early

In a separate statement, Lissie Harper, PC Harper’s widow, said it was “disgusting” that his killers could be eligible for early release.

She said she was “beyond appalled and bristling with anger to hear that Andrew’s killers are soon to be free to roam the streets”.

Thames Valley Police Chief Constable Jason Hogg said the decision not to exclude them was “demoralising for all police officers”.

The Sentencing Act was amended in January, with the eligibility for early release based on the length of fixed sentence, rather than the type of offence.

The act already excluded some of the most serious and dangerous offenders, such as murderers serving life sentences or those on extended sentences.

But last month, Burnham paused the plans after backlash from survivors. The scheme will now restart in October.

Announcing the changes on Monday, he said: “I fully understand the anger, anxiety and distress that’s been caused. I’ve heard that loud and clear.”

Under the revised plans, rape and child sexual offences will now also be excluded from early release.

The government also announced an extra £10 million will go to front-line victim support services, including a new national helpline.

This move does not require changes to the existing legislation before October, the government said, though it may make amendments in the future to exclude certain offenders from being released.

Offenders of other crimes serving longer sentences of four years or more will be eligible for release halfway through their sentences rather than two-thirds as had previously been the case.

Those serving less serious sentences could be freed after a third of their time, rather than half.

The changes are due to be phased in, beginning with prisoners serving sentences of less than 575 days, going up to inmates jailed for 12 years or more being eligible for early release in June 2027.

The “presumption” will be that offenders are tagged and will face longer periods of supervision and tough new rules including “restriction zones”, Burnham said.

The number of individuals released each time will depend on the make-up of the prison population, which the government says will evolve between now and implementation.

The Dodgers were swept for just the second time this season after the red-hot Boston Red Sox hit four home runs, including three off embattled starter Emmet Sheehan, to take an 8-4 win on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.

Boston hit three home runs in four at-bats in the third inning, with Sheehan giving up blasts to Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida as the Dodgers suffered their second three-game sweep at home in less than a month.

“It was bad execution,” Sheehan said. “I just missed my spots.”

Boston got to Sheehan early with a pair of RBI singles from Yoshida and Caleb Durbin in the first inning.

The Dodgers (69-43) responded with three runs in the second as Eliézer Alfonzo collected an RBI with a groundout against Red Sox starter Jake Bennett. Andy Pages then drove in two more runs on a single to right. He also hit an RBI double in the seventh for the Dodgers’ final run.

Sheehan (4-8), who has a 6.39 ERA over his past seven starts, gave up six hits and five runs over just 2⅔ innings.

Reliever Wyatt Mills also struggled, giving up two runs over two innings.

Dodgers pitcher Emmet Sheehan walks off the field during the third inning against the Red Sox on Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

“I don’t know,” Sheehan said about his rough stretch. “If I knew, I would fix it, but I’m going to keep trying to fix it. … The only thing I can do is try to get better. There’s no other option.”

Added Dodgers manager Dave Roberts: “I just don’t think [Sheehan] was sharp today at all. … They took a lot of comfortable swings [and] aggressive swings. There were some strikeouts and some swing-miss. But the end of the day, it’s about limiting runs, and if you can’t keep the ball in the ballpark, then it’s hard to win.”

Bennett (7-4), settled in after his rough second inning and threw 5⅔ innings as Boston won for the 27th time in 32 games after outscoring the Dodgers 20-10 in the three-game series.

Jarren Duran, a Cypress native, added to Boston’s lead with a 420-foot solo homer to center field off reliever Kyle Hurt in the sixth. It was Duran’s first homer since July 5 against the Angels.

Boston (60-51) closed out the scoring in the eighth, with Durbin scoring on a wild pitch from Mills and Andruw Monasterio scoring on a ball that got past Alfonzo.

“I think that if you look at it, unemotionally, they outplayed us,” Roberts said about Boston’s sweep. “They were hungrier. You’ve got a lot of players over there that are under control. They’re fighting a higher seed in the postseason. They’re playing good baseball, and they outplayed us.

“It’s not an excuse. I don’t feel good about it, but that’s kind of what I saw.”

Skubal arrives

Newly acquired Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal greets center fielder Andy Pages in the eighth inning of an 8-4 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

Starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, acquired by the Dodgers in a trade with the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, was in the Dodgers’ dugout during the game, exchanging pleasantries with his new teammates and coaches.

The team also shared a video of Skubal settling in on social media.

“We got better,” said Dodgers closer Edwin Díaz. “That’s the only thing I can say. We got … one of the best pitchers in the league, and now we have him as a teammate. So that’s a really good plus for us.”

Injury updates

Miguel Rojas (ankle) was available off the bench despite exiting Saturday’s game after fouling a ball off his foot.

“I felt better today, able to put some weight on it,” Rojas said, adding that his X-rays were negative. “The good thing is no break. So, I’m fine. If Doc needs me and the situation presents itself … I need to be available every single day.”

Dalton Rushing was scratched with minor right arm irritation; Alfonzo started in his place.

“Dalton had some arm irritation when he was playing catch before the game, which is very uncommon,” Roberts said, adding that X-rays were negative. “I didn’t want to take a chance and kind of push him anymore, so that’s why I decided to scratch him.

“He got treated today, and my expectation is he’s going to be with us on the plane, and then kind of day to day.”

Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s David Zahniser, with an assist from Gavin J. Quinton, giving you the latest on city and county government.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Marissa Roy did big numbers in the June 2 primary election, coming in first place in the race for city attorney and knocking City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto out of the running entirely.

Roy secured 43% of the vote in round one. Now that she’s in a head-to-head contest against Deputy Dist. Atty. John McKinney, she’s well ahead in fundraising as well.

Campaign spending reports for the Nov. 3 runoff, filed over the last few days, show that Roy’s campaign collected nearly $74,000 during the fundraising period that ended June 30. By comparison, McKinney collected just $3,000, according to his own contribution report.

“I plan to be a City Attorney for the people, and I’m proud to have a campaign supported by the people. If your campaign isn’t, then I think it’s fair to ask who it is for,” Roy said in a statement.

The race is one of three downballot contests where the candidate who came in first on June 2 is also well ahead in the scramble for campaign contributions. Things were similarly lopsided in council races in South L.A. and the San Fernando Valley.

McKinney, who received nearly 29% of the vote in the primary, said his campaign will have plenty of resources to “educate voters that Marissa Roy is a bad fit for Los Angeles.”

“The recent financial disclosure reflects just one week of activity,” he said in a statement. “Since the June 30th [fundraising] deadline, we’ve raised more than $65,000 from more than 80 individual donors and have nearly 15 fundraising events scheduled.”

Several of the donors who gave to Roy occupy the left end of the political spectrum, such as Loraine Lundquist, who ran for City Council twice in the San Fernando Valley, losing both times to Councilmember John Lee. Roy also picked up a donation from airport commissioner Victor Narro, project director for the UCLA Labor Center.

Roy received $1,800 from attorney Carol Sobel, who has sued the city many times on behalf of various clients over policing and its treatment of the homeless population. Another $1,800 came from Genie Harrison, who is representing former fire chief Kristin Crowley in her lawsuit over her ouster.

McKinney, who works for Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman, is likely to have his own big-money support in the coming weeks. During the primary, an array of well-financed allies, including Airbnb, spent a combined $3.2 million on efforts to elect him.

In South L.A., Ugarte ramps up his fundraising

The fundraising was also lopsided in the race to replace City Councilmember Curren Price, a veteran lawmaker who is stepping down after 13 years in a district stretching from the Convention Center south to 95th Street.

Former Price aide Jose Ugarte collected about $35,000 for the runoff, much of it from other city workers, particularly council aides, records show.

Community organizer Estuardo Mazariegos took in about $5,400, pulling in donations from the progressive L.A. Forward Action Fund and from Lundquist, the former council candidate.

A number of elected officials have lined up behind Ugarte, who garnered 39% of the vote in the primary. He received $1,000 apiece from State Assemblymembers Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles), Mike Fong (D-Alhambra) and José Luis Solache (D-Lynwood), according to his filing. Ugarte also received $1,000 each from former Councilmember David Ryu and from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

Records show that Ugarte received $1,000 from the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union that represents rank-and-file police officers, but then returned the contribution. Ugarte does not accept donations from the police union, his campaign strategist said.

“I support Mayor Bass’s efforts to increase staffing, strengthen community policing, and improve transparency and accountability. I also want to see more officers on foot patrols and bike patrols in our neighborhoods,” Ugarte said in a statement. “Returning this contribution does not change or influence my views on these priorities.”

