James

DC Studios co-chief James Gunn took to social media Monday to settle a debate once and for all: Of course, Supergirl can have pierced ears.

“Supergirl,” the upcoming superhero film starring Milly Alcock as the last daughter of Krypton, Kara Zor-El, has been the target of questioning from online detractors. One overblown gripe that some have mentioned on social media after zeroing in on Supergirl’s earlobes in promotional images is how a superpowered alien refugee known for her invulnerability and unbreakable skin could have any body jewelry.

“As explained in Superman, the same way she gets drunk — she goes to a planet with a red sun,” Gunn wrote on Threads. “Not to mention she was raised on a chunk of Krypton so didn’t even experience super powers until her teens.”

As the filmmaker mentions, Alcock’s iteration of Kara made her DC Universe debut in his 2025 movie, “Superman.” After the clearly inebriated Girl of Steel crashes into her cousin’s Fortress of Solitude to pick up her dog, Krypto, Superman notes that Kara “likes to go and party on other planets … with red suns.” This is because, as Superman explains, Kryptonians have enhanced power on Earth because of its yellow sun. This is also Kryptonian lore that has been established in comic books.

A recently released “Supergirl” clip also shows Superman first meeting his cousin after her pod lands on Earth. The footage shows Kara’s superpowers kicking in for the first time.

Directed by Craig Gillespie, “Supergirl” will follow the eponymous Kryptonian as she is celebrating her 23rd birthday. According to the film’s logline, Kara’s encounter with “an unexpected and ruthless adversary” leads her to “reluctantly join forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.”

The movie’s cast also includes Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet and Jason Momoa. “Supergirl” will hit theaters June 26.

AUSTIN, Texas — A lawyer who represented Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton for nearly a decade over accusations of corruption and securities fraud is supporting Democrat James Talarico — and not his former client — in one of the biggest U.S. Senate races.

Talarico on Monday drew attention to his campaign winning the endorsement of Houston attorney Dan Cogdell, who was part of Paxton’s defense team during the Republican’s historic impeachment trial in 2023 that ended in acquittal.

The legal troubles that shadowed Paxton in public office in Texas are a central attack line of Talarico’s campaign, though in his endorsement, Cogdell didn’t cite concerns about his client’s past.

Cogdell said he didn’t dislike Paxton as a person and felt that Texas lawmakers were right to eventually acquit the attorney general. But as a politician, Cogdell said, Paxton is too focused on appeasing President Trump.

“I worked my ass off for the man for nine years,” Cogdell said in an interview with the Associated Press. “But that’s a different inquiry, my obligation to Ken ended at the courthouse steps and my obligation as a citizen is to do what I think is the right thing.”

Cogdell said Texas needs a lot of work, pointing to education and health care, “and to simply bootlick or rubber stamp Trump, that’s not what we need in D.C. right now.” He also recently spoke to Talarico at length on Cogdell’s podcast.ty.

Asked for comment, an aide to Paxton’s campaign said Cogdell is a Democrat and called the endorsement unsurprising.

The lead defense attorney in Paxton’s impeachment trial, Tony Buzbee, reiterated that on X. Buzbee added that he was supporting Paxton in the race.

Cogdell described himself as a registered Democrat, although voters in Texas do not register by political party. He added, however, that he considers himself a moderate who has given more campaign contributions over the years to Republican candidates than Democrats.

Talarico has given Democrats hope of flipping the statewide seat in Texas blue as the party scrambles to retake control of the U.S. Senate in November.

Paxton’s insurgent campaign beat Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican Senate primary runoff last month, helped by a Trump endorsement in the final days of the race.

Bedayn writes for the Associated Press.

Last summer, James Tronstein of Harvard-Westlake was struggling at the plate. Then came shocking news before his senior year: He didn’t make the list of 40 finalists for the U18 national baseball team despite winning gold medals for the U15 team.

“He was pressing,” coach Jared Halpert said. “He had really good at-bats but wasn’t getting results. Credit goes to his maturity, ‘How do I get better?’”

His mental adjustment on how to react to failure, combined with a conditioning program that led him to lose 10 pounds and become faster and stronger, created a spring environment sending him into rarefied air.

The 6-foot, 170-pounder batted .531 with 52 hits and 10 home runs while making the transition from center fielder to shortstop. Everyone associated with the program now calls him the best hitter in school history.

For an individual performance that separated him from all others, Tronstein has been selected The Times’ player of the year for the 2026 season. The Vanderbilt commit and possible high draft pick has been a four-year varsity starter. He also was named the Gatorade state player of the year.

One of the lessons Tronstein said he learned is that “baseball is a game of failure. How am I going to handle that and set myself up for success?”

“He started evaluating situations,” Halpert said.

He also became a vocal leader, having been taken under the wings by former stars Bryce Rainer, Tommy Bridges and Miguel Villegas. His fire during games and his support of teammates came through loud and clear

He credited Halpert for teaching him about baseball and life.

“Coach Halpert has a huge impact on my life,” Tronstein said. “He’s made me into the man I am today.”

Tronstein helped Harvard-Westlake win the Mission League title and reach the Southern Section Division 1 semifinals before losing 3-1 to eventual champion St. John Bosco.

A site of big changes, the Music Center has become farewell central. Alongside the Gustavo Dudamel hullabaloo at Walt Disney Concert Hall, James Conlon has begun his final appearances in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as music director for two decades of Los Angeles Opera, with his own signature form of enchantment in Mozart’s “Magic Flute.”

The silent-movie panache of Barrie Kosky’s production, which opened Saturday night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and runs through June 21, is on its way to becoming a perennial. This is the third revival since L.A. Opera first staged it in 2013 — all four times with Conlon in the pit. The production operates like an operatic graphic novel and live animated film charmingly all in one. The scene is a giant movie screen broken up in sections and upon which is projected witty, fantastical background animation, while the characters are the live singers, dressed as though silent film stars.

The orchestra plays Mozart’s score as though it were, as orchestras did in the old days, accompanying a silent movie but to radically different effect. Fulgurous cinematic spectacle may immerse your attention, but the opera’s essence is transferred from the stage to the pit. The singers, meanwhile, function to an unusual degree as choreographed characters in a cartoon, leaving little opportunity for body language, allowing, instead, individual expression almost exclusively to their voices.

In Mozart’s opera, Tamino, a prince in a fairyland of mystic temples and mystifying gods, relies on his supernatural flute that turn sorrow into joy to get him out of jams. The genius of Kosky’s singularly musical production is that it magically makes the orchestra itself a compendious magic flute. It more than ever becomes an agent of delight.

That is where Conlon comes in. He has, while leading L.A. Opera for 20 seasons (half the company’s existence), served as an advocate for the core operatic repertory — notably Mozart, Verdi and Wagner — much of it little heard in our late-blooming former operatic desert. He has also been an international champion of his “recovered voices” project, salvaging the neglected operas of composers in the first half of the 20th century who were silenced by Nazi Germany.

“The Magic Flute,” one of the world’s two or three most popular operas, needs no such patronage. Written at the end of Mozart’s life as a popular entertainment, its a singspiel, or sung play. As a proto-Broadway musical operatic genre of spoken word and musical numbers, it appeals on all levels. The fairy-tale libretto is child-friendly. Mozart’s score is tune heaven.

The troublesome Queen of the Night dazzles with high notes that shoot out like daggers. The main lovers, Tamino and Pamina, are lyrical wonders. The comical bird-catcher, Papageno, is everyone’s darling. The domineering Sarastro, an all-powerful priest, bellows spiritual profundities. But if you start digging under the surface, deeper than the symbolic Freemasonry and all, you may never find bottom.

The opera begins with three ceremonial chords in the orchestra that signal a brief, sober introduction quickly undercut by an exhilarating fast-forwarding overture. Those three chords can be made to mean many things. Often, they come across as commands by an orchestra to sit up straight and pay attention. They may be dignified or downright quirky and playfully no big deal, just a here-we-go.

Conlon handles them as a sweet, perfectly tuned, almost amorous invitation to pleasure, implying this will be a genial, gracious, laid-back “Flute.” Among his accomplishments in L.A. has been to make the opera’s orchestra capable of producing just such velvety, flowing Mozart, as well as terse, tight theater.

