Rashawn Slater, the Chargers’ star left tackle who became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history last month, sustained a torn patellar tendon in practice and will undergo season-ending surgery, the team announced Thursday.
Slater went down in team drills after going up against edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu. As Slater planted his left foot, he collapsed to the ground and immediately grabbed his leg.
A quiet hush fell over the Chargers’ facility while Slater stayed down for several minutes before trainers and teammates helped him onto a cart. Slater appeared visibly distraught — throwing his helmet, slamming his hand on the cart and burying his face in his hands. Several teammates walked over to console him before he left the field.
Two trainers supported him as he entered the team facility. He was unable to put any weight on his left leg.
“I didn’t really see anything — I kind of just turned around and boom,” Tuipulotu said of the play. “We’re praying for him.”
The injury is a significant setback for a Chargers team that was hoping to have Slater anchor an offensive line that was hampered by injuries and struggled, at times, to create opportunities for the running game last season. The injury comes as the Chargers are already dealing with depth concerns along the line, with Mekhi Becton being sidelined since July 28 because of an undisclosed injury.
Slater played a valuable role in helping the Chargers set a franchise record for the fewest offensive turnovers (eight) in a season. He also finished 2024 with the second-best overall grade and the third-best pass-blocking grade at offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
Joe Alt slid over to left tackle for the remainder of practice Thursday. Trey Pipkins III subbed in at right tackle — where he started in 2022 and 2023 — before spending most of last season at right guard, starting 15 games. With Slater out, Alt likely will be Justin Herbert’s blindside protector this season.
Keenan Allen always envisioned a return to the Chargers. Once his brief stint with the Chicago Bears ended, he saw himself coming back to the franchise that drafted him.
“It was close to home and family,” Allen said. “This is what I’m used to. The organization, the people around the building — it just feels like home.”
Thursday marked Allen’s first day back in powder blue and gold — a welcome sight for fans who watched his climb over 11 seasons.
On his first snap of full-team drills, Allen hauled in a strike over the middle from Justin Herbert, reigniting a familiar connection that lasted four seasons.
The two began rebuilding their chemistry last Friday, when Herbert threw to Allen during a private workout. Allen said they stayed in touch throughout the process leading up to his return.
Allen said he missed being on the receiving end of Herbert’s throws and is “just happy to be back.”
“This is where I’m supposed to be,” Allen said.
He is the veteran leader of a receiving room that looks much different than the one he left, with Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis the only holdovers from two seasons ago.
“[It’s] much better than what I’m used to seeing in a training camp this early,” Allen said of his first impressions. “The technique, the way they’re getting downfield, the way they’re pressing coverages — I think it looks great.”
Allen shared how impressed he’s been with Ladd McConkey, who broke his franchise rookie receiving records, joking, “He had a few more games.”
“You’ve got two guys who love to play football and compete,” said Allen, on sharing the field with McConkey. “You can put us anywhere. … And obviously, he showed that last year.”
Throughout the offseason, Allen felt teams “downplayed” his value. Entering his 13th season, he’s out to prove he can still perform at a high level at 33.
“Still got a little hunger, little chip on my shoulder and still want to go out there and play ball,” Allen said.
Junior Caminero hit his 29th and 30th homers, Christopher Morel had a go-ahead shot and six Tampa Bay pitchers combined to strike out 16 in the Rays’ 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.
Caminero hit a career-long 447-foot shot with a man on in the first, and had a solo homer in the third. Morel was 0 for 6 with six strikeouts in the series before hitting his solo homer in the seventh.
It was Caminero’s third two-homer game this season and he reached 101 RBIs for his career.
Nick Fortes also homered, his first hit in five games with the Rays since being acquired from Miami.
Starter Shane Baz struck out nine in four innings to help Tampa Bay win for the fourth time in 14 games. Garrett Cleavinger (1-4) was the winner, and Pete Fairbanks got his 19th save.
Ryan Zeferjahn (6-4) took the loss.
Mike Trout tied the score for Los Angeles with a three-run homer in the third. His 20th homer this season and 398th of his career was his 200th in Angels Stadium. He’s the first player in major league history with 200 homers and 100 steals (101) in one stadium.
The Angels loaded the bases with no outs against Griffin Jax in the eighth. But Jax, acquired from Minnesota for Taj Bradley on July 31, struck out the next three batters.
Rays center fielder Jonny DeLuca left in the sixth with right hamstring tightness after legging out a triple. DeLuca was reinstated from the 60-day IL (right shoulder strain) on July 25.
Up next
Both teams are off Thursday. Angels RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-8, 4.59) will pitch at Detroit against LHP Tarik Skybal (11-3, 2.18) on Friday night. Tampa Bay will start RHP Drew Rasmussen (9-5, 2.81) against RHP Luis Castillo (8-6, 3.22) at Seattle on Friday night.
UN rights chief Volker Turk says the violence resulted in ‘one of the largest documented death tolls’ despite a truce.
Rwanda-backed M23 rebels killed at least 319 civilians, including 48 women and 19 children, last month in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Volker Turk, UN high commissioner for human rights, said, citing “first-hand accounts”.
The violence in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu Province produced “one of the largest documented death tolls in such attacks since the M23’s resurgence in 2022,” Turk said in a statement on Wednesday.
With Rwanda’s support, the M23 has seized swaths of the mineral-rich Congolese east from the DRC’s army since its resurgence in 2021, triggering a spiralling humanitarian crisis in a region already riven by three decades of conflict.
July’s violence came only weeks after the Congolese government and the M23 signed a declaration of principle on June 19 reaffirming their commitment to a permanent ceasefire, following months of broken truces.
[Al Jazeera]
“I am appalled by the attacks on civilians by the M23 and other armed groups in eastern DRC amid continued fighting, despite the ceasefire that was recently signed in Doha,” Turk said in a statement.
“All attacks against civilians must stop immediately, and all those responsible must be held to account,” he added.
Turk’s UN Human Rights Office said it had documented multiple attacks in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, in the conflict-ridden east of the country bordering Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
In the agreement signed in Doha, the warring parties agreed to “uphold their commitment to a permanent ceasefire”, refraining from “hate propaganda” and “any attempt to seize by force new positions”.
