The Canadian singer-songwriter announced her pregnancy Monday in an Instagram post, sharing a few black-and-white photos of the couple and Jepsen’s baby bump that hint there may be some kicking going on.
“Oh hi baby,” Jepsen, 39, wrote in the caption along with a heart emoji. Her 40-year-old husband, whose full name is Cole Marsden Greif-Neill, is feeling so much love and excitement that he has been rendered speechless, if the multiple heart-eyes emojis are any indication.
According to the couple’s wedding spread in Vogue, Jepsen and the Grammy Award-winning producer tied the knot in October, and the couple had been trying to get pregnant while planning their New York wedding. The musicians first met as colleagues in 2021 and started dating in 2022 before getting getting engaged in September of last year.
In 2023, Jepsen told People that their first collaboration, the song “So Right” from her album “The Loveliest Time,” was in essence the couple’s “meet-cute.”
“This is our first little baby out in the world,” Jepsen told the outlet at the time. “I think you’ll see a lot more of our collaboration together for future projects.”
Known for her earworm 2012 hit “Call Me Maybe,” Jepsen most recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the release of “Emotion” with a sold-out show at the Troubadour, where she performed the entirety of the 2015 album.
“‘Emotion’ was like an introduction to my authentic version of what pop music was,” Jepsen said of the LP in 2020. “I was itching to share something different, because I knew that ‘Call Me Maybe’ wasn’t the only color of what I had to offer.”
In 1492, Christopher Columbus reached America, making his first landing in the New World on one of the Bahamas Islands. Columbus thought he had reached India.
In 1810, the citizens of Munich were invited to join in celebrating the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in what would become the first Oktoberfest.
In 1915, British nurse Edith Cavell, 49, was executed by a German firing squad in Brussels for helping Allied soldiers escape from Belgium in World War I.
In 1933, the United States Army Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz Island, otherwise known as The Rock, was acquired by the United States Department of Justice. Less than a year later, the prison would become home to some of the country’s most notorious criminals.
Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI
In 1945, President Harry Truman awarded the Medal of Honor to Desmond T. Doss, the first conscientious objector to receive the honor. Doss was the subject of Hacksaw Ridge, a 2016 movie starring Andrew Garfield.
In 1960, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev removed one of his shoes and pounded it on his desk during a speech before the United Nations.
In 1964, the Soviet Union launched Voskhod 1 into orbit around Earth, with three cosmonauts aboard. It was the first spacecraft to carry a multi-person crew and the two-day mission was also the first orbital flight performed without spacesuits.
In 1973, U.S. President Richard Nixon nominated House Minority Leader Gerald Ford of Michigan for the vice presidency to replace Spiro Agnew, who had resigned two days earlier.
In 1984, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher escaped injury in the bombing of a hotel in Brighton, England. Four people were killed in the attack, blamed on the Irish Republican Army.
In 1992, an earthquake near Cairo killed more than 500 people and injured thousands.
In 2000, 17 sailors were killed and 39 injured in an explosion on the USS Cole as it refueled in Yemen. U.S. President Bill Clinton blamed the attack on al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.
UPI File Photo
In 2001, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to bring peace to the world and his work against AIDS and poverty.
In 2002, terrorist bombings near two crowded nightclubs on the Indonesian island of Bali killed more than 200 people.
In 2010, the U.S. government lifted a ban on deep-water oil and natural gas drilling for companies that obey stricter rules aimed at avoiding a repeat of the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In 2016, CoverGirl announces its first male model, James Charles. The 17-year-old high school senior caught the attention of the makeup brand through his popular Instagram account.
In 2019, California became the first state in the United States to ban the sale of new fur products.
In 2022, a Connecticut jury ordered Infowars conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay nearly $1 billion to the families of eight Sandy Hook shooting victims and an FBI agent who responded to the 2012 massacre for spreading lies and calling the attack a hoax.
The Chelsea star has officially won the rights to his nickname and trade mark celebrationCredit: Getty
7
Palmer is renowned for his iconic shivering goal celebrationCredit: Getty
It comes after Chateau Palmer, which sells bottles of wine for as much as £750, opposed his bid to flog plonk — and won their case in August.
But, on Friday, the 23-year-old won the right to brand an array of other products, including snacks, mobile phone covers, toys, Christmas crackers and even teddy bears.
This essentially means nobody can use Palmer’s “Cold” nickname for commercial use without his permission.
He has also successfully trademarked his autograph.
read more uk football news
An article in The Athletic detailed how the Intellectual Property Office approved the application made by the footballer’s private company, Palmer Management Limited.
In August, winemaker Chateau Palmer, based near Bordeaux, opposed the initial application.
It still covers a range of other alcoholic beverages, such as spirits, liqueurs and alcoholic energy drinks.
The winery was founded in 1814 when Army officer Charles Palmer bought the estate.
Royal wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd says: “At their best, the wines of Ch. Palmer are among the greatest anywhere in Bordeaux.”
Chelsea ace Cole Palmer LOSES battle against £750-a-bottle winery to trademark nickname & goal celebration
A bottle of its Cru Classé Margaux from 1970 is priced at £750.
Speaking to The Athletic, Karen Lee, an intellectual property lawyer at Edwin Coe, said: “Once you have a registered trademark in place, it is much easier to enforce your rights against third parties.
“Anyone using something that’s the same or similar can amount to an infringement. And that’s when it can lead to High Court litigation, which can be very expensive.”
