death

SACRAMENTO — A month after a public uproar over a mama bear being euthanized after swiping at a resident in Monrovia, state lawmakers are considering mandating the use of nonlethal ways to help allow wildlife and humans to coexist.

Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) said she believes the bear’s death, and the state’s decision to kill four wolves last year that were preying on cattle, raised public concern.

“That made everybody realize we have to do better here,” she told The Times on Thursday. “We need to recognize the importance of seeing ourselves, humans, as part of a larger ecosystem that includes animals and plants and our world and trying to protect it.”

Senate Bill 1135, introduced by Blakespear, would direct the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to create the Wildlife Coexistence Program, which would provide public education, offer technical assistance and maintain a statewide incident reporting system. It would help communities deploy nonlethal devices to deter predators, like barriers or noise and light machines.

At a legislative hearing on Tuesday, Blakespear told the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water that a three-year state initiative offering similar services was seeing positive results — until it was discontinued two years ago after funding ran dry. She said it was time to implement a permanent program.

“Human population growth, habitat loss and the growth of industry across California inevitably leads to interaction between humans and wildlife,” Blakespear told legislators. “No two animal species are the same and each has unique behavior patterns and territories. SB 1135 recognizes these differences and gives communities the tools to prevent conflict and respond when it occurs.”

The bill would also rename a state program that reimburses ranchers who lose livestock to wolves, calling it the Wolf-Livestock Coexistence and Compensation Program. It would require ranchers seeking compensation to show they were using nonlethal deterrents approved by the department.

Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) stressed that life in rural areas is different than living in a city. She said some families and cattle ranchers have a genuine fear of predators.

“When these baby calves drop on the ground and then two wolves start ripping them apart, it’s not the prettiest thing you’ve ever witnessed,” said Grove, who abstained from voting on the measure. “These wolves are not puppies.”

More than 30 organizations are supporting the legislation, including the National Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, California State Assn. of Counties, Animal Legal Defense Fund and Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife.

The California Farm Bureau and the California Cattlemen’s Assn. are in opposition due to concerns over funding.

Last month, Blakespear sent a letter to the chair of the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review requesting $48.8 million to implement the legislation, with $25 million earmarked for addressing wolf encounters. Half of the money for wolf conflicts would go toward deterrents; the remainder would compensate ranchers for their losses.

Kirk Wilbur, vice president of government affairs cattlemen’s association, said the organization is concerned about that division of funding — especially if funding is reduced.

Wilbur told legislators Tuesday that the organization supports some aspects of the bill and was having productive conversations with Blakespear to address their concerns.

The bill ultimately passed the committee with a 5-to-1 vote and now heads to the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Human wildlife conflicts have made headlines in California recently, with a bear refusing to leave a basement for weeks in Altadena and a mama bear dubbed Blondie crossing paths last month with a woman walking her dog in Monrovia.

Blondie swiped the woman’s leg, and was subsequently euthanized by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Her two cubs were sent to the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. The bear’s death upset many in the community, as thousands had signed a petition calling for other solutions, like relocation.

Deadly wildlife attacks on humans, however, are rare in California.

There have been six reported human fatalities from mountain lions since 1890, according to the state Fish and Wildlife Department. The agency recorded one human fatality from a coyote in 1981 and another fatality from a black bear in 2023. The department has no recorded human fatalities from gray wolves.

Felipe Staiti, guitarist and founding member of Enanitos Verdes, has died. He was 64.

The seminal Argentine rock band’s official X account confirmed his death on Tuesday.

“His music, his dedication, and his story remain forever with us and with all those who accompanied him throughout these years,” read a statement posted on X.

Staiti died Monday due to health complications following his hospitalization in the Argentine city of Mendoza, per the national news outlet Los Andes.

Born in the province of Mendoza in 1961, Staiti was an original member of Enanitos Verdes, which formed in 1979 with lead vocalist and bassist Marciano Cantero and drummer Daniel Piccolo. The band later added guitarist and vocalist Sergio Embrioni and keyboardist Tito Dávila.

With beloved hits such as “Lamento Boliviano” and “La Muralla Verde,” the band was part of the Latin America rock scene that rose to global popularity in the 1990s. As of March 31, its classic soft rock ballad “Lamento Boliviano” about emotional anguish entered the Spotify Billions club, surpassing the 1 billion streams threshold on the platform.

In 1997, following the release of its eighth studio album, “Guerra Gaucha” — which marked the band’s shift into more social and political themes — former Los Angeles Times reporter Enrique Lavin called Enanitos Verdes a “perennial presence on the Southern California rock en español scene.”

Following the 2022 death of longtime band member Cantero, who died in September 2022 due to kidney complications, Staiti picked up Cantero’s responsibilities as lead vocalist, performing live for the first time that December at the Bésame Mucho Festival at Dodger Stadium.

According to Los Andes, Staiti had long suffered from health issues in the years preceding his death. He contracted a bacterial infection in Mexico in late 2024, which combined with his celiac disease triggered severe dehydration that resulted in a monthlong stay at the hospital. This led to severe weight loss, which affected his vocal muscles and resulted in the cancellation of several performances across South America.

In 2025, Enanitos Verdes joined forces with Hombres G for their “Huevos Revuletos Tour,” stopping in various cities across California, including the Yaamava’ Theater in Highland, the SAP Center in San Jose and the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Enanitos Verdes are currently still scheduled to perform at the Toyota Arena in Ontario on May 26.

It’s been decades since “Faces of Death” stirred panic among parents of teens trading the 1978 pseudo-snuff VHS. The “video nasty” spawned a number of sequels, spinoffs and now a remake starring Barbie Ferreira and Dacre Montgomery that hit theaters this month.

But back in the 1980s, the original film caused an uproar at Southern California schools.

Days before school was out for summer in 1985, Escondido High School math teacher Bart Schwartz, then 28, used a spare two hours during finals week to squeeze in a film screening with his class. Schwartz wanted to show the film because it was “interesting.”

According to the Times coverage of the incident and subsequent lawsuit, the scenes shown in the classroom included autopsies, decaying cadavers and live animals being butchered, mutilated and tortured. The original “Faces of Death” also includes scenes of a man being electrocuted, a decapitation and an orgy during which a man is gutted by a flesh-eating cult.

Although today’s audiences might be more desensitized to such gruesome scenes thanks to hyperrealistic special effects in modern horror movies, and the commonplace spread of graphic clips online, audiences of the ‘80s were reportedly traumatized and scandalized. Not only was the film considered macabre, but it also was widely believed to be composed entirely of real footage.

“The ultimate taboo,” “100% real” and “banned in 46 countries!” were taglines for the original film. It wasn’t until decades after the film’s release that director John Alan Schwartz publicly confirmed that while some footage was real and pulled from news and autopsy archives, much of the movie was staged and the shockumentary’s host pathologist, Dr. Gröss, was an actor.

“Each new generation discovers it,” Schwartz told New York Public Radio in 2012. “And even though things look hokey now, there are still segments that people actually believe are real that aren’t.”

The 2026 remake, by comparison, is clear about its fictional plot, but also includes real clips of death that were “carefully trimmed,” according to director Daniel Goldhaber.

Back to 1985 — Escondido High’s Schwartz, who had previously been named “teacher of the year,” reportedly would not allow students to leave the classroom while the film played. One student, then 16-year-old Diane Feese, said the teacher fast-forwarded through the dialogue and forced students to watch the film’s most gruesome scenes. She covered her eyes, according to reports from the time, but was still subjected to other students’ commentary and the audio of the deaths depicted on-screen.

That fall — when school was back in session — Feese sued the teacher and the school principal for $3 million. Schwartz was suspended with pay for 30 days, then an additional 15 days without pay.

In 1986, another student in Schwartz’s math class, Sherry Forget, followed suit and took the math teacher to court for being subjected to the film. In 1987, the lawsuits were settled with Feese receiving $57,500 and Forget, who asked for $1 million, netting $42,500.

Less than a decade later, a Los Angeles high school teacher was also sued by his students for showing “Faces of Death.”

