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Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will chair an international summit to discuss the US president’s proposal to end Israel’s war on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday.

The meeting will involve leaders from more than 20 countries, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement on Saturday.

It will aim “to end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security and stability”, the statement said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they would attend, along with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Pedro Sanchez of Spain. French President Emmanuel Macron has also confirmed his attendance.

It was not immediately clear whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or any representatives of the Hamas Palestinian group, would attend.

The announcement comes as tens of thousands of Palestinians streamed north along the coast of Gaza, by foot, car and cart back, to their abandoned and mostly destroyed homes in the Strip, as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas appeared to be holding.

Israeli troops partially pulled back under the first phase of a US-brokered agreement reached this week to end Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 67,000 people and left much of the famine-struck enclave in ruins.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said that the ceasefire “ended one form of violence, but the struggle continues”.

“People walk this exhausting, tiring journey back here [in the north] because they belong here. They keep telling us that they belong to this part of the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip, and they will never be uprooted from here,” Mahmoud said.

“But spending a night here is going to be very difficult,” he said. “The struggle to survive continues to present itself in the most aggressive way, not each day but each hour.”

Gaza’s Government Media Office has said that 5,000 public operations have been carried out after the ceasefire came into force to improve the lives of Palestinians in the enclave.

Among them are more than 850 rescue and relief missions carried out by the Gaza Civil Defence, police and municipal teams to recover bodies, remove rubble and secure destroyed areas.

About 150 bodies have been recovered from various areas across the enclave since Friday morning, the Civil Defence said. Separately, Nasser Hospital reported that 28 bodies were recovered from southern Gaza’s Khan Younis alone.

More than 900 service missions to restore water and sewage lines have also been carried out, the agency added.

These missions are being carried out with the bare minimum of resources as Israel’s blockade on Gaza remains in place, restricting the entry of fuel and equipment. During the genocide, Israeli attacks destroyed ambulances, fire trucks and civil defence centres, further crippling emergency and recovery efforts across the enclave.

The mayor of Khan Younis said that 85 percent of the southern Gaza governorate has been destroyed by Israeli attacks, adding that about 400,000 tonnes of rubble must be removed from the city’s streets.

Calls for crossings to open

Aid groups have also urged Israel to reopen more crossings to allow aid into Gaza.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said it was ready to restore 145 food distribution points across the territory, once Israel allows for expanded deliveries. Before Israel completely sealed off Gaza in March, United Nations agencies provided food at 400 distribution points.

“What is most important now for us to reach the north is crossings to be opened,” Antoine Renard, a WFP representative and the country director for Palestine, told Al Jazeera from Deir el-Balah.

He explained that in a previous ceasefire in January, the WFP had enabled “practically a third of all the different goods that managed to enter into Gaza”.

“The conditions should be the same 1760225956. We expect that the good practices that we had in January 2025 will be again applied in this ceasefire,” Renard said.

Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said the group is working with “friendly countries” to ensure the entry of aid into Gaza, “despite the massive destruction caused by the war”.

UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram said on Saturday that the children’s agency expects to significantly scale up supplies of high-energy food for malnourished children, menstrual hygiene supplies and tents, starting on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Israeli captives held in Gaza by Hamas and other armed groups are expected to “come back” on Monday, US President Trump said, with 20 living captives and the bodies of 28 others due to be handed over as part of the ceasefire deal.

In exchange, Israel is due to release some 250 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, as well as about 1,700 people detained from Gaza over the past two years of war and held without charge. The Israel Prison Service said that detainees have been transferred to deportation facilities at Ofer and Ktzi’ot prisons, “awaiting instructions from the political echelon”.

In past exchanges, Israel has delayed the release of Palestinian prisoners and subjected them to harsh treatment, including physical abuse, humiliation and restrictions on family contact, before eventually releasing them. Rights groups have documented numerous cases of Palestinians arriving in dire health conditions after prolonged interrogation and detention without charge or trial.

In Tel Aviv, tens of thousands of people gathered in Hostages Square after two years of protests led by family members of captives calling for their return.

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, took the stage in the square with the US Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who played a key role in the ceasefire negotiations.

“I dreamed of this night. It’s been a long journey,” Witkoff said. Some yelled, “Thank you, Trump, thank you Witkoff”, and booed when the envoy mentioned Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Turning to the captives, Witkoff said: “As you return to the embrace of your families and your nation, know that all of Israel and the entire world stands ready to welcome you home with open arms and endless love.”

Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut said that Israeli captives’ families credit Trump for the deal, not Netanyahu.

“The family members of captives have no faith in their government, no faith in the Israeli prime minister, whom they accused of prolonging the war for his own personal and political gain,” Salhut said.

“The cheers for [Trump] and for Steve Witkoff come because the family members and those who are protesting say this happened because of the Americans.”

“The Chair Company,” premiering Sunday on HBO, is a conspiracy comedy — dark comedy, one would definitely have to say — in which Tim Robinson goes down a rabbit hole, from one carrot to the next, after a chair collapses beneath him. It’s a thriller in its way; there will be suspense, and injuries, and a lot of screaming, mostly by the star.

Robinson, who co-created the series with Zach Kanin (who also co-created Robinson’s Netflix sketch show, “I Think You Should Leave”), is a difficult hero. His main shtick is the madman underneath a cracking veneer of civilization; physically, he projects a sort of eccentric normality, like a critique of normal. From the beginning of “The Chair Company,” we see that Robinson’s Ron Trosper is tense and nervous and can’t relax, getting into a argument with a waitress over what and what isn’t a mall — he’s been named to lead the development of a new one in Canton, Ohio. (The action all takes place in the state.)

A presentation he’d been dreading goes well, but as he sits back down, his chair — a standard office model — collapses under him, robbing him of a moment of triumph. What most would throw off with a joke sets Ron on edge, and he begins an obsessive quest to track down the manufacturer. But all he comes up with are dead ends and empty offices, and he begins to suspect a conspiracy. When, getting into his car, he’s hit on the head with a pipe and told to stop asking about the chair, it only makes him more determined to uncover it. Lurking, sneaking and stealing will ensue. Reckless behavior. Shouting.

