Kevin

Kevin Lyman has always lived life on the move. For years it was a symptom of working to keep up with Warped Tour, a punk rock circus on wheels. Since bringing the festival back last year to celebrate its 30-year anniversary, he’s switched his mode of transport from buses to planes. What started as a two-month tour across the U.S. and parts of Canada is now a strategically placed, five-date extravaganza starting this weekend in Long Beach. With stops in Montreal, Mexico City, Orlando and Washington, the tour has gotten bigger with the partnership of EDM promoter Insomniac but Lyman insists that the soul of it remains the same.

Thriving on a mix of punk, emo, ska, hardcore, metal and action sports, Warped has become an entry point to festival culture for a new generation of fans, requiring Lyman to always move forward in his musical tastes while still trying to stay true to the essence of what made Warped more of a community than just an annual event.

Recently he chatted with The Times to discuss the process of continuing the fest’s revival and why it’s still a vital part of the summer festival ecosystem.

What were your initial thoughts after Warped Tour’s big comeback in Long Beach last year?

I was really nervous. To be honest, I knew I had one shot at getting it right. I knew there were going to be bigger stages, we were going to have video and lights, but I also knew that I had to make it feel like Warped Tour between the performances. So that little bit of controlled chaos we had between the stages — the merch tents, all the sponsorship booths, the skate ramps, the surprises we threw out each day — I think it was mission accomplished. The feedback overall has been fantastic from the fans. For some people closer to my age demo, maybe it was a little too much — their feet hurt. But Warped came back strong, we went back on sale [for 2026] fairly quickly, and to still have 50% of the people buy the tickets right away without knowing a band on the bill yet was great.

Jimmy Eat World is doing like their 25th anniversary of “Bleed American” at the fest this year. What does it mean to you to have some of those early Warped Tour bands like that on the bill again?

It felt good to have a lot of those bands. For me, one of the more emotional ones last year was Rise Against. They had such a big moment. They were such a part of Warped Tour, and you get them to come back and then watch that crowd, every phone went up in the crowd, and probably 50% of the people there had never seen them before.

“I’ve been a disruptor, and the disruption I’ve caused has attracted enough people. Now we’re a niche of people,” Lyman says. “Warped is a great niche.”

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You’ve always had your own way of doing things that created the culture of Warped Tour. Why do you feel it is still so vital in the festival ecosystem today?

I had to carve a niche out for myself in the industry. I was never going to really quite conform. I kind of came from that rebellious spirit that Goldenvoice instilled in me back in the ‘80s when I worked for them, and Gary Tovar was rebellious. So I’ve always kind of had that mentality of, “Hey, let’s go against the norm. Let’s make it something our own.” And even when I’m teaching at USC now, I say you have to learn the foundations of every business. And those foundations, to me, were working 12 years in the clubs of L.A., 320 nights a year, and then you have to make something your own. I always say when you decide to go for it — go for it. And I did, and it seemed to connect with enough people and resonated with enough people that I’d been around that said, “Wow, this is different. He needs to work on it. But instead of knocking him down, let’s support him.”… I’ve been a disruptor, and the disruption I’ve caused has attracted enough people. Now we’re a niche of people. Warped is a great niche.

How did you keep Warped on people’s minds year-round while you were planning it out this year?

That was a challenge because before we used to have the two-month tour, so we were able to build community to keep the conversation going. Community is a big driver for me. Everything we’re doing now is investing in the community, and I think it’s working. [In January] we had a downtown Long Beach event with the band Holy Wars, we had an event in Orlando. We had one event in a fraternity house backyard in Virginia, we had events in Mexico City and Montreal … canned food drives, blood drives or, you know, register to vote. We’ll drop those kind of events so we’re constantly in everyone’s mindset. And it’s not about monetizing. I think people are always asking “How do you monetize the superfan?” I’m like, “How do you reward them?” Giving people a free Sunday afternoon event in Long Beach, that’s a thank you. Those are the people that are going to spread the word when you post a video, they’re going to share it with all their friends, and then they’re going to be telling kids at their schools. A third of the people going to Warped had never been to a festival or even a concert before, so we need to engage them in a different way.

