Jane Kim, a progressive former San Francisco supervisor with no insurance experience, appears to have won the race to be California’s industry commissioner, topping veteran legislator Ben Allen, who represents the Pacific Palisades community devastated by the January 2025 wildfires.
Kim, 49, declared victory Friday in the contest to replace outgoing Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, ahead of a final vote count. However, a narrow gap between the two Democratic candidates has widened since election day. She also topped June’s primary field.
“We pay into the system so that when the worst happens, we’re protected. Californians have kept our end of that bargain, but insurance companies have broken their side of the promise by denying, delaying and underpaying valid claims and dropping coverage. Voters made clear in this election that they want — and deserve — that promise restored,” she said in a statement that called the vote a “rejection of the status quo.”
Allen, 48, issued a statement noting that he had congratulated Kim earlier in the day and wished her well.
“Jane ran a strong race, and it appears that she has won,” he said. “Assuming that is the case, I desperately want her to succeed, because if she succeeds, the state succeeds, especially the families in need that we’ve been fighting for across the state.”
“I ran for this office because of what I saw after fires devastated my community and region. Families in the Palisades and Altadena who had paid their premiums for decades and did everything right and who are now struggling to get the help they need,” Allen added.
Election officials continue to tally the votes in the race, and no winner had been declared by the Associated Press as of Friday afternoon.
The downballot contest didn’t draw attention like the race for governor or Los Angeles mayor, even as Kim will take office amid a state home insurance crisis in which private carriers have raised rates and dropped hundreds of thousands of residential policyholders amid rising wildfire risks.
The January 2025 wildfires that devastated Altadena, Pacific Palisades and nearby communities exacerbated the problems, with widespread complaints that some insurers were illegally delaying, underpaying or denying claims — including from smoke-damaged homes . The situation prompted investigations by the department and Los Angeles County.
The commissioner oversees an office with 1,400 employees that regulates more than 1,700 home, auto, workers’ compensation and other insurers, as well as more than 510,000 agents, brokers, adjusters, bail agents and other business entities.
Kim, the daughter of Korean immigrants who attended Stanford and has a UC Berkeley law degree, entered the race with little statewide recognition but serious progressive bona fides.
During her time on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 2011 to 2019, she led campaigns to sharply raise the minimum wage and make the local community college tuition free. She also served as California political director for the 2020 presidential run of Bernie Sanders, the progressive independent senator from Vermont who stumped for her commissioner’s bid.
Kim built her campaign around a novel proposal to establish a state-run insurance pool largely funded by homeowners that would cover wildfire claims and invest in programs to reduce fire risks for homeowners and communities. Insurers would continue to cover other claims.
The plan responds to the growing number of homeowners who can’t find insurance and are forced into the California FAIR Plan, the state’s privately operated insurer of last resort, which typically offers more expensive and less broad coverage than the open market. Though the plan’s growth has slowed, as of Sept. 30 it insured 677,000 residential policyholders, up from 271,000 four years earlier.
Kim was criticized during the campaign by Allen and others for failing to provide details on how her so-called “single payer” system would work. In late October, she released a policy brief with more details, including how coverage would be capped at a replacement cost to fully rebuild the typical California home, with more expensive homes needing additional private wildfire insurance.
The novel plan would require buy-in from Gov.-elect Xavier Becerra, the Legislature and the industry.
Allen, who called the plan unworkable and too expensive, campaigned on a platform that called attention to his three Senate terms in the Legislature, where he authored bills that cracked down on insurers and offered consumers more protection. They included higher up-front payouts in fire losses without requiring itemization by policyholders during states of emergency, and requiring insurers to fix any deficiencies uncovered by department examinations.
Kim was outspent by Allen, who raised $3.7 million compared to Kim’s $1.5 million. He also was the recipient of $2.3 million of spending by independent political action committees on his behalf.
Although Allen said he would not take insurance industry money for the race, Kim sought to tie him to the industry through past donations to his prior campaigns for office.
In her victory speech, she said insurers “lined up” behind Allen, a characterization he rejected.
The attempt to tie Allen to the industry followed controversies surrounding Lara, who The Times reported last year took at least 32 international trips but consistently failed to disclose who paid for luxury hotels, airfare and fine dining, while soliciting charity donations from those with business before the agency.
Lara has denied any wrongdoing and has pointed to his Sustainable Insurance Strategy as the reason for the slowing of the FAIR Plan’s growth. The strategy provided insurers with concessions such as the right to charge policyholders for the reinsurance carriers must buy to protect themselves from catastrophes, such as the January 2025 wildfires.
Kim’s victory brought congratulations across the business and political spectrum.
Denni Ritter, vice president of state government relations for the American Property Casualty Insurance Assn., a leading trade association for home, auto and business insurers, said the group was “looking forward” to working with Kim, Becerra and lawmakers to resolve the state’s insurance issues.
“While recent reforms are beginning to stabilize the market, the insurance crisis is far from over, and a full recovery will take time. Protecting this progress is critical. Costly new mandates or regulatory actions that drive up costs or limit coverage options risk reversing this progress and worsening the crisis,” Ritter said in a statement.
The California Working Families Party, a grassroots progressive political organization that Kim served as founding director, said the “cozy relationship between the California Insurance Commissioner and the insurance industry is over. Jane’s bold proposals and plans for real accountability for insurers overcame a tsunami of special interest spending against her.”
OSCAR-winning filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, who directed the critically acclaimed A Fantastic Woman, has died aged 52.
The Chilean director passed away at his home in Santiago, Chile due to “health reasons”, said his partner, actress Amalia Kassai.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Sebastian Lelio has died aged 52Source: AFPThe beloved Chilean director was behind several groundbreaking filmsSource: AP
She reportedly called police after finding Lelio at his home in the city’s Las Condes district.
“We are going through a very painful time, and his memory will remain with us forever,” Amalia wrote in a touching tribute on Instagram.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
“He was a wonderful person who contributed to Chilean culture during important moments in its history.”
The statement, signed by the Lelio Kassai and Campos Watt families, continued: “As a family, we ask for respect for our privacy and consideration during these difficult times.”
Lelio’s 2017 film A Fantastic Woman starred Daniela Vega as a trans woman implicated in the accidental death of her older boyfriend.
The groundbreaking movie took home the Oscar for best foreign language film in 2018 and led to reforms for trans identification in Chile.
It also won the Independent Spirit Award for best international film.
Lelio also received critical acclaim for directing English language features such as The Wonder and Gloria Bell.
The latter was a remake of his earlier film Gloria, which took home numerous awards and was selected as Chile’s Oscar entry for best foreign feature.
It starred award-winning actress Paulina Garcia as a 58-year-old woman who starts dating a decade after getting divorced.
Lelio’s 2017 film Disobedience starred Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams and follows a woman who reunites with a childhood friend at an Orthodox community.
The late filmmaker was born in Argentina, before his family moved to Chile when he was two.
He launched his career in 2005 with La Sagrada Familia after directing several short films and music videos.
Lelio also directed two seasons of the documentary series Mi mundo privado (My private life), which earned two Emmy nominations.
His third film, The Year of the Tiger, was set in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2010 Chile earthquake and follows an escaped prisoner as he travels through the worst-affected regions of the country.
Lelio’s 2022 flick The Wonder was a critically acclaimed adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel The Wonder and starred Florence Pugh.
He told The Guardian: “I love working with actors, and need to know they trust me and can explore, get lost, be foolish or brave, and I’ll take care of them.
“I love working on set – it is where the sparkle is.”
His final film was 2025’s The Wave, a musical protest drama that premiered at Cannes.
“Making a film is like a gift you leave somewhere – you then hide and see what happens,” Lelio said.
UCLA coach Bob Chesney and the Bruins are ranked No. 8 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, a remarkable turnaround for a program that recorded three wins last season.