Along with some standard office comedy involving HR reports and Ron’s “know it when I see it” boss (Lou Diamond Phillips, aging gracefully), there is a family element. Wife Barb (Lake Bell) is moving ahead with plans to develop a more attractive breast pump. Daughter Natalie (Sophia Lillis) is getting married to her girlfriend, and wants to change the venue at the last moment to a haunted house. Son Seth (Will Price), a basketball player apparently of enough talent to mention it in the series, has discovered the pleasures of drinking just as recruiters are coming around. It’s not a developed thread, but it gives Price the opportunity to deliver my favorite line in the series: “Some nights I’ll have like four beers and I’ll sit in my room and I’ll put on Abbott and Costello after I’ve had a couple; it makes me feel good to know that [these] two guys found each other because they both seem so different.” Which is a theme of the show.

The character who makes the series breathe is Mike Santini (Joseph Tudisco), the person wielding the pipe. Ron will track him down, and eventually they’ll become partners in his investigation and, after a fashion, friends. (Though Ron is not always friendly.) Mike is the series’ most original conception, and, in a strange way, its heart — someone not beyond taking money from a stranger to hit another stranger over the head, but sympathetic. Lonely, he craves the connection. Ron, for his part, is forever running out on his family to join Mike in some misadventure.

Robinson, the rare “Saturday Night Live” worker who went from performer to writer, is quite adept at playing this character, which makes Ron exhausting company; it takes a certain sort of stamina, or a love for, this particular brand of chaos to put up with him. It seems hardly credible at times that he’s successfully helped raise two rational children, one to adulthood; has attained an upper-middle-class life (with Lake Bell!); and occupies a position of creative responsibility. There are difficult comic characters you’re nevertheless happy to see — Larry David, because he’s so centered in his world and basically right, Lucille Ball because she’s a genius. But Ron spends so much time at DEFCON 1, dialed up past 11, that it can be off-putting, and drowns out the human inside.

Nevertheless, like any mystery, it draws you along, waiting for answers. Seven episodes of eight were released to reviewers; the seventh ends on what feels like a note of quiet irresolution — if not, in Ron’s mind, satisfaction. But the eighth will surely not let things rest, and you may rest assured — and may need the rest — that eight is not the end.

In April Nandy said Kogan was the “outstanding candidate” to fill the position, despite not being on the original three-person shortlist.

A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told BBC Sport: “The Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee found David Kogan appointable after his scrutiny hearing and we are now pleased to proceed in announcing him as chair.

“It is vital that the work to set up the regulator continues at pace to strengthen the governance of the national game and for that we need a chair in post and a board put in place.

“We have co-operated fully with the inquiry by the Commissioner of Public Appointments and await the report’s publication.”

In May Kogan told MPs on the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS) during a pre-appointment hearing that he was being “utterly transparent” by declaring his donations.

The committee endorsed Kogan but said he must work to “reassure the football community that he will act impartially and in a politically neutral way”.

Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage warned that Kogan’s “past donations to the Labour Party will inevitably leave him open to charges of political bias in a job where independence is paramount”.

Kogan said he had donated “very small sums” to the campaigns, as well as thousands of pounds to Labour MPs and candidates in recent years, but had “total personal independence from all of them” and pledged “total political impartiality” if appointed.

However, his proposed appointment was criticised by the Conservative Party, with Shadow Culture Minister Stuart Andrew saying it was “Labour cronyism”.

“The public has a right to know whether this was a fair and impartial process, or yet another case of political patronage disguised as due diligence,” he said.

Kogan has been appointed for a five-year term until 19 May 2030. Dame Helen Stephenson and Simon Levine have also been appointed to the board.

One of Kogan’s biggest priorities is expected to be Sheffield Wednesday. Last month Nandy warned owner Dejphon Chansiri that “change is coming” amid continued calls for the Thai businessman to sell the cash-strapped Championship club.

Various embargoes have been placed on the club for tax debts and late payments to players and staff.

Last week it was revealed that player and staff wages were again not paid on time for the fifth time in seven months.

Nandy said that “if necessary, the football regulator can intervene in order to remove an owner who is threatening the future of the club”.

She said: In Sheffield Wednesday’s case, I am really extremely concerned about the current ownership and the lack of willingness to sell the club and invest in the club, something I’ve been discussing very closely with local MPs.”

SEOUL, Oct. 6 (UPI) — A Seoul court accepted the petition of Lee Jin-sook, the former head of the now-defunct Korean Communications Commission, to be released from detention on Saturday.

Lee was arrested on Thursday on charges of violating election law and breaching public neutrality. The allegations centered around her making partisan remarks on conservative YouTube channels and social media, which prosecutors said were aimed at obstructing the election of President Lee Jae Myung.

Police said that they executed the warrant after the head of the former broadcasting watchdog failed to respond to six summonses for questioning. Lee, however, claimed that the police had agreed on a scheduled appearance date and issued the summonses to build a justification for her arrest.

Her arrest occurred a day after the KCC was abolished as part of a politically contentious government reorganization, which automatically ended her term at the commission. Lee had been appointed to a three-year term in July 2024 by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached over his botched martial law attempt and removed from office in April.

Lee’s lawyers filed a petition requesting a judicial review of the lawfulness of her arrest, which the Seoul Southern District Court heard on Saturday. The court granted her request for release, with Chief Judge Kim Dong-hyun saying the arrest was “not justified at this stage.”

In the court’s decision, Judge Kim said that the investigation had already been conducted to a substantial extent and that the facts in the case were not in dispute, noting that Lee had promised to attend future hearings.

The court did not deny that the arrest may have had legal grounds, Kim added, and acknowledged that further investigation was necessary.

Lee was released from detention at Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul shortly after the ruling and placed the responsibility for her arrest on President Lee Jae Myung.

“The scene you are seeing implies that if you disobey the president, you too could end up in detention,” she said to reporters, as opposition People Power Party lawmakers and conservative supporters gathered outside the station.

“The judiciary has freed us from the handcuffs imposed by the police and prosecutors,” she added. “It gives me hope that democracy still exists in some corner of South Korea.”

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta on Monday accused Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr of unlawfully intimidating television broadcasters into toeing a conservative line in favor of President Trump, and urged him to reverse course.

In a letter to Carr, Bonta specifically cited ABC’s decision to pull “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” off the air after Kimmel made comments about the killing of close Trump ally Charlie Kirk, and Carr demanded ABC’s parent company Disney “take action” against the late-night host.