What are your ways of scouting out bands you want to take a chance on when booking the festival?

Well, I have a great booker named Amanda Phelan. She books with me, so she’s kind of that on the ground talking to the agents and things. I don’t necessarily do that much anymore. I talk to them, but my part is more like, “Oh, I want to see what bands other bands are talking about, or young people are talking about.” And then I’m also talking to lots of the independent promoters out there that you know I used to work with.

Why do you think younger generation of fest goers will keep discovering Warped Tour?

We used to be that festival where you know it was over by sunset, your mom could pick you up at the curb or you could get home by dark, and then you went off to other festivals. We were your entry point to festivals. We may be that entry point again, but a lot of it now will come down to price point. We know the economics of Warped Tour are conducive for people that want to go on two levels: ones that want to come and explore a festival, and other ones, maybe some of your peers, who don’t get to go out every night and see bands anymore because they all have real jobs and things. But they can go for one for two days and catch up on all music, which makes you feel like you’re staying young.

Ever ambitious and eager to test new horizons, Keegan announced midway through the 1976-77 season that he would leave Liverpool at the end of the campaign.

It brought some criticism from supporters, but was another example of deception never being part of Keegan’s character, allowing Liverpool time to line up Kenny Dalglish as his replacement.

He went out on the highest high in his final game, running the great German defender Berti Vogts ragged as Liverpool won the European Cup for the first time, beating Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in Rome.

Keegan left having scored 100 goals in 323 appearances.

There was talk of a move to Real Madrid, but in the end his destination was Hamburg, where he was a major success as they won the Bundesliga in 1978-79, though disappointment followed when they lost the European Cup final to Nottingham Forest the following season.

Keegan confirmed his world-class credentials at Hamburg, winning the Ballon d’Or in 1978 and 1979.

Hamburg was a surprise choice when Keegan left Liverpool, but after early struggles to win over team-mates, he became hugely popular, not just with his club but in the country, where they appreciated the Englishman’s down to earth approach and his willingness to integrate.

It all added to Keegan’s status as a global superstar, one of the most marketable sportsmen around, not just seen on the pitch but in adverts and advertising hoardings worldwide.

He famously did an advert for Brut aftershave with British boxer Henry Cooper, as well as the “Green Cross Code” road safety campaign.

While in West Germany, Keegan had another crack at music with the track Head Over Heels In Love. It peaked at number 31 in the UK, but climbed to number 10 in the German charts.

Keegan returned to England in 1980 with a shock move to Southampton, showing his enduring quality by winning the Professional Footballers’ Association player of the year award in 1982.

He did not win trophies at The Dell, but was still a player of the highest class in Lawrie McMenemy’s team, built around experienced stars such as Keegan, Alan Ball and Saints’ great Mike Channon.

Coronation Street fans think Kevin Webster could be about to rekindle his longstanding romance Abi amid the family tragedy, almost a year after it emerged she had had an affair with the man he thought was his long-lost brother but then turned out to be his long-lost nephew

Kevin Webster could be about to rekindle his romance with Abi – almost a year after they separated. The mechanic has been played by Michael Le Vell since 1983 and has been central to many of the soap’s biggest storylines, many of them involving his ex-wife Sally (Sally Dynevor), and their daughters, Rosie (Helen Flanagan) and Sophie (Brooke Vincent).

They called time on their marriage in 2010 after Kevin had an affair with Molly Dobbs and although they have been on relatively good terms since, Sally married Tim Metcalfe in the years that followed and Kevin later tied the knot with Abi Franklin in 2021.

But it all went wrong when Carl Webster turned up towards the end of last year, who was initially stated to be Kevin’s long-lost brother before it was revealed he was in fact his long-lost nephew, and he and Abi had begun an affair.