In the Valley, Gaspar pulls in a big haul

In the race to replace Councilmember Bob Blumenfield in the west San Fernando Valley, businessman Tim Gaspar is proving to be a fundraising powerhouse.

Gaspar reported more than $180,000 in donations to his runoff campaign through June 30, compared with about $31,000 for Barri Worth Girvan, an aide to County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, according to her filing.

“After finishing with the most votes in the primary, our campaign is grateful for the outpouring of support from business owners, neighbors, and friends across the West Valley,” Gaspar said in a statement.

Gaspar received 46% of the vote in the primary, compared with more than 42% for Worth Girvan.

In an interview, Worth Girvan said she’s not troubled by the fundraising gap. During the primary, backers of Gaspar spent about $1.4 million on independent expenditures supporting his election bid.

“We still came within 4 percentage points,” she said. “To me, it’s always been about the voters, so that’s what I’m focused on.”

Worth Girvan picked up donations from longtime Democrats, including Gonzlaez, the state Assembly member, former state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Ryu, the former City Council member. She told The Times her fundraising picked up significantly after the June 30 fundraising deadline, bringing her total haul to more than $100,000.

Gaspar picked up donations from several public safety unions, including $1,000 from the Police Protective League and $500 from a political action committee set up by the city’s port police. He received $1,000 from real estate developer Rick Caruso, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2022.

State of play

— WINDS OF CHANGE: For the first time since 1963, L.A.’s 9th Council District will not have a Black representative. The race to represent that South L.A. district features two Latino candidates who immigrated to the U.S. as children, both of them undocumented at the time. Ugarte, the former council aide, was born in Oaxaca and is Mazateco, an Indigenous group native to the Mexican state. Mazariegos, a community organizer, was born in Guatemala.

— DISAPPEARING ACT: Records dealing with the activities of the Los Angeles Police Department — emails, text messages, audio recordings — have vanished from a city website devoted to the release of public information. Although the removal of such records does not violate any laws, “it’s certainly not a best practice,” one expert said.

— PERMIT PROBLEMS: A representative of Lineage, whose massive cold storage facility burned down in Boyle Heights two months ago, filed a permit this week to rebuild the company’s 491,000-square-foot warehouse to its original pre-fire condition. Bass called the filing a “slap in the face” to families in Boyle Heights and ordered her department heads to put the application on hold until the site receives extensive study.

— SCHOOLS AND SAFETY: Meanwhile, with less than two weeks left before the start of school, families in Boyle Heights and East L.A. are worried about health and safety at eight campuses located within a mile of the Lineage site, which has been beset with the stench of rotting food, rats and swarms of flies.

— ZOO COUP: Feldstein Soto may have lost her bid for a second term, but she did rack up a key court victory in the city’s battle over money for the Los Angeles Zoo. The city has been trying to claw back about $50 million raised for the facility by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., the nonprofit that helped run it until recently. GLAZA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in June, citing “incessant litigation” from the city. This week, at the city’s request, a judge dismissed the bankruptcy filing.

— TAKING IT TO THE STREETS: L.A. is on track to repeal a city law prohibiting kids from playing baseball, basketball, soccer or other ball games out in the street. The law was passed in 1936 out of a fear that children would be struck by cars. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield says it’s time the ordinance was erased from the books.

— FIXING THEIR MISTAKE: L.A. County’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to send voters a charter amendment that would reverse the repeal of Measure J, which was approved six years ago and sets aside money for alternatives to incarceration. Measure J, through a series of errors, was supplanted in 2024 by Measure G, which will increase the number of supervisors. The new measure would restore Measure J to the county charter.

— SPEAKING OF ERRORS: Last week, we mentioned a proposal to reduce the number of required council meetings from three per week down to one, saying that the idea failed to make the ballot. That was wrong! The measure will in fact go before voters in the Nov. 3 election as part of Charter Amendment EE.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature program to bring homeless people indoors went to Skid Row, bringing 23 people inside, according to the mayor’s team. The area is represented by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado.
• On the docket next week: After a month off, the City Council resumes its business on Tuesday.

Stay in touch

That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@latimes.com. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.

RYANAIR boss has warned Brits not to be late for their flight as planes will takeoff without them.

The news comes after reports of hour-long delays at border control as a result of the introduction of the EU’s new Entry/Exit system (EES).

Talking on The Telegraph’s podcast, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said: “We will not wait for anybody.

“Our priority is to those passengers who are at the boarding gate when boarding starts. If you’re not at the boarding gate when we finish boarding, the plane is going without you.”

He further added that it is the responsibility of the traveller to leave enough time to get themselves through the airport on time.

It comes after reports of up to six-hour long queues at passport control and in some cases, passengers have missed flights as a result.

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At the beginning of June, 150 Ryanair passengers missed their flight from Toulouse to the UK due to the queues.

In another case, British passengers who were still in the airport queuing through passport control missed their Ryanair flight from Athens to London Luton.

One passenger told the BBC at the time that there had been a “mega queue” at Athens International Airport where hundreds of people were waiting at both security and passport control.

The plane took off without around 50 of its passengers.

However, Michael O’Leary said that planes cannot wait for anyone caught up in the chaos.

He added: “We’re not delaying our flights for people who are stuck in passport control queues.

“They have to show up at the airport earlier [and] be at the boarding gate, otherwise they’re not flying.”

Ryanair had previously called for EES to be delayed until September to save the summer holidays – but it has continued to go ahead.

With EES still in place, airlines are advising Brits to leave arrive three to four hours early for your flight to Europe this summer.

As Brits set out to fly abroad this summer, they may need to know when is best to arrive at the airport – some may have been going too early or even way late this whole time

When to arrive at the airport? It’s a question as old as time itself.

As airports are set to experience heavy amounts of visitors during the school holidays and summer months, travellers are keen to prepare more than ever for any potential delays or ways to make their journey as smooth as possible.

Whichever airline you’re flying with this year, you may find that what they expect of their passengers is very different. The exact arrival time, bag drop-off times and gate closures can vary from airline to airline, so it’s best to check ahead of time.

It’s always wise to give yourself enough time to allow for security checks and face any check-in or passport queues. Often, bigger airports can have bigger queues, and so this is worth bearing in mind ahead of your flying schedules.

TUI

According to TUI, passengers should arrive at the airport at least 2.5 hours before departure for short and mid-haul flights. For long-haul flights, give yourself more time and arrive within 3.5 hours before.

Passengers have the chance to review their specific itinerary when they press ‘Manage My Booking’ on the TUI website, confirming the ideal departure terminal and times.

Easyjet

For easyJet flights, it is suggested that you turn up at the airport at a minimum of two hours before your flight is due to take off. This aligns with the airlines’ bag drop-off desks, which typically open two hours before the flight and close around 40 mins to an hour prior to departure.

As for boarding times, boarding typically starts 40 minutes before departure and closes strictly 30 minutes before the scheduled time.

Ryanair

Ryanair’s Help Centre offers information on specific terminal time recommendations, but overall, the airline operates on a strict two-hour arrival time recommendation. This aligns with the time that the bag drop-off and check-in desks open for passengers, two hours prior to departure time.

Although many Reddit notes advise that passengers should allow longer when flying out of busier airports such as London Stansted or during the peak holiday months.

The boarding gate must be reached at least 30 minutes before the flight leaves, as gates typically close 20 minutes beforehand, and therefore, two hours should allow for enough time for this.

Jet2

Jet2 recommends, according to their website, arriving at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled departure time. The airline’s check-in desks close 40 minutes before this time.

It’s worth noting that if you’re flying with Jet2 and are travelling with hand luggage only, as long as you already have a boarding pass, you can arrive as late as 90 to 120 minutes before your flight’s departure.

The budget airline has confirmed it’ll be cutting the number of aircraft from one of its city bases by five, and its schedule will have two million fewer seats to a popular city break destination as of winter 2026

Ryanair has slashed the number of seats from its schedule for a city break destination that’s famous for its Christmas market and historic sites, as well as being a major business hub.

The decision was made in response to the country’s decision to raise aviation taxes, with Ryanair releasing a strongly-worded statement to announce they would be cutting two million seats from two of the capital’s airports.

The Federal Government of Belgium announced plans to raise the country’s aviation tax from €5 (about £4.20) to €7 (about £6) as of January 2027. This was erroneously described by Ryanair in a statement as a “250% increase since 2025.”

