Enough that certain people are still mad nearly two weeks after it was announced that the “Nuevayol” singer — one of the most popular and consequential artists on the planet, someone who can single-handedly boost local economies — will be the halftime performer during Super Bowl LX, to be held Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif.
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The right-wing backlash was immediate, with much of the criticism focusing on three things: first, that Bad Bunny (real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) has been vocal about his opposition to the ongoing immigration raids, both in the mainland and in Puerto Rico; secondly, that he sings primarily in Spanish; and thirdly, that he’s “not American.”
This latter point, as conservative media personality Tomi Lahren hilariously learned the hard way and in real time, is not factually correct. (The interjection by Lahren’s guest, Krystal Ball — “He’s Puerto Rican…. That’s part of America, dear” — is still sending me.) And even if it was, it’d be irrelevant. As my colleague LZ Grandersonrecently pointed out, there have been plenty of non-American musical acts who have performed at the Super Bowl — from the Rolling Stones to U2 to Shakira.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was so appalled by Bad Bunny being tapped to perform that she announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be present at the big game.
“I have the responsibility for making sure everybody who goes to the Super Bowl has the opportunity to enjoy it and to leave, and that’s what America’s about,” she said. “So yeah, we’ll be all over that place. We’re going to enforce the law.”
What Noem left out was that federal law enforcement agents have historically been present at such high-profile events as the Copa America and previous Super Bowls — rapper 21 Savage was even arrested by ICE during the 2019 game, held in Atlanta.
To be clear, I’m not surprised that conservatives were upset about the pick. In fact, I’m willing to bet that they would’ve been mad regardless of whom the National Football League selected. At one point, Taylor Swift was rumored to be the headliner, and we all know how President Trump feels about her — she’s a “woke singer” who “is no longer hot.” Then there’s Kendrick Lamar, who upset many on the right last year when he reclaimed the American flag for Black people during his performance.
I expected the outrage. In fact, when I found out, I lamented that the announcement came while I was still on paternity leave and would therefore be unable to write about it in this space. Because surely, the news cycle would have moved on to something else.
But I was wrong. This story is about to be two weeks old and it still has legs.
“I’ve never heard of him. I don’t know who he is,” Trump said, channeling his inner Mariah Carey during an interview with Newsmax on Monday. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Even the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.), known pop culture maven, chimed in.
“I didn’t even know who Bad Bunny was. But it sounds like a terrible decision, in my view, from what I’m hearing,” Johnson said during an interview. “It sounds like he’s not someone who appeals to a broader audience. And there are so many eyes on the Super Bowl — a lot of young, impressionable children. And, in my view, you would have Lee Greenwood, or role models, doing that. Not somebody like this.”
Lee Greenwood? Be serious, Mike Johnson.
For the unfamiliar, Greenwood is best known for “God Bless the U.S.A.” and has had nearly as many marriages (five) as he’s had No. 1 hits on Billboard’s U.S. Hot Country Songs chart (seven). He clearly lacks the number of bangers to put together a solid halftime performance.
But wait, there’s more. Turning Point USA — the conservative nonprofit organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk — announced Thursday via social media that it was planning on counter-programming Bad Bunny’s performance and organizing its own Super Bowl halftime show with an artist (or artists) to be determined. The group also published a poll asking people to vote on what kind of act they wanted; with the first option being “Anything in English.” (I saw them at South by Southwest in 2012, and let me tell you — they were meh.)
If it seems like I’m making light of things, it’s because I am. The whole situation is absurd and the outrage feels manufactured. At best, it’s just fodder to feed into the bottomless right wing content machine, and at worst, it feels like a distraction from much bigger issues, like the government shutdown or the ongoing constitutional crisis playing out in cities such as Chicago and Portland, Ore.
And if right-wingers are genuinely about Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl, here’s an idea: Don’t watch. But that wouldn’t be very American, would it?
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A pair of thank yous
This week’s edition of the Latinx Files is my first one since coming back from paternity leave — a period in which I was fully able to bond with my baby and not think about work. This is in large part because of Suzy Exposito and Carlos de Loera, who handled the day-to-day operations of De Los and who wrote this weekly newsletter, respectively. Thank you both. I am eternally grateful.
Stories we read this week that we think you should read
Unless otherwise noted, stories below were published by the Los Angeles Times.
MEXICO CITY — It was pouring buckets of rain at the Estadio GNP Seguros on Saturday night, when Oasis played one of two sold-out reunion shows in Mexico City.
Lined at the entrance were tents stuffed with bootleg tour merch and fans seeking respite from the water. You could hear the sloshing of wet socks and Adidas Sambas as they price-checked knockoff memorabilia emblazoned with the Gallagher brothers’ iconically muggy faces.
For 200 pesos, you could get a T-shirt with Noel and Liam Gallagher as fighting cats, or characters from “Peanuts” and “The Simpsons.”
While a downpour isn’t the ideal weather condition for an outdoor concert — my Bohemian FC x Oasis collab football jersey went unseen under a fashionable rain parka — it was certainly fitting for a band thatroutinely, perhapsobsessively, singsaboutrain. Yet for Mexican fans of Oasis who’ve anxiously waited years to finally see the brothers reunite, it was all sunsheeeeIIIIIINE.
Outside the entry gates, father and son Santiago and Omar Zepeda, both sporting bucket hats, had a palpable buzz radiating off them as they eagerly waited to enter the stadium. It was a multigenerationally significant day for them.