On the latest episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap, Abi was faced with horror when she had to rush her young son Alfie, who is the product of her affair with the late Imran Habeeb, for treatmentand it became apparent that mould was causing him to suffer severe respiratory issues.

Abi has been living in one of the flats at Weatherfield Precinct, and her landlord is newcomer Idris Sharma, the cousin of established character Alya (Sair Khan). When Abi was delivered the bad news by the doctor in the hospital, she said through tears: “It means it’s not just an infection. There’s something really wrong. I’m going to lose him!” and instantly turned to Kevin for comfort.

While all this was going on, Idris had become aware of what was going on and recruited teenager Brody Michaelis, whom he has taken under his wing, to deal with the situation. Paying the teenager to bundle a man named Isaac into the back of his car, they pulled up at an unknown location and Idris told him: “You know why you’re here. You put a kid in hospital.

“I don’t let people live like animals. Thanks to you, I’m the bad guy. And for my loss of reputation, you pay. And if I have to come and find you, believe me, it’ll be ten times worse. Think on that.” With Brody still keeping tightly hold of him, Idris drove off and later paid the teenager for his help.

But unbeknownst to to Idris and Brody, Abi had watched the whole kidnap and informed Sally, who is currently acting as a foster mother towards Brody, about what she saw.

Brody, whose father is in prison for murder, told Idris that the whole thing wasn’t really for him but the dodgy landlord continued to pressure him into things.

Reacting to the dramatic scenes, viewers predicted that Abi, who lost her son Seb when he was murdered in an unprovoked attack and also has a few children in the care system, will get back together with Kevin however her latest melodrama turns out.

Taking to X, one fan said: “Honestly, with Kev and Abi being on good terms I’m surprised she hasn’t moved back in with him. Abi can’t lose another kid ffs!”

Another said: “The fact it’s has been 9 months and Abi still hasn’t changed her name back to Franklin, and now they are having her move back into number 13 with Kev and carl supporting her. I am praying they don’t do what I think they are going to do #corrie.”

“I’m surprised dopey Kev hasn’t taken Abbeh back already,” a follower commented, as a Twitter user added: “I wonder if this new storyline for Abi and Alfie will lead to Kevin and Abi getting back together.”

Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV

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Coronation Street legend Kevin Webster got into a huge showdown with nephew Carl on Tuesday night’s episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap and a shot was fired

Kevin Webster got involved in a shocking gun showdown on Tuesday night’s episode of Coronation Street. The mechanic has been played by Michael Le Vell since 1983 and has been central to many of the soap’s biggest storylines, many of them involving his ex-wife Sally (Sally Dynevor), and their daughters, Rosie (Helen Flanagan) and Sophie (Brooke Vincent).

Over the last year, it’s been a typically dramatic time for Kevin and, not only has he had to deal with a testicular cancer diagnosis, he found out that his now-estranged wife Abi ( Sally Carman ) had been having an affair with Carl Webster, the man he thought was his brother. It was just this year that a major retcon took place and Kevin’s sister Debbie (Sue Devaney) revealed that she was, in fact, Carl’s birth mum.

On top of all that, Carl was recently injured when working on a car on the garage when Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) let the vehicle collapse down on him, and, to keep himself in the clear, lied to the police about his whereabouts that night, thereby landing innocent Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) in prison over the murder of Theo Silverton.

Things came to a head in the latest episode of the world’s longest-running TV soap when Kevin and Carl came face-to-face in the garage as Ronnie Bailey, along with Tyrone, watched on in horror. Having obtained a gun from dodgy car dealer Fiona Morley (Sara Poyzer), it was lying on the floor between them – just after Kevin had tried to hit him with a wrench.

Carl told Kevin: ” Either we fix this… ..or you pick up that gun,” to which his brother-turned-nephew did, believing that it was fake and a violent tussle followed when Carl told him to pull the trigger. A gunshot was heard and it transpired that Kevin had pulled the trigger.