As a result, the budget carrier plans to cut five aircraft from its base at Brussels South Charleroi Airport, and reduce capacity by two million seats overall from Belgium’s Charleroi and Zaventem airports. The reductions will be applied to the winter 2026 and summer 2027 schedule.

Brussels is not the first destination to see a cut in the number of Ryanair seats this year. Earlier this year it announced reductions in services to Spain and Portugal, with smaller regional airports the most affected.

Valladolid and Jerez saw cuts to their services, while scrapped routes included Asturias and Vigo. A service to Tenerife North was also scrapped as a result of a dispute over airport fee hikes, leaving the airport with no alternative direct UK routes. Ryanair also closed its two aircraft base at Santiago de Compostela which reduced capacity.

As a result over one million seats were taken from the winter 2025 routes, and 1.2 million cut from the summer 2026 schedule. Another cut was to a Portugal service, with Ryanair cutting six routes to and from the Azores, an emerging tourist destination. It was estimated the cuts affected around 400,000 passengers.

At the time, Ryanair blamed this cutback on growing airport charges set by Portuguese authorities and environmental taxes linked to the EU Emissions Trading System. John Paul II Ponta Delgada Airport, the islands’ main airport, now only has a single seasonal UK route from London Heathrow operated by British Airways.

Speaking about the cuts in Belgium, Ryanair CEO, Eddie Wilson, said in a statement: “It’s absurd that the Federal Govt have decided to increase Belgium’s aviation tax by 250% from Jan ’27, especially when competing EU countries, like Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia, regional Italy, and Albania are abolishing aviation taxes to grow traffic, tourism and jobs.

“We warned Prime Minister De Wever that increasing Belgium’s aviation tax would result in traffic cuts, but he failed to listen. As a result, Ryanair will now remove 5 aircraft from our Charleroi base and 2m seats from our Brussels schedules (Charleroi and Zaventem) for Winter ’26/Summer ’27 and relocate to more competitive economies.”

Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com

Andy Burnham has said he will review an early prisoner release policy, due to come into force this autumn, following anger that two killers of PC Andrew Harper could be freed early.

From September, thousands of offenders in England and Wales will be eligible to be released earlier under the Sentencing Act. Tens of thousands of inmates have been let out of prison to create more space in jails since 2024.

Burnham said: “I can’t say that I can change the policy completely, but I will look at it in detail before we go further forward.”

He acknowledged that there was “pressure on prisons places” and that a failure to invest in the prison system in the past had created “an unacceptable situation”.

His comments come after the mother of police officer Andrew Harper said the potential early release of two of her son’s killers felt like an “insult”.

Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers were sentenced to 13 years in custody for manslaughter but could be released early under the new Sentencing Act.

Henry Long was jailed for 16 years for PC Harper’s manslaughter but would not be eligible.

The overcrowding of the prison estate has been a problem for several years and successive governments have released prisoners early in a bid to free up space.

The Sentencing Act, which was passed by Sir Keir Starmer’s government earlier this year, was designed to ease pressure on prisons, and will see some offenders spend less time in prison before release.

Burnham said: “I want to assure myself that everything has been looked at before this policy proceeds, and I can give that assurance that every single part of this I will look into with the justice secretary.”

Concerning the case of PC Harper, he said: “I feel for the family it’s an appalling crime that was committed.”

He said the “main perpetrator” of his death would not be eligible for early release.

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland had early-stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy when he died by suicide at age 24 in November, according to test results released by his family Tuesday through the Concussion & CTE Foundation.

“While this diagnosis does not change the tragedy of his passing, it provides important context about some of the struggles he may have been facing,” Kneeland’s family, including girlfriend Catalina Mancera, said in a statement.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in people who experience repetitive head trauma and can be diagnosed only after death.

“We share this information to help people understand what NFL and other high contact sport athletes might be struggling with,” the family said. “Raising awareness is important to us. We continue to remember Marshawn with compassion for the person he was, rather than defining him by the final moments of his life. One Love.”

Frisco, Texas, police said Kneeland didn’t stop when state Department of Public Safety troopers tried to pull him over on Nov. 5 for a traffic violation. The 2024 second-round draft pick was pursued by authorities in his vehicle and then on foot before being found “deceased with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Frisco police said in a statement at the time.

Police-dispatch audio from the incident revealed that Kneeland had sent out a group text to say goodbye to his family.

Researchers at the Boston University CTE Center analyzed Kneeland’s brain tissue and determined that the athlete, who started playing tackle football at age 7, was in stage one of four of CTE.

“Unfortunately, I was not surprised to find CTE in the brain of Mr. Kneeland, because we have found this progressive brain disease in nearly half of the athletes we’ve studied who have died before the age of 30,” Dr. Ann McKee, the center’s director, said in a statement.

“Thanks to the generosity of our brain donor families, we now better understand the earliest stages of CTE, and it is bringing us closer than ever to diagnosing it during life. My team and I are fully dedicated to finding effective treatments and a cure for CTE.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Travellers can save money on the popular onboard drink if they place their order at the right time

Jet2 says passengers can save money onboard of they order their drinks early. Customers often love to make the most of the onboard refreshments when they’re jetting off on holiday.

The airline enables passengers to pre-order their in-flight meals, which typically include a hot dish, snacks, and a drink (Costa Coffee, Yorkshire Tea, hot chocolate or water). For those who enjoy a celebratory tipple, Jet2 also serves a selection of alcoholic drinks. According to the website, customers who order ahead could save money on one of the most popular alcoholic drinks.

Jet2 said: “To make your holiday extra special, you can pre-order champagne to enjoy on board. Plus, when you pre-order, you’ll save £5 on the onboard price!” Many passengers bring their own food and drink on board to save money, packing snacks such as sandwiches, salads, wraps, and pasta dishes.

However, there are some restrictions that people should be aware of. For instance, customers can’t bring hot food or drink onto planes for safety reasons, and they cannot bring their own alcohol onboard to drink during the flight. This means passengers cannot drink any duty-free alcohol onboard their flight.

Jet2’s website explains: “No, you can’t bring your own alcohol onboard to drink while on the plane. Only alcoholic drinks bought onboard can be consumed during your flight. And we reserve the right to serve alcoholic drinks at our absolute discretion.”

The airline’s current menu includes spirits, cocktails, wines, and beers, including Grey Goose Vodka, Aperol Spritz, and Heineken. There’s also a range of soft drinks, including Harrogate Spring Water and Robinsons Fruit Shoot.

Remember to drink responsibly (18+) and be Drinkaware. For advice and support on alcohol, visit the Drinkaware website here. Drinkaware warns that the risk of developing a range of health problems, including cancers of the mouth, throat and breast, increases the more you drink regularly.

To keep health risks from alcohol low, you should drink no more than 14 units a week, ensure you have several drink-free days, and avoid binge drinking. The NHS website offers information about alcohol support.

Passengers should be aware that being drunk on a plane is a criminal offence.

Gov.uk explains: “It is an offence under the Air Navigation Order to be drunk on an aircraft and airlines have the authority to prevent passengers they believe are intoxicated from boarding aircraft.”

SEATTLE — Cole Young hit two home runs to back eight strong innings from George Kirby as the Seattle Mariners came from behind to beat the Angels 6-2 on Monday night.

Dominic Canzone also went deep to help Seattle (43-43) get back to .500 and stay a half-game behind the first-place Texas Rangers in the American League West.

Zach Neto doubled to center field leading off the game against Kirby (7-7), and Denzer Guzman singled two pitches later for a 1-0 lead. Neto hit his 18th home run in the third — a two-out shot that made it 2-0.

Kirby gave up a one-out double to Josh Lowe in the fifth but struck out the side — including Neto — to end the inning. The right-hander used 16 pitches to get six straight outs from there until Lowe doubled leading off the eighth.

Kirby issued his only walk, to Neto, with one out before striking out Guzman looking and Nolan Schanuel swinging on his 100th pitch.

Kirby gave up seven hits and fanned seven before José A. Ferrer pitched a scoreless ninth.

Young led off the third against Angels rookie Ryan Johnson (1-3) with his eighth homer to cut it to 2-1. Josh Naylor walked and stole second in front of Young’s two-out shot in the sixth off Mitch Farris to make it 6-2.

Randy Arozarena was hit by a two-out pitch in the fourth before advancing on a two-base fielding error by Guzman at third base on a grounder from Naylor. Both runners scored on Cal Raleigh’s bloop single for a 3-2 lead.

Canzone hit his 13th homer to make it 4-2 in the sixth, a leadoff shot against Farris.

