finally

Here’s TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARGs), using publicly available open-source information. Check out last week’s map here.

The historic deployment of the Gerald R. Ford CSG appears to be winding down, finally. The strike group – now deployed for a record-setting 314 days – transited the Suez Canal northbound on May 1 and has reportedly begun the journey back home to Norfolk, according to the Washington Post. However, CENTCOM still has two CSGs under its command, led by USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush, positioned in the Arabian Sea together for the first time since the conflict kicked off. The second carrier provides additional flexibility to enforce the blockade, support the just-announced ‘Project Freedom’ mission to get commercial vessels out of the Persian Gulf, and, should combat operations resume, strike Iran with double the firepower.

“U.S. military support to Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members,” CENTCOM stated in a release on Sunday. But reporting from the Wall Street Journal claims the plan “doesn’t currently involve U.S. Navy warships escorting vessels through the strait,” and the mechanics of the mission remain unclear. Also of note, Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM’s Commander based in Florida, visited troops over the weekend.

Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, visited USS Milius (DDG 69), May 2, as the guided-missile destroyer patrolled regional waters in support of the U.S. blockade operations against Iran. While on board, he interacted with Sailors and addressed them on the 1MC while highlighting… pic.twitter.com/2qTmMmfY05

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 3, 2026

The Boxer ARG steamed northbound through the Malacca Strait on April 30, TWZ was among the first to report, and entered the Indian Ocean the following day. Boxer went dark on AIS shortly after completing the transit but, assuming a direct route to reinforce the Tripoli ARG in the Middle East, could arrive in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility sometime next week. As of publication, the ARG was still operating under U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Continuing her scenic tour circumnavigating South America, USS Nimitz moved through the Strait of Magellan and into the Atlantic Ocean on April 26. While Nimitz’s exact position is currently unknown, pictures on DVIDS show her most recently participating in a PHOTOEX off the southeast coast of Argentina.

Note: Positions are general approximations. Non-deployed LHA/LHD amphibious warships are not shown.

Contact the author: ian.ellis-jones@teamrecurrent.io

SHE went from a little known model to posing for Fendi almost overnight when she started dating Brooklyn Beckham.

Stunning Hana Cross, now 28, dated the nepo baby for just eight months but almost seven years on the Beckham family name still haunts her – and as insiders tell us she’s gained a reputation for being difficult to work with, the famous connection is doing more and more of the heavy lifting.

An industry source explained: “Hana can be hard work behind the scenes, especially when things don’t go her way, and that’s started to follow her.

“Brands are becoming more hesitant, not because of one specific issue, but because of a general unpredictability around how things might be received with her.

“Brands have mentioned how difficult she is to work with. She’s a stunning girl with so much potential but there’s a sense some partnerships have cooled as companies weigh up whether the attention she brings is the right kind.

“There’s a growing feeling in the industry that a lot of the attention around her still ties back to her past with Brooklyn, whether she likes it or not.”

We’re told she recently hired a new press team to help restore her reputation and shed the family name once and for all.

It became apparent just how far off that dream was earlier this year as she found herself dragged into the Beckham family drama surrounding Brooklyn falling out with his parents.

Our source continued: “The recent Beckham drama has definitely rattled her more than she’s letting on, she’s trying to stay composed but it’s clearly unsettled things behind the scenes

“She’s more cautious than ever now, particularly when it comes to anything linked to that circle

“She’s brought in a new PR team in an attempt to reset the narrative and give herself a fresh angle. There’s a sense that without her Brooklyn ties, there’s not much cutting through in terms of her own identity.”

The Leeds-born model started dating the eldest of the Beckham brood, 27, back in 2018, but it was a tumultuous time, overshadowed by a series of very public rows.

Hana was thrown into the spotlight – compared to Brooklyn she’s had a very modest upbringing, living in Huddersfield and then Chipping Campden, where she attended the local state school. 

From Leeds to LA

Born Hana Mahmood, her mum Sarah was working in a shop when she married Khalid Mahmood in November 1994. 

When she was 18 she was scouted while out shopping with her mum in Cotswolds. She had been planning to go to university to study business with equine studies, but her career took off pretty quickly.

Hana has worked for everyone from high street brands Topshop and New Look to designers Valentino and Missoni.

She was 21 when she first met Brooklyn, who was 19 at the time. It’s thought that Brooklyn’s cousin Libby Adams introduced them and they soon became inseparable.

The couple appeared to have their struggles at the time and they were pictured seemingly having a heated discussion outside a Los Angeles restaurant.

And not long after, another confrontation at the Agent Provocateur party, at Annabel’s members club in London in September 2019, left Hanna running to the bathroom in tears.

A fellow partygoer at the time told The Sun Online: “They were chatting together and it was very tense. By the end of it I could hear Brooklyn say, ‘it is what it is.’

“He walked off and she went back to her friends looking dejected, but she held it together while her pals comforted her”.

Brooklyn’s parents Victoria and David were said to be “seriously frustrated” by the negative attention the rows were creating and warned him to spend more time with the family.

Looking back at that time in a rare interview Hana admitted that dating the budding chef and being part of the famous family sparked her “anxiety” .

She told Hello! Magazine: “My time with the family caused me a lot of anxiety, in all honesty.

“There were a lot of warning signs and things that happened during the relationship that, in hindsight, should have made me think and maybe end the relationship or walk away a lot sooner than it did”.