Tyrone got a hold of Kevin to make him see sense and, when he realised Carl had dodged the bullet, he said: “I’m sorry, Carl.” Later on, Carl called round to number 13 where he told Kevin: “Been a bit of a day, eh? Should never have agreed to do that job for Fiona. I don’t know what I was thinking, pulling that out on you. We’re a right pair, aren’t we, eh?

“So, is this us now? Putting everything behind us?” Kevin sighed as he said: “We’re never gonna be best mates, but yeah. We both love Debbie and if you’re serious about doing the right thing by her then we’ll move forward.

“Just one thing. Why did you do it? Abi, I mean. Like, I know I’ve gotta get past it, and it’s doing me no good dwelling on the past but I need to know. Please.” Carl said: “Because she was there, I was selfish, self-destructive. Jealous. Kev, whatever the reason, doing that to you, to both of you, it was wrong and I regret it. I regret it all. I don’t wanna be that person again and I don’t think I’m gonna be.” It was then that the warring relatives seemingly called a truce as they shook hands.

By the end of the episode, Ronnie and Debbie had found out about the whole thing and he claimed he had returned the gun, but now it was nowhere to be seen as Fiona hadn’t received it. Lamenting in the living room, Debbie said to Ronnie and Carl: “So, not only have we got God knows who coming after us, but there’s someone out there with a loaded gun!

“Right, first thing tomorrow, I want you both out there, and I want you to find it, because if you don’t, it won’t be Fiona you’ll have to worry about, it’ll be me! Now, get out of my sight… the pair of you,” and showed them the door. What none of them know, though, is Jodie Ramsey, the mysterious long-lost sister of Shona, had found the gun and taken it for herself.

Reacting to the tense episode, one fan wrote on X: “Carl bringing a gun to an argument.. yes only soft b******* do that!! #Corrie,” whilst another said: “So what’s Jodie planning on doing with the gun then?” Is she gonna use it on David if he doesn’t sleep with her?”

A third wrote: “Aw Carl and Kevin making up. Hope Carl sorts himself out for Debbie,” and a fourth said: “A near miss for Carl and Kevin. Oh s*** the gun has gone off!”

Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and is available to stream from 7am on ITV X.

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WASHINGTON — Ever since Kevin Warsh was nominated by President Trump in late January to lead the Federal Reserve, a question has lingered: Will he seek to raise interest rates to tame inflation or cut them as Trump has long demanded?

On Wednesday, Warsh may provide the first hints of an answer when he oversees his first Fed policy meeting as chair and holds a news conference afterward. Bond markets, which can swing sharply on a chair’s pronouncements, will be watching particularly closely for any signs of which way he leans.

“We expect the press conference to be pivotal,” Jonathan Pingle, an economist at investment bank UBS, wrote in a note. “This will be Kevin Warsh’s first public appearance as Chair. … We do not really know what his policy views are.”

Economists say Warsh will likely aim for a neutral approach, largely because he is taking over the Fed at a challenging time. Rising inflation has made it all but impossible for the Fed to cut interest rates anytime soon, which could stimulate growth and further raise prices. Hiring has improved noticeably since the beginning of the year, removing another key rationale for rate cuts. And the other 11 policymakers on the Fed’s rate-setting committee — including Warsh’s predecessor, former chair Jerome Powell — are split on whether an increase in the Fed’s key rate will be needed or if it can stay unchanged.

High inflation puts Fed in tough spot

Oil prices have fallen sharply on news that the U.S. and Iran have reached an initial deal to end their war, which could eventually cool inflation. Yet it’s unclear whether a permanent agreement can be reached.

“The right thing to do now is wait and see,” said William English, an economist at the Yale School of Management and a former top Fed economist.

