fall out. He is very easy on the eye, which helps.”

And speaking to the Times about Robert, who went into property development after hanging up his judo belt, she said, “I think the secret to our success is that we met before I was famous.

“We don’t have children because we left it too late to stop taking precautions, and then I had a miscarriage when I was 40. I was unlucky, but I love all my nieces and nephews. Our house in Mumbles is like Paddington Station because everyone wants to come and visit Auntie Gaynor.”

Bonnie and Robert owned at least 25 properties together, including 22 homes across Berkshire and London, plus a sizeable farm in New Zealand. However, their seaside home in Mumbles and their villa in Albufeira proved to be their favourites, and it was between these two much-loved residences that they split their time.

Bonnie Tyler at the BBC airs July 25 at 8:30 pm on BBC Two.

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com.

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The 41-year-old, who played in six FIFA World Cups, announces he will retire from both club and country.

Guillermo Ochoa, widely considered among the greatest Mexican goalkeepers in history, has announced his retirement from professional football, bringing an end to a distinguished 22-year professional career.

Ochoa, who turned 41 last week, had previously stated that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be his last tournament although speculation had swirled about whether he might sign with a new club to extend his playing days.

He put those rumours to rest on Tuesday.

“I gave it my all; I left everything on the field for my clubs and the national team, and today I hang up my gloves,” Ochoa posted on social media. “Being a goalkeeper means knowing you might wait 90 minutes for a single moment when everything depends on you. And when that moment arrives, you cannot hesitate.”

Ochoa was on Mexico’s roster for six World Cups – a number shared only by icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He served as Mexico’s starting goalkeeper in three of them: Brazil 2014, Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.

Ochoa made his top-flight debut with Mexico City’s Club America in February 2004. He spent his first seven seasons there before transferring to French club Ajaccio in 2011, becoming the first Mexico-born goalkeeper to play in Europe. His European career also included stints with Malaga, Granada, Standard Liege, Salernitana, AVS Futebol and AEL Limassol, punctuated by a three-year return to Club America from 2019 to 2022.

“I never imagined how far a dream could take me. Today, I can only look back with pride and say: Thank you,” Ochoa wrote. “I take with me the affection of millions and the peace of mind that comes with knowing I gave everything for Mexico.”

Although he served primarily as a backup to Raul Rangel in the recent World Cup in North America, manager Javier Aguirre brought Ochoa on for the final 13 minutes against Czechia in Mexico’s last group-stage match. After the final whistle, an emotional Ochoa kissed the goalposts at Azteca Stadium – the venue where his career began – before kneeling to accept an embrace from his teammates. Long after the stands had cleared, Ochoa walked out to the centre circle one last time to take in his final farewell.

At the club level, Ochoa captured a league title with Club America during the 2005 Clausura tournament and won the Belgian Cup with Standard Liege. On the international stage, he led Mexico to six CONCACAF Gold Cup titles and earned a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Ever ambitious and eager to test new horizons, Keegan announced midway through the 1976-77 season that he would leave Liverpool at the end of the campaign.

It brought some criticism from supporters, but was another example of deception never being part of Keegan’s character, allowing Liverpool time to line up Kenny Dalglish as his replacement.

He went out on the highest high in his final game, running the great German defender Berti Vogts ragged as Liverpool won the European Cup for the first time, beating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in Rome.

Keegan left having scored 100 goals in 323 appearances.

There was talk of a move to Real Madrid, but in the end his destination was Hamburg, where he was a major success as they won the Bundesliga in 1978-79, though disappointment followed when they lost the European Cup final to Nottingham Forest the following season.

Keegan confirmed his world-class credentials at Hamburg, winning the Ballon d’Or in 1978 and 1979.

Hamburg was a surprise choice when Keegan left Liverpool, but after early struggles to win over team-mates, he became hugely popular, not just with his club but in the country, where they appreciated the Englishman’s down to earth approach and his willingness to integrate.

It all added to Keegan’s status as a global superstar, one of the most marketable sportsmen around, not just seen on the pitch but in adverts and advertising hoardings worldwide.

He famously did an advert for Brut aftershave with British boxer Henry Cooper, as well as the “Green Cross Code” road safety campaign.

While in West Germany, Keegan had another crack at music with the track Head Over Heels In Love. It peaked at number 31 in the UK, but climbed to number 10 in the German charts.

Keegan returned to England in 1980 with a shock move to Southampton, showing his enduring quality by winning the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year award in 1982.

He did not win trophies at The Dell, but was still a player of the highest class in Lawrie McMenemy’s team, built around experienced stars such as Keegan, Alan Ball and Saints’ great Mike Channon.

NEW YORK — If LeBron James knows where he will play this coming season, he’s still not saying.

The NBA’s career scoring king and current free agent spoke publicly for the first time in weeks Thursday afternoon, though stopped short of revealing which team he’ll choose to play for this fall — despite at least one cry from someone in a jampacked room shouting for him to “pick a team.”

“It’s going to be fun wherever I land,” James said.

The four-time NBA champion was recording an episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast alongside guest co-host Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers in New York on the opening day of Fanatics Fest, a four-day event featuring dozens of athletes, celebrities and sports legends. Single-day general admission tickets were sold out, organizers said, and it’s likely that many of those patrons — there were at least several hundred there, phones out to capture the moment — were hoping to hear James’ next decision.

Not yet, he said.

“There’s no decision,” James said.

Thursday’s appearance has been planned for months; it was announced publicly in May. James playfully chided Haliburton for asking him about his future — “didn’t we talk about this in the back?” James asked, and Haliburton said he’d ”leave it alone.”

Of course, they didn’t leave it alone. James made reference to a slew of teams such as Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia and Golden State, though didn’t appear to give much in the way of hints. He did sip from a bottle of red wine that he opened and shared with Haliburton, calling it one of his podcast traditions.

And when fans shouted out suggestions for James’ next team — one even asked him to play for the New York Yankees — no clues were forthcoming.

“We’ll see,” he said.

If former Lakers forward LeBron James knows where he plans to play next season, he wasn’t sharing that news with fans on Thursday.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

James is the NBA’s oldest active player at 41 and the only player in league history to have a career spanning 23 seasons; this coming season will be his 24th. Speculation has been rampant for more than two months about his future, officially starting in May when the Lakers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs.

At that time, James said he didn’t know what he would be doing.

And the only developments that he’s revealed since came on June 30, when he said he would play this coming season and that he was leaving the Lakers after an eight-season run highlighted by the 2020 NBA title.

For more than two weeks, the NBA has been waiting to hear what comes next. James, as he did in a social media post at the time, lauded his time with the Lakers, who also offered him well wishes as he moves forward.

“I spent eight great years with the Los Angeles Lakers,” James said.

James’ resume is beyond compare in NBA history. He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He’s also coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

The podcast was the first of two known speaking engagements for James in New York on Thursday.