Chesney has led a revival in his first season that has the Bruins on track to host a playoff game if they can navigate formidable games at Minnesota on Saturday, at home against Illinois on Nov. 13, at Michigan on Nov. 21 and at home against crosstown-rival USC on Nov. 28.
USC has a bye this week before playing at No. 4 Indiana on Nov. 14, against Maryland on Nov. 21 and then the UCLA showdown. If the Trojans sweep those games, they likely would be in the mix for a spot in the 12-team playoff.
Miami was ranked No. 1 in the poll, followed by No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Utah and No. 4 Indiana.
Boise State was ranked No. 25 and the only Group of Six team included, putting the Broncos on track to succeed Chesney’s former James Madison squad as the small conference representative in the playoff.
The College Football Playoff rankings will be released every Tuesday until the final rankings and 12-team playoff bracket are revealed on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 9 a.m. PST. The selection committee voting on the rankings includes six current athletic directors, four former head coaches, two former All-American football players and one former sportswriter.
In the weeks leading up to the midterms the deployment of US forces and Trump’s own, often belligerent, statements ramped up talk that the US was getting ready to go back to war with Iran.
Before he was hospitalised with a stroke, the US Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, went to a classified briefing about potential military options for renewed war with Iran.
Without going into detail, he condemned the plans as “insane”, warning that they would trigger a “devastating escalation”.
There has been speculation that the Americans have plans to bomb civilian infrastructure.
Not only would that be likely to constitute a war crime, it might also be answered by devastating Iranian strikes on equivalent targets on US allies in the Gulf. Its list of potential targets could start with the United Arab Emirates, which is as close to Israel as it is to the US.
The regime in Tehran watches political developments in the US closely. It has not concealed its satisfaction that the consequences of its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have become a domestic political issue in the US.
Tehran is aware of the damage caused to Trump and the Republicans by the sustained rise in the prices of everything (from petrol and diesel to agricultural fertilisers) caused by the war and its attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted a warning on social media.
He said: “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message. If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare.”
Benjamin Netanyahu, now acting prime minister of Israel after its election last week, and manoeuvring hard to form a new government, has repeated that he wants to bring down the Islamic regime in Tehran.
Reports in Israel and the US say that he is pushing Trump to go back to war.
Netanyahu does not have the seats to form a new government with his outgoing coalition.
But if a major war restarted and was sustained, and if Israelis came under direct fire, he could have new options of forming a unity government that he would use his considerable political skills to dominate.
Home and Away first started broadcasting in the UK in 1989 and fans of the beloved Australian soap opera have the chance to watch it from the very beginning
Classic Home and Away episodes are set to launch later this month on 5Drama(Image: Channel 5)
Classic episodes of Home and Away will be hitting television screens in just days.
5 will celebrate its long-standing association with the Australian soap by airing the earliest series from the very first episode on 5Drama.
Fans will be able to relive the show from the beginning, catching up with classic characters like Alf Stewart and Sally Fletcher in Summer Bay back in 1988, and following the storylines that have kept UK viewers hooked ever since.
5Drama launched last month with an exciting array of 5’s award-winning original drama, including All Creatures Great and Small , The Madame Blanc Mysteries and The Hardacres , and detective dramas, including Ellis and Dalgliesh.
While also showcasing a range of boxsets from 5Streaming, including Gilmore Girls, A Million Little Things and Waterloo Road. Now 5 is happy to confirm Classic Home and Away episodes will air across 5Drama and 5Streaming from Monday, November 16.
The series will air Monday to Friday with double bills from 12pm, followed by a catch up stack on weekends. 30 episodes will also be available on 5Streaming from launch, followed by weekly drops of 10 episodes over the coming weeks so Home and Away fans can keep diving into classic Summer Bay.
Speaking to Radio Times, 5 boss Reemah Sakaan said: “Award winning drama is increasingly at the heart of what 5 offers viewers, so it’s the right time to give it a dedicated home.
“This, and the expansion of our portfolio across multiple platforms, is about sharpening our channels and giving viewers a clear offer wherever they’re watching – on linear, 5Streaming, Freely or YouTube.”
**Ensure our latest TV stories always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. _Click here to activateor add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings**
Original cast member Ray Meagher, who continues to appear in contemporary episodes as Alf, said of the repeats: “It’s fantastic to know that Home and Away is continuing to find new audiences in the UK, and now viewers can go right back to the beginning on 5Drama.
“There’s a lot of history in those early episodes – and a lot of memories for Alf and the whole Summer Bay community. I hope fans enjoy taking a trip back to where it all began.”
His co-star Emily Symons, who plays Marilyn Chambers, added: “It’s so special to think that UK fans can revisit the very beginning of Home and Away on 5Drama.
“Marilyn has been such a huge part of my life, and seeing those early episodes again is a wonderful reminder of where her story began. I know there are so many Home and Away fans in the UK who have grown up with these characters, so I hope they love going back to Summer Bay and rediscovering some of those early stories.”
Home and Away drops new episodes on weekdays at 6am on 5’s streaming service with a 6.30pm screening on 5STAR
One woman is becoming a nomad, leaving her permanent home in favour of travelling around the world, staying in strangers’ houses, all while saving £1,500 a month with ‘no bills to pay’
14:02, 04 Nov 2026Updated 14:19, 04 Nov 2026
Michelle is set to become a nomad this year, with everything she owns fitting into the car as she travels the country (Image: Handout)
Now more than ever, people are looking for innovative ways to travel around the world, all whilst saving some serious cash. It might seem impossible, but one woman is willing to give up her permanent home to make it happen, potentially saving herself around £18,000 a year.
Michelle, 63, is giving up her flat to travel around the UK and Europe, with hopes of venturing globally. While she’ll have no place to officially call home and a car packed with everything she owns, Michelle has the opportunity to stay at some rather lavish properties she otherwise couldn’t afford and will also save thousands of pounds every month.
So what exactly is Michelle doing to make this dream a reality? “I’m giving my time as a full-time house-sitter, looking after the pets, making sure the house and garden are cared for while the homeowners are away, and in exchange I get to live in their house and don’t need to pay the utility bills,” Michelle revealed. With just a membership fee to pay on house-sitting websites, alongside no rent or bills, Michelle will save up to £1,500 a month.
Michelle, who has already begun house-sitting before going full-time this year, typically looks after pets in homes while the owners are on holiday, all while staying somewhere new for weeks at a time. “The main focus of it is the pets, as it’s a nice alternative to putting dogs in kennels or cats in catteries. It keeps the pets happy at home in their normal environment,” Michelle shared.
Sometimes longer house sits are required, even for people without pets who simply want someone to keep an eye on their home while they’re away. At the time of speaking, Michelle had just begun a two-month house-sitting job in southern Devon at a 16th-century Devon farmhouse spanning 25 acres, with plenty more booked into her diary for the next six months.
She’s already made plans to send her furniture from her former flat to a charity shop and to have a serious clear-out, keeping only the necessities and sentimental mementoes. But there’s one aspect that has proved challenging.
“I love my clothes, and it’s quite tough to try and thin out my walk wardrobe. The default while house-sitting is comfortable clothing, so there’s not much call for fabulous ball gowns or sparkly tops, but you want to hang on to them.”
Michelle added: “The difficult thing is when it comes to getting rid of stuff, including the mementoes, which is really difficult.” Luckily, she will still have her car for additional storage, with the aim of fitting everything she needs in the boot.
On becoming a nomad in her 60s, Michelle shared: “Sometimes, it can be a bit challenging, particularly as I’m single and on my own. You can sometimes feel that you’re kind of on the periphery of society, but other times it’s very freeing, and I’m not in that Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. My life is changing, potentially every few weeks, and I’ll be somewhere new to explore.
“I try to find the balance between newness and familiarity, so I’ll have my favourite mug with me and a wool blanket, so you create these little rituals; that’s what home is.”