Inflation has jumped to a three-year high of 4.2%, the government said last week, mostly because of higher gas prices. Even Trump has backed off a bit from his relentless demands for lower rates, and instead has argued that rate hikes — which the Fed undertakes to cool the economy and slow inflation — aren’t necessary.

In an interview earlier this month on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said, “Kevin is fantastic and I want him to do whatever he wants,” but added, “there’s no reason to raise rates.”

On Wednesday, the Fed is widely expected to keep its key rate at about 3.6%, where it has remained since last December. When the Fed reduces its rate, over time it can lower other borrowing costs for things like mortgages, auto loans, and business loans.

Changes likely to dash hopes for those seeking lower rates

Still, some changes are expected, which will disappoint those hoping for lower borrowing costs: The Fed is likely to drop language that suggests its next move will be a rate cut, and instead adopt wording that is more neutral. Several Fed policymakers in recent weeks have said that the Fed’s most likely next move is a hike, rather than a cut.

The central bank is also scheduled to release its quarterly economic projections, which include forecasts for how the Fed’s key rate will change over the next three years, on Wednesday. In March, those projections suggested the Fed would cut its rate once this year. Yet on Wednesday they will likely show no change in 2026, with maybe one or two cuts next year, economists say.

Warsh has criticized the projections for providing too much “forward guidance” to financial markets and leading Fed officials to stand by their forecasts for too long, even as the economy changes. Fed watchers will look closely to see if Warsh participates in the quarterly projections. If he doesn’t submit his own forecasts, it could be a sign he will seek to get rid of them entirely in the coming months.

Warsh to bring a new approach to Fed leadership

Outside of policy, Warsh is expected to bring a different style to the Fed than Powell, according to people who’ve worked with him. He wants Fed policymakers to give fewer speeches, have more debates behind closed doors and will likely avoid commenting on the daily ups and downs of the economy. Powell was relatively plainspoken and straightforward, while Warsh has suggested he sees the famously oracular Alan Greenspan, the Fed’s chair from 1987 to 2005, as a model.

“He’s just going to say less, because he doesn’t find that stuff very helpful,” said Robert Tetlow, a former senior policy adviser at the Fed.

Randall Kroszner, an economist at the University of Chicago who served on the Fed’s governing board from 2006 to 2009, when Warsh was also a governor, said the new chair would likely focus on bigger-picture questions, such as how AI will impact the economy. He will avoid thornier issues, such as whether tariffs raise inflation, which Powell was willing to address.

By avoiding such hot-button issues, the Fed could attract less negative attention from the White House, Kroszner said.

“He’s going to stay away from those,” Kroszner added. “If the Fed is to maintain its independence, it needs to maintain its focus.”

While seeking Trump’s nomination, Warsh called for “regime change” at the Fed and criticized the central bank for not preventing the 2021-22 inflation surge, when prices jumped 9.1% in a year, the biggest spike in four decades.

Yet Kroszner said Warsh will likely to seek to build consensus around changing things like the Fed’s communications policies, rather than imposing them. So far, former Fed officials say he hasn’t sought to fire top staff.

“He’s not there to break things,” Kroszner said.

During his Senate confirmation hearing in April, Warsh said he would focus on quelling inflation.

“Inflation is a choice, and the Fed must take responsibility for it,” he said then.

If he acts on that sentiment by keeping rates unchanged — or even raising them — Trump could end up disappointed in another Fed chair. He often threatened to fire Powell, whom he also appointed, for not cutting rates deeply enough.

“There’s at least a risk here that six months down the road, Trump is fulminating about how he didn’t get what he wanted from Warsh, and he’d like to fire Warsh,” English said.

Rugaber writes for The Associated Press.

If you want personal stories of survival, family trauma or just how to get over a breakup, look no further than adult animation. Even better: Sometimes these shows do all that and are still funny. We’ve rounded up some of this season’s best examples in the genre.