He also has an appearance at the Game Plan Summit, an invitation-only event presented by CNBC and Boardroom. James is slated to have a conversation with Boardroom co-founder Rich Kleiman — Kevin Durant’s longtime business partner — about “how he’s built an empire beyond basketball, what’s ahead for him in business, and why the next generation of athletes is poised to wield more influence than ever before.”

James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons — where he won his first two titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, leaving in 2018 to start an eight-season run with the Lakers.

Cleveland and Miami are believed to be on James’ radar again as he weighs this decision, as are several other teams including Philadelphia, Minnesota and Golden State.

“I’m looking forward to what comes next as I wind down my journey,” James said.

Whyno and Reynolds write for the Associated Press. Reynolds reported from Miami.

Winning six Gold Glove awards gives Mookie Betts more than enough credibility to design and market his own leather. And that’s exactly what he is doing with LGND, a line of baseball gloves that he says are “built around versatility, craftsmanship and player-first innovation.”

Betts, of course, is the Dodgers shortstop whose Gold Gloves all came playing right field. He is one of the few players in MLB history to be named an All-Star as an infielder and outfielder. He’s been part of four World Series championship teams and named to eight All-Star squads.

“Every detail matters when you’re on the field, and your glove is one of the most important tools you have,” Betts said in a statement. “I started this with the intention to build something that reflected the way I play the game, which is with passion, preparation and attention to detail.”

Two glove collections named MOOK and MVRK designed for players at every stage of development are available at LGNDsports.com. They are not inexpensive, selling for $250 to $330.

The MOOK Series gloves are inspired by Betts’ experience playing infield and outfield, featuring his personal game-worn colorways, his signature stamp in the palm and a “50 Tri-Star” logo embroidered on the thumb.

The MVRK Series gloves feature a versatile design and distinct styling for those who play multiple positions.

Both models are constructed with premium Japanese kip leather and engineered to offer a lighter feel and fast break-in period. The LGND website features an interactive platform that allows players to design a glove that reflects their individual preferences.

“LGND is about giving young players a glove they can trust from the first time they put it on,” Betts said. “Whether you’re chasing a championship, working toward a college scholarship or just falling in love with baseball, I want these gloves to help young players perform at their best.”

Betts, 33, founded the company alongside lifelong friends Cameron Lewis, Brandon McPhail and Andrew Montgomery. The quartet competed together in high school in the Nashville area.

The Dodgers acquired Betts in a trade ahead of the 2020 season and have won three World Series title with him in the lineup, including the last two years. He spent the first six years of his career with the Boston Red Sox, winning the American League Most Valuable Player award after leading Boston to a World Series title in 2018.

After playing outfield almost exclusively for the first nine years of his career, Betts saw substantial time in the infield in 2023 and 2024 before becoming the Dodgers’ everyday shortstop last season. He led NL shortstops in total fielding runs above average in 2025 while making only seven errors in 148 games. This season he has made only three errors.

Cheryl Reeve is relieved.

The longtime Minnesota Lynx coach tied WNBA legend Mike Thibault for most career wins on June 28. The two remained deadlocked, with the league-leading Lynx losing two straight games for the first time all season.

But the losing streak is over — and the WNBA has a new all-time winningest coach. Minnesota defeated the Connecticut Sun 86-80 on Wednesday night for Reeve’s historic 380th career victory.

“I am so glad this is over,” Reeve, 59, said during a postgame interview on USA Network.

Reeve was a four-year starter at La Salle from 1984-1988 and ranks fifth in career assists (420) for the Explorers. After serving as an assistant coach at her alma mater and George Washington, Reeve became head coach at Indiana State, going 63-72 over five seasons with winning records in each of the last two.

Jumping to the WNBA in 2001, Reeve was an assistant coach for the Charlotte Sting (two stints), Cleveland Rockers and Detroit Shock before becoming head coach of the Lynx in 2010. Since then, she has compiled a record of 380-196, won four WNBA titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and been named the league’s coach of the year four times (2011, 2015, 2020, 2024).

Reeve has missed the postseason only twice during her time with the Lynx, and her 49 playoff wins are the most in league history. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame last month.

“A milestone fit for the Hall of Famer,” the WNBA wrote in an X post congratulating Reeve.

While Reeve has compiled her total over 16-plus seasons, Thibault reached 379 victories over the course of 20 WNBA seasons, 10 with the Connecticut Sun (2003-2012) and 10 with the Washington Mystics (2013-2022). Currently the head coach of Belgium’s national women’s basketball team, Thibault was a three-time WNBA coach of the year and led Washington to the league title in 2019.

Reeve was head coach of the U.S. national team, with Thibault as her assistant coach, when it won gold at the 2022 World Cup in Australia and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Thibault’s son, former Mystics coach Eric Thibault, has been on Reeve’s staff in Minnesota as associatehead coach the past two seasons.

“Learned a lot from Mike through the years,” Reeve said after Wednesday’s game. “Tremendous coach and just so much respect that we’ve had for each other through the years. I know he’s happy for me. And somebody’s going to pass me and I’ll be happy for them too.”

Reeve was correct about Thibault’s feelings.

“Congrats, Cheryl, so much from all the Thibault family,” Thibault said in a video posted on X by the Lynx. “If anyone was going to break my record, I most wanted it to be you. Our friendship means a lot, but the job you’ve done as a coach and mentor in this league is appreciated by so many people. And I couldn’t be more proud to have you as a friend.”

Toronto’s Sandy Brondello is the closest active coach to Reeve’s mark. She ranks sixth all-time with 280 wins.

Bonnie Tyler, the husky-voiced, powerhouse vocalist who performed memorable and dramatic pop rock songs including “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in the 1980s, has died.

The Welsh singer died in a Portugal hospital on Wednesday night, according to a statement on her official website and social media accounts Thursday morning. Prior to her death, Tyler was hospitalized and underwent emergency intestinal surgery in May 2026. She was placed in an induced coma to aid her recovery which she awoke from in mid-June but remained “very unwell,” her family said at the time. She was 75.

“Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for,” the statement read.

A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Tyler first rose to fame in the late 1970s. She was known for her raspy vocals, offering listeners an edgier sound that also melded rock and pop. Tyler released a total of 18 studio albums, beginning with her debut, “The World Starts Tonight,” in 1977. But she solidified her place in music with collaborations with songwriter-producer Jim Steinman, a hitmaker who worked with Meat Loaf, Air Supply and Celine Dion.

Tyler contributed her powerful voice to Steinman’s dramatic “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which was released in 1983 ahead of her fifth studio album, “Faster Than the Speed of Night.” Steinman initially envisioned the power ballad as a core piece in a musical adaptation of “Nosferatu,” but with Tyler, the number took on a different life.

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” climbed music charts and earned Tyler a Grammy nomination for female pop vocal performance in 1984. In addition to its commercial and critical success, Tyler’s moody hit became a mainstay in pop culture, covered in the musical TV series “Glee” and finding new life in versions by One Direction, Kelly Clarkson and several other musical acts.

