John

Talk about easing the blow. The Canadian father-son duo that secured not one, but both home run balls that doomed the Toronto Blue Jays team they rooted for in Game 7 of the World Series turned the evidence into some serious U.S. currency Saturday night.

Dodgers fans will never forget those baseballs hit by Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning and Will Smith in the 11th flying over the left-field wall and into the first row of seats beyond the Blue Jays’ bullpen.

John and Matthew Bains — sitting side-by-side — will never forget the balls ending up in their hands. John, 61, caught Rojas’ 387-foot home run in his glove on the fly. Two innings later, Matthew, seated next to his dad, saw Smith’s blast land in the bullpen and bounce directly into his hands.

Novices they were not. John has been a Blue Jays fan since the team’s inception in 1977 and purposely sits where he does for proximity to home runs. In fact, he caught one during the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees a few weeks earlier.

Both men brought baseballs into the stadium that they threw back onto the field, giving the Blue Jays faithful the impression the Bains did the honorable thing when, in fact, they did the smart thing for their bank accounts.

On Saturday night, the balls were sold at auction. Smith’s homer, which provided the Dodgers with the winning run, sold for $168,000 while Rojas’ blast that sent the game into extra innings fetched $156,000.

A third unforgettable Dodgers home run ball from the 2025 postseason eclipsed the Game 7 balls. The second of Shohei Ohtani’s three home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series sold for $270,000 in the same SCP Auction.

It was the longest of his three, landing on the Dodger Stadium right-field roof 469 feet from home plate. And it was a key element in what is considered perhaps the greatest performance in baseball history. Ohtani struck out 10 in six innings on the mound in addition to his offensive exploits, sending the Dodgers to the World Series.

Carlo Mendoza’s story of how he ended up with Ohtani’s ball is no less head-shaking than that of the Bains boys. The 26-year-old Los Angeles man said he was eating nachos in a food court behind the right-field pavilion and saw Ohtani hit the home run on a television monitor. He heard the ball hit the roof, dashed toward the sound and retrieved the ball from under a bush.

All three balls were authenticated by SCP Auctions through notarized affidavits and lie detector tests. SCP owner David Kohler said Mendoza was so apprehensive about handing over the ball that he insisted meeting Kohler in the parking lot of the Long Beach Police Dept.

“We authenticated through polygraph and eyewitnesses due diligence,” Kohler said. “From the time we announced we had these baseballs until now, no one else has come forward and said they have the balls. There’s been no contention.”

THE UK isn’t short of light trails when it comes to the winter period, but high street favourite, John Lewis, is now joining the club.

This year John Lewis is bringing its 2025 Christmas advert – ‘Where Love Lies’ – to life as part of the Northern Lights Manchester at Heaton Park.

This year’s John Lewis Christmas tells the story of a teenage boy and his father who struggle to communicate, yet when it comes to Christmas the boy gives him a music record that helps them to reconnect.

Running from November 20 to December 31, the event will mark the first time the retailer has brought its annual Christmas advert off the screen.

According to the Northern Lights Manchester website, John Lewis will join this year’s “brand new large-scale winter light trail”.

The website adds that the high street brand will join “Northern Lights to firmly establish Manchester’s newest seasonal tradition from year one”.

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Visitors can expect an in-person experience with music that is designed to connect visitors to the story of John Lewis’ Christmas advert – think feelings of joy, nostalgia and festive cheer.

The Northern Lights trail at Heaton Park is brand new for this year and in total stretches a mile long.

Venturing around the trail visitors will find 14 illumination zones and there will also be a number of food spots along the way.

The illumination zones include the Frosted Forest, Laser Garden and Runway to the Sky.

In addition, there will be a Christmas Village with local food, drinks and more music.

The village will have eight foodie destinations in total including God Save the Toasties, The Sausage Factory and the Super Sweet Fry Guys – who serve Terry’s Chocolate Orange churros, battered mince pies with boozy cream and hot chocolate with a dash of Salford Rum and topped with a Tunnock’s Marshmallow Snowball.

There is also the Bees Knees Tavern, a heated alpine-themed bar, where visitors can grab a range of alcoholic and soft drinks, including mulled wine.

Hotel Chocolat will even have its own van selling velvety, hot chocolate.

There are four types of ticket prices in total.

For super off-peak tickets, it costs £15 per adult and £5 per child.

For off-peak tickets, it costs £19.50 per adult and £13.95 per child.

For a standard entry ticket, it costs £21.50 per adult and £14.95 per child.