In recent months Brooklyn’s current relationship – his marriage to Nicola Peltz – has come under scrutiny due to his very public family feud.

The famous family’s spat exploded when he launched a nuclear attack on his famous parents – blasting his Spice Girls star mother, 51, in a damning message posted on social media.

Hana admitted: “It’s hard not to be mentally drawn back into that part of my life, especially with all this feud stuff coming out. 

“It’s hard because I don’t look back on that as a fond time, on reflection.”

The couple finally called it quits in the summer of 2019, which was said to be a huge relief to Brooklyn’s parents. Little did they know Nicola Peltz was just around the corner. 

Hana had a brief foray into music and released a track that seemed to hint at Brooklyn. 

She sang: “I wish that someone told me you had a habit for dishonesty – though you break my heart, I want to stay.”

She went on to date Jude Law‘s son Rafferty, Jack Whitehall and Scott Disick. She’s now living in LA and was last linked to aristocrat Peregrine Pearson, following his split from Sophie Turner. 

Our insider added: “It’s a bit of a catch 22 situation because she knows that without Brooklyn she wouldn’t be where she is now and it’s still the thing people are most interested about with her.

“But she’s determined to push forward and prove she can stand on her own.”

Driven by a race to get ahead of quickly evolving enemy capabilities, the U.S. Navy is now aiming to enter the next step of contracting for its 6th-generation crewed fighter – known as F/A-XX – by August. Despite intervention from Congress, the next-generation carrier-based fighter has remained in limbo since the Pentagon moved to effectively shelve the program last year.

That’s according to Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Daryl Caudle, who spoke with reporters Monday at the Sea-Air-Space 2026 exposition near Washington, D.C. In response to a question from TWZ, Caudle acknowledged the uncertainty that has kept F/A-XX in a holding pattern, even as the Air Force’s future fighter, dubbed the F-47, has forged ahead. The current competitors for the F/A-XX are Boeing, which is also the F-47’s prime contractor, and Northrop Grumman.

“One of the challenges we’re seeing is, not only [are] our peer competitors improving their capability for anti-air, either air-to-air or surface-to-air, but the lower cost of entry of very capable weapons is also making more players on the field in which that level of stealth and technology is required,” Caudle, the Navy’s top officer, said. “So this is not about the need for a peer adversary. This is just having an aircraft that can operate with a level of uncertainty and with the acceptable level of risk.”

This is in line with arguments Caudle made in favor of moving ahead of F/A-XX in January, where he cited growing threats posed by smaller nation-state adversaries, including Iran, as well as non-state actors.

Today, Caudle again emphasized that he nevertheless had been “very vocal” on the need for a carrier-based next-generation fighter, and had expressed “many times” to Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg that the service had to secure the aircraft. It’s important, Caudle said, for both the future carrier air wing and collaboration and planning with the MQ-25 Stingray, the Boeing-made carrier refueling drone set to reach initial operational capability later this year.

“It ties to our MQ-25 for stealth refueling. It ties to our reach. It ties to the work we’re doing for making the carrier air wing something that remains very effective into the future based on the range in which you can operate safely,” Caudle said. “So the need’s clearly there.”

MQ-25A Stingray first taxi test

While it was recently reported that the Navy, bolstered by funding from Congress for the new F/A-XX, planned to award a contract for the program by year end, Caudle said August was now the likely timeframe.

As noted, the Pentagon had moved to essentially shelve F/A-XX in its Fiscal Year 2026 budget request, with the Navy only requesting a relatively meager $74 million for the program. U.S. officials said at the time this decision had been driven largely by concerns about the ability of the U.S. industrial base to support work on two sixth-generation fighters, the other being the F-47, simultaneously.

Congress subsequently interceded, appropriating $1.69 billion for F/A-XX through a combination of regular spending bills and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. From a budgetary perspective, the Navy’s next-generation fighter program remains well behind the F-47, which has already received billions in funding and could be in line to get approximately $5 billion more in Fiscal Year 2027. The Navy only appears to be requesting an additional $140 million for its new carrier-based combat jet in the $1.5 trillion proposed defense budget for the next fiscal cycle.

“We’ve got a lot of airframes out there. We’ve got an F-35 program. We’ve got a F-47 program. You know, we’re still building the [F/A-18 Super Hornet] … there’s a lot of airplanes being built,” Adm. Caudle said today. “The Air Force has got a lot of demand on the system. The Navy’s got a lot of demand … One of the contractors who would make this plane for us is in a place where they really can’t deliver in the timeframe we need it. So there was, you know, a check twice, cut once, kind of mentality here on this decision. And now there, I think we’re all on the same page on the reason why the hard look needed to be done. I’m good with it.”

As noted, Boeing and Northrop Grumman are in competition to produce the F/A-XX, a program that first took shape as a Navy request for information in 2012. An earlier down-select reportedly eliminated Lockheed Martin in March 2025. Last August, Northrop Grumman released a rendering of its concept for the aircraft, showing a streamlined nose and landing gear on the front of a carrier with the tagline, “Project Power Anywhere.” Boeing’s concept, released the same month, drew visual comparisons to its F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter for the Air Force.

Citing classification, Adm. Caudle said today he couldn’t provide any information on design or payload details that give the Navy confidence in pursuing F/A-XX despite the adversary threats he mentioned. However, he suggested speed was increasingly essential to having a chance at maintaining overmatch.