“When I first heard it, I couldn’t believe it had been given to me to record. I just cried at the intense emotion of it and was so happy to have that song,” Tyler told the Guardian in 2009. “Now when I go on stage and sing ‘Total Eclipse,’ everybody sings with me. So many people say they fell in love to it and it means a hell of a lot to them. It’s such an anthem, and such a wonderful feeling, I never get tired of singing it.”

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” wasn’t the only celebrated hit from Tyler.

A year later, she performed “Holding Out for a Hero,” produced by Steinman and co-written by Dean Pitchford, for the 1984 film classic “Footloose,” starring Kevin Bacon. The energetic anthem, which features Tyler’s thunderous voice over a racing beat, also climbed the Billboard Hot 100 (it peaked at No. 34) and went on to be featured in other screen projects, including a pivotal scene in the animated comedy “Shrek 2,” with Jennifer Saunders performing the hit.

Tyler, also known for “Bitterblue,” written and produced by Dieter Bohlen, continued releasing music throughout the ’90s and early aughts. Amid the process of creating her 16th album, “Rocks and Honey,” Tyler joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 to represent the United Kingdom. Though she finished 19th, she said at the time she was glad she competed “because it was an incredible experience,” likening it to the Grammy Awards. She released “Rocks and Honey” that same year, her penultimate album, “Between the Earth and the Stars,” in 2019 and her final album, “The Best Is Yet to Come” in 2021.

In 2022, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire during Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, recognizing Tyler’s contributions to music.

Tyler was born Gaynor Hopkins on June 8, 1951, to homemaker Elsie and coal miner Glyndwr, and was one of seven children. She was raised Protestant and cared for by her grandparents in the small Welsh town of Skewen. Her passion for music could be traced to watching British charts program “Top of the Pops” with her father, writing down lyrics to the hits of the time and singing them herself. Tyler officially caught the singing bug after placing second at the talent show hosted by a local rugby club.

After the contest, the singer continued her artistic pursuit, performing with a handful of bands including Bobby Wayne & the Dixies and, later, Imagination. She was eventually scouted and traveled to London to record a few demos but did not immediately hear back. “After two years, someone called me out of the blue and told me I’d got a record deal on the same label as Elvis,” she recalled to the Guardian.

The singer underwent several name changes over the course of the career. First she pivoted to Sherene Davis to avoid confusion with fellow Welsh vocalist Mary Hopkin. Then once more, at the behest of RCA Records, to Bonnie Tyler — a name she conjured up by mixing and matching names she read in a local newspaper.

Now Bonnie Tyler, the singer released her debut single “My! My! Honeycomb!” in 1976 and her debut album the following year. However, she would not come into her signature sound until the spring of 1977. Tyler suffered nodules on her vocal cords and underwent surgery to remove them. She feared her career would end as a result, though that would be far from the case.

Tyler, after a brief recovery period, returned to the recording studio with a huskier, edgier voice. “It turned out losing my voice was not too treacherous for me,” she told the Guardian. She released “It’s a Heartache” in 1977 with her raspy voice front and center.

“I had my first hit in America with my new husky voice on ‘It’s a Heartache,’” she said. “Maybe my husky voice was what that song, and my career, needed.”

After her tenure with RCA Records, Tyler signed with CBS Records in 1982, leading to her memorable collaborations with Steinman. At the end of the ’90s, Tyler signed with Hansa/BMG Ariola and, eventually, with EastWest Records and continued to find success in continental Europe. In addition to her albums, Tyler embarked on several tours, most recently her Between the Earth and the Stars live tour in 2019. Her most recent release was “Together” in July 2025, produced by electronic music artist David Guetta, which samples the chorus of “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

Tyler married former Olympic martial artist Robert Sullivan in 1973. The pair never had their own children — the singer suffered a miscarriage at age 39 — but experienced “no shortage of children,” she told the Guardian in 2012. Tyler had numerous godchildren, more than a dozen nieces and nephews and multiple great-nieces and great-nephews. With her fame, Tyler supported her family and purchased several properties including a home in Mumbles, Wales, and a home in Portugal.

When Tyler reflected on her decades-long career for the BBC in 2019, she said she had long exceeded her own expectations.

“I didn’t expect ever to be making records,” she said at the time. “I was just happy being in a band, singing.”

The Blue Peter presenter was a familiar face on our TV screens in the 90s and early 2000s

A Blue Peter icon has carved out an entirely new career path away from kids’ TV.

Katy Hill shot to fame in the late 90s across some of the biggest TV and radio programmes around.

She fronted much-loved children’s show CBBC Blue Peter from 1995 to 2000 and spent five years taking on incredible stunts, including flying with the RAF’s Red Arrows team, a feat no civilian had achieved before.

Riding high on her success and widespread popularity, she moved across to BBC One’s Live and Kicking until 2001. The star then presented Top of the Pops, Football Fever, BBC’s Holiday and her very own weekend show on Capital FM.

Katy was also a regular contributor to glossy publications such as Cosmopolitan Hair and Beauty, Hello! and Closer.

In 2004, she claimed second place on Channel 4’s The Games. As her career progressed, she hosted programmes for Heart Radio, penned weekly blogs and stepped in as a stand-in presenter on ITV’s Daybreak.

During an appearance on Good Morning Britain last year, Katy shared her lifelong passion for presenting, saying: “I wanted to present that show since I was five.

“It was because this was the ’70s, right, you guys know this? There had been no girl power. That was the place I saw girls jumping out of planes, flying fast jets and fast cars. Generally, it’s pretty cool. I was like: ‘That’s the job for me!'”

However, nowadays, Katy, 55, is far less visible on our television screens, having transitioned into life coaching after establishing her own business.

Describing herself as an ‘Internationally Certified Success and Confidence Coach’, she regularly shares motivational content across social media. Katy also runs her own newsletter, The Limitless List, which delivers inspiring quotes and uplifting messages.

Alongside her television work, she now provides programmes, live groups and one-to-one coaching sessions to support her members.

Katy’s Instagram bio reads: “The shy kid who refused to play small and spent 30 years on TV! Now empowering women like YOU to UNLOCK your CONFIDENCE and CLAIM the SUCCESS you deserve!”

Katy is happily married to Trey Farley, her former co-presenter on Live and Kicking. The couple have been blissfully married for over two decades and share two children, daughter Kaya and son Akira.

In July 2023, Katy and Trey celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, with the former television presenter sharing a touching tribute to her husband on social media.

She posted photographs from their wedding day and wrote: “20 Years of US! 20 Years of Mr and Mrs Farley! What a ride we’re on @rocaflix … nobody else I’d rather be doing LIFE with! Happy 20 babe! Let’s make more amazing memories! X (Ours was the Hans Zimmer version – obvs!)”

Prior to marrying Trey, Katy was previously wed to her childhood sweetheart, Andrew Frampton. They tied the knot in 1999 but separated in 2001.

Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages had been hearing from teammates for weeks that he would be selected as an All-Star. But he wasn’t as bullish.

“I wanted to participate, but that wasn’t in my control. I didn’t want to put it out there until I knew it was for sure,” Pages said in Spanish.

