Offices at the Supreme Court in Tirana were set ablaze as anti-government protests over corruption, education, and unemployment entered their fifth day.
Published On 18 Oct 202618 Oct 2026
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WASHINGTON — President Trump bypassed his White House chief of staff last week in selecting Katie Zacharia as his press secretary and chief messenger, triggering days of scathing headlines about her credentials and abilities before her ignominious resignation on Friday.
Susie Wiles, that senior-most aide ostensibly in charge of the president’s team, is facing his scrutiny over a different set of problems: widespread public anxiety over corruption in government under the Trump administration. The issue has surpassed the economy as the top concern of voters entering next month’s election, according a Fox News poll released this week.
Marco Rubio, the president’s secretary of State and national security advisor, has been silent on Trump’s decision to cut a deal with Moscow on diesel sales that could fuel Russia’s war against Ukraine. The president’s poll numbers have been below water across the board, but especially so on foreign policy, where over two-thirds of Americans disapprove of his job performance and support Kyiv’s fight for freedom.
Trump aides walk to board Air Force One on Tuesday: Natalie Harp, Trump’s executive assistant, left; Walt Nauta, director of Oval Office operations (in sunglasses); Chief of Staff Susie Wiles; and then-Press Secretary Katie Zacharia.
(Alex Wong / Getty Images)
And on Thursday, the president was forced to reverse a course set out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon to live-stream the execution of a convicted mass shooter by firing squad.
In the final stretch of the 2026 midterms, nearly two weeks out from election day, a White House that has enjoyed relative stability over the past two years has returned to the state of disarray that characterized much of Trump’s early political career, anticipating sweeping losses to Democrats in the House and Senate.
Staff upheaval is expected as officials brace for a blame game over Republican performance, with some distancing themselves from what they see as a fading political movement.
Polls suggest that Republicans are likely to lose control of the House, setting up two years of relentless congressional probes through the twilight of the Trump era, and that Democrats could even flip the Senate, winning in ruby red states from Ohio to Alaska.
It is historically a time for closing arguments, when politicians deliver their final pitches to voters in neat, disciplined packages.
Yet Trump’s campaign blitz across the country in recent weeks has generated a muddled message, dismissing the importance of the election itself at the risk of depressing Republican votes, overshadowing local candidates seeking distance from his record and touting an economy unrecognizable to most Americans.
President Trump walks ahead of Katie Zacharia at the White House.
(Win McNamee / Getty Images)
The president’s selection of Zacharia, who lasted just five days on the job, raised fresh questions about his message discipline in the final stretch.
And infighting within the White House has reinforced a narrative among political pundits that Democratic gains are a fait accompli, despite Zacharia, in her first and only press briefing, foretelling of Republican energy and excitement “never seen before in the history of midterms thanks to President Trump.”
Election officials across the country fear that, anticipating inevitable losses, Trump may be laying the ground to challenge the authenticity of the election results themselves.
“You know, this is the only guy that — it’s ‘promises made, promises kept,’ but he did more things than he promised,” Trump said Thursday, referring to himself in the third person. “I think we did. We did much more than we promised.”
The extent of the coming West Wing shakeup could be extensive, reaching into a Cabinet that has had far less turnover than Trump experienced in his first term.
Zacharia is the second senior official forced out by Trump in just three days, after Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former fiancée of one of Trump’s sons who served as U.S. ambassador to Greece, was revealed by the Wall Street Journal to have asked a Trump donor to pay off her $100,000 credit card bill.
Now, the president has begun asking political allies and donors about Wiles’ job performance, according to a recent Politico report, and several top administration officials are vying for her role, anticipating her resignation after the elections next month.
The conclusion of the midterms will also kick off the start of the 2028 presidential election season, when Republican hopefuls — including many from Trump’s Cabinet — are expected to launch exploratory committees.
British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stand for anthems at the Pentagon on Thursday.