This won’t be the first time Michelle has willingly opted to stay in a stranger’s home, as she began house-sitting in 2017, when she lived in Cyprus, looking after pets across the UK, Italy, Spain, and France. She would often take her beloved dog, Eddy, with her, before they were forced to take a hiatus in 2020 amid the pandemic. But after Eddy passed away at Christmas, Michelle was eager to get back into house-sitting and become a full-time nomad.
“Having got back into house-sitting, I just thought, perhaps, becoming a nomad and primarily using house-sitting as a way of having a roof over my head would be something to try. I’m not in a position to buy a place for myself, or know where I’d want to be permanently, and I checked how much house-sitting I could get booked into the diary,” she explained.
Michelle is now booked up for the next six months, aside from two weeks over Christmas, where she plans to stay at a friend’s house before taking on another job. “It made me realise that there is enough demand out there for house-sitters, so rather than renting myself again, I can make house-sitting work full-time,” she added.
Additionally, Michelle can work from her laptop while travelling around house-sitting, with the option to sell on Vinted and eBay for extra income. And if there are times that Michelle has a gap in the diary, she’d happily book herself a holiday or stay at a friend’s house, who have all been “very supportive”.
Michelle uses a few websites to find house-sitting jobs that best suit her, including HouseSit Match, with dreams of expanding her house-sitting duties globally. “House-sitting allows me to explore different parts of the country and around Europe, hopefully. As well as looking after pets, it’s actually quite fun trying on other people’s lives, and it’s nice to be able to experience that,” she said.
Lamia Walker, founder of home-sitting service HouseSit Match, added: “Michelle is a brilliant example of how house-sitting can become a lifestyle, not just a holiday. She lives in some beautiful places that would otherwise be completely out of reach, and also takes rent and bills out of the equation at the same time.
“More and more people are discovering that house-sitting is an affordable way to travel, and many get hooked on the way of life. Michelle is a fantastic sitter, and homeowners rebook her again and again because she goes the extra mile for their pets. Every sitter on our platform is verified, so owners can feel confident about who’s looking after their home and their animals.
“Anyone who fancies a change of scenery should search online to see what house-sitting opportunities are available and where they could go next.”
Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com
Brooklyn Beckham shared a shirtless snap in a bid to distract fans from his ‘awkward’ Halloween snapsSource: Instagram/brooklynpeltzbeckhamIt comes after fans went to town on pics of Brooklyn with wife Nicola and Liz Hurley’s son DamianSource: Instagram/damianhurley1
So, in a bid to get his followers talking about something else, Brooklyn shared a sultry black and white shot of himself stood by his pool.
Showing off his muscular back, Brooklyn could be seen wearing just a towel as he looked out over the impressive grounds of the home he shares with wife Nicola.
While actor Damian wore an all-leather black outfit unzipped to the waist.
The threesome were all at the same celebrity bash in LA, and Brooklyn shared a series of snaps from the party which also included a pic of Damian with his arm around Nicola.
Brooklyn was mocked by fans over this pic of Damian and NicolaSource: Instagram/damianhurley1The couple were dressed up for a celebrity Halloween partySource: Instagram/brooklynpeltzbeckham
Nicolas Cage says he’s “a little bit homeless” because of the massive sinkhole that swallowed up the driveway of his Malibu home
While sharing his Halloween plans during an appearance on the main stage Saturday at Los Angeles Comic Con, the “Spider-Noir” star lamented that greeting any trick-or-treaters at home wasn’t a part of his itinerary.
“I’m currently a little bit homeless,” Cage said in a fan video from the event. “Something happened to my house in Malibu, so I’m just sort of living in hotels. So I don’t have the normal trick-or-treaters that I would like to enjoy tonight.”
Instead he said his plans for his favorite holiday included taking his daughter trick-or-treating “somewhere in Santa Monica” and then watching Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic, “The Shining.”
“That is one of my favorite movies ever made,” he said.
A massive, expanding sinkhole opened up just outside Cage’s home on Sea Level Drive on Sept. 8, prompting Malibu to declare a local emergency and issue evacuation orders for 31 homes in the beachside community. Seven of those homes were red-tagged because of hazardous conditions.
The 25-foot-deep and 30-by-60-feet wide crater blocks the only road in and out of the neighborhood. The homeowner’s association that controls the private roadway is responsible for overseeing the repair efforts. The work includes excavation to retrieve a soil sample and debris removal, as well as installing sandbags to mitigate further damage from strong waves and coastal erosion.
L.A. Comic Con marks the “National Treasure” actor’s latest outing to directly interact with his fans. He also appeared at Fan Expo Dallas and New York Comic Con earlier this fall, where he addressed topics including his thoughts on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and AI.
The 57-year-old crossed jungles and frozen seas before an emotional homecoming in Hull, northern England.
Published On 2 Nov 20262 Nov 2026
A British adventurer has completed a 28-year walking journey around the world, arriving at his childhood home after travelling some 50,000km (31,070 miles) across jungles, frozen seas and international borders.
Karl Bushby, 57, was embraced by his mother, Angela, outside her terraced house in Hull, northern England, on Monday, beneath a banner reading “Welcome Home Son”.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Hundreds of cheering supporters had welcomed him in the city centre before he made the final stretch home.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he joked to the crowd. “Is that it, is it done?”
Karl Bushby completes the final leg of his 28-year journey in Hull, northern England [Adam Vaughan/EPA]
Bushby began what became known as his Goliath Expedition in Punta Arenas, southern Chile, in November 1998, carrying a tent, a few hundred dollars and a cheap plastic camera.
His goal was to reach his home city by an unbroken route, without using motorised transport to advance his journey.
The route took him north through the Americas, across the ice of the Bering Strait from Alaska to Russia, and onwards through Mongolia and China. He later swam across the Caspian Sea before continuing towards Europe.
Along the way, he negotiated the dense jungle of the Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, was detained after entering Russia, and faced repeated visa and funding problems.
The global financial crisis in 2008 cost him major sponsors, adding to delays that stretched what he had expected to be a 12-year journey into 28 years.
Karl Bushby walks near Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, England, on October 28, 2026 [Brian Melley/AP Photo]
Last month, he finally swam across the English Channel, clearing the last major obstacle before beginning the final walk home.
“They say it takes a village, but literally it took a world to get me here,” he said as he arrived in Hull. “The kindness of strangers, so many, from individuals to nation-states, to get me back here today. I didn’t do this alone. There was a big team. The biggest team. Earth.”
A feature-length documentary about his journey is in production, while Bushby plans to begin a speaking tour around England in the coming weeks.
Yip Ward and Paul Mappley at their home(Image: Paul Mappley/SWNS)
A couple who couldn’t afford to buy a house in the UK bought an entire French hamlet for £26,000.
Yip Ward and Paul Mappley, both 52, were living in a caravan in Tunbridge Wells when their friends offered them a chance to buy the property in Normandy. They went out to visit the home in Normandy and bought it straight away for £12,000 – funded by selling their belongings, including an old tractor of Paul’s.
Since then, the couple have snapped up the adjacent buildings and now own seven cottages, two barns, a workshop, a cider press, two traditional bread ovens and various other outbuildings – all for £14,000. They began restoring the hamlet building by building in 2020 and have now spent around £100,000 so far – completing the original cottage, which is a holiday rental, alongside a horsebox they brought from the UK that is “booked out”.
Restoration work
They have made their dreams a reality through fundraising efforts by their followers on social media and are set to have their second cottage complete by summer 2027. The pair reckon they have saved more than £100,000 doing the bulk of the work themselves with the help of builder friend Ian, 62.
Yip said: “People always say how did you find the village and it’s not that we were looking, it was a chance meeting with a friend who had got a place and was selling it. We definitely see it as the planets aligned.
