fallout

It’s called the Joint Awami Action Committee, and it’s being accused of fuelling protests in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

The group has been demonstrating against a rule that sets aside legislative seats for refugees from India-administered Kashmir who live in Pakistan. They say it gives them disproportionate influence in the divided region.

But the government says any change would require constitutional reform.

The issue has long been a subject of political debate in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. But how will its government deal with tensions rising once again?

Presenter: Imran Khan

Guests:
Maria Iqbal Tarana – Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz

Sahar Khan – Nonresident fellow at the Institute for Global Affairs

Imtiaz Gul – Executive director at the Center for Research and Security Studies

The list of politicians grew daily. Major stars from his talent agency joined the chorus calling for Casey Wasserman to resign as the chairman of LA28 after emails the mogul exchanged with Ghislaine Maxwell were revealed in the Epstein files in February.

But four months after the controversy appeared to threaten his position leading the effort for L.A.’s first Olympic Games since 1984, Wasserman said he never saw it the same way.

“No and yes,” Wasserman said matter of factly Thursday when asked if he considered stepping down as chairman of LA28 and whether he has spoken with Mayor Karen Bass since she was one of several local politicians to call for his resignation.

When asked about the nature of any discussions he’s had with Bass, Wasserman said he speaks with the mayor weekly if not more frequently.

“Our conversations are between us,” Wasserman said in his first public comments in months. “They continue to be thoughtful and productive with a completely shared vision on delivering the greatest Games for the city and our community.”

Bass is currently fighting for a second term in a hotly contested primary election. She has already advanced to November’s runoff, with reality TV personality Spencer Pratt and City Councilmember Nithya Raman battling for the second spot on the ballot. California is also set to elect a new governor with Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra leading the heated race.

When it comes to a changing of the political guard, Wasserman pointed out the local organizing committee has already seen four different presidential administrations since the bid for the Games began in 2015.

“Transitions of politics, whether they happen or not, is part of the world we live in,” Wasserman said. “And we have been able to and expect to fully continue to have great relationships with local, state and federal partners. It can’t be dependent on the person there, it has to be dependent on the relationship and the connectivity we have, and our team has done a great job of maintaining that.”

Wasserman, hand-selected to oversee L.A.’s first Olympics since 1984 by former Mayor Eric Garcetti, has laid low since his name was revealed in the Epstein files. The controversy hit during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games, where Wasserman participated in a mandatory presentation to International Olympic Committee members but he didn’t make additional public comments. In the following weeks, he put his talent agency up for sale and several local politicians called for Wasserman to step down.

But the LA28 executive committee backed him, releasing a statement of support after an outside investigation, citing “the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past 10 years.”

LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman, right, sits next to Reynold Hoover, LA28 CEO (center) and Jacie Prieto Lopez, LA28 vice president of communications, during a news conference Thursday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

IOC members visiting L.A. for a regular coordination commission meeting this week gave an even stronger vote of confidence.

“This was the best CoCom ever,” said Nicole Hoevertsz, chair of the IOC coordination commission for LA28. “The team is ready. The Games are on track and the Games are in the safe hands of a very qualified and a very capable team.”

After their seventh coordination commission visit since L.A. was awarded the Games in 2017, Hoevertsz and IOC Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi lauded LA28’s unprecedented sponsorship dollars and the record-setting ticket sales as markers of success that signaled the 2028 Games are well on track.

LA28 has signed $2 billion in sponsorship and licensing deals, putting its $2.5 billion goal well within reach. Domestic sponsorship money is expected to be the largest revenue source for what the organizing committee promised to be a privately funded Games. Ticketing and hospitality, the second-largest source of revenue expected to cover the total $7.1 billion budget, started strong with more than 4 million tickets sold in the first ticket drop earlier this year.

The second ticket drop will begin in August. Fans who have not previously registered can still register at tickets.la28.org to enter the lottery until July 22.

In these early stages of ticket sales, fans buy tickets within general sections of venues and not specific seats. LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said as the organizing committee gets more clarity on the seating arrangement in each venue, fans will get their seat assignments. A similar arrangement for the FIFA World Cup caused a stir when FIFA appeared to create a new ticket category two months before the event began, frustrating fans who already had spent hundreds of dollars for what they believed were prime seats. Hoover said LA28 would not do anything similar.

“We’re not pulling a bait and switch on you,” Hoover told The Times.

Hoover said LA28 is observing operations for the FIFA World Cup, especially transportation for spectators, but recognizes that the scope of eight World Cup matches in L.A. pales in comparison to what the organizing committee will face in 2028. The 2028 Olympic Games will be the largest in history with almost 11,000 athletes. That event will be followed by the longest Paralympic Games in history and the first Paralympics in L.A.

President Donald Trump was able to purge his most vocal critics within the Republican Party, as Americans voted for the congressional candidates who will run in November’s midterm elections.