(Finn Gomez / Getty Images)
“We have to get through the midterms first,” Trump said at the end of August, asked about Hegseth reportedly considering a run. “I bet there’s a lot of people considering it that you don’t know about. You have a lot of people.”
The party of incumbent presidents regularly loses seats in midterm elections, and it is common for presidents to shake up their staffs halfway through a term.
But the last time a term-limited Republican president faced voters in midterm elections, in 2006, Democrats swept into power in both houses of Congress — and President George W. Bush’s political capital never recovered.
That year, 37% of voters said they approved of Bush’s job performance. Polls published this month by AP and Reuters have found Trump already below that threshold.
In the GOP presidential primaries that followed, candidates jockeying to replace Bush distanced themselves from his legacy. He ultimately left office with an approval rating of 25%.
Ethiopian government forces entered Adigrat in northern Tigray after rebel fighters withdrew, heightening tensions with neighbouring Eritrea. The two neighbours cut off diplomatic ties last week. Al Jazeera’s Hamza Mohamed reports.
Published On 12 Oct 202612 Oct 2026
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Earnings Call Insights: Applied Digital (APLD) Q1 2027
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ANTIGUA, Florida and the Caribbean… what do they all have in common? Obviously they’re all beautiful, exotic destinations that typically cost thousands to visit.
They’re also some of the amazing locations currently being offered as prizes in some incredible competitions. We’ve rounded up all of the best ones to enter right now…
There’s something for everyone, from luxury staycations to five-star escapes abroad – plus all are free to enter.
So whatever your ideal holiday is, here are some of the best competitions currently taking entries offering a wide range of prizes…
Live like royalty on a family trip to Versailles
Le Shuttle is giving away a trip to Versailles for a family of four, with access to the Palace of Versailles, the Trianon Estate, Queen’s Hamlet and Gardens, plus a guided tour of the special Marie-Antoinette by Sofia Coppola exhibition.
You’d stay at the Le Louis Versailles Château MGallery and get a VIP shopping experience with One Nation Paris.
To enter, create a free Le Shuttle account by 1pm on October 16 – click enter.
Travel in style on a Croatia long weekend
Win a short break on the Dubrovnik Riviera in Croatia, plus an Osprey backpack and a £250 Ellis Brigham voucher.
The winner gets a four-night trip and can choose between either a men’s Farpoint 55 or women’s Fairview 55 pack.
Just answer the question ‘what is the capital city of Croatia?’ along with your details by December 15 – click to enter.
Live in luxury on a French Alps family ski trip
Family Ski is offering a seven-night family ski holiday for four to the French Alps.
Included in the prize is £500 of Roarsome Ski Wear for Kids, accommodation in a luxury catered chalet at either Ardent, Portes du Soleil or Reberty, Les Trois Vallées (depending on availability), childcare and airport transfers.
You’ll need to book your own travel from the UK to Geneva, plus lift passes, ski hire and travel insurance.
To enter, fill out the entry form and follow Roarsome and Family Ski Company on Instagram by October 31 – click to enter.
Take the family to the alternative Lapland
Win a family trip to Swedish Lapland worth £4,648.
On Instagram, Letsgofaraway is offering a round-trip (flights up to a maximum of £1,033.09) to Grand Lodge at Blueberry Lodge Lapland for up to eight people.
One activity at the lodge for all guests in included, plus a private session in the relaxation area, which has a sauna, Nordic hot tub and a homemade fika.
To enter, follow @letsgofaraway_, @hospitality.guide, @danieltravl and @blueberry_lodge_lapland on Instagram, then like the competition post, tag two friends and repost/share.
The holiday must be for a date between 2028 and 2029 – enter by midnight on October 31 – click to enter.
Snowy holiday to Innsbruck
Monster energy drinks is offering a snow trip for two people to Innsbruck in Austria.
All you need to do is enter your details by October 31 – click to enter.