“We went and sought out a wreck that had been abandoned 30 years ago and pieced it together. We’re really cracking on now.
“We say to ourselves we can’t believe this whole place is ours. Coming from where we come from, I don’t think the gratitude for being here will ever run out. It blows my mind.”
How they got started
The sellers had changed their minds about the property due to the huge amount of restoration work that needed to be done when they offered it to Yip and Paul. With the rules in France meaning they did not need to hand over the entire sum for eight months after purchase, they set to work during Covid, earning money through their jobs as landscape gardeners to seal the deal.
They even documented their restoration journey and appeared on Channel 4’s ‘Help! We Bought A French Village!’. Husband Paul said they were now in “full restoration mode” after working for years to transform their hamlet, called La Buslière.
He said: “I can’t express to you enough that, apart from cottages one and two, the other three cottages were covered, the whole roof in ivy. They were literally being swallowed by nature.
“We’re saving so much money doing it ourselves. We’ve got a friend we met here; he’s been in the trade for 47 years in building restoration and stuff.
“We knew of him and in 2019 he did repairs on cottage one. He did the roof repairs, minor works and then we didn’t see him for four years and he, unbeknownst to us, was watching our YouTube channel.
“We had a massive two-tonne roof thing that needed to come out as it was rotten on one end. We didn’t have anyone, machinery or money and we were sharing on YouTube saying ‘we don’t know what to do’.
“He saw this video and arrived one day and said ‘come on boys let’s get this beam out’. For the first six months he worked for no payment.”
Earning money
The couple are now able to pay Ian £1,000 weekly through the money they earn on YouTube.
Paul said: “We have five people turning up every single day to donate things – they bring bits of furniture or materials for the roof. I can’t tell you what a community we’ve built somehow.
“Every week we’re donated £400 worth of materials for free we can use. All of this saves us so much money.
“For example one side of the roof of cottage three was really bad and we were quoted £13,000 to fix it and we did it for £2,000 because we did it ourselves.
“We saved £11,000 just on one side of a roof. Take that per cottage doing it ourselves, that’s £22,000 per cottage, seven cottages, which is instantly saving us over £100,000.”
The couple plan, once they have all been restored, to try out and live in every single cottage in their hamlet.
Yip said: “People say ‘once all seven cottages are done you’ll rake it in’. That’s what a capitalist would say.
“We don’t want it to be a metropolis. Every single guest who stays here says they can’t believe how quiet it is.
“There is no light pollution, it’s a fantastic place and we don’t want to ruin it with seven cottages populated with people. The other buildings we’ll turn into workshop spaces.
“We’d like to do summer fairs here and markets. Once a month we’d like to do an outdoor cinema and do pizza making – we have two original pizza ovens.
“There won’t be things like TVs in the cottages. There won’t be UPVC windows. It’s an exciting, amazing place and we want to make sure people are transported back.”
You can follow Paul and Yip’s restoration journey on YouTube @helpweboughtafrenchvillage.
It has been a week since Angel City qualified for the NWSL playoffs. On Sunday, the team found out who and where it would be playing.
With a 4-1 victory over Boston Legacy, Angel City finished the regular season fifth in the standings and will travel to Kansas City on Saturday to meet the Current in its second-ever trip to the postseason. And it will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the NWSL, riding a league-best 10-game unbeaten streak.
The goals Sunday came from Nealy Martin in the first half and Evelyn Shores, Sveindis Jonsdottir and Claire Emslie in the second. Boston’s only score came from Brazilian striker Amanda Gutierres just before intermission.
Angel City began the final game of the regular season with a chance to finish as high as third in the table, earning the right to open the playoffs at home. But to do that it, it needed a win and it needed the two teams directly ahead of it, Kansas City and Washington, to lose.
Neither the Current nor Spirit cooperated, leaving the standings mostly frozen where they were at the start of the week. Not that it really mattered, attacker Ally Sentnor said before the game.
“You have to beat the best to win a championship. You have to beat everyone, so doesn’t really matter who you play at the beginning,” she said. “Every team in the playoffs is a great team, so I think we are just focused on us and what we’re doing on the field and what we are going to produce on the field.
“We just take every game as it comes.”
Although Sunday’s match was a home game for Angel City (15-8-7), it wasn’t played at home. LAFC is the primary tenant at BMO Stadium and when MLS moved the team’s game with Minnesota United from Saturday to Sunday to avoid competing with USC’s football game at the Coliseum, Angel City was forced to relocate 12 miles down the freeway to Dignity Health Sports Park.
An enthusiastic crowd of approximately 15,000 followed the team to Carson for the “Decision Day” match.
But the move left Angel City playing a home game on the road in an effort to avoid the road and play at home in the playoffs. Not that the home-field advantage has meant much to the team this season: Angel City was 6-5-3 at BMO Stadium this season — the worst home record for an NWSL playoff team —- and 9-3-4 everywhere else.
However four of those five home losses came under former coach Alexander Straus. Interim manager Leif Smerud said this is a different Angel City team.
“We are good both home and away,” he said. “If I can choose, I would of course play at home in front of a fantastic crowd. And all the logistics would be a bit simpler as well.
“But that’s not up to me to decide and control.”
Ariadina Alves Borges of Angel City dribbles the ball against Alba Caño of Boston in the first half Sunday.
(Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
It’s unlikely Angel City would be playing anywhere in the postseason if not for the June coaching change that saw it replace Straus.
The team won just one of its final eight games under Straus and was 12th in the 16-team NWSL table at the time of the change. It has lost just twice in 19 games since, setting franchise records for wins (15), goals (54), points (52) and goal differential (a league-best plus-22).
Martin opened the scoring with the first goal of her six-year NWSL career in the 17th minute. Given tons of time and space just outside the penalty area, she settled a short pass from Sentnor, then patiently chipped forward a right-footed shot that Boston defender Deja Davis inadvertently headed into the net.
Boston (9-15-6) pulled that back in the 37th minute on a blistering right-footed strike from the edge of the box by Gutierres, her 11th goal of the season. That ended a 144-minute scoreless streak for Angel City keeper Angelina Anderson.
But Angel City went ahead to stay eight minutes into the second half when Shores headed in a long cross from Jonsdottir for her fourth goal of the season. Jonsdottir put the game away with her franchise-record 10th goal of the year on a breakaway in the 72nd minute and Emslie closed the scoring 12 minutes later with her first goal since September 2024. Taylor Suarez assisted on both goals.
NWSL playoff pairings Quarterfinals
Friday No. 2 San Diego Wave, 18-8-4 vs. No. 7 Utah Royals, 14-11-5, 5 p.m., Prime Video
Saturday No. 4 Kansas City Current, 16-9-5 vs. No. 5 Angel City, 15-8-7, 9 a.m., CBS/Paramount+
Sunday No. 1 Gotham FC, 18-5-7 vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign, 14-11-5, 9:30 a.m., ABC No. 3 Washington Spirit, 17-9-4 vs. No. 6 Portland Thorns, 14-8-8, noon, ABC
In Los Angeles, we’re truly spoiled. We have sunny weather most of the year along with several beaches where we can cool off. We also have dozens of wonderful restaurants that showcase the diversity of the city as well as all of the entertainment one could ever ask for. As if that weren’t already enough, L.A. is home to some of the coolest and most exciting brands.
Looking for apparel? Home goods? Something else? There are several local businesses worth supporting year-round, but especially during the holiday season.
All of the gifts featured on this list are from L.A. brands — some of which were created by native Angelenos like visual artist Lauren Halsey and Cash Saunders of the Shea Parlor. Only a handful of the businesses have storefronts, while others serve their customers online (and sometimes at local flea markets). All of them, though, serve as reminders of why purchasing a gift from a neighbor is a way bigger flex than shopping at a big-box store.
Editor’s note: If you make a purchase using some of our links, the L.A. Times may be compensated. Prices and availability are subject to change. In some cases, listed websites may use location-based pricing.