“I came for the first time with my dad in ’98 at the Palacio de Deportes to see Oasis, and now I get to bring my son,” said Santiago, who came from Guadalajara with his 14-year-old in tow. “There was a moment that I said we’ll just go without tickets and see what we do. We’ll get in because we’ll get in. I feel incredible to be able to have done what I did with my father 27 years later now with my son.”
In August of last year, the Manchester-bred Gallagher brothers — who had been openly feuding for decades — declared that war was over on the 30th anniversary of their 1994 juggernaut debut, “Definitely Maybe.”
“The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over,” they announced. As reunion tour dates opened, and two Mexico City stops were announced, Mexican fans expressed pure elation and flooded Ticketmaster once the sale went live. As you can imagine, it was online bedlam.
Waiting in the Ticketmaster queue filled Esteban Ricardo Sainz Coronado, 24, and Sara Pedraza, 25, with dread. The young couple came in from Monterrey, Nuevo León, but it was uncertain whether they’d make it to what Coronado called “a collective reunion that’s cultural and transcends more than music history.”
Pedraza waited three hours in Ticketmaster’s virtual line, almost missing school and her chance to secure seats as she kept getting bumped off the site. “I stubbornly kept trying and after I don’t know how many attempts, it worked,” Pedraza said. “It was such a huge relief.”
Like Coronado and Sainz, the reunion tour is millions of fans’ first opportunity to see Oasis play live, as they would have been far too young or not even born yet during their heyday. For longtime Oasis heads, it was a chance to once again be in community with their favorite band.
British bands have long had a foothold in Mexico’s alternative scenes, with fans of all ages still packing bars and venues to hear Primal Scream, Blur, Pulp and, of course, Morrissey and the Smiths. These groups have had an enduring, impassioned following that has been explored in books, articles and films, with Mexicans often feeling a spiritual and cultural connection to the U.K.’s music scene stemming back to the Beatles. Oasis could have sold out shows across Mexico 10 times over.
After acrimoniously (and unsurprisingly) breaking up in 2009, the hope to ever see the Gallaghers fill a stadium with the staple of acoustic jam sessions worldwide, “Wonderwall,” dimmed. The brothers’ endless swipes at each other in the media post-breakup didn’t give fans hope they’d get back to “living forever.” Mexican fans even prayed to La Virgen de Guadalupe that the infamously combative brothers wouldn’t break up again even hours before showtime.
“As long as they don’t fight!” said Hector Garduño, who came to the show with his partner, Sofia Carrera, from Querétaro. “That’s what we want, for them not to fight.”
Gracias a la virgencita, the tour has seemingly been all love. The skies eventually cleared up on Saturday, and the stadium indeed filled with Oasis’ soaring, anthemic bangers for 2 ½ hours. For days leading up to the Mexico City date, fans in my orbit and social feeds debated how the show would compare with the crowd at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, where Oasis played the previous weekend.
“[Mexican audiences are] on another level,” said Garduño. “I think these dudes are going to be taken by surprise. I expect jumping, screaming, crying; the emotion of hearing those songs that really move you.”
Mauri Barranco, who came to the show with her best friend, said “I feel like we give a lot of ourselves. That’s why so many artists like coming to Mexico.”
Meanwhile, Alberto Folch, from Mexico City, saw his own audience participation as a challenge. “With all the vibes, with all the emotion, we’re ready to jump, to show them what Mexico is made of,” he said. “Tonight we’re rock ‘n’ roll stars.”
The 65,000 fans in attendance undoubtedly showed up sobbing and screeching with unbridled elation. Liam Gallagher played to the locals, donning a sombrero de charro during “Wonderwall” and the show closer “Champagne Supernova.” The band sounded as if no time had passed since its salad days, with the members’ vocals and musicianship arguably tighter than ever — perhaps a positive side effect of pulling back from the rock star lifestyle now that they’re in their 50s. The sound reverberated clean across the stadium as well (shoutout to L-Acoustics, who provided the sound for the reunion tour), and was praised nonstop by fans I spoke to throughout the weekend. I heard a lot of emphatic cries of “el sonido, güey!”
I pogo’d along with my fellow “madferits” as we turned away from the stage and linked arms to do the Poznań: a signature move at every show, borrowed from Manchester City F.C. fans. During “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” we shouted every lyric and were sprayed by flying beers thrown in raucous excitement.
I’ve never felt more giddy to get splashed with spit-riddled beer — and seemingly neither did anyone around me, who shouted joyful obscenities in Spanish. Three men behind me even sobbed into each other’s chests during “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and the stadium filled with cellphone lights as Noel Gallagher crooned “Talk Tonight.”
The rain didn’t fall again, but even if it had, it would have still felt like the sun.
An Antiques Roadshow expert was left stunned after inspecting a “never seen before” item
An Antiques Roadshow expert went “raving mad” for a never seen before item that was worth thousands.
The popular BBC show, filmed at Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey, North Wales, saw locals bring their antiques and fine arts for appraisal.
During the episode, jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn was shown a pendant and an aquamarine brooch crafted by Fabergé, the renowned jeweller from 1900.
The guest revealed that her friend owned the items and had asked her to bring them along for valuation.
“Well, I’m jolly glad she did because they’re very, very exciting things for me,” Geoffrey enthused, reports the Express.
Geoffrey Munn was impressed with two precious jewellery items(Image: BBC)
The pendant featured someone’s initials encrusted with diamonds, set over a geocache ground – a machine-created sun ray effect.
Inside the pendant was an inscription in Cyrillic, loosely translated as, “Maybe it’s better not to wait.”
“Then it’s flooded with pink enamel and you can see through the enamel onto the geocache, which looks like a sunburst behind,” Geoffrey elaborated.