All-inclusive luxury holiday to Antigua
Win a seven-night all inclusive holiday to St James’s Club & Villa in Antigua, with Neutradol.
The resort spans 100 acres and features two “moon-white” beaches and three pools.
To enter, answer the question ‘What do Neutradol Laboratory tests prove?’ by January 10, 2027 – click to enter.
Bucketlist 16-day road trip to New Zealand
Via Waitrose, with Trailfinders, win a road trip in New Zealand lasting 16 days with return flights for two from London.
Included is two nights in a hotel, plus two weeks with a Maui Ultima Plus Motorhome.
Enter with your My Waitrose card number before October 13 – click to enter.
If you don’t have a card, that’s fine, you can sign up for free.
Luxury Saint Lucia holiday and Arsenal tickets
Windjammer Landing Resort & Residences is offering a seven-night round-trip to Saint Lucia from London.
You’ll also get two tickets to an Arsenal game hosted by the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and two Arsenal t-shirts.
Answer the questions ‘what is the name of Saint Lucia’s famous national landmark?’ and ‘which Arsenal legend has just visited Saint Lucia?’ by December 15 – click to enter.
Fabulous, personalised holiday toOrlando
Tripadvisor and Visit Orlando are offering an eight-night holiday to Orlando, Florida for two people, plus a free holiday planning session.
To win, enter your details before the end of December – click to enter.
Live like a millionaire in the Cayman Islands
Win a five-night condo stay at Harbour Heights, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands for up to four guests.
You’ll need to purchase your own flights though.
Fill out your details by July 30, 2027 – click to enter.
14-night all-inclusive cruise to the Canaries
Saga is giving away a 14-night all-inclusive cruise to the Canaries and Casablanca.
You’d set sail from Portsmouth on January 6, 2027 in a Twin Standard Balcony cabin, stopping at La Palma, Tenerife, Madeira and Gran Canaria.
All you have to do is be over the age of 50 – click to enter by November 20.
Cruise to France and Spain plus spending money
Via Ice Lolly, Cunard is offering two people a cruise worth £2,000 from Southampton to Spain and France.
Set sail on June 13, 2027, to La Coruña, Gijon and Getxo in Spain before visiting Le Havre in France.
With $250 (£188.65) to spend on board.
Click to enter before midnight on October 12.
14-night Caribbean cruise with food and drink included
Ambassador Cruise Line is giving away a two-week Caribbean cruise for two people.
Choose between three Ambassador Cruise Line sailings between November 22 and February 14.
The giveaway includes a twin ocean view cabin for two people, full-board and return Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow or Manchester.
Click here to enter your details by October 11.
Scenic river cruise worth £7,000
Win a river cruise through Europe on the Danube or Rhine with Scenic worth £7,000.
The prize includes suite accommodation, excursions, five dining venues, premium drinks, butler service, return flights and transfers and complimentary e-bikes to explore the destinations you stop at.
Click here to enter your details by October 31.
P&O Britannia cruise
Win a seven-night cruise for two onboard P&O Britannia, Via Vision Cruise.
Click here to enter by January 31.
Island hop in Greece on a cruise
Win a seven-night Greek Intensive Cruise with Azamara Cruises for two people, departing from Athens on October 9.
Stay in an Oceanview Stateroom, stopping at Patmos, Rhodes and Crete.
You will need to get your own flights though.
Click here to answer how many ships are in the Azamara fleet by February 1, 2027.
Seven-night Scandinavian cruise
In this Cotton Traders competition, two people and their guests will win a seven-night cruise to Sweden and Denmark.
You’d travel from London Cruise Terminal on April 24, 2027 with Ambassador Cruise Line.
Click here to enter your details by October 7.
Five star trip for two at Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
Old Course Hotel in Scotland is a five-star spot boasting views of the Fife coastline and a large golf course.
Win a one-night stay at the hotel for two people with a two-course dinner and a full Scottish breakfast – worth £700.