Verdugo Hills High School social sciences teacher Roger Haycock showed his cultural awareness class the film in December 1993. Students Jesse Smith and Darby Hughes alleged in their lawsuit that they were required to watch the film and write a paper on it. The teen boys said they suffered nightmares, emotional problems and were harassed by other students for their reaction to the film.

According to The Times, Haycock showed excerpts from “Faces of Death” to five classes that day and gave students the option to write a paper for extra credit or go to the library if they didn’t want to see the film. Haycock said he showed only parts of the film depicting animals being killed and did not show portions of the film that depict human death.

“Basically it had to do with the treatment of animals and the way we get our food, which was the lesson,” Haycock said at the time. “We go to the supermarket and get our meat, and we think it sanitizes us because it’s wrapped in plastic. But it has to be slaughtered for us by someone else. I was trying to show how other cultures provide food for themselves versus the way we do, living in the city.”

The judge dismissed the lawsuit, siding with the district’s argument that students shouldn’t be able to sue based on what they are taught in class.

Walker Scobell just wants people to stop sending death threats to every teenage girl who might know him — and anybody else.

The 17-year-old “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” star announced Sunday on social media that he will be skipping his prom and called out those who are threatening everyone who could potentially be in his orbit because of where they live.

“Just to let everyone know, I will not be attending prom,” Scobell, who plays the titular demigod in the Disney+ series, wrote in a message posted to his Instagram Story. “Please stop sending death threats to EVERY teenage girl who could remotely be associated with me based on their proximity to where I live. It’s not fair to them or their families.”

“Maybe also just stop sending death threats in general,” he added. “That’s just not cool. Kinda weird I have to say this.”

“Kinda weird” indeed.

Based on the book series by Rick Riordan, “Percy Jackson” is a coming-of-age twist on ancient Greek mythology that follows Sobell’s title character as he learns he is the half-human son of Poseidon and what that means for him. Scobell was 13 when he was cast in the show.

The actor previously said that it felt “a little bit weird” to go back to school after the first season of the series had been released but it helped that he’s been going to the same school since the fourth grade.

“Because I feel like I know everybody so well, and I’ve known them for such a long time that … it’s weirder to act like it’s weird,” Scobell told People earlier this year. “I feel like you just accept it right away, and everyone has, which has been super nice for me.”

This is not the first time the “Percy Jackson” franchise’s so-called fans have been out of line.

Aryan Simhadri, who portrays Percy’s best friend Grover Underwood in the series, spoke out last year about an unsettling encounter with a handsy fan when a group of “40 drunk college girls” recognized him.

“I was feeling pretty uncomfortable, so I put my hands in my back pockets,” Simhadri told Entertainment Weekly. “And then she reached around and put her hand inside of my back pocket, with my hand already in there. There’s not enough room in the back pocket of jeans for more than one hand. She lingered there a little longer than I would have liked. Not that I would have liked it at all.”

And Leah Jeffries, who plays Percy’s other best friend, Annabeth Chase, was the target of racist backlash when her casting was announced in 2022. Riordan, who also co-created the show, slammed the attacks in a blog post at the time, saying, “We should be able to agree that bullying and harassing a child online is inexcusably wrong.”

AUBREY Plaza’s world was tragically turned upside down last year following the very sudden and sad loss of her husband Jeff Baena.

But 15 months on, the Parks and Recreation actress, 41, has quietly found happiness and laid the foundations of a fruitful new future, as it emerged this week that she’s expecting her first child with Girls star Christopher Abbott.

“It was a beautiful surprise after an emotional year,” a source close to the couple told People following the baby news, adding that “they feel very blessed”.

The new chapter comes just over a year after her filmmaker husband Jeff Baena was found dead, aged 47, in January 2025.

Aubrey has kept herself mostly out of the spotlight in the aftermath of Jeff’s passing, with it since revealed that she’s been quietly enjoying the company of her supportive new beau Chris.

MOVIE MEETING

Like all good love stories, Aubrey and Chris’s relationship started off as friends.

FIRST BABY

White Lotus star Aubrey Plaza, 41, pregnant a year after husband’s tragic death

TRAGIC LOSS

Aubrey Plaza’s director husband found dead age 47 as family left ‘devastated’

They first met starring in the 2020 psychological flick Black Bear, and even then were singing each other’s praises.

Speaking at the time, Aubrey said that their dynamic felt “volatile and electric in a way that made every take unpredictable.”

While Chris praised Aubrey at the time as “fearless, you never quite know what she’s going to do.”

SPARKS OFF BROADWAY

The two became co-stars while starring together in the Off-Broadway show Danny and the Deep Blue Sea in 2023.

While the two-person play received mixed reviews, with The Guardian saying it was “challenging theatre, just not in the good way”, the pair grew close behind the scenes.

Halfway through the run, Chris injured his knee, and Aubrey is reported to have “coordinated a dance scene where she gave him a lap dance when he was on crutches.” 

Even before the injury, the actress is alleged to have “[rode] him simulating sex while he’s on the floor as one of the sets changed between acts.” 

On the evening that Chris hurt himself, Aubrey reportedly “went into a different mode to take care of him and was very affectionate.”

She even skipped seeing fans to attend to her colleague post-performance, with it noted that she “avoided any stage door due to Chris being her main concern.”

Aubrey was still with Jeff during the Broadway run, with her split from her late husband happening around Septemebr 2024, months prior to his death.

Meanwhile, Chris appeared to stay single and was spotted on celebrity dating app Raya, however, never on any actual dates.

Before finding love with Aubrey, Chris dated The Girlfriend star Olivia Cooke, but the pair split just before the pandemic.

PRESS TOUR PAIRING

While not together, their chemistry was visible during the press tour for the play.

Speaking about their project at the time, Aubrey told The New York Times: “He cares but he also doesn’t care; it’s the best recipe for me for a scene partner.

“It’s fun and it’s also good and it’s also safe. I like to just throw things out the window also and laugh and mess around and not take it so seriously. It’s a hard combo to come by.”

Chris agreed, adding: “We’re both unafraid to be ugly and weird and strange.

“We’re doing this play every night for an audience, but I think you also have to do it for each other,” he said.

“We want to entertain the audience, but I personally want to entertain Aubrey.”

“I guess I like to entertain him as well,” Aubrey added.

SECRET DATES

Last July, the couple were spotted at The Chatham Berry Farm, which is located a couple of hours outside of New York City, in what appeared to be a less-than-platonic encounter.

A source at the farm reported to Duexmoi that Aubrey was “was rubbing his back, and they were sitting very close to each other at a picnic table.” 

From the insider’s POV, the outing appeared “more than friends.”

The insider added that Aubrey appeared to know Chris’ sister who was also invited on the outing. 

Chris’ sister is singer Christina Abbott who posted about the day in June 2025.

The group were said to have had “several rounds of drinks from the cidery and ate dinner.”

Just one month later, Aubrey opened up about her grief during an interview with former Parks and Recreation co-star Amy Poehler.

She said: “Overall, I’m here and I’m functioning.

“I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I’m okay, but it’s like a daily struggle, obviously.”

Last year, Aubrey received the tragic news that her estranged husband Jeff Baena had been found dead at the home they once shared.

The U.S. Sun previously reported that emergency services were dispatched to the address in Los Feliz.

His body was found at 10.25am by an assistant at the property, which the couple bought together in 2022.

The filmmaker was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigator noted in documents that Aubrey, whose name was blacked out in the final report, said she had spoken to Jeff the night before he died.

In March 2025, it emerged Aubrey had quietly split from Jeff four months before his death, with the pair separating in September 2024.

An LA County Medical Examiner’s autopsy report obtained by DailyMail.com stated they had parted that month and that she was living in New York when his body was found.

Jeff’s family were left “devastated” and asked for privacy at the time.

The couple tied the knot over four years earlier after dating for a decade.

They kept both the engagement and marriage secret until Aubrey described him as her “darling husband” in a touching Instagram post following the tragedy.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, you can call the Samaritans for free on 116 123, or visit www.samaritans.org.