“I think we can possibly assume that this is somebody who could afford to go to Fabergé. Absolutely the highest level of elite.”
The pendant and aquamarine brooch were made by Fabergé(Image: BBC)
Meanwhile, the Siberian aquamarine brooch was encircled by diamonds, topped with a true lover’s knot.
“It’s a remarkably deep stone, and when you turn it up, you can see there’s a gallery beneath which is really quite extravagant, quite wide,” Geoffrey noted.
“The reason that it’s there is because the stone itself is actually very deep.”
The expert continued: “This is court jewellery at the highest possible level by Fabergé.”
Geoffrey then revealed that the pendant could fetch up to £10,000, while the brooch was worth a staggering £35,000 to £40,000.
The guest was left speechless after the valuation(Image: BBC)
“This one is an unusual prototype, never seen the like before, I’m going to say £10,000 for this one,” he said.
“And I’m going to go absolutely raving mad for this one, which is sort of predictable, and tell you that I think it ought to be worth £35,000 to £40,000.”
The assembled crowd let out a collective gasp, with the guest excitedly exclaiming: “Isn’t [my friend] going to be happy!”
She added: “My friend is out of the country, so she asked me to bring them. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to bits to hear about all that I shall tell her.”
Antiques Roadshow is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
Claire Donnelly visited Lake Annecy in France, launching herself down the sides of mountains on an e-bike in pursuit of thrills, strong cheese and delicious wine
When our tour guide asked me if I fancied trying an e-bike – and mentioned that we’d be stopping for cheese and drinks en route – I didn’t need asking twice.
On holiday in the French Alps, staying in a stunning chalet above Lake Annecy, it sounded like a perfect way to spend an afternoon. I pictured myself pootling along flat, leafy trails, taking breaks to marvel at the dazzling, turquoise water or nibbling local cheese while I sipped a glass of wine.
I was heading out with a group and a guide, and after a quick e-bike tutorial – I’d never ridden one before, but our instructor made everything clear – we set off, making our way to the centre of La Clusaz, a charming Alpine village famous for its winter skiing and summer sports.
Claire decided to push herself to her limits(Image: DAILY MIRROR)
So far, so good. This terrain was pretty easy, and I figured that once we left the town behind, we’d start enjoying some cheese and chilled-out cycling vibes. But as our guide zipped through the streets, I realised we were heading to some kind of registration point. When we got there I was given a number to pin on my back and I thought I heard someone say something about ski lifts.
Looking around I noticed a timed finish line, info points and billboards covered in printed route maps… and realised, like an idiot, I’d signed up for what looked suspiciously like an Alpine mountain bike race.
Before I could worry or ask for more details, we were on the move again and heading up, up, up towards the mountain. I live in West Yorkshire, in a valley known for its rugged landscape and killer hills – but even by my Pennine standards, this was steep.
The e-bikes handled the gravel and incline with ease, though, and in a few minutes, we were having our bikes hauled aboard the ski lift and gliding towards the 1500m-high summit. Making our way to the start line, we passed a lot of serious-looking cyclists, checking their smart watches and adjusting their designer shades.
My Aldi cycling shorts and Zara vest were holding up well, but looking down the town seemed a long way away and we were all feeling a bit out of our depth. It was at this point that one of our group revealed that the last time she tried mountain biking she’d fallen off and injured herself, leaving her traumatised, another mentioned she’d not been on a bike of any kind for 20 years.
Our lovely guide reassured us that there were a few races that day and we were joining, the Rando 3 Fromages, a relatively easy 12km version and we could stop or walk whenever we needed to.
Lake Annecy is known as the Venice of the Alps (Image: DAILY MIRROR)
It also has plenty of mountain action higher-up in the hills(Image: DAILY MIRROR)
As he said, we’d spend a couple of hours making our way downhill, stopping off to fortify ourselves with local cheeses, provided by artisan farmers. Held every year for the last four years, the Rondo is the easiest part of a dedicated biking and mountain sports weekend, the Bélier VTT.
It’s one of several that take place here as the region pushes to extend its tourist season, tempting visitors to explore its picture-perfect Alpine villages in the warmer months too. A summer trip is definitely something I’d recommend.
We stayed in an amazing, luxury chalet, perched in the mountains, just above the popular ski base of La Clusaz. Less than an hour’s drive from Geneva airport, we woke every day to crisp fresh air, endless blue sky vistas and the soothing sound of cattle bells.
The popular town of Annecy – dubbed ‘the Venice of the Alps’ – is a short drive or bus journey away too and the weather was perfect. We visited in mid-June. It was glorious, a sunny 27 degrees most days but pleasant and cool in the evening and with no shortage of things to do.
This is a sporty place, where residents and visitors like to keep fit so if biking, hiking, water sports or trail running appeal, you’re in the right place. And today we were joining the Alpine sports crew.
As we hit our first downhill track, littered with giant rocks and with a sheer drop to our left, it’s fair to say we were all absolutely terrified. Our instructor had told us how to tackle these steep inclines – stand up on the pedals, keep your legs straight, use one finger on the sensitive brakes (any more and you’ll fly off) and don’t avoid the rocks, go over them.
There was a lot of wobbling, some swearing and I definitely said a prayer or two – but I followed his advice, and amazingly, it worked. After the first few terrifying descents, I started to find my rhythm and actually embrace the thrill of flying down a mountain on two wheels.
All around us were scenes of vast, panoramic beauty as we rushed past towering pines and delicate alpine blooms, watching farmers herd goats and nudge cattle across the peaks. After a few miles we hit our first cheese station wolfing down freshly cut bread and goat’s cheese, served by local producers.