‘Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal’ (Adult Swim)

Set in an anachronistic world where prehumans and dinosaurs fight for survival, “Primal” is told sans dialogue and focuses on a Neanderthal named Spear (whose vocal grunts are provided by actor Aaron LaPlante) and a female Tyrannosaurus rex known as Fang. It’s raw, bloody and, somehow, tear-jerking.

“There’s drama, there’s violence, certainly there’s a bit of lightheartedness … we’re not trying to do it like a live-action thing, but we’re trying to get cinematic,” says creator Genndy Tartakovsky. “And because it’s dramatic and there’s no dialogue, we’re leaning into the visual storytelling of it all. This makes it seem a little bit more sophisticated.”

Tartakovsky says he even tries to make “the blood spurts look beautiful and designed”: “We’re not doing it for shock value.” The show also added the escaped female slave Mira (voiced by Laëtitia Eïdo) at the end of Season 1 because the creator felt it worked for the story.

‘Kevin’ (Prime Video)

Talking cats are not new to animation. But this one is going through the very human roller coaster of a relationship rebound and self-discovery.

Joe Wengert co-created “Kevin” with ex-girlfriend/series voice actor Aubrey Plaza as a cathartic thought experiment about their actual pet cat, Kevin. (Jason Schwartzman voices him in the show.)

“It’s more fun to write for the animals,” says Wengert, whose credits include Netflix’s animated “Big Mouth” and Fox’s live-action “New Girl.” “They have another level of crazy.”

The show also doubles as therapy.

“I’ve always been too into my relationship and I sort of neglect my friends,” he says, adding that “I’ve always wanted to write something about that, but it’s kind of sad when it’s a human man. It’s less sad when it’s a cat.”

‘Long Story Short’ (Netflix)

Raphael Bob-Waksberg, who also created Netflix’s “BoJack Horseman,” knows his beat is animated shows that are both funny and thought-provoking. He says the difference with “Long Story Short,” in addition to it being about humans and not an anthropomorphic horse, is that it has “sadness we can relate to.”

“Here, we see characters sad in the way that we are sad and we go, ‘Oh, this is not a cartoon exaggeration of our sadness.’ This is exactly the same as our sadness,” Bob-Waksberg says.

In order to keep the show from being a total buzzkill, the writers will craft scenes like an intense conversation between adult siblings about fertility treatments in the midst of the chaos and the bizarre costuming of a child’s dance concert.

He says you can do this in live-action, but it would have to be something in the Tina Fey-Robert Carlock style like NBC’s “30 Rock” or Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” which are known for rapid-fire bits.

“Usually in live-action, when you think about dramedy, your head goes to like, well, not too funny and not too dramatic. And my shows are kind of the opposite,” he laughs.

‘Mating Season’ (Netflix)

Like another show Andrew Goldberg co-created, Netflix’s “Big Mouth,” “Mating Season” is about sex and relationships. But, because it’s not about kids, it can be less metaphoric. And, because it’s about a group of Gen Z-ish forest animals, it can almost seem … cute?

“It feels less voyeuristic than with people,” Goldberg explains of “Mating Season.”

Goldberg, who loves nature documentaries like Netflix’s “Life on Our Planet,” says they opened the second episode of “Mating Season” with a parody documentary because “we wanted to remind people as much as possible that, yes, these are cartoon characters. But these animals are real, and they’re out there, and they’re going about their lives.”

He says the writers were also inspired by dating shows about humans such as Netflix’s “Love Is Blind” and Peacock’s “Love Island,” because “we really discovered, as we were writing the first season, how much the show was a romantic comedy.”

‘Strip Law’ (Netflix)

“Strip Law,” about a Las Vegas lawyer attempting to live up to his late mother’s legacy, is a David and Goliath story, in which Adam Scott’s Lincoln Gumb and a ragtag crew attempt to defeat the powerful and nefarious attorney Steve Nichols (Keith David). It’s also a send-up of legal procedurals, with Lincoln’s cases including a fight over who’s the real Santa Claus and a custody battle that devolves into a theological debate. Even the season finale is a meta masterpiece that’s told from the points of view of Lincoln’s rival attorneys.