On Saturday it became official. Pages was selected as an All-Star for the first time. After coming so close in 2025, he’s set to start for the National League.

“It’s exciting to be able to participate in my first one,” Pages said before the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. “I’m really proud of the work that I’ve been doing and to have the opportunity.”

Pages is one of five Dodgers on the National League squad. Third baseman Max Muncy (third All-Star selection), first baseman Freddie Freeman (10th) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (second) were named to the NL roster Saturday. Shohei Ohtani (sixth) was named an All-Star on June 25 after leading the majors in Phase 1 voting.

“It should be [Pages’] second,” Freeman said. “I think he should have had it last year. Andy has been great for a couple years now. So I’m glad he’s getting the recognition. I’m glad the fans are gonna get to see him in Philadelphia.”

It marks the first time since 1980 that the Dodgers have had four All-Star starters. Their five All-Star selections ties the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies for the most in the majors.

Muncy is set to be the first Dodger to start the All-Star Game at third base since Ron Cey in 1977.

Though Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski (10-2, 2.80 ERA) was not named an All-Star, he could play as a possible injury replacement.

The All-Star Game will be played July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Fittingly, on Saturday, Yamamoto took the mound against the Padres and threw seven shutout innings.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto raises his arms while walking back to the dugout in the seventh inning after striking out 10 in a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

“He looked like an All-Star,” Roberts said. “He came out with a purpose. You could see the intent tonight, execution, really good from pitch one. And gave his chance to really reset the bullpen and gave us length.”

Once he settled in, he got even better. After giving up three singles in the first two innings, Yamamoto (2.49 ERA) didn’t surrender another hit. He tied a bow on the performance, ending it with his 10th strikeout.

“It’s such an honor to be selected for the All-Star team,” Yamamoto said through interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda. “I was there last year and this year I feel it is even more meaningful.”

He got run support and defensive backing from his fellow All-Stars.

Andy Pages hits a run-scoring single in the third inning of a 3-0 win over the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Pages drove in the first run in the third inning. With runners on second and third, in a 1-2 count, Pages extended to the outside edge of the plate to get around a slider and send it through the left side of the infield. The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead.

Muncy flashed the leather with a backhanded pick up the third-base line in the fifth inning.

Freeman hit a solo homer in the sixth — a moon shot that sailed higher than the fireworks going off in the neighborhoods around Dodger Stadium. Two innings later, he roped an RBI single up the middle.

The Dodgers claimed a series win in the four-game home set against their division rival, with the chance to sweep Sunday. They’ve won seven of nine games against the Padres this season.

Ohtani feeling better

Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani pumps his fist after getting San Diego’s Manny Machado to ground out in the fifth inning Friday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Ohtani was feeling “considerably better” Saturday, after leaving Friday’s game in the seventh inning with tight right biceps.

“If things trend the way we would expect, then he’ll be in there [Sunday],” Roberts said.

Ohtani didn’t play Saturday. But Roberts confirmed after the game that he expects Ohtani to be back Sunday. Roberts didn’t expect the biceps problem to affect Ohtani’s throwing schedule between pitching starts, especially because he aggravated it on a swing.

The Dodgers, however, could still decide to have Ohtani skip his last pitching start before the All-Star break.

“The first step is how he feels tomorrow, and then the days forthcoming,” Roberts said. “So we don’t need to make that decision today, tomorrow, the next day. So we have time. And I think for us it’s just more of reading and reacting on how he feels.”

The two former Strictly Come Dancing stars have teamed up together for a new project

A Strictly Come Dancing star announced their new career move on Wednesday’s Lorraine.

During the latest instalment, host Lorraine Kelly spoke to Lorraine’s showbiz correspondent, Ross King, who typically airs his segment live from Los Angeles.

However, on Wednesday’s show, Ross, 64, was live in the Lorraine London studio for Wimbledon, where he shared some exciting career news.

Lorraine said: “You have teamed up with Will Young for something very, very special. I would never have put the two of you together necessarily but it is for something super!”

To which Ross replied: “I know, it is… pantomime! So last year I came back, I was back with Rylan over at Southend and then this year we’re going to be at Plymouth so I’m heading up to Plymouth next week for the press call with Will Young for Cinderella again. So I can’t wait!” confirming he will be playing Buttons again.

Lorraine gushed: “We love that, because we all went as a work outing to see you, and it was just the best night. It was the best night. It was great fun.”

The presenter added: “But it just shows you the planning that goes into it, that you all know that you’re all going to be doing that in Plymouth at Christmas time already.

“It’s got to be though, it’s got to be all sorted out, because it’s such a big, big deal” with Ross exclaiming: “No, it’s great, I can’t wait!”

Theatre Royal Plymouth and Crossroads Pantomimes announced earlier this year that Will Young will headline this year’s pantomime as The Fairy Godfather in Cinderella, running from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.

As well as his Lorraine presenting duties, Ross recently appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, where he was paired with professional dancer Jowita Przystal in 2025. The duo were the second contestants to be eliminated on the BBC One show.

Singer Will, 47, who soared to fame after winning the first-ever Pop Idol in 2002, has also appeared on Strictly.

Will appeared on the dance show back in 2016, where he withdrew during the competition for personal reasons at the time.

Lorraine continues on weekdays at 9:30am on ITV and ITVX.

LeBron James is continuing his record-setting NBA career, but he won’t do it with the Lakers.

The 41-year-old superstar has informed the Lakers he intends to sign with a different team as an unrestricted free agent, The Times confirmed Tuesday. After eight seasons, James felt it was best to part ways with the Lakers, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to discuss it publicly.

James’ tenure with the Lakers was his longest continuous stint with any franchise during his illustrious career. He led the team to its 17th NBA championship in 2020, broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record while wearing the purple and gold and set the league record for seasons played, reaching 23 unprecedented years.

His record-extending 24th season will now be elsewhere.

The Golden State Warriors were reported as a potential option after Draymond Green opted out of his contract Monday, potentially freeing enough cap space to add James. He made $52.6 million last season but could sign for a pay cut to join fellow superstar Stephen Curry.

“LeBron James is one of the greatest athletes in history,” Lakers governor Jeanie Buss said in a statement posted on social media. “We will always be thankful for his eight years with the Lakers — including the title he led us to in 2020 under the toughest imaginable circumstances and the countless records he broke in purple and gold. We wish him all the best in the future, both on the court and off. He will always be a cherished part of the Lakers family.”

James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game last season for the Lakers while claiming a slew of NBA records, including marks for games played, all-time wins and field goals made. Despite his age James was still considered one of the top free agents in a relatively pedestrian class.

James earned his record 22nd All-Star appearance last season, maintained his streak of averaging more than 20 points per game every season of his career and willed a shorthanded Lakers team past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs last season.

But he also gave up ground in his decades-long bout with Father Time.

James missed the first 14 games of the season while dealing with a right sciatic nerve problem, marking the first time in his career that he wasn’t ready to suit up for the season opener. His 15.3 field goal attempts per game was a career low, and he was ineligible for end-of-season awards because he missed 22 regular-season games, ending his streak of 21 years with All-NBA honors.

