culver city

He stood taller than any other player on the field. His wingspan likely stretches far beyond any other wideout in the Mission League or, possibly, the Southern Section.

Tyran Stokes appeared as a man among men as he stretched and worked his way through pregame drills, cameras lined up along the sideline aimed at the senior as if he was back on the AAU basketball circuit — and for good reason.

The comparison was hard not to make during Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s 57-14 victory over Culver City (3-2) on Friday night.

Is this what LeBron James looked like on the football field?

James, who played at St. Vincent–St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio, during his sophomore and junior yearsin 2000 and 2001, used his 6-foot-7 frame to earn all-state honors, the future four-time NBA most valuable player even garnering attention from Notre Dame and Urban Meyer, then a wide receivers coach for the Fighting Irish, according to ESPN. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, Stokes is larger — and already plays for Notre Dame; well, the Knights of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (3-2).

The No. 1 high school senior in the nation — according to multiple college basketball recruiting sites — wanted more. Stokes jostled his love of a second sport, football, becoming a wide receiver and defensive end on the football team earlier in September, just months before his final season of basketball at begins.

Basketball standout Tyran Stokes of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame comes up short an attempt to make his first catch Friday against Culver City.

(Craig Weston)

“He improves our practice atmosphere, he improves our game atmosphere, he improves our mindset and our competitive spirit in the room,” Notre Dame coach Evan Yabu said, noting Stokes has been a “pleasure” to have on the team.

Towering over defensive backs, Stokes was a go-to target for senior quarterback Wyatt Brown — who put the game out of reach in the first half with a three-touchdown effort — anytime he appeared on the field. Brown finished 21-for-33 passing with 301 yards and five touchdowns. On the ground, he tallied 79 yards and one touchdown.

His final pass was the one that Notre Dame will remember.

Matched up on 5-foot-8 Culver City defensive back Derrick Huezo Jr., Stokes burst forward and created 15 yards of separation. Huezo could only shrug as he trailed Stokes.

The now-two=sport star took the ball 45 yards to the house to cement the final score.

On Stokes’ first play, in Notre Dame’s second drive of the first quarter, Brown caught Stokes across the middle of the field.

The ball slipped through Stokes’ hands.

He wouldn’t let that happen when it mattered most, the clock ticking on his first game. Stokes finishes with two receptions for 57 yards (he was targeted eight times).

“I know he’s a big-time hooper,” Brown said. “But when he came over here, he was very humble and open about learning — which is a testament to him.”

Stokes politely declined all interview requests following the game — so it goes being the most-sought-after basketball recruit in the nation.

But any kid — or fan — who asked for a picture, he waited and obliged.

The moment wasn’t just big for him, but for the whole school — Stokes, one of the last to trot to the locker room to get ready for a bus ride back to Sherman Oaks.

In 2019, Oregon bookseller Billie Bloebaum saw an author raise a question on X she had heard many times before: “Why should I support independent bookstores when independent bookstores don’t support romance?”

“For a long time, and still somewhat to this day, independent bookstores have had a reputation as being not as welcoming to romance readers and books as they could be,” Bloebaum told The Times. “There were a lot of booksellers that I knew who read romance, who championed romance, who had it on their shelves in the bookstores where they worked or that they owned.”

Determined to rewrite the narrative, Bloebaum launched Bookstore Romance Day in August — Romance Awareness Month — that same year. The inaugural event had less than 200 participating bookstores across the U.S. Now, in 2025, there are more than 600 registered locations around the world.

“It really was a way to get the word out that independent bookstores are not romance-unfriendly,” Bloebaum said, “to bring those two communities together, the romance community and the independent bookstore community.”

There are now 103 brick-and-mortar, romance-only bookstores in the U.S., according to Romancing the Data, including the Ripped Bodice in Culver City, Heartbound in Anaheim and Mystic Box in Huntington Beach. Over the past three years, Pages: A Bookstore in Manhattan Beach has doubled its space dedicated to romance titles, said general manager Jeff Resnik.