Bonta wrote that California “is home to a great many artists, entertainers, and other individuals who every day exercise their right to free speech and free expression,” and that Carr’s demands of Disney threatened their 1st Amendment rights.

“As the Supreme Court held over sixty years ago and unanimously reaffirmed just last year, ‘the First Amendment prohibits government officials from relying on the threat of invoking legal sanctions and other means of coercion to achieve the suppression of disfavored speech,’” Bonta wrote.

Carr and Trump have both denied playing a role in Kimmel’s suspension, alleging instead that it was due to his show having poor ratings.

After Disney announced Monday that Kimmel’s show would be returning to ABC, Bonta said he was “pleased to hear ABC is reversing course on its capitulation to the FCC’s unlawful threats,” but that his “concerns stand.”

He rejected Trump and Carr’s denials of involvement, and accused the administration of “waging a dangerous attack on those who dare to speak out against it.”

“Censoring and silencing critics because you don’t like what they say — be it a comedian, a lawyer, or a peaceful protester — is fundamentally un-American,” while such censorship by the U.S. government is “absolutely chilling,” Bonta said.

Bonta called on Carr to “stop his campaign of censorship” and commit to defending the right to free speech in the U.S., which he said would require “an express disavowal” of his previous threats and “an unambiguous pledge” that he will not use the FCC “to retaliate against private parties” for speech he disagrees with moving forward.

“News outlets have reported today that ABC will be returning Mr. Kimmel’s show to its broadcast tomorrow night. While it is heartening to see the exercise of free speech ultimately prevail, this does not erase your threats and the resultant suppression of free speech from this past week or the prospect that your threats will chill free speech in the future,” Bonta wrote.

After Kirk’s killing, Kimmel said during a monologue that the U.S. had “hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and doing everything they can to score political points from it.”

Carr responded on a conservative podcast, saying, “These companies can find ways to change conduct, to take action, frankly, on Kimmel, or, you know, there’s going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.”

Two major owners of ABC affiliates dropped the show, after which ABC said it would be “preempted indefinitely.”

Both Kirk’s killing and Kimmel’s suspension — which followed the cancellation of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” by CBS — kicked off a tense debate about freedom of speech in the U.S. Both Kimmel and Colbert are critics of Trump, while Kirk was an ardent supporter.

Constitutional scholars and other 1st amendment advocates said the administration and Carr have clearly been exerting inappropriate pressure on media companies.

Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley Law School, said Carr’s actions were part of a broad assault on free speech by the administration, which “is showing a stunning ignorance and disregard of the 1st amendment.”

Summer Lopez, the interim co-chief executive of PEN America, said this is “a dangerous moment for free speech” in the U.S. because of a host of Trump administration actions that are “pretty clear violations of the 1st Amendment” — including Carr’s threats but also statements about “hate speech” by Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi and new Pentagon restrictions on journalists reporting on the U.S. military.

She said Kimmel’s return to ABC showed that “public outrage does make a difference,” but that “it’s important that we generate that level of public outrage when the targeting is of people who don’t have that same prominence.”

Carr has also drawn criticism from conservative corners, including from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — who is chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the FCC. He recently said on his podcast that he found it “unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying we’re going to decide what speech we like and what we don’t, and we’re going to threaten to take you off air if we don’t like what you’re saying.”

Cruz said he works closely with Carr, whom he likes, but that what Carr said was “dangerous as hell” and could be used down the line “to silence every conservative in America.”

Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev has been fined $42,500 by the U.S. Open for his actions during and immediately after his first-round loss to France’s Benjamin Bonzi on Sunday night in New York.

The total fines, issued by tournament referee Jake Garner, included $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and another $12,500 for racket abuse.

With Medvedev facing match point in the third set, Bonzi missed on his first serve and was preparing for the second when a photographer appeared to mistakenly step onto the court.

Chair umpire Greg Allensworth announced that Bonzi would be given another chance at his first serve “because of the delay caused by an outside interference.”

Medvedev was not happy. The 2021 U.S. Open champion berated Allensworth at the chair and insulted him while leaning into a microphone to address the crowd. Even as he was walking back onto the court, Medvedev used arm gestures to encourage the crowd to continue expressing its displeasure with the decision, although he eventually motioned for the fans to calm down.

“I just expressed my emotions, my unhappiness with the decision,” Medvedev said later. “And then the crowd did what they did without me, without me asking them too much. And it was fun to witness.”

The disruption lasted for roughly six minutes. Medvedev ended up winning that point and set, then won the next set as well. Bonzi recovered in the fifth set for a 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5), 0-6, 6-4 win, after which Medvedev was seen repeated destroying a racket by smashing it on the court and against a sideline chair.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Aug. 22 (UPI) — Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Friday did not give a clear indication of the central bank’s plans to possibly cut interest rates amid pressure from President Donald Trump but spoke to the difficult conditions affecting decisionmakers.

Speaking from the annual Economic Policy Symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Powell said “in the near term, risks to inflation are tilted to the upside, and risks to employment to the downside” referring to two factors the Fed uses to determine if rates should change or stay as is, the latter of which is considered a barrier to inflation.

“In terms of the Fed’s dual-mandate goals, he labor market remains near maximum employment, and inflation, though still somewhat elevated, has come down a great deal from its post-pandemic highs. At the same time, the balance of risks appears to be shifting,” he said.

Mentioning “risks” was the closest Powell came to declaring rate cuts are in the works, which some investors are expecting to be enacted when the Federal Open Market Committee next meets in September.

Powell noted that while the Fed’s dual mandate requires “balance,” but also added that “the stability of the unemployment rate and other labor market measures allows us to proceed carefully as we consider changes to our policy stance.

“The Fed also announced Friday that the Federal Open Market Committee, or FOMC, which decides interest rates, has approved its latest updated “Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monetary Policy Strategy,” which explains how it handles monetary policies and uses it to guide policy actions.

In a press release, the committee stated that it’s “prepared to act forcefully to ensure that longer-term inflation expectations remain well anchored.”

“Therefore, the Committee’s policy decisions reflect its longer-run goals, its medium-term outlook, and its assessments of the balance of risks, including risks to the financial system that could impede the attainment of the Committee’s goals,” the committee further stated.