The Lakers needed James to reach the second round of the Western Conference playoffs last season — when the team was without star Luka Doncic for the entire postseason — but the NBA’s all-time leading scorer was set to take a supporting role within the franchise.

Doncic, 27, remains the top priority for the Lakers. Doncic signed a three-year, $165-million contract extension last summer. The Lakers also agreed to a four-year, $185-million max deal to keep Austin Reaves, who opted out of his contract to become a free agent.

Lakers stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic high-five after Doncic scored on a crucial three-point shot in overtime against the Knicks at Crypto.com Arena in March.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

With eight players from last year’s roster entering unrestricted free agency or holding player options, the Lakers were in position to completely remake their roster around Doncic two offseasons after the Slovenian superstar landed in the Lakers’ laps in a mind-blowing trade with the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis.

President of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said after the season that the roster would be “retrofitted” around Doncic, meaning the Lakers wanted to target athletic, defensive-minded wings, knock-down shooters and a rim-running center.

The ITV star has been hosting another well-known programme this week away from her role on Good Morning Britain.

A Good Morning Britain star has shared a career update with her followers online.

Popular ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins has moved channels as she’s been fronting Jeremy Vine’s show on Channel 5 – and fans have been rushing to comment following her debut.

Charlotte, who has been a regular face on Good Morning Britain since it launched in 2014, confirmed she’d be filling in for Jeremy on her social media last Friday (June 26) after she’d guest-hosted Matt Allwright’s show on the channel.

Now, the 51-year-old has been showered with support after fronting Jeremy’s show for the first time on Monday (June 29) as she shared a snap of herself in the studio alongside Joanna Jarjue and Mike Parry.

One person commented: “You looked amazing. Good job done.” Someone else added: “It went very well, very natural.”

Another fan wrote: “This works for you, good job.” While on X, one viewer shared: ” #Jeremyvine Oh Charlotte’s swapped the sofa on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to the Channel 5 desk and chair #ThisMorning #Gmb “

While someone else commented: “Great seeing @CharlotteHawkns on @JeremyVineOn5 this morning #Jeremyvine .”

Opening the show on Monday, Charlotte commented: “I’m Charlotte Hawkins, sitting in for Jeremy while he enjoys a holiday!”

Charlotte confirmed that she’d be back on the programme on Tuesday (June 30). During Monday’s episode she welcomed back Mike Parry to the panel after his recent treatment for skin cancer.

When asked how he’s doing, he replied: “I feel very well, thank you. I can’t thank The Royal Marsden Hospital enough for what they did for me last week.

“It was five consecutive days, a blast of radiation, once a day, a serious blast and then other procedures.

“But, I feel good at the end of it, I feel mentally very well. I know I was in the hands of some of the best people in the world.”

He also shared a warning to viewers as he highlighted the importance of keeping out of the sun following his diagnosis.

Mike added: “can I say to everybody, please, please, take the greatest precaution against that big yellow ball in the sky, the sun. It will get you; you have a chance to stop it.”

The Jeremy Vine show airs every weekday on Channel 5 from 9:15am.

The presenter has returned to leading Wimbledon coverage alongside Clare Balding on the BBC

Wimbledon has returned to BBC screens, with a whole host of familiar faces fronting the BBC ’s coverage.

Once again joining Clare Balding in leading commentary, Isa Guha will be presenting, having made her Wimbledon debut on the BBC in 2022.

The following year, it was confirmed The Celebrity Traitors star Clare would be replacing Sue Barker as the BBC’s face of Wimbledon, with Isa praising Sue, saying: “She’s got an incredible warmth. When you watch her on television she feels like a friend.

“She was someone I certainly watched when I was younger, never imagined that I’d even be in her company so to be sat there with her and see how she goes about her business, her offering me advice and so forth, it was a little bit surreal but at the same time we’re just watching her in awe because she’s been the face of the BBC for such a long time and we absolutely respect and admire everything she’s done for sports broadcasting as a female.

“It was just an incredible time last year. The ability to be there with Sue, see how she operates, the doyenne of sports broadcasting, and to be in Clare Balding’s company and all these legends. It was a pretty amazing experience.”

Inside Isa Guha’s career

Born in Buckinghamshire in 1985 to parents who emigrated from Calcutta, India, to the UK in the 1970s, Isa is a former England cricketer.

She fit her sporting career around her academics, graduating with a degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from UCL, and later gaining an MPhil in neuroscience.

At the same time, Isa played world class cricket, later recalling to The Telegraph that “a phase” led her to studying.

“I went through a phase after we won the World Cup of ‘what am I going to do with my life?’” she said.

“I would spend three or four days a week training in the morning and then going to university. It took seven years [attempting to do a PhD] and I wanted to quit after the second year because it was just too much.”

She played in the 2005 South Africa World Cup and the 2009 Australia World Cup, and made history as the first South Asian woman to represent England after making her international cricketing debut at the age of 17.

In 2009, Isa was named the ICC number one ranked bowler in the world.

She announced her retirement from international cricket in 2012, and has since moved onto presenting and commentary.

Isa joined ITV Sport in 2012, co-presenting cricket coverage, and later moved on to work for Sky Sports and Fox.

In 2020, she became the lead presenter of the BBC’s test match and ODI highlights show.

Who is Isa Guha’s husband?

Isa married her long-term partner, musician Richard Thomas, in 2018.

Hailing from Cornwall, the singer was a member of acoustic-led, alternative rock band Brothers and Bones.

After ten years together, the band broke up at the end of 2020, having opened tours for the likes of Ben Howard and Bastille.

In September 2018, Isa took to X to share pictures from her gorgeous wedding in Cornwall, writing: “It’s been a challenging year but with this incredible human by my side I know I can get through anything. So lucky to have him in my life – these two pics pretty much sum up our amazing day, with so many of our best friends and family.”

She also previously spoke about the difficult time it had been for her family, after her mother received a cancer diagnosis not long before the wedding.

Speaking of her wedding, she told The Telegraph in a 2019 interview: “We got her out of hospital and did a small, intimate ceremony, then the following week in Cornwall, Ebony [Rainford-Brent – Guha’s former teammate] was on FaceTime to her throughout the whole wedding. She did get to see us get married.”

Praising her husband for his support, particularly after her mother’s death in January 2019, she added to the publication: “He was just incredible. I am super lucky to have him in my life. He was just amazing, the last six months or so.”

Wimbledon airs on BBC One, BBC Two and iPlayer.

Women’s PGA Championship final round

-13 H Ryu (Kor); -11 I Yoon (Kor); -10 B Henderson (Can), D Weber (Ned); -7 A Corpuz (US), A Kim (US), A Lee (US); -6 SY Kim (Kor), J Thitikul (Tha), N Korda (US), AL Kim (Kor)

Selected others: +5 L Maguire (Ire); +6 G Dryburgh (Sco)

Full leaderboard

South Korea’s Haeran Ryu landed a maiden major with a two-shot victory at the Women’s PGA Championship.