Johnson gave up three runs (one earned) in five innings. Farris was tagged for three runs in three innings.

SAN DIEGO — The home run that Roki Sasaki gave up to San Diego’s Ty France was more dramatic than the two walks he issued to open the inning. But it was the free passes that really hurt him.

In the Dodgers’ 7-1 loss to the Padres on Friday, Sasaki was out of the game before he could record an out in the fifth inning. He gave up only three hits but issued five walks, tying his season high, and hit a batter.

“I actually felt different than I ever felt before, mechanically,” Sasaki said through interpreter Kensuke Okubo, noting that his lower body felt a little off. “So I need to go over it and see what was really happening.”

Sasaki successfully pitched around traffic for much of his outing, other than the three-run homer to France in the second inning. But the inefficiency sent his pitch count past 80 before he exited with runners on first and second in the fifth.

“I’m not going to have it every time out, so that’s something I have to improve,” Sasaki said. “And also the game plan. I was able to execute some of the pitches, but some of the pitches I couldn’t, so that’s something I have to go through before next start.”

Earlier this month, when Sasaki held the Angels scoreless through seven two-hit innings, it seemed as if he’d had a breakthrough. But in three starts since, including a seven-run dud against the Chicago White Sox two weeks ago, he has yet to pitch through the sixth inning.

“I am a little surprised, because there was such good momentum going on,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Hopefully we can get him back to throwing the way he did in May.”

The Padres’ Walker Buehler walks off after holding his old team to one run for 5-1/3 innings Friday at Petco Park.

(Derrick Tuskan / Ap Photo/derrick Tuskan)

Sasaki’s command issues Friday showed up almost immediately. After striking out Padres leadoff hitter Fernando Tatis Jr., Sasaki walked Samad Taylor on 10 pitches. But Sasaki bounced back by inducing a double play.

The next inning, there would be no such escape. Sasaki walked both Manny Machado, whom he also battled for 10 pitches, and Gavin Sheets to open the frame. Then Xander Bogaerts’ sharp line drive to center field found leather.

France’s long fly ball to left field, however, found the seats.

Sasaki’s only clean inning, the third, was made possible by catcher Dalton Rushing’s successful challenge of a called ball four against Tatís, flipping a walk into a strikeout.

“I know that there’s confidence in there,” Roberts said. “But when you feel good and you don’t feel good mechanically and can’t execute pitches, then the results are walks, and 1-2 [count] homers, and things like that. But I do think that we can kind of tackle the mechanical things that he’s probably looking for right now.”

The Padres piled on in the eighth inning against reliever Jonathan Hernandez, as the sold-out crowd chanted “Beat L.A.!”

Mookie Betts hit a home run off former teammate Walker Buehler for his second homer in as many games. Betts seems to have come out of his offensive funk, entering Friday with a 1.061 on-base-plus-slugging percentage over the previous 11 games.

Buehler earned the win, delivering five strikeouts in 5⅓ innings.

“[Buehler] is reinventing himself,” Roberts said. “He’s throwing the kitchen sink at you. Cutter, slider, changeup, two-seamers. He doesn’t just try to bully you, and he’s finding ways to just get guys out. So yeah, he’s gonna still go up there and compete.”

The Dodgers went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position and squandered a bases-loaded opportunity with one out in the sixth inning after chasing Buehler. Max Muncy popped out and Kyle Tucker, back in the lineup after exiting Monday’s game because of back spasms, flied out.

The Dodgers have built such a big lead in the division that the loss barely made a dent. The Padres, in second place, trail by eight games.

June 26 (Asia Today) — South Korean banks are restricting mortgages and personal loans months earlier than usual as rapid household debt growth threatens to exhaust their annual lending quotas.

The country’s five largest commercial banks – KB Kookmin, Shinhan, Hana, Woori and NH NongHyup – recorded household loan growth through May that exceeded targets agreed upon with financial regulators, according to banking industry data released Friday.

Their combined household loan balance increased from 767.296 trillion won ($496.4 billion) at the end of April to 770.823 trillion won ($498.7 billion) at the end of May.

The one-month increase was 3.527 trillion won ($2.3 billion).

Mortgage growth slowed, but personal credit borrowing rose rapidly as a strengthening stock market encouraged more investors to borrow money to buy shares.

Outstanding personal credit loans at the five banks increased by 2.174 trillion won ($1.4 billion), from 104.341 trillion won ($67.5 billion) in April to 106.515 trillion won ($68.9 billion) in May.

Banks have responded by reducing loan limits, restricting online applications and suspending products that allow borrowers to receive larger mortgages.

Hana Bank will suspend enrollment Wednesday in mortgage insurance and guarantee programs that allow banks to lend without deducting an amount reserved to protect tenants’ small security deposits.

Without the programs, the maximum mortgage available for an apartment may fall by about 55 million won ($35,600) in Seoul and 48 million won ($31,100) in Gyeonggi Province.

KB Kookmin Bank suspended the programs Friday, while NH NongHyup Bank had already stopped offering them.

Industrial Bank of Korea also stopped accepting some individual loan applications submitted through outside loan consultants.

Banks have also reduced unsecured credit limits.

Hana Bank and Woori Bank lowered their personal credit loan limits to 100 million won ($64,700).

Shinhan Bank is reducing the limits on revolving credit lines by as much as 20% when customers renew them.

Online lenders KakaoBank, Kbank and Toss Bank have also reduced limits on personal loans and revolving credit accounts and restricted some new lending.

Banking officials said the restrictions began unusually early this year.

Banks ordinarily introduce stronger lending controls around October or November as they approach their annual household loan limits.

This year, however, regulators set substantially lower growth targets and banks are attempting to prevent a rush of applications late in the year.

One banking official said loan applications and inquiries increased after the government signaled that it would continue tightening household debt controls.

Some borrowers are seeking loans earlier because they fear financing will become more difficult later in the year, the official said.

Annual lending restrictions are not new in South Korea.

Banks sometimes receive permission to issue additional loans if their annual limits are exhausted earlier than expected. In other cases, borrowers must delay loans until the following year.

Lee Eun-hyung, a researcher at the Korea Research Institute for Construction Policy, said banks have repeatedly adjusted lending levels to comply with annual debt-management targets.

“Whether additional lending capacity is provided at the end of the year depends on the government’s policy direction and market conditions at that time,” Lee said.

Banking officials said additional lending allocations appear unlikely this year because the government remains focused on controlling household debt and stabilizing the real estate market.

Easing restrictions while housing prices remain elevated could further stimulate demand, they said.

The possibility that banks could exhaust their quotas early has prompted some prospective borrowers to accelerate home purchases or seek loan approval before further restrictions are introduced.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260626010009438

LIONEL Richie has been reportedly taken to hospital after he took a funny turn on stage and was forced to end the concert.

The 77-year-old was performing at the Grand Casino Arena in Minnesota when his ill spell happened and had to take a moment to sit down.

TMZ reports that the star halted his gig and was attended to paramedics backstage where he was subsequently sent packing to hospital.

Sources told the publication that the hospital trip was part of a precautionary measure.

The Sun has contacted representatives for Richie for comment.

In a video from the gig shared online, the music icon is seen attempting to finish performing his hit Dancing On The Ceiling while sat on the steps leading up to the live band.

GARBAGE!

American Idol fans livid after Katy, Lionel and Luke eliminate ‘Garbage Man’ Doug

FRENCH FANCY

Samir Nasri snapped out and about again with Lionel Ritchie’s teenage daughter Sofia in Hollywood

While he got back to his feet to carry on, he was forced to sit down again amid a second dizzy spell.

He is seen in the footage catching his breath, perched on the edge of the stage, while trying to continue with the song.

As explained in the post shared to X, Lionel managed to perform one more song, sat at the piano.

After departing the stage, Lionel’s saxophonist Dino Soldo told the crowd that the hitmaker wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be returning to the stage, ending the show.

Lionel was appearing with Earth, Wind & Fire as part of their joint tour hitting 26 venues across the States.

The Easy musician is next expected to appear for a gig in Chicago on Friday night.

The MQ-9 Reaper and its associated Predator-B family of drones are in an interesting spot these days. On one hand, they are receiving new, highly relevant capabilities and missions at an accelerating pace. They also just proved to be an absolutely star asset for hunting and killing key targets, such as missile launchers and air defenses, deep inside Iran. On the other hand, their vulnerability to air defenses, not even modern ones, is glaring, with major losses in Iran and Yemen. Yet the USAF’s chronic lack of commitment to replace the MQ-9 has left it with dwindling stocks and nothing better to do the job.