“We monitor very closely, red-team that very hard, and assess that threat with a predicted trajectory of whether or not the existing designs we’ve seen will still overmatch that,” he said. “So I think we’re okay there, but we do know that our existing airframes could become vulnerable to some of those threats by the time [it’s fielded] … because it takes time to deliver that, that our existing airframes could be vulnerable to some of those threats, and we want to make sure the air wing of the future can still participate.”

Despite Caudle’s comments today, it should be remembered that this is not the first time that major progress on the Navy’s next-gen fighter has supposedly been imminent. Last October, Reuters reported the program had been greenlighted by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, with a contract expected to follow in short order. 

Aside from funding moves from Congress to ensure the survival of the F/A-XX program, no public steps have been taken to advance the program since.

Contact the editor: Tyler@twz.com

The project has been delayed by a year.

After multiple setbacks and delays, the opening of the world’s largest wildlife bridge has finally been revealed. Spiralling costs and building delays pushed the project back by at least a year.

Work has been underway on the bridge for four and a half years. Now, it has been confirmed that the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills, north of Los Angeles, will open on December 2.

The project leaders made the announcement on Earth Day. Managers said: “What a journey this has been! And we cannot wait to celebrate with you all.”

The main section of the bridge, which spans 10 lanes of the freeway, has largely been completed and landscaped. Work still left to do includes building over Agoura Road and connecting both ends of the bridge to the open space on either side.

It will eventually allow wildlife to safely pass through. California’s regional director for the National Wildlife Federation, Beth Pratt, has already seen some wildlife enjoying the bridge.

She told KNX News Radio: “I’ve recorded multiple species of butterflies up here. We’ve had, I think, eight species of birds.

“We’ve had red-tailed hawks and American kestrels fly by, so wildlife are already responding to it, even though it’s not connected to the landscape.”

The goal of the project is to reinvigorate the mountain lion population in the area. Animals that are frequently hit by cars on the freeway are also set to benefit, which include bears, bobcats, foxes, coyotes and deer.

The bridge has faced multiple delays and criticism. In 2022, the project broke ground with a $90million price tag (£66.5million) and was set to be completed by 2025.

However, reports today say the total has climbed to $114million (£84.5million), which has been paid for through private donations and public funds.

Project leaders have said near-record rainfall, which saturated the site in 2023 and 2024, delayed work. Project costs were also pushed higher due to inflation, labour shortages and the complexity of the project.

In a blog post, project leaders said: “The criticism often flattens a far more complicated reality. This is not a standard overpass. Engineers are effectively building a living ecosystem over 10 lanes of one of the busiest freeways in the country.”

It added: “Projects of this scale should be questioned, audited and debated—especially when it’s the public’s money being used.

“But they should also be judged on their purpose. In a region where wildlife populations face genetic isolation and frequent freeway deaths, doing nothing carries its own cost.

“The real question is not whether the crossing is ambitious—it clearly is. It’s whether Southern California is willing to invest in repairing the environmental missteps that made the project necessary in the first place.”

“Scratchers” is the familiar California Lottery game in which players rub a silver coating off tickets to see if they have won.

A similar game is being played in the San Fernando Valley by voters who have received campaign material from state Senate candidate Richard Alarcon.

Alarcon, a city councilman, is in a tight primary race with former Assemblyman Richard Katz to replace state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) who is being forced out of office due to term limits.

Last month, Alarcon began distributing hundreds of campaign brochures that question Katz’s legislative record. On the back is a list of 13 former and current elected officials who endorse Alarcon.

But one of the names on the list has been blacked out with ink and covered with a piece of white tape, on which is printed the name of another Alarcon supporter, former Assembly Majority Leader Mike Roos.

At several recent campaign events, people have been seen scratching at the tape on the back of the brochure to try to reveal the name. One woman who tried complained that she couldn’t get past the ink and the white tape.

“Whose name did they hide under there?” she asked.

The hidden name is that of Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa (D-Los Angeles). Sources close to Villaraigosa say that Alarcon’s campaign printed Villaraigosa’s name on the brochure without the speaker’s consent. When Villaraigosa found out, he blew a fuse and demanded that his name be removed because he had decided not to make an endorsement in the race.

By then, sources say, hundreds of the brochures had been printed. The only way to remove Villaraigosa’s name was to cover it with another name.

When asked about the brochures, Alarcon would only say: “There was a misunderstanding.”

Greening

In the Broadway musical “The Music Man” traveling salesman Harold Hill sings about the evils of pool, which he notes starts with “P” and that rhymes with “T” and that stands for trouble, trouble, trouble.

Maria Armoudian, the Green Party candidate vying to unseat Rep. Howard Berman (D-Mission Hills) has no hang-ups about pool halls. For her, pool starts with “P” and that rhymes with “C” and that stands for cash, cash, cash.

Armoudian’s first fund-raiser will be June 11 at Fantasia Billiards. For $10, supporters can get their fill of food, pool and political speeches. “I’m committed to changing the world,” Armoudian said, “but I’m going to have fun while I’m doing it.”

Full Speed Ahead

The newest advocate of a separate San Fernando Valley transit zone agency is Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.

Riordan gave his endorsement of the proposal in a letter submitted to the MTA board by Alarcon, a strong backer of the idea. Alarcon also submitted the city’s notice of intent to seek formation of the agency.

Alarcon has long argued such an agency could improve bus service. Riordan agreed.