You’ll get a full day to spend at Kohler Waters Spa, with a spa pool, hydrotherapy suite with a thermal pool, steam room, sauna and plunge pool and the UK’s first Espuro Foam Steam Rooms.
Each guest will get a 50-minute treatment, from a custom massage, hot stone massage, classic prescription facial, reflexology session or a 25-minute facial and 25-minute massage combo.
You need to have a Muddy Stilettos account to enter (free to sign up) and click here to answer ‘what town is Old Course Hotel in?’ by October 14.
West End show and a 4-star London hotel stay
The Royal Mint recently launched a coin dedicated to the musical Wicked to celebrate 20 years of the West End show.
To celebrate they are giving away a one-night stay at The Clermont Hotel, a silver Proof Colour edition of the Wicked UK coin and two tickets to the London show.
Click here to answer ‘what is the name of the university that Glinda and Elphaba attend?’ by October 18.
Luxury hotel stay and £400 goodie bag
Salcombe Gin has teamed up with Harbour Hotels to give away an overnight stay for two at any Harbour Hotel, with breakfast included.
You will also get a Salcombe Gin Coastal Cool Bag Bundle, with a Salcombe Gin School Experience Voucher for two people (worth £160).
Also included is a £250 voucher to spend at fashion brand Beaufort and Blake.
Click here to enter your details by October 13.
Five-star countryside retreat and year’s supply of popcorn
Popcorn brand Jo & Sephs are offering a luxury trip to Devon, to celebrate the release of the new Sense and Sensibility movie.
The prize includes a three-night stay in a five-star hotel, a private horse-drawn carriage ride and afternoon tea, plus a year’s supply of popcorn.
Click here to answer the question: ‘in Sense and Sensibility, what are the names of the two Dashwood sisters at the heart of the story?’ by November 30.
A luxury stay at Andy Murray’s Scottish country house hotel
Discover Britain is running a competition to win a luxury stay at ‘Cromlix’ – Sir Andy Murray‘s country hotel in Scotland.
It includes dinner in the hotel’s new restaurant – The Garden Room.
Click here to enter your details by January 3, 2027.
A three-bedroom holiday home worth £60,000, plus £10,000
Park Holidays UK is giving away a 36ft x 12ft three-bedroom holiday home worth £60,000, plus £10,000 spending money.
Click here to enter your details by December 31.
Win your own holiday park lodge for a year
Park Leisure is giving away a 12-month ownership experience for a lodge worth £60,000, with £3,000 park credit to be used on site.
You will also get free Wi-Fi for the ownership period, plus all utility bills included.
Click here to enter by March 31, 2027.
Washington, DC – Democrats have the momentum; Republicans are surging in defence and cash.
That narrative has emerged ahead of the United States midterm elections in November, as races across the country enter their final stretch.
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With control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate at stake, Democrats begin October with a surprisingly rosy outlook as more congressional seats are seen as in play.
Republicans, meanwhile, appear to be in damage control, pouring millions of dollars into races once seen as secure victories while injecting more funding into a handful of marquee showdowns.
The party’s standard bearer, President Donald Trump, who has embraced the notion of the election being a referendum on his leadership, enters the final month with staggeringly low approval ratings.
The most recent Associated Press-NORC polling, released on Thursday, showed Trump with 31 percent approval, the lowest during either of his two terms. Only 26 percent of respondents approved Trump’s handling of the economy, dipping two points below his predecessor, former President Joe Biden’s lowest rating on the topic.
Surveys continue to show voters rank the economy as their top issue, with topics like gas prices, made higher by the US-Israel war with Iran, dominating their concerns. Immigration and corruption have also regularly ranked high.
“The broad stroke is that Americans are disappointed, bordering on angry that President Trump hasn’t delivered on the core promises he made when he won re-election,” according to Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC.