One of the most prominent politicians to be unseated was Representative Thomas Massie, who pushed for the release of the Epstein files.

The Democratic Party partially released a report about performance that noted “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters”.

Host Steve Clemons asks former Trump aide Hogan Gidley, and Matt Duss – former adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders – about the challenges facing both parties.

Noah Wyle is a consensus pick, with a sizable lead over Mark Ruffalo. Glenn Whipp sums up the Buzz: “There’s little chance that Noah Wyle doesn’t repeat.”

The panel, though, says it would like to see the academy sidestep its usual voting habits and honor some genre work as well. Walton Goggins of the video game-spawned “Fallout,” Antony Starr of the super-powered satire “The Boys” and Peter Claffey of “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” all get votes, while Alfred Molina and Karl Urban get shout-outs.

Matt Roush says, “While fantasy seems a long shot, ‘Fallout’s’ Walton Goggins and ‘The Boys’ adversaries Antony Starr and Karl Urban are all worthy.”

“You can’t help but root for ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ ’ Ser Duncan the Tall — a naive underdog chasing his dreams while trying to do the right thing,” says Tracy Brown of Claffey.

Even No. 3 pick Sterling K. Brown is in a sci-fi/postapocalyptic entry, “Paradise.” If he can survive the end of civilization, surely he can withstand a stressed-out ER doc? “It may seem inevitable for Noah Wyle to take the trophy again,” writes Trey Mangum. “But I wouldn’t count Brown out just yet.”

More predictions: drama series | drama actress | drama supp. actor | drama supp. actress

1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
2. Mark Ruffalo, “Task”
3. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
4. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”
6. Walton Goggins, “Fallout”
7. Billy Bob Thornton, “Landman”
8. Antony Starr, “The Boys”

Los Angeles Times

Lorraine Ali

1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
2. Mark Ruffalo, “Task”
T3. Walton Goggins, “Fallout”
T3. Antony Starr, “The Boys”
T5. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
T5. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
T5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”

“It’s hard to look at Walter Goggins’ noseless ‘Fallout’ character, the Ghoul, without retching, but his compelling performance also makes it hard to turn away. Antony Starr brings to life another type of monster: an egomaniacal, king-of-the-world superhero in ‘The Boys.’ Then there’s Noah Wyle. He plays a doctor.”

Freelance Critic

Kristen Baldwin

1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
2. Mark Ruffalo, “Task”
3. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
4. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”
6. Walton Goggins, “Fallout”

“There’s not a lot of wiggle room in this category, but don’t count out Alfred Molina, who stars in Netflix’s ‘The Boroughs,’ a sort of ‘senior citizens battle stranger things’ drama from the Duffer Brothers. (Of course, Molina will have to get through Jon Hamm, Peter Claffey and Billy Bob Thornton first.)”

Los Angeles Times

Tracy Brown

1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
2. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
3. Mark Ruffalo, “Task”
4. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
5. Walton Goggins, “Fallout”
6. Peter Claffey, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”

“This might be a long shot for Peter Claffey, but you can’t help but root for ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’’ Ser Duncan the Tall — a naive underdog chasing his dreams while trying to do the right thing. Last year’s winner Noah Wyle is the strong front–runner, though.”

Blavity

Trey Mangum

1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
2. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
3. Mark Ruffalo, “Task”
4. Billy Bob Thornton, “Landman”
5. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
6. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”

“If ‘Paradise’s’ drama series buzz is big enough, I think Sterling K. Brown could really be a force here, though it seems as if it may seem inevitable for Noah Wyle to take the trophy again. But I wouldn’t count Brown out just yet.”

TV Insider

Matt Roush

1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
2. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
3. Mark Ruffalo, “Task”
4. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”
6. Billy Bob Thornton, “Landman”

“Noah Wyle and Sterling K. Brown are locks to repeat, and Mark Ruffalo’s mournful ‘Task’ hero is another potential winner. Billy Bob Thornton carries ‘Landman’ on his weary shoulders. While fantasy seems a long shot, ‘Fallout’s’ Walton Goggins and ‘The Boys’ adversaries Antony Starr and Karl Urban are all worthy.”

Los Angeles Times

Glenn Whipp

1. Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
2. Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
3. Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
4. Mark Ruffalo, “Task”
5. Rufus Sewell, “The Diplomat”
6. Jon Hamm, “Your Friends & Neighbors”

“ ‘Slow Horses’ has been breaking through at the Emmys the last couple of years, winning for writing and direction. Might it be Gary Oldman’s time? It’s a nice thought … but there’s little chance that Noah Wyle doesn’t repeat for ‘The Pitt.’ ”

Outrage continues to grow over the Israeli soldier who was photographed desecrating a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon, including among Trump’s former MAGA allies. From a Polish MP to a Palestinian theologian, observers say it reveals a wider pattern.