Here, Conlon offers a lesson in the kind of leadership generally lacking in modern society, by simultaneously staying out of the way yet being at the essential center of things. Depth here is not announced, but the care of phrasing implies that there is more to everything Mozart is saying than first meets the ear, that, under it all, the “Magic Flute” is not fantasy but a spiritual lesson in morality.

Many in the cast, this revival, are young singers, not yet well known and new to the company. Sydney Mancasola and Miles Mykkanen, as Pamina and Tamino, are likable, lyric lovers. Kyle Miller catches Papageno’s vulnerable charm. Aigul Khismatullina, Queen of the Night, impresses with the silvery pricks of her high notes, while Kwangchul Youn’s Sarastro, unsteady in middle register, takes on weight at the bottom of his bass. Zhengyi Bai’s lustful Monostatos, disguised in the production as a hammy vampire, almost steals the show a time or two. The Three Ladies and Three Spirits provide vocal allure.

One of the evening’s most theatrical moments, though, came after the music stopped when what sounded like a gun interrupted curtain calls. But as if rescued by a magic flute, an instant of fear turned to joy, glittery gold graffiti filling the Chandler and celebrating Conlon.

THE heartbroken girlfriend of James Handy has spoken out in anguish after her own son was accused of brutally stabbing the veteran actor to death.

Wendy Gledhill, 76, fought back tears as she broke her silence outside her home, reeling from the horror of losing her partner and the devastating allegations against her son.

“I’m just trying to make it through one day at a time, a minute at a time,” she said.

“I loved James and my son. I still can’t believe it….I can’t believe my son did it. I’m just trying to …,” she added, before retreating inside, overcome with emotion.

Her son, Michael Gledhill, 44, stands accused of fatally stabbing the 81-year-old actor multiple times in the chest  in a shocking attack at the family home in Tarzana, Los Angeles.

Authorities say the horror unfolded on Wednesday morning when police were called to the property on the 19200 block of Erwin Street following a disturbing 911 call.

A voice reportedly told dispatchers: “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”

When officers arrived at around 9:30am, they found Handy unconscious and bleeding out in the front yard, suffering from multiple stab wounds.

“We also need [a rescue ambulance] for a male, not conscious, not breathing, suffering from a stab wound,” a responding officer said in chilling dispatch audio.

The beloved actor was rushed to hospital but was later pronounced dead.

In a dramatic twist, Gledhill himself allegedly waved down officers as they approached, telling them he was the suspect they were looking for.

He was arrested at the scene and charged with murder. He is currently being held on a $2,000,000 bond.

Disturbing Ring doorbell footage later emerged showing a man believed to be Gledhill pacing near the home.

He was dressed in a purple or pink shirt and blue trousers, at times touching his face before returning to the property and flagging down police.

Another clip showed him walking back towards the house where Handy’s body was later found, with footage also appearing to capture him leading officers across the lawn.

Neighbours described Gledhill as acting erratically in the past, with one claiming his behaviour raised alarm.

“He looked really rugged … he looks like he doesn’t really change his clothes,” said neighbor Joheina Quibol.

She also recalled a bizarre encounter in which he allegedly questioned her father about cameras inside their home, describing him as “paranoid” and suggesting he may have struggled with mental health issues.

Other neighbours claimed the suspect and Handy had been overheard arguing overnight before the fatal attack.

Despite the brutal nature of the killing, the Los Angeles Police Department said they believe it to be an isolated incident, adding there is no ongoing danger to the public.

A motive for the attack has not yet been established.

Handy’s death has sent shockwaves through Hollywood, with his talent agent Pam Ellis-Evenas confirming the tragedy in a statement.

“With great sadness I can confirm that the gentleman who was attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was the actor James Handy.”

The New York City-born star enjoyed a glittering career spanning nearly five decades, racking up close to 150 screen credits across film and television.

He was most recently seen as bartender Jimmy in Top Gun: Maverick alongside Tom Cruise.

Handy also appeared in the 2017 superhero film Logan, starring Hugh Jackman, playing a doctor treating an ageing Wolverine.

One of his most memorable roles came in the 1995 classic Jumanji, where he starred alongside Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt and Kirsten Dunst.

His extensive television career included appearances in hit series such as The West Wing, 9-1-1, NCIS: Los Angeles, CSI: NY, The Young and the Restless, Castle, Criminal Minds, Cold Case, Without a Trace, ER and The X-Files.

He also had notable roles in Alias as Arthur Devlin, and recurring appearances in Melrose Place and NYPD Blue.

Handy’s brutal killing comes less than a year after another shocking Hollywood tragedy involving Rob Reiner, 78, who was found with his throat slit inside his Los Angeles home.

His son, Nick Reiner, 32, has been accused of killing both him and his mother Michelle, 68, while they were in bed on December 14, 2025. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

TOP Gun: Maverick actor James Handy has been stabbed to death with his girlfriend’s son telling cops in a 911 call: “I just killed the man”.

The 81-year-old, who also starred in Logan and Jumanji, was found unconscious with multiple stab wounds to his chest on his front yard.

Authorities rushed to the scene in Tarzana, Los Angeles on Wednesday morning at around 9.30am after receiving a chilling 911 call.

Police revealed a voice at the end of the line said: “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”

Officials rushed to James’ home on Erwin Street and raced him to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Some time later, 44-year-old Michael Gledhill – the son of James’ partner – waved down officers as they searched near the home.

GRISLY END

Man bleeds to death after ‘cutting off his penis & slicing throat’ on LA street

Gledhill confessed to carrying out the fatal attack and said he was the one who phoned the police, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Gledhill was arrested for murder and taken to Van Nuys Jail with his bail set at $2,000,000.

The LAPD statement said: “Detectives believe this is an isolated incident and there appears to be no danger to the public at this time.”

A motive for the attack remains unclear.

Neighbors have claimed Gledhill and James were overheard arguing overnight.

The star’s talent agent, Pam Ellis-Evenas, paid tribute saying: “With great sadness I can confirm that the gentleman who was attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was the actor James Handy.”

James’ career spanned almost five decades with his most recent major role being in Tom Cruise’s Hollywood sequel Top Gun: Maverick in 2022.

He played the role of bartender Jimmy.

Another memorable role for James came in 2017 superhero flick Logan as he played the doctor who treated lead man Hugh Jackman.

James also starred in 1995 cult classic Jumanji alongside Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt and Kirsten Dunst.

His career featured several TV credits such as the role of Arthur Devlin in eight episodes of Alias and recurring stints on Melrose Place and NYPD Blue.

James’ tragic death comes less than a year after Hollywood icon Rob Reiner, 78, had his throat slit inside his LA home.

Son Nick, 32, is currently in jail after being accused of killing both Rob and his mum Michelle, 68, while they were in bed on December 14, 2025.

Nick has pleaded not guilty on both counts of murder and is awaiting trial.

Los Angeles police are investigating the fatal stabbing of actor James Handy, who officials said was killed by his girlfriend’s son Wednesday at a home in Tarzana. The suspect was apprehended after he made a bizarre 911 call.

On Thursday, authorities identified the 81-year-old stabbing victim as the actor, who appeared in the films “Logan,” “Jumanji,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Arachnophobia.”

Representatives for the actor confirmed the news to The Times.

On Wednesday morning around 9:30 a.m., West Valley area patrol officers responded to an emergency call in a residential neighborhood of Tarzana. The 911 caller stated, “I am the son of man. I just killed the man of sin.”

When police arrived, they found Handy in the front yard of the Erwin Street home, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest. According to law enforcement, Handy was taken to a local hospital by paramedics, where he was pronounced dead.

A news release said that Michael Gledhill, the man suspected of stabbing Handy, flagged down officers who were responding to the incident and told them he was the one they were looking for.

Gledhill, 44, lives at the Erwin Street home with his mother, who police said was in a relationship with Handy.

Detectives said they believed this was an isolated incident and there appeared to be no danger to the public at this time.