Saint-Pierre is finally coming to UK screens on U&Alibi this April, a year after its Canadian debut, and fans are already ‘obsessed’

Death in Paradise actress Joséphine Jobert’s crime thriller Saint-Pierre is set to finally arrive on British screens a full year after its debut on Canadian broadcaster CBC.

The show, which also features Allan Hawco, known for his role in the Amazon Prime series Jack Ryan, will launch on U&Alibi on Thursday, 23 April at 8pm.

While Saint-Pierre has already completed two seasons in Canada, UK audiences will be starting from scratch, with the opening episode introducing viewers to the lead characters, Donny ‘Fitz’ Fitzpatrick, portrayed by Hawco, and Deputy Chief Geneviève ‘Arch’ Archambault, portrayed by Jobert.

The crime series has already been hailed by audiences on IMDb as a “must-watch” show, with the episode entitled ‘Kill Lil’ receiving particular acclaim as one that “hits all the right notes”.

One devoted fan confirmed they are “Obsessed” with the series, while another enthused: “We love this show so much!”, reports the Express.

The official synopsis for Saint-Pierre reveals: “After the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Inspector, Donny Fitzpatrick (Fitz), digs too deeply into a local politician’s nefarious activity, he is exiled to work in Saint-Pierre et Miquelon – the French Territory nestled in the Atlantic Ocean.

“Fitz’s arrival disrupts the life of Deputy Chief Genevieve Archambault (Arch), a Parisian transplant who is in Saint-Pierre for her own intriguing reasons.”

It goes on: “As if by fate, these two seasoned officers – with very different policing skills and approaches – are forced together to solve unique and exciting crimes.

“Although the islands seem like a quaint tourist destination, the idyllic facade conceals the worst kind of criminal activity, which tends to wash up on beautiful shores. At first, at odds and suspicious of each other, Arch and Fitz soon discover that they are better together.”

The Saint-Pierre ensemble also features Benz Antoine, Erika Prevost, Jean-Michel Le Gal, Tamara Podemski, James Purefoy, Maxim Roy, and Tim Rozon.

While lead star Joséphine Jobert originally appeared in Death in Paradise as Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell from 2015 to 2019, before making a comeback to the BBC program for series 10 and 11, spanning 2021 to 2022.

The performer returned in 2024 for series 13, with her character Florence last glimpsed departing into the sunset alongside Neville, portrayed by Ralf Little, who similarly left the show.

Saint-Pierre airs on U&Alibi from 9pm on Thursday, 23 April 2026

Death in Paradise star Ralf Little discusses his new stage role in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold UK tour on BBC Breakfast

Death In Paradise star Ralf Little has opened up about his “disappointing new role”.

The 46-year-old, who shot to fame on BBC sitcom, The Royle Family, appeared on Thursday’s edition of BBC Breakfast to discuss his new stage production, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

The theatrical adaptation of the John le Carré novel has embarked on a major UK tour following a sold-out, critically acclaimed West End run. It plunges audiences into the murky world of Cold War espionage, where betrayal is rife and ethical boundaries are perpetually blurred.

Playing lead character Alec Leamas, a British intelligence officer, Ralf spoke to BBC Breakfast hosts Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt about how this part contrasts with other spy-themed dramas. Drawing comparisons between The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Ian Fleming’s James Bond, he said: “It’s not like that at all,” reports the Express.

“I don’t get any gadgets, I don’t get to drive an Aston Martin and I was very disappointed because that was really the only reason I wanted to do it,” he joked.

Picking up on his disappointment, Naga questioned why he chose to take on the role. Ralf added: “I know! There’s no glamour at all!”

Despite his misgivings, Ralf added: “I don’t want to have to be given refunds, but I think people will really enjoy it.”

Regarded as a global bestseller for over six decades and featured amongst TIME Magazine’s 100 greatest novels of all time, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold showcases le Carré at his most razor-sharp – delving into betrayal not merely between nations, but within the human soul.

In March 2024, TV fans were left heartbroken following Ralf’s exit from the much-loved detective drama Death in Paradise.

Having portrayed Detective Inspector Neville Parker since 2020, Ralf brought a unique blend of endearing awkwardness and emotional complexity to the part, swiftly establishing himself as a firm favourite amongst viewers.

His departure allowed the character’s journey to reach a natural and fulfilling conclusion, while simultaneously paving the way for new faces and fresh dynamics on the island of Saint Marie.

Although audiences were saddened to see him leave, his contribution made an enduring mark on the programme’s legacy.

Opening up about his exit, Ralf revealed his role felt “completed” and had a “beautiful and poignant” ending.

BBC Breakfast airs Monday-Sunday from 6am on BBC One

Reporting from Sacramento — There are more voters in favor of a ballot measure that would repeal the death penalty in California than one that attempts to speed up executions, but neither proposition has attracted the majority of votes it needs to pass come Tuesday, a new poll finds.

Partly, it’s because some voters seemed confused about what each measure promises, pollsters and strategists said. Mainly, it’s because voters remain strongly divided on the issue of capital punishment, with a strong core of beliefs driving their decisions.

National debate over criminal justice reform and racial disparity in sentencing has not swayed those attitudes, they said, as it has with other crime and punishment measures on the ballot.

“The death penalty is much more controversial, in a sense,” said pollster Anna Greenberg of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, the Democratic half of the bipartisan team of polling firms that conducted the latest USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll. “People have strong religious or moral opposition on both sides of the issue. They have core values.”

Proposition 62, which would replace capital punishment with life in prison without parole, received 44% support and 45% opposition among the 1,382 likely voters polled in October across the state through telephone interviews. Ten percent said they did not know how they would vote or refused to answer.

The more clearly written measure of the two, pollsters said, it garnered a predictable demographic on both sides: 59% of Democratic voters were in support and 65% of Republican voters were in opposition.

The results also reflected national trends, which show public support for the death penalty has declined, though an almost even split of voters still favor the punishment. The latest Pew Research survey, released in September, found 49% of Americans favored the death penalty, the lowest in more than four decades.

More confusing to interpret, pollsters said, were the results of Proposition 66, which seeks to speed up the death penalty system through changes and limits on how and how often death row inmates can challenge their convictions and sentences.

Thirty-five percent of voters said they would support Proposition 66, 42% said they would oppose it, and 21% said they did not know how they would vote or refused to answer.

But only 45% of Democratic voters opposed the measure, while 31% said they would support it. Of Republican voters, 40% were in favor and 36% were against.

Interviews with poll participants illustrated the opposing values among California voters.

Alan Cheah, 67, a retired technology specialist in the Central Valley, said he strongly opposed the death penalty on moral grounds.

“A lot of people have been wrongly put to death,” he said. “The whole justice system is skewed toward disadvantaged people and people of color, and a lot of them have been accused of murder or wrongdoing but have been acquitted – some have not been acquitted in time.”

To Steven Lang, a 56-year-old self-described fine artist, it’s a sensitive, personal issue. His sister was killed in 1994. The killer was not sentenced to death.

“This guy has robbed me of memories of my sister,” Lang said. “You can’t take life and whitewash it in gray. Every life has a value, and I believe people who take that life, lose theirs.”

The ballot box guide to California’s propositions »

Yet even as the two death penalty propositions “are trying to achieve competing aims, opponents of one don’t necessarily support the other, mostly due to confusion about 66,” said pollster Ben Winston of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.

Voters who supported repealing the death penalty and opposed the competing measure were 21% of the electorate, a mostly Democratic group which also supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Will ending the death penalty save California more money than speeding up executions? »

Voters who opposed repealing the death penalty and favored the measure intended to speed up the process formed 18% of the electorate, a group that leaned Republican and toward Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Another 15% of voters, mostly younger Democrats and Clinton supporters, said they would give their “Yes” vote to both propositions, while 21% of the electorate said they would oppose both measures.