There was more cheese and more twists and turns on the way down. We crossed gentle streams and lush fields before cycling through a blast of welcome rain on our final, gnarly descent back to the registration point.
I crossed the finish line in just over two hours. I was soaked to the skin, full of the best cheese I’ve ever tasted, covered in mud but somehow still in one piece and beyond elated. It was a high-octane Alpine experience I’ll never forget – and now that my legs have stopped shaking, one I might even repeat next year.
U and U&Drama’s new historical series Outrageous has scored rave reviews, but will the Mitford sisters’ story continue?
James Purefoy portrays the Mitfords’ father in the new period drama(Image: U)
The cast of Outrageous are all keen to return for a second series of the gripping historical drama following its premiere this week.
Releasing this Thursday (19th June) on U, U&Drama and BritBox, the six-part first outing follows Nancy Mitford (played by Bessie Carter) and her five sisters’ ascent to notoriety in the 1930s.
While Nancy was becoming a reputable author and journalist, her sisters were either breaking the rules of society or rubbing shoulders with fascists.
After taking off the rose-tinted glasses for a key era of British history, will Outrageous continue the scandalous narrative in a second outing?
Acclaimed star James Purefoy, who portrays the Mitfords’ father, insists: “They’d be mad not to, I think.”
Netflix star warns his new period drama will ‘wake people up’(Image: GETTY)
Reach chatted to Purefoy and the rest of the cast at the show’s London premiere, and enthusiasm to continue was high across the board.
“I think it’s a great show and there’s a lot more meat on these bones,” he continued. “We’re only at 1937, with loads more to come.”
Along with Bridgerton star Carter portraying Nancy, the Mitford family is brought to life by a crop of both established stars and new talent to watch out for.
In addition to Anna Chancellor portraying their dedicated mother, Joanna Vanderham and Shannon Watson portray fascist sympathisers Diana and Unity and Isobel Jesper Jones plays Pamela Mitford, who defied gender norms of the time.
Bridgerton star Bessie Carter leads the drama as author Nancy Mitford(Image: U)
Zoe Brough and Orla Hill portray the youngest sisters, Jessica and Deborah and, finally, Toby Regbo portrays the only brother, Tom Mitford.
Jones teases of a potential second season: “There is so much history to cover. It’s the tip of the iceberg, there’s so much more they go on to do.
“Pamela’s story, in particular, is so interesting beyond the 1930s. I really hope that we’ll get to do that. If anything it gets more chaotic and more outrageous.”
And Hill was equally enthusiastic to return, saying: “I would love to.
Discover the scandals of one of the most famous families in Britain(Image: U)
“I’m desperate to because Deborah starts to come out to society and then had a crazy, teenage… her sweet 16 was pretty [crazy], hanging out with the Kennedys.
“One of the most interesting things about Outrageous is you have all those really famous historical figures that we know just trickling in,” she added.
“Having some of that for my character’s storyline would be really fun.”
From the first episode’s surprise appearance of Winston Churchill (Robert Daws), it’s clear the Mitfords were one of the most well-connected families in Britain during the early 20th Century.
With plenty more history to cover, a second season could feature cameos galore from famous faces as well as plenty more scandalous revelations about the Mitfords.
Outrageous is available to stream on U, U&Drama and BritBox.
From Jack Harris: Dave Roberts had made it only three steps out of the dugout when he got ejected Tuesday night.
So, before he went back, the Dodgers manager made sure to get his money’s worth.
On a contentious night that saw two superstars get hit by pitches, both dugouts receive umpire warnings, and the Dodgers eventually beat the San Diego Padres 8-6 at Dodger Stadium, tensions reached their boiling point in the bottom of the third inning.
And it was the usually even-keeled Roberts whose emotions burned hottest.
After Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch in the top of the third inning by Dodgers reliever Lou Trivino, reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani was hit in the leg with one out in the bottom half of the inning.
Unlike Tatis’ hit by pitch, which came with a runner in scoring position in an inning that saw the Padres score two runs, Ohtani’s plunking occurred amid more suspicious circumstances.
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NBA PLAYOFFS RESULTS
All Times Pacific
NBA FINALS
Oklahoma City vs. Indiana
Indiana 111, at Oklahoma City 110 (box score, story) at Oklahoma City 123, Indiana 107 (box score, story) at Indiana 116, Oklahoma City 107 (box score, story) Oklahoma City 111, at Indiana 104 (box score, story) at Oklahoma City 120, Indiana 109 (box score, story) Thursday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC Sunday at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC*
*if necessary
ANGELS
Kyle Hendricks and three relievers combined on a four-hitter as the Angels beat the slumping New York Yankees 4-0 on Tuesday night to hand them their third straight shutout.
New York manager Aaron Boone tinkered with his lineup — batting rookie Jasson Domínguez first and dropping Paul Goldschmidt to sixth — but it didn’t yield results for the Yankees, who were 0 for 10 with runners on and got just three to second base.
Aaron Judge went 0 for4 with three strikeouts and heard boos following whiffs in the sixth and eighth. He is two for 19 with 12 strikeouts in his past five games.
For 12 years UCLA waited to return to Omaha and the College World Series. It waited 15 total hours to play the fourth inning of its game with Louisiana State. Now, the Bruins will have to wait several months to play again.
UCLA fell behind in the first inning for the second time on Tuesday and couldn’t complete an improbable comeback. The Bruins’ season ended at Charles Schwab Field in a 7-3 loss to Arkansas.