Missouri officials have determined the official cause of death for “Days of Our Lives” actor Robert Kelker-Kelly, who died this month at age 62.
Kelker-Kelly died of arteriosclerotic heart disease, the St. Charles county regional medical examiner of Missouri confirmed to The Times. The actor’s death was deemed natural. Arteriosclerosis occurs when blood vessels carrying oxygen and nutrients from the heart to the body become thick and stiff, according to the Mayo Clinic. The coroner’s report confirms details previously disclosed by law enforcement and emergency personnel.
The actor, who worked as a pilot later in life, died Oct. 3 after he complained of chest pain and became unresponsive, police confirmed earlier this month. Officers reported with paramedics to the actor’s home for a report of an unconscious man who was not breathing.
“Life-saving measures were administered but were unsuccessful,” police said.
Kelker-Kelly’s wife, Allison Kelly, informed authorities the actor complained of pain in his left arm and chest while on the drive home from Spirit Airport, People reported. The actor asked his wife to pull the car over to vomit and said he did not need to go to the hospital. He reportedly continued experiencing pain at home. Kelly found her husband unresponsive, alerted authorities and administered CPR.
Kelker-Kelly was best known for his work in long-running daytime dramas “Another World” and “Days of Our Lives,” where he portrayed the rebellious heartthrob Beauregard “Bo” Brady from 1992 to 1995. He began his turn as Bo, which lasted for more than 586 episodes, following the departure of original actor Peter Reckell, who would return to the show off and on in the following decades.
He debuted in “Another World” in 1987 and appeared in more than 400 episodes in a handful of roles until 1998, according to the actor’s IMDb page. He was also known for his work as Stavros Cassadine in “General Hospital” and its spinoff series “Port Charles.” Kelker-Kelly’s “General Hospital” tenure lasted from 2001 to 2014 and was his final TV role. His television credits also include “Jack’s Place,” “Touched by an Angel” and “Rescue 77.”
In the Middle East, Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez will return to the ring after a 13-month hiatus in search of more titles.
In Riyadh, many time zones from his native Mexico and second home base in Las Vegas, Álvarez will try to take the World Boxing Council super-middleweight title from Christian Mbilli, an undefeated champion who has never faced an opponent of Álvarez’s caliber.
The Guadalajara-born boxer arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday, where he was greeted by Faisal Bafarat, CEO of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA). The event has faced unusual complications, with one of the fights on the card canceled because of security concerns raised by one of the boxers and criticism from figures in the boxing world who question the athletes’ safety — especially after several sporting events, including Formula One, WTA and WWE events have been canceled or relocated because of the war in the Middle East.
The fight between Canelo (63-3-2, 39 KOs) and Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) headlines the “Mexico vs. The World” event at The Venue as part of the seventh edition of Riyadh Season. The bout will be broadcast on pay-per-view via DAZN (10 a.m. Pacific Time, main event around 1:10 p.m.).
Terence Crawford throws a left punch at Canelo Álvarez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 13, 2025.
(Sarah Stier / Getty Images for Netflix)
After a period of inactivity that included elbow surgery, Álvarez — beyond his opponents — faces his greatest enemy in Father Time, as demonstrated by his September 2025 loss to Terence Crawford, which cost him his four super-middleweight titles. Crawford retired after that victory — the best of his career — and Mbilli went from interim champion to full WBC champion.
After that painful defeat, Álvarez acknowledged that his mind wasn’t on the fight that night.
“When you lose, you always review your mistakes, and at this level there’s very little difference between winning and losing,” said Álvarez, whose training concluded in Spain, where he shared a gym with heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. “I did a good job preparing for that fight, but during fight week, my mind wasn’t in it.”
For this bout, Álvarez chose to finish his preparation in Spain to avoid the adjustment issues he said he experienced during last year’s fight against William Scull, also in Riyadh.
Álvarez hasn’t knocked out an opponent since defeating Caleb Plant by technical knockout in 2021, and the last opponent he clearly knocked out was Sergey Kovalev in 2019. Although he has defeated several high-caliber opponents who were physically larger than him, he has been unable to secure a knockout, which has fueled speculation that his power and stamina have declined over the years. If he loses, it would mark the first consecutive losses of his career, and criticism regarding his decline would intensify. However, Álvarez has stated that he feels no obligation to win.
“I never think about the pressure. I feel like I work even better when I have it,” Álvarez said. “I don’t think about who says good or bad things.”
Álvarez did not fight in either May or September in Las Vegas, on the dates reserved for boxing’s biggest stars. In May, David Benavidez took the slot after knocking out Gilberto Ramírez, and then Ryan García took the September slot to defeat Conor Benn. For many, García is emerging as the man who will inherit Canelo’s slots in Las Vegas as the “new face of boxing.”
“I love boxing and I’m just focused on that. There’s a lot of young talent always coming out of Mexico, so we’ll see who’s next,” said Álvarez, who made his professional boxing debut 21 years ago.
“He’s the most successful Mexican boxer in the sport,” said Eddy Reynoso, the Jalisco native’s manager and trainer who asked for a round of applause for his fighter on Thursday at the news conference in Riyadh. Álvarez thanked him with a hug.
“We’re going to prove that Canelo is still up for the big challenges,” said Reynoso.
Canelo Álvarez waits in the corner during his fight against Terence Crawford in Las Vegas on Sept. 13, 2025.
(David Becker / Associated Press)
But for many, time has Canelo on the ropes. Both he and his team have acknowledged that his body has taken a toll from fighting since he was 13.
“Now I’m the challenger, but in my mind I’ve always been the champion since I was a kid,” Álvarez said.
Mbilli, 31, a French-Cameroonian with an aggressive style and a high volume of punches, won the interim title by knocking out Maciej Sulecki in the first round in June 2025. In his next fight—on the same card as Canelo vs. Crawford and in front of a packed Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas — he fought to a hard-fought split-decision draw against Guatemalan Lester Martínez. This will be his first title defense as the undisputed champion.
“I think I have the right style to beat Canelo. I have a lot of power, a lot of speed, and a lot of skills to win this fight,” said Mbilli, who claimed to have spotted some mistakes by the Mexican during his fight against Crawford.
“I don’t think age will be a factor; it will be the perfect time for me,” said Mbilli, who is five years younger than Álvarez.
Álvarez is the favorite with the bookmakers thanks to Mbilli’s limited experience against elite opponents. Mbilli has a victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko in 2024, a win over Sulecki and, in his title defense against Martínez last year, he had a lackluster performance in which he landed punches but also took a lot of hits.
Boxing amid international conflict
This image from CCTV video released by Saudi Arabia’s Media Ministry shows passengers taking cover as flames and smoke fill part of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 10.
(Saudi Media Ministry via Associated Press)
Álvarez’s fight card is proceeding as planned despite the wave of missile and drone attacks attributed to Houthi rebels. The attacks have left at least 20 dead and 370 wounded, and have forced the closure of King Khalid International Airport for two weeks. Last week, the U.S. State Department ordered the evacuation of non-essential government personnel and their families from the country because of the instability.
Accompanying Álvarez were Mexicans Carlos Emiliano, Manuel Salcedo, Rafael Espinoza and Jaime Munguía, as well as Saudi fighter Sultan Al-Muhammad — all of whom were on the fight card. Mbilli had arrived days earlier.
But one person who did not arrive was Lindolfo Delgado, a Mexican boxer who was left off the Oct. 31 card, where he was scheduled to fight Arthur Biyarslanov for the vacant International Boxing Federation super-lightweight title. According to his trainer, Robert García, his fighter did not make the trip due to logistical issues, as he lacked information about flights and there were daily alerts about possible missile attacks. It has not yet been announced whether Biyarslanov will fight a replacement boxer on the card.