Within this jumbled and often misunderstood narrative, one new capability stands out from the rest that would give the MQ-9 extreme value today and for years to come. This is turning the MQ-9 into a radar-toting airborne early warning (AEW) platform for detecting and tracking aircraft, drones, and missiles. A Reaper in this exact configuration just flew for the first time recently.

The MQ-9 sortie in question was the product of a partnership between General Atomics and Saab, with Saab, already a leader in AEW systems, providing the podded radar system named LoyalEye. This initial test flight took place on May 19th, and a full demonstration of the pairing’s capabilities is planned for next year.

GA-ASI President David R. Alexander stated the following about the MQ-9 AEW capability:

“AEW for MQ-9B will offer critical aloft sensing to defend against tactical air munitions, guided missiles, drones, fighter and bomber aircraft, and other threats. Operational availability for a medium-altitude, long-endurance UAS is the highest of any military aircraft, and as an unmanned platform, its aircrews are not put into harm’s way.”

For many years now, I have discussed how the most glaring new mission set for a medium altitude, long-endurance drone is AEW. The idea is relatively simple in concept. Take a cost-effective drone that can fly at medium altitudes for long periods and bolt on some radar pods capable of air moving-target indicator (AMTI) functionality. Then configure the datalinks (both line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight) aboard the aircraft to send the information the pods collect back to controllers, who also remotely operate the drone and the pods from the ground. Such an unmanned aircraft could fly its missions at relatively low cost, and operate in a distributed manner, near where its surveillance capabilities are needed most. Above all else, it would be able to persist for very long periods of time — think of loitering over its launch location for the better part of a day or more — providing persistent long-range look-down radar surveillance, which has never been more important than it is today.

One-way attack munitions, also known as long-range kamikaze drones, are a massive threat to confront on many levels. These unmanned aerial systems blur the definition between cruise missiles and drones. In this case, cruise missiles are also part of the same problem set. While the question of how to shoot down relatively cheap one-way attack drones cost-effectively gets a lot of attention, just spotting them in order to engage them at all, especially at a distance, is also a challenge. Their small signatures and low-altitude flight profiles, as well as their slow speed, can make it so ground-based sensors don’t detect them until it’s almost too late, and aging airborne sensors also have limitations in doing so.

The moment of one of Russian strikes with Shahed/Geran-type long-range OWA-UAVs in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Tuesday.

According to Ukrainian emergency services, at least 12 people have been wounded as a result of today’s attack. https://t.co/3lnQazYpWl pic.twitter.com/N7PdwrsK0I

— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) September 30, 2025

This is where an advanced look-down airborne radar is critical. It can spot these objects from above at long distances and separate them from the ground clutter. The problem is that airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) manned platforms are hugely expensive, resource intensive, and are the very definition of high-value, low-density assets. Many of them can only operate from longer runways, meaning they can only be based far away from where the threats are. Even then, they are top targets, as we saw earlier this year in Saudi Arabia, and their airfields are prime targets too, which can leave them trapped or destroyed on the ground.

The USAF has a dwindling number of geriatric E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, which, despite upgrades, are not the best at spotting low-flying drones. The USAF is now moving begrudgingly forward with stalled E-7 procurement, but these aircraft are also very complex, expensive, and labor-intensive platforms that need long runways to operate from. The Navy has the E-2D Hawkeye, which is more modern and capable in some regards, and less in others, but is also not available in vast numbers as they have other critical taskings, especially to support carrier air wings. These aircraft are better suited to operate from remote forward airfields, and having a smaller logistical and crew footprint, but still require far more support than an MQ-9. Overall, these crewed aircraft are also increasingly vulnerable to long-range air defenses, and, while their sensor range is generous, it is still limited, making their utility questionable in a peer state conflict.

For higher-end missions, where command and control is a major part of what AEW&C platforms will be called upon to do, directing air wars and coordinating defenses, while also supplying networking support, a pod-equipped MQ-9 cannot replace an E-7 or E-2. For providing critical surveillance, especially in areas where there are gaps in crewed AEW&C coverage, or in places that just don’t require that level of support, the AEW-capable MQ-9 is a very attractive solution. Even pushing these uncrewed sensor nodes forward, into higher-threat areas, under certain circumstances, to provide high-fidelity radar coverage where no crewed platform would ever be risked, is a real use case. An MQ-9 is far more expendable than a manned AEW&C asset from human life, cost, and recovery operation requirements (combat search and rescue) perspectives.

The truth of the matter is that even if the E-7 replaces all 15 remaining E-3s, and even if the Navy adds E-2 Hawkeyes, in a future distributed conflict, there is no way these aircraft can give all the coverage needed, persistently, day and night, while providing surveillance for all threatened locales. Not even close. This is especially true as relatively cheap one-way attack drones, such as the Shahed-136, can travel over a thousand miles, drastically expanding potential threat areas at a very low cost to the enemy.

This is where the podded MQ-9 can shine, with a detachment of a few of these aircraft providing persistent coverage (“orbits”) over key areas 24/7 while retaining a small logistical footprint. This would also directly support the USAF’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) combat doctrine, where small groups of tactical aircraft will move quickly from one forward location to another in hopes of staying ahead of an enemy’s targeting cycle. While that may be the goal, these traveling road-shows of airpower will still need persistent look-down coverage, especially if they are positioned deeply within the enemy’s striking range. AEW&C aircraft will not be able to provide this coverage persistently (if at all). AEW MQ-9s could, and they could drastically increase the situational awareness, range, and overall effectiveness of other key defensive capabilities, such as surface-to-air missile systems and fighter aircraft, with the targeting data they provide.

General Atomics is also turning the MQ-9 family into drone killers themselves with the addition of laser-guided rockets. This could result in ‘hunter-killer’ teaming, where the AEW MQ-9 spots the threat and the laser-guided rocket-equipped MQ-9 intercepts and destroys it. Just the AEW MQ-9 on its own can also use its powerful MTS electro-optical sensor turret to visually identify potential enemy aircraft once they get close enough, allowing for a non-cooperative friend or foe identification capability.

Mojave STOL: Real. Rugged. Ready Today.

You can even look to the recent fighting in the Middle East, which saw Iran barrage allied bases on the Arabian Peninsula with one-way attack munitions and low-end cruise missiles. Reapers with LoyalEye pods could have provided persistent look-down radar coverage over threatened areas, especially as the USAF’s dwindling and rickety AEW&C fleet was overtasked. They could have also created a radar picket line across the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and eastern Iraq, providing high-fidelity look-down radar coverage and a true early warning screen for Iranian weapons heading towards their target areas, all without putting a crew at risk.

Now, it’s worth noting that the USAF envisions a future where AEW and general AMTI sensing is largely migrated to an orbital layer of satellites, and they are actively working to realize this capability, which would be absolutely revolutionary if fully realized. Yet, as of now, it’s still an if, and it will take years to fully come to fruition. Even then, relying on a space layer alone for this absolutely critical capability would be a huge vulnerability. Backing it up with a lower-end, flexible airborne solution will likely remain critical for a long time to come. AEW MQ-9s can help efficiently fill out a high-low AEW/airborne moving target indicator mix. This is especially true as the platform itself, the MQ-9, can be reconfigured for a huge range of other missions when AEW capabilities are not in high demand, so the USAF isn’t left with a single mission asset.

The AEW MQ-9s can also provide their capabilities here at home. America is dealing with a tough future when it comes to defending the homeland, and providing look-down radar capabilities is a major part of adapting to this reality. Outside of tethered aerostats, which have not proven to be a large-scale workable solution yet, AEW MQ-9s would provide flexible, efficient and persistent capabilities in areas where it may be needed, especially in times of heightened defense, like major public events and during a crisis.

The AEW MQ-9s can also provide their services during large force employment training exercises, including going some way to emulate more capable crewed AEW&C platforms, at least with target track generation, when those manned AEW&C assets are not available. They could also be very valuable in an opposition forces ‘red air’ role, which has historically been sorely lacking in AEW, especially as AEW capabilities proliferate around the globe, particularly with America’s primary pacing threat, China.