Palmer has made no secret about the celebration not being his own original work.
He previously admitted how, following his time in the Manchester City academy, he was inspired to perform the celebration by then team-mate Morgan Rogers.
7
The vineyard is in France’s Margaux region
7
One bottle of the firm’s Cru Classé Margaux from 1970 was listed at £750
7
The 23-year-old has now also won the rights to brand an array of other productsCredit: Getty
Aston Villa star Rogers, was accused of copying the celebration when he scored against Chelsea in April 2024, before he clarified: “It’s the opposite, I did it first, he copied me.”
Speaking of his celebration in a previous interview with The Telegraph, Cole said: “It symbolises joy, passion and hard determination for the game, plus it’s funny as it works well with my name.
“Everyone knows it’s my celebration. Lots of people might have done it (before me), but everybody knows it is my celebration.”
However, this could mean that Chelsea has to register for a licence if the London club wants to use his nickname in promotional material.
EA, the company behind the EA Sports FC series of video games, might also have to ask permission to use his celebration in future games.
Other footballers who have trademarked their names and celebrations include David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, who trademarked his name, CR7 initials and “Siuuu” celebration.
Lionel Messi also trademarked his surname after a legal challenge from the cycling brand Massi.
Some other stars have managed to have their brand made exclusive in specific countries, including Marcus Rashford with his name in the United States, Erling Haaland with his signature and goal celebration in his native Norway.
7
The footballer has claimed that everyone knows its his celebrationCredit: Getty
7
Other players like Beckham and Ronaldo have also trademarked their namesCredit: Getty
Sanchez took out Mbeumo just four minutes and one second into the match to receive Chelsea’s earliest red card in the Premier League.
“It was rough… the red card [would be] difficult not only for Chelsea, it [would be] difficult for any club,” said Maresca.
“After the red card, all the planning and everything doesn’t exist any more.”
Maresca said afterwards he would have preferred to go a goal down than lose his goalkeeper.
“It’s the best solution, because we are still 95 minutes to play,” he said.
“I think even Robert is aware of that, but also it’s difficult because he has to take a decision in one second or two seconds.”
The Italian manager took off two attackers in Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian for replacement goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen and defender Tosin Adarabioyo after Sanchez was sent off.
The change effectively left Chelsea with a back five, three midfielders and just Joao Pedro in attack.
Maresca explained why he had made such a defensive reaction to the dismissal, saying: “We needed to defend with five players – we can defend with four when we are 11 v 11.”
However, that decision looked like a mistake when Fernandes opened the scoring and Palmer then went off injured.
When Andrey Santos replaced the England playmaker 21 minutes into the match it was the earliest any team in Premier League history had made their first three substitutions.
Chelsea failed to register a shot on target in the first half as Casemiro put United 2-0 up.
However, the Brazil midfielder’s ill-timed lunge just before the break left both sides down to 10 men.
Chalobah managed to pull a goal back in the 80th minute but it only proved to be a consolation for the Blues, who suffered a second successive defeat in what has been a tough week of away fixtures.
They drew at Brentford last weekend before losing to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener on Wednesday.
“When it went to 10 a piece I felt no urgency from Chelsea to try to get back into it,” said former England striker Wayne Rooney on Match of the Day.
“They were slow, side to side. If you’re a Chelsea fan you’d want to see a lot more urgency.”
Saturday’s loss at Old Trafford leaves Chelsea sixth in the top-flight table, and they will hope to avoid a prolonged absence for star man Palmer.
CHELSEA’S free-flowing attack tripped at the starting line of the Premier League title race, as Enzo Maresca’s side stuttered to a bore-draw at home to Crystal Palace.
Reportedly on the verge of a move away from the club, it was Eberechi Eze who thought he had opened the scoring, only for VAR to rule his free-kick out over an infringement in the wall by Marc Guehi.
9
Chelsea struggled to find a way past Crystal Palace in a 0-0 drawCredit: AFP
It was a VAR call that really wrote the story of this game, with both teams unable to create any moves with much meaning beyond it.
A tightly contested first half was met with an equally tight second 45 minutes.
The introduction of teenage wonderkid Estevao threatened to shake things up in the second half, as the Brazilian injected pace and enthusiasm into a lacklustre Chelsea attack.
But even his Brazilian brilliance wasn’t incisive enough to carve an opening for Maresca’s men.
And despite a number of substitutes following Estevao, including new number nine Liam Delap, Stamford Bridge’s shooters could only fire blanks before going to West Ham next week.
Here’s how SunSport Chelsea Reporter Lloyd Canfield rated the players…
Robert Sanchez – 6
It’s unclear if Robert Sanchez was blinded by the sun or by a player as an Eze free-kick was rifled past him, but VAR perhaps saved him in that sense, as it was ruled out.
The Spaniard made a solid stop to deny Jean Phillipe-Mateta in the first half, and his distribution seemed improved from last season, but there are still question marks over him among the Blues’ fanbase.
With an ‘elite’ goalkeeper like Gianluigi Donnarumma up for grabs, he is under a lot of pressure to perform at this moment in time.
Ex-Premier League ref on Eberechi Eze’s disallowed goal vs Chelsea
9
TRANSFER NEWS LIVE – KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
Reece James – 7
Chelsea’s captain was tasked with marshalling Ebere Eze from right-back for the Blues, as well as leading from the back with the young Josh Acheampong next to him.
It wasn’t a vintage, flying fullback Reece James performance, but one that showed a maturity to his game with a good passing range and an air of calmness on the ball that he has always possessed.