“I’m just so proud of our guys,” UCLA coach John Savage said. “Disappointing day for sure. Tough day. Tough circumstances. But at the end of the day, you know, you’ve got to give credit to LSU and, certainly, Arkansas.”
UCLA played from behind most of the game after returning starter Cody Delvecchio gave up a two-run homer in the first inning. He responded, yielding just one more run across four innings in his first appearance since March 28.
Coach Sean McVay on Tuesday reiterated his respect for the star cornerback who helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI, but for the first time he indicated that there might be too many “obstacles” to making a trade with the Miami Dolphins for the three-time All-Pro.
Ramsey is due to earn $24.3 million this season, and his salary-cap number will increase substantially over the next few seasons, according to Overthecap.com.
“Usually, those are scenarios and situations that you have to have plans in place prior to executing some of the decisions that have occurred,” McVay said, perhaps referencing the contract adjustment quarterback Matthew Stafford received and the signing of free-agent receiver Davante Adams. “Definitely don’t want to rule anything out… but there would be some obstacles that are real that are in the place of maybe preventing that from occurring.”
From Anthony De Leon: If one word sums up the Sparks’ season so far, it’s hardship. Injuries continue to mount, and Kelsey Plum, their primary scorer and star, has joined the growing list of sidelined players.
Plum’s absence was sorely felt as what began as a valiant effort by the Sparks — keeping pace with the visiting Storm through the first half — quickly unraveled into a 98-67 blowout loss Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena.
That’s a rhetorical question, of course. But it’s one that has a basis in fact because girl power is real.
From Joan of Arc to Cassidy Hutchinson, whenever men have proven too cautious, cowardly or complacent to act, women have had the courage to do the right thing. The latest example of this feminine fearlessness came last Saturday, after federal immigration agents launched a series of raids throughout the Southland targeting everyone from schoolchildren to elderly churchgoers.
Angel City FC players and staff wore shirts in support of immigrants before the team’s match on Saturday. The club gave away 10,000 of the shirts to fans.
Within hours of the first arrests, Angel City, a women’s soccer club, became the first local sports franchise to issue a statement, recognizing the “fear and uncertainty” the raids had provoked. A day later LAFC, Angel City’s roommate at BMO Stadium, released a statement of its own.
That was a week and a half ago. But Angel City didn’t stop there. While the collective silence from the Dodgers, the Galaxy, the Lakers, Kings and other teams has been deafening, Angel City has grown defiant, dressing its players and new coach Alexander Straus in T-shirts that renamed the team “Immigrant City Football Club.” On the back the slogan “Los Angeles Is For Everyone /Los Angeles Es Para Todos” was repeated six times.
The team parted ways with manager Simone Inzaghi, who led it to two European finals in three seasons, and replaced him with Cristian Chivu. It temporarily lost the services of forward Mehdi Taremi, who had returned to his native Iran earlier this month and became stranded there when Israeli attacks closed the airspace over much of the Mideast.
Then the rest of the second-best club in Europe traveled 6,000 miles from Milan to Los Angeles, where it opened the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday in a 1-1 draw with Mexican club Monterrey before an announced crowd of 40,311 at the Rose Bowl.
“We’re trying to focus. And it’s not easy every day, I’m not going to lie,” said forward Marcus Thuram, whose 18 goals in all competition was second on the team this season. “But it’s part of what we do, we love what we do and we’ll continue doing what we do.”
Stanley’s stay in South Florida is getting extended.
The Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions by beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 of the Final on Tuesday night, becoming the NHL’s first back-to-back winners since Tampa Bay in 2020 and ’21 and the third team to do it this century.
Sam Reinhart scored four goals, becoming just the sixth player in league history and first since Maurice Richard in 1957 to get that many in a game in the Final. His third to complete the hat trick sent rats, along with hats, flying onto the ice. Matthew Tkachuk, one of the faces of the franchise, fittingly scored the Cup clincher.
More rats were part of the victory celebration when the clock hit zeroes. Panthers players mobbed in the corner, while the Oilers watched in dismay.
Edmonton vs. Florida at Edmonton 4, Florida 3 (OT) (summary, story) Florida 5, at Edmonton 4 (2 OT) (summary, story) at Florida 6, Edmonton 1 (summary, story) Edmonton 5, at Florida 4 (OT) (summary, story) Florida 5, at Edmonton 2 (summary, story) at Florida , Edmonton 1 (summary)
THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
1910 — Alex Smith wins the U.S. Open by beating John McDermont and Macdonald Smith in an 18-hole playoff at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Smith beats McDermont by four strokes and Macdonald Smith by six.
1921 — The University of Illinois wins the first NCAA track and field championships with 20¼ points. Notre Dame finishes second with 16¾ points.
1941 — Joe Louis knocks out Billy Conn in the 13th round at the Polo Grounds in New York to retain the world heavyweight title.
1960 — Arnold Palmer beats amateur Jack Nicklaus by two strokes to win the U.S. Open.
1967 — Jack Nicklaus shoots a record 275 to beat Arnold Palmer for the U.S. Open. Nicklaus breaks Ben Hogan’s 1948 record by one stroke.
1972 — Jack Nicklaus wins the U.S. Open by three strokes over Bruce Crampton and ties Bobby Jones’ record of 13 major titles.
1972 — UEFA European Championship Final, Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium: Gerd Müller scores a brace as West Germany beats Soviet Union, 3-0.
1975 — Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins wins the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman for the eighth consecutive year.
1984 — Fuzzy Zoeller shoots a 3-under 67 to beat Greg Norman by eight strokes in the 18-hole playoff at Winged Foot GC for the U.S. Open title.