The deal includes a roadmap for restoring state authority in eastern DRC, and an agreement for the two sides to open direct talks towards a comprehensive peace agreement.
It followed a separate agreement signed in Washington by the Congolese government and Rwanda, which has a history of intervention in the eastern DRC stretching back to the 1990s.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi are due to meet in the coming months to firm up the Washington agreement, whose terms have not yet been implemented.
Last week, the two countries agreed to a US State Department-brokered economic framework outline as part of the peace deal.
“I urge the signatories and facilitators of both the Doha and Washington agreements to ensure that they rapidly translate into safety, security and real progress for civilians in the DRC, who continue to endure the devastating consequences of these conflicts,” said Turk.
Rich in key minerals such as gold and coltan, the Congolese east has been riven by fighting between rival armed groups and interference by foreign powers for more than 30 years.
Dozens of ceasefires and truces have been brokered and broken in recent years without providing a lasting end to the conflict.
A quarter of Latinos who supported President Donald Trump in the November election are not guaranteed to vote for Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, according to a new national poll by Equis, a leading research and polling group.
Last week Equis, alongside progressive think tank Data for Progress, released a July memo that summarized key findings from a national poll of 1,614 registered voters, conducted between July 7 and July 17.
Respondents were asked, “If the 2026 election for United States Congress were held today, for whom would you vote?” Only 27% replied that they would vote for a Republican candidate, marking a significant political party drop from the 45% who said they voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
A quarter of those polled said they were not sure whom they would vote for (16%), would vote for someone else (5%), or would not vote at all (4%).
This shaky political alignment comes at a critical time for Republicans, who are banking on continual Latino support in 2026 — especially as Texas Republicans plan to flip five blue seats under a newly proposed congressional map.
The Equis study also found that 63% of Latinos disapproved of Trump’s job as president in July, a slight uptick from polling numbers in May, when 60% disapproved. This rating seems to reflect broader sentiments regarding the state of the U.S. economy: 64% of Latinos rated the economy as “somewhat or very poor,” while only 34% viewed it as “somewhat or very good.”
However, a disapproval of Trump does not mean Latinos have rushed to back the Democratic Party. Half the Latinos polled said Democrats care more about people like them, versus the 25% who said Republicans care more. Meanwhile, 17% said they believe that neither party cares.
Swing voters — including those who Equis calls “Biden defectors,” or voters who elected Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024 — are twice as likely to say that neither party cares about people like them (38%).
“Growing dissatisfaction with Trump offers Democrats an opportunity, but only if they are willing to capitalize on it,” the July memo states.
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for the files; lawmakers believe they could implicate Trump and other former top officials in the sex-trafficking investigation.
Trump’s anti-immigration policies have also likely shifted his popularity. Early July Gallup polling revealed that Americans have grown more positive toward immigration — 79% of Americans say immigration is a “good thing” for the country, which marks a 64% increase from last year and a 25-year record high.
Russia fired more than 6,000 drones on Ukraine in July, more than any other month since it launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, the AFP news agency and the Kyiv Independent reported.
The drone attacks killed dozens of people and injured many more. They also damaged civilian targets, including many homes, a kindergarten and an ambulance.
According to the AFP news agency, data published by Ukraine’s air force showed that Russia fired 6,297 long-range drones into Ukraine last month, up by nearly 16 percent compared with June.
The Kyiv Independent reported that Russia launched a record 6,129 Shahed-type drones in July, 14 times more than in the same month last year, when Russia launched just 423 drones.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat told the Kyiv Independent that the real number of Russian drone attacks may be higher, since figures are based on estimates.
In just one night on July 9, Russian forces launched a record 741 drones and decoys on Western Ukraine, more than the number of drones it launched in the entire month of July last year.
The combined Russian missile and drone attacks on July 9 killed at least eight people in Ukraine’s Sumy, Donetsk and Kherson regions, even as Ukrainian forces shot down all but 10 of the drones launched that day.
The July 9 attack came a day after United States President Donald Trump said his administration would help send Ukraine more “defensive weapons”, just days after the Pentagon had said it was halting deliveries of some weapons to Ukraine, due to low stockpiles.
“They have to be able to defend themselves,” Trump said, as he announced that European allies would finance Patriot air defence systems for Ukraine, from the US weapons company Raytheon. “They are getting hit very hard now,” he added.
Russia’s heavy drone and missile attacks continued right up until the end of the month, with an attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on July 31 killing at least 31 people, including five children, and wounding 159 others.
Rescuers lay toys and flowers on the site of Russia’s Thursday night missile strike, which hit a multistorey residential building, killing 31 civilians, including five children, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday [Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia used more than 300 drones and eight missiles in the attack.
According to the AFP, Russia also fired 198 missiles into Ukraine in July, more than in any month this year except in June.
The number of drones Russia fired in June was the second-highest amount after July, with 5,337 in total, according to the Kyiv Independent.
That included some 479 drones fired at Ukraine on June 9, just ahead of the start of a prisoner swap the two countries had agreed to at talks in Istanbul.
Peace talks continued in Turkiye last month but have so far failed to reach a lasting ceasefire agreement, even as Trump has threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia and countries that buy its exports.
Russian drones flying higher
Russian forces have adjusted their drones since the 2022 invasion, so that they now fly several kilometres above ground, making it harder to shoot them down with machineguns.
This has made Ukraine even more dependent on US air defence weaponry, including the recently announced European-funded Patriot systems.
Russia also sends a combination of drone types to Ukraine. More than half carry explosives, but there are also decoys designed to waste Ukrainian defensive missiles and reconnaissance drones, which track Ukraine’s air defence team locations.
Heavy drone barrages are also used to overwhelm defence systems when missiles are fired.
Ukraine, which became the world’s largest major arms importer from 2020 to 2024, has increasingly been buying its own supplies of millions of drones from local manufacturers.
It’s been quite the summer for Lakers jealousy, hasn’t it?