However, the mayor wrote, not just cheaper service but more buses on the road should be the goal, and the Valley shouldn’t benefit at the expense of other areas of the city.

When Alarcon gave the mayor’s letter, together with the letter of intent, to the MTA board, some board members couldn’t hold back their enthusiasm.

Although the letter is supposed to kick off studies that are expected to take months, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich suggested bringing the proposal back in June for approval. Alarcon said he actually found himself urging restraint.

“I said, ‘I appreciate that greatly, but perhaps conceptual approval would be appropriate,” he said.

Exalted Company

Deputy Mayor Rocky Delgadillo, the mayor’s economic development czar, found himself elbow to elbow with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and actress Lauren Bacall recently at a dinner he attended to receive Columbia University’s prestigious University Medal of Excellence this week.

Delgadillo, a graduate of Columbia’s law school, joins such notables as scientist Stephen Jay Gould, choreographer Twyla Tharpe, and political analyst George Stephanopoulos in receiving the medal.

Talk, Talk

Don’t expect the hotly contested proposal to build 24,300 homes at Newhall Ranch near Santa Clarita to come before the Board of Supervisors any time soon.

The proposal, which would plunk 70,000 people down on what is now grazing and farmland, is scheduled to be heard by the supervisors next Tuesday. However, Antonovich has requested that the discussion be postponed until June. And a key player in Antonovich’s office has said he does not expect a final vote until fall.

In part, the delay is due to the vast volume of material–including a four-volume environmental impact report–that has accompanied the application by the developer, the Newhall Land & Farming Co.

But there’s another reason. Antonovich’s aides are hoping that a compromise can be reached between neighbors–many of whom vehemently oppose the project, and Newhall Land–before the application comes before the supervisors.

Antonovich spokesman Cam Currier would not say whether progress had been made since the board held a public hearing on the project in March. But, he said, Antonovich’s office is attempting to facilitate discussions,.

“There is an ongoing dialogue between the developer and those who oppose the project,” Currier said.

The U.S. Navy has finally confirmed that an MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone crashed back on April 9. The circumstances that led to the loss of the uncrewed aircraft remain unknown, but the incident has now been described as a mishap. The uncrewed aircraft had vanished unexpectedly from online flight tracking sites while flying over the Persian Gulf, but where exactly where it went down is unclear.

You can read more about what was already known about the fate of the MQ-4C in our initial reporting here.

Naval Safety Command’s latest publicly available mishap summary report, which appears to have been published today, includes the following brief entry:

“9 Apr 2026 (Location Withheld – OPSEC [Operational Security]) MQ-4C crashed, no injury to personnel.”

Not surprisingly, this is categorized as a Class A mishap, which is defined as one that causes more than $2 million in damages, results in one or more individuals dying or being permanently disabled, or any combination of the above. Navy budget documents last pegged the unit price of an MQ-4C at just over $238 million. As of 2025, the Navy had 20 of these drones in service in total, with plans to acquire seven more.

TWZ reached out to the Navy and CENTCOM for comment. The Navy directed us to contact CENTCOM, and the command declined to comment.

The MQ-4C was widely assumed to have gone down last week. Right before the flow of online tracking data stopped, a huge and sudden loss of altitude, from a typical cruising altitude of around 50,000 feet down to below 10,000 feet, was recorded. At the time, the drone looked to be heading back to its base at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy after completing a surveillance mission over the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz.

The drone’s transponder had also been broadcasting (or “squawking”) the code 7700, which is a general declaration of an in-flight emergency, at the time. However, as TWZ noted at the time, the code, by itself, does not provide details about the nature or severity of the emergency. There were also reports that the Triton had initially squawked 7400, a different code used to declare the drone had lost its connection with controllers on the ground.

As noted, where exactly the drone went down is not clear. It was last tracked flying in international airspace over the Persian Gulf in the direction of Iran, but there is no evidence it went down in that country.

It is also unknown what steps may have been taken, or still be underway, to recover the downed MQ-4C. Each one of the drones carries a powerful active electronically scanned array (AESA) multi-mode radar, electro-optical and infrared video cameras in a turret under the nose, and electronic support measures systems for collecting electronic intelligence passively. The Navy, in cooperation with prime contractor Northrop Grumman, has also been working to upgrade the signals intelligence suites on these drones in recent years.

If an adversary could recover any of these systems largely intact, it could represent a significant intelligence loss. Though there are no indications whatsoever that the MQ-4C went down due to hostile fire, recovery of the wreckage could still be of benefit for propaganda purposes, especially for Iran in the context of the latest conflict.

Iran did shoot down a Navy RQ-4 Broad Area Maritime Surveillance-Demonstrator (BAMS-D) drone while it was flying over the Gulf of Oman in 2019, and promptly put what remained of the uncrewed aircraft on display. The BAMS-D was a precursor to the MQ-4C. The Triton is derived from the core RQ-4 Global Hawk design, but is optimized for long-duration overwater missions.

BRITNEY Spears has checked herself into rehab after gentle encouragement from her sons.

The Sun understands she resisted going to an inpatient facility for a month following her arrest for driving under the influence at the beginning of March.

But Britney has finally sought help after a series of heart to hearts with her sons Preston and Jayden, who have rallied around her following the incident.

The news broke early this morning that she had agreed to receive treatment.

Insiders said Britney decided to attend a placement only if it was away from Los Angeles, as she is so suspicious of medical experts there.