“We take romance seriously,” Resnik said.

Across Los Angeles, independent storefronts are observing Bookstore Romance Day on Saturday, Aug. 9, with author talks, book bedazzling, giveaways and more. For those who can’t attend the festivities in person, Bloebaum also offers free virtual events all weekend.

Christian Pulisic was supposed to be in St. Louis on Tuesday, preparing to play in the national soccer team’s Gold Cup semifinal with Guatemala. Instead he was standing under a freeway overpass in Culver City playing with a bunch of kids.

“This is kind of what I was, you know, born to do,” the former and perhaps future captain of the national team said. “Having this platform and being here to inspire, hopefully, the next generation and do this for kids, it’s special.”

Pulisic, 26, isn’t far removed from being a kid himself, one who grew up learning the game on mini fields not too different from the one he was opening Tuesday. But for Pulisic soccer is no longer a child’s game, it’s a business. And that has taken a lot of fun out of it.

So when Pulisic, the national team’s active leader in both appearances (78) and goals (35), decided to pass up this summer’s Gold Cup, the last major competition before next year’s World Cup, he was widely pilloried as selfish and egotistical by former national team players including Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and Landon Donovan.

American Christian Pulisic is grabbed by Bolivia’s Hector Cuellar as they chase the ball during a Copa America match in Arlington, Texas, on June 23, 2024.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

“I just can’t fathom turning down the privilege of representing my country,” added Alexi Lalas, who played on two World Cup teams for the U.S.

However, Pulisic says he was simply exhausted.

He played a career-high 3,650 minutes in all competition for AC Milan last season, leading the team with 11 goals and nine assists in Serie A play while appearing in 118 games for club and country in the last 22 months. He needed a break to rest both body and mind before the World Cup, when he’ll be the focus of a U.S. team playing the tournament at home for the first time in 32 years.

So after consulting with U.S. Soccer and national team coach Mauricio Pochettino, he took it, offering to play in two June friendlies — an offer Pochettino declined — but turning down an invitation to play in the Gold Cup.

The reaction was swift and hurtful, with many critics accusing Pulisic of turning his back on his country.

“To question my commitment, especially towards the national team, in my opinion that’s way out of line,” Pulisic said in his defense on a Golazo Network podcast last month.

“I don’t regret my decision. I think it’s the right thing for me.”

AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic celebrates with teammate Tijjani Reijnders after Reijnders scored against Como in Milan, Italy, on March 15.

(Antonio Calanni / Associated Press)

Given a chance to expand on that Tuesday, Pulisic declined.

“I said what I needed to say. I don’t think it’s something that I want to harp on,” he said.

But events like Tuesday’s clearly rekindle his passion for soccer by reminding him of what the game still looks like through a child’s eyes.

“To see the joy that it brings to kids’ faces and to give them a free space to just come and play and enjoy the game like I used to when I was a kid, that’s what it’s all about,” he said. “When I was around their age, that’s when I really grew the love for the game.”

His father, Mark, was a former indoor soccer player and longtime coach, so Pulisic spent much of his childhood in places just like the one in Culver City. Getting back to those basics after what has been one of the most trying months of his professional career has been a breath of fresh air and it showed because Pulisic, whose smiles are rare and generally sarcastic, was wearing a wide and sincere one Tuesday.

The play space he was visiting is the second Christian Pulisic Stomping Grounds facility in the U.S., one developed in conjunction with the global sports brand Puma. The first Stomping Ground opened two years ago in Miami and there are plans to build a third in Texas.

Wedged into an industrial area crowded with storage facilities and warehouses beneath an on-ramp to the 405 Freeway, the space, home to the Culver City Football Club, was refurbished to include mini indoor and outdoor turf fields, a putting green and a life-size chess set.

The costly update was nice, said Krist Colocho, president and chief executive of the Culver City Football Club. But having the captain of the men’s national team come to christen the site, then engage some three dozen players, ages 9 to 13, in training drills, was priceless.