“Why would we risk going there without any security guarantees? Flying to another country [Bahrain] and driving five to six hours to get to another location? That’s asking for trouble,” García said in an interview with Boxing Scene.
On Wednesday in Los Angeles, promoter Oscar De La Hoya joined the criticism of the decision to hold the bout in Saudi Arabia. He argued that promoter Turki Alalshikh and Álvarez should have been more responsible and moved the fight to another venue.
Because of the conflict in the Middle East, numerous top-tier events have been moved to other cities or were postponed. The list ranges from the Dakar Rally and the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to the WTA Finals, the FIFA eSports Finals, and WWE’s Crown Jewel.
“It’s not very responsible when you have a U.S. consul saying it’s dangerous, that it’s a Category 3,” De La Hoya said to independent reporter Albert Pérez. “How can you put the boxers’ lives at risk?… It’s interesting — in the times we live in, when ambition feeds you and feeds your ego, that’s what happens.”
The event is sanctioned by the WBC, and Mauricio Sulaimán, the organization’s president, is in Riyadh.
“I’m coming to fight, to win a world championship,” Álvarez said on Thursday. “Whatever I have to do, wherever I have to go… I’ll do whatever it takes to win it.”
Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/
WITH soaring heating bills, expensive food shops and a trip to the fuel station easily costing you over £100 – even staying at home is hard on the wallet nowadays.
It all got me thinking: how much would it cost to swap all that for four weeks in an all inclusive hotel?
Somewhere your meals are prepared, selected drinks are included and your daily commute involves getting from your room to breakfast?
So I went looking and I found 28-night all inclusive holidays from £580pp – that’s four weeks away for less than £21 per person per night!
According to the 2026 Minimum Income Standard, a single working-age adult needs £973 per calendar month to afford daily essentials including food, energy and travel – before rent or a mortgage.
So here are seven 28-day holidays that cost less, and the seventh gets you a five-star beachfront stay for about £11 more. No-brainer.
1. Djerba, Tunisia – El Mouradi Djerba Menzel, from £580pp
The cheapest on the list is this stay in Tunisia for just £20.71pp a nightCredit: On The Beach
A coastal setting, palm trees and four weeks where someone else is responsible for feeding you – Djerba makes a very tempting alternative to the usual November routine.
And El Mouradi Djerba Menzel offers a whole host of hotel amenities to make you really feel at home.
There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tenniscourts and mini golf, so your days can involve a swim, a little friendly competition or simply finding a comfortable spot with a book.
The resort also has several restaurants and bars, with its main buffet providing the centre of your all inclusive dining routine (so no food shop and no washing-up).
The deal I found is 28 nights all inclusive from £580pp, including direct return flights from Manchester on November 21, 2026.
That works out at £20.71 per person per night, with the flights included – our cheapest on the list.
2. Alanya, Turkey – Kleopatra Atlas Hotel, from £635pp
A 28-night stay at Kleopatra Atlas Hotel has all your food and drink, and stay and flightsCredit: On The Beach
Alanya gives you a lovely coastal setting for a longer escape, and Kleopatra Atlas Hotel is the one I’d look at for an adults-only stay.
The hotel welcomes guests aged 16 and over, with a pool, a restaurant, a snack restaurant and poolside and lobby bars.
And Kleopatra Beach is also around 100 metres away, making a seaside stroll an easy addition to your daily routine.
The all inclusive package covers your main meals and selected drinks, which is particularly useful over four weeks.
Breakfast, a swim, lunch, a read and dinner later… Sounds pretty good, right?
The deal I found is 28 nights all inclusive from £635pp, with direct return flights from London Gatwick on November 23, 2026.
That’s £22.68 per person per night, including flights and accommodation.
For an adults-only hotel with meals included and the beach close by, that’s a very pleasing place to spend the run-up to Christmas.
3. Monastir, Tunisia – Delphin El Habib Hotel, from £635pp
Monastir is a seaside break, and the hotel has balcony rooms tooCredit: Alamy
Monastir brings the seaside setting and Delphin El Habib Hotel provides somewhere to make yourself VERY comfortable for four weeks.
The hotel has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, gardens and a terrace, giving you a choice of places to spend your days.
Rooms also all have balconies, and the central location makes a gentle wander an easy option when you fancy stretching your legs.
The indoor pool is a particularly useful feature for a long winter stay.
And here’s how I’d approach this one: settle in, find your favourite spot and enjoy having all your meals taken care of. Easy.
The deal I found includes 28 nights all inclusive from £635pp, with direct return flights from London Southend on November 11, 2026.
That works out at £22.68 per person per night for flights, accommodation, your main meals and selected drinks.
You’re getting four weeks of hotel living for a price that makes the daily supermarket trip look considerably less appealing.
4. Sousse, Tunisia – Royal Jinene Sousse, from £655pp
Whizz into the water followed by a hearty lunch at Royal Jinene SousseCredit: On The Beach
If your idea of a good November involves a pool, some sunshine and all you can eat, Royal Jinene Sousse deserves a look.
This hotel has indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts and a buffet restaurant, with the beach just 100 metres away.
That gives you the ingredients for my ideal daily routine.
By that, I mean spending hours at the breakfast buffet, breaking up the day of swimming and sightseeing with more trips to the hotel restaurant.
For a four-week stay, it means you can spend time around the hotel, get out for some sea air and come back knowing dinner is already sorted.
The all inclusive basis does a lot of the work here, as your main meals and selected drinks are covered throughout the stay, helping keep the everyday spending predictable.
The deal I found is 28 nights all inclusive from £655pp, including direct return flights from Manchester on 12 November 2026.
That’s £23.39 per person per night, including the flights. Bargain.
5. Side, Turkey – Sun Beach Park, from £745pp
Turkey is a great affordable escape with highs of 22CCredit: On The Beach
Side gives you an endless coastline, and Sun Beach Park hotel is the ideal spot to enjoy it.
The hotel has plenty of pools and its own beach area too.
That’s a big part of the appeal over 28 nights, where you can pop to the beach after breakfast and even after lunch too, without having to spend a dime.
Early November is a good time to make the most of the region’s milder autumn weather too.
Antalya’s long-term average daytime high is around 22C in November, which isn’t boiling, but is much warmer than hanging off a radiator in the UK.
The deal I found is 28 nights all inclusive from £745pp, with direct return flights from London Gatwick on November 1, 2026.
That works out at £26.61 per person per night, with flights, accommodation, main meals and selected drinks included.
Four weeks where you’re fed, watered and close to the sea for that price? You can see why I’d be tempted.
6. Kemer, Turkey – Miarosa Kemer Beach, from £890pp
Beautiful pool, all your food and drink – why not spend 28 nights at Miarosa Kemer BeachCredit: On The Beach
A mountain backdrop and a private beach make Miarosa Kemer Beach a gorgeous place to swap November in the UK for something considerably more appealing to look at.
The hotel has swimming pools, a gym and loads of activities, with restaurants and bars providing the centre of your all inclusive stay.
I’d definitely make this one about taking your time over everything.
A proper breakfast, a decent bit of slow exercise, lunch and a long afternoon with nowhere urgent to be whatsoever.
Having your main meals and selected drinks included makes that particularly easy, because you’ve paid for the hotel stay, so you can settle in and just enjoy it all.
The deal I found is 28 nights’ all inclusive from £890pp, including direct return flights from London Gatwick on November 3, 2026.
That’s £31.79 per person per night, including flights.
A compelling alternative to another month of the usual routine.
7. Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia – Iberostar Selection Diar El Andalous, from £910pp
My top pick is Iberostar Selection Diar El Andalous, as it’s 5* luxuryCredit: On The Beach
Now, personally, this is the one I’d be choosing.
Iberostar Selection Diar El Andalous is a five-star beachfront hotel with direct access to the sand, gardens, outdoor pools and a heated indoor pool.