The 25-year-old went into the day with a one-shot lead and relinquished her place at the top of the leaderboard in a fluctuating final round, with three bogeys in the first five holes.

But she got back on track with five birdies in a two-under-par round to finish on -13 and take the $1.95m (£1.48m) winner’s cheque.

The tournament purse of $13m (£9.8m) is the largest in women’s golf history.

“It feels like a dream has come true because I tried a couple times to be a major champion and I didn’t get it,” Ryu said.

“Today I did it and I’m so happy right now.”

It was an incredible comeback for a player who was tied for 70th and 10 shots off the lead after the opening round at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson and Dewi Weber of the Netherlands each held the lead following a weather-delayed start to the round but both finished on -10, tied for third – a career-best finish in a major for Weber.

Ryu’s compatriot Ina Yoon had fallen away on the third day after leading by five, but fought back to finish second on -11.

America’s Nelly Korda – chasing a historic third straight major championship win – was four shots off the lead at the start of play but could not kick on, ending tied for eighth on six under.

Walk into the Grammy Museum in downtown L.A., and you’ll see Clive Davis’ legacy everywhere.

The museum’s intimate performance space is named for the late record executive, and his visage greets guests at the front door. (Davis was the first million-dollar donor to the nascent Recording Academy archive and exhibition space.) His sprawling roster of acts — Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Whitney Houston, Alicia Keys, Earth, Wind & Fire — defined an entire art form and business model as preserved in the Grammy Museum. Davis’ pre-Grammy gala was the most coveted invitation in music every awards season.

Davis’ death at 94 is “devastating,” said Michael Sticka, chief executive and president of the Grammy Museum. “Clive was always a north star of music and talent and artistry. We’re all lucky to have his legacy to look up to.”

Davis’ death marks the end of perhaps the most important and enduring career in the record industry. Sticka spoke to The Times about Davis’ remarkable longevity, creative vision and how a career like his will likely never be possible again.

Clive was a giant of the record business. How did his career shape the modern record industry?

His career was iconic. He really had a unique ability to not just bring an artist to their fullest potential artistically, but commercially. From attending Monterey Pop and first seeing Janis Joplin to Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, I don’t think anybody had that ear in them the way that he did.

With Clive, what you got was not just hearing commercial viability, but an understanding of what was going on in the zeitgeist. That’s what propelled his career and legacy beyond most record executives.

His name’s on the building at Grammy Museum’s theater. What did he mean to the institution — not just for fundraising but as a living connection to music history?

He didn’t just donate to the museum. He donated his time, his historical knowledge of music, his firsthand perspective. He always kept tabs on what was happening in music. I always say the Clive Davis Theater is the toughest ticket in town for its intimacy and the level of programming we do. But he did an annual program at the museum where people could come hear stories directly from him. Once he decided he was in, he was all in.

His gala was the place to be every Grammy season too.

I don’t think anybody could gather a roomful of luminaries like that from entertainment, tech and politics in the way that Clive did. We were lucky to be a part of that. Even with the stature he had, he was still a physical presence there, he was approachable. He was always looked at as this living legend, but his legacy was continuously being built.

That’s true over the arc of his career, which saw him lead Columbia, Arista, J Records and more. He had a lot of resurrections as well as successes.

He had this ability to resurrect. Look at Santana and “Supernatural,” he was a producer on that album that was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame just last year. So many of us would just give up, but he just had this resolve to continue, and thank God he did.

The record industry is so different now than when he began his career. Artists find audiences on social media rather than being discovered by label executives. Is a career like his — a famous executive driven by their own taste and individual savvy — even possible today?

That’s true, artists break on social media before they’re even on record executives’ radars now. I don’t know if we’ll see that kind of career arc again. Clive had a rare combination of gravitas and being recognized so publicly. The man and his legacy are not going to be replicated.

Beyond the name on the theater, how do you hope the Grammy Museum will honor him with its programming in time to come?

I don’t know yet. We weren’t really prepared for this. We’re gonna have to sit down and think how to pay tribute to such a legacy. I think that the impact the Clive Davis Theater has, bringing in 120 artists a year — I couldn’t think of a more apropos name on the door.

The very first P-8A Poseidon aircraft is now assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 (VX-30), the “Bloodhounds.” TWZ was first to report last year that VX-30 was in line to get two P-8As to support long-range missile and other testing efforts. The aircraft will help the squadron address the increasing difficulties it is facing with its aging P-3 Orion aircraft. Only a handful of P-3s remain in service anywhere in the Navy, and are becoming increasingly challenging to operate and maintain.

VX-30 shared pictures of the P-8A arriving at its home base in Point Mugu, California, on its Facebook page last week. Naval Air Station Point Mugu, part of Naval Base Ventura County, sits right on the southern California coast with direct access to the expansive Point Mugu Sea Range. The Navy and other branches of the U.S. military, as well as defense contractors, regularly use the offshore ranges for missile and other tests, which the Bloodhounds support. Aircraft from VX-30 also often deploy to other locations around the world to support test and evaluation activities, including in other U.S. military range complexes in the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii and in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.

As noted, the P-8A now assigned to VX-30 is actually the very first Poseidon ever built and is also known as T-1. The aircraft, which made its maiden flight in 2009, was used for years to support the Poseidon program. The Bloodhounds are also in line to get the second test P-8A, which is also still referred to as T-2. We will come back to this in a moment.

VX-30 already operates a variety of planes specially configured to support test missions, including the aforementioned P-3s. The unit also has KC-130T Hercules tanker/transports, as well as its one-of-a-kind NC-20G and NC-37B jets. The NC-37B was specifically acquired to replace one of the squadron’s NP-3D Orions, a variant nicknamed the “Billboard” because of its heavily modified tail. The NC-20G and the NC-37B reflect a larger push to revamp the Bloodhounds’ fleets in recent years.

Collectively, VX-30’s aircraft are equipped with a mix of radars, cameras, and other equipment to collect imagery, telemetry, and other data during tests. They have communications and data-sharing suites to be able to pass information along to test facilities on land to aid with live monitoring and for deeper analysis.

Aircraft assigned to VX-30 are also used for what is called range surveillance and clearance missions to keep unwanted visitors and errant bystanders out of the way in the air and down below during tests. This is where the P-8As will come in, at least initially.

“Both aircraft will perform the Range Surveillance & Clearance mission as well as dedicated testing for Naval Air Systems Command programs supported by P-3 today,” a NAVAIR spokesperson told TWZ last year. “T-1, the airworthiness P-8 aircraft, will have a radar modification to integrate an APY-10 in the airframe, as one does not currently exist.  This will provide T-1 with a supportable radar configuration and capability that mirrors the baseline P-8 fleet. T-2 will be unmodified.”

Raytheon’s AN/APY-10 is the standard maritime search radar used on the P-8A, and is primarily designed to spot and track vessels on the surface, as well as masts belonging to submerged submarines protruding above the waves. It also has a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode that allows it to capture still images, even through cloud cover, smoke, and dust, and at night. The SAR mode is one of several capabilities of the P-8As that allows it to be used for surveillance in coastal environments and over land, as well as while flying over open bodies of water.