The survey was conducted for USC Dornsife and the Los Angeles Times by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and American Viewpoint.

jazmine.ulloa@latimes.com

@jazmineulloa

ALSO:

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What happens if both death penalty measures are approved by voters on Nov. 8?

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi endorses ballot measure to repeal the death penalty in California

I am 25 and still afraid of the dark’: Victims’ families wrestle with grief as they weigh the death penalty on the ballot

How ‘MASH’ actor Mike Farrell became a leading voice against the death penalty in California

Why Silicon Valley is pouring money into efforts to repeal California’s death penalty

Track news on California ballot measures and campaigns

Viewers think Megan Walsh could be the victim of the brutal Coronation Street murder later this month, and that Sam Blakeman might be the killer in a shocking twist

Fans of Coronation Street think Megan Walsh is about to meet a grisly end – with an unexpected killer.

Megan is one of five characters who could be killed off later this month in a whodunnit twist. The child groomer was recently exposed for sexually abusing her teenage pupil Will Driscoll.

She and Will have denied it, with Will manipulated into believing they are in love. It was Sam Blakeman who first rumbled the ‘romance’, with Megan and Will targeting Sam as a result.

Megan was vile, threatening him and claiming she was going to make it look as though he was spying on her. Will also pretended to be his friend in order to keep him on side, while both of them accused Sam of lying when it all came out.

READ MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘rumble’ why Dr Todd is really targeting Jacob in ‘revenge twist’READ MORE: Coronation Street fans ‘work out’ who’s targeting Sam – but it’s not Will

The lies and what he was covering up, on top of exam stress, has had a really bad impact on Sam. As well as misusing ADHD medication, which led to a hospital dash, he’s been struggling with his mental health.

This week he’s accused Will of harassing him with menacing behaviour and sinister threats over the phone. Will has denied this, and now fans are convinced Sam is hallucinating, as he continues to spiral.

A new theory though could see things escalate, and see Sam turn killer unexpectedly. We know that Megan might die later this month, and now fans think Sam will kill her by accident.

Believing he is suffering from psychosis and is imagining things, such as Will chasing him, viewers have wondered if he will experience the same with Megan. A theory is that he will attack her and maybe even kill her believing he is in danger.

A fan posted on social media: “My gut feeling is it will be Megan and Sam is the killer.” Another fan said: “I still think it’s Megan that dies. At one point I thought Maggie would be the killer but with Sam’s psychosis storyline, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up snapping and killed her without realising it.”

A further theory read: “I didn’t think about Sam accidentally killing Megan. If he really is hallucinating so vividly, I could definitely see him accidentally killing her to get her away from him, even if he doesn’t realise he’s done it.”

One fan wrote: “What if Sam kills Megan because he’s in a state of psychosis and it’s lining up a storyline of ‘manslaughter by way of reduced capacity’?? What then?! #Corrie #CoronationStreet.” Another fan agreed: “My theory changes every day do we reckon Sam is gonna kill Megan #corrie?”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

THE drug dealer known as the Ketamine Queen has been sentenced to 15 years behind bars – the maximum term – for her role in Matthew Perry’s tragic death.

Jasveen Sangha, 42, pleaded guilty to five federal charges in September, including distributing ketamine that resulted in the fatal overdose of the Friends star in 2023.

Sangha, a US-British dual national, appeared at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Courthouse in Los Angeles and was slammed by the actor’s stepmom, Debbie Perry, as a “heartless woman”.

In a victim impact statement obtained by The U.S. Sun ahead of the sentencing, Debbie urged a judge to impose the maximum sentence on Sangha.

“The pain you’ve caused to hundreds, maybe thousands, is irreversible,” Debbie wrote in court docs submitted late Tuesday.

“There is no joy… to be found. No light in the window. They won’t be back. That thought comes through our day. Everyday. No escape. You caused this.

NEW ADMISSION

‘Ketamine Queen’ pleads guilty to selling fatal drug dose to Matthew Perry

“You who has talent for business. Enough to make money. Chose the one way that hurts people. How sad for you.

“How will you ever find joy. Have you ever found joy? How sad for you. How sad for you. How sad for us all. We miss him.”

She then begged the court, “Please give this heartless woman the maximum prison sentence so she won’t be able to hurt other families like ours.”

Perry’s mom, Suzanne, and stepdad, Keith Morrison, were seen arriving at court on Wednesday.

During the sentencing hearing, Morrison addressed the court and Sangha.

According to the New York Post, he called Perry a “brilliant and talented man,” and said he should have “had another act.”

“I feel bad for you, Miss Sangha,” he told her. “I don’t hate you. You are a drug dealer.”

Sangha was reportedly dressed in a white jump suit with one ankle shackled.

During an emotional moment, she wiped tears away with tissues from a box placed nearby, according to the outlet.

She also addressed the court, saying she takes full responsibility, adding she had the “rug of life ripped out” from under her.

Sangha had been in custody since August 2024 and was the last of five defendants charged in the investigation to plead guilty.

According to prosecutors, Sangha and a middleman named Erik Fleming sold Perry 25 vials of ketamine, including the fatal dose, for $6,000 in cash just four days before his death.

On the day Perry died, Sangha reportedly messaged Fleming and instructed him to delete their text history, an effort authorities say was meant to cover their tracks.

Prosecutors said in court docs, “She didn’t care and kept selling.

“Defendant’s actions show a cold callousness and disregard for life. She chose profits over people, and her actions have caused immense pain to the victims’ families and loved ones.”

Sangha admitted to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of ketamine distribution, and one count of ketamine distribution resulting in death.

Prosecutors dropped other charges as part of the plea agreement.

Fleming, who obtained the ketamine from Sangha and passed it to Perry’s personal assistant, later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine resulting in death and faces years in prison.

Sangha operated out of her North Hollywood home, which authorities dubbed the “Sangha Stash House” after federal agents uncovered a large cache of drugs during a raid.

The haul included scores of ketamine vials, crystal meth, cocaine, counterfeit Xanax tablets, and a handgun.

An autopsy confirmed Perry died from acute effects of ketamine and drowning, with toxicology reports indicating multiple doses in the period leading up to his death.

Sangha flaunted her jet-set lifestyle on social media, posting pictures from parties with celebrities, lavish vacations, and designer clothing.

Just days after Perry’s death, she flew to Tokyo, staying at the luxury $1,400-a-night Mandarin Oriental hotel.

Sangha was first arrested in March 2024 on federal drug charges related to her long-running narcotics operation.

Five months later, new federal charges specifically tied to Perry’s overdose were filed; she was taken back into custody and her previous bail was revoked.

Her lawyer, Mark Geragos, announced last year that she would plead guilty, saying she was “taking responsibility for her actions.”

He later told reporters she “feels horrible about all of this” and “has felt horrible since day one.”

In an exclusive jail interview with The Sun before her sentencing, she also said, “I take full responsibility for my actions and the role I played in the events that led to this tragedy. 

“There are no excuses for what I did. I am deeply sorry for the pain I caused, especially to Matthew’s family. 

“Their loss is unimaginable and permanent. 

“I understand that my conduct — operating a drug business and continuing down that path — was reckless, dangerous, and wrong.”

She added, “I can’t undo the past but I can now respect the law. I am determined that my future now reflects accountability and growth.”

Sangha said she is now clean and sober after previous issues with drugs and alcohol and has been undergoing treatment behind bars.

Court documents filed this week show she has also been doing yoga and meditation while locked up at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center.

Sangha is the third of five people sentenced over Perry’s fatal overdose.

Dr. Salvador Plasencia, one of the doctors who supplied ketamine to Perry in the months before his death, was sentenced to 30 months in prison in December, followed by supervised release.

He shamefully sobbed in court, telling Perry’s mother, Suzanne, and relatives, “I’m just so sorry.”

Dr. Mark Chavez, the second physician involved, received eight months of home confinement and community service.

Two other defendants are still awaiting trial: Kenneth Iwamasa, Perry’s live-in personal assistant, who admitted to helping obtain and administer the ketamine and faces up to 15 years in prison, and Fleming, the middleman.