Lancashire are sixth in Division Two of the Championship with three games to go and promotion back to the top division looks unlikely following relegation last year.

With the expansion of the hotel at the ground and large music concerts staged most summers, it has been suggested that county cricket has taken a back seat in importance in recent years.

That is a perception that Lloyd, affectionately known as ‘Bumble’, believes he could change.

“You’ve got to be hands-on as cricket chair,” he added. “You’ve got to be there almost every day and know the people on reception, the cleaners, to build that culture within the club that you are very dynamic.

“We’ve got a great opportunity at Emirates Old Trafford right now to reignite the club if you like, to bring it back into line as a cricket club and not an arena or a stadium.”

As someone steeped in Lancashire’s history since making his debut for the first-team in 1965, Lloyd says that he would love to give something back.

“Lancashire Cricket Club has given me every opportunity in life and I feel that I can help in some way,” he said.

“It’s complicated because there’s a business side of the board and that’s not my forte. But cricket is.”

US president says the Treasury secretary wishes to stay in his current role.

United States President Donald Trump has ruled out Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent as his pick to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

Trump, who has repeatedly criticised Powell for not moving faster to lower interest rates, said on Tuesday that Bessent wished to continue in his current role.

“I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC, adding that Bessent was doing a “great job” and had told him as recently as Monday that he did not want the position.

Trump said he had four candidates in mind to replace Powell, whose term expires in May, including Kevin Warsh, who formerly served on the Fed’s seven-member board of governors, and Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House National Economic Council.

He said he could use the opportunity to replace Adriana D Kugler, who last week announced her early resignation as one of the seven governors, to put his pick for chair on the board in advance of Powell’s departure.

“I’m going to make the decision soon,” Trump said.

Trump’s repeated attacks on Powell, whom he has mockingly dubbed “too late”, have stoked concern about the US central bank maintaining its independence, which investors view as crucial to the health of the US economy.

Following reports last month that Trump had asked Republican lawmakers whether he should fire the Fed chair, the benchmark S&P 500 tumbled 0.7 percent.

US stocks swiftly recovered after Trump denied that he had any intention to remove Powell early.

Under legislation and US Supreme Court precedent, the president may only remove the Fed chair “for cause”, widely interpreted to mean proof of corruption or malfeasance.

WASHINGTON — In past Olympic Games held on American soil, sitting presidents have served in passive, ceremonial roles. President Trump may have other plans.

An executive order signed by Trump on Tuesday names him chair of a White House task force on the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, viewed by the president as “a premier opportunity to showcase American exceptionalism,” according to a White House statement. Trump, the administration said, “is taking every opportunity to showcase American greatness on the world stage.”

At the White House, speaking in front of banners adding the presidential seal to the logo for LA28, Trump said he would send the military back to Los Angeles if he so chose in order to protect the Games. In June, Trump sent the National Guard and U.S. Marines to the city amid widespread immigration enforcement actions, despite widespread condemnation from Mayor Karen Bass and other local officials.

“We’ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military, OK?” he said. “I will use the National Guard or the military. This is going to be so safe. If we have to.”

Trump’s executive order establishes a task force led by him and Vice President JD Vance to steer federal coordination for the Games. The task force will work with federal, state and local partners on security and transportation, according to the White House.

Those roles have been fairly standard for the federal government in past U.S.-hosted Olympic Games. But Trump’s news conference could present questions about whether a president with a penchant for showmanship might assume an unusually active role in planning the Olympics, set to take place in the twilight of his final term.

There is ample precedent for military and National Guard forces providing security support during U.S.-hosted Olympic Games. But coming on the heels of the recent military deployment to Los Angeles, Trump’s comments may prove contentious.

French president Emmanuel Macron was a key figure in preparations for last year’s Paris Games, including expressing his vocal support for the ambitious Olympic opening ceremony plan to parade athletes down the Seine River on boats. Many officials were concerned about potential threats along the 3.7-mile stretch, but authorities responded by increasing security measures that included up to 45,000 police officers and 10,000 soldiers.

The task force, to be housed within the Department of Homeland Security, will “assist in the planning and implementation of visa processing and credentialing programs for foreign athletes, coaches, officials, and media personnel,” the executive order said. City officials have expressed concern that the president’s border policies could deter international visitors and complicate visa processing for Olympic teams.

Tensions with L.A.

More concentrated involvement from Trump could spell further strain with Los Angeles city officials, who sought to make nice in the wake of devastating January fires, but have fiercely bucked Trump’s recent immigration offensive. Trump swiped at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during his remarks on Tuesday, calling her “not very competent” and criticizing the pace of city permitting for fire rebuilding. (Bass did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

Known for her coalition-building skills, Bass is not, by nature, a public brawler. In the aftermath of the Palisades fire, she appeared determined to preserve her fragile relationship with the president — and the billions of dollars of federal aid her city was depending on — responding diplomatically even as he publicly attacked her.

But that determined cordiality crumbled when masked immigration agents and military personnel descended on the city. With troops stationed in the city and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal authorities arresting undocumented immigrants at courthouses, car washes and Home Depot parking lots, Bass took on Trump forcefully.

At news conferences and in interviews, she accused the president of waging “an all-out assault on Los Angeles, inciting chaos and fear and using the city as “a test case for an extremist agenda.”

Casey Wasserman, chairman of LA28, attended the White House event, thanking Trump for “leaning in” to planning for an Olympics that was awarded to Los Angeles during his first term.

“You’ve been supportive and helpful every step of the way,” Wasserman said, noting that the Games would amount to hosting seven Super Bowls a day for 30 days. “With the creation of this task force, we’ve unlocked the opportunity to level up our planning and deliver the largest, and yes, greatest Games for our nation, ever.”

Wasserman will also have a delicate political balancing act, managing a Games in a deep-blue city with a famously mercurial Republican president in office.

President Trump holds a full set of medals from the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles during Tuesday’s event at which he announced an executive order regarding federal involvement in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

(Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Associated Press)

A Hollywood scion and sports and entertainment mogul, Wasserman has long been a prominent Democratic donor known for his close relationship with the Clintons.

But in recent months he has diversified his giving, with hefty donations to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and House Speaker Mike Johnson’s leadership fund. Wasserman has publicly praised Trump’s commitment to the Games and traveled to Mar-a-Lago in January to meet with the incoming president.