The naval side of this is a big deal too. The fact that General Atomics is modifying the MQ-9 family to operate from large deck amphibious assault ships and carriers presents another huge opportunity. It could provide LHA/LHDs with a truly organic fixed-wing AEW asset for the first time — one that doesn’t require large flight crews and that can loiter above the amphibious strike group for very long periods of time. This is becoming more important as enemy missile and drone technology evolves. Having to rely on surface combatants and a small contingent of fighter aircraft, if any at all, for air defense is limiting and can impart extra risk at inopportune times, especially in littoral environments. During a major conflict, these ships could operate too far out to sea to make land-based AEW support plausible and those assets will be over-tasked as it is. AEW MQ-9 seems like a relatively glaring off-the-shelf solution to this problem. It’s also worth noting that the USMC already operates the MQ-9 and integrating it into the shipboard Air Combat Element (ACE) of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force should be relatively straightforward.

Introducing MQ-9B STOL

AEW configured examples could also be extremely useful for the Marines’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concept, which mirrors elements of the USAF’s ACE doctrine, but goes beyond just the aerial fight. Marines deployed forward in the enemy’s ring of fire under EABO will need look down protection more than pretty much anyone else, which the AEW MQ-9 could provide at low risk. The MQ-9 family is already capable of short field operations and that is only being enhanced with new STOL (short-takeoff-and-landing) members of the MQ-9 family, meaning they can fly from small, austere airstrips and could maintain sortie rates even if those airstrips receive partial damage.

For supercarriers, the AEW MQ-9 could augment the E-2D, providing constant look down radar coverage for the entire carrier strike group when E-2s are not up. This would deeply benefit the CSG’s entire air warfare mission, providing critical sensor data to Aegis warships, fighters, and the carrier. They could also augment E-2D coverage during high-threat periods of vulnerability, including putting additional sensor coverage farther away from the CSG over high-risk vectors of attack. We discussed in detail how an AEW capable version of the Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray could also serve in this general capacity.

All of this is from a very American point of view, but the AEW MQ-9 concept may be most attractive to foreign air arms that currently have no dedicated AEW capabilities at all, or are looking to augment the limited capacity they do have. Fielding a traditional AEW&C force is very expensive, even for a small cadre of crewed platforms, limiting the realistic application of such a force even if the country can afford it to begin with. AEW MQ-9 could help ‘democratize’ AEW and allow many allies to field such a capability, which a coalition force during multi-national operations could also benefit from, including the U.S. In this way, AEW MQ-9 could be a huge win not just for countries in need of this kind of capability at a lower price point, but also for the U.S., as this kind of sensor information will become far more widespread, putting less pressure on its own organic AEW force. This could be leveraged both in peacetime for surveillance and monitoring, but especially in a crisis.

Just look at what’s happening with the drone threat to Europe for instance. MQ-9s with the radar pods could provide sustainable airborne surveillance for NATO countries. Think of the AEW MQ-9 as the F-5 Freedom Fighter of AEW capabilities. And once again, these allies would be able to use the MQ-9s in many different ways when not configured for the AEW mission, including peacetime monitoring and patrols not related to airborne moving target tracking.

As it sits now, Japan has already expressed interest in the AEW MQ-9 and many other nations are sure to follow.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the idea of AEW functionality on an uncrewed platform isn’t exactly new. It has been experimented with before and China is thought to have added some of this functionality to its far more advanced high-altitude, long-endurance drones. But providing a robust, off-the-shelf solution for the more accessible and flexible medium-altitude, long-endurance drone class, and especially the most proven of all types in this class on the planet, the MQ-9 family, makes glaring sense for an extremely wide set of potential users, including the United States.

Contact the author: Tyler@twz.com

Argentina’s Lionel Messi isn’t the only one scoring in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Fox and Telemundo are off to a blazing start in the TV ratings for the quadrennial soccer tournament, delivering big increases over the 2022 World Cup held in Qatar.

Through the first 16 group stage matches, an average of 6 million viewers have watched on Fox and cable network FS1 cable network, a 128% increase over the 2022 FIFA World Cup according to Nielsen data.

The first 12 group stage matches of the tournament drew an average of 7.5 million viewers on the Comcast-owned Spanish language network Telemundo, a 234% increase from four years ago. The Telemundo telecasts are also streamed on Peacock.

The U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team’s opening match against Paraguay held Friday at SoFi Stadium set a record for the most-watched World Cup game on both and English and Spanish language television. The match scored 18 million viewers on Fox and its streaming platforms, while Telemundo’s telecast averaged 9.5 million.

The early ratings show the enduring power of live sporting events and their ability to draw mass audiences at a time when streaming video has splintered viewership . Scripted hit prime time TV shows need seven days or more of viewing on demand to reach the audience levels the World Cup is attracting in real time.

“Having this World Cup in North America clearly has a huge impact on ratings,” said Patrick Rishe, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis.

World Cup matches held in the U.S. for the first time since 1994 helps — and a competitive USNMT playing in front of home crowds could turbocharge the ratings to even bigger heights. Fox is expecting another record when the team plays its third group stage match in prime time on June 25.

Some sports media pundits have been citing the addition of out-of-home viewing and internet-connected televisions to Nielsen data as the reason sports ratings have been on the rise. But Mike Mulvihill, president of insights and analytics for Fox Sports, asserts that the viewers have been there all along.

“For many years, the numbers were under-counted and what we’re seeing now is a truer representation of the sports audience,” Mulvihill said in a recent interview. “You just cannot overstate what it means to us to be able to capture all that viewing that’s happening at fan fests, in bars and at smaller watch parties.”

Out-of-home viewing boosted the audience levels for Mexico’s inaugural World Cup match on June 11 by 50%, and contributed several million viewers to the total for the USMNT opener.

Mulvihill projects that by the end of the tournament, 150 million people will have watched some portion of Fox’s 2026 FIFA World Cup coverage. The figure approaches the 170 million people Fox reaches with a slate of regular season NFL games.

“For us, it’s like having two NFL seasons in a single year,” Mulvihill said.

Fox will be able to capitalize on the strong numbers for the early matches. Networks typically hold back some commercial inventory for big events in case audience levels fall short of what advertisers are guaranteed. Fox has surpassed those expectations and can now go back into the marketplace to sell available commercials for the later rounds, most likely for more than what was paid before the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup may also be benefiting from a viewing public that wants a distraction from the ongoing political discord in the U.S. and war in the Middle East.

“Sports still remains the one thing we can all kind of talk about and disagree about without it being divisive,” said Lisa Delpy Neirotti, director of the sports management program at the George Washington University School of Business.

Delphy Neirotti believes the World Cup has some momentum from the NBA Finals, which averaged 20.6 million viewers on ABC for the New York Knicks’ triumph over the San Antonio Spurs, The feel-good story of the Knicks winning their first championship in 53 years delivered the most-watched Finals since 1998 and put fans in the mood for more action.

“Fans were already primed up, meeting with friends, watching sports and now they can continue that camaraderie and that collective experience,” Delphy Neirotti said. “They want to be with community.”

The combined numbers for Fox and Telemundo are highest in Los Angeles, which in addition to a large Latino population has 500,000 Iranians. An average audience of 4.7 million viewers watched the Iranian national team play to a 2-2 tie against New Zealand on Monday, the second most-watched match ever on Fox Sports 1.

But there are plenty of World Cup fans in the heartland. Kansas City had the highest local rating for Fox’s coverage of the USMNT’s match, with more than 9% of the market’s homes tuning in.

Kansas City hosted its first World Cup match Tuesday at Arrowhead Stadium, where Argentina’s Messi set a tournament record with three goals in his team’s 3-0 victory over Algeria. The city has cultivated soccer fans with well-attended watch parties held in its Power and Light District.

“The watch parties that they’ve planned out throughout their cities to give people an opportunity to be part of the event, even though they’re not going to the event,” Rishe said. “Whether you’re watching or just walking by, it’s exciting.”

KATIE Price revealed her son Harvey suffered a painful fall at home this morning.

The 24-year-old, who has Prader-Willi Syndrome, took a tumble after waking up early and heading into the kitchen when it was still a bit dark.

Katie, 48, could be heard saying Harvey was left limping and in pain.

In a video uploaded to Facebook, Harvey was seen enjoying a sensory session with smellies and took a particular liking to lemongrass.

The post was captioned: “Harvey took a little tumble this morning! So lots of TLC for my baby bear! 

“Smelling is amazing for his sensory Needs & Taking his mind off the situation!”

HOOK, LINE & CLINK-ER

Lee Andrews accused of using ACCOMPLICE in scam plot from behind bars

PRESSURE COOKER

Moment Katie Price is grilled over Lee Andrew’s lies in The Sun’s mini doc

Katie recently returned from Dubai where she tried to find out more about husband Lee Andrew’s detention in Al Awir prison.