A US source explained: “Britney has had some seriously bad experiences in the past when she’s been at her lowest ebb, and is terrified of anyone taking advantage of her.

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“Over the last five weeks, her management team and friends have been trying to persuade her to seek professional help but she expressed deep fears that all facilities in LA were ‘against me’.

“Her deep suspicions about LA’s medical community still stems from her time in the conservatorship controlled by her dad. She always felt that they acted against her will and made her ill.

“However her sons have had several heart to hearts with her in recent days and persuaded her to try somewhere different, out of town, with new experts to assist her.

“Britney has gone to the facility, but has not made any promises about how long her stay will be. Her stay is voluntary so she can check out or walk away whenever she wants.

“Jayden especially has become extremely close to Britney recently and has moved in with her.

“He wants to make sure she is in a good place and mentally strong enough for her court appearance next month.”

Britney was arrested on March 4 after driving erratically and was found to have drugs and alcohol in her system.

The Toxic singer will be told about the extent of charges in court on May 4.

Britney, who has bipolar disorder, famously shaved her head in 2007 and the following year she was put in a conservatorship which put her personal and financial affairs in the hands of her dad, Jamie.

That agreement was terminated in 2021 but it’s not been smooth sailing since then, with erratic social media posts leading many to question her wellbeing.

A NEW multi-million pound train station has finally been approved – 24 years after it was first proposed.

Construction of the East London station has been plagued by delays since plans were initially drawn up in 2002.

It took until just last week for the Housing Secretary officially to announce ‘a new Beam Park rail station could be accommodated within the existing rail network’.

The station will be built along the c2c line, running between Dagenham Dock and Rainham.

From there, the train will take just 20 minutes to reach London Fenchurch Street.

Developers have already committed a staggering £42 million to the project, but if delays continue, costs are expected to rise.

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This comes as part of an ongoing redevelopment in the area – where 20,000 new homes are expected to be built by 2030.

So far, more than 1,100 homes have been completed and a further 1,200 are under construction.

Beam Park residents officially moved into the area five years ago, but have had to rely on local buses for transport.

The Greater London Authority, London Borough of Havering, and Transport for London said they will partner together to make the station a reality.

Ray Morgon, Havering Council Leader, added: “We have always said that we would do all we can to ensure Beam Park Station is built. 

“The station is much needed for Beam Park and neighbouring Dagenham, which will enable housing and business growth in this key area.”

DRAMATIC drone footage has captured Manchester’s major indoor leisure resort taking shape.

The £500 million Therme development, spanning roughly 28 football pitches, can be seen coming together from above.

Chief Commercial Officer Jonathan Lingham said: “For the first time, you can see the design translating into reality.

“The central hub is a defining part of the scheme, and it’s now clearly visible on site as the project begins to take shape.”

Once complete, Therme Manchester will be one of the largest urban wellbeing resorts in the world and the “biggest paid-for attraction in the UK”.

It is currently scheduled to open at the end of 2028, boasting several state-of-the-art facilities.

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Inside, visitors can expect a heated waterpark with lots of spa and wellness facilities.

The complex will have an outdoor beach as well.

This will be the first Therme site in the UK with separate locations in Germany and Romania.

Therme Manchester was first announced back in 2020 and was due to open in 2024, before being delayed.

When construction started in September, Therme UK CEO Prof. David Russell said: “Today marks the official beginning of a once-in-a-generation project for Manchester and the North West.

“Therme Manchester will be a place for everyone – a unique destination where wellbeing, sustainability, art and culture come together.”

For scientists, measuring the water in a river or a lake is relatively straightforward. It’s much more complicated to figure out how much water lies underground.

After years of research, a team of scientists has finally mapped what remains of these hidden waters across the United States, and they’ve produced the most extensive estimate of the country’s groundwater to date.

Researchers at Princeton University and the University of Arizona took data from about 800,000 wells and applied a machine-learning model to estimate the depth of the water table nationwide.

“Groundwater is out of sight and out of mind for most people,” said Reed Maxwell, a hydrologist at Princeton and co-author of the recent study in the journal Nature. “Knowing how much we have will be helpful in knowing how to use it wisely.”

They incorporated data on the geology of aquifers and estimated down to nearly 1,300 feet, far deeper than most wells.

The scientists say their detailed map and data could help local decision-makers address overpumping from stressed aquifers, and help researchers estimate how much water has been depleted.

California has seriously depleted groundwater in the San Joaquin, Salinas and Cuyama valleys, Ventura County and other places, with some of the fastest rates of water decline in the world.

In parts of the Central Valley, where large farms draw heavily from wells, aquifer levels have plummeted. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates it has lost 128 million acre-feet, comparable to the volume of Lake Tahoe, since pumps started pulling it out in the early 20th century.

That was as of 2019, and water levels have continued to decline.

(Yueling Ma et al. / Princeton University)

In the desert Southwest, the groundwater is largely considered “fossil water” because it took millennia to accumulate. So once it is pumped out, it’s in effect gone for good.

Even depleting small amounts of water can be a problem, said co-author Laura Condon, a University of Arizona hydrologist. “We see this in Arizona and in Southern California too, where long before you run out of water, you start disappearing wetlands, disappearing small tributaries.”

The total quantity of water underground is still immense. The scientists found nationwide there is roughly 250 billion acre-feet, or 13 times the volume of the Great Lakes.