Presidents have long played a role in the Games. In 1984, Ronald Reagan formally opened the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming the first American president to do so. Reagan attended several Olympic events, but repeatedly emphasized the federal government’s role was focused on security, according to the White House Historical Assn.

The Olympic Charter requires the host country’s head of state to officially open the Games, but before Reagan, the duty had been fulfilled by local political leaders or vice presidents representing the president.

Ever-tightening security

The federal government has historically provided significant funding when the Games are hosted on U.S. soil, with financial support going toward both security and infrastructure.

Leading up to the 1996 Games in Atlanta, the federal government spent $227 million on security and transportation, playing “very much a junior partner” to the Olympic Committee, then-Vice President Al Gore said at the time. Still, a bombing at the Centennial Olympic Park during the games that summer shook the security establishment.

The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were the first Games to be classified as a “National Special Security Event,” the government’s highest security rating for any event that designates the U.S. Secret Service as the lead agency for implementing security. That standard has remained in place for U.S.-held Olympic Games ever since. The Secret Service will also lead security coordination for the 2028 Games.

The federal government was particularly involved in the Salt Lake City games, which were held just months after the 9/11 attacks.

Los Angeles leaders are actively involved in the security planning, and are currently in negotiations with LA28 for the use of the city’s police, traffic officers, and other employees during the Olympics and Paralympics.

Security, trash removal, traffic control, paramedics and more will be needed during the 17-day Olympics and the two-week Paralympics the following month.

Under the 2021 Games agreement between LA28 and the city, LA28 must reimburse Los Angeles for any services that go beyond what the city would provide on a normal day. The two parties must agree by Oct. 1, 2025, on “enhanced services” — additional city services needed for the Games, beyond that normal level — and determine rates, repayment timelines, audit rights and other processes.

Overtime for Los Angeles police officers, and any other major expenses, would be acutely felt by a city government that recently closed a nearly $1-billion budget deficit, in part by slowing police hiring.

Wilner reported from Washington, Wick and Nguyen from Los Angeles. Times staff writer Dakota Smith contributed to this report.

Aug. 5 (UPI) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is no longer on the list to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

“Well I love Scott, but he wants to stay where he is,” Trump said on CNBC’s Squawk Box. “I asked him just last night, ‘Is this something you want?’ ‘Nope I want to stay where I am.'”

“I just take him off. He does not want it. He likes being Treasury secretary,” Trump said.

Powell’s term as Fed chair ends in 2026, and Trump has been highly critical of his hesitation to lower interest rates, calling him a “moron” and “too late.”

Trump is considering his own replacements for the Fed’s board of governors amid his criticism of Powell over his stance on interest rates.

Others Trump is considering to replace Powell include Kevin Warsh, a financier and bank executive who previously served on the Fed’s board of governors, and Kevin Hassett, an economist and the head of the National Economic Council at the White House.

“Both Kevins are very good, and there are other people that are very good, too,” Trump said, adding that [Adriana] Kugler’s resignation “was a pleasant surprise.”

Kugler, a labor economist, announced Friday that she would step down from the Fed’s board of governors this Friday. She plans to return to teaching public policy at Georgetown University in the fall.

Another contender for Powell’s job is economist and Fed governor Christopher Waller, whom Trump appointed.

Trump nominated Powell for the Fed job in 2017, during his first term as president. President Joe Biden reappointed him during his term. Trump alleged Tuesday that Powell told him, “Sir, I’ll keep interest rates so low. I’m a low interest rate person.”

Last week, the Fed kept the interest rate unchanged at 4.25%-4.5%. Waller and governor Michelle Bowman, another Trump appointee, dissented. It was the first time two governors had dissented since 1993.

As players continue to ask the Grand Slams for more prize money, the chair of the All England Club has suggested those questions would be better directed to the regular tour events.

Representatives of top 10 players met officials at Wimbledon last week to discuss increasing prize money and having a greater say in the running of the Grand Slams.

The Professional Tennis Players’ Association, meanwhile, has begun legal action against the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

It claims prize money is artificially restricted and the 11-month season is “unsustainable”.

Players have frequently pointed to the vast revenues generated by the Grand Slams, and feel they deserve a significantly larger return.

“For a lot of players, it’s playing for Slams that provides the income for [financing a year on] the whole tour – so the sport needs to look at itself,” Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, told BBC Sport.

“Something like golf, where they earn the majority of money on the tour and less at the majors, is flipped over in tennis.

“As much as we’re asked to look at ourselves, I do think the tour events need to look at themselves as well.”

The US president has repeatedly called on the top central banker to step down amid disagreement over interest rates.

United States President Donald Trump has repeated his call for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to step down, the latest in a series of attacks that have raised concern about the independence of the US central bank.

Trump made the call for Powell to “resign immediately” on Wednesday after his administration’s top housing regulator urged the US Congress to launch an investigation into the central banker.

Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, said in a post on X that Powell should be investigated for his “political bias” and “deceptive testimony” about renovations at the Federal Reserve headquarters in Washington, DC.

In a Truth Social post responding to Pulte’s comments, Trump said “Too Late” – a nickname used to lambast Powell for not lowering rates faster – should resign.

Trump’s latest broadside comes days after he sent Powell a letter demanding that the central banker lower the benchmark interest rate, which is currently set at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.5 percent, by “a lot”.

The US president has repeatedly criticised Powell for not backing faster rate cuts, arguing that the central banker’s cautious stance is holding back economic growth and that concerns about inflation are overblown.

Lower interest rates reduce the cost of borrowing for businesses and consumers, helping boost economic growth.

But rate cuts also have the effect of increasing inflation, which central banks typically wish to keep low, and Trump’s sweeping tariffs are generally expected to put upward pressure on prices.

On Tuesday, Powell told a panel discussion at the European Central Bank Forum in Portugal that the central bank had taken a wait-and-see approach to rate cuts in order to gauge the impact of Trump’s tariffs, many of which are in limbo ahead of a July 9 deadline.

“In effect, we went on hold when we saw the size of the tariffs, and essentially all inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of the tariffs,” Powell said.

“We didn’t overreact. In fact, we didn’t react at all; we’re simply taking some time.”

Trump has repeatedly demanded that Powell, whose term does not expire until May 2026, step down or be removed since coming into office in January.