Lee, 43, claims he was arrested and detained on suspicion of espionage, but the reality is he is in for a private civil matter.

He needs to raise £140,000 to be released and asked Katie to set up a GoFundMe to help out, but she declined, stating there wouldn’t be enough public support.

The Sun’s Showbiz Editor Clemmie Moodie sat down with Katie during her Dubai trip and grilled her about Lee and the many untruths he has told over recent months.

Among them are the claims he bid to buy a majority stake in Chelsea Football Club and visited Katie’s children in person on secret trips to the UK, despite the fact he has a travel ban and can’t leave Dubai.

The full 56 minute sit down interview is available to watch here.

British holidaymakers travelling to the Canary Islands have been warned to arrive at the airport three hours early due to severe border control delays caused by the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), with some travellers reporting waits of up to two and a half hours at passport control

British tourists heading to the Canary Islands are now being advised to reach the airport three hours in advance, mainly due to serious border control hold-ups caused by the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES).

The rollout of the new biometric border infrastructure has sparked enormous queues – occasionally stretching to three hours – at popular holiday airports such as Gran Canaria Airport and Tenerife South. Airlines and travel specialists have issued these firm warnings to stop British and non-EU passengers from missing their return flights.

Under the EU’s digital border scheme, non-EU travellers (including British passport holders) must complete facial recognition scans and fingerprinting at border control.

Technical glitches and the considerable time needed to process each passenger have severely clogged passport control lanes.

The Canary Islands accommodate vast numbers of UK passengers. When several flights depart for non-Schengen destinations simultaneously, the local infrastructure becomes rapidly overwhelmed.

Spanish airport operator Aena officially requires a three-hour arrival window as standard procedure for all non-Schengen flights (which covers all flights returning to the UK).

Airlines such as Wizz Air have firmly reinforced the three-hour recommendation. Nevertheless, passengers should be mindful of a practical obstacle: many baggage drop and check-in desks at Canary Island airports do not open until precisely two hours before departure. Airlines continue to recommend arriving early to ensure you’re at the head of the queue the moment check-in desks open, enabling you to clear security and head straight to the congested passport control gates.

A travel expert based in the Canary Islands has now shared his thoughts on the 3-hour airport warning in a recent video.

Mr TravelON (real name David Gainford) is a well-known travel and media content creator on TikTok, recognised for his candid, lively vlogs and live streams centred on holidays in the Canary Islands (including Lanzarote, Tenerife, and Gran Canaria).

The influencer, who commands 192,000 followers, took to his account this week to offer his perspective on the guidance.

Gainford stressed in his clip that passengers travelling with luggage may be unable to check in three hours before departure as the desk may not yet be open. However, he suggested that many airlines are looking to address this by opening earlier.

He also pointed out that those who have booked a package holiday with TUI or Jet2 can count on these companies to ensure they reach the airport on time.

“It’s their responsibility to get you from your hotel and accommodation to the airport on time,” he said.

“So sit back, chill out, relax, and let your rep tell you what time you’re getting picked up.

“Yes, it might be an hour earlier.”

He noted that independent travellers not using a tour operator should ‘probably get to the airport three hours early’. The travel expert also warned that massive queues at airports could be likely, as travellers arriving at the airports have given conflicting accounts.

“Some are reporting two or two-and-a-half hour’s wait, it really does depend on how may flights land at that time,” he said.

The video has garnered over 180 likes as Canary Island holidaymakers hunt for information.

Numerous viewers flocked to the comments to share their own experiences, with one individual stating: “I got to Lanzarote airport 3 hours early last month and had to wait a hour for the gate to open.”

Meanwhile, another remarked: “Arrived in Lanzarote last month no issues on arrival but leaving to fly back to the UK was awful, we arrived early just in case, went to gate 6 done what we needed to once our gate number came up we headed over, that was where the issues began, you had to go through the machines again and there was only three machines.”

Yet a third responded: “We landed in Lanzarote last night and we were lucky, 10 minutes from getting off the plane to arriving at the bus stop. EES was ok, no queue and the luggage was waiting for us as we came through.”

One commenter summarised the situation by saying: “Better to be safe than sorry, it’s a nightmare at certain times.”

When contacted, a representative of the Ministry of the Interior commented: “The Entry Exit (EES) border control system has been fully operational in Spain since April 10th and is being implemented as initially planned, with positive results to date, and no significant incidents have occurred.”

The Cuerpo General Policía Canaria (CGPC) has also been contacted for comment.

The guidance emerges after renowned travel publisher Fodor’s has placed the Canary Islands — singling out Tenerife and Lanzarote in particular — on its 2026 “No List” back in November last year.

The publication cautioned responsible travellers to reconsider visiting, citing a severe housing crisis, gridlocked traffic, and water shortages brought on by overcrowding.

Los Angeles City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto lagged behind her two well-funded challengers based on early returns Tuesday night. But her incumbent colleague, City Controller Kenneth Mejia, appeared to be faring better in his bid to stay in office, holding a double-digit lead over finance executive Zach Sokoloff.

Progressive Marissa Roy led the field vying to serve as Los Angeles’ top lawyer in the first batch of returns surfacing around 8:20 p.m.

L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. John McKinney sat in second, while Feldstein Soto was positioned third. The top two finishers will advance to November’s general election. It could be days before the outcome of the race is clear. Mail-in ballots with a Tuesday postmark will be accepted by county election officials for another week.

With only two candidates running, the controller’s race will be decided this month and will not go to a runoff in November.

The city attorney’s race transformed suddenly this spring after the Los Angeles Police Department’s largest union broke with Feldstein Soto and backed McKinney. Independent expenditure campaigns have thrown $3 million behind McKinney in recent weeks, with much of that money coming from a political action committee controlled by Airbnb.

Feldstein Soto sued the rental giant for violating price gouging laws in the wake of the Palisades fire last year and has openly questioned whether McKinney would shy from aggressive litigation against Airbnb if elected.

“Special interests have gotten really accustomed to special treatment at City Hall. They get special treatment all the time,” Feldstein Soto said in a recent interview, suggesting that both McKinney and Roy had been compromised by outside spending. Independent expenditure campaigns supporting Roy also received roughly $725,000.

McKinney told The Times that if elected, he would “absolutely” sue Airbnb if necessary.

A representative for Feldstein Soto’s campaign declined to comment on the early returns late Tuesday night.

The three leading candidates often sounded like they were campaigning for different jobs.

Roy said she would run the city attorney’s office as L.A.’s “largest public interest law firm,” focusing on tenants’ rights, wage theft and other issues affecting working-class Angelenos. A deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice, she also vowed to sue the Trump administration, linking arms with the attorney general’s office and other city attorneys in aggressive litigation to curb what many Californians see as targeted abuses of power.

McKinney talked more like he was running for city prosecutor, leaning heavily on his experience winning high-profile felony trials in the downtown courthouse. He said he would improve the way the city attorney prosecutes gun crimes and animal abusers. Despite his lack of experience as a civil litigator, McKinney also said he could bring down the city’s litigation costs, which exploded under Feldstein Soto.

“While all votes have not yet been fully counted, we feel optimistic about qualifying for the General Election in November. People want political courage. They want leadership,” McKinney said in a statement Tuesday night. “What is already clear, is that this election has been shaped by the pressing and undeniable concerns of the people of Los Angeles.”

McKinney previously ran for L.A. County district attorney in 2024 but disappeared in a crowded primary field.

While her term has been marked by financial strain, allegations of misconduct and mistreatment of employees and recent questions about her handling of a data breach that led to the leak of a trove of LAPD records, Feldstein Soto maintained that her opponents are far too inexperienced to serve as the city’s top lawyer.

She said she improved public safety by repairing her office’s relationship with the LAPD and filed more misdemeanors than her predecessor. Although legal costs surged, Feldstein Soto said she did her best to mitigate damage on a number of difficult cases she inherited when taking office in 2022. The rise of so-called “nuclear verdicts” in civil claims reflects a nationwide trend rather than a fault of her leadership, she said.

Feldstein Soto was endorsed by Mayor Karen Bass and U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Roy had the support of the L.A. County Democratic Party, the city chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). In addition to the police union, McKinney was backed by his boss, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman.

The city controller’s race, normally a fairly sleepy affair, has turned into the second-highest-spending race in the city.

Mejia, 35, known for his two corgis that he often features on billboards across Los Angeles, sought to retain his seat as the city’s accountant and auditor.