And finally, for a peak entry ticket, it costs £23.95 per adult and £16.50 per child.

Rosie Hanley, brand director, added: “At John Lewis, we love bringing people together to create shared experiences and magical Christmas memories.

“This spectacular light trail is a brilliant way for us to share the spirit of the season with Manchester and its communities, and we are excited to be a part of it.”

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For other festive experiences in the UK, here are 27 free festive experiences across the UK for families including light trails and Santa’s grotto.

Plus, the top Christmas train experiences around the UK – including a festive ‘theatre on rails’ and ‘journey of lights’.

Nahshon Wright had just made a huge play for the Chicago Bears, and in spectacular fashion.

The fifth-year cornerback leapt high in full sprint with his hand stretched over his head to intercept a pass by Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the end zone to preserve a 10-3 Bears lead late in the second quarter.

No wild celebration followed. Instead, Wright jogged to the back of the end zone and took a knee in memory of Oakland football legend John Beam, the former football coach at Laney College who died Friday after being shot on campus a day earlier.

“He was watching over me,” Wright, who played for Beam at Laney in 2018, said after the Bears’ 19-17 victory on Sunday . “It’s crazy. He called me the night before he passed and he told me that every game he watched, I just seemed to get a pick. So I just know he was behind me today.”

Just before noon Thursday, the Oakland Police Department responded to reports of gunshots at Laney and found Beam suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. At approximately 10 a.m. the next day, Beam was pronounced dead.

Oakland police arrested 27-year-old Oakland resident Cedric Irving Jr. as a suspect in the case early Friday morning at the San Leandro BART station. Irving is a former football player at Skyline High School where Beam once coached, but police said he did not play under Beam.

Former Laney Collegefootball coach John Beam holds the trophy after the Eagles won the California Community College Athletic Assn. championship in 2018.

(Peralta Community College District via Associated Press)

Irving and Beam knew each other but were not close, acting Oakland Police Chief James Beere said Friday at a news conference. Beere added that Irving isn’t a student at Laney but “was on campus for a specific reason” on Thursday.

“This was a very targeted incident,” Beere said.

On Monday, Irving was charged with murder and 10 other felonies related to Beam’s death. Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said during an afternoon news conference that Irving faces 50 years to life in prison if convicted.

Irving is scheduled for arraignment on Tuesday, Jones Dickson said.

Beam coached football in Oakland for more than 40 years. He came to Laney as running backs coach in 2004, was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005 and was head coach from 2012-2024. Upon retirement from coaching, Beam continued to serve as Laney’s athletic director, a post he had held since 2006.

For many of his players and members of the community, Beam was much more than a coach, as seen by viewers of Season 5 of the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U,” which focused on Beam and the Eagles during the 2019 football season.

“Filming with him at Laney College gave us a firsthand look at his passion, his integrity, and his unwavering commitment to the young men he coached — and to the city of Oakland,” the show’s creator, Greg Whiteley, wrote Friday on X.

Wright told reporters that Beam was “someone I could confide in, someone that I love dearly.” He added that the coach filled a huge void for him and his brother — New Orleans Saints cornerback Rejzohn Wright, who played at Laney in 2018 and 2019 — after the death of their father in 2017.

“Beam stepped in, stepped in as a father figure, a father role,” Nahshon Wright said. “He did a lot for me and my brother, my family. He’s been there. He’s been there every step of the way, and it won’t stop. I gained an angel, for sure.”

In a scene from “Last Chance U,” Laney coach John Beam talks to player Rejzohn Wright.

(Netflix)

Rejzohn Wright reposted a video clip of his brother’s interception and its aftermath on X and wrote: “Long live Coach beam forever with us!”

In an Oct. 19 Instagram post, Beam wrote that he was “in Chicago to watch the brothers battle” as the Bears hosted the Saints. The pride and love Beam felt toward his former players was more than evident in the photos he posted and the words he wrote.

“The Wright Way — always believe and keep grinding, never give up and believe the path will open up,” Beam wrote.

Nov. 16 (UPI) — Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has returned home from a Pittsburgh hospital after being treated for a fall last week during a morning walk.

“20 stitches later and a full recovery, I’m back home with @giselefetterman and the kids,” he wrote on X, tagging his wife in the post. The photo in the post shows a jagged cut that stretches from above the senator’s right eye, across his forehead and down onto his nose.