“There’s no words for it,” he said. “The top player in the U.S.? It’s amazing. To get to play with him? That’s a cherry on top.”

The nonprofit club, Colocho said, is dedicated to ending the pay-for-play model that has made soccer too expensive for many kids. The Pulisic-Puma partnership will help with that.

“This is a start,” he said. “Coming from a background where soccer is difficult to afford, this is going to be one of those stepping [stones] that we work with.”

AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic celebrates after scoring against Cagliari in Milan, Italy, on May 11, 2024.

(Antonio Calanni / Associated Press)

Outside Pulisic backed toward a mini goal as 6-year-old Arih Akwafei charged forward, pushed the ball around Pulisic and tucked it into the net, then celebrated as only a 6-year-old can.

“It was fun doing everything and using our bodies to try to play soccer with him to see if he was good or not,” Arih said, gulping air between words in an effort to control her excitement. “I scored on him.”

Cameron Carr, 9, agreed.

“It’s a very big deal,” he said of Pulisic’s visit.

Asked whether he’d be happier if Pulisic was in St. Louis practicing with the national team, as so many critics had demanded, Cameron grew confused. To him the answer was as obvious as the question was stupid.

“I’m very happy that he’s taking his time to meet with us kids when he could be training,” he said.

Apple Music on Monday said it’s opening a three-story studio in Culver City this summer that will have a 4,000-square-foot soundstage for live performances and fan events.

“With this new studio, we are furthering our commitment to creating a space for artists to create, connect, and share their vision,” said Rachel Newman, Apple Music’s co-head, in a statement.

The facility spans more than 15,000 square feet and includes two radio studios for live interviews and performances, a spatial audio mixing room, booths for songwriting and podcasting, and rooms to help artists create content, Apple said in a post about the studio.

The facility is located in Culver City in the Hayden Tract neighborhood. Los Angeles architect Eric Owen Moss, known for his distinctive and sculptural structures throughout Los Angeles, designed the building that houses the new studio. Apple didn’t provide an exact date for the studio’s opening.

The new space shows how Apple, headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., has been expanding its real estate footprint in Southern California as it pushes further into the entertainment industry.

The tech giant is building a new office complex on the border of Culver City and Los Angeles that is expected to house the company’s television streaming service Apple TV+.

As technology, including the frenzy around artificial intelligence, continues to reshape the way musicians and filmmakers tell stories, tech companies are emphasizing that they want to support creativity.

Last year, Apple apologized after an iPad Pro ad that showed a hydraulic press crushing musical instruments such as a piano and other creative tools before the thin device was revealed, sparked backlash. While the commercial showcased Apple’s thinnest product, some critics viewed it as a symbol of technology destroying creativity.

Apple said the new studio will serve as the anchor for a global network of creative hubs that are already open in New York, Tokyo, Berlin, Paris and Nashville. The company said it plans to open more studios soon.

Apple also announced that as part of its 10-year anniversary celebration, Apple Music Radio starting on July 1 will start counting down the service’s top 500 most-streamed songs. Apple Music is also releasing a way for its listeners to see and stream the songs they’ve played the most since they joined the service in a “Replay All Time” playlist.

Third-generation actor and director Bryce Dallas Howard has a lot going on — so much so that when The Times caught up with her recently, she was just getting over laryngitis. “Last week, it was like I would open my mouth and it was air coming out,” she said, admitting that it’s challenging for her to be disciplined about, say, not speaking. But you can’t really blame her: Talking is part of the business. And there’s a lot of business to attend to.

In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.

On Thursday, Howard’s action comedy “Deep Cover” arrived on Prime Video. Howard stars alongside Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed as three improv actors recruited by the police to help with sting operations, hilariously committing to the bit. Prior to that, Howard directed and produced the Disney+ documentary “Pets,” which examines the relationship between people and their furry friends.