Gledhill was arrested and transported to Van Nuys Jail, where he was booked on suspicion of murder. His bail was set at $2 million.

Handy has more than 150 acting credits to his name and had acted across television and film since the 1970s. Most recently, he played a bartender alongside Jennifer Connelly in the 2022 sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.” In 2017, he played opposite Hugh Jackman in “Logan” as a doctor who pleads with Wolverine to heal up.

In 2021, he portrayed Father MacGuffin in the comedy “Senior Entourage.” The film’s director, Brian Connors, posted on Facebook last year that Handy was one of the “finest character actors I know.”

Handy also acted in numerous television crime dramas, including “Alias,” “Criminal Minds,” “NCIS: Los Angeles,” “Rizzoli & Isles,” “CSI: NY,” “Cold Case” and more.

The police are asking anyone with additional information about this incident to contact the Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Section, Dets. Simonyan or Lopez, at (818) 374-9550.

Los Angeles police are investigating the fatal stabbing of actor James Handy, who officials said was killed by his girlfriend’s son Wednesday at a home in Tarzana. The suspect was apprehended after he made a bizarre 911 call.

On Thursday, authorities identified the 81-year-old stabbing victim as the actor, who appeared in films “Logan,” “Jumanji,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Arachnophobia.”

Representatives for the actor confirmed the news to The Times.

On Wednesday morning around 9:30 a.m., West Valley area patrol officers responded to an emergency call in a residential neighborhood of Tarzana. The 911 caller stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.”

When police arrived, they found Handy in the front yard of the Erwin Street home, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest. According to law enforcement, Handy was taken to a local hospital by paramedics, where he was pronounced dead.

A news release said that Michael Gledhill, the man suspected of stabbing Handy, flagged down officers who were responding to the incident and told them he was the the one they were looking for.

Gledhill, 44, lives at the Erwin Street home with his mother, who police said was in a relationship with Handy.

Detectives said they believed this was an isolated incident and there appeared to be no danger to the public at this time.

Gledhill was arrested and transported to Van Nuys Jail, where he was booked on murder charges. His bail was set at $2 million.

The police are asking anyone with additional information about this incident to contact the Robbery-Homicide Division, Valley Section, Dets. Simonyan or Lopez, at (818) 374-9550.

BUSTED star James Bourne has become centre to quite the mystery as it’s been revealed his Instagram account has disappeared.

This comes just six months after he pulled out of the band’s huge tour with a serious illness.

When fans click through to scroll his profile, it’s completely gone.

It shows a blank white page with the words, “Sorry this page isn’t available.

“The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.”

This message usually pops up when Instagram has removed the account or the account holder has deleted their page.

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James pulled out of the group’s tour alongside their pals McFly last September, just hours before they were due on stage.

The 42-year-old confessed he would not be tearing up the stage with the rest of his band –  Charlie Simpson and Matt Willis.

He cited the reason for pulling out as “health” problems and said he “hoped to come back further down the line”.

James said in his statement: “The VS tour kicks off tomorrow night in Birmingham and as excited as I’ve been all year for this tour to begin, I’m really sorry to say that over the last 8 days it has become clear that I am not in good enough health to play these shows.

“There’s a lot of information I still don’t have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on medical stuff for now.”

None of the boys wanted to let fans down and so they decided to push ahead with a replacement on guitar.

Bassist Matt told the Birmingham crowd: “You may have noticed our best friend is not here tonight. James Bourne is really f***ing sick and we love him and we miss him.

“This is the first show we’ve ever played without him and it’s really weird but we’re going to do the best we can.

“This happened really fast, y’know, health is wealth.”

The remaining Busted stars explained to their fans that they’d asked James if they should continue and he agreed saying, “you totally should.”

Back in April James opened up to Busted fans, sharing he was having a major surgery in the hopes it would extend his life expectancy.

“Hopefully [the surgery will] make me well enough to come back to what I love the most which is touring and making music. It really sucks to be out of the game,” admitted James on his Instagram story.

The singer, who shot to fame when Busted arrived on the pop scene in 2002 with What I Go To School For, is yet to reveal what illness he is battling.

Busted confirmed their split in an emotional press conference on January 13, 2005.

However they thrilled fans when they got back together ten years later, and have been going strong ever since.

The group have continued to rack up hit after hit.

Before Ireland’s Six Nations win over Scotland in March, which secured the triple Crown, Farrell said he expected both Lowe and centre Bundee Aki to sign new contracts.

Aki has agreed a new one-year deal to stay with Connacht but there has not been any progress with Lowe, who is contracted by Leinster rather than an central contract with the Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU].

Lowe did not make the squad for the Champions Cup final defeat by Bordeaux despite having returned from a hamstring injury sustained in the Six Nations win over England.

However, his two record-breaking tries on Saturday show he is still a threat when fit and available.

While Cullen declined to comment on his future, he did praise the impact Lowe has made since he moved to Ireland nine years ago.

“He’s been a great character in the group. Very, very different, you know, what he brings, great energy,” Cullen said after the game.

“Internally, we had a video there just in terms of some of the stuff that he’s done in a Leinster jersey over his career.

“There’s not many James Lowes running around the streets that we’ve come across so far. He’s been a great addition to the group over the years.”

Five-time Pro Bowl safety Derwin James and the Chargers have agreed to a multiyear extension.

The team announced the deal Tuesday. James was entering the final year of his contract, and general manager Joe Hortiz had said that keeping the five-time Associated Press All-Pro was a priority.

James has helped the Chargers’ defense rank fourth in the NFL in total defense over the last two years, allowing 304.8 total net yards per game. The team led the league in 2024 by allowing just 17.7 points per game.

James, who turns 30 in August, will look to replicate those numbers under first-year defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary, who took over when Jesse Minter was hired as head coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

He has started all 98 career regular-season games played, with 684 tackles, 19.0 sacks, 12 interceptions and 46 passes defensed.

Centre James Hume says Ulster’s players are “embracing” the chance to make history in the Challenge Cup final on Friday.

Richie Murphy’s side face Montpellier in Bilbao as they look to end a 20-year trophy drought and also secure their place in next season’s Champions Cup, having missed out through the United Rugby Championship [URC] with a ninth-place finish.

With no URC play-offs to look forward to, Friday represents the final act of Ulster’s season and the opportunity to bring a first trophy back since the 2006 Celtic League success.

There have been some near misses since, with Hume part of the squad that lost out in the 2019-20 Pro 14 final, so the 27-year-old is keen to make up for that disappointment.

“I’m definitely embracing it,” Hume said.

“Richie [Murphy, head coach] said just this morning, ‘you have a chance to write your name in history’.

“I think it’s my eighth season and there’s times where you get really, really close, like the semi-final in 2022 [a last-gasp loss to the Bulls in South Africa]. The Pro 14 final during Covid – stuff just didn’t go as we had planned.

“This is a massive opportunity for us to bring some silverware back home to Belfast, where there hasn’t been since 2006, so we’re buzzing for it.”

After Friday’s disappointment when a late Glasgow try saw the Scottish club claim a dramatic 26-22 win in Belfast, Ulster’s eggs are firmly in Friday’s Challenge Cup final basket if they want to play in next season’s Champions Cup.

With a cup final to look forward to, Hume insists “you can’t let that affect you too much” as they prepare to face the side sitting second in the Top 14.

The three-times capped Ireland international admits away defeats in the league against Scarlets and Ospreys “cost us” but the challenge of European rugby is one in which Ulster have produced some of their best moments this season.

“It seems that when we play in Europe against teams that aren’t in our league [URC], we seem to play better rugby or it’s like more enjoyable to attack against.

“French defences are a bit more erratic and not as organised as what the northern hemisphere rugby usually is within our league, so sometimes that presents different opportunities and maybe suits us a bit more, but we’ll see in the weekend.”

The deal, valued at more than $300m, gives Murdoch control of a storied magazine and a podcast division with a reach valued by advertisers.

Media scion James Murdoch has agreed to acquire New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network in a deal that will significantly expand his portfolio and stands to boost his influence over news and entertainment.