“I’m overwhelmed + profoundly grateful for all the well-wishes, ” he continued, and thanked medical professionals at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

A spokesman said Thursday that Fettermen fell during a walk near his Braddock, Pa., home and was transported to the hospital “out of an abundance of caution.”

“Upon evaluation, it was established he had a ventricular fibrillation flare-up that led to Senator Fetterman feeling light-headed, falling to the ground and hitting his face with minor injuries,” according to a spokesperson’s statement.

The spokesperson said doctors kept Fetterman in the hospital overnight to address his medication.

The fall is the latest in a series of medical incidents for Fetterman, who suffered a near-fatal stroke during the 2022 Senate campaign. He was fitted with a defibrillator-equipped pacemaker.

Fetterman’s speech on the campaign trail was noticeably slower and more deliberate, and during a senate with his opponent, Mehmet Oz, he stopped short during his answers to several questions.

The senator later said that he became depressed and acknowledged the toll the campaign took on his physical and mental health.

In 2023, Fetterman checked himself in to Walter Reed National Military Center to be treated for clinical depression and acknowledged how hard the 2022 campaign had been on his mental health.

Earlier this year, staff members said Fetterman had been acting recklessly and displayed volatile behavior, while some also questioned his fitness to serve in the Senate.

Nov. 14 (UPI) — Police have arrested a suspect in the shooting of John Beam, the Laney College athletic director who was featured in the Netflix series Last Chance U, according to authorities.

No further details of the arrest have been made public. Beam was taken to Highland Hospital in critical condition, CNN reported. A hospital spokesperson wouldn’t give further information.

The shooting happened at noon Thursday at the Laney College Field House, in the Peralta Community College District, which Laney College is a part of, the college said in a statement.

The Oakland, Calif., school went into lockdown. It remained closed for the remainder of the day.

Acting Oakland Police Chief James Beere told reporters during a press conference that officers arrived at the scene to find a victim suffering from a gunshot wound who was immediately taken to a local hospital.

The school district identified the victim as a “senior member of our athletic staff.” It was later revealed that Beam — who was featured in season 5 of the hit Netflix show about struggling college football athletes — had been shot.

“Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator and a lifeline for thousands of young people,” Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement. “For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.”

The suspect was earlier described as a male of an unknown race, wearing dark clothing and a dark hoodie. Beere said the suspect had been seen fleeing the scene.

“I know that there was some concern that this may have been an active shooter. We responded as if it was an active shooter,” he said. “I can tell you right now it was not an active shooter.”

Witnesses were being interviewed and surveillance footage was being reviewed, he said.

Beam is the athletics director but retired from coaching last year, CNN said.

“The Peralta community is devastated by his shooting and deeply concerned for his well-being,” said Chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson in a message to employees. “We are stunned and heartbroken that such violence has touched our campus and one of the most respected and beloved members of our Laney, Peralta, and Oakland community.”

An arrest had been made in connection with the Thursday shooting of Laney College athletic director and former football coach John Beam, the Oakland Police Department announced Friday morning.

Beam was shot on Thursday on the downtown Oakland campus, the Peralta Community College District confirmed to multiple media outlets, and was transported to a local hospital. His condition has not been made public. The Oakland police had not publicly named Beam as the shooting victim, but said there would be more information on the arrest forthcoming.

On Thursday at a news conference, Oakland’s acting police chief James Beere had told reporters that police were attempting to locate a potential suspect.

“It’s a male unknown race wearing all dark clothing and a black hoodie that fled the scene,” Beere said.

Beam coached football in Oakland — first at Skyline High School and then at Laney —for more than four decades before retiring from that aspect of his job after last season. He and the Eagles were featured during the 2020 season of the Netflix documentary series “Last Chance U.” The show depicted Beam as a mentor and father figure to his players, some of whom were facing significant challenges in their lives, as they navigate a football season.

“My thoughts are with Coach John Beam and his loved ones. We are praying for him,” Oakland mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement. “Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator, and a lifeline for thousands of young people. For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.”

The Oakland Police Department responded to calls of shots being fired at or near Laney around noon Thursday and found a “a victim suffering from a gunshot wound,” Beere said, adding that his department was interviewing witnesses and looking at surveillance footage as part of an active investigation.

According to the Laney website, Beam was 160-33-3 with four undefeated seasons at Skyline High. He came to Laney as running backs coach in 2004, was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005 and became head coach in 2012. He coached the Eagles to the California Community College Athletic Association championship in 2018

Another shooting occurred on Wednesday at Skyline High School. A student was shot and is said to be in stable condition. Two suspects, both minors, have been arrested by Oakland police.