Standard Poseidon aircraft also have a sensor turret with electro-optical and infrared full-motion video cameras, as well as signals intelligence capabilities, as you can read more about here.

The P-8A’s core capabilities are well suited to the range surveillance and clearance mission. In an unmodified form, the Poseidon’s other sensors might be capable of gathering additional visual and other data during testing, as well.

NAVAIR has also left the door open to potentially modify VX-30’s ‘new’ P-8As in the future to take on an expanded role with the squadron. The Poseidon is based on the Boeing 737 airliner, and offers swap space that could accommodate additional systems down the line. The Navy already operates several more deeply modified P-8s with additional intelligence-gathering capabilities. Those aircraft are notably capable of carrying the AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS), a large podded active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, under their fuselages, as you can learn more about here. Boeing has developed other add-on sensor packages for the P-8A over the years, as well.

Unlike the P-3, the P-8A also has the ability to refuel in mid-air via boom-equipped tankers. That is another capability VX-30 might be able to leverage to enable longer-duration flights, whether in support of range surveillance and clearance or other missions.

Overall, the “P-8 will go a long way to enabling range support operations and will provide new opportunities for future developmental programs,” the NAVAIR spokesperson told us last year.

On top of the P-8A’s inherent capabilities, even the older test jets are just younger and more modern, in general, than the P-3s that make up the core of VX-30’s fleet today. The Navy took delivery of its last new-production P-3C variant in 1990, and Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin) shuttered the line afterward. This means the very youngest Orion is 36 years old now. As noted, the Navy has been steadily withdrawing Orions from service in recent years.

Several Navy test squadrons do continue to operate P-3s, but that’s becoming an increasingly more complex proposition. This is not just because of the maintenance demands of aging aircraft that are no longer in widespread U.S. service, but also the availability of trained aircrews. As part of the transition of active and reserve Navy maritime patrol squadrons from the P-3 to the P-8, the service no longer has a Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) for the Orion. FRSs are the Navy’s ‘school houses’ that provide training specific to particular aircraft types to aviators and ground personnel before they are sent to operational units. VX-30 now has to do that training in-house.

“The two P-8s will reduce sustainment costs and increase availability over the four P-3 aircraft VX-30 currently flies. P-8s also help alleviate P-3 manning challenges now that the FRS and operational squadrons have all transitioned to P-8 or decommissioned,” the NAVAIR spokesperson told us last year. “P-3 aircraft require a Flight Engineer crew position, and as the P-3 model manager, the return on time invested to train incoming pilots or qualify Flight Engineers in the P-3 is rapidly diminishing for VX-30’s primary missions.”

It remains to be seen whether the configurations of T-1 and T-2 might evolve in the coming years to expand their ability to support testing over the Point Muge Sea Range or elsewhere globally.

In the meantime, T-1’s arrival already marks a new chapter for VX-30 and the Navy’s oldest P-8A Poseidon.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Linda Cohn, an ESPN veteran who has anchored more episodes of “SportsCenter” than anyone in history, announced her retirement Monday.

A Los Angeles resident since 2018, Cohn, 66, will make her final ESPN appearance Friday.

After starting her career in radio and local TV, Cohn joined ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in 1992 when female hosts on sports programming were still a rarity. In a statement, she acknowledged her trailblazer status.

“What I’m most proud of is that my career lasted long enough for me to see little girls grow up watching ‘SportsCenter,’ enter this business, and succeed in it,” she said. “If my journey helped make that path a little easier for them, then that’s the achievement I’ll cherish most.”

Cohn moved to Los Angeles in 2018. She regularly anchored the late-night edition of “SportsCenter,” which originated from the city until last year.

She hit a milestone of anchoring 5,000 “SportsCenter” episodes in February 2016 and appeared on at least 650 more over the 10 years that followed.

Cohn, who played collegiate hockey at Oswego Stage University and competed on the boys team in high school, regularly contributed to ESPN’s NHL coverage. She once did a live “SportsCenter” segment where she tried out for the job of emergency goalie for the Florida Panthers.

Cohn will return to ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios on Friday and appear on four editions of “SportsCenter” throughout the day. She will also reconnect with longtime co-host John Buccigross during coverage of the NHL Draft.

“Linda Cohn is a legend and a major part of the history of ESPN,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN president, content. “She has brought enthusiasm, personality and her love of sports to our audience for more than 30 years and her contributions to ESPN both in front of and behind the camera would make a very long list.”

Holly Willoughby is reportedly planning to relaunch her television career in the coming days on a show which could rival ITV’s This Morning, which she stepped down from in 2023

Holly Willoughby could be back on screens very soon. Since stepping down from ITV’s This Morning in 2023, the presenter has kept a relatively low profile, only appearing on two TV shows.

But according to reports, the 45-year-old has already participated in top-secret on-camera rehearsals for a new TV show, which could see her back on screens in no time. The new lifestyle series, which has recently been looking for staff ahead of its launch, will be titled Together.

And it comes as her This Morning replacement, Cat Deeley and co-star Ben Shephard are taking their summer break from the ITV magazine show. The firm behind the show, Hungry Bear, was recently advertising for a video editor, who would be required to work on “a new online series, producing high-performance, long-form content to be placed on YouTube“.

The hiring advert stated that the candidate would be required to start today or next Monday. The Daily Mail reports that the advert states: “Ideally starting Monday 22nd June (29/06 would be a possibility for the right candidate), the initial term will be four weeks, with the potential to extend to a year-long contract.”

Holly’s husband, Dan Baldwin’s firm, Hungry Bear Media, is behind the new show. She previously hinted at a return to work in a cryptic social media post. Sharing a snap on Instagram last week, Holly said: “Reunited with my absolute dream team today and my face, hair and outfit have never been more grateful.”

In her upload, she tagged make-up artist Patsy O’Neill, her stylist Danielle Whiteman, and hairdresser Ciler Perksah. She went on to add: “Nobody does it like the OGs. But honestly? The drive home might have won the day. My not so baby babies are waiting and that’s the only call time that really matters.”

The star has also filed trademark requests for a wide variety of products under the Together brand, indicating that Holly is keen to launch a spin-off, should the series become a success.

Holly stepped back from her telly roles with ITV in 2025, after appearing as a guest panellist on You Bet! Her time on This Morning came to an end in October 2023, after a plot to abduct her came to light. Since her departure, she has turned her attention to her lifestyle brand, Wylde Moon, which she launched five years ago.

Accounts for the firm from October 2024 show that current net assets amount to £4,831, a significant increase over the previous year’s £ 1,885. However, the company currently owes £733,485 to creditors, an increase from the £583,748 from the previous year. Creditors include HMRC with a £67,262 for Corporation Tax.

She later fronted Celebrity Bear Hunt with Bear Grylls, but the Netflix show was scrapped after just one season.