1990 — Hale Irwin makes an 8-foot birdie putt on the 91st hole to beat Mike Donald in the first sudden-death playoff to decide the U.S. Open. It is the third U.S. Open title for the 45-year-old Irwin, the oldest winner in the tournament’s history.
1992 — Ottawa Senators make goalie Peter Sidorkiewicz their 1st draft pick.
1995 — Michael Johnson becomes the first national champion at 200 and 400 meters since 1899 as he captures both races at the USA-Mobil Championships.
1995 — FIFA Women’s World Cup Final, Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden: Hege Riise & Marianne Pettersen score within 3 minutes of each other to give Norway a 2-0 win over Germany.
2000 — Tiger Woods turns the 100th U.S. Open into a one-man show, winning by 15 strokes over Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Woods’ 15-stroke margin shatters the Open mark of 11 set by Willie Smith in 1899 and is the largest in any major championship — surpassing the 13-stroke victory by Old Tom Morris in the 1862 British Open.
2006 — Phil Mickelson’s bid for a third consecutive major ends with a shocking collapse when he bungles his way to a double bogey on the final hole, giving the U.S. Open to Geoff Ogilvy.
2017 — Brooks Koepka breaks away from a tight pack with three straight birdies on the back nine at Erin Hills and closes with a 5-under 67 to win the U.S. Open for his first major championship.
2017 — Diana Taurasi scores 19 points to break the WNBA career scoring record in the Phoenix Mercury’s 90-59 loss to the Sparks. Taurasi finishes with 7,494 points, passing Tina Thompson’s mark of 7,488.
THIS DAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
1938 — The Brooklyn Dodgers signed Babe Ruth to coach for the remainder of the season.
1947 — Cincinnati’s Ewell Blackwell tossed a 6-0 no-hitter against the Boston Braves.
1950 — In the nightcap of a doubleheader, the Cleveland Indians scored 14 runs in the first inning for an American League record as they trounced the Philadelphia A’s 21-2.
1953 — At Fenway Park, Dick Gernert’s home run highlighted the 17-run, 14-hit seventh inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 23-3. The Red Sox were up 5-3 after 6 1/2 innings. The Red Sox scored the 17 runs on 14 hits and six walks and left the bases loaded. Gene Stephens collected three hits and Sammy White scored three runs and Tom Umphlett also reached base three times in the inning.
1960 — The San Francisco Giants fired Bill Rigney and selected Tom Sheehan as manager. At 66 years, 2 months and 18 days, Sheehan was the oldest man to debut as a manager of a major league team.
1967 — Houston Astro Don Wilson tossed the first of his two career no-hitters by blanking the Atlanta Braves 2-0, facing 30 batters and striking out 15.
1975 — Fred Lynn batted in 10 runs with three homers, a triple and a single in a 15-1 Boston Red Sox victory over the Detroit Tigers. Lynn’s 16 total bases tied an AL record.
1976 — Commissioner Bowie Kuhn voided the sale of Oakland Athletics stars Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi. Athletics owner Charlie Finley sold Blue to the New York Yankees for $1.5 million and Rudi and Fingers to the Boston Red Sox for $1 million each. Kuhn ordered the players to return to Oakland on grounds that they would upset the sport’s competitive balance.
1977 — New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson and manager Billy Martin get into a dugout confrontation at Fenway Park that’s seen on national television. Martin removed his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield. Jackson questioned Martin in the dugout and the two are eventually separated by coach Elston Howard.
1986 — Don Sutton pitched a three-hitter for his 300th victory as the Angels beat the Texas Rangers 5-1. The 41-year-old right-hander became the 19th pitcher in baseball history to win 300 games.
2002 — Luis Castillo of the Florida Marlins ties Rogers Hornsby’s 80-year-old record for the longest hitting streak by a second baseman, beating out a dribbler to the pitcher in the 6th inning to make it 33 games in a row. Florida beats the Cleveland Indians, 2-1.
2007 — Chone Figgins went 6-for-6 and drove in the game-winning run in the ninth inning to lift the Angels over Houston 10-9.
2011 — Connor Harrell hit the first College World Series home run in the new TD Ameritrade Park to break a sixth-inning tie and first-time qualifier Vanderbilt defeated North Carolina 7-3.
2012 — R.A. Dickey became the first major league pitcher in 24 years to throw consecutive one-hitters and Ike Davis hit a grand slam in the New York Mets’ 5-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The previous pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters was Dave Stieb for Toronto in September 1988.
2012 — Aaron Hill hit a solo homer in the seventh inning to become the fifth Arizona player to hit for the cycle, lifting the Diamondbacks to a 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.
2014 — Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers throws the second no-hitter of the year, shutting out the Colorado Rockies, 8 – 0. It comes less than a month after his teammate Josh Beckett had pitched a no-hitter on May 26th. He strikes out 15 without giving up a walk, the only baserunner coming on a two-base error by SS Hanley Ramirez in the 8th.
2017 — Nolan Arenado completed the cycle with a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Colorado Rockies stunned the San Francisco Giants by rallying for a 7-5 victory.
2024 — Hall of Famer Willie Mays, in the conversation for the greatest player ever, passes away at 93.
Compiled by the Associated Press
Until next time…
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Giovanni Garcia pulled up to a dusty intersection in South Gate and scoped the scene. It was quiet, just folks walking home from work, but Garcia was among several people drawn there in hopes of bearing witness to one of the federal raids that have unfolded across Los Angeles County in recent days.
Just minutes before, several Instagram accounts had posted alerts warning that white pickup trucks with green U.S. Customs and Border Protection markings had been seen near the intersection.