The five responsible for Matthew Perry’s death

Here are the five individuals allegedly behind Perry’s ketamine overdose.

• “Ketamine Queen of Los Angeles” Jasveen Sangha – Sangha, 42, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to federal charges for supplying the ketamine that caused Matthew Perry’s fatal overdose. Prosecutors say that after Perry’s death, she reportedly searched online, “can ketamine be listed as a cause of death.” She has now been jailed.
• “Dr. P” Dr. Salvador Plasencia – Plasencia, 42, was one of the physicians who illegally supplied ketamine to Perry before his death. He pleaded guilty in mid‑2025 to several federal counts of ketamine distribution. In December 2025, he was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined; he was remanded immediately to begin serving his term.
• Dr. Mark Chavez – Chavez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine in connection with Perry’s death. In December 2025, he was sentenced to eight months of home confinement, ordered to complete community service, and placed on supervised release.
• Kenneth Iwamasa – Iwamasa, 59, Perry’s live‑in assistant, admitted he obtained and administered ketamine to Perry as part of the scheme. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death and is set to be sentenced in April.
• Eric Fleming – Fleming, 54, an intermediary dealer who helped coordinate the flow of ketamine from suppliers to Perry’s assistant, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and distribution charges. He is also set to be sentenced in April.

Court filings show Perry texted Iwamasa, “shoot me up with a big one,” shortly before his death.

Perry, who rose to fame as Chandler Bing on the hit 90s sitcom Friends, was found unconscious in his hot tub in Los Angeles in October 2023 at age 54.

US Attorney Martin Estrada said Perry had relapsed in the fall of 2023, and that “these defendants took advantage to profit for themselves.”

Perry had struggled with decades-long drug and alcohol addiction and became dependent on ketamine during infusion therapy aimed at treating his depression.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) at 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

As the time approached 10:30 Tuesday night — nearly three hours after Bruce Springsteen had marched onstage at Inglewood’s Kia Forum alongside 18 of his musical comrades — the 76-year-old rock legend told the crowd he hadn’t intended to be there.

“This is a tour that we never planned,” he said. “The E Street Band is here with you tonight because we need to feel your hope and your strength. And we want to bring some hope and bring some strength for you.”

It wasn’t impossible to believe him.

After a two-year trek that finally wrapped last summer amid the release of a massive box set and a splashy Hollywood biopic, Springsteen might’ve been expected to spend 2026 counting his money and his accolades. Yet the way he tells it, the actions of a “corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless and treasonous” president and his administration spurred him back into action.

“If you’re feeling helpless, if you’re feeling hopeless, if you’re feeling betrayed, if you’re feeling frustrated, if you’re feeling angry — I mean, I know I’ve been,” he said.

Tuesday’s show was the first of two this week at the Forum.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Thus the hastily arranged Land of Hope & Dreams tour: two months of U.S. concert dates that began last week in Minneapolis, where federal immigration agents killed two American citizens in January, and will wrap May 27 with a stadium show in Washington, D.C.

“The White House — this White House — is destroying the American idea,” Springsteen proclaimed during Tuesday’s gig, the first of two this week at the Forum.

Before we get to the performance itself, let’s acknowledge that the Boss is sticking his neck out here. Sure, he’s protected by his wealth and his celebrity; sure, he’s preaching to the choir in every city he and the E Street Band visit.

But what other musician on Springsteen’s level is speaking out the way he is right now?

On Tuesday, he introduced “Streets of Minneapolis” — a brand-new protest song in which he mentions both Alex Pretti and Renée Good by name — with a vividly detailed monologue about the circumstances of their deaths. Then he led his players through a fervent rendition of the driving folk-rock tune.

“It’s our blood and bones / And these whistles and phones / Against Miller and Noem’s f— lies,” Springsteen sang — one lyric that might’ve inspired President Trump this month to urge his followers to boycott the singer, whom he compared in a social media post to a “dried up prune who has suffered greatly from the work of a really bad plastic surgeon.” (In truth, Springsteen probably enjoyed that.)

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Whatever the risks of his speechifying, you had to admire — here in our age of political infotainment — the natural finesse with which Springsteen threaded his prepared rhetoric into Tuesday’s set. He knew just when to have the E Streeters vamp so he could talk about NATO and USAID; he knew when it was wiser to lead the audience in a chant of “ICE out.”

Indeed, as much as he was speaking his mind, Springsteen was providing his fans with an opportunity to work out their own anxieties in rowdy singalong versions of classics like “Born in the U.S.A.,” “No Surrender,” “The Promised Land” and “Out in the Street.”

If the concert’s animating impulse was outrage, the prevailing emotion was joy, even — or especially — when the music was at its most pointed, as in covers of Edwin Starr’s “War” and “Clampdown” by the Clash.

With an extra E Street member in Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, Springsteen made “Badlands” and “Death to My Hometown” shimmer and stomp; “Murder Incorporated” was a gritty soul-rock rave-up, while “Youngstown” got a scabrous guitar solo by Nils Lofgren that reminded you of his other gig in Neil Young’s Crazy Horse. (Springsteen’s wife, Patti Scialfa, who said in 2024 that she has cancer, wasn’t part of the band Tuesday.)

About halfway through the show, Springsteen sang “American Skin (41 Shots),” the early-2000s song about racialized police violence he wrote after Amadou Diallo’s killing by four NYPD officers; he followed that with “Long Walk Home,” which he described as “a prayer for our country.”

Bruce Springsteen

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Played back to back, the songs made you think of how little agreement we’ve come to over the last quarter-century about who gets to be called an American. The identity is always under attack, and it’s always being defended.

Anyone but a Bruce stan would admit that Springsteen leaned a little hard on recent stuff here: “House of a Thousand Guitars,” “My City of Ruins,” “Wrecking Ball” and the like.

Yet as with his speechmaking, he can still read a room. “It’s gotta be done,” he said with a grin as the band revved up “Hungry Heart,” one of a handful of old pop hits he did that broke from the evening’s topical throughline.

Near the end — in an encore that went bang-bang-bang with “Born to Run” into “Bobby Jean” into “Dancing in the Dark” — Springsteen, his shirt drenched with sweat, took a seat onstage and thanked members of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center for attending the show. (Also in the house Tuesday: Henry Winkler.)

Then he offered one final homily before closing with Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.”

“These are hard times, but we’ll make it through,” he said. “We’re the Americans. What do they say? Americans do the right thing after they’ve tried everything else.” He shook his head as though he were running through a mental inventory.

“F—!”

Aubrey Plaza is pregnant!

Plaza and “Girls” star Christopher Abbott are expecting their first child together. Representatives for Plaza confirmed to People that the pair are set to become parents in the fall. The couple, who have kept their romance under wraps, were spotted together at the Khaite Fall/Winter 2026 fashion show during New York Fashion Week in February.

Plaza, who’s become Hollywood’s favorite weirdo since splashing onto the scene as April Ludgate in the mockumentary sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” met Abbott when they worked together in 2020. The two starred in the psychological thriller “Black Bear,” and then joined forces once more in 2023 for the off-Broadway revival of “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.” Abbott may be best known for stealing the hearts of “Girls” fans when he portrayed Charlie Dattolo on the HBO megahit.

In “Danny,” the pair portrayed volatile lovers, and they raved about working with each other while chatting with the New York Times ahead of the production’s premiere. “He cares but he also doesn’t care; it’s the best recipe for me for a scene partner,” Plaza said.

“It’s fun and it’s also good and it’s also safe. I like to just throw things out the window also and laugh and mess around and not take it so seriously. It’s a hard combo to come by.”

“We’re both unafraid to be ugly and weird and strange,” Abbott added. The two also agreed that although they aim to entertain the audience, they both hoped to entertain each other.

Plaza — who is known for her deadpan delivery not only on screen but also while giving interviews on red carpets and the late-night circuit — has become known for dropping lines tailor-made for internet culture. In 2011, she notoriously told Jay Leno that she was too awkward for dating. “I’m kind of like all or nothing,” she said. “Either put a baby inside of me or leave me alone.”