For example, in July, Bleacher Report left Kobe Bryant — the fourth-leading scorer in NBA history — off its Top 10 all-time player list. In June, when the Buss family sold the franchise to Mark Walter for a historic $10 billion, Lakers haters immediately took to social media to say which teams were worth more. Now we are in August, and every NBA TV show and podcast has a segment to address the comments Philadelphia 76ers executive Daryl Morey made to the Athletic about the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship against the Miami Heat:
“Had the Rockets won the title, I absolutely would have celebrated it as legitimate, knowing the immense effort and resilience required.… Yet, everyone I speak to around the league privately agrees that it doesn’t truly hold up as a genuine championship.”
Given the historic circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic that year, to view that championship as “less than” because teams did not travel during it and fans were not present is akin to discounting NFL championships or World Series titles won during World War II because the rosters were thinner because of enlistments.
Morey suggested that victory should come with an asterisk as if the playoffs during a once-in-a-century global pandemic were not as challenging as in typical years. Different dynamic, yes — but easier? He has since walked his comments back, but you know what they say about genies and bottles. Besides, it’s not as if he’s alone in his Lakers disrespect. There are plenty of fans and former players who are quick to point out what the team did not do in that postseason because they don’t appreciate what that championship required.
Beginning with courage.
It’s been nearly five years since the Lakers won title No. 17 inside the $200-million logistics behemoth referred to as the Bubble, so maybe some of us forgot the details. Infectious disease experts, the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, the league office, the players’ union, ESPN and many other corporations all came together during a time when we had far more questions about COVID than answers.
From when NBA play stopped in March 2020 to when play inside the Bubble began that July, the country had lost more than 140,000 people to the disease. When bubble play ended in October, it was above 206,000, and many cities were running out of places to store the dead.
Far too often we forget that fame and fortune do not protect a person from problems or heartache. We forget that being a professional athlete does not protect you from the rest of the shared human experience. All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns lost his mother to COVID that April and seven other relatives over the course of the pandemic. Towns, who turns 30 in November, was himself hospitalized in early 2021 because of the virus.
You’re not supposed to put an asterisk on a sports championship won during the worst of times. You’re supposed to use an exclamation point to honor the mental and emotional dexterity it took. The months of isolation — away from family and friends, away from the routines that made them the athletes they are. Daily testing to guarantee the safety of other players as well as coaches and administrative staff. And while not having to travel to a hostile arena nullified the “road game” in the playoffs, it also took away “home court” from a Lakers team that had the best record in the Western Conference. A team that had just beat the other two title favorites — the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers — less than a week before the world shut down.
One day, Morey is going to look back on his comments about the Lakers title in the Bubble with shame. Not because he’s wrong in reporting the disrespect others in the league have expressed but because he chose to give that rhetoric oxygen. Morey and others have long had such jealousy of the Lakers, but this was the summer they turned petty.
Then, in a serendipitous twist, it gave him a lightning-bulb epiphany about his recently ailing swing.
At the end of a long day during last week’s homestand — when Freeman was hit by a pitch on July 20, immediately removed from the game to get an X-ray, then informed he somehow hadn’t sustained serious injury — manager Dave Roberts shared with the first baseman a comical video edit he had received from a friend. A light reprieve at the end of a stressful day.
In it, the swing of Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in last year’s World Series was incorporated into a spin-off of the viral Coldplay kiss cam video (yes, that Coldplay kiss cam).
Freeman got a chuckle out of the clip.
But, while rewatching his Fall Classic moment, he also made an observation about his iconic swing.
On that night last October, Freeman noticed, “I’m more in my front ankle,” he later said — a subtle, but profound, contrast to how he had been swinging the bat amid a two-month cold spell he was mired in at the time.
So, for the rest of that night, Freeman thought about the difference. He went into the Dodgers’ batting cages the next afternoon focused on making a change.
“It’s a different thought of being in your legs when you’re hitting,” said Freeman, who had started the season batting .371 over his first 38 games, before slumping to a .232 mark over his next 49 contests. “It’s just more [about leaning] into my front ankle. It’s helping me be on time and on top [of the ball].”
“We’ll see,” he added with a chuckle, “how it goes in the game.”
Ten games later, it seems to be going pretty well.
Since making the tweak on July 21, Freeman is 14 for 39 (.359 average) with two home runs, four extra base hits, 10 RBIs and (most importantly) a renewed confidence at the plate.
After collecting his first three-hit game in a month Tuesday in Cincinnati, then his first home run in all of July the next evening, he stayed hot in the Dodgers’ series-opening 5-0 defeat of the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, whacking a two-run double in the first inning and a solo home run in the fifth in front of a crowd of 10,046 at Steinbrenner Field (the New York Yankees’ spring training park serving as the Rays’ temporary home).
“That visual helped him kind of tap into something,” Roberts laughed recently of Freeman’s post-meme swing adjustment. “He is early, for a change. Versus being late, chasing.”
Freeman’s turnaround is something the Dodgers — who also got six scoreless innings out of Clayton Kershaw on Friday, lowering his season earned-run average to 3.29 in 13 starts — need out of several superstar sluggers over the final two months of the season.
Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw delivers during a 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
(Jason Behnken / Associated Press)
During Thursday’s trade deadline, the team didn’t splurge on big-name acquisitions. The only addition they made to their recently slumping lineup (which ranked 28th in the majors in scoring during July) was versatile outfielder Alex Call from the Washington Nationals.
Instead, both Roberts and club executives have preached of late, the team is banking on players like Mookie Betts (who is batting .237), Teoscar Hernández (who has hit .215 since returning from an adductor strain in May), Tommy Edman (who has hit .210 since returning from an ankle injury in May) and even Shohei Ohtani (who leads the National League in home runs, but is batting only .221 since resuming pitching duties in June) to play up to their typical, potent standards.
“I think if you look at it from the offensive side, as far as our guys, they’ll be the first to tell you they’ve got to perform better and more consistently,” Roberts said. “That’s something that we’re all counting on.”
For much of the summer, Freeman had been squarely in that group, as well.
His recent Coldplay-inspired rebound, the club hopes, will be one of many that spark an offensive surge down the stretch this year.
Aug. 1 (UPI) — Jobs growth was slower than expected in July, and the unemployment rate rose, showing signs of trouble for the labor market.