With friends loaded into his white Grand Cherokee and a large Mexican flag flying out of the sunroof, this was the sixth day in a row that Garcia, 28, had spent up to 10 hours following such alerts through South L.A.’s immigrant-heavy neighborhoods.
Fueled by sodas and snacks he picked up at a Northgate Market, Garcia’s goal, he said, was to catch Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other immigration agents in the act of detaining people on the street.
So far, it had been a fruitless chase.
“I’ve been doing this for six days. It sucks because I get these alerts and go, but I never make it in time,” said Garcia, a Mexican American U.S. citizen who lives in South Central.
Monitoring ICE activity has become a grim pastime for some Angelenos. Apps dedicated to the purpose have popped up, which combine with Citizen, Nextdoor, X and other platforms to create a firehose of unverified, user-generated information about federal movements and operations.
Trying to keep up in real time can prove equally exhausting and frustrating. The reports sometimes turn out to be false, and immigration enforcers seem to strike and depart with swift precision, leaving the public little opportunity to respond.
It’s impossible to determine how many people are engaged in this Sisyphean chase. But they have become a frequent sight in recent days, as anger has grown in response to viral videos of swift and violent apprehensions. A Times reporter and photographer crisscrossed the southern half of L.A. County, encountering Garcia and other ICE chasers in hot pursuit of federal agents who constantly seemed one step ahead.
Giovanni Garcia, 28, drives through South Gate with a Mexican flag. He spent six days trying to witness an ICE raid with little luck.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A new notification popped up on Garcia’s Instagram feed Thursday afternoon: ICE agents had been spotted in a nondescript residential area of South Gate, a city of about 90,000 people, of which more than 40% are foreign-born, according to the U.S. census. So Garcia put his SUV in gear and sped over.
He and his crew were late again. They arrived on a corner about 15 minutes after witnesses say immigration agents with green bulletproof vests and gaiters over their faces had jumped out of vehicles, handcuffed and taken away a man who had sold flowers in front of a ranch-style house there for years.
“I keep doing this because they’re messing with my people,” Garcia said. “It’s no longer about immigration. Trump’s no longer targeting criminals; he’s targeting Hispanics.”
It was one of many such raids in South L.A. in recent days at homes, parks and businesses ranging from a car wash to grocery stores.
The people whisked away in incidents captured in photos and videos that bystanders shared online ran the gamut: One man plucked out of a diverse crowd for no discernible reason while walking in South Gate Park. Another handcuffed on the curb outside a Ross clothing store in Bell Gardens. Two men in Rosemead snatched from the parking lot of a bakery.
Workers at a Fashion Nova clothing warehouse in Vernon told The Times that ICE trucks had been spotted in the area and that they had heard agents planned to confront employees during a shift change.
From senior citizens to children, nobody was safe from the federal enforcement effort.
Jasmyn Vasillio, 35, said she first became concerned when she saw on social media that ICE agents had raided a car wash in South Gate, then an hour later saw a post about the flower seller’s apprehension.
“I knew that flower guy is always there and I live nearby so I drove right over,” she said as she stood on the corner where he had been standing 20 minutes earlier. “I think they’re just picking people up and leaving.”
“I’m just another frustrated person in L.A. that wants to see an end to this. Not all of us are criminals,” said Manolo, who runs a candle-making business in Vernon.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A 20-year-old Latino man who declined to provide his name out of fear of reprisal said that he has been doing everything he can to spread awareness of what immigration enforcement agents are doing in his South Gate neighborhood and across South L.A.
“I’m a U.S. citizen, so I’m good. I’m worried about other people. It’s been heartbreaking,” he said as he streamed live from a street in South Gate where CBP agents had been spotted minutes before, according to posts he had seen on Instagram.
“They’re here to work and being torn apart from their families,” he said. “It’s sad. They came here for the American dream and this is what happens.”
Teenagers Emmanuel Segura and Jessy Villa said they have spent hours over the past week scrolling through social media and despairing at the seemingly endless stream of videos of people being aggressively detained. They felt helpless in the face of the crackdown, so they planned a protest in the heart of their own community.
On Thursday, they took to Atlantic Avenue and Firestone Boulevard in South Gate, where Villa waved a flag pole with both American and Mexican flags affixed to it. They were joined by more than 30 other protesters who chanted slogans and hoisted anti-ICE posters. Drivers honked in support as they passed by.
Jessy Villa, 14, protests the recent ICE raids in the Southland at Atlantic Avenue and Firestone Boulevard in South Gate.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s kind of scary. They’re taking anyone at this point. I just saw that ICE went to a car wash and took two people. And those are hard-working people — they are not criminals,” Segura, a 15-year-old South Gate resident, said. “So we planned the protest to go against ICE, Trump and his administration.”
Villa, 14, lives in nearby Lynwood, where he says everyone he knows is terrified they or someone they care about will be the next person swept up in an ICE raid.
“The streets are empty. Nobody wants to come outside. And kids don’t want to go to school, especially kids who migrated here,” Villa said. “They’re scared going to school in the morning, and worried they’ll come home and find out their parents were deported.”
Five miles away in Vernon, Manolo stood Thursday morning on the loading dock of the candle-making business he owns as employees loaded boxes of candles into the back of a black SUV. He said he has been following news and rumors of the raids online, and that the fear generated by them and the protests in response have been devastating for his company and other small businesses.
“Everybody’s worried about it,” Manolo said, recounting how he had heard that earlier that day ICE had raided a business two doors over from his. His company received zero calls for orders Thursday morning, down from the 50 to 60 it typically receives per day. If the immigration raids and protests haven’t wound down by the end of the month, he said he might have to shut down his business.