For four weeks away, that gives you a very attractive choice of places to chill out.
It’s all inclusive again, too, so you can tuck into a buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks, ice cream and local-brand bar service.
You can swim, settle down with a book, enjoy lunch and work your way gently towards dinner.
The heated indoor pool adds another reason to enjoy the hotel during a stay that stretches into December.
The deal I found is 28 nights’ all inclusive from £910pp, with direct return flights from London Luton on November 22, 2026.
Despite being the most expensive on this list, that still works out at just £32.50 per person per night.
It’s about £11 more than the estimated four-week UK budget I mentioned at the start, but that gets you flights, a five-star beachfront hotel, your main meals and selected drinks all thrown in.
For me, that’s a very, very, very persuasive way to spend the difference.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — A 37-year-old Illinois man is charged with sending threatening letters to members of Congress containing a white powder, including one with a note reading “HAH enjoy the gift,” according to federal court records.
The criminal complaint unsealed Monday claims Matthew Ungelsbee sent at least four plain white envelopes with a powdery substance to elected officials in Chicago. They were postmarked in Springfield, Illinois, on Oct. 19 and had Unglesbee’s name handwritten in the return address section.
Unglesbee, of Quincy in southwestern Illinois, is charged with mailing threatening communications and perpetrating a hoax. He was scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon. Court records did not list a defense attorney, and a phone number for Unglesbee could not be found. A Facebook message to a Matthew Unglesbee in Quincy was not immediately returned.
FBI agents interviewed Unglesbee at his home on Sunday and he told them all the letters contained salt, court records show. He claimed he’d sent the letters after hearing someone talk about similar mailings in the news earlier this month.
Testing confirmed the white substance was not dangerous. The records did not identify the substance.
A motive was unclear. But Unglesbee said he knew the congress members would “take it serious” because the powder might be perceived as anthrax, which he knew was dangerous and could prompt a response by hazmat teams, according to the complaint.
“Unglesbee claimed he was joking but recognized the recipients would not know he was joking and could perceive it as a threat,” the complaint stated.
Investigators said none of the recipients opened the letters. The most recent envelope was received Oct. 23 at the office of a U.S. senator, records show. It contained a white powdery substance and a handwritten note reading “HAH enjoy the gift,” according to the documents.
The investigation began after an anonymous tipster reported overhearing Unglesbee in a restaurant talking about mailing a suspicious substance to members of Congress. The tip was received Oct. 16, and the FBI tracked Ungelsbee down after the envelopes arrived at the congressional offices days later.
The recipients of the mailings were not named. Authorities searched Unglesbee’s home and found a fifth envelope addressed to another congress member’s Washington, D.C., office, the records show.
Earlier this month, federal authorities said they were investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that had been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide. That investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Oct. 15 by the Associated Press.
Buying a home in California requires a colossal amount of money — and coming up with a 20% cash down payment of $180,000 for a median price home is a staggering hurdle for many would-be buyers.
That down payment amount is based on the statewide median $900,000 price tag for a house, according to recent data from the California Assn. of Realtors. In Los Angeles County, the median price for a single-family home is $935,000. In Orange County, it’s $1.5 million.
Proposition 37 on the Nov. 3 ballot would allow the state to amass a $25 billion down payment assistance program for middle-class households. For perspective on the enormity of the measure before voters, one of the state’s existing down payment programs, California Dream For All, launched several years ago with $500 million, just 2% of the funding involved in Proposition 37.
The ballot measure would allow qualified prospective homebuyers to borrow up to 17% of the sales price of a new home, contributing 3% of the down payment from their own funds.
The program would not be funded by taxpayers, but instead by the interest charged to borrowers on their down payment loans, also referred to as second mortgages. The measure has garnered widespread support, including from Gov. Gavin Newsom, statewide unions and mayors from Santa Monica to San José.
“Prop. 37 is a historic opportunity to expand homeownership opportunities for generations of working families — at zero cost or risk to taxpayers,” Newsom said in a statement.
But Proposition 37 carries a significant caveat: Any home purchased through the program must be new construction, which could limit its potential reach because of the high cost of building, some critics said.
Also, the proposition does not spell out the terms or interest rates on the loans, which would be worked out if the measure is approved. And some have questioned whether there will be sufficiently robust interest from investors to buy the state-issued bonds that will be used to fund the down payment loans.
The concept of down payment assistance is not new. Cities and states, including California, have long offered such programs to low- and middle-income homeowners, either in the form of loans or grants, and there are reportedly more than 2,700 such programs across the country.
Nevada, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York all have programs to help homebuyers afford a down payment. Since 2021, New York has dispersed $70 million in down payment assistance. In Massachusetts, more than $146 million has been doled out in down payment help to homebuyers since 2020.
How the program would work
Under Proposition 37, down payment loans would work like any other, and would carry an interest rate and payback period — all of which would be determined by the California Housing Finance Agency.
To qualify, borrowers would need to have lived in the state for at least a year and earn no more than 200% of the local median income; in Los Angeles County, for example, that equates to a family of four earning no more than $216,200 a year.
Borrowers don’t have to be first-time homebuyers, which is often a requirement of down payment aid programs. But they would need to live in the home.
The program would restrict the price of qualifying homes, depending on the county where someone is trying to buy. A general estimate, though, is that would-be homebuyers would be limited to houses costing between $1 million and $1.5 million and the homes, more importantly, would need to be new construction.
While Proposition 37 has little opposition, and is supported by unions, chambers of commerce and organizations representing builders, the League of Women Voters opposes the ballot measure, concerned it would saddle residents with too much debt and that the terms of these loans are opaque, the details worked out only after the vote.
New homes only
Only buyers of newly-built homes would be eligible for these loans. That could include existing commercial buildings that had been converted into homes, such as condos or townhomes.
This provision is uncommon as many existing down payment assistance programs don’t strictly limit the type of home someone can buy — only the sale price. Bob Hertzberg, former Senate Majority Leader and the architect of the proposal, said he wanted Proposition 37 to spur new construction.
By creating more demand for new homes, he said, the hope is that builders will respond en masse.
But some groups are wary of this logic. One analysis, funded by the Proposition 37 campaign, estimated that this program could result in the building of 190,000 homes in the state, although the report’s author said it was “impossible to know” the true number given the various factors that impact housing.
Matthew Lewis, director of communications for California YIMBY, an organization that advocates making it easier and cheaper to build homes, said high prices make it clear that the demand for homes already exists and that Proposition 37 does little to address a bigger issue: the cost of building.
“In concept, [Proposition 37 is] a great idea,” Lewis said. “The thing we’re concerned about is, California is still way behind on its housing production goals, so there’s the risk of an unintended consequence of instead of having 10 people bidding on a house, now you’ve given a couple folks down payment assistance, and so there’s now 12 people bidding on the same house.”
To drive builders to construct eligible homes, the measure would allow them to opt into a “qualified builder” option. As long as they adhere to price caps, agree to certain labor requirements and fix repairs that arise, they’re protected from lawsuits from buyers concerning defects 10 years after construction of the home.
Homebuilders say even given some relief from litigation, they aren’t sure Proposition 37 would push construction into overdrive.
“There are so many more things the state, city and county could do to help add more supply [of homes],” said Paul Schon, a developer who builds apartments in L.A. County. He said tackling permitting times and red tape involved in building would have a greater impact. “This is minor,” he said.
Interest rates could be a tough sell
Many down payment assistance programs offer interest-free loans to homebuyers, including an existing program run by CalHFA.
But in order to be self-funding, the fixed-rate loans offered through Proposition 37 would carry interest. If passed, the state would issue revenue bonds, selling them to investors and using that money to issue loans to homebuyers. The investors are repaid with the interest paid on the loans.