Nonfarm payroll for July was up by 73,000, which is higher than June at 14,000. But the Dow Jones estimate for gain was 100,000.
The totals for May and June were revised significantly, down by 258,000 from what was announced. May was revised from 144,000 jobs added to 19,000 jobs added. June’s revision went from 147,000 jobs added to 14,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation Summary. Revisions come from additional reports from businesses and government agencies since the last published numbers and seasonal factors.
Unemployment raised to 4.2%, which was predicted.
“This is a gamechanger jobs report,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, to CNBC. “The labor market is deteriorating quickly.”
This is in sharp contrast to what ADP reported just two days ago. The employment company’s National Employment report said private sector employment increased by 104,000 jobs in July, a reversal of June when jobs were at a 23,000 loss, a count revised from a previously announced loss of 33,000.
“Our hiring and pay data are broadly indicative of a healthy economy,” said ADP Chief Economist Nela Richardson in a press release on July 30. “Employers have grown more optimistic that consumers, the backbone of the economy, will remain resilient.”
The health care industry added 55,000 jobs, which is higher than the monthly gain of 42,000 over the previous 12 months. Those jobs were mostly in ambulatory care services and hospitals.
Social assistance employment added 18,000 job growth in July.
Federal government employment lost 12,000 jobs in July and is down by 84,000 since January.
The household survey was worse than the establishment survey of total payroll gains. It showed a decline of 260,000 workers, with the participation rate at 62.2%, the lowest since November 2022.
The number of discouraged workers decreased by 212,000 in July to 425,000, largely offsetting an increase in the prior month. Discouraged workers are those who believed that no jobs were available for them.
Those employed part time for economic reasons, at 4.7 million, changed little in July. These are people who wanted full-time employment but were working part time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs.
More than 25,000 people have crossed the Engilsh Channel to the UK in 2025, the highest total this early in the year.
More than 25,000 people have crossed the English Channel into the United Kingdom so far this year, marking the fastest pace of arrivals since records began in 2018 and piling pressure on the UK’s Labour government as anti-immigration sentiment is stoked by the political right wing.
Figures released on Thursday show that nearly 900 refugees and migrants made the crossing in 13 small boats on Wednesday alone, bringing the total number of arrivals in 2025 to 25,436. It’s a perilous journey that has resulted in dozens of deaths over the years.
The milestone is likely to intensify political scrutiny over Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s handling of undocumented migration. His government has pledged tougher action on smuggling networks, with Starmer vowing to “smash the gangs” responsible for transporting people across the Channel.
Opposition politicians have seized on the latest numbers to criticise Labour’s approach.
“Almost 900 people crossed the Channel yesterday, meaning 25,000 people, mainly young men, have crossed the Channel this year. [And] 2025 is the worst year on record so far, and the Labour Government are doing nothing to stop the crossings,” said Conservative Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.
He added: “Their 17 in, one out deal with France will not even make a dent – it would take 10 years for [Home Secretary] Yvette Cooper to deport the illegal immigrants that have arrived since the start of this year alone under her so-called deal, which still hasn’t started.”
Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced “one in, one out” returns of asylum seekers earlier this month. The pilot programme sets out that for every person returned, a different individual would be allowed “to come here via a safe route: controlled and legal, subject to strict security checks and only open to those who have not tried to enter the UK illegally”, Starmer said at the time.
Philp also reiterated his party’s proposal to immediately detain and deport new arrivals, warning that continued legal challenges under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) could force a Conservative government to consider withdrawing from it, a threat they have often made in and around the Brexit years when the party was in government.
Radical right Reform UK leader Nigel Farage echoed those criticisms, writing on social media: “898 illegals crossed the English Channel yesterday. This means more hotels, more costs and more people who should not be here. The public have had ENOUGH!”
A series of violent far-right demonstrations have been held recently outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping, north of London.
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a hardline anti-immigration platform and has been executing it during his second term with raids and deportations of immigrants, recently praised the UK government’s efforts, saying it was “doing a fantastic thing” by addressing the issue, though he admitted knowing “nothing about the boats”.
At least 16 people have died from heat-related illnesses in South Korea this year, according to health authorities.
South Korea has shattered a 117-year record for the number of sweltering nights in July amid a scorching heatwave.
Temperatures in Seoul did not dip below 29.3 degrees Celsius (84.7 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, marking the 22nd “tropical night” so far this month, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on Thursday.
The KMA defines a tropical night as occurring when temperatures stay above 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) from 6:01pm to 9am the following day.
The number of tropical nights in July is the highest since records began in 1908.
The previous record for July was 21 tropical nights, set in 1994.
South Korea has been grappling with blistering heat over the past week, with daily temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country.
At least 16 people have died from heat-related illnesses so far this year, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The milestone continues a recent trend of scorching temperatures across Asia, as scientists warn that human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather.
On Wednesday, Japan said it experienced its hottest day in recorded history after the mercury hit 41.2 degrees Celsius (106.16 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tamba city, Hyogo prefecture.
Earlier this month, Japan and South Korea both reported that June this year was the hottest on record, while China’s National Climate Centre said the country had experienced a record number of days with temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) or above since mid-March.
In India, the National Disaster Management Authority last month issued a red alert for New Delhi after the heat index – which looks at temperature and humidity to measure perceived temperature – hit 51.9 degrees Celsius (125.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
In April, Myanmar’s weather agency said the country experienced the hottest day ever recorded for the month when the mercury hit 48.2 degrees Celsius (118.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in the central town of Chauk.
While climate change is a concern worldwide, Asia has been particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures, according to scientists.
In its latest climate report released last month, the World Meteorological Organization said Asia was warming nearly twice as fast as the global average.
The average temperature of Asia’s landmass last year was about 1.04 degrees Celsius (33.87 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1991-2020 trend, according to the WMO, making 2024 either the warmest or second warmest year on record, depending on the dataset used.
CAMDEN, N.J. — Dwight Muhammad Qawi, the Hall of Fame fighter who took up boxing in prison and became a two-weight world champion, has died. He was 72.
Qawi’s sister, Wanda King, said he died Friday following a five-year battle with dementia.