Family members of STG Logistics employees wait to hear word of their relatives’ whereabouts after an ICE raid at the company’s facility in Compton.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“This whole snatching people on the street — they have you on the floor in handcuffs, traumatize you, why? It makes me nervous, of course,” said Manolo, a U.S. citizen who moved to the U.S. from Guatemala 33 years ago and declined to give his last name out of fear he and his company could be targeted by law enforcement.
“And it’s not just that, it’s affecting businesses, it’s affecting people’s lives. It affects the economy, law enforcement. It affects your daily routine. When’s it going to end?”
SOMETHING a bit different. It’s not a car review. It’s a world-first look at Apple CarPlay Ultra.
Most of you with a newish car will hook up your iPhone and use the central touchscreen for music and maps.
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Apple’s first motoring collab is with Aston Martin – but expect CarPlay Ultra in more motors soonCredit: simon thompson
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It’s all very slick. All very easy. All very Apple. No handbook requiredCredit: simon thompson
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There’s some cool updates on the central touchscreen tooCredit: simon thompson
CarPlay Ultra allows you to use two screens. So you can have Waze or Apple Maps filling the driver’s display in front of you.
Finally.
Apple’s first collab is actually with Aston Martin but you can guarantee CarPlay Ultra will be popping up in other motors in the near future.
There’s some cool updates on the central touchscreen too.
Swipe right for an Apple Watch-style dashboard with up/down toggles for weather, clock, calendar and more.
There’s a simple button to deactivate the bloody annoying driving assistance tech. We like that too.
Plus, car-specific buttons for hill descent control and noisy exhaust mode.
Radio station favourites are linked to your device. So when you’re driving you’ve got talkSPORT and when your partner’s at the wheel they’ve got Magic FM. Or vice versa.
It’s all very slick. All very easy. All very Apple. No handbook required.
The funny thing is, when the DBX arrived in 2020 it didn’t even have a touchscreen. Now it’s top of the class. Dreamy lines. V8 engine. Cutting-edge tech. Aston Martin is on it.
Apples’s big announcements from WWDC with a flurry new features for the gadgets you already own
While the current political landscape is steadily chipping away at the community’s livelihoods and well-being, there are a handful of organisations fighting back against the rise of anti-trans hate, such as Mermaids.
For over 30 years, Mermaids has worked tirelessly to support trans and non-binary youth in the UK by offering life-saving services and resources. They have also used their platform to raise money for the community through special events, including Miles for Mermaids, and the sale of merchandise.
Recently, the charity teamed up with LGBTQIA+ activist and award-winning artist Joseph Harwood to create the ‘Don’t Be Mad, Be A Mermaid’ shirt. Blending mermaid fantasy with gripping street style, the bold, eye-catching design offers fashion enthusiasts and LGBTQIA+ advocates an opportunity to make an important statement in style.
We were able to chat with Joseph and the Mermaids crew about their powerful and iconic collaboration, creative process and more.
Congratulations on your recent merchandise collaboration. How did this Mermaids x Joseph Harwood partnership come to be?
Joseph: Firstly, I want to say how grateful I am to be chatting to Gay Times after being able to do makeup for many of the queens you’ve interviewed over the years. To reintroduce my work, I was one of the first trans people to brand themselves online, and I modelled my look and merchandise on the image of a mermaid.
During my career, I faced a lot of discrimination and a lack of coverage when it came to my projects, most notably when I won a reality show with Simon Cowell called the You Generation in 2014. A lot of people remember Little Mix doing the accent challenge instead of [me] being the first trans person to accomplish that milestone [of winning You Generation], and that really isn’t cool when my work has been so widely repeated. The artist that created celebrity transformation tutorials and gender transformation tutorials was a trans person – and we consistently see cultural erasure when it comes to telling trans people’s stories to a wider audience. I wanted to give back after building such a successful career for myself and Mermaids was the perfect alignment.
Can you take us through the creative process? What were some of the initial ideas you all explored at the start of this partnership?
Joseph: The original story of a mermaid was told to me from an older person’s perspective, and they said the narrative was similar to a gay person falling in love with a straight person, and being unable to share their authenticity. I think there’s something in that, and the original tale is a bit darker than the Disney movie. I was playing with imagery and did a look with long pink hair.
I shared the visuals, and everyone told me they saw it as a mermaid. It basically blew up on Facebook and was shared tens of thousands of times repeatedly, it was a magical moment because it became a virally shared image without a negative connotation. I said to Mermaids, ‘You’ve gotta do something with this as I own the picture, and it’ll be a fab concept to support back!’
For the final product, the ‘Don’t Mad, Be a Mermaid’ t-shirt/sleeveless shirt was born. Was there anything in particular that inspired this bold and eye-catching design?
Joseph: I think people are getting so mad when discussing the trans community because there has been this social compression since the pandemic, when everyone was stuck in the house. People were joining TikTok and other social media, and probably for the first time, seeing a world of people they had absolutely no opinion about before. The other ingredient is the exploitation of unresolved trauma by public figures, who have been conjuring up a figure of a Boogie-Man specifically about trans women. The outcome ofthat is people then start to believe that there is a potential risk if we co-exist. To me, that is not only maddening but completely irresponsible. The outcome is this recent change in law. We’re smart people andwe need to look at evidence on a wider scale with multiple examples before we start creating pandemonium. To have people grab me when I’m walking into a venue and quiz me about my use of bathrooms is really mad, when women’s rights to body autonomy are being eroded on a global scale. So do not be mad, be a mermaid!