Data compiled by lead author Yueling Ma show the Colorado River watershed has about as much groundwater as the volume of the Great Lakes, while California has about 70% of that.

Those are vast quantities, but the researchers said that definitely doesn’t mean there is plenty of water to recklessly use up. Declines in groundwater levels have in recent years caused household wells to sputter and run dry, streams and wetlands to dry up, and land to sink, damaging canals and levees. California’s database of dry wells shows about 6,000 have run dry since 2013, but in the last year, only 13 dry wells were reported. So that problem has slowed down for now. It could soon worsen again.

The new map shows groundwater varies widely across the country. In some places, you have to drill down 300 feet to reach it. In others, it’s just a few feet below the soil.

The map can help scientists studying where slow-flowing aquifers are feeding nature, nourishing streams and wetlands.

Jay Famiglietti, a hydrologist and professor at Arizona State University who wasn’t involved in the research, called the researchers’ map and estimates a “remarkable achievement for modeling and understanding groundwater” in the United States.

The scientists “convincingly show that it is now possible to simulate groundwater depths and availability at very high resolutions,” he said, and they have made their results “accessible and useful for water managers across the country.”

He said the research adds to satellite measurements that scientists now use to track shifts in water over time. What the country still needs, he said, is a “national-scale network of deep groundwater wells” to track the quantity and quality of water all the way down to bedrock.

More water news

Two years ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a strategy to save declining salmon. Now, as Rachel Becker reports for CalMatters, members of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe say the state is ending its support for an effort to reintroduce endangered winter-run Chinook to waters upstream of Shasta Lake reservoir, and they feel betrayed.

The Trump administration recently announced it will spend $40 million to begin a plan to raise the height of Shasta Dam, which would expand California’s largest reservoir. As Camille von Kaenel reported for E&E News by Politico, dozens of environmental, fishing and tribal groups sent a letter to Newsom urging him to oppose the Trump administration’s renewed effort to raise the dam.

I followed up to ask Newsom’s office about the idea of raising Shasta Dam. “We aren’t getting distracted by conceptual projects, years from viability,” Newsom spokesperson Tara Gallegos said. Instead, she said the governor is focusing on getting the planned Sites Reservoir built northwest of Sacramento, which “will benefit regions throughout California and is much farther along towards construction.” Gallegos added that the state already is “a significant investor in the project, and the federal government should join us in ensuring this project comes to fruition.”

In the San Joaquin Valley, the Delta-Mendota subbasin has become the fourth farming area to avoid being placed on groundwater probation by state regulators. The State Water Resources Control Board voted this week not to impose enforcement measures on the area, Monserrat Solis reported for SJV Water.

More climate and environment news

The Trump administration has a budget proposal that calls for increasing military spending while slashing funding for clean energy and federal science programs. My colleague Hayley Smith wrote about the proposed cuts, which are strongly opposed by Democrats and environmental groups.

A wolf that captured national attention when she ventured into L.A. County earlier this year continues to make history. As Lila Seidman reports for The Times, it’s the first time a wolf has ventured into Inyo County in the Eastern Sierra in more than a century.

Imperial County supervisors voted to combine several parcels of land to clear the way for construction of a massive data center, which has faced opposition from residents who worry about the complex’s environmental footprint, Kori Suzuki reports for KPBS.

California’s last remaining nuclear power plant has received federal approval to run through at least 2030. My L.A. Times colleague Blanca Begert reports that the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has renewed Diablo Canyon Power Plant’s license to operate.

A couple more things

Los Angeles Climate Week started April 8, with a big lineup of community events running through April 15. Here is the full calendar of events, which include a day of activities along the L.A. River and an interfaith climate gathering.

PBS SoCal’s new season of its locally produced environmental series Earth Focus premieres April 22, Earth Day, at 7:30 p.m., with an episode focusing on how L.A. stadiums are taking steps to be more environmentally friendly.

This is the latest edition of Boiling Point, a newsletter about climate change and the environment in the American West. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. And listen to our Boiling Point podcast here.

For more water and climate news, follow Ian James @ianjames.bsky.social on Bluesky and @ByIanJames on X.

INFLUENCER Molly-Mae Hague has addressed Tommy Fury’s controversial fight date.

She has also detailed the horrible experience she endured when she was left alone after welcoming her first baby.

Earlier this year, the influencer, 26, announced that she and Tommy Fury are expecting their second child together.

She has now opened up about Tommy’s controversial fight date and what she really thinks about it.

Tommy will return to the boxing ring on June 13 in Manchester in a fight against former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall. 

Molly’s baby is due around the same time as Tommy’s fight, with her now opening up about it all candidly in a Q&A video on YouTube.

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“A lot of questions about how do you feel about Tommy’s fight and obviously the date of it,” she said in her vlog.

“Obviously I knew that you guys were going to like be concerned about that and have questions about that, but fear not.

:Fear not fair maiden because we’re actually feeling really, really good about it and have a really good plan in place.”

She went on: “There’s actually like a good amount of time between my birth, my supposed birth because basically I’m having the baby in London again.

“So I gave birth with Bambi at The Portland.

“I’m not worried and I’m actually really, really happy that he’s got a fight because it’s been over a year since his last fight.”

She trailed off and spoke about how “difficult” it is to get a fight date secured, adding: “So just having a date for something and and having a focus and us having like I don’t know something to look forward to in the fight like it’s just I think it’s actually a really, really, really positive thing and he will be here when I get home.