The big baby news arrives for the “White Lotus” star a year after the death of husband Jeff Baena, an independent filmmaker who directed Plaza in “The Little Hours.” Baena, who died at 47 in January 2025, had been separated from Plaza for a few months before his death.

Todd Meadows, a deckhand on one of the fishing vessels featured on the Emmy-winning reality series “Deadliest Catch,” died after he fell overboard into the Bering Sea.

The official cause of death listed on the crew member’s death certificate, which was obtained by TMZ, states that Meadows died from drowning with probable hypothermia and submersion of his body in cold water. The death has been ruled an accident by the Alaska Department of Health.

Meadows, a rookie deckhand who joined the production in May 2025, had not yet been featured on the long-running reality series at the time of his death. “Deadliest Catch” was reportedly wrapping production on Season 22 when the incident occurred, and cameras were rolling.

Meadows’ mother, Angela Meadows, has since asked that the show not air footage of her son’s death. “No parent would want the world to watch their child die,” Meadows told Alaska News Source.

Rick Shelford, the captain of the Aleutian Lady, announced in a social media post that Meadows died Feb. 25. He called it “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea.”

“We lost our brother,” Shelford wrote in his lengthy tribute. “Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family. His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away. His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always.

“He worked hard, loved deeply, and brought joy to those around him,” he added. “Todd will forever be part of this boat, this crew, and this brotherhood. Though we lost him far too soon, his legacy will live on through his children and in every memory we carry of him.”

A GoFundMe set up in Meadows’ name described the deckhand from Montesano, Wash., as a father to “three amazing little boys” who died “while doing what he loved — crabbing out on Alaskan waters.”

The fundraiser has since raised more than $59,000.

According to the Associated Press, Meadows was reported to have fallen overboard around 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

“He was recovered unresponsive by the crew approximately 10 minutes later,” Chief Petty Officer Travis Magee, a spokesperson with the Coast Guard’s Arctic District, told the AP.

The incident is still being investigated by the Coast Guard.

Times staff writer Tracy Brown contributed to this report.

DEADLIEST Catch star Todd Meadows’ cause of death was revealed on Monday, over a month after the deck hand fell overboard into freezing waters.

Meadows died on February 25 in an accident aboard a vessel in the Bering Sea while the Deadliest Catch cameras were rolling.

Meadow, a father of three, died after he drowned “with probable hypothermia” and “submersion of body in cold water,” his death certificate said.

His death was ruled an accident.

The 25-year-old fell overboard while crabbing on a fishing boat off the coast of Alaska and was pronounced dead on February 25 at 5:15pm.

His body was recovered minutes after he fell, but the several attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

read more on todd meadows

DESPERATE CREW

Deadliest Catch star’s harrowing final moments as rescue harness snaps

His death was caught on camera while filming the long-running Discovery Channel series.

Deadliest Catch premiered in 2005, giving insight into the harsh conditions fishing crews face on the Bering Sea.

His mother, Angela, told TMZ that the family doesn’t want the footage to be aired.

“We don’t want to see any footage of the accident and do not want Discovery to air any of that footage or make money off of our son’s death,” she said.

“We hope they only air good things of Todd on that boat.”

Captain Rick Shelford called February 25 “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea.”

“Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family,” Shelford said.

“His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away.”

The crew later broke their silence revealing Meadows’ tragic final moments.

The crew said he was left blue and foaming at the mouth after they tried to save him numerous times.

Deckhand Trey John Green III told Page Six that Meadows ended up in the water following an incident with one of the traps used to catch shellfish.

The crew ran to the back of the boat to immediately keep their eyes on Meadows after he hit the water.

“I see Todd. He’s floating, he’s swimming. He’s got huge baby blue eyes. And I can still, probably from like 100 yards away, I could still see his eyes looking around,” Green said.

“Todd was still alive, he’s still swimming, he’s still trying to hang in there.

“We get next to him, and then Steve [Porter] — Steve is the — every boat has a designated rescue swimmer for this exact kind of scenario. Steve was already geared up and was already in the diving suit.”

Green said that when Porter jumped into the water to save Meadows, the harness attached to the crane broke.

Other crew members managed to get a life sling into the water quickly, but when Meadows was “halfway up” and “almost back on the boat,” he fell back into the sea.

“The second time we went to go lift him up, Todd was just — he was lifeless,” Green recalled.

“He didn’t have any more — like I said, the first time, he was fighting, trying to get onto the sling. And then the second time, he was just — he was lifeless.”

Green said Meadows was only in the water for “three or four minutes” before they got him back on the boat, but at that point he began “turning blue.”

“I just want to reiterate that — everybody did everything they could do,” Green said.

A GoFundMe was created after Meadows’ death, which has since raised over $56,000 for his family and his three sons.

Meadows’ mother revealed that the 25-year-old suffered a concussion just weeks before his death.

The head injury left him unable to return to work for several weeks.

He returned to Washington to recover, which was the last week his family saw him, Angela said.

“The last photo I got of him was when he was building a fire. He was listening to music in the moment and was so happy,” she said.

“That’s how I want to remember him.”

Emmerdale favourite Cain Dingle is hit by a car in deadly scenes next week with three possible culprits teased, but will he survive and does the driver leave him for dead?

A horrifying new clip for Emmerdale shows the moment Cain Dingle is left lifeless after being hit by a car.

Next week on the ITV soap, Jeff Hordley’s character is on the phone to his wife Moira Dingle when he is struck at speed. A clip appears to tease the identity of the mystery driver, with one of three characters behind the wheel.

Kerry Wyatt, Jacob Gallagher and Graham Foster are all seen emotional or distracted before they speed off in their own cars. Jacob has just faced more drama with his bullying boss Dr Todd, and we see him breaking down in his car.

Graham has a run-in with Paddy and Marlon Dingle it seems, after his near-kiss with Marlon’s wife Rhona Goskirk. Kerry is crying over something – but is it linked to Dr Todd, or Eric Pollard?

READ MORE: Emmerdale fans ‘solve’ who Graham’s working with to kill Kim – and it’s not a TateREAD MORE: Coronation Street’s Megan’s pregnancy twist confirmed after paedophile teacher is exposed

As all three of them drive off, suddenly someone speeds towards Cain who is in the middle of a road. Slamming into him, Cain is left bleeding and unconscious as he hits the floor.

He’s not in a good way, but the clip ends there. So will Cain die and who runs him over? Whoever it is seems to leave Cain there as in another clip, it’s Cain’s young son Carl calling desperately for an ambulance.

Kyle confirms his dad isn’t waking up and is badly injured, as he tells the emergency services what has happened. The fact that Kyle is alone and making the call could suggest no one else is there, and it’s a hit and run.

All will be revealed soon in terms of who the driver is, but the clips certainly hint it will either be Graham, Kerry or Jacob. As for Cain’s fate, the spoilers do not reveal if he lives or dies.

It isn’t thought he will die given his huge cancer storyline that is ongoing. Cain has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer, with him deciding whether or not to have treatment, and only recently did he tell his family including his wife Moira.

So surely they wouldn’t kill Cain off in such a brutal way when there’s still a way to go with the cancer storyline. So it’s safe to assume Cain will survive being hit by the car, but it’s not certain.

It’s also not clear if he will be badly injured and if there will be any consequences. Fans will have to stay tuned to find out what happens to Cain and who is to blame.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .

REGGIE Watts has shared a touching tribute in memory of his late partner, Katherine Early McCollough.

The comedian and TV star, who is best known for appearing on the Late Late Show with James Corden, was with girlfriend Katherine for two years before her sad death at age 36.

Sharing the news to Instagram, Reggie wrote: “Katherine, I will miss you so much. I know you were in pain, and while I tried everything I could to reflect the light you brought into this world, the sorrow became too much to overcome.

“You changed my life. You opened up my vulnerability and taught me how to receive love from someone so close.

“We built a life together, went on adventures, and we took chances together.

“You had a natural radiance that people could feel from so far away – a light you carried despite the difficult path you walked from childhood.”