Political trackers have long projected Democrats will take control of the US House of Representatives in the November 3 vote.
Winning a majority in the 435-member chamber from Republicans would give the party renewed legislative power to assert leverage over Trump, while launching investigations into his administration’s dealings. Top Democrats have already signalled that probes into Trump’s family business dealings would be top priorities.
Two election non-partisan prediction authorities, the Cook Political Report and the University of Virginia’s Sabato’s Crystal Ball, have recently assessed that the likelihood of Democrats taking the House has only increased.
The Cook Political Report recently shifted 15 House races in the direction of Democrats, moving some considered “toss-ups” to “leans Democrat” and some previously considered “lean Republican” to “toss-ups”.
One such shift was for a Texas border district represented by Republican Monica De La Cruz. Her district was emblematic of a wider Latino shift towards Trump in 2024. Once seen as holding the advantage over her challenger, Democrat Bobby Pulido, Cook now rates her race as a “toss-up”.
All told, the political analysis clearinghouse now predicts Democrats are on track to win 5 to 15 House seats.
With 30 days left to go, “there’s much more drama in the Senate than the House races”, according to Kyle Kondik, the managing editor at Sabato’s Crystal Ball.
Once considered a pipe dream for Democrats, who need a net gain of at least four seats to win a slim majority, the 100-member chamber has moved within a more comfortable striking distance.
Unlike in the House, where every seat is up for re-election, only 35 Senate seats are up for grabs in this cycle, creating a far narrower pathway to control.
“The trajectory of the polling since Labor Day (September 7) has generally been that a bad Republican environment is just getting worse,” Kondik said, adding that “the Senate just seems to get more and more competitive as the cycle has gone on”.
To be sure, the quality of polling can vary across the country, with Kondik cautioning that gauging the political temperature of the Midwest has been particularly challenging for pollsters.
Still, in North Carolina, former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper is expected to trounce former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Whatley in the race for a Senate seat currently held by Republicans. Top conservative donors have already begun to divert funds from the contest.
Surveys have consistently shown Democrats leading in three other races for seats currently held by Republicans: Democrat James Talarico against Republican Ken Paxton in Texas; Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown against Republican incumbent Senator John Husted in Ohio; and Democratic Mary Peltola against Republican Dan Sullivan in Alaska.
Races for Republican held seats in Iowa, between Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek, and in Maine, between Republican incumbent Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson, remain separated by less than one point, according to Real Clear Politics polling averages.
Democrats, meanwhile, have consistently led in polling in Senate races in Georgia, New Hampshire and Michigan for seats the party currently holds.
For Republicans, salvation could be in the spending, with this year’s race continuing a US phenomenon of small fortunes poured into politics.
All told, at least $4bn had been spent on gubernatorial and congressional midterm advertising buys as of September 17, putting the race on track to become “perhaps the most expensive midterm on record”, according to Michael Franz, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project.
Republicans entered September with a considerable funding edge. The Republican National Committee had $125.6m on hand, with the Democratic National Committee trailing far behind with $16.9m and $17.6m in debt.
When accounting for the three major committees associated with both groups, the Republican Party had $233.4m in cash, according to a CNBC analysis, while the Democratic Party had $130.4m.
Trip Yang, a Democrat strategist based in New York City, told Al Jazeera such spending can be deployed to help boost a candidate’s name recognition or to tear down a competitor.
According to AdImpact, Republicans and their allies were set to spend $888m on advertising from mid-September to election day, with Democrats and their supporters set to spend $666m.
The firm found pro-Republican ad spending would be particularly pronounced in the key Senate races in Ohio, Texas and Michigan, outpacing Democratic spending by at least $24m in each state.
Trump’s unpopularity, Yang said, means “Republicans spending millions or hundreds of millions of dollars improving their candidates’ images by itself may not be enough”.
“If you’re a little bit handicapped because your president is so toxic, you try to spend your hundreds of millions of dollars attacking the Democrats to make it more of a food fight,” he said.