“He will be able to support me.”

She then spoke about the horrendous situation after she had given birth last time, saying: “It’s not going to be anything like the the last time.

“I mean that was a very, very bespoke and ridiculous situation to have one of like the most high pressure fights.

“Like there was so much pressure on him for the Jake Paul fight.

“It was just mental and obviously it was our first baby. I just given birth and he was literally going to Saudi and it was it was really hard.

“But this time round it’s not going to be anything like that.

“He will be at home. He will be living at home. He will be having his camp at home. We’re actually feeling really, really good about it.

“So, no concerns over here. We’re in a really, really great place. Everything feels, almost just feel like a little bit too good to be true.”

Molly also explained how she has no birth plan other than to hopefully have an epidural.

She also explained how she hopes not to have a C-section.

SEASIDE lovers are in for a treat as an iconic pier is finally re-opening today.

The historic 145-year-old pier is back in business after a grueling six-month closure that left locals and tourists high and dry.

Hythe Pier, which stretches a whopping 700 yards into Southampton Water, has undergone a massive “deep clean” and vital electrical upgrades to make it ship-shape for the public.

And the best part is it’ll cost sun-seekers just £1 to take a stroll and soak up the stunning coastal views.

Local leaders are hailing the move as a massive “first step” in bringing the Hampshire town’s “beating heart” back to life.

The pier, which first opened its doors in 1881, was forced to shut last year due to safety concerns and infrastructure wobbles.

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But thanks to a band of dedicated volunteers and local businesses, the Grade II-listed structure is ready for action once again.

A spokesperson for the Hythe Pier, Train and Ferry Group previously said: “We could see how incredibly important it was that we bring our much-loved pier back to the community.

“Every £1 you spend goes back into the pier, supporting its future. Come and walk the full length, take in the views, and be part of this next chapter.”

The pier is also home to a historic ferry train which having opened in 1922 makes it the world’s oldest, a feat recognised by Guinness World Records.

While the walkway is officially open from 10am today, fans of the pier’s world-famous railway will have to wait a little longer.

Work is still ongoing to get the vintage carriages and the ferry service back on track, but bosses are “hopeful” the full service will be restored soon.

Hythe councillor Malcolm Wade said: “It’s really good news that it has been opened so residents can go up and down the pier again.”

The pier’s reopening is a major shot in the arm for the quaint town, which relies on the landmark to draw in thousands of visitors every year.

BRADLEY Dack has finally removed his wedding ring three months after splitting up from wife Olivia Attwood.

The couple married in 2023 but split in January this year, with the footballer continuing to wear his ring until this weekend – as Olivia’s romance with Pete Wicks was confirmed.

Gillingham footballer Bradley was seen on Sunday without his wedding band.

Dressed in black, the sportsman appeared downcast as he headed from his car to catch a train.

It came just hours after Olivia’s new romance with Pete Wicks was confirmed, as The Sun shared a snap of them kissing during a night out on Friday.

A source confirmed to us that friendship had turned to romance for the longtime pals, but assured there was no crossover with Olivia and Bradley’s marriage.

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Nonetheless, Bradley has made his feeling’s on his estranged wife’s new romance clear.

The footballer unfollowed Olivia on Instagram following the news, alongside taking off his ring.

In January, it was revealed that Olivia split from Bradley following a “breach of trust” on his side.

Now, a source has told The Sun on Sunday that this romance has also dashed Bradley’s hopes of a reconciliation with Olivia.

“Bradley is livid, he’s not surprised at all but is completely embarrassed and upset,” they said.

The source continued: “He can’t believe Olivia has moved on so publicly and they’ve not even signed the divorce papers.

“Bradley was hopeful for a reunion with Olivia but after this, he’s just livid and will take her to the cleaners.

“He’s suspected things for the past year but she’s always denied it.”

Before their kiss, and her split from Bradley, Pete and Olivia’s close friendship has raised eyebrows since they were pictured cosying up on a yacht in Ibiza last summer.

But confirming the timelines, a source told us over the weekend that the romance has come around naturally over recent weeks.

“They have been spending a lot of time together and an unexpected romance has blossomed from friendship,” they said.

It’s taken 18 months, but Bob Lomas has been shown the error of his ways and has said sorry to all those he offended

Sacked Reform candidate Bob Lomas has apologised for the racist comment that saw him disowned by party leader Nigel Farage 18 months ago, after being chained to a Black youth worker on Channel 4’s Handcuffed.

The former soldier, 70, has posted his apology on Instagram, after he was persuaded by Chris Preddie that his views were offensive and racist. In the video post the ex-Reform member, from Yorkshire, said: “My name is Bob Lomas and 18 months ago I said that Black people should get off their lazy arses, go and get a job and stop acting like savages.

“I can’t change what I said, I can only apologise for saying it. I vehemently apologise for using those words. I made a bloody big mistake and I am bloody sorry that I did and I want to apologise to anybody that is affected.”

Handcuffed, hosted by Jonathan Ross, sees people with opposing viewers shackled together for a shot at the £100,000 prize. In Monday’s episode viewers will see Chris Googling Bob to find out who he is actually chained to.

Bob admits having made the shocking comment that ended his political career, on Facebook, but starts off defending himself, arguing: “Everything’s racist if you want it to be. I witnessed a riot in London and was appalled by what was happening in my capital city. I could have worded it better but it gets to the point where you can’t say anything about anything.”