“This acquisition reflects both our interest in the forward edge of culture and our deep commitment to ambitious journalism,” Murdoch, the younger son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, said in a statement on Wednesday announcing the transaction. His company Lupa Systems will buy both properties from Vox Media.

The deal, valued at more than $300m, gives Murdoch control of a storied magazine known for its coverage of culture, politics and fashion, and a podcast division whose reach, among a demographic coveted by advertisers, rivals that of cable television news networks, according to several people with direct knowledge of the acquisition. The politics news site Vox.com is also included.

Murdoch and his wife Kathryn Murdoch were intimately involved in courting key talent from Vox, specifically Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, stars of the popular Pivot podcast, as well as several other programmes on the company’s podcast network.

“I like James and Kathryn,” Swisher said in a phone interview. “Unlike many other media owners these days, they’re savvy about the business and willing to take smart risks.”

Vox’s podcast division was valued much higher than New York Magazine in the transaction, two of the people said, spotlighting the importance of making sure top programmes were locked in. Pivot, for example, has three years remaining on its contract, which will continue under Murdoch. Swisher met with the investor and his wife Kathryn several times before the deal came together.

“In a company like Vox, if its talent doesn’t like something, it’s not gonna happen,” Galloway said in an interview. He added, “James is the only Murdoch that this deal could have happened with.”

Several years ago, James was locked in a fierce dispute with his father over the editorial direction and future control of the family’s media empire. In 2019, he founded Lupa after stepping down as chief executive of 21st Century Fox. In 2020, he resigned from the board of News Corp, the publishing arm of the family’s media empire, citing “disagreements over certain editorial content”.

Vox’s podcast and publishing assets will operate as a subsidiary of Lupa Systems, which also owns Art Basel, which hosts annual events in Paris, Miami, Hong Kong, and Doha, and Tribeca Enterprises, the media and entertainment company cofounded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal.

Vox Media CEO Jim Bankoff will join Lupa Systems and will continue to lead the brands under the Vox Media label, he said in a note to the company’s staff, adding the deal is expected to close in four to six weeks.

New York Magazine’s publications include The Cut, Vulture and Intelligencer, with a digital audience of tens of millions and more than 400,000 paying subscribers currently.

The acquisition does not include other Vox Media brands such as Eater, Popsugar and The Verge. These brands, along with SB Nation and The Dodo, will become an independent company under a new corporate name.

James’s father, Rupert Murdoch, once owned New York Magazine from the late 1970s till he sold it in 1991.

Lupa Systems, the media and tech holding company owned by James Murdoch, is set to acquire nearly half of Vox Media.

As part of the deal, Murdoch’s company will own Vox Media’s podcast network, Vox.com and New York Magazine, once an asset of his father, industry giant Rupert Murdoch. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the price tag was reportedly over $300 million, the New York Times reported citing people familiar with the deal. The goal of the investment is to bring “influential journalists, top-rated podcasts, and digital brands with large social footprints” to Lupa and help grow its media portfolio, the company announced Wednesday.

“This acquisition aligns well with our existing holdings and investments and reflects both our interest in the forward edge of culture and our deep commitment to ambitious journalism and agenda-setting conversations,” Murdoch said in a statement.

The three new assets will function as a subsidiary of Lupa Systems and will keep the name Vox Media. The deal includes New York Magazine’s popular verticals like The Cut, Vulture and Intelligencer, as well as Vox’s most successful podcasts like “Today, Explained” and “Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway.” Jim Bankoff, Vox Media’s current CEO, will continue to lead the company.

The other Vox Media properties, which Murdoch did not purchase, include websites like Eater, The Dodo and The Verge. These platforms will be run under an unnamed new company by the current president of Vox Media, Ryan Pauley.

This investment strengthens Lupa Systems’ position in the evolving media landscape. The business has other holdings including the parent company of Tribeca Film Festival, the owner of Art Basel, Robert DeNiro and Jane Rosenthal’s entertainment company Tribeca Enterprises, and Bodhi Tree Systems, an investment platform behind a popular Indian streaming service.

This is one of the largest deals Murdoch has closed since he and his family resolved a $3.3-billion dispute last year. The conflict centered on the future of the family’s media empire, which includes Fox News, The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal. In the settlement, James Murdoch received roughly $1 billion and his elder brother, Lachlan, assumed power over the family’s assets.

Before the legal blowout, Murdoch previously served as the chief executive of major global media companies like 21st Century Fox and Europe’s Sky Group.

The billionaire told the New York Times that, with this new acquisition, he didn’t want a “daily news business.” He wanted “longer-form, thoughtful journalism that can really speak to the culture.”

JAMES Corden has revealed he’s actually not a fan of one of his iconic Gavin & Stacey episodes, branding it “awful”.

The actor and presenter created the popular sitcom alongside Ruth Jones, with it running for three seasons until 2010.

Despite being much-loved by fans, James has revealed that he was not a fan of the show’s second ever episode – despite it being the one where the titular characters get engaged.

Describing the episode as a “very, very, very bad half hour” whilst talking at the BBC Comedy Festival, James explained that he felt they were “backed into a corner” by the episode ending with Gavin proposing to Stacey.

The episode sees Gavin – played by Mathew Horne – travel to Wales to make up with Joanna Page’s character Stacey following a dispute, and ends with him proposing.

Despite noting some “saving graces” in the writing, he added: “It’s an awful episode”.

the price is right

Real reason Katie Price came back to UK and refuses to return to Dubai

MORNING AFTER

Molly Mae and Tommy Fury spotted out day after he skipped Venezuela’s wedding

Despite ending over a decade ago, Gavin & Stacey returned in 2024 for one final Christmas Special episode, rounding off the popular series.

However, James has remained close friends with the show’s cast and his co-writer and close pal Ruth.

Back in September, The Sun revealed how the duo were once again working together on a new series.

James and Ruth have signed a multi-million pound deal with AppleTV+ for a follow-up series.

They will star in the ten-part comedy drama alongside an all-British cast.

Set in the UK, filming begins next year with the hotly-anticipated show due in 2027.

The deal, believed to worth up to £8million, was agreed amid interest from BBC, Netflix and Amazon Prime.

A show insider said: “In what has unquestionably been a pretty miserable year for Brits, there is finally something to cheer — a new James and Ruth co-production.

“As you might expect, it is uplifting, gentle and very funny.

“They wanted to bring something full of heart and warmth back to screens; water cooler moments for all the family.”

It’s sad and stony-hearted that the Lakers should unload LeBron James, recoup resources, unload his albatross-like salary, and build a championship contender bolstered by Luka Doncic. Yes, James is still a top-15 player, but unable to lead an ill-balanced team to the NBA Finals.

The Lakers allowed sentimentality toward Kobe Bryant to distort their vision, signing Bryant to a two-year, $48.5-million extension. Bryant missed 39% of the games while the Lakers won 38 times in the two seasons. Abysmal.

The Lakers should use James’ $52.6-million salary to sign long, athletic players who can drain threes with regularity.

James might make a great addition to a championship contending team like the Cleveland Cavaliers. Otherwise, thank him for his greatness as a Laker.

Marc D. Greenwood
Opelika, Ala.

Some legendary athletes, like Jim Brown and Sandy Koufax, retired at the peak of their careers. Other greats, like Muhammad Ali, Johnny Unitas and Willie Mays, waited too long. Memo to LeBron James: Which camp will you choose?

Denny Freidenrich
Laguna Beach

After reading Bill Plaschke’s article about LeBron James — which closes with the line “Anywhere but here” — I have a better idea. Keep LeBron, get rid of Bill. Let him write anywhere but here.

Tom Irish
Rancho Palos Verdes

Father Time is as undefeated just as Bill Plaschke is winless with predictions. Many before Bill have buried LeBron James, only to see him rise to the occasion once again and prove them wrong.

If this is in fact LeBron’s last go-round, it’s been epic! Thanks for the memories. If not, let’s see him alongside an injury-free Luka Doncic for a full run to next year’s championship!

Marty Zweben
Palos Verdes Estates

I have always longed to go to Yorkshire.