Last week, Trump told reporters that he would “love” for Powell to step down “if he wanted to”.

In April, Trump said that Powell’s “termination cannot come fast enough,” before backing off his threat after stocks and the US dollar dipped sharply.

Under US federal law, the US president is only permitted to fire the Fed chair “for cause”, a provision widely interpreted to mean specific misconduct, not policy decisions.

In May, the US Supreme Court reaffirmed precedent limiting the president’s ability to remove the top central banker in a ruling that singled out the Federal Reserve as having a distinct status compared with other independent agencies.

Trump earlier on Tuesday told reporters that he had “two or three” choices in mind to succeed Powell without elaborating on who is under consideration.

When a top official responsible for oversight of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced recently that he is being forced out of his position, it brought to a fever pitch tensions that had been building for months.

On one side are watchdogs who say efforts to bring reforms and transparency to the Sheriff’s Department are being stymied. On the other are county officials who claim fresh perspectives are needed on the Civilian Oversight Commission.

The showdown is playing out as the commission continues fighting the county for access to internal sheriff’s department records on deputy misconduct, including investigations into gang-like cliques said to rule over certain stations and promote a culture of violence.

Robert Bonner, the oversight commission chair, wrote in a letter last month that he was “involuntarily leaving” the body he has been a member of since its founding in 2016. Bonner, 83, said in an interview that he was chairing the commission’s May meeting at the L.A. County Hall of Records when he unexpectedly received a letter from County Supervisor Kathryn Barger stating that she would be appointing someone to replace him.

On Thursday, Bonner gave his first address to the commission since revealing his time as chair will end this month.

Bonner said he was “still surprised” that he had been “dismissed without so much as a phone call from Supervisor Barger.”

And he had choice words for other county operators that he described as thorns in the commission’s side.

“It can be treacherous. The county bureaucrats — and this includes, by the way, the county counsel’s office — they guard their turf and see an independent commission as a threat to that turf,” Bonner said.

“There are forces within the county,” he added later, “that do not want to see real, effective and meaningful oversight over the sheriff’s department.”

Helen Chavez, a spokesperson for Barger, said in an email that Bonner’s claims that the supervisor summarily dismissed him were made “for dramatic effect” and “are not only inaccurate but also mischaracterize the circumstances of his departure” from the commission.

“His assertion that his presence alone was essential to achieving reforms is both self-serving and dismissive of the dedicated Commissioners and staff who are collectively advancing the Civilian Oversight Commission’s mission,” the statement said. “These reforms are bigger than any one individual, and they will continue without interruption.”

Barger, who chairs the county‘s Board of Supervisors, told The Times in a statement last month that she is “committed to broadening the diversity of voices and expertise represented on the Commission.”

Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger attends a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting in 2023.

(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

She said her decision to replace Bonner “reflects my desire to continue cultivating public trust in the oversight process by introducing new perspectives that support the Commission’s vital work.”

On Thursday, Patti Giggans, an ally of Bonner’s on the commission, stood up for the departing chairman during what he said would likely be the last of the body’s monthly meetings he’d attend as a commissioner.

“I have a feeling all of us here, all the commissioners, appreciate your leadership, your tenacity, your brilliance and courage to go up against forces that are not necessarily yet in agreement with what effective oversight means,” she said.

The County Counsel’s office said in an email that it “has fully supported the COC, as an advisory body to the Board, in its efforts to seek the information it needs to play a powerful oversight role on behalf of LA County citizens.”

But some observers note that the county counsel is in an awkward position, since the office represents multiple parties involved. That includes the Civilian Oversight Commission, which has been trying to enforce subpoenas, as well as Barger’s office and the sheriff’s department.

Peter Eliasberg, chief counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said it seems to him that nearly every time such a dispute comes up, the county’s lawyers side with the sheriff’s department.

“It’s either intentional or it’s incredibly short-sighted for Commissioner Bonner to be pushed out at this point, at a time when he’s been spearheading incredibly important reforms,” Eliasberg said. “It feels to me like this is an effort once again to hamstring this commission.”

Bonner, who previously served as a federal judge and was head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, isn’t the only commissioner to acrimoniously leave the oversight body this year.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, right, talks with former oversight official Sean Kennedy during the annual Baker to Vegas law enforcement relay on April 5 in Baker, Calif.

(William Liang / For The Times)

In February, Loyola Law School professor Sean Kennedy resigned after county lawyers sought to stop him from filing a brief in court in support of Diana Teran, an advisor to former L.A. County Dist. Atty. George Gascón who faced felony charges from the state. Teran was accused of improperly accessing records about sheriff’s deputies, but a state appellate court recently moved to dismiss the case.

Kennedy said in February that he quit because he believed it was “not appropriate for the County Counsel to control the COC’s independent oversight decisions.”

Last month, Kennedy received notification that a law firm had “been engaged by the Office of the County Counsel” to investigate him for allegedly retaliating against a sergeant in the sheriff’s department who had faced oversight scrutiny. Kennedy has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the probe against him is politically motivated.

In an email this week, Kennedy described Bonner’s removal as “the death-knell for meaningful civilian oversight of the LASD.” He claimed that the Board of Supervisors “supports the sheriff in preventing the commissioners from accessing confidential documents to do their job.”

Barger’s office pushed back against the criticism, pointing to correspondence from Bonner earlier this year that the supervisor’s office said suggested he was willing to step down.

In an April 18 email to Barger, Bonner wrote that “if you decide not to reappoint me, please be assured that I am fine with that.”

Chavez, Barger’s spokesperson, questioned the “stark contrast” between “his posture and tone” then compared with Bonner’s recent public remarks.

Bonner told The Times he followed up his April 18 email to express that he “wanted to be extended” to achieve his goals as chair.

“I never wanted to her to think I lusted for the job,” Bonner said in a text message.

The abrupt departures of Bonner and Kennedy have raised concerns about who will fill the void they leave behind.

The Civilian Oversight Commission voted on Thursday for the body’s co-vice chair, Hans Johnson, to fill Bonner’s shoes when his time in the role concludes on July 17.

“The loss of Rob and Sean, who were deeply committed to getting to the bottom of problems in the sheriff’s department, is a blow to the county,” said Bert Deixler, former special counsel to the oversight commission. “These were two special guys who knew what they were talking about. Long, long history.”