But Londoner Chris, who was awarded the OBE 13 years ago at the age of 25 for his inspirational youth work, said that the terminology had left him feeling “quite disgusted”. And once he has explained his own background, Bob backs down and admits that his views were wrong.

In the programme, Chris tells him that his father had died after being caught up in gangs and he was quickly groomed for a life of crime. himself. “I didn’t have a role model,” he explains. “I didn’t want to sell drugs but, if I didn’t, then I’m not eating. Not surviving.”

He credits the youth worker who helped him to break out with having “saved my life” because Chris feels certain he’d be “dead or in prison” without that support. Getting the OBE from the late Queen Elizabeth had been a huge honour. “I was so proud,” he confesses. “People started to see me as a normal citizen – I was told my whole life that I’d amount to nothing.”

Looking moved by what he’s learned, Bob admits that Chris’s story is “very, very shocking” and tells the camera that he’s impressed by how he not only got out, but went on to help others do the same. “He used that experience to help bring other young men and women out of that mindset. What he does for his community is unbelievable. I salute him.”

Bob was standing as the Reform candidate for Barnsley North when he was dropped by party leader Farage, along with two others, in June 2024 over remarks made by all three on social media. Speaking on Question Time afterwards, Farage claimed: “I wouldn’t want anything to do with them”. The racism within Reform was widely condemned by other political leaders, with Farage told to “get a grip” on his party.

– Handcuffed – Last Pair Standing continues on Monday, Channel 4, 9pm

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WORK is set to restart on a disused lido in Cumbria – two years after it was originally set to reopen.

The Grade-II listed lido in Grange-over-Sands has been closed since 1993, but could welcome back locals as soon as this summer.

The pool on the promenade in Grange-over-Sands first opened in 1932 and is the only surviving seaside lido in the north of England.

In 1993 the lido closed because of low usage and rising repair costs.

Work then began in 2023 with £6.8million worth of funding to restore the site with an initial opening timeframe of just 14 months.

The opening date was delayed but work continued – during this time there was an upgrade to the pavilion building and an accessible entrance from the promenade was created.

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The changing rooms have been upgraded, and work to the roof and terraces has been completed, so have security upgrades, cleaning, and decoration.

A new play area on-site has already been built and work to the diving board has been completed.

However, work was paused in May 2025 after problems with concrete at the site were discovered.

Now, it’s set to restart in April 2026, with Westmorland and Furness Council saying it hopes the site will be open at the end of this summer.

In its initial opening, it won’t be used as a lido.

There is a temporary infill of the pool and the site will be used as a public space before phase two of the restoration begins.

On the Save Grange Lido website, it explains: “There’s to be a 25m 6 lane pool with a depth of 1.35m which can be used for County Level competition and training, a smaller, shallower 13m pool (0.9m deep) and a paddling pool or splash pad.”

Locals have been vocal in wanting the outdoor lido to reopen for swimming.

In 2011, the lido was granted Grade-II listed status and in the same year, the Save Grange Lido group was formed.

18,000 people signed a petition calling on the council to include the reopening of the pool in any plans to restore the lido site.

Here’s another English seaside town’s beachfront lido that is set to reopen this summer despite fears of closure.

And this popular English seaside town reveals plans for huge £4.5million makeover.

Chelsea’s dominant record over United extends to the WSL, where they have never lost in 12 meetings, winning 10 of them.

But the gap has been closing.

This season, Chelsea needed an extra-time winner to knock United out of the FA Cup in their fifth-round tie and were held to a 1-1 draw in their WSL meeting in October.

It has been a turbulent time for the Londoners as they have fallen nine points behind WSL leaders Manchester City. Manager Sonia Bompastor has come under pressure and off-field issues – including the departure of much-loved head of women’s football Paul Green – have sparked debate and concern.

Suddenly, the ‘mentality monsters’ appear vulnerable – but can United take advantage?

“I don’t want to use this moment of vulnerability to do anything other than pretend we’re playing them at their best. Prepare for their best, and you can beat Chelsea,” Skinner said.

“We all know they’re an incredible team. Nobody’s denying that. But if we can get to our best levels in any game, I genuinely believe we can beat any team.

“Whatever form Chelsea are in, I’m going to challenge my team to be ready and focused on winning that game of football.

“Chelsea will do that. They’re not bothered about Manchester United, so we won’t be worried about them.”

Despite United’s strong campaign so far, some fans remain unconvinced.

This is the fourth successive season in which they have reached a domestic cup final, but they are yet to mount a genuine WSL title challenge and have lifted just one major trophy, the 2024 FA Cup, in their eight-year professional existence.

So can the club achieve more? Is Skinner getting the best out of his squad? Should United’s ambitions be more than just reaching finals?

“When you reach a certain level of experience in finals, you don’t want to not be experiencing them year-in, year-out. We also know that [in] the league, the teams behind the top four are investing more than enough to make it an open league,” said Skinner.

“The top-tier teams still spend the most and London City Lionesses are not far behind. We have to set our own markers at Manchester United. Whether you love it, or hate it – we’ve just got to compete. Sometimes we have to find different ways to do it.

“I’m not going to say my job isn’t to get us into cup finals and try to win them every year. All I’d ask is that if there’s a season where that doesn’t happen, you look at the context.

“If you’re not doing a good job [as a manager], then we all know what happens. You don’t have it any more and we move on.”