Josh Acheampong – 9
The Cobham Academy graduate was thrown in the deep end once more in the absence of Levi Colwill and Tosin for Chelsea.
With all the talk of whether or not the Blues will sign a new central defender or not, the teenager did extremely well under huge pressure, putting in crunching tackles and showing elite composure on the ball, sending something of a soothing aura around Stamford Bridge with it at his feet.
Dealing with the physicality of Jean Phillipe Mateta is a tough task for any defender, and Acheampong will need to grow physically before he can dominate that kind of threat, but it didn’t bother him much today.
Enzo Maresca has got the answer to his injury dilemma from within the club, as they wanted, and Chelsea will hope the youngster can build on such an impressive display.
9
Josh Acheampong had a brilliant game at the backCredit: AFP
Trevoh Chalobah – 7
Perhaps should have done better when he had a chance to open the scoring after 30 minutes, as the ball fell kindly to him eight yards out, only to be fired over the bar.
But Trevoh Chalobah put in a solid showing against his former club, with an array of good tackles and blocks, as well as guiding Josh Acheampong next to him into a brilliant showing.
Marc Cucurella – 5
Almost opened the scoring with a header before a clumsy challenge gave a free kick to Crystal Palace, from which they thought they had opened the scoring.
Marc Cucurella has often become a source of attacking threat and chance creation under Enzo Maresca, but wasn’t able to create many openings when he did progress further up the pitch, losing the ball too often.
9
Marc Cucurella was clumsy going forwardCredit: Getty
Moises Caicedo – 8
Consistency personified in blue, Moises Caicedo was his usual brilliant self today.
Vital interceptions, tackles full of heart and the stamina of a marathon runner, Caicedo distributed the ball through Chelsea’s midfield and put out fires from the very first whistle to the last.
A bit more creativity and ball progression from the deep-lying midfielder would have improved his rating to that truly elite level.
Enzo Fernandez – 4
A very quiet first half saw Moises Caicedo doing the work of two people on his own, with Enzo Fernandez seeming overrun by the enigmatic Ebere Eze.
Struggled to get his foot on the ball and create chances as he has done so well in recent games for the Blues, before being swapped for Andrey Santos in the final 15 minutes.
9
Enzo Fernandez was hauled off after failing to impressCredit: Getty
Jamie Gittens – 4
After an electric pre-season that left fans excited to see him in Premier League action for the first time, he was somewhat disappointing in the first half.
He was given a run for his money by Daniel Munoz and failed to deliver any sort of end product on his PL bow.
Better things will be coming from Chelsea’s new number 11, who was substituted after 54 minutes for wonderkid Estevao Willian.
Cole Palmer – 3
A shadow of his usual self, Cole Palmer didn’t deliver the same kind of fireworks we have become so accustomed to seeing from him under Enzo Maresca.
Instead for much of the game he looked the same player we saw during his ‘rough patch’ last year.
He wasn’t allowed much, if any, space on the ball and wasn’t able to create something from nothing in this game, which everyone knows he can do at his mind-blowing best.
9
Cole Palmer struggled to impress for the BluesCredit: Getty
Pedro Neto – 5
Chelsea fans know what to expect from Pedro Neto by now, at his worst he will give you heaps of hard work and running, even on a baking hot day at Stamford Bridge like today.
He was more impressive than Gittens on the other wing, but also struggled to really create any meaningful chances, with a few deliveries sailing over any Chelsea attackers.
Neto was switched to the left side when Estevao was introduced, but it was much the same as the first half in truth.
Joao Pedro – 4
After five goals in his first five games for Chelsea, he had fully justified his place in Enzo Maresca’s starting XI for this game.
In this game, though, fans were keen to see the introduction of Liam Delap after the half-time whistle, which came to fruition with little under 20 minutes to go.
The Brazilian struggled to grasp the game by the scruff of the neck against Palace, and couldn’t provide the link-up with Cole Palmer that was so impactful in the Club World Cup.
9
Joao Pedro could not continue his goal streakCredit: AFP
Substitutes
Estevao – 7
Instantly injected energy and enthusiasm into the game but also into the crowd, Estevao is a catalyst for making things happen in this team.
As soon as he came on he had Marc Guehi in a twist before delivering a cross that created a Chelsea chance, despite not being finished off – a move that will have Blues’ fans clamouring for him to start against West Ham next week.
Estevao perhaps should’ve opened the scoring, with a chance falling to him in the second half that he seemed to overthink before firing over.
Nonetheless, with the iconic Romario watching on at Stamford Bridge, he will be confident that Joga Bonito has a place here for years to come.
9
Estevao looked sharp when he came off the benchCredit: Getty
Malo Gusto – 4
Took on Reece James’ role when he came on, and was mostly solid at the back but also unable to create any kind of forward spark.
Saw his name up in lights in the 88th minute, but those lights may have blinded him as his shot from range sailed into row Z.
Andrey Santos – 5
A solid showing from the Brazilian in midfield, but leaned back too much and fired over the bar in the dying embers of the game with a left-footed shot in front of the Matthew Harding end.
He came close moments later, this time with a header that was grasped by Henderson.
9
Andrey Santos missed a great moment in front of goal late onCredit: PA
Liam Delap – 5
His determination and hard work allowed him a sight of goal as the game came to a close, but his effort on the half-volley was stopped relatively easily by Dean Henderson.