Born Dwight Braxton in Baltimore, Qawi grew up in Camden, N.J. He competed in the boxing program at Rahway State Prison while serving a sentence for armed robbery, and turned professional at age 25 soon after his release in 1978.
In December 1981, Qawi — who legally changed his name in 1982 following his conversion to Islam — stopped Matthew Saad Muhammad in the 10th round to win the WBC light heavyweight belt. Qawi stopped Saad again eight months later, in six rounds.
After a loss to Michael Spinks, the 5-foot-7 Qawi — called “The Camden Buzzsaw” — moved up in weight and took the WBA cruiserweight title from Piet Crous in July 1985. Qawi lost the title to future heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in a 15-rounder in July 1986.
Qawi later fought as a heavyweight, with George Foreman stopping him in seven rounds.
Qawi retired in 1998 at age 46 with a 41-11-1 record and 25 knockouts. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.
After his retirement from the ring, he worked as a boxing trainer, youth advocate and drug and alcohol counselor.
WASHINGTON — Eric Hildenbrand has noticed prices continue to rise this year with President Trump in the White House.
The San Diego resident doesn’t blame Trump, however, his choice for president in 2024, but says Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats who control the state are at fault.
“You can’t compare California with the rest of the country,” said Hildenbrand, 76. “I don’t know what’s going on in the rest of the country. It seems like prices are dropping. Things are getting better, but I don’t necessarily see it here.”
Voters like Hildenbrand, whose support of the Republican president is unwavering, help explain Trump’s polling numbers and how they have differed from other presidents’ polling trajectory in significant ways. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in March found that 42% of U.S. adults approved of Trump’s job performance. That is a lower rating than those of other recent presidents at the beginning of their second terms, including Democrat Barack Obama and Republican George W. Bush.
The most recent AP-NORC poll, from July, puts Trump at 40% approval. While that is not a meaningful change from March, there is some evidence that Trump’s support may be softening, at least on the margins. The July poll showed a slight decrease in approval of his handling of immigration since earlier in the year. Some other pollsters, such as Gallup, show a downward slide in overall approval since slightly earlier in his term, in January.
But even those shifts are within a relatively narrow range, which is typical for Trump. The new AP-NORC polling tracker shows that Trump’s favorability rating has remained largely steady since the end of his first term, with between 33% and 43% of U.S. adults saying they viewed him favorably across more than five years.
Those long-term trends underscore that Trump has many steadfast opponents. But loyal supporters also help explain why views of the president are hard to change even as he pursues policies that most Americans do not support, using an approach that many find abrasive.
Persistently low approval numbers
Trump has not had a traditional honeymoon period in his second term. He did not in his first, either.
An AP-NORC poll conducted in March 2017, two months into his first term, showed that 42% of Americans “somewhat” or “strongly” approved of his performance. That is largely where his approval rating stayed over the course of the next four years.
The recent slippage on immigration is particularly significant because that issue was a major strength for Trump in the 2024 election. Earlier in his second term, it was also one of the few areas where he was outperforming his overall approval. In March, about half of U.S. adults approved of his handling of immigration. But the July AP-NORC poll found his approval on immigration at 43%, in line with his overall approval rating.
Other recent polls show growing discontent with Trump’s approach on immigration. A CNN/SSRS poll found that 55% of U.S. adults say the president has gone too far when it comes to deporting immigrants who are living in the United States illegally, an increase of 10 percentage points since February.
“I understand wanting to get rid of illegal immigrants, but the way that’s being done is very aggressive,” said Donovan Baldwin, 18, of Asheboro, N.C., who did not vote in the 2024 election. “And that’s why people are protesting, because it comes off as aggression. It’s not right.”
Ratings of Trump’s handling of the economy, which were more positive during his first term, have been persistently negative in his second term. The July poll found that few Americans think Trump’s policies have benefited them so far.
Even if he is not a fan of everything Trump has done so far, Brian Nichols, 58, of Albuquerque is giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Nichols, who voted for Trump in 2024, likes what he is seeing from the president overall, though he has his concerns both on style and substance, particularly Trump’s social media presence and his on-again, off-again tariffs. Nichols also does not like the push to eliminate federal agencies such as the Education Department.
Despite his occasional disagreements with Trump, though, Nichols said he wants to give the president space to do his job, and he trusts the House and Senate, now run by Republicans, to act as a safeguard.
“We put him into office for a reason, and we should be trusting that he’s doing the job for the best of America,” Nichols said.
Overall views are steady
Trump has spent the last six months pushing far-reaching and often unpopular policies. Earlier this year, Americans were bracing themselves for higher prices as a result of his approach to tariffs. The July poll found that most people think Trump’s tax and spending bill will benefit the wealthy, while few think it will pay dividends for the middle class or people like them.
Discomfort with individual policies may not translate into wholesale changes in views of Trump, though. Those have largely been constant through years of turmoil, with his favorability rating staying within a 10-percentage point range through his widely panned handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a felony conviction and an attempted assassination.
To some of his supporters, the benefits of his presidency far outweigh the costs.
Kim Schultz, 62, of Springhill, Fla., said she is thrilled with just about everything Trump is doing as president, particularly his aggressive moves to deport anyone living in the country illegally.
Even if Trump’s tariffs eventually take effect and push prices up, she said she will not be alarmed.
“I’ve always had the opinion that if the tariffs are going to cost me a little bit more here and there, I don’t have a problem with that,” she said.
Across the country, Hildenbrand dislikes Trump’s personality and his penchant for insults, including those directed at foreign leaders. But he thinks Trump is making things happen.
“More or less, to me, he’s showing that he’s on the right track,” he said. “I’m not in favor of Trump’s personality, but I am in favor of what he’s getting done.”
Thomson-Deveaux and Cooper write for the Associated Press and reported from Washington and Phoenix, respectively.
In 1775, Congress establishes the U.S. postal system.
In 1847, Liberia became a republic and Africa’s first sovereign, Black-ruled democratic nation.
In 1908, the FBI was born as the Bureau of Investigation, or BOI, when a group of newly hired investigators reported to the Justice Department. The special unit officially became the FBI in 1935.
In 1931, swarms of grasshoppers decimated millions of acres of crops throughout the southwestern United States.