I was 10 when I first read “All Creatures Great and Small,” devouring each subsequent book that Alf Wight, under the pen name James Herriot, wrote about life as a veterinarian in his beloved Yorkshire Dales. I was a bit older when I encountered Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” which opens in the seaside town of Whitby, where cliffs overlook the sea in which the ill-fated ship Demeter meets its end. In my teens, I discovered the wild moors and ancient halls of “Jane Eyre” and “Wuthering Heights.” More recently, I have been entranced by the work of Sally Wainwright, whose string of critically acclaimed series — ”Last Tango in Halifax,” “Happy Valley,” “Gentleman Jack” and “Riot Women” — have made her the modern bard of Yorkshire, England.

So when a friend, planning a visit to her daughter at Durham University, proposed I join her for a side trip of our own, I jumped at the chance to travel to a land I knew only through the eyes of others.

The Dales of James Herriot

In mid-April, I joined my friend Nancy in York, a city often mentioned in Yorkshire-based literature. On a sunny Saturday, we took a train to Thirsk, where Herriot, alongside Donald and Brian Sinclair (known in the books as Siegfried and Tristan Farnon) lived and worked in “Skeldale House,” now the World of James Herriot museum.

Lambing season in North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

The city sprawl quickly gave way to stone-walled fields full of dazzling yellow rape and spring-green grass dotted with sheep and frolicking lambs. April is lambing season, the perfect time to visit Herriot Country. “All young animals are appealing,” he wrote, “but the lamb has been given an unfair share of charm.”

Situated between the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales national parks, Thirsk (known as Darrowby in the Herriot books) is a market town, organized around a great open plaza in which stands a clock tower that on this day was decorated with rather splendid floral creations by the Thirsk Yarnbombers, in celebration of its 10th anniversary.

Even so, it looks much as it must have when Herriot lived here — modern businesses housed in medieval and Georgian buildings. Surely the Ritz Cinema is the theater Herriot describes as he begins his courtship of Helen Alderson; a blue circle marker proudly declares its date of establishment as a picture house, 1912.

The entrance to the World of James Herriot in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

The World of James Herriot museum is a sudden splash of crimson and white signage on an otherwise ordinary, albeit charming, street; at the far end stands St. Mary’s Church, where Herriot married his actual wife, Joan Anderson. When we visited the church later that afternoon, they were cleaning up from a community tea and I spoke with a woman who remembered Herriot and especially his son Jim and daughter Rosie, who were the town vet and doctor, respectively, for many years.

The museum, on the first floor, is a re-creation of “Skeldale House,” down to the pint pot in which Siegfried kept the petty cash and the old central telephone. There’s a display documenting the evolution of the books — originally printed in the UK, beginning in 1972, under different names, until a struggling St. Martin’s Press published two of them with the title “All Creatures Great and Small” and helped turn Herriot into a franchise.

The old central telephone at the World of James Herriot museum in Thirsk.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Various outbuildings now house a small screening room, where clips from a documentary on Herriot’s life play, as well as a re-creation of the TV studio and set on which the 1978 television series was filmed. The set from the current PBS series, which began in 2020, is in another part of the museum, which also includes an extensive exhibit of historic veterinarian instruments.

As we wandered through the town and the museum, Herriot the man came to life as lyrically as his fiction. A country vet, whose career began before the age of antibiotics and many now-commonplace vaccines, wrote, beginning at age 50, a series of semi-autobiographical novels that would become international bestsellers and launch several films and two series, one of which was filming 35 miles away in Grassington.

He never left the Dales, or stopped being a vet; during his lifetime, fans would line the street outside his practice, waiting for autographs and photos. Twenty years after his death, Thirsk remains both an ordinary Yorkshire town (the only Herriot memorabilia advertised is in the museum gift shop) and an enduring tourist destination. (If you go, may I recommend lunch/tea at Upstairs, Downstairs, where I got a life-changing Yorkshire rarebit with bacon and fried egg as well as a sack of the local sweet, cinder toffee.)

Grassington, North Yorkshire, becomes a film set for “All Creatures Great and Small.”

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Deeper in the Dales, Nancy and I rented a “glamping pod” in Malhamdale. On our way, we stopped in Grassington, where the town was being transformed into Darrowby with period-and-place-appropriate signs, advertisements and community announcements. “Open as usual but dressed for filming” read a sign in the window of the Stripey Badger Bookshop, Coffee Shop and Kitchen.

Filming would take place in two days’ time, so we returned then to see the square come alive with extras in period clothing. Within the crowd of fellow onlookers, controlled by lovely but firm crew members, we watched as a scene between Siegfried (Samuel West) and Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) was filmed outside the Drovers Arms.

A breathtaking view and unique fractured “pavement” at Malham Cove.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

We had chosen Malhamdale because its limestone topography is considered the most stunning of the Dales. And that it most certainly is.

From the village of Malham we hiked to Malham Cove, which rose in near miraculous silver splendor among the sylvan greenery, and then ascended the nearly 500 steps to its top. There, a breathtaking view and unique fractured “pavement” has been used in countless films, including “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” and the 1992 “Wuthering Heights.” We followed the trail to the Gordale Scar, a glorious gorge and waterfall that is also a favorite filming spot, and thence to Janet’s Foss, a woodland waterfall and pool, beside a cave where the queen of the fairies is said to live.

Janet’s Foss, a woodland waterfall and pool.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

After just three days in the Dales, I clearly understood why no amount of money or fame had convinced Herriot and his family to leave.

Dracula town

Windswept Whitby sits on the east coast of Yorkshire, with its back to the North York Moors National Park and its face to the North Sea. It climbs either side of a valley created by the River Esk, as it joins the port where whalers once launched and Captain Cook first commandeered the HMS Endeavour.

On the west side, the street along the harbor is chockablock with venues catering to tourists and daytrippers come to enjoy the pier and small beaches. Families rent crab pots and put their catch in plastic buckets held by delighted children. Atop the cliffs behind, Georgian homes, hotels and guest houses stand in gracious testament to Whitby’s Victorian history as a popular spa town, as it was when Stoker visited in 1890. He stayed in a West Cliff guest house, gazing, as everyone must do, across the harbor where the remains of the 13th century Whitby Abbey dominate the East Cliff.

The harbor at Whitby, North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Even under a beaming sun, the ruins, aproned by the graveyard of the nearby Norman church of St. Mary’s, carve a formidable black silhouette against the sky. Beneath are the roofs and cobbled streets of the medieval Old Town, where ancient pubs stand among jewelers specializing in local jet. To reach the abbey, visitors must climb the town’s famous 199 steps that rise along the cliff.

“It is a most noble ruin,” Mina Harker writes in her journal in early chapters of “Dracula.” “Between it and the town there is another church, the parish one, round which is a big graveyard, all full of tombstones. This is to my mind the nicest spot in Whitby, for it lies right over the town, and has a full view of the harbor.”

Here Mina and her friend Lucy Westenra sit among the graves, sketching and talking, later, watching clouds gather for the storm that would bring the Demeter, and Count Dracula, to Whitby. Here too Mina would see, from the West Cliff, her sleepwalking friend half reclining on “our favorite seat” and for a moment “it seemed to me as though something dark stood behind the seat where the white figure shone, and bent over it.”

The remains of Whitby Abbey.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

We visited on a sunny day, and the wind blew hard as we traced Mina and Lucy’s steps through the tombs and along the path past the Abbey toward Robin Hood’s Bay. With its glorious views and picturesque harbor, Whitby is the antithesis of gothic horror. Still, it was here that Stoker, researching another novel, first read of Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula, and no doubt heard of the wreck of the Russian ship Dmitry, which had run aground beneath East Cliff five years before his visit.

And so the godfather of modern horror was born.

Brontë Country

It is difficult to imagine a fictional tale more gothic, inspirational and remarkable than that of three brilliant sisters who lived in relative isolation on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, secretly battling their socially conscripted futures by writing poems and novels that they dared not publish under their own names.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Two of those novels — ”Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Brontë and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë, are still considered masterworks, influencing subsequent generations and endlessly adapted for film and television. (In the ultimate Yorkshire crossover, Wainwright wrote the breathtaking two-part Brontë biopic “To Walk Invisible,” which everyone should see.)