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Continuing to his 407K followers, Reggie heartbreakingly shared how he “understood” his girlfriend’s “need for peace”.

He wrote: “I’ve been processing so much. I know you can hear me, and I honour the intentionality of your journey. You planned your time in Lima beautifully – the coast, the art, the meals shared with a friend.

“While it is so difficult for those of us left behind, I understand your need for peace.”

“There is so much of you still around me in the house we shared. You were a vital part of my transformation.

“I’m so grateful for everything we shared, and I will hold the light you gave me forever.”

Signing off the post, Reggie asked Katherine to say hello to his late mother, penning: “You never got to meet her, but I know she would have been so happy to see how kind you were to me.

“You took care of me in a way I know she always wanted for me.

“I love you, Katherine. I always will. You are a part of me, as you always have been.”

Reggie added two beautiful pictures of Katherine to his tribute.

Following her death, Katherine’s friends have been raising money via a GoFundMe, to cover the costs of shipping her body from Maine to her home state of South Carolina.

At the time of publishing, the fund has raised $30.6K of its $40K target.

EMOTIONAL Kelsey Parker has confessed “her pain will never go away” as she opened up on grief on the fourth anniversary of her husband Tom’s death.

Kelsey unexpectedly found herself a widow at age 32 after her late husband Tom Parker from the boyband The Wanted tragically died.

The famous singer passed away in March 2022 at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.

Kelsey has been open with fans on grief and juggling life as a mum – her and Tom have two children together, Aurelia and Bodhi.

Speaking on the Cbeebies HQ Parenting Helpline podcast, Kelsey shared how she’s been dealing with the grief of losing her husband four years ago.

Addressing a parent in a similar situation, Kelsey said: “Your pain is never going to go away. That pain is never gonna go away. What you learn to do is live around your pain.”

Read more on Kelsey Palmer

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“It makes me emotional talking about it.”

Kelsey continued: “I am grieving and I am getting out of bed and I am being a parent because I have no other choice.”

Recalling the day Tom died, she said: ” I told the kids I need to go to the hospice to make sure that the angels come for daddy today, so that’s when I knew he was gonna die.

“He’s never coming back we will never see him again.”

Talking to Tom in his last days, Kelsey remembered saying: “I said ‘I know you’ve put me on this path and I will walk this path for you now, and I will do everything to bring your children up the way you wanted to bring your children up’.”

The motivational speaker told podcast host Holly Hagan that she had no choice but to get up everyday and be a mum – her kids needed her.

She explained they were obviously going “mummy, mummy can you come make me breakfast? and Kelsey said she’s not going to turn around and say, “no I’m grieving. I’m devastated your dad’s died.”

Despite having dealt with grief so young, Kelsey felt her kids had developed strong resilience.

Geordie Shore‘s Holly captioned the podcast clip: “This episode with the fabulous @being_kelsey was so incredibly empowering. It actually ran over about an hour because we just could not stop talking.”

Since the death of her husband Kelsey has become host of the Mums The World podcast and a motivational speaker diving into the world of unexpected grief.

Kelsey has also found love again with tree surgeon, Will Lindsay, after hard-launching their relationship back in September 2024.

A general strike swept the occupied West Bank after Israel passed a death penalty law that only targets Palestinians, sparking international condemnation and protests.

When the world is topsy-turvy, the theatergoing public seeks explanations. Arthur Miller provides something better: moral intelligence. He doesn’t tell his audience what to think but challenges them to think harder.

There’s clearly a hunger right now for Miller’s work. His plays are back in high demand in Los Angeles, New York and London.

A new revival of “Death of a Salesman,” starring Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, is in previews on Broadway. And a less starry production of Miller’s masterpiece opened last weekend at Pasadena’s A Noise Within.

“All My Sons,” Miller’s breakthrough play about capitalism’s warped ethics in the guise of a domestic drama, just finished a successful run at Antaeus Theatre Company in Glendale. And National Theatre Live will screen the recent London production, starring Bryan Cranston and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, in April and May courtesy of Boston Court Pasadena and L.A. Theatre Works. (Late last year, I caught a screening at the Wallis of another London revival, the 2019 production starring Bill Pullman and Sally Field.)

Dana Dewes and Scott G. Jackson in “The Price” at Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice.

(Ian Cardamone)

“A View From the Bridge,” a play whose revenge plot hinges on a tip to immigration authorities, could hardly be more timely. The same could just as unnervingly be said about “The Crucible,” Miller’s parable about the McCarthy witch hunts. The play, always front of mind when power is being abused, has given rise to a modern feminist riposte, Kimberly Belflower’s thrilling “John Proctor Is the Villain,” which is coming to the Mark Taper Forum next year.

Not to be missed right now is a small, exquisitely acted production of “The Price” at Pacific Resident Theatre. Miller’s 1968 play, written during the agonizing days of the Vietnam War, concerns the disposition of the remains of a once-illustrious estate. As two estranged brothers working with an 89-year-old appraiser try to put a price on the antiques and personal effects their father — a casualty of the Great Depression — left behind, the family history they both tried to bury explodes.

Miller’s plays compel theatergoers to connect the dots not only between the past and the present but also between the political and the personal. His dramas set domestic conflicts against the backdrop of societal systems that insidiously warp the playing field for their characters.

Miller is often contrasted with Tennessee Williams. And while it’s true that Miller is more of a social realist and Williams is more of a dramatic poet, Miller’s carefully carpentered plays are emotionally supple and Williams’ lyrical dramas are acutely mindful of the power dynamics of our collective life.

The realism of “The Price” is as heavy as the old wooden furniture that the Franz brothers, Victor (Scott G. Jackson) and Walter (Jason Huber), are trying to profitably offload.

(Ian Cardamone)

Director Elia Kazan was drawn to both playwrights because he understood that they were as interested in the stories of individual Americans as they were in the larger tale of America itself. Kazan found in both writers more than enough poetry and grit to satisfy the new breed of realistic actor he was showcasing on stage and screen.

“Death of a Salesman” and “The Price” are vastly different plays. The former, which Miller once considered calling “The Inside of His Head,” is fluidly constructed, playing fast and loose with time as it tracks the disintegrating mental life of down-and-out salesman Willy Loman. “The Price,” by contrast, is set inside what looks at first glance to be a crowded antique shop but turns out to be the apartment once inhabited by the Franz family after the market crash changed everything.

The realism of “The Price” is as heavy as the old wooden furniture (stacked and sorted on Rich Rose’s eye-catching set) that the Franz brothers, Victor (Scott G. Jackson) and Walter (Jason Huber), are trying to profitably offload on a shrewd antique dealer named Gregory Solomon (Richard Fancy). “Salesman” is more limber in its dramaturgy, shifting locations and blurring chronologies. But it too depends on the ability of actors to embody the biographical weight of its finely detailed characters.

Arthur Miller’s 1968 play “The Price,” written during the Vietnam War, concerns the disposition of the remains of a once-illustrious estate.

(Ian Cardamone)

“The Price,” directed by Elina de Santos, thrives in the intimacy of Pacific Resident Theatre’s main stage. There’s not a moment in the play that isn’t deeply inhabited by a cast that understands the value of listening.

The drama builds toward a confrontation between Victor, a cop who dropped out of college to support his dad, and Walter, a wealthy doctor who made no such sacrifices and resents the guilt that he’s spent a lifetime trying to elude. Miller gives both characters some claim on the truth, making the twisting argument that breaks out between the brothers enthralling to follow.

But just as insightfully handled are the complicated emotional dynamics between Victor and his wife, Esther (Dana Dewes), who is frustrated by her husband’s resignation and blunted ambition but loyal to him and prepared to fight for his due. As for Solomon, the scene-stealing appraiser who dispenses old world wisdom while toting up an estimate for the furniture haul in between bites of a hard-boiled egg, is deliciously brought to life by Fancy, who has starred in both “All My Sons” and “Death of a Salesman” at PRT and enlivens this production with his veteran experience.