In 1941, Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur was named commander of U.S. forces in the Philippines.
File Photo by US Army/UPI
In 1945, voters ousted Winston Churchill as prime minister of Britain after five years in the position. His Conservative Party would be voted back into power in 1951, and he would regain his position.
In 1956, Egypt created a crisis by nationalizing the British- and French-owned Suez Canal.
In 1984, serial killer Ed Gein, the inspiration for the movie Psycho, dies of cancer.
In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act, prohibiting discrimination against the disabled in employment, public accommodations, in telecommunications, and on public or private buses or trains.
Participants march in the Heartland Disability Rights March and Rally on July 25, 1999, to celebrate the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act of July 26, 1994. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
In 2010, the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, said the site decided to post more than 75,000 secret U.S. Afghan war documents on the Internet to give a more complete picture of the conflict. The White House said the deed had “a potential to be very harmful.”
In 2018, Facebook had the worst single day of trading in history, losing some $110 billion.
In 2023, soldiers in Niger said they removed President Mohamed Bazoum from office in a coup of the democratically elected government. Brigade Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani put himself in charge of the military junta.
In 2024, Canadian diva Celine Dion delivered a stirring rendition of Edith Piaf’s French anthem, “Hymn to Love,” at the Eiffel Tower, providing a show-stopping finale to the Opening Ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. It was her first public singing appearance since 2020 due to her battle with a rare neurological disease.
Why it’s a good buy: You’ll experience lifelike sound, and with two hidden microphones equipped with AI-enhanced noise rejection technology, your friends will hear you loud and clear.
Specs:Compatible with: PlayStation 5 consoles, PlayStation Portal remote player, PC/Mac; Connectivity: PlayStation Wireless/Bluetooth
Best PS5 game deal
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, £22.97 (was £44.97)
You’ll bag a popular game that delivers an action-packed adventureCredit: Currys
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, £22.97 (was £44.97) from Currys
The game currently costs just £22.97 when purchased from Currys.
Why it’s a good buy: For that price, you’ll bag a popular game that delivers an action-packed adventure, great visuals, and a gripping storyline.
Specs:Rated: 16+; Release date: 2020
PS5 game deals
Astro Bot, £48.95 (was £59.99)
You can explore planets, volcanoes, undersea cities, and moreCredit: Amazon
Astro Bot, £48.95 (was £59.99) from Amazon
What’s the deal? Looking to bag the award-winning Astro Bot game? We’ve found an Amazon offer you won’t want to miss.
Now discounted to £48.95, Astro Bot takes gamers on a galactic quest in search of ASTRO’s lost crew.
Why it’s a good buy: If you’re shopping for a title that offers high-quality gameplay, you’ll want to take a closer look at Astro Bot.
You’ll explore planets, volcanoes, undersea cities, and more in this playful space adventure that’s packed with creative levels.
Specs:Rated: 7+; Release date: September 2024
TopSpin 2K25, £6 (was £55.99)
Go toe-to-toe with the biggest names in tennisCredit: GAME
TopSpin 2K25, £6 (was £55.99) from GAME
What’s the deal? We’ve spotted a fantastic discount at GAME.
If you want to go toe-to-toe with the biggest names in tennis, TopSpin 2K25 should be on your list, and it’s now available for just £6.
Why it’s a good buy: TopSpin 2K25 is a solid choice for tennis fans thanks to its in-depth career mode, realistic gameplay, and selection of pro players.
There are over 24 playable pros to choose from, and you can even customise your look on the court.
Specs:Rated: 3+; Release date: April 2024
More PS5 game deals:
Disney Dreamlight Valley: Cozy Edition, £34 (was £44.99) from GAME – buy here
PJ Masks Power Heroes: Mighty Alliance, £11 (was £34.99) from GAME – buy here
NEW YORK — Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer to power the New York Mets to a 6-3 win and series sweep of the Angels on Wednesday.
Alonso, mired in a 2-for-34 slump dating to July 10, homered two batters after Francisco Lindor broke a career-long 0-for-31 drought with an RBI single.
Brandon Nimmo hit his 14th career leadoff homer and Lindor added another RBI single in the fourth for the Mets, who swept a series for the fifth time this season.
Sean Manaea (1-1), making his third appearance and second start after battling oblique and elbow injuries, allowed one run and struck out five over five innings. Edwin Díaz got the final four outs for his 21st save.
Mike Trout homered in the third — the 396th home run and 999th RBI of his career — for the Angels, who were swept for the seventh time. Luis Rengifo (forceout) and Chris Taylor (double) collected RBIs in the seventh.
Left-hander Jake Eder (0-1), the last of three Angels pitchers on a bullpen day, gave up five runs in a career-high six innings.
Key moment
Alonso’s first homer since July 8 was the 248th of his career, pulling him within four of Darryl Strawberry for the all-time Mets franchise lead.
Key stat
Trout is aiming to become the second active player with 400 homers and the ninth with 1,000 RBIs.
Up next
Angels LHP Yusei Kikuchi (4-6, 3.13 ERA) starts Thursday, when the Angels return home for a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners and RHP Logan Evans (3-3, 3.81 ERA).
1 of 3 | On July 21, 1925, the so-called Monkey Trial, which pitted Clarence Darrow against William Jennings Bryan in Dayton, Tenn., in one of the great confrontations in legal history, ended with John Thomas Scopes convicted and fined $100 for teaching evolution in violation of state law. UPI File Photo
July 21 (UPI) — On this date in history:
In 1861, the first major military engagement of the Civil War occurred at Bull Run Creek, Va.
In 1918, a German U-boat fired on the town of Orleans, Mass., on Cape Cod peninsula, damaging a tug boat and sinking four barges, and severely injuring one man. It was the only place in the United States to receive an enemy attack during World War I.
In 1925, the so-called Monkey Trial, which pitted Clarence Darrow against William Jennings Bryan in Dayton, Tenn., in one of the great confrontations in legal history, ended with John Thomas Scopes convicted and fined $100 for teaching evolution in violation of state law.
In 1969, U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, lifted off from the moon in the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle and docked with the command module Columbia piloted by Michael Collins.