The Brontë Parsonage Museum, and the town of Haworth which it overlooks, is very much a tourist attraction. An information annex, gift shop and public restroom have been added behind it, but once you enter the small garden that stands between the parsonage’s front door and St. Michael and All Angels’ Church, you are in another world.

In 1820, Patrick Brontë, recently appointed incumbent of St. Michael, moved his wife, Maria, and their six children into the parsonage where they all lived for the rest of their natural (albeit in most cases, short) lives. Maria died in 1821; the two older children, Maria and Elizabeth, died four years later after being sent to a typhoid-plagued school Charlotte would pillory as Lowood in “Jane Eyre.”

The museum is meticulously restored to reflect the years that the surviving children — Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell, the only son — were young adults. The dining room table, where the sisters wrote, is strewn with manuscripts, quill pens and tea cups; a bonnet and shawl bedeck a chair in the small kitchen. Patrick had his own study but it is difficult to imagine three women being able to write separate works, never mind classics, in such close quarters. Ironically, only Branwell’s room, papered with sketches and poems, looks like an artist’s refuge.

St. Michael and All Angels’ Church in the town of Haworth.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

Unlike his three sisters, Branwell, his artistic career stunted by alcoholism and an opium addiction, never published. He died of tuberculosis in 1848 at 31.

If any place should be haunted, it is the Brontë parsonage. Shortly after Branwell’s funeral (and just a year after “Wuthering Heights” was published), 30-year-old Emily also died of tuberculosis, expiring on the sofa that stands beside the dining room table. A few months later, after the publication of her second novel, “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall,” Anne, 29, succumbed to the disease in nearby Scarborough, just south of Whitby.

Charlotte, who wrote two more novels after “Jane Eyre,” was the only sister to be celebrated during her lifetime. She married and then died at the parsonage in 1855 at 38 of complications from her first pregnancy. Only Patrick lived to old age — 84 — dying in 1861 in the home where he had served for 41 years.

The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, North Yorkshire.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

But it is not a sad house; instead visitors are left to wonder at the genius, resolution and audacity that roiled the quiet rooms and halls where the sisters secretly wrote and sent out their manuscripts, all initially under the the names of Currer (Charlotte), Ellis (Emily) and Acton (Anne) Bell.

The steeply descending main street of Haworth is filled with tea shops, pubs and stores clearly dedicated to pleasing Brontë pilgrims, but its basic form, including the original stationery store where the sisters once bought their paper, remains the same.

As do the moors that stretch behind the parsonage. On a walk to the Brontë Waterfall (more like a small but still lovely rill) and Top Withens, the ruin of a 16th century farmhouse believed to have inspired “Wuthering Heights,” the wild silence and sweeping vistas are even more transporting than the parsonage. One imagines not the ghost of Cathy or Heathcliff, but a trio of women, very much alive and striding through the heather, their minds alight with the stories they would tell, set among similar terrain.

Wainwright’s Way

Our final accommodation on this literary sojourn was Holdsworth House, a manor hotel near Halifax where screenwriter Wainwright and her casts often stay during filming, and where Alan (Derek Jacobi) and Celia (Anne Reid) were married in “Last Tango in Halifax.”

Holdsworth House, a manor hotel near Halifax.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

With creaking floors, fireplaces, a first-class restaurant, mullioned windows and a lovely garden, Holdsworth House would be glorious even without its famous connections (including a 1964 stay by the Beatles). Plans for at least two weddings were being discussed by staff during our sojourn.

On our way there, we stopped in Heptonstall, a tiny town above Hebden Bridge, where Sylvia Plath is buried in the St. Thomas A’ Becket churchyard. Her husband, Ted Hughes, was born in the nearby town of Mytholmroyd and though they were estranged at the time of her death, he was her next of kin and chose the site, and the stone, on which the poet is identified as Sylvia Plath Hughes above an epitaph that reads: “Even amidst fierce flames, the golden lotus can be planted.”

Heptonstall, a tiny town above Hebden Bridge, where Sylvia Plath is buried in the St. Thomas A’ Becket churchyard.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

There are no signs directing visitors to Plath’s resting place; we relied on Apple Maps and my memory of a brief glimpse of it in Wainwright’s “Happy Valley” (Becky, the daughter of main character Catherine Cawood [Sarah Lancashire], is buried nearby). Looking for the piles of pens that once adorned Plath’s grave didn’t help; it is now blanketed in planted flowers. A few pens have been left on the headstone, which has been replaced at least once; generations of fans have attempted to obliterate “Hughes.”

Down the hill in Hebden Bridge, Wainwright’s world comes miraculously to life — the canals with their longboats, on which Catherine battled Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton); the Albert pub which proudly announces on a placard that it is the Duke of Wellington in “Riot Women”; even the public car park where Alan had his car stolen while meeting Celia for the first time in “Last Tango.”

The canal at Hebden Bridge.

(Mary McNamara / Los Angeles Times)

While driving around Hebden Bridge and towns surrounding nearby Halifax, I more than once imagined I was Catherine Cawood and marveled at Wainwright’s loyalty to this land, its cities, towns, farms and moors. Her series are inevitably female-centric and like the Brontës, who wrote 200 years and a few miles away, her work excavates the drama of daily life and the tension between good and evil that sings below any surface.

The sisters, I believe, would be very proud.

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has suggested referees are “petrified” to make decisions because of the video assistant referee, after being denied a stoppage-time penalty against Leeds on Monday.

Substitute Maddison went down under Lukas Nmecha’s challenge, but referee Jarred Gillett and the VAR dismissed his appeal for a spot-kick.

The match finished 1-1, leaving Spurs two points above the Premier League relegation zone with two games to play.

Maddison, 29, who was making his first appearance of the season after his return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, wrote on his Instagram account: “For clarity… The small, tiny touch on the ball to change direction came from the outside of my right foot, not Nmecha, and I told the ref that.

“But the check was over in about 20 seconds. Officials are petrified to make decisions on pitch now because of VAR. We keep fighting. COYS.”

There was a moment when the Lakers were humming along near the end of the NBA’s regular season, when they went 16-2 in the month of March as Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James found their groove together as a dynamic threesome.

But on April 2 at Oklahoma City, Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique muscle strain) went down with injuries and it was left to James to lead the group.

James did, leading the Lakers past the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Reaves joined James in Game 5 of that series and the two of them led the charge into the Western Conference semifinals against the Thunder, a series in which Los Angeles got swept, 4-0.

Through it all, Doncic was and still is the center of the Lakers’ universe.

So with James and Reaves looking at free agency, Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said Tuesday at the team’s exit interviews that the organization wants both players back to team up with Doncic.

James, 41 and in his 23rd season, made $52.6 million last season but will be a free agent this offseason, when he can retire, return to the Lakers or play for another team.

“I think in terms of LeBron, we probably haven’t seen a player that has honored the game to the extent that he’s honored the game. He’s given so much to his teammates, to this organization,” Pelinka said. “And the thing we want to do more than anything else is honor him back. And I think the first order of business there is allowing him to spend the time he needs to decide what his next steps are.

“Does he want to play another year in the NBA? And that’ll be, as he said to you guys last night, family time [and] I think time with his inner circle. And we just want to honor that for him. Of course, any team, including ours, would love to have LeBron James on their roster. That’s a blessing in itself just with what he does.”

Reaves is expected to opt out of his contract that will pay him $14.8 million next season and become a free agent. The Lakers can pay Reaves the most, a maximum deal of $241 million over five years, with a starting salary of about $41.5 million next season. Reaves could sign with another team that has cap space, but that deal would be for four years and about $178 million.

“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said. “And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. As you know, there’s rules and timing to all of that, but I think both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here.”

The Lakers have their star in Doncic and will collaborate with him going forward.

He led the NBA in scoring (33.5 points per game), was third in assists (8.3) and was a most valuable player candidate.

Doncic, who missed the last five regular-season games and all of the playoffs, signed a three-year extension last summer for $165 million.

The Lakers want to build on that.