Delap will no doubt be a handful for defenders this season if he is coming from the bench, and likely won’t want to settle for playing second fiddle to Joao Pedro for too long.
After a rocky start to summer, L.A.’s food scene is finding its footing.
Downtown restaurants are bouncing back after suffering significant loss of business due to temporary curfews put in place following protests against ICE raids. After announcing its permanent closure, Cole’s French Dip — L.A.’s oldest saloon and restaurant, which opened in 1908 — experienced a swell of support and extended its run until mid-September. In Little Tokyo, a cafe themed after a popular anime series is bringing renewed interest to the neighborhood.
And if you’re looking for additional dining ideas this month, bookmark this list with new openings and long-standing restaurants that need support, including a destination for inventive chicken tenders from a Michelin-star chef, a Hawaiian poke shop in Echo Park and a Filipino breakfast pop-up from a Chinatown rotisserie and wine bar.
Liam Delap was one of this summer’s most-wanted strikers.
The 22-year-old scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League games for Ipswich, with his tantalising £30m release clause attracting numerous suitors after the club was relegated back to the Championship.
He was given permission to speak to clubs in May, with Manchester United, Everton, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest all showing serious interest while Manchester City also held a buy-back option on their former player.
But it was Chelsea who won the race for his signature and, speaking before the Blues’ final Club World Cup group game against Es Tunis on Wednesday, Delap has revealed why – including the pull of Europe and rejoining some familiar faces.
“You never know if it is going to be the right decision but you’ve just got to go with your gut and hope it works out,” he said. “You’ve got to take your time. I took a few days to speak to people and decide my future.”
One of those people he consulted was Chelsea’s star attacker Cole Palmer, who he first played with at Manchester City at the age of 15.
Delap added: “I asked him what I needed to ask him, he told me what I needed to know. But I don’t like too much information. Ultimately it was my decision so I kind of just want my head to be clear.”
Palmer has become the poster boy for Chelsea after two sensational seasons and Delap was asked if he hopes to emulate his former academy team-mate.
“Yeah, of course, that’s the goal,” he said. “I think we both had similar positions and he’s gone and smashed it so hopefully I can also.”
Reports in May suggested Manchester United were front runners to sign Delap but their Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, and a poor league campaign, left them without European football next season – with Chelsea’s Champions League qualification playing a part in Delap’s decision.
“It wasn’t the be all and end all because I was also looking towards future seasons but also it helps,” he said.
The son of former Stoke City and Derby County midfielder Rory Delap launched his career at Manchester City under now-Chelsea manager Maresca. He scored 20 goals and won the PL2 player of the season – as he fired the Italian’s Under-21s squad to the title in 2020/21.
“I’ve got a good relationship with the manager,” he said of Maresca. “I know how he plays. I’ve played in this system before. It’s very similar now but with little tweaks. I know a lot of the players here and the project of the club, how they see the future. That’s what excited me.”
When asked whether he believes in the curse, which counts Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao and Fernando Torres among its supposed victims, Delap replied: “No, I’m not that type of person.
“It’s something that people talk about but it doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s something that’s related to strikers so I chose it.”
TINO LIVRAMENTO will have a “beautiful future” for club and country, says England’s greatest left-back Ashley Cole.
The Newcastle star is aiming to cap off a campaign that saw him lift the Carabao Cup and qualify for the Champions League by becoming a European champion.
4
Tino Livramento produced a man of the match display in England U21s’ win over Czech RepublicCredit: Getty
4
Ashley Cole believes the star has a ‘beautiful future’ ahead of him with the Three LionsCredit: Getty
And he thinks England, who face Slovenia on Sunday in their second Group B clash, have struck gold with Livramento.
Cole, 44, said: “I had the fortune to be around him when he was at Chelsea. He was in the 21s in the reserve group. You always see the passion and level he could get to. But of course, there’s only a certain level of information we can give him.
“It’s down to the players to take on that information, absorb it, and want to learn and listen and develop and get better. He’s certainly one of them players.
“Him getting the opportunity at Newcastle and continuing to play first in football gave him the belief, the confidence in his own ability. And, of course, a manager that’s trusted him to play at such a young age. He’s developing into a top player.”
Three-time Premier League and 2012 Champions League winner Cole continued: “My job is to try and give all my experiences to every single player.
“You do favour certain players and certain attitudes. He’s got a great attitude. He’s a great person, always willing to listen.
“I try not to compare myself to these guys. The information and detail I give is, we’re a different stature. We have a different style of play. And it’s just trying to give him the basics of how to defend all areas of the pitch, and see how he develops.”
Ashley Cole picks his all-time team-mates XI… but does it boast more Arsenal or Chelsea stars?
4
Ashley Cole and Tino Livramento in action at England trainingCredit: Getty
Cole, who admits some of the magic is not there anymore, takes a hands-on approach to coaching.
And after sharing a pitch with Livramento and working with him up close, he insists that the sky is the limit for the Toon ace.
He said: “I can’t move anymore. My ankle is gone. I was probably the worst player last week when I joined in.
“I try to give that little bit of knowledge as I’m playing. I can’t run anymore, so it’s more of a gob – which I’ve calmed down a bit! – but it’s still there. I try to give as much as I can.
“As coach, you stand on the sideline and see how much information he takes on and takes on board. And I keep saying it, but the willingness to want to learn and be the best, is always a great trait to have.
I try not to compare myself to these guys. We have a different style of play. And it’s just trying to give him the basics of how to defend all areas of the pitch, and see how he develops.