Revenue bonds are generally viewed as riskier than other types of government bonds, in part because they’re backed by the promise of revenue from a specific project — in this case, payment by individual borrowers. That means interest rates on these loans could be higher than borrowers might like or be able to afford.
Hertzberg said he’s talked to investors who may be willing to buy these bonds at cheaper rates, given the crushing issue the funding is trying to solve. This would keep interest rates down for borrowers. He said he’s appealing to foundations and socially-minded tech leaders.
One of the biggest financial backers of the measure is the political nonprofit Building a Better California, which has been fighting the billionaire’s tax with help from wealthy donors, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
Hertzberg, for his part, refused to name any organization or person who may be interested in buying the bonds that would fund this program.
This article is part of The Times’ equity reporting initiative,funded by the James Irvine Foundation, exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to addressCalifornia’s economic divide.
WITH Halloween fast approaching, our Spotlight on column focuses on Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
The city is home to Europe’s biggest Halloween festival – now in its 40th year.
To celebrate, the city is launching a year-round Derry Samhain Experience and a permanent Halloween mural.
Here are some other top tips from us, including where to stay and some hidden gems.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
MUST SEE/DO
From October 28 to November 1, The Awakening The Walled City Trail fills the city centre with light installations, street theatre, fire performers and live music, while the Little Horrors programme keeps younger children busy.
On Halloween night the Carnival Parade sets off at 7pm, followed by fireworks over the River Foyle.
Pack a costume, as locals take dressing up seriously.
The trail, parade and fireworks are all free, but if you plan to visit make sure you book a bed as soon as possible.
BEST VIEW
Derry‘s 17th-century walls, built between 1613 and 1618 to protect English and Scottish settlers, are the only fully preserved city walls in Ireland.
They have never been breached, not even during the 105-day siege of 1689.
The mile-long loop takes you past seven gates and 24 restored cannons, including Roaring Meg, stamped “Fishmongers, London, 1642” after the livery company that paid for it.
From the ramparts you can look down over the Bogside, where murals and Free Derry Corner tell the story of the Troubles.
schoolchildren and teachers dressed as orange pumpkins parade down shipquay street Halloween Derry IrelandCredit: Alamy
HIDDEN GEM
The Dickensian-style Derry Craft Village in the heart of the city is a reconstruction of an 18th-century street and 19th-century square, home to more than 70 local makers.
It was built by the Inner City Trust, a charity set up in 1976 to rebuild the city centre during the Troubles. Its cafes are good for a coffee or a bite.
Derry Girls fans should then pop next door to the Tower Museum, home of the Derry Girls Experience.
RATED RESTAURANT
Browns Bonds Hill, on the east bank of the River Foyle, serves modern dishes made with local, seasonal produce.
Opened in 2009 by chef patron Ian Orr, Michelin‘s inspectors single it out for its good value.
For something more casual, sister restaurant Browns in Town is across the river on Strand Road and serves classic burgers, steak sandwiches and pasta.
Derry Girls mural, Derry Londonderry, IrelandCredit: AlamyDerry City, Londonderry, Co Derry, Northern IrelandCredit: Alamy
BEST BAR
Peadar O’Donnell’s on Waterloo Street has live traditional Irish music every night, in a pub done up like an old-fashioned grocer’s and hung with flags.
It’s a top spot to pull up a stool and sink a pint of Guinness. If it’s too busy, try the Gweedore Bar, under the same roof with an equally buzzy atmosphere.
HOTEL PICK
The Walled City Hotel opened last autumn with 40 rooms in a 1920s former Bank of Ireland building on Strand Road, a two-minute walk from the Guildhall.
Its vaulted ceilings now look down on a bar and restaurant. Rooms cost from £102 per night. See walledcityhotel.com.
Stevie Wonder is taking legal action against a reported ex-fiancée, filing a lawsuit this week to evict her after she allegedly lived rent-free at his property in Studio City for nearly four decades.
The prolific musician, whose legal name is Stevland Morris, filed a legal complaint in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday against Carmen Efferson, whom he says has been living for free at a home on Oak Glen Drive since July 1988, according to the complaint obtained by The Times. Wonder seeks to evict Efferson after she allegedly refused to allow inspectors into the property earlier in the summer and failed to vacate the home in August, despite receiving a 30-day notice in late July.
Efferson, whom TMZ reported was once betrothed to the Grammy-winning “Songs in the Key of Life” musician, did not immediately respond to The Times’ multiple requests for response on Friday. A legal representative for Wonder, 76, did not comment and did not clarify the singer’s reported relationship with Efferson. Wonder has been married Tomeeka Bracy since 2017.
According to the musician’s complaint, Wonder and Efferson reached an oral agreement in 1988 that she can occupy the property without paying monthly rent. Tensions began in July this year when representatives for Wonder attempted to access the property multiple times “for purposes of updating and retaining property insurance,” according to an email between Wonder’s legal representatives and Efferson included in the complaint.
One attorney for Wonder notified Efferson on July 23 of a property inspection the following week. Efferson had choice words for the request, emailing another attorney for Wonder on July 25 to “please refrain from your rascist [sic] coldblooded ‘white male privilege’ tone.”
“I’m feeling harassed,” Efferson said, according to screenshots of her email. “Regarding your ORDERS of entering into the place where I am living, I do not consent.”
She ended her email with an explicit statement. An attorney for Wonder responded two days later, informing Efferson that the lawyer who issued the inspection notice “is neither racist, coldblooded, white or male.”
In an email dated July 27, Efferson also threatened to “immediately contact law enforcement” upon further attempts by Wonder’s representatives to enter the property. The next day, attorneys notified Efferson she had 30 days to vacate the home.
“You were given the opportunity to reconsider your decision to deny access and declined,” the notice said, according to the complaint. Efferson was ordered to vacate the property by Aug. 27
On Oct. 6, Wonder’s lawyers issued Efferson a three-day notice to leave the home due to her alleged violation of her oral agreement with the musician. Wonder’s legal representatives also claimed they gave Efferson “three additional opportunities to permit entry” for an inspection, but she failed to respond.
“Owner has been prejudiced by the cancellation of the property insurance policy and is now at substantial risk of economic loss by virtue of your actions to prevent the protection and preservation of the Premises,” attorneys said in the notice, according to exhibits. The attorneys also notified Efferson that Wonder would file a complaint should she refuse access again.
Wonder — celebrating the 50th anniversary of his seminal “Songs in the Key of Life” this year — is seeking forfeiture of the lease agreement with Efferson, legal fees and statutory damages up to $600.
HAVANA — The Caribbean island of Nevis has received a financial boost in honor of one of its most famous sons, Alexander Hamilton, who went on to become a founding father of the United States and America’s first treasury secretary.
The U.S. government this month awarded $245,000 to restore the home where some believe Hamilton once lived as the U.S. celebrates its 250th anniversary.
Hamilton was born on Nevis in the mid-18th century and spent his childhood living at his adopted father’s home in Charlestown.
The 17th-century Georgian stone building is now Hamilton House, a museum that houses documents from the famous forefather’s early years and features exhibits honoring other Caribbean personalities. But it has demanded constant repairs: time and salty air have damaged the woodwork.
Nevis Premier Mark Brantley told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he’s grateful for the funds.
“We have tried valiantly as locals to preserve these very important historical monuments,” he said.
Despite Hamilton having lived only the early part of his childhood in Nevis, the premier believes his legacy is inspiring.
“Hamilton is significant because I think it’s a demonstration of what a small island like Nevis, a little dot in the ocean, can contribute to the founding of the greatest nation in the world, the United States,” Brantley said.
The two-story, Georgian stone building that was originally built around 1680 was destroyed by an earthquake in 1840 and was last restored in 1983.
Brantley said the restoration work is important to both the U.S. and Nevis: “Hamilton remains, I think, an iconic figure for us and a figure that we can look at his legacy and inspire our own people to achieve and to know that greatness is available for all of us.”