She’s starred as Claire Dearing in the “Jurassic World” franchise (”If the team would ever have Claire back, I’ll be there in a heartbeat,” she says), appeared in the acclaimed TV show “Black Mirror” and directed episodes of “The Mandalorian” and “Skeleton Crew,” to name a few recent career highlights. (In her spare time, she’s getting a degree from an online fine arts school.)

The ideal Sunday, then, for this NYU grad — whose first onscreen appearance at age 7 was as an extra in her dad Ron Howard’s “Parenthood” — includes lots of hot chocolate (”I always say I should have a T-shirt that says, ‘Powered by hot chocolate’ ”) and delicious food (”I like to eat little yummy things throughout the day”). There’s also time with her husband, Seth Gabel, their kids, Theo, 18, and Bea, 13, and their beloved pets. And don’t forget, she has to finish that portfolio for art school!

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

7 a.m.: Rise and hot chocolate time

I love to sleep, but I’ve got cats and dogs, and they don’t really let me sleep, and I sort of feel my best when I’m waking up around 7. So an ideal Sunday would definitely start on the early side.

I can’t drink coffee anymore. I used to love it, and now my tummy is too middle-aged for it. But I do hot chocolate, nice hot chocolate. That’s my coffee or tea. I’ve got one of those little Hotel Chocolat [hot chocolate makers]. You put chocolate powder in milk, and it froths. I got it as a gift, actually, from the producers on “Deep Cover.”

8 a.m.: Doughnuts and a dog walk at Dockweiler Beach

I love Dockweiler Beach. I filmed an M83 music video that I directed there with Lily Collins years ago; it was my first introduction to the beach. I just love to drive down there and then just walk around. It’s so beautiful.

We have two dogs, but I would only take [the younger] one. The other has a shorter walk. She’s been very clear with us: She’s a little older; message received. The younger one is a little over a year old. We can do up to three miles together, and then she’s very, very happy.

My favorite Sunday food situation is definitely Sidecar Doughnuts. They have gluten-free doughnuts, like a weekly special, and they have a vegan doughnut that’s also usually gluten-free, so I’ll get both of those and take them to the beach. My favorite is the Old Fashion — whenever it’s Old Fashion I get very excited — or the Celebration Cake.

11 a.m.: Art and art supply shopping

My favorite art supply store in Los Angeles is called Graphaids in Culver City. It’s a family-owned art store, and they have just a wonderful selection of supplies. In October, I’m going to be graduating from an online fine arts school called Milan Art Institute. It’s been very rewarding and very fun. You learn all of it — art drawing, oil painting, mixed media. I’m in the portfolio stage, so I do a lot of mixed media, and then I usually do a layer of oil over it.

Graphaids has been there through the entire journey. I started the program in October of 2023, when I was going into the store not knowing what anything meant, and then getting to know the folks who work there. They’re all artists. They want to save you money. They care about hobbyists; they care about professionals. They care about students. It’s beautiful. Now I go in the store and I’m like,“Could I have this solvent, please? And I would love this medium, please.” It’s much more “you know what you’re after” now.

On a Sunday, I would be working on my portfolio at home, and then — this isn’t Los Angeles, but it’s California — I love to take online Case for Making classes. Those are watercolor classes. My kids will usually join in if they’re around and the social calendar permits it.

1 p.m.: Brunch and walking and shopping in Culver City or Venice

Destroyer in Culver City is really, really good. They’ve got a great plant-centric menu, which is good because one of my kids doesn’t really eat meat, and I also like that it’s kind of elevated. I like the raw oatmeal soaked in date-almond milk.

I also love Gjelina in Venice; it’s elevated, but it’s also relaxed. Ideally I’d go with my family, and my best friend — we’ve been best friends since we were 15 — lives in Venice. So we would definitely meet up at Gjelina. Part of the fun there is you’re waiting to get in, so you can walk up and down Abbot Kinney. My favorite makeup store in Los Angeles, Apple Doll, has a storefront on Abbot Kinney. They have this Nectar Salve that I’m obsessed with.