Deixler attributed the turmoil to “political machinations” within the county and decried the move to replace Bonner.

“I just can’t understand it,” he said. “There couldn’t be a merits-based reason for making that decision.”

At the commission’s meeting Thursday, Bonner listed several goals he had hoped to accomplish before his time as chair ends. His priorities included bolstering the board’s ability to conduct effective oversight and compelling a commitment by Sheriff Robert Luna to enact a ban on deputy gangs and cliques.

It’s not yet clear how Bonner’s dismissal will affect those plans.

“I’m leaving,” he said. “You guys have got to pick up the ball here after July 17.”

Eric Bauman, a gruff and tireless political operative who led two of California’s most powerful Democratic organizations before resigning amid misconduct allegations, died Monday.

His family said in a statement that Bauman died at UCLA West Valley Medical Center after a long illness. He was 66.

Born in the Bronx to an Army doctor and a registered nurse, Bauman went to military school and moved to Hollywood just before he turned 18. He became a nurse and met his husband, also a nurse, in a hospital cafeteria during an overnight shift in the early 1980s.

Motivated in part by the AIDS crisis, Bauman became active in the Stonewall Democratic Club Los Angeles, a progressive political group, and was elected president of the organization in 1994.

Bauman grew L.A. County Democratic Party into a political force as chairman from 2000 to 2017 and expanded the number of Democrats winning elections at every level of government, from water boards to the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I turned the L.A. Democratic Party from a $50,000-a-year organization into a $1.5 million-a-year organization,” he told a reporter in 2011.

With a Bronx affect and a gold signet ring on his pinkie finger that he twisted when he was under pressure, Bauman built a reputation as an old-school party boss who would give you the bad news straight. Democrats compared him to Ray Liotta, and some called him the “Godfather of Democratic politics.”

“People come up to me on the street all the time and think I’m Joe Pesci,” he told the Times in 2017. “I try to work with that.”

Bauman ran for state Democratic Party chair in 2017. After a bruising election that exposed the fractures between the progressive and establishment wings of the party, Bauman was elected by a mere 62 votes.

He was the first openly gay and first Jewish person to chair the party.

“I don’t wear a button that says, ‘Look at me, I’m gay,’” Bauman said in a 2009 interview with the UCLA Film and Television Archive. But, he said, “I never fail to recognize my partner from any podium. It is in my bio. It is a part of who I am.”

The high point of his tenure was the 2018 midterm elections, when California Democrats flipped seven seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and won back a veto-proof supermajority in the state Legislature.

Bauman said he wanted to overturn California’s voter-approved “jungle primary” system, which allows the top two vote-getters to advance to the general election, regardless of party. Bauman argued that Democrats should pick their own nominees, rather than spending millions of dollars fighting in the primaries.

In late 2018, The Times reported that Bauman had made crude sexual comments and had engaged in unwanted touching or physical intimidation in professional settings, citing 10 party staff members and political activists.

Bauman resigned, saying he planned to seek treatment for health issues and alcohol use. The state Democratic Party fired top staffers in the wake of the allegations and eventually paid more than $380,000 to settle a sexual misconduct lawsuit brought by three of his accusers. A party spokeswoman did not respond to requests for a statement on Bauman’s death Tuesday.

After his resignation, Bauman disappeared from public life for several years. More recently, he began hosting a radio show called “The UnCommon Sense Democrat” on the Inland Empire’s KCAA-AM 1050.

In the mid-2000s, when Republicans still represented many outlying areas of Los Angeles County, Bauman set up a “red zone program” at the L.A. County Democratic Party that funneled money and volunteers to Democrats running for seats in GOP strongholds.

The investments were a gamble, but they built relationships and better candidates — and sometimes, a long shot candidate actually won, said former state lawmaker Miguel Santiago, who first got involved with the party in the early 2000s.

“He was really hungry for Democratic wins,” Santiago said. “There was no seat that that guy left on the table, whether it was a community college seat, a school board race, a water board race.”

Bauman also worked to strengthen ties with organized labor, now the California Democratic Party’s most powerful ally, and build voter registration and turnout.

State Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez, who chaired the county party after Bauman, said he spent countless hours as a young volunteer entering information about newly registered voters into the party database.

The data came from a booth that the Democratic Party set up outside citizenship ceremonies where newly eligible voters could register to vote as Democrats, he said. Bauman sent a signed card to each person, congratulating them and welcoming them to the party.

“That touched people, and it showed them that they matter,” Gonzalez said.

Bauman also worked for Gov. Gray Davis and insurance commissioner John Garamendi and as a consultant to several Assembly speakers, including Anthony Rendon of Los Angeles and Toni Atkins of San Diego.

He is survived by his husband and partner of 42 years, Michael Andraychak, and his father and sister, Richard and Roya Bauman.

SHOPPERS are racing to Dunelm to get their hands on a “gorgeous” chair which is 80% off.

The popular homeware store is selling the pink Elsie Velvet Cocktail Chair for just £19.99 – down from £99.

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The chair is currently being advertised on the Dunelm website for the reduced price of £69.30, but one shopper spotted it in their local store with the even bigger discount.

Posting a picture of the chair reduced to £19.99, the savvy shopper, Liyana Leena, wrote in the Bargain Lovers Facebook group: “Always worth going to Dunelm”.

She claimed to have spotted the massive discount in the Cannock branch of the homeware store.

Shoppers were quick to respond to news of the discount, with one saying they “need to go have a look”. 

Another said: “Love the colour if my room was big enough I would go hunting.”

Shoppers also shared other deals they’ve managed to snap up in the Dunelm sale, with one writing: “I got my curtains in the sale in Dunelm, meant to have been £160 6ftx6ft blackouts got them for £10.”

Another wrote: “I got a £60 rug last year for £6!”

The stylish chair is made from a soft-touch velvet fabric, with a soft foam seat and solid wood legs, and is available in a rhubarb colourway.

It’s 73cm high with a width of 54cm and a diameter of 64cm.

Dunelm describes the chair as boasting a “compact design perfect for adding a modern stylish touch to any room”.

While the item is displayed on the Dunelm website, customers will still need to visit their local store store as it’s not available for home delivery or for Click and Collect.

To find your nearest Dunelm store visit https://www.dunelm.com/stores.