In 1970, after 11 years of construction, the massive Aswan High Dam across the Nile River in Egypt was completed, ending the cycle of flood and drought in the Nile River region but triggering an environmental controversy.
In 2000, a report from special counsel John Danforth cleared U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and the government of wrongdoing in the April 19, 1993, fire that ended the Branch Davidian siege near Waco, Texas.
In 2011, Greece continued efforts to climb out of a financial chasm with a second bailout pledge from other eurozone countries and the International Monetary Fund worth $157 billion. Earlier, the nation dealt with its debt crisis with the help of a $146 billion loan package.
In 2024, President Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid in the 2024 presidential race, formally endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris. Former President Donald Trump defeated Harris in November 2024 to win his second term in office.
But, when doctors explained how close he came to suffering something so much worse, from when Michael A. Taylor slid into his leg at third base on July 2, even Muncy was amazed by the infinitesimal margins.
“If the timing was just a millisecond different either way,” he was told, “you’re probably looking at surgery, and done for a long time.”
Instead, barely two weeks removed from having the outside of his knee bent inward on that play, Muncy was out doing early work at Dodger Stadium on Friday afternoon; running in the outfield, playing catch with coaches and performing agility drills in front of trainers without any obvious signs of pain or discomfort.
“We’re pleasantly, not surprised, but happy with the spot that I’m in right now,” Muncy said afterward, having also taken swings for the first time since his injury earlier on Friday afternoon. “It feels great. I’m moving well. Progressing quickly. We’re trying to be smart about it, and understand where we’re at, and what it’s gonna take to get back on the field. But we’re in a really good spot … We’re kind of right where we think we should be at.”
If not, it seems, already a few steps ahead.
While Muncy was initially expected to miss roughly six weeks with his left knee bone bruise, manager Dave Roberts struck a more optimistic tone as the Dodgers opened the second half of their season.
“He’s in great shape right now,” Roberts said Friday. “I don’t really know a timeline. But I do know … it’s going to be a lot sooner than anticipated, which is good for all of us.”
Since Muncy — who was one of the hottest hitters in baseball in May and June — got hurt, the Dodgers have not looked like the same offense. In their last 11 games entering Saturday, the club was 3-8, averaging less than three runs per game, and struggling to fill the gaping hole their slugging third baseman has left in the middle of the lineup.
Since the start of July, only the penny-pinching Pittsburgh Pirates have been worse than the Dodgers in batting average (.205) and OPS (.594).
“We’ve still got a lot of good players,” Roberts said. “But yeah, there’s a certain line of demarcation when Max is not in the lineup, what happens to our offense.”
The Dodgers’ problems, of course, go beyond Muncy’s absence. Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have all been slumping of late (or, in Betts’ case, for much of the season). Teoscar Hernández and Tommy Edman have been nowhere near their typical standard since returning from injuries in May. And the depth options the Dodgers have called upon have provided few sparks of life.
Still, Muncy figures to be a linchpin in the Dodgers’ long-term potential at the plate — with his recovery growing ever-steadily in importance as the rest of the lineup flounders in his wake.
“We got to figure out how to get something going,” said outfielder Michael Conforto, chief among the Dodgers’ underachievers this season. “Every time we go out there, we expect to score, and that’s what we’ve been doing all year. It’s just one of those stretches [where it’s] a little bit tougher to get runs in. But, you know, obviously, we have faith in our guys, and some big names in here that made their careers on scoring runs and driving guys in. I think we’ll be OK.”
Muncy, of course, is one of those proven names.
And in another fortunate stroke with his recovery, he remains confident his injury won’t significantly impact his swing once he does come back.
“If [the injury] was on the inside of the knee, it’d probably be a different story,” Muncy said. “But just being on the outside, I think it’s a good spot, knowing that I don’t feel it at all when I’m pushing off on the backside.”
Muncy tested that theory for the first time Friday, taking some light swings in the cage that he said “felt fine.”
“It’s a lot of work, more work than actually playing in the game, which always sucks,” Muncy said of his rehab process. “But it’s that way for a reason … You don’t want to have any other injuries that are a side effect from it.”
So far, even that latter concern has been quelled, with Muncy noting that “there’s no lingering side effects with it.”
“All in all,” he reiterated, “we’re about as lucky as we could be.”
Denise Richards has accused estranged husband Aaron Phypers of abuse, death threats and possession of unregistered weapons in a request for a temporary restraining order that was granted Wednesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Phypers, who filed for divorce on July 7 and gave July 4 as the date of separation, has denied abusing Richards.
Richards’ TRO request, reviewed by The Times, refers to abuse that allegedly occurred during their marriage, including between July 4 and July 14, after she had moved out of the family home and into three townhouses that she uses separately as a studio, an office and her residence.
“Throughout our relationship, Aaron would frequently violently choke me, violently squeeze my head with both hands, tightly squeeze my arms, violently slap me in my face and head, aggressively slam my head into the bathroom towel rack, threaten to kill me, hold me down with his knee on my back to the point where I would have to plead with him to get off me so that he would not kill me,” Richards said in her filing.
She added that he “regularly threatened to ‘break my jaw’ and would cry, beg me to stay, and promise to get help — none of which ever happened.”
Richards alleged that Phypers gave her at least three concussions and regularly called her profane and degrading names. She also accused him of downloading her private text messages to her laptop and taking photos of the texts.
“Until now, I have been afraid to report Aaron to the police or file for a restraining order because he has repeatedly threatened to kill himself and me if I reported him to the police,” Richards said in the document, “among his other threats of harm to me and himself if he is reported for his abuse to anyone.”
She said he told her he had eight unregistered guns and some bulletproof vests.
Describing an incident from mid-April, she alleged that she had returned from a business trip and told Phypers he could not stay at the studio townhouse and had to leave. She locked the doors behind him.
While she was unpacking, Richards said in the filing, “Aaron climbed onto the balcony and pushed through the screen and entered the room I was in on the second floor. Once inside, Aaron aggressively approached me and grabbed the back of my head by my hair and pushed me on the ground and put his knee on my back so I could not get up. He would often do this. Aaron then screamed in my face.”
Richards said she told Phypers that she was going to call the police.