Nov. 14 (UPI) — John Beam, the Laney College athletic director who was featured in the Netflix series Last Chance U, has been shot, according to authorities and officials.

The shooting occurred at noon Thursday at the Laney College Field House, the Peralta Community College District, which Laney College is a part of, said in a statement.

The Oakland school went into lockdown. It remained closed for the remainder of the day.

Acting Oakland Police Chief James Beere told reporters during a press conference that officers arrived at the scene to find a victim suffering from a gunshot wound who was immediately transported to a local hospital.

The school district identified the victim as a “senior member of our athletic staff.” It was later revealed that Beam — who was featured in season 5 of the hit Netflix show about struggling college football athletes — had been shot.

“Coach Beam is a giant in Oakland — a mentor, an educator and a lifeline for thousands of young people,” Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said in a statement.

“For over 40 years, he has shaped leaders on and off the field, and our community is shaken alongside his family.”

Authorities are searching for a potential suspect, described as a male of an unknown race, wearing dark clothing and a dark hoodie. Beere said the suspect had been seen fleeing the scene.

“I know that there was some concern that this may have been an active shooter. We responded as if it was an active shooter,” he said.

“I can tell you right now it was not an active shooter.”

Witnesses were being interviewed and surveillance footage was being reviewed, he said.

Beam is the athletics director and head football coach at Laney, according to the school’s website.

A Married At First Sight UK couple have hinted at their baby plans as they shared their emotional final vows during the E4 dating show

A couple from Married At First Sight UK have shared their thoughts on starting a family during an emotional vow exchange.

As the experiment draws to a close, the remaining pairs are faced with the pivotal decision of whether to continue their relationships outside of the programme.

Abigail and John’s relationship has been blossoming beautifully since they felt an immediate connection on their wedding day.

Each Commitment Ceremony has brought them even closer together, with both confessing that they’re ‘falling’ for each other and even declaring their love.

In tonight’s episode of the E4 dating show, viewers were treated to the first part of the finale, as the couples are whisked away to stunning locations for their vow renewals, reports OK!.

Abigail and John were among the first to recite their final vows, deciding whether they will commit to a lifetime together or if their marriage concludes here.

John was left spellbound as Abigail approached him in a long white dress and a sparkling headband.

While delivering her final vows, she revealed that her husband has helped her regain her confidence. After hearing John say ‘I love you’, she confessed that it was a life-changing moment for her.

The bride hinted at plans to start a family, saying: “I came into this experiment wanting to find love. I found John, a husband and a happily ever after. I just know you’re going to be the most amazing father.”

John said his wife had transformed everything for him, with a family, home and future now feeling within reach.

He said: “I feel amazing. This is the perfect way to end the first chapter of our journey.” The delighted groom added: “let’s go spend the rest of our lives together.”

But it was a different story for fellow couple Leigh and Leah, whose relationship crashed to a dramatic end during their final vows after a furious row.

Standing in a wisteria-filled garden to exchange their vows, the atmosphere was far from romantic as Leigh declared that “a true loving relationship shouldn’t take this much effort and force”.

Her choice to end the marriage came as no surprise. Leah echoed similar feelings, noting that her wife’s “past hurt was often projected” onto her. She too decided to walk away from the relationship.

You can catch up on Married At First Sight on Channel 4

China’s Wu Yize powered past John Higgins 10-6 in the International Championship final to win his first ranking title.

The 22-year-old home favourite hit four centuries in Nanjing, including a 137 break, in a superb display which lifts him into the world’s top 16 for the first time.

Four-time world champion Higgins, 50, hit a 101 break in the third frame but the Scot could not keep up as he looked to become the first player to win a ranking title in five different decades from their teens to 50s.

Wu impressed to seal the win with another century break of 108 and become the 80th player to win a professional ranking event title.

“Honestly, it feels unbelievable,” said Wu.

“Deep down I always believed I had the ability to win a title. Every day I kept thinking about it. I had a strong will to lift a trophy. That belief carried me through this week.”

Higgins said: “I was nowhere near good enough all day. He was striking the ball beautifully. He was by far the better player. It reminded me so much of playing Paul Hunter – the way he gets through the ball and gets so much action on it. He is a brilliant player.

“There’s no point in getting too down. It could open the floodgates – it goes to show the good hands snooker is in. I’m glad that I’ll probably be retiring in a couple of years with guys like that potting them off the lampshades. He is a total star.”