“It would be disingenuous to say we weren’t at least a little trying to weird people out,” creator Cullen Crawford laughs.

Crawford cut some of his teeth on CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” but says he switched formats when he got burned out writing jokes about President Trump. He says that, at least in the comedy world, “a good animation writer will be a good live-action writer and the other way around, to an extent, as long as you understand the mediums.”

Too popular, too strong and a deep domestic league is a problem Rouet would love Canada to have.

“The fun part with the [Canada] girls being in PWR is the quality of games,” he added.

“If you look at the top eight in the PWR, even Bristol, who are last, have six wins.

“There are no easy games, and this is the value for the players definitely.

“But off the pitch, the [Canada] girls have to live as students. They are not well paid, Rugby Canada doesn’t provide them enough money and their visas don’t allow them to work on the side.

“So, PWR is very helpful, but it’s also not sustainable for them to do that for 10 years.

“Also the only reason this PWR is the best of the leagues is because there are players from six, seven, eight countries that play in England.

“Those young English players who aren’t centrally contracted, have to grind to get game time. That is not bad for them. It’s the same for the senior Canada players when they come to a PWR club.”

Those Canada players and their colleagues will get three shots at England, and revenge for their World Cup final defeat, this autumn. They meet the Red Roses in Exeter on 19 September, before home fixtures in Toronto and Ottawa on 17 and 24 October.

Canada will have big crowds, but, with players scattered across continents and Rugby Canada’s focus switching to the men’s side and Australia 2027, short preparation time for those games.

“That’s the reality of our programme – we have to just be confident, but also be mindful if we don’t beat England, that’s OK,” said Rouet.

For Saracens, expectations are higher. They finished the PWR’s regular season strongly.

Gloucester-Hartpury, the three-time defending champions, didn’t.

The ‘Circus’ is in danger of falling flat after defeats by Ealing Trailfinders and Bristol Bears in their final two games.

Saracens take on Exeter this Sunday in the semi-finals and Rouet and his team are determined to put on a show of their own.

“We have a duty to try to promote the women’s game and part of that is playing fast rugby that is exciting, fun and beautiful to watch,” he added.

“We have great players at Saracens, players who love to take initiative, take an option, read the game as well as respect the structure. They love to do that, maybe I just try to empower them to do so.”

He can build bridges, but Rouet also hopes to destroy dynasties.

After his Netflix roast inspired tit-for-tat feuding among comedians and backlash from viewers over a joke about George Floyd, Kevin Hart’s stance is clear: All is fair in love, war and comedy.

During a Tuesday appearance on “The Breakfast Club,” Hart addressed the controversy stemming from Netflix’s “Roast of Kevin Hart,” which aired earlier this month and included material that shocked viewers. Tony Hinchcliffe, who helms the No. 1 live podcast in the world, “Kill Tony,” applied his politically incorrect approach to comedy that similarly outraged audiences at a 2024 campaign rally for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

“The Black community is so proud of you right now,” he quipped at Hart. “George Floyd is looking up at us all, laughing so hard that he can’t breathe.”

In 2020, Floyd was murdered by police Officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, until he died. His last words were “I can’t breathe,” which he said more than 20 times. The killing sparked global unrest and the largest civil rights protest since the 1960s. Hart attended Floyd’s memorial and private service in Minneapolis.

“The George Floyd joke, it wasn’t a tasteful joke to our culture,” Hart told the podcast. “But our audience that’s watching the roast … you get why they’re doing it, you get why the racial humor is on the table.”

Hart continued that the approach to comedy is nothing new and said, “Tony Hinchcliffe arguably had the best set, or one of the best sets.”

“Would I tell those jokes? No, but do I get why they’re being told? Yes,” Hart said.