“[H]e responded, as he typically did, ‘Watch them try and take me away, they have no idea who they are dealing with and you have no idea who you are dealing with.’ When he refused to leave, I felt unsafe and chose to leave the premises.”
Richards also included photos of herself from January 2022 showing a severe black eye, which she alleged she got when Phypers hit her with “the heel of his palm” during an after-hours incident at his workplace.
There was yelling during the incident, which attracted a police officer who happened to be in the parking lot. After the officer left, Phypers “resumed screaming,” she said, then struck her and used profanity, calling her a derogatory name, she alleged in the filing.
Phypers, born Aaron William Cameron and referred to in the TRO request as Aaron William Cameron Phypers, has denied Richards’ allegations, telling TMZ in a statement Thursday that they are “false and deeply hurtful.” He told the website that he never abused her or anyone else physically or emotionally.
Phypers and actor Nicollette Sheridan of “Desperate Housewives” got married secretly in December 2015, but she filed for divorce six months later. That split wasn’t finalized until August 2018.
He and Richards began their relationship in 2017. They wed a little more than a year later in September 2018, a month after Phypers and Sheridan’s split was finalized, in a private ceremony in Malibu. Richards was previously married to “Two and a Half Men” star Charlie Sheen from 2002 to 2006.
For now, Phypers must stay 100 yards away from Richards and her car, workplace and home and cannot possess firearms or body armor. She requested that he return her laptops and asked for permission to record any phone calls that violate the stay-away order. A hearing on making the restraining order permanent is scheduled for Aug. 8.
Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario contributed to this report.
Jax Taylor will not be returning to “The Valley” for Season 3.
The 46-year-old reality star’s departure follows a fraught second season on the “Vanderpump Rules” spinoff, which chronicled the end of his marriage to Brittany Cartwright and time in a mental health treatment facility. Before the season premiered in April, Taylor also opened up about his on-and-off cocaine addiction for the past two decades.
“After an incredibly challenging year and many honest conversations with my team and producers, I’ll be stepping away from the next season of ‘The Valley,’” he said in a statement. “Right now, my focus needs to be on my sobriety, my mental health and coparenting. Taking this time is necessary for me to become the best version of myself — especially for our son, Cruz.”
Taylor’s unraveling marriage and struggles with sobriety were at the center of Season 2. Just before production began in July 2024, Taylor allegedly flipped a coffee table and bruised Cartwright’s knee, his estranged wife said on the show. Even while in the mental health facility, he continued to watch Cartwright on their home cameras and send her angry text messages, which were shown on the reality series.
“You took my job away from me … I’ve worked so hard for two years for this and you took it from me,” read one text.
“Now do the work as a single mom. I am watching the cameras and [you’re] not there,” he said in another.
Cartwright filed for divorce in August 2024, citing irreconcilable differences. Taylor was served divorce papers on camera, shown in Episode 10. He has since agreed to give Cartwright full custody of their 4-year-old son, Cruz, according to People.
“The Valley” Season 2 finale will air July 22, followed by three reunion episodes. Taylor will appear at the reunion, which was filmed in May, Bravo confirmed.
1. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Ballantine Books: $30) A story of friendship, love and adversity during the 1980s Space Shuttle program.
2. Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart (Random House: $28) A tale of a family struggling to stay together in a country rapidly coming apart.
3. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (Penguin Press: $30) An unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond. 9
4. My Friends by Fredrik Backman (Atria Books: $30) The bond between a group of teens 25 years earlier has a powerful effect on a budding artist.
5. James by Percival Everett (Doubleday: $28) An action-packed reimagining of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
6. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab (Tor Books: $30) A vampiric tale follows three women across the centuries.
7. Culpability by Bruce Holsinger (Spiegel & Grau: $30) A suspenseful family drama about moral responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence.
8. My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende (Ballantine Books: $30) A young writer in the late 1800s travels to South America to uncover the truth about her father.
9. The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley (Ace: $30) A romantasy following an assassin and a healer forced to work together to cure a fatal disease.
10. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (Henry Holt & Co.: $29) An unexpected wedding guest gets surprise help on her journey to starting anew.
…
Hardcover nonfiction
1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins (Hay House: $30) How to stop wasting energy on things you can’t control.
2. Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $30) A study of the barriers to progress in the U.S.
3. The Creative Act by Rick Rubin (Penguin: $32) The music producer on how to be a creative person. 122
4. A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst (Riverhead Books: $28) The true story of a young couple shipwrecked at sea: a partnership stretched to its limits.
5. Lessons From Cats for Surviving Fascism by Stewart Reynolds (Grand Central Publishing: $13) A guide to channeling feline wisdom in the face of authoritarian nonsense.
6. 2024 by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, Isaac Arnsdorf (Penguin Press: $32) The inside story of a tumultuous and consequential presidential campaign.
7. Super Agers by Eric Topol (Simon & Schuster: $33) A detailed guide to a revolution transforming human longevity.
8. The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad (Random House: $30) A guide to the art of journaling and a meditation on the central questions of life.
9. We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, Amanda Doyle (The Dial Press: $34) The guidebook for being alive.
10. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and John Burgoyne (illustrator) (Scribner: $20) On gratitude, reciprocity and community, and the lessons to take from the natural world.
…
Paperback fiction
1. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (Ecco: $20)
2. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Ballantine: $20)
3. Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar (Vintage: $18)
4. All Fours by Miranda July (Riverhead Books: $19)
5. I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Transit Books: $17)
6. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster: $19)
7. Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner (Scribner: $20)
8. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune (Berkley: $19)
9. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper Perennial: $22)
10. Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (Berkley, $20)
…
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1. The Friday Afternoon Club by Griffin Dunne (Penguin: $21)
2. The Wager by David Grann (Vintage: $21)
3. The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides (Vintage: $19)
4. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (Crown: $12)
5. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (Amber-Allen: $13)
6. Sociopath by Patric Gagne, Ph.D. (Simon & Schuster: $20)
7. All About Love by bell hooks (Morrow: $17)
8. The Art Thief by Michael Finkel (Vintage: $18)
9. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (TarcherPerigee: $20)
10. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. (Penguin: $19)