A New York Times analysis estimated by the end of August at least $1bn in so-called “dark money” had been poured into the midterms. The term refers to spending where the donor’s identity is shielded, typically through nonprofit and shell-company donations to Super PACs.
Industry groups, including those supporting Crypto, AI and online betting firms, are expected to be top spenders in key races, although their support tends to cut across partisan lines.
Trump, meanwhile, has pledged to spend between $400m and $500m from his MAGA Inc Super PAC, though it has so far spent about $15m to support Paxton’s Senate bid in Texas.
Pro-Paxton ad reservations far outpaced Talarico in September, according to AdImpact data analysed by NPR, with $94m spent compared with $30m to support the Democrat.
Trump has pledged to spend the final days before the election in non-stop campaign mode, after urging supporters during his Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, to “vote like I’m on the ballot”.
His plan to criss-cross the country for rallies underscores a “base turnout” strategy meant to energise voters already loyal to the party, according to conservative analyst Olsen.
“But the Republican problem is a persuasion problem with people in the middle,” Olsen said. “[Trump’s campaigning] might help with some turnout … but their real problem is persuasion, and it’s not something that’s going to help with that in the slightest.”
Polls have spelt trouble for Republicans when it comes to swaying independents, with a PBS News, NPR and Marist poll from September 23 showing unaffiliated voters breaking for Democrats at 57 percent compared with 32 moving towards Republicans.
The scenario has created a dilemma for some top Republican candidates over whether to break from the president on his most controversial actions, according to Lee Miringoff, the director of the Marist University Institute for Public Opinion.
Senate candidates Ashley Hinson in Iowa, Jon Husted in Ohio and Mike Rogers in Michigan all recently put daylight between themselves and Trump on the war with Iran.
One Republican House candidate, Representative Maria Elvira Salazar, has criticised Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies as she seeks to rally Latino voters in South Florida.
Trump, in turn, reposted a social media message calling Salazar a “backstabber”.
“You need to have, you know, something else going for you other than endorsement of Trump,” said Miringoff. “Some Republicans are starting to have self-preservation kick in because they’re concerned.”
Achieving a wide-scale shift in public opinion remains a tall order for Republicans in the final stretch of the race.
Many of the defining issues are unlikely to change before November, with Trump signalling a possible escalation with Iran following the vote as he has downplayed the prospect of short-term affordability relief.
At the same time, the US president has also not ruled out actions that rights groups say could upend voter turnout. Most recently, he refused to commit to not invoking the Insurrection Act or declaring a state of emergency surrounding the vote during an interview with Time magazine.
Miringoff said he believed that the “potential for more than just a marginal shift is there”, as he assessed some Democratic candidates have struggled to present clear visions beyond opposition to Trump.
“The result isn’t formed in concrete,” he said, “to the degree that there’s going to be a lot of money still spent.”
Analyst Olsen saw less remaining wiggle room for the party.
“Republicans have the time and the resources to change the outcome with respect to a few close Senate races,” Olsen said. “But to change direction, they would need something that would be apocal.”
They mentioned “The Odyssey,” they talked about “Lord of the Rings,” they referenced “The Hobbit,” they cited the hero’s journey, they predicted a season filled with mythological tales of triumph.
What they didn’t promise was that their Lakers’ team would contend for a championship.
What they couldn’t mention was what will happen to them if they don’t.
The bard Rob Pelinka? Off with your head!
The soothsayer JJ Redick? Drawn and quartered!
In their annual pre-training camp news conference at their practice facility Thursday, Pelinka and Redick talked about fictional characters perhaps because the reality is too grim for words.
Their jobs are on the line with a rebuilding team that might not be good enough to save them, and no amount of cute Gandalf references can change that.
With new ownership, the Lakers’ braintrust no longer has the protection of the benevolent Buss family or the baseball-centric Mark Walter.