Ashley Cole on Tino Livramento
“Whatever level he wants to get to, he can get to because he’s got that personality and desire.
“He’s got a beautiful future, a bright future. Long may it continue that he keeps playing for Newcastle, keeps gaining experience and keeps his levels up.”
Eyebrows were raised when Thomas Tuchel left Livramento, who won his first senior cap in November, out of his latest squad in order for him to come to the Euros.
But the ex-Southampton ace revealed a conversation he had with the German about being a leader for the U21s in Slovakia and he says he is loving soaking up all the knowledge from his hero Cole.
Livramento said: “Thomas spoke to me about the senior squad and said that he wanted to speak to Lee as well about giving me that role.
4
“I’ve never played a tournament for England and any age group. I’ve always missed it through injuries. That’s a big thing for me, coming here and getting this experience and playing with loads of boys that I’ve come through the age groups with.
“Ashley gets involved in the sessions. Even just watching him, he’s still at the highest level of the way he communicates with all the boys. As a coach he’s a bit more laid back.
“He sees things, he lets you train and he might pull you to the side after and do a little bit of one-to-one work.
“Obviously as a Chelsea fan when I was younger seeing him and stuff like that is a big thing for me to learn.”
England’s Under-21 Euros squad in FULL
ENGLAND are looking to retain their status as Under-21 European champions this summer in Slovakia.
Here is Lee Carsley’s full squad for the blockbuster tournament:
Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City)
Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)
Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)
An aide to Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado has been placed on unpaid leave after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon at an anti-ICE protest, Jurado and her staff said Monday.
Luz Aguilar, 26, who serves as Jurado’s deputy for economic innovation and community growth, was arrested around 7 p.m. Sunday and booked several hours later, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department inmate records.
“The allegations are deeply concerning and I take them very seriously,” Jurado, who represents downtown and neighborhoods on L.A.’s Eastside, said in a statement. “While I respect the individual’s right to due process, I hold my team to the highest standards of conduct.”
Aguilar‘s father is Pasadena City Councilmember Rick Cole, who is also a high-level aide to L.A. City Controller Kenneth Mejia. Aguilar’s sister, 26-year-old Antonia Aguilar, was arrested at the same time, records show.
Both were being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Jurado said Luz Aguilar — who is listed in inmate records as AguilarCole — has been placed on unpaid leave while the council office assesses the facts and considers “appropriate action.” Although Aguilar was accused of assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon, “it’s a developing situation,” said Lisa Marroquin, a spokesperson for Jurado.
Marroquin could not say which law enforcement agency the officer was from.
Cole, in a text message, said Monday that he did not yet have information on the allegations. A day earlier, while appearing at an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement rally in Pasadena, he said the fight against the immigration arrests was personal to him.
“I’ve just seen pictures of my two daughters on a curb in downtown Los Angeles in handcuffs [with] the LAPD,” he said at the rally. “So I’m going to be figuring out where they are so I can go bail them out.”
Protests against federal immigration raids continued to rage Sunday after President Trump ordered the National Guard to Southern California. Some demonstrators in downtown L.A. dropped rocks from a freeway overpass onto police cruisers, while others vandalized government buildings, burned Waymo cars or burglarized businesses.
Mejia, Cole’s boss, is an outspoken critic of the Los Angeles Police Department. On Friday, Mejia voiced concerns about the presence of LAPD officers “within the vicinity of ICE raids.”
Mejia said he has asked for the department to turn over information about the financial impact of the raids on police resources. L.A. declared itself a “sanctuary” city last year, and Police Chief Jim McDonnell has repeatedly said that the LAPD is not involved in “civil immigration enforcement,” pointing to a decades-old policy.
“LAPD’s presence raises serious questions about whether we are abiding by our City’s mandate as a Sanctuary City and is a cause for concern and confusion regarding LAPD’s role,” Mejia said in a statement on social media.
An LAPD spokesperson did not have any details on the arrests when reached by The Times.
Jurado, a former tenant rights attorney, won a seat on the 15-member council in November. During the campaign, she described herself as an abolitionist — someone who supports the abolition of police and prisons.
During the campaign’s final weeks, Jurado was heard on a recording telling college students, “F— the police, that’s how I see ‘em.” She later issued a statement downplaying her remark, saying it was “just a lyric” from a rap song.
The City Council has scheduled a special meeting Tuesday to discuss the federal immigration raids — including “related threats to public service and facilities” — and has left open the possibility of a closed-door meeting with McDonnell on that topic.
There’s a wonderfully simple emotional appeal embedded in the opening of “I Don’t Understand You,” a comedy from co-writer-directors Brian Crano and David Joseph Craig. Well-meaning, well-off gay couple Dom and Cole (Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells, respectively) are eager to adopt a baby. In watching them record an appeal video — selling themselves as fit parents to an unknown mother — you want the best for them. It’s a heartrending, nervous-laughter scene: Are they sincere without being desperate? Charming yet not edgy? In between the stops and restarts, they both wittily let off steam about the absurdity of the process.
How hard does it have to be for willing adults in a loving relationship to start a family? That’s where “I Don’t Understand You” devotes its more darkly humorous energies when it sends Dom and Cole to sunny, pastoral Italy for an anniversary trip, dropping them into a series of lethally unfortunate situations that probably only Patricia Highsmith would consider a proper vacation.