His only challenger was Sokoloff, a senior vice president for asset management at Hackman Capital Partners. Sokoloff, 37, alleged Mejia did not properly utilize the controller’s office to run audits on city departments and failed to keep up the auditing pace of his predecessor.

Sokoloff’s mother, Sheryl, has spent $7.5 million on independent expenditures in the race, mostly on attack ads and mailers against Mejia. Often, the ads point to allegations that Mejia in 2023 fostered a toxic workplace and made inappropriate sexual remarks to female subordinates.

A woman who identified herself as Sheryl Sokoloff hung up on a Times reporter last week when asked about the race expenditures.

Mejia said Sokoloff’s mother — married to Jonathan Sokoloff, managing partner of private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners — was trying to bankroll the seat for her son.

Mejia has long run on accountability and transparency for the city’s budget and made public-facing databases across dozens of topics on the controller’s website in his first term.

A licensed certified public accountant, Mejia is a member of the Green Party and does not accept endorsements from political parties or politicians. He was endorsed by the Los Angeles Daily News and multiple labor unions, including the United Teachers of Los Angeles and United Auto Workers.

Sokoloff, a Democrat, was endorsed by multiple former controllers, notable Democrats — including Schiff — and the L.A. County Democratic Party, along with other business advocacy groups.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna jumped out to an early lead over former sheriff Alex Villanueva, his predecessor and leading opponent in the race for the county’s top law enforcement job.

If Luna ultimately receives more than half of the vote, he wins the contest outright and will serve a second term at the helm of the largest sheriff’s department in the U.S.

If Luna falls below the 50% mark, it’s likely that he and Villanueva will head to a runoff once again, reprising their 2022 face-off, when the former Long Beach Police chief unseated Villanueva by a 61% to 39% margin.

This time around, the sheriff’s race was relatively muted. Luna mostly avoided major controversies during his term — unlike Villanueva, who clashed with elected officials and journalists, and was involved in multiple lawsuits. There were no public debates that included the leading candidates and no public polling was done.

Ahead of primary day, Luna touted his leadership and a list of accomplishments. He took credit for reducing the rate of violent crimes and homicides, and said he repaired the relationship with county leaders and others that had been fractured under his predecessor.

Villanueva criticized the sheriff for plunging the department into “chaos and dysfunction,” blaming Luna for the department’s struggles to retain deputies. Luna described both claims as unfounded.

Retired sheriff’s Lt. Eric Strong was in third place as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, the same position as when he ran four years ago. He was followed by Sgt. Karla Carranza, who has worked for the department for more than two decades.

Oscar Martinez, who joined the sheriff’s department after fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, was in fifth, followed by Capt. Mike Bornman, who has decades of experience at the sheriff’s department.

Andre White, a detective with about a dozen years at the department, was in seventh, while Brendan Corbett, a former assistant sheriff for custody operations, was in last place.

Los Angeles Unified School District incumbents — Rocio Rivas, Kelly Gonez and Nick Melvoin — surged strongly ahead in early returns Tuesday night for three seats on the Board of Education.

The first reported results were trending toward one-sided outcomes because the major political forces of recent years declined to do battle against each other: The teachers union supported Rivas, who represents a largely Eastside district; a charter-friendly retired businessman supported Melvoin, whose district is centered on the Westside. And the largest union representing nonteaching employees all but avoided the fray.

The third incumbent, Gonez, was the only candidate on the ballot in District 6, and faced one write-in challenger, Jose Sagredo. Thus, Gonez is poised to continue to represent a district centered in the east San Fernando Valley for a third and final term.

With no challengers boosted by high special-interest funding, the three incumbents had a virtually unobstructed campaign path.

If the early returns hold as expected, the Los Angeles Board of Education will continue to lean against charter schools and would stand in general agreement on most policies — including assertive support for immigrants and a continued holding pattern on the future of Supt. Alberto Carvalho, who remains on administrative leave as a federal investigation proceeds.

District 4, Westside

Well ahead in District 4 was two-term incumbent Melvoin. His challenger was Ankur Patel.

The funding advantage in Melvoin’s campaign was sizable through just before election day: Melvoin, $378,803; Patel: $22,662.

In addition, Melvoin benefited from an independent expenditure of $367,093 on his behalf by retired businessman Bill Bloomfield, who has been a major funder in recent campaigns, typically for candidates who also are acceptable to charter-school advocates.

Charters are privately operated public schools, most of which are nonunion. About 1 in 5 L.A. public-school students is enrolled in an independent charter operating within L.A. Unified.

District 2, downtown and Eastside

Also with a huge funding advantage was Rocio Rivas, who was headed toward a second term in District 2.

LAUSD Board Vice President Rocio Rivas was headed toward a second term in District 2. Her major funding source was $889,469 in an independent-expenditure campaign on her behalf, nearly all of it from the United Teachers Los Angeles union.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Rivas’ own campaign raised $66,218. But the major funding source was $889,469 in an independent-expenditure campaign on her behalf, nearly all of it from the United Teachers Los Angeles union. The union also spent more than $4,000 in communications to its members about the election.

These figures compare with $2,525 raised by challenger Raquel Zamora, who reported spending $5,089.

In Rivas’ successful 2022 run, her main funding opponent was Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, which backed Maria Brenes for an open seat. Historically, Local 99 has not been inclined to oppose an incumbent, which Rivas has become. And, true to history, Local 99 has endorsed Rivas, but without spending money on her behalf.

An end to charter school wars

More broadly, this election cycle marks the end to a generation of bitterly contested Los Angeles school board races that became the most expensive in the country, with the L.A. teachers union and charter school advocates slugging it out to advance their vision for public education.

Charter school supporters — who had poured tens of million of dollars into races to elect board members sympathetic to their cause — largely stepped aside, a reflection of their diminished resources and evolving strategy.

The bottom line is that, if current vote-count trends hold, the board will be unchanged for the next two years.

This situation is less than ideal for charter schools. Charters with a mixed record face a tough review when they come up for renewal — about once every five years. Charter opponents want the board majority to move more aggressively to shut down charters when possible and to force them off district campuses — where, under state law, they have a legal right to operate.

Big board decisions looming

Big decisions before the board include how to manage a projected structural deficient — with union leaders calling the dire predictions an accounting mirage.

Meanwhile, Supt. Alberto Carvalho remains in limbo after a February FBI raid of his home and office. The investigation relates at least in part to a failed district chatbot project.

Carvalho maintains his innocence and would like to return to work. The board, however, has turned the reins over temporarily to acting Supt. Andres Chait.

This election cycle marks the end to a generation of bitterly contested Los Angeles school board races that became the most expensive in the country, with the L.A. teachers union and charter school advocates slugging it out to advance their vision for public education. Above, LAUSD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.

(Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County’s half-cent sales tax to fund healthcare services was trailing Tuesday, with early returns showing a majority of voters rejecting the measure.

The tax — a half-penny of every dollar spent in the county — is meant to prop up local hospitals and clinics that are hemorrhaging funding after recent federal cuts.

The sales tax, which needs a simple majority to pass, would take effect Oct. 1 and last five years. Officials say it would pull in $1 billion annually to help plug the budget holes hitting local hospitals and clinics.

L.A. County health officials anticipate the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Trump last summer, will slash more than $2 billion from the county’s health services budget within the next three years. Due to eligibility changes, the county will no longer be able to get reimbursements for many Californians who have lost Medi-Cal.

The measure was championed by a coalition of healthcare advocates called Restore Healthcare for Angelenos who warned that mass layoffs and emergency room closures could be imminent if new funding didn’t come fast. The Department of Public Health recently closed seven clinics — a grim sign, supporters said, of service cuts to come.

Voters haven’t rejected a sales tax hike since 2012, when a transportation measure fell just short with 66.1% support. It needed 66.7% to pass.

A majority of county supervisors had supported the new tax proposal, voting 4 to 1 this February to put it on the ballot. But the measure faced significant opposition from local cities, with opponents arguing the sales tax hike would unfairly burden the poorest county residents and encourage people to spend their dollars across the county line.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the board’s lone opponent of the tax, said she was concerned it was a “general” tax, meaning the money wouldn’t be earmarked for healthcare costs. Instead, she argued, politicians would have final say over how the money gets spent.

The supervisors have created a plan for spending the tax money, with the largest chunk of the money meant to cover the costs for patients without insurance. The measure also asked voters to sign off on a nine-member oversight committee.

The county currently has a base sales tax rate of 9.75%, and cities impose local taxes on top of that.