I saw “The Price” on Sunday after having been dismally disappointed at the Saturday night opening of “Death of a Salesman” at A Noise Within. That production, directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott, seems completely deracinated on a set by Frederica Nascimento that registers no Brooklyn ZIP Code or locatable address anywhere.

Deborah Strang, Ian Littleworth, David Nevell and Geoff Elliott in “Death of a Salesman” at A Noise Within.

(Craig Schwartz)

But the bigger problem is that the performances are ungrounded. Geoff Elliott, who shares the title of producing artistic director at A Noise Within with wife Rodriguez-Elliott, doesn’t so much play Willy Loman as try on various accents, none of them remotely convincing to this native Brooklynite. Are the Lomans meant to be Irish immigrants or is that a Boston dialect that is being affected when the cartoonish New Yorkese takes a breather?

The house needn’t be fleshed out to be made to seem real, but since it plays such an important role in the play, its presence onstage ought to at least be palpable to the characters. At one point near the play’s tragic climax, Willy is feverishly planting seeds in the backyard, but Elliott gives no credibility to any of his character’s actions. Willy might as well be delivering newspapers or mopping the kitchen floor, so disconnected are his gestures.

It’s true he’s not in his right mind, but it’s just another instance of the casual disregard of the character’s moment-to-moment reality. Willy’s world never comes into being onstage, and the rest of the cast seems to wander in the limbo that’s left behind.

“Death of a Salesman” is more limber in its dramaturgy, shifting locations and blurring chronologies.

(Craig Schwartz)

As Linda Loman, Deborah Strang, normally so reliable, tries to follow the lead of husband Willy, but that turns out to be a dead end. Ian Littleworth’s Happy, the dissolute son always looking for an easy way out, seems unsettled not only in his bearings but in his command of the script.

David Kepner’s Biff, the prodigal son who rediscovers the reasons he ran off in the first place, delivers the most centered performance. It’s at least possible to believe what his character is supposed to be feeling, but the placelessness of the production doesn’t give him enough to dig into. The emotional combustion of his climactic scenes with Willy fail to reach cathartic levels.

Still, I found myself listening attentively to the warning Miller was issuing about buying into the salesman ethos. Willy’s belief that good connections matter more than skill and that blarney and bluff can substitute for hard work explains a good deal about our current national disorder.

David Kepner, who delivers the most centered performance, and Ian Littleworth in “Death of a Salesman.”

(Craig Schwartz)

But Miller’s dramatic vision requires actors to relive the experiences of their characters, the way they do in De Santos’ production. “The Price” might not be an indisputable masterpiece like “Death of a Salesman,” but its solid construction reveals tremendous complexity when the human story is scrupulously observed and the societal forces shaping our lives are suddenly thrust into view.

The Israeli parliament’s approval of a legislation that seeks the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks has stoked fears among the Palestinians and drawn condemnation from the international community, dismayed at the further entrenching of what rights groups have long described as Israel’s “system of apartheid”.

The law, which does not apply to Jewish citizens of Israel, was met with jubilation among its backers in the country’s far right.

France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom have all raised concerns over what many describe as the overtly racist nature of the bill, whose nature and wording appear to exclusively target Palestinians.

“We are particularly worried about the de facto discriminatory character of the bill. The adoption of this bill would risk undermining Israel’s commitments with regards to democratic principles,” the foreign ministries wrote in a joint statement on Sunday.

Rights groups have also criticised the bill, with Amnesty International in February saying the legislation would make the death penalty “another discriminatory tool in Israel’s system of apartheid”.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday called the law discriminatory as it would primarily, if not exclusively, be applied to Palestinians.

“Israeli officials argue that the imposing the death penalty is about security, but in reality, it entrenches discrimination and a two-tiered system of justice, both hallmarks of apartheid,” Adam Coogle, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

“The death penalty is irreversible and cruel. Combined with its severe restrictions on appeals and its 90-day execution timeline, this bill aims to kill Palestinian detainees faster and with less scrutiny.”

Nevertheless, on its successful passage through parliament, amidst the celebrating lawmakers, the legislation’s principal champion, far- right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – who has previous convictions for far-right “terrorism” – was seen brandishing a champagne.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had attended the chamber to support the bill, could also be seen congratulating lawmakers on its passage.

So, how can Israel pass a law targeting one ethnic group and not others? Is that legal, and is this the first time Israel has passed legislation that deliberately discriminates against Palestinians?

Here’s what we know.

How does the law target Palestinians and not Israelis?

By limiting the bulk of the legislation to the military courts that only try Palestinians under occupation.

Under the new legislation, anyone found guilty of the killing of an Israeli citizen within the occupied West Bank will, by default, be sentenced to death by the military courts overseeing the occupied territory.

While the courts do not regularly publish statistics on convictions, in 2010, the court system did concede that, of the Palestinians tried for offences committed in the occupied West Bank, 99.74 percent were found guilty.

In contrast, Israeli settlers, who have killed seven Palestinians in just the weeks following the start of their country’s war on Iran in late February, are tried in civilian courts in Israel. According to an analysis by the UK’s Guardian newspaper in late March, Israel has yet to prosecute any of its citizens for killing Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the start of this decade.

Under the new legislation, Israel’s civilian courts are granted an extra degree of leniency in sentencing Israelis found guilty of killing Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with judges having the option to choose between the death penalty and life imprisonment.

Sentences for the military courts trying Palestinians, in contrast, carry an automatic death penalty, with life imprisonment only available under extreme circumstances.

According to a study by the Israeli rights group, Yesh Din, conviction rates for settlers found guilty by civilian courts of committing crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem) between 2005 and 2024 ran to about 3 percent. Some 93.8 percent of investigations into settler violence were closed at the end of an investigation with no indictment filed, the group noted.

Underpinning much of this is Israel’s 2018 Nation State law, which, in the eyes of many, codifies Israel’s apartheid system of government, defining Israel as the exclusive homeland of the Jewish people and prioritising Jewish settlement as a national value.

Critics argue that it downgrades the status of Palestinian citizens, who make up about 20 percent of the population, by omitting any guarantee of equality.

How is that even legal?

According to many, it isn’t.

Despite the best efforts of Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – who has administrative power over the occupied West Bank – to annex the Palestinian territory, it remains a foreign territory under military occupation.

According to Amichai Cohen, a senior fellow at the Center for Security and Democracy of The Israel Democracy Institute, international law does not permit Israel’s parliament to legislate for the West Bank, since the area is not legally part of Israel’s sovereign territory.

In September 2024, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly called for end to Israeli occupation of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem within a year. The UNGA resolution backed an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which called Israeli occupation “unlawful”.

Similarly, the Association of Civil Rights in Israel announced it had already taken the matter to Israel’s highest court only minutes after the bill was approved. The group argued that the measure was “discriminatory by design” and that lawmakers had no legal authority to impose it on Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank, who are not Israeli citizens.

Is this the first time Israel has been accused of using its legal system to target Palestinians?

Far from it.

Human rights groups – including HRW and Amnesty International – have long argued that the legal systems applying to Palestinians and to Israeli settlers in the West Bank are fundamentally unequal.

Palestinians live under military law, while settlers fall under Israeli civil law, creating two parallel systems in the same territory.

According to rights groups, this structure enables discriminatory detention practices, such as administrative detention (where people can be held indefinitely without charge), dramatically unequal protections under the law, and the selective enforcement of those laws, which have all underpinned widespread accusations of apartheid.

As of March 2026, approximately 9,500 Palestinians are detained in Israeli prisons under harsh conditions, with about half held under administrative detention or labelled “unlawful combatants”, denied trial and unable to defend themselves.

Legislation relating to the treatment of children in custody has led to concern among many international observers and rights groups. Palestinian minors can be interrogated without parental present and are often denied timely access to legal counsel in defiance of Israel’s own and international law, the HRW noted.

Another key area of international concern is the ongoing demolition of Palestinian homes built without permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. Unauthorised settler outposts, in contrast, are rarely troubled and increasingly retroactively legalised.