Soon after landing in Rome, they’re buoyed by news that a receptive pregnant mother named Candace (Amanda Seyfried via video chat) is touched by their story, their vibe being everything she wants for her baby. It’s a cautious optimism, though, competing with the anxiety Dom and Cole generally feel as gay men on the alert for everyday microaggressions, also as tourists who don’t know the language and urbanites not exactly comfortable navigating another country’s backwaters at night.
That last concern is what kicks off their nightmare, when the couple’s rental car gets stuck on a private road that leads to a remote farmhouse where they have a reservation for an anniversary dinner. A mild panic bubbles up. The gruff, irritable and armed local who shows up only fuels their notion that death is surely around the corner. And it is, just not the way they or we may have imagined when they eventually reach the rustic home of retired restaurateur Francesca (a nonna-authentic Eleonora Romandini) and find a voluble soul who can’t wait to serve her only guests a celebratory candlelit meal.
Subtitles helpfully let us know what the skittish, suspicious Dom and Cole never quite understand about their friendly host. When Francesca’s hulking, inquisitive son Massimo (Morgan Spector) appears, suggestively brandishing a knife, a blunt fiasco of an evening suddenly tips over into a bloody farce of fear-driven misjudgment. Despite the game commitment of everyone on-screen (starting with Kroll and Rannells’ believable portrayal of loving, vulnerable gay marrieds), “I Don’t Understand You” is only sporadically funny.
The writer-directors are themselves a real-life couple who adopted a child, so ostensibly we’re getting an exaggeratedly autobiographical peek into what self-preservation on the cusp of dadhood looks like at its off-the-charts hairiest. And it’s encouraging that the filmmakers opted to turn their experience and its attendant emotions into a silly horror comedy instead of one more earnest social-issue drama. (Amanda Knox is a listed co-producer too, and when the Italian arm of justice gets involved, you’ll understand why.)
Just as its opening triggers hope for its wannabe family men, you want “I Don’t Understand You” to really nail its downward spiral, and yet it’s something of a misfire, albeit a likable one. The tone swerve into body-count humor and the nuts and bolts of violence eventually prove too much for Crano and Craig to effectively mold into a comedy of perception and privilege.
In a region where baseball is king, the long-awaited rematch of last year’s World Series between the Dodgers and Yankees is unfolding. Ohtani. Judge. Two of the game’s best, facing off once more.
But just down the 5 Freeway in Anaheim, the home of Disney, the hottest ticket in baseball this weekend belongs to a stilted pitcher, juggling infielders and a yellow-suited, top hat-wearing carnival barker.
For back-to-back nights, more than 45,000 fans packed the Big A to see the Savannah Bananas — a team born from a small-time collegiate summer team that became a tour de force that has forever changed baseball. It was one stop during the Bananas’ most audacious barnstorming effort since their baseball traveling show hit the road just a few years ago.
The Savannah Bananas celebrate amid confetti after beating the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
These tickets were only available through a lottery — reserved months in advance. And when they went on sale, all were gone in an instant. The only way in was through the resale market, where just hours before first pitch on Friday, the lowest price (fees and taxes included) for a pair of tickets on StubHub was $209.52.
Meanwhile, two lowest price StuHub tickets for the Dodgers versus Yankees game were available for $171.72.
All for the sake of “Banana Ball.”
This baseball game is a ballyhoo. One rooted in the thrills, energy and pageantry of early 20th-century carnivals, but with a 21st-century twist — the atmosphere of a TikTok reel brought to life. It’s the showmanship of Ringling Brothers Circus combined with the athletic flair of the Harlem Globetrotters.
But above all, it’s a brand built on Walt Disney’s blueprint— not just to entertain, but to make the audience feel.
“When you look at all the touch points — the joy, the fun, the dancing, the celebrating — and think about all the different stages, just like Walt, we think about all the stages: from the parking lot to the plaza, to the upper deck, to the dugouts,” said Bananas owner Jesse Cole, the man in the top hat. “How do we make someone feel something?”
Instead of lounging in a cushy, air-conditioned owner’s suite, Cole is in the dugout hours before showtime — a Disney-like archetype, his energy as vibrant as his layered, all-yellow suit, braving the afternoon heat.
Savannah Bananas founder and owner Jesse Cole leads the crowd in a cheer as his team takes on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
“Nonstop,” Cole said, describing Banana Ball in a nutshell. Refusing to sit, not wanting to lose an ounce of edge, he added, “It’s all about energy. We want to give people energy, delivering it every second, from the moment we open the gates at two o’clock until the last fan leaves at 11.”
While gates opened at 2 p.m., fans began arriving as early as 11 a.m. — clamoring for a shot at Banana-themed merchandise, many leaving the team tents with bags in both hands. In the parking lot, two young boys passed the time playing catch, gloves in hand.
As the afternoon wore on and the temperature climbed to 91 degrees, crowds trudged through the heat, some seeking refuge beneath the oversized Angels helmets at the stadium entrance, all for a chance to meet their favorite Banana Ballers. At the pregame plaza party, fans collected autographs, posed for photos and presented handmade gifts to players.
Savannah Bananas mascot Split marches through the crowd before the team’s game against the Firefighters at Angel Stadium Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
When the gates opened, the LaCaze family pointed out their 9-year-old daughter’s favorite player, David “DR” Meadows. Decked out in her signed Meadows jersey, Carrigan LaCaze ran into his arms, with glove and oversized baseball clutched tightly and began speaking with him as if they were old friends.