The Mirror has approached Holly’s spokesperson for comment.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

WASHINGTON — Bobby Ray Inman’s bizarre withdrawal as the defense secretary nominee provides a glimpse into a peculiar Washington phenomenon–the insider who has spent so long behind the scenes that he is unprepared for the glare of the public limelight.

For more than 20 years, first as a Navy admiral and later as director of the National Security Agency and then deputy CIA director, Inman was part of a cadre of people who exercise great power in government but are insulated from the give-and-take of daily political life.

Inman’s remarks in announcing his withdrawal Tuesday and interviews with some of his friends suggest that the retired admiral was unequipped to step into the public arena. Despite his stated reasons, that lack of exposure to public life has emerged as the most plausible explanation for Inman’s abrupt turnabout.

“We thought: ‘He’s an insider–he probably knows the rules of the game.’ But he didn’t,” said Stephen H. Hess, a Brookings Institution political analyst. “We were all caught off guard by that.”

William Safire, the New York Times columnist accused by Inman of mounting unfair attacks, said Wednesday that he suspects Inman withdrew because he and other journalists were working on stories that might have damaged Inman’s chances for winning confirmation.

In his column appearing today, Safire wrote that Inman might have been worried by probes into reports that Inman had used a source on the Senate Intelligence Committee staff to help “manipulate” unsuspecting senators during Inman’s time at the CIA.

Inman had blamed a “new McCarthyism” in the press and the threat of a “partisan attack” by Republicans for his decision, but the media coverage and the GOP were overwhelmingly favorable toward him.

There were other ingredients as well: By Inman’s own admission, he did not thirst for the post. “I did not want a job in Washington,” he said in an interview.

He said he accepted Clinton’s offer because, as a career military officer, he found it difficult to refuse a presidential request.

Friends suggest that Inman’s longtime insecurities, apparently stemming from his days as a clumsy, bespectacled youngster, may have played a part by prompting him to overreact to fears that his reputation was being besmirched.

Inman’s experience is not unique in Washington politics. Others who have made the transition–notably Dwight D. Eisenhower, who went from five-star general to President, have had similar adjustments to make, although Eisenhower managed it more deftly.

Being an admiral or general provides a degree of insulation that often is a handicap for a would-be politician. Few are willing to criticize a senior military officer, especially in public.

And someone who has spent the bulk of his career as an intelligence officer is even more protected. By nature, the chiefs of the nation’s intelligence agencies stay in the background, even while advising presidents, briefing congressional leaders and influencing policies.

Especially during the Cold War, the bulk of their contact with the outside was behind closed doors–with lawmakers or reporters respectfully grateful for any morsel of information they were given.

Inman’s circumstances, and his own talents, accustomed him to receiving nothing but plaudits. Presidents, lawmakers and even the press praised him lavishly, extolling his brilliance and wisdom. Hardly an unkind word was to be found.

What Inman actually had to face during his few short weeks as defense secretary-designate was mild:

* A potential flap over his failure to pay Social Security taxes for a housekeeper peaked a few hours after it was announced, leaked by the White House to head off any serious brouhaha. The issue had been a major element in toppling two candidates for top Justice Department posts.

* News stories, backed up by bankruptcy records, noted his mixed performance in various business ventures. The articles were brought on mainly by Inman’s statements that he planned to bring more business techniques to government.

As Inman eventually admitted, the only real criticism came from a handful of columnists. News coverage and most editorials were heavy with praise; Inman said Tuesday that the working press had treated him fairly.

Inman did “more to besmirch his own reputation in his press conference than the press or the Republicans ever did,” Hess said. “Most people think his response bordered on the bizarre.”

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.), whom Inman accused–apparently without foundation–of spearheading a GOP attack against him, offered perhaps the unkindest cut of all:

“I think it’s probably a break for President Clinton that he didn’t get the job, the way he carried on yesterday,” the senator said Wednesday on CBS-TV’s “This Morning” program, in a view shared by some White House aides.

Times staff writer James Risen contributed to this story.

Mark Connolly has been appointed Derry City director of football after his decision to call time on his playing career.

Connolly left Derry to link up with former Candystripes boss Ruaidhri Higgins at Coleraine in January.

The Clones-born defender, 34, started his professional career at Bolton before spells at Crawley Town, Kilmarnock and Dundee United, where he won the Scottish Championship title in 2020.

He joined Derry in 2022 following a loan stint at Dundalk and helped the Brandywell club win the 2022 FAI Cup.

“I am delighted to rejoin the club in a new role and I can’t wait to get started,” said Connolly.

“I look forward to working with Tiernan [Lynch, manager] and everyone at the club to help create an environment where players, staff and the academy can thrive.”

Coleraine boss Higgins said Connolly “had a great influence on the group” during his time at the Showgrounds as the Bannsiders won the Irish Cup for the first time since 2018.

“He probably didn’t play as much as he would’ve liked towards the end, but his high level of professionalism remained the same,” said Higgins.

“Mark has been exemplary with me and my staff throughout our years working together at Derry City and Coleraine.

“Naturally at 34-years-old, you think about what’s next in your career and this new role at Derry City is a brilliant opportunity for him.

“I’m not surprised he’s been offered that role as he has all the characteristics to be a success. We wish him the very best of luck in the next stage of his career.”

Derry City sit sixth in the League of Ireland Premier Division standings and host Bohemians on Friday (19:45 BST), a game that can be watched on the BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app.

After decades spent shaping modern movies without ever taking home a competitive Oscar, actor Glenn Close and director Ridley Scott will finally receive statuettes from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this fall.

The academy announced Wednesday that Close and Scott will receive honorary Oscars at this year’s Governors Awards alongside pioneering animator Floyd Norman, while producers Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, co-founders of Killer Films, will receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

The annual Governors Awards, launched in 2009, recognize lifetime achievement and significant contributions to filmmaking and the motion picture industry. The Thalberg Award honors producers whose bodies of work reflect consistently high-quality motion picture production.

Unlike the competitive Oscars handed out during the telecast, the honorary prizes are presented at a separate ceremony attended by film industry figures, academy members and awards season contenders.

Close, 79, one of the most acclaimed actors of her generation, has received eight Oscar nominations over her career, including for “Fatal Attraction,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Albert Nobbs” and “The Wife.”

Scott, 88, the architect of “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” whose striking visual style helped define modern blockbuster filmmaking, has scored nominations for directing “Thelma & Louise,” “Gladiator” and “Black Hawk Down,” while also earning a best picture nomination for “The Martian.”

Despite their long influence on Hollywood, both have frequently appeared on lists of prominent Oscar nominees never to win a competitive Academy Award.

The 90-year-old Norman, who began working at Disney in the 1950s, became the studio’s first Black animator, contributing to films including “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Jungle Book” and “Robin Hood.” His career has spanned more than six decades.

Vachon and Koffler have been central figures in American independent cinema for decades, backing such films as “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Far From Heaven,” “Carol,” “First Reformed” and “Past Lives,” the last of which earned them their first best picture nomination in 2024.

The honors will be presented Nov. 15 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood during the academy’s 17th Governors Awards ceremony.