“He’s an incredible partner,” Pelinka said of Doncic. “His basketball IQ on the court is something we get to see as fans. [Lakers coach] JJ [Redick]) and I get to see his basketball knowledge in terms of other players in the league and the way he wants to play and who he wants to play with.

“His knowledge-base is vast and so those collaborations with him are really inspirational. He also does it in a way that he wants to do his job great, and he wants to let JJ do his job great and let me do my job great. So, they really are productive conversations through that lens.”

From Broderick Turner: All Lakers coach JJ Redick asked of his group was to “win the day.”

That day had to be Monday night, the only day that mattered for a Lakers team on the brink of elimination.

The Lakers came close, but they did not win the day, losing Game 4 115-110 to the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers’ season is over, having been swept 4-0 in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 27 points, Rui Hachimura had 25 points and LeBron James had 24 points and 12 rebounds.

When the game was over, James hugged several of the Thunder players.

James is in the final year of a contract that paid him $52 million this season, and at 41 and in his 23rd season, the conversations now turn to his future.

Will James retire? Will James return to the Lakers? Will James play for another team?

Those are the big questions going forward.

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Lakers-Thunder summary

NBA scores

Lakers should not re-sign LeBron James

Lakers star LeBron James is set to become a free agent this summer in the wake of playing his record-setting 23rd NBA season.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

From Bill Plaschke: Last call, LeBron.

You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.

It’s time for the Lakers to turn out the lights on the greatest player in NBA history and begin forging a new future without his stultifying aura and suffocating presence.

If this is no longer LeBron James’ team, then it can no longer be his franchise.

If the Lakers really want to build around Luka Doncic, they can’t do it at a job site still dominated by the NBA’s most venerable cornerstone.

When James becomes a free agent this summer after his $52.6-million deal expires, the Lakers should not offer him a similar contract, a greatly reduced contract, or any kind of contract.

If he wants to retire, show him the love. If he wants to keep playing, show him the door.

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Dodgers’ offensive funk continues in loss to Giants

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts reacts after striking out in the third inning of a 9-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Monday night.

(Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)

From Maddie Lee: The Dodgers were building momentum one no-out single at a time, an offensive cascade threatening to break through — until it didn’t.

Until a bases-loaded opportunity resulted in just a pair of runs. And the Dodgers’ struggling offense fell quiet again.

Their 9-3 loss to the Giants on Monday was more of the same for an offense that hasn’t scored more than three runs in a game this homestand, four games in.

“We’re not taking this lightly right now,” said Max Muncy, who went two for four with a home run. “But we also understand it is 162 [games] and you know, we’ve gone through stretches like this in the past, and we’ve also gone through good stretches. So we’re having a lot of conversations, but it’s also trying not to overreact to something still early in May.”

Shortstop Mookie Betts returned from injury, but he didn’t magically fix the Dodgers’ problems.

They hadn’t expected him to, either.

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Dodgers-Giants box score

MLB scores

MLB standings

Rose Bowl embarking on $30 million makeover

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena is constructing a new field-level club seating area in the south end of the stadium that will include more than 1,000 VIP seats.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

From Sam Farmer: For years, the Rose Bowl has walked the precarious line between tradition and technology, striving to keep up with modern-day venues while maintaining the nostalgic touches that make it a national landmark.

Get ready for one of the most dramatic changes in its 103-year history.

The stadium is undergoing a major overhaul of its south end — the one facing the San Gabriel mountains — that will transform 5,000 underutilized bench seats into a field-level club featuring slightly more than 1,000 VIP seats. The transformation is expected to be finished in time for UCLA football‘s home opener against San Diego State on Sept. 12.

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René Cárdenas, broadcasting pioneer, dies

René Cárdenas waves to the crowd as he is inducted into the Houston Astros Hall of Fame on Aug. 17, 2024.

(Kevin M. Cox / Associated Press)

From Ed Guzman: René Cárdenas, the first radio announcer to broadcast major league baseball games in Spanish to a domestic audience while with the Dodgers and who helped start Spanish-language broadcasts for two other teams, died Sunday in Houston. He was 96.

The Dodgers announced his death Sunday night, noting his 21 years — over two stints — with the team starting in 1958. The broadcasting pioneer also served as the Houston Astros’ first Spanish-language announcer starting in 1962.

Cárdenas called games for 38 seasons with the Dodgers, Astros and Texas Rangers and paved the way for Jaime Jarrín, who joined the broadcast team in 1959 and served as the Dodgers’ broadcaster for 64 seasons.

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Angels can’t rally against Guardians

Angels pitcher Brent Suter delivers during a 7-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.

(Nick Cammett / Getty Images)

From the Associated Press: Joey Cantillo pitched six scoreless innings, rookie Travis Bazzana capped a five-run third inning with a two-run double and the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Angels 7-2 on Monday night.

Cantillo (3-1) allowed five hits, walked one and struck out four.

Brayan Rocchio put the Guardians ahead 2-0 when he greeted reliever Jose Fermin with a single in the second inning after opener Brent Suter was lifted.

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Angels-Guardians box score

History could be made at Preakness Stakes

From Jay Posner: If another female trainer makes history Saturday in the Preakness, no one can say they weren’t warned.

Unlike Golden Tempo, who pulled off a 23-1 shocker to make Cherie DeVaux the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner, Taj Mahal will start at a much lower price for Brittany Russell.

The undefeated and untested son of Nyquist was made the co-second choice on the morning line when post positions were drawn Monday afternoon at Laurel Park, the temporary home of the Preakness while Pimlico — about 30 miles north — is being rebuilt. Laurel Park, located halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., has never hosted the Preakness, which will start just after 4 p.m. PDT on NBC.

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Chargers add tight end David Njoku

Tight end David Njoku warms up before a game between the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans on Dec. 7.

(Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)

The Chargers added a notable veteran to their tight end ranks Monday, agreeing to terms with former Cleveland Browns standout David Njoku.

The deal is for one year and worth up to $8 million, according to NFL Media.

Njoku, 29, played nine seasons in Cleveland after being drafted by the team in 2017. His best season came in 2023 when he posted career highs for catches (81), yards (882) and touchdowns (six) en route to a Pro Bowl selection. He ranks second in Browns history for most receptions (384) and touchdown catches (34) by a tight end.

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Lakers playoff series

Second round
All times Pacific
Game 1: at Oklahoma City 108, Lakers 90 (box score)
Game 2: at Oklahoma City 125, Lakers 107 (box score)
Game 3: Oklahoma City 131, at Lakers 108 (box score)
Game 4: Oklahoma City 115, at Lakers 105 (box score)

Ducks playoffs schedule

Second round
All times Pacific
Game 1: at Vegas 3, Ducks 1 (summary)
Game 2: Ducks 3, at Vegas 1 (summary)
Game 3: Vegas 6, at Ducks 2 (summary)
Game 4: at Ducks 4, Vegas 3 (summary)
Game 5: Tuesday at Vegas, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 6: Thursday at Ducks, 6:30 p.m., TNT, truTV, HBO MAX
Game 7*: at Vegas, TBA, ABC or ESPN
*-if necessary

This day in sports history

1909 — The Preakness Stakes is held in Maryland after 16 runnings in New York. As part of the celebration marking the return of the Preakness, the colors of the race’s winner were painted onto the ornamental weather vane at Pimlico Racecourse for the first time.

1917 — Omar Khayyam, ridden by Charles Borel, becomes the first foreign-bred (England) colt to win the Kentucky Derby with a 2-length victory over Ticket.

1924 — Walter Hagen wins the PGA championship with a 2-up victory over Jim Barnes.

1970 — Ernie Banks hits his 500th career home run off Pat Jarvis in the Chicago Cubs’ 4-3 victory over Atlanta at Wrigley Field.

1973 — 6th ABA championship: Indiana Pacers beat Ky Colonels, 4 games to 3.

1974 — The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-87 to win the NBA championship in seven games.

1976 — 20th European Cup: Bayern Munich beats Saint-Etienne 1-0 at Glasgow.

1979 — Chris Evert’s 125-match winning streak on clay comes to an end.

1980 — West Ham United wins the FA Cup, beating Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley Stadium; midfield playmaker Trevor Brooking scores winner with a rare header.