“I ran to DR, and we started hugging and just started talking for a while because I missed him,” Carrigan LaCaze said. “Tomorrow is actually one year on the dot since I met him.”
A Christmas road trip planned around the holidays, the family of four traveled across three states from their home in Alexandria, La., to Anaheim for two reasons: to visit Disneyland and see the Bananas. It was their second game — the family first saw the Bananas in the club’s hometown of Savannah, Ga., when Carrigan, who is battling cystic fibrosis, was granted a Make-A-Wish experience so meaningful it was a no-brainer to relive it.
“It’s great,” her father, Pierre LaCaze, said of the player interactions. “We’ve gotten to keep track with some of them during the course of the year. We come back, we see them again. You know they’re truly about the fans.”
Rainer Easton, 11, tries to catch a yellow “Banana Ball” from the stands before the Savannah Bananas take on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
The Bananas don’t sell tickets. They sell connections, moments and memories.
For Cole, meetings are a constant brainstorming session on how to keep fans engaged and interacting. That’s how he measures success. He says when the focus shifts to transactions, the game begins to lose its meaning.
“Our success is not judged by revenue,” Cole said. “It’s not judged by sales. It’s judged by the moments we create.”
But the numbers don’t lie.
The last time the Bananas came to Southern California, they played in front of 5,000 fans at LoanMart Field in Rancho Cucamonga in 2023 — a far cry from now selling out 18 major league ballparks and three football stadiums with capacities over 70,000.
Fans fill the stands as the Savannah Bananas take on the Firefighters in front of a sold out crowd Friday at Angel Stadium.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Attendance has soared year after year. Last season, the Bananas drew one million fans. This year, that number is expected to double, with more than three million people on the waitlist for their ticket lottery. Every game since February has sold out and every date in June and July is as well.
Michael and Melinda Schulteis, a husband and wife from Mission Viejo, were there the last time the Bananas came to town. When they heard the team was returning, they knew they couldn’t miss it.
“The intimate atmosphere at the last event was great,” Melinda Schulteis said. “But I’m curious, because they do such a good job putting on events, what touches are they going to add to still keep it close and intimate and give us another great experience?”
As the Bananas’ success and reach have grown, spilling out from cozy minor league parks into stadiums not built for intimacy, the games still feel like family gatherings. Whether serenading players with stadium anthems like Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” or the waving of phone lights to Coldplay’s “Yellow,” the crowd moves in sync, no matter the tune.
While they’re a privately owned team and don’t disclose revenue figures, they’ve confirmed generating millions. Much like their box office appeal, their social media reach extends into the millions as well.
The Savannah Bananas perform a kick line before taking on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Their antics — choreographed dances, lip-synced walk-ups, backflip outfield catches — have attracted nearly 10 million followers on TikTok, almost double the combined total of the Dodgers and Angels. That viral mastery, and the parasocial bonds it fosters, is part of what makes every game feel tight-knit.
With his glove by his side, hoping to catch a foul ball for an out — one of the many offbeat rules of Banana Ball — Michael Schulties was disappointed he missed his favorite player, RobertAnthony Cruz, whom he first discovered on social media through his baseball coaching channel, better known as “Coach RAC.”
Cruz, who drew the longest meet-and-greet line, is a former minor leaguer in the Nationals’ farm system and a local — born just an hour away in Fontana. The game was a homecoming for Cruz, who joined the Bananas in 2023.
With more than 70 family members and friends in attendance — and even more social media direct messages asking for tickets — playing in big league stadiums has become a dream come true, especially for a former minor leaguer whose baseball ambitions nearly died when he never got the call to the show.
Savannah Bananas pitcher Correlle Prime delivers at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Behind all the gimmicks, wackiness and absurdity, the roster is still filled with ballplayers — many of them with unrealized MLB dreams — now finding a second life through Banana Ball. And for Cruz, it’s the happiest he’s ever been in the sport.
“I never would have imagined playing in this capacity,” Cruz said. “Banana Ball didn’t even exist when I was pursuing my dream of professional baseball. To be here, to see a sold-out crowd at a stadium that I went to growing up all the time, it’s very special.”
As the team travels the nation, sold-out crowds and newfound stardom have become the norm for Cruz.
“I’m not surprised by anything anymore,” Cruz said. “If you told me that we’re playing on the moon next year, I’d be like, ‘All right, cool. Let me know when and where, and I’ll be there’ … I wouldn’t be surprised if this thing continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.”
Despite their growing success, the Bananas’ brand of baseball remains polarizing — an easy target for detractors of zaniness, gatekeepers of fun and opponents of pizzazz who either don’t understand it or refuse to see its appeal.
“Anybody that criticizes this, we’re not for them,” Cole said. “There’s tradition in baseball, perfect. They’ve got Major League Baseball. … For people that want to come out and have fun, not take themselves too seriously and see something they’ve never seen before — and hopefully see the greatest show in sports — we built something for you.”
The formula works. And again, the numbers don’t lie.
The Savannah Bananas’ Jackson Olson celebrates a Troy Glaus base hit while the Bananas take on the Firefighters at Angel Stadium on Friday. Comedian Bert Kreischer celebrated behind the Bananas in the dugout.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Yes, the Savannah Bananas’ brand of baseball is far too outlandish ever to be compared to the major leagues — from flaming baseballs, rump-shaking umps and dress rehearsals. That’s the point. It all feels like something conjured from the wildest dreams of the late Bill Veeck’s imagination found a home, in a good way.