Save on furniture at Dunelm

Dunelm often has sales and promotions offering up to 75% off, especially at certain times of the year.

It’s worth keeping an eye out for Black Friday and Boxing Day sales to bag a bargain.

You can also check the clearance page on the Dunelm website to find the latest discounts.

Other money-saving websites, such as cashback sites like TopCashback and Quidco, may also help you save by allowing you to earn money back on your spending.

Plus you can save by opting for free click-and-collect to avoid being hit with delivery fees.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

June 12 (UPI) — Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg announced that he won’t be running for re-election for his role after DNC members voted to redo his election.

Hogg announced on X Wednesday that he would not run in the election so the Democratic party “can focus on what really matters,” adding he would focus on work with Leaders We Deserve a grassroots organization focused on electing young progressives to U.S. and state legislatures.

“I’m thankful to everyone who has supported me in this role. I’m proud to have travelled to 10 states to do 30+ events, raising money for state parties, organizing with young Democrats and getting out the vote for special elections in Wisconsin and Florida,” Hogg wrote. “I have nothing but admiration and respect for my fellow officers. Even though we have disagreements, we all are here to build the strongest party possible.”

DNC members voted 294-99 Wednesday to redo the election of both Hogg’s and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta’s vice chair roles after Oklahoma DNC member Kalyn Free challenged how the vice chair election was conducted in February.

Free alleged the election provided an unfair advantage for the male candidates over the female candidates.

The DNC will hold elections for a new male vice chair from Thursday through Saturday, while a vote on a second vice chair of any gender will run from Sunday through Tuesday.

Hogg’s decision not to seek re-election after his work with Leades We Deserve to primary “ineffective” Democratic incumbents left members of the party, including DNC Chair Ken Martin, displeased.

“I came into this role to play a positive role in creating the change our party needs,” Hogg wrote. “It is clear that there is a fundamental disagreement about the role of a vice chair — and it’s OK to have disagreements. What isn’t OK is allowing this to remain our fucus when there is so much mroe we need to be focused on.”

Martin, who believed Hogg shouldn’t have focused on the primary efforts as an officer of the national party and his frustration was expressed in leaked audio of a Zoom call with DNC officers that was published over the weekend, leading some members to reconsider their votes.

However, Martin commended Hogg in a statement Wednesday “for his years of activism, organizing, and fighting for his generation.”

“While I continue to believe he is a powerful voice for this party, I respect his decision to step back from his post as vice chair,” he said.

Kenyatta, who is now running unopposed for the male DNC vice chair role wished Hogg “the best” in a post on social media.

“I’m grateful to the overwhelming support I’ve received in this re-election from DNC members and I look forward to getting back to work electing Democrats up and down the ballot,” he said.

The top official on the watchdog commission that oversees the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is being terminated from his position, according to correspondence reviewed by The Times.

Robert Bonner, chair of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission, wrote in a Wednesday letter to L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger that he received a letter from her on May 13 that said he was being replaced.

Bonner wrote in the Wednesday letter that he had contacted Barger’s office to request “an opportunity to meet with you and to express ‘my personal wish to be able to finish out the year.’” Barger’s office said on May 15 that a scheduler would reach out to set up a meeting, but that never happened, according to Bonner’s Wednesday letter. He added that he is “involuntarily leaving the Commission” and that he would prefer to stay on to finish work that is underway.

“Given the length of time that I have been on the Commission, and that I am the current Chair of the Commission with another possible year as Chair, I expected as a matter of courtesy that you would want to speak with me and hear me out,” Bonner, 83, wrote.

Bonner and Barger, who chairs the County Board of Supervisors, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday morning. Bonner’s Wednesday letter did not say when he will serve his final day as a member of the commission.

A former federal judge, Bonner began his second stint as chair of the commission in July. He previously served as its first chair for two years between 2016 and 2018. Chairs and officers of the oversight commission are elected to one-year terms each July and can only serve two consecutive years in those roles.

Bonner’s letter stated that he has been working on several important issues that he was hoping to see through.

The initiatives included revisions to the Los Angeles County Code to help ensure the commission can serve as an independent oversight body; legal action to ensure the commission can review confidential documents in closed session; the shepherding of AB 847, a bill passed by the state Assembly on June 2 that would ensure civilian oversight commissions can review confidential documents in closed session; and efforts to eliminate deputy gangs and cliques.

“Hopefully,” Bonner wrote in his Wednesday letter, his colleagues on the commission “will be able to implement these goals while I am attempting to improve my tennis game.”

A MAJOR retailer has slashed the price of a stylish egg chair to just £99 and it is perfect to revamp your garden this summer.

Homebase has reduced the cost of its hanging egg chair to £99 down from £199.

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The moves gives customers a chance to save £100 on the popular garden item ahead of the summer.

The retailers take on the chair comes in a grey colour and is 192cm high.

It also comes with cushions and also structured so customers can sway the chair when they sit it in.

The description read: “Its soft cushions and gentle swaying motion provide optimal comfort whilst its stylish design adds a focal point to your outdoor space.

“Whether you’re reading a book or enjoying the scenic beauty, this chair offers a tranquil relaxation experience.”

If you are keen to shop the offer you can head to one of Home base’s 188 concessions within The Range stores across the UK.

You can also shop the product on www.homebase.co.uk.

The item is not available for click and collect.

The retailer went into administration last November, but was bought by CDS Superstores, which also owns The Range and Wilko.

As part of the sale, over 50 struggling stores closed.

But a number of sites were also converted into The Range stores and feature “Garden Centres by Homebase”.

You can find your nearest range which has this concession by visiting, /www.homebase.co.uk/en-uk/stores.

When shopping for garden furniture its also important to shop around to ensure you are getting the best value for your money.

B&M is selling a similar product for £150 and Asda has reduced the price of one of its egg chairs from £249 to £148.

MORE GARDEN DEALS

With summer upon us, many retailers are ramping up sales on garden furniture.

Aldi is offering up a double pack of solar Marrakesh crook lanterns for just £12.99.

The German retailer has a whole range of garden buys coming to stores this Sunday.

That includes a £3.99 solar light which can give your garden an instant refresh.

The bulb comes with a crocodile clip so it can be hung around the garden.

The bulbs come in two different shapes and have 20 firefly LED lights inside to add a whimsical touch.