1982 — FC Barcelona of Spain win 22nd European Cup Winner’s Cup against Standard Liège of Belgium 2-1 in Barcelona.

1993 — Parma of Italy win 33rd European Cup Winner’s Cup against Royal Antwerp of Belgium 3-1 in London.

1995 — Martin Brodeur ties NHL record getting his 3rd playoff shutout in 4.

1996 — LPGA Championship Women’s Golf, DuPont CC: England’s Laura Davies wins by 1 stroke ahead of runner-up Julie Piers.

1996 — A three-way dead heat is run at Yakima (Wash.) Meadows, the 20th such finish in thoroughbred racing history there. In the day’s third race, a trio of $8,000 claimers — Fly Like A Angel, Allihaveonztheradio and Terri After Five — hit the wire together after a one-mile race.

2001 — English FA Cup Final, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff (72,500): Liverpool beats Arsenal, 2-1 with Michael Owen scoring twice for the Reds.

2006 — Laure Manaudou of France breaks Janet Evans’ 18-year-old world record in the 400-meter freestyle, finishing in 4:03.03 at the French national swimming championships. Manaudou beats the time of 4:03.85 set by Evans in winning the 400-meter freestyle at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

2006 — Justin Gatlin breaks the 100-meter world record with a time of 9.76 seconds at the Qatar Grand Prix. A week later, the International Association of Athletics Federations announces a timing error gave Gatlin a time of 9.76 seconds. His time of 9.766 seconds, should have been manually rounded up to 9.77, tying Asafa Powell’s world mark of 9.77.

2010 — Montreal follows up a monumental upset by pulling off another. The Canadiens, who eliminated the Washington Capitals, beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Montreal accomplishes what no team had done since the current playoffs format was adopted in 1994. And that is beat the Presidents’ Trophy winner and defending Stanley Cup champion in successive rounds as an eighth-seeded team.

2010 — Kelly Kulick, the first woman to win a PBA Tour title when she beat the men in January in the Tournament of Champions, wins the U.S. Women’s Open for her second women’s major victory in 15 days. Kulick beats Liz Johnson of 233-203 in the final.

2013 — Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4 in the final of the Madrid Open to retain her No. 1 ranking and collect her 50th career title.

2013 — PGA Players Championship, TPC at Sawgrass: Tiger Woods wins his second PC, 2 strokes ahead of David Lingmerth, Jeff Maggert and Kevin Streelman.

2014 — LeBron James ties his playoff career high with 49 points, Chris Bosh makes the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 57 seconds left, and the Miami Heat beat the Brooklyn Nets 102-96 for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

2019 — Manchester City beats Brighton, 4-1 to claim back-to-back English Premier League titles with 98 points, 1 ahead of runners-up, Liverpool.

Compiled by the Associated Press.

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

As LeBron James sat at the podium following the Lakers’ season-ending loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday night, he was asked about his future.

He had just completed his 23rd season in the NBA at 41 years old and he will become a free agent this summer.

James has been asked about retirement all season — and if he would return to the Lakers next season or play for another team.

So after finishing with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the 115-110 loss, James addressed the situation again.

“With my future, I don’t know, honestly,” James said. “It’s still fresh from obviously losing. And I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds for me, obviously. As it stands right now, tonight, I got a lot of time. I’ll sit back, like I think I said last year after we lost, I think to Minnesota, to go back and recalibrate with my family and talk with them, and spend some time with them. And then when the time comes, then obviously you guys will know what I’ve decided to do.”

James said he’ll talk to his wife, Savannah, his daughter, Zhuri, and his son, Bryce.

James was asked what his decision process will be like.

“I don’t know,” he said. “If I can commit to still being in love with the process of showing up to the arena five-and-a-half hours before a game to start preparing for a game, giving everything I got, diving for loose balls and doing everything that you know that it takes to go out and play. Showing up to practices, 11 o’clock practice, I’m there at eight o’clock preparing my body, preparing my mind, preparing to practice, to put the work in.

“So I think for me, I’ve always been in love with the process and not the aftermath of, OK, we won that game, or we won a championship. I’ve always enjoyed the process and not the outcome. So, I think that would be a big factor.”

LeBron James, center, celebrates with his Lakers teammates after defeating the Miami Heat for the NBA title on Oct. 11, 2020.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

James has been with the Lakers for eight seasons. He helped the team win an NBA championship in 2020 in the COVID-19 bubble in Orlando, Fla.

James was asked what has stood out during his time with the Lakers.

“Obviously winning a championship in 2020 would stand at the top,” James said. “That was the reason why I came here, to restore that level of play and restore this franchise back to what it was known for, winning championships and playing at a high level. … So that would be at the top.”

After the loss to the Thunder, James shook hands with All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, Lou Dort before walking off the court.

James was asked if those were the last handshakes of his career.

“Last handshakes? No, I don’t know. ‘Cause I don’t, I have no idea,” James said. “None of us even know what the future holds. None of us.”

The Lakers know that they could have eight unrestricted free agents in their immediate future.

After James, the next biggest potential free agent is Austin Reaves. He is expected to opt out of his deal that will pay him $14.8 million and become a free agent, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment. The Lakers can pay Reaves a maximum deal of $241 million over five years, with a starting salary of about $41.5 million next season.

The Lakers value Reaves and are expected to meet his demands. Reaves could sign with another team that has salary-cap space, but that deal would be for four years and about $178 million.

“I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game,” Reaves said. “I make good money. But like I said, don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future. Just day by day.”

Center Deandre Ayton had an inconsistent season, averaging 12.5 points on 67.1% shooting and 8.0 rebounds. He can opt out of his deal that pays him $8.1 million next season and become a free agent. But Ayton hasn’t yet made a decision, according to people familiar with the situation not authorized to comment.

Lakers star Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Thunder on Monday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Marcus Smart, a locker room leader and their best defensive player, also has a player option for next season at $5.3 million. He hasn’t made a decision yet on whether he’ll test the free-agent market. According to several NBA executives, a few teams probably will show interest in him.

The deadline to exercise or decline an option is June 29.

Rui Hachimura’s ($18.2 million), Luke Kennard ($11 million), Maxi Kleber ($11 million) and Jaxson Hayes ($3.4 million) are also in the final year of their deals.

Doncic, who missed the playoffs and the last five games of the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, signed a three-year, $165-million extension last summer, keeping him under contract through the 2027-28 season.

Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jake LaRavia ($6.0 million), Dalton Knecht (4.2 million), Bronny James ($2.2 million) and rookie Adou Thiero ($2.1 million) are under contract for next season.

DUNCAN James has revealed a major milestone with his new boyfriend, eight months after splitting from his ex.

The Blue singer, 48, is now dating Alexander Roque, a performer with a stripping show called Forbidden Nights.

Now the musician has revealed that Alexander is moving into his mother’s home to live with them after less than a year.

Duncan and Alexander’s romance came to light last year following Duncan’s split from Rodrigo Reis.

The former flames were together for six years and reportedly grew apart.

Speaking to the Daily Mail about the move, Duncan enthusiastically expressed: “Alex gets on so well with my mum. 

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“They have really fun banter between them and they speak to each other on the phone daily. It’s just really lovely.

“Right now, I want to touch wood because I don’t want anything to go wrong or jinx it, but honestly I’m just so happy.

“I’m excited because it’s a new chapter of my life. I’m so happy and I’m in a really loving relationship. And the fact that he gets on so well with my mum…

“I couldn’t be in a relationship with somebody if my mum didn’t get on with them. I’m so close to my mum.

In November Duncan broke his silence on finding love with toyboy Alexander.

Clearly smitten with his new beau, he told The Sun at the time: “He is a very handsome boy, it’s early days.

“You know, I broke up with my ex in May. I did keep it quiet and then I went to a Hollyoaks party with Alexander, but then of course it looks like I’ve just ended the relationship and gone out straight away with him, which isn’t the case, because there was a longer time frame.

“I think in general, I just feel that, me and Rodrigo, we just came to a natural end.

“And I love him to bits and we’re still friends and everything. But yeah, it was six and a half years.”