Floyd’s brother, Terrence Floyd, spoke with “Breakfast Club” host Loren LoRosa after the roast aired and said that he expected Hart to step in and tell Hinchcliffe he’d gone too far.

“What do you want me to do? Drag him off?” Hart asked during his appearance on the podcast. “That’s not what I agreed to do. That’s not the job at hand. The job at hand was to produce a successful roast, which I did.”

Not only has the Netflix roast caused a stir among viewers, but the comedians who participated also have been trading slights in recent weeks. Chelsea Handler didn’t mince words when she offered her take on Hinchcliffe, as well as Shane Gillis, who also performed a set during the roast. According to Handler, ex-girlfriends of the controversial comedians slid into her DMs and told her what she said she already knew about them.

“They’re racist,” she said during an appearance on Deon Cole’s “Funny Knowing You” podcast. “That they’re bigots, that they’re sexist, that they think they’re like invincible.”

Handler said that one of Gillis’ jokes about lynching Hart was “worse than rape.” In response, Gillis told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement that Handler was capitalizing on the moment.

On Monday’s episode of “Kill Tony,” Hinchcliffe responded to Handler’s remarks by calling her “a bit of a c—. “

Warsh will lead the central bank at a time when its independence has come under scrutiny amid political pressure.

Kevin Warsh has been sworn in as the new chair of the United States Federal Reserve Board of Governors, succeeding Jerome Powell, who has held the position since 2018.

Warsh took the oath of office on Friday, following a contentious nomination period, with the Senate voting along party lines on both his confirmation to the Board of Governors and as chairman. Only Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman broke with his Democratic colleagues to advance his nomination.

Warsh, 56, will lead the central bank at a time when its independence has come under scrutiny amid political pressure on the historically non-partisan institution.

US President Donald Trump, aware of that critique, in his opening remarks said, “I want Kevin to be totally independent and do a great job. Don’t look at me and don’t look at anybody. Just do your own job”.

During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee, ahead of a vote by the full Senate, Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren accused Warsh of being a “sock puppet” for Trump. Warsh denied the allegations and said he would remain independent in his monetary policy decisions.

When Joe Biden was president, Warsh advocated against cutting interest rates, but changed his tune when Trump took office. In December 2025, Trump said that he would only appoint someone to lead the central bank who agreed with him on cutting rates.

Regardless, Warsh cannot unilaterally make policy decisions. He is one of 12 voting members.

The first policy meeting Warsh will lead will be on June 16-17.

Inflationary pressures

Pressure from the White House to cut rates comes amid rising inflation in the US economy.

Consumer prices increased 0.6 percent in April after a 0.9 percent rise in March, according to the most recent Consumer Price Index report released by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier this month.

On an annual basis, prices were also higher, rising 3.8 percent compared with the same month in 2025, marking the largest increase in three years. The largest surge has been in energy prices, which have risen 17.9 percent over the last year.

US consumers are feeling the strain at the pump. The average price for a gallon of petrol (3.78 litres) is $4.56, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), which tracks daily petrol prices. That is up from $2.98 per gallon on February 28, when the US and Israel first struck Iran.

After he was sworn in, Warsh said he was “not naive” about the challenges facing the US economy, and that inflation can be lower and growth strong.

Surging prices could put pressure on the central bank not to cut rates. Analysts from JPMorgan Chase forecasted last month that rates will likely remain unchanged until mid-2027 and anticipated then that rates could rise rather than be cut.

“With inflation having run significantly above 2 percent over the past five years, with further increases in inflation likely to occur as a result of the conflict in the Middle East, and with emergent price pressures in a few categories that appeared unrelated to tariffs or energy prices, the staff viewed the possibility that inflation would be more persistent than anticipated as a salient risk,” the central bank said in the newly released minutes of its April policy meeting.

CME Group’s FedWatch tool, which tracks the likelihood of monetary policy decisions, says there is a 97 percent chance that rates will remain unchanged at the next policy meeting.