If we have brunch in Culver City, afterward I would probably go to Arcana. I love that bookstore. So I would go there with my best friend on this perfect Sunday. The reason we like these areas is they’re really walkable. I was raised mostly on the East Coast and I went to NYU, so being able to walk places — it’s very important.

4 p.m.: An afternoon chocolate fix

When we moved to the Westside, I got really into John Kelly Chocolates [in Santa Monica]. It’s high-end chocolate. On a dream Sunday, absolutely, I would go there. And I’m also going to Sprinkles and getting red velvet, gluten-free cupcakes.

6 p.m.: Dinner in — or more snacks out

I love to order delivery from Burger Lounge that my son will then go and pick up because he likes saving money on delivery. I love the classic burger. They have really great gluten-free buns.

I also like going to AOC winebar, sitting at the bar and not ordering a big meal. Their bacon-wrapped dates are really, really delicious.

8 p.m.: Pajama walk around the neighborhood

I think we might’ve made this up — I don’t think I read about it anywhere — when the kids were younger, we would do this thing I would call pajama walks. It was a way for me to force them to get into their pajamas before it got dark and to keep a schedule according to the cycle of the sun and get us all outside after dinner.

Now it’s basically my husband’s and my way of sneaking out of the house. We’ll invite the kids, and a lot of times they’ll want to come. If they don’t, it’s just a great way for my husband and me to get a little bit of one-on-one time together. I’ll still wear pajamas; I’ll just throw a coat over it. The world has more loungewear these days, so you can’t even tell.

9 p.m.: ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ and a little painting before bed

I’m actually pretty careful about screen time during the weekend if I can help it, but my husband and I like to watch “Landscape Artist of the Year,” the British feel-good show. Then usually I will paint, and that’s usually when I’m working on my portfolio stuff. (On an ideal Sunday, we’re not having to stress last-minute about our daughter having homework.)

I love to listen to audiobooks while I’m painting. I’ve been relistening to books that I read when I was younger. I just did a third time through “A Movable Feast.” It’s so fun to just listen to the stories. The next day, I’ve got to be up at 7, so I’ll paint until about 10:30 and then just go to sleep.

CITY SECTION FINALS

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

At Birmingham High

DIVISION III

#5 North Hollywood 10, #2 Rancho Dominguez 2

DIVISION IV

#1 Westchester 12, #7 LACES 9

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

At Cal State Northridge

OPEN DIVISION

#1 Granada Hills 11, #3 Carson 2

DIVISION I

#2 Legacy 4, #1 Port of Los Angeles 1

DIVISION II

#6 Taft 8, #1 Marquez 3

SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS

At Bill Barber Park, Irvine

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos 3, JSerra 0

DIVISION 3

Marina 8, Westlake 1

DIVISION 6

University 4, Rio Hondo Prep 1

DIVISION 7

Rancho Mirage 7, Culver City 3

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

DIVISION 1

Norco 3, El Modena 0

DIVISION 4

Long Beach Poly 6, Warren 2

DIVISION 5

St. Bonaventure 8, West Ranch 7

DIVISION 8

Hueneme 1, Cathedral City 0

SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 6

Ramona Convent 2, Pasadena Poly 0

DIVISION 7

Culver City 12, Silverado 1 (five innings)

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION 1

Norco at Ayala

El Modena at Temescal Canyon

DIVISION 2

JSerra at Great Oak

Santa Margarita at Los Alamitos

DIVISION 3

Marina at Yorba Linda

Westlake at Kennedy

DIVISION 4

Long Beach Poly at Harvard-Westlake

Warren at El Toro

DIVISION 5

St. Bonaventure at Riverside North

West Ranch at Cerritos

DIVISION 6

Ramona Convent at University

Rio Hondo Prep at Adelanto

DIVISION 7

Rancho Mirage at Westminster

Culver City at Riverside Notre Dame

DIVISION 8

Cathedral City at Lennox Academy

Hueneme at Calvary Baptist

Note: Finals (all divisions) May 30-31 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.