With many of the Banana Ball’s 11 rules — like an automatic strike when hitters step out of the box or ejecting bunting hitters because bunting “sucks” — are grounded in some sports-based logic, the innovations remain sacrilegious to baseball purists.
But for a fleeting moment in December, Major League Baseball and Banana Ball were almost linked.
In Banana Ball, the Golden Batter rule allows teams, once per game, to send their best hitter to the plate regardless of where they fall in the batting order.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred caused a stir when he floated a potential seismic rule by floating, making an offhand comment about the golden batter rule. Manfred later clarified it was merely “a very preliminary conversation” among members of the league’s competition committee and had not been formally discussed by the full ownership group.
A far-fetched idea, but Manfred has ushered in sweeping changes, from the widely praised pitch clock to the more contentious extra-inning “ghost runner.”
“Anything that’s best for the fans, I’m all in,” Cole said of its potential. “I know Major League Baseball won’t do it because of traditions, but … we’ve had a lot of fun doing it.”
The Firefighters run on the field before taking on the Savannah Bananas at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
But MLB would be behind the Bananas, who already introduced their version of the rule last season with a typical flair and showmanship. Their spin on it is a batter summoned from the dugout wearing a James Brown-esque cape and a gleaming golden helmet — an honor that went to Joe Lytle, who came to bat in the top of the ninth for the Bananas’ Anaheim opponent, the Firefighters.
Ultimately, in a game where the score isn’t the end-all, be-all — but the fun is — the Bananas beat the Firefighters 5–2.
Like any other Bananas game, the festivities took center stage. It began with the “First Peel,” a signature ceremony in which a young fan bites into a banana to declare whether it’s good or bad — setting the tone for the night.
Heisman Trophy winner and USC legend Matt Leinart threw out the ceremonial first spiral (because, of course, he did). And in true fashion, Angels World Series MVP Troy Glaus made a surprise cameo as a pinch hitter.
But what was more important was the trip to Anaheim, a fitting one for Cole and Co.
The team that opened its season lip-syncing “Be Our Guest” from the Disney classic “Beauty and the Beast” — and its owner, cut from the same theatrical cloth as Disney — were celebrated a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth — Disneyland.
Savannah Bananas founder and owner Jesse Cole provides color commentary during the baby race between innings at Angel Stadium on Friday.
(Luke Johnson / Los Angeles Times)
Greeted by fans in yellow gear, Cole’s creation — the Bananas — marched in step down Main Street U.S.A., alongside Walt’s own — Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck.
“When I walked underneath the castle and over the bridge and in front of thousands of people, they were all there for us,” Cole said. “Then I look and see Walt’s statue, holding the hand of Mickey, and I see that and I’m like, ‘This is special.’”
It was a full-circle moment for Cole, who became “immersed in the magic” after his first trip to Disney World as a kid — and who now says, “In a perfect world, I’d play catch with Walt on Main Street.” Serendipity.
“For me, that was an emotional moment — to know that we have worked so hard to create something that means something to people, that they come from all over the country just for a chance to see us,” Cole added.
No one needed this moment more than Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson.
Before the match, even Maresca said Jackson owed a “debt” to his team-mates after getting sent off in the 2-0 defeat at Newcastle on 11 May, a red card that could well have cost Chelsea qualification for the Champions League.
After the match, Maresca said “this is the Nico that the team needs”.
He is among those who have struggled to convince the Stamford Bridge fanbase – and the club are looking to sign a striker, with Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap among their targets.
However, in that regard, the Senegal international is just like the head coach and the owners, who have all banked credit by winning a trophy.
For Maresca, this was his chance to show the club could build a winning mentality after a season during which he has faced criticism for his style of football and a run of poor results over the winter.
For the US consortium, their ownership was tarnished by 1,201 days without silverware but the moment captain Reece James lifted the Conference League trophy, the first in his captaincy, they earned valuable breathing room.
Boehly was the first to go and celebrate with the team, followed reluctantly by influential Clearlake Capital duo Behdad Eghbali and Jose Feliciano.
Boehly and Clearlake have not always seen eye-to-eye this season but this is a period of relative stability after the club decided they would stick with Maresca regardless of the result of their last two matches of the season.
Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest to qualify for the Champions League and won against Betis to add silverware.
But Chelsea didn’t sell out their allocation in Poland, for what was the final of European club football’s third-tier competition, and fans will quickly move on if it is not backed up with both progress and further success next season.
Maresca told TNT after the match: “I feel good – but also the fans, they deserve that. They have been waiting a few years for that so they deserve it.
“The club have invested a lot of money in the last two, three years so they are also waiting for results. Hopefully this can be a starting point. From tonight, from this season, building something important.”
Substitute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall said: “There’s a lot more to come from me. Getting a taste of silverware makes you more hungry.”
England and Leicester Tigers prop Dan Cole will retire at the end of season.
The 38-year-old is the second most capped men’s player in England history, having made 118 appearances for his country.
Cole, who also twice toured with the British and Irish Lions, came through Leicester’s academy and has played 340 senior games and won four Premiership titles with his boyhood club.
Cole said his decision to retire had been influenced by Ben Youngs, his long-time team-mate for club and country, who recently announced he would be hanging up his boots.
“As you get older, physically, it’s definitely harder to carry on and, looking around the changing room, I am 10 years older than most of the guys in there with me and that’s challenging as well,” Cole said.
“I don’t want to be the old guy, just sat around and hanging on to something for too long.”