Here’s guessing Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner will want any excuse to put their own people in charge of their $12.5-billion investment. And if this clearly rebuilding Lakers team doesn’t quickly measure up to the brand that Iger and Kushner purchased, they’ll have that excuse.
In his nine full seasons as the Lakers’ basketball boss, Pelinka constructed the 2020 bubble championship team, but destroyed it soon thereafter and hasn’t won since.
In his two seasons as Lakers coach, Redick became the first Lakers coach to win 50-plus games in consecutive seasons since Phil Jackson. But Redick was always LeBron James’ choice, and now that James is gone — thank goodness! — Redick will have to prove himself all over again to the new guys.
He’s already off to an awkward start considering his answer to a question about who would join Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler in the starting lineup. He referenced the lame internet criticism that the Lakers couldn’t win because they were now led by too many white guys.
“I’m pretty confident in three of the spots,” he said. “The other two spots will not be two white guys.”
Um, OK.
Redick acknowledged that all those new potential starters — Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Kevon Looney, Matisse Thybulle and others — can band together to turn this season into a mythological masterpiece.
“Part of the Hero’s journey is allies and gods,” he said, referring to stories about ordinary folk who are transformed by triumphant adventures. “And so I think if you look at “Lord of the Rings,” right? All the guys from “The Hobbit,” those guys had to be connected. They had to embrace the fact that they were allies, right? … You’re not gonna get through the journey without that. Or the journey’s gonna be even more tumultuous than it is because the reality is there will be ordeals and trials along the way.”
At this point Pelinka jumped in, saying, “So I’m a big Tolkien guy. Are you Samwise or Frodo?”
Answered Redick, “Uh, I’m simultaneously Samwise and Gandalf.”
Replied Pelinka: “Gandalf. That’s even better.”
Rob Pelinka (left), the Lakers general manager/president of basketball operations, speaks to the media with coach JJ Redick on Thursday at the team’s training facility in El Segundo.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
In San Antonio they’re talking about Wemby, in Oklahoma City they’re talking about SGA, and in Los Angeles they’re talking about … Frodo?
Tumultuous indeed. Welcome to life after LeBron, with Pelinka essentially starting the news conference by answering the biggest question of the summer — why did the James and Laker marriage fail?
Except he didn’t answer it.
“I’m so thankful for the partnership that we had that continued up until this summer when a decision was made for him to play for another team,” he said.
A decision was made by whom? James said it was him. It says here it was the Lakers, who needed to move him out if they were going to move ahead.
Pelinka didn’t elaborate, instead focusing on a popular reference that he sort of botched.
“We’ve talked about every season is a little bit like ‘The Odyssey,’ if anyone has seen the movie,” he said before someone corrected him. “Oh, it was actually a poem. Fair enough.”
The poem wasn’t this complicated.
“You launch a season, and there’s things that happen throughout that you can’t predict, but you have to stay together as a group and stay strong,” Pelinka said. “That’s a great theme for us.”
Pelinka will be going through his own Odyssey this season, as evidenced by his defense of his accomplishments.
“If you look at the teams that we’re wanting to go shoulder-to-shoulder with, the Thunder and the Spurs maybe in the West. … They had to lose many seasons to get high picks and we just don’t have the luxury of that here,” he said. “Again, the expectations are every year (to) win, get in the playoffs, make a run, and so we feel like we’ve been able to do that. As I’ve started, since I’ve been here in the leadership position, we’ve been a playoff team and we have to continue to do that.”
Redick was also playing defense, saying, “No one is a championship-level team on September 29. There’s not a team in the league that is a championship-level team. That is an ongoing process throughout the year. Rob talks about his job in that. Well, I have a job in that. Our players have a job in that. I’m confident we’re gonna develop as a team into a championship-level team this year. “
This season will live forever in Lakers folklore if they do.
There could be a medieval bloodbath if they don’t.