From the hot tub in the Dodger Stadium clubhouse, Yoshinobu Yamamoto saw his interpreter on his way to take a shower.
Yamamoto called out to him.
“What are those colors?” Yamamoto asked him.
Yoshihiro Sonoda, 48, wore only a pair of boxers that depicted a rabbit with rainbow-colored lasers shooting out of its eyes.
Sonoda explained bashfully, “These are my shobu pantsu.”
For more than a year, Sonoda had worn shobu pantsu — or game underwear — for each one of Yamamoto’s starts.
Sonoda chuckled as he recalled the incident. Several weeks have passed since then, and the superstitious interpreter still wears his lucky boxers on days Yamamoto pitches.
When Yamamoto takes the mound for the Dodgers against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday in Game 2 of the World Series, beneath Sonoda’s team-issued sweatpants will be the rabbit and rainbow-colored lasers.
The kid is a little different.
Sonoda recalled thinking that last year on the first day of spring training. On a grass field near the players’ parking lot, he watched Yamamoto throw javelins as part of his workout routine.
When the Japanese right-hander was finished, Sonoda started collecting the projectiles.
Yamamoto stopped him.
“Please, you’re my interpreter,” he said. “You’re not my servant.”
Yamamoto picked up his javelins and carried them back to the clubhouse.
In the months that followed, Sonoda noticed how Yamamoto treated others. He wasn’t kind only to other players. He was also conscientious of the organization’s rank-and-file employees.
“He pretends he’s not watching, but he’s watching,” Sonoda said. “He seems like he’s not listening, but he’s listening.”
Every day the Dodgers are on the road, Yamamoto has Starbucks coffee delivered to the team hotel. He always orders something for Sonoda.
“I think Yamamoto is quite the gentleman, quite the high character,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He treats everyone from Hiro to myself to all the support staff with the highest of respect.”
Two days into the job as Yamamoto’s interpreter, Sonoda wanted to resign.
A former collegiate judo standout in Japan, Sonoda spent the previous two decades working in the entertainment industry as a lighting engineer, his credits including “Men in Black,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Succession” and “Nurse Jackie.”
He had no previous experience as an interpreter and was by no means a baseball expert. He was apart from his wife, who remained in her native Texas.
“I don’t want to quit, but I can’t do this,” Sonoda told traveling secretary Scott Akasaki.
Akasaki, who was once an interpreter for Hideo Nomo, asked Sonoda to reconsider.
Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, left, speaks to reporters with his interpreter, Yoshihiro Sonoda, in a press conference before Game 1 of the 2024 NLDS against the San Diego Padres.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)
“You can learn about baseball if you study it,” Sonoda recalled being told by Akasaki. “But Yoshinobu chose you for a reason, and that’s something no other person has.”
Sonoda never shared his insecurities with Yamamoto, instead throwing himself head first into his work. He was taught how to interpret ball-tracking data by assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness and performance science manager Tyler Duncan. He consulted with veteran interpreters, including Shingo Horie of the San Diego Padres and Hiro Fujiwara of the New York Mets.
Last year at World Series media day, Yamamoto was asked about Sonoda.
“We were both rookies this year,” Yamamoto said. “Sonoda-san especially, he came from a different industry and I would think he endured a lot of hardship. But he didn’t let on about that being the case.”
Standing by Yamamoto’s side, Sonoda fought back tears.
Sonoda has a small notebook in which he tracks every pitch thrown by Yamamoto. In a night game in Baltimore last month, Sonoda took notes as usual, jotting down pitches types and their locations.
Yamamoto carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning.
When there were two outs, Sonoda had Shohei Ohtani on one side of him and trainer Yosuke Nakajima on the other.
Sonoda stopped taking notes.
“I thought I should prepare to celebrate,” he said.
Jackson Holliday homered, and the no-hitter was gone.
Sonoda blamed himself.
“If only I had taken notes on that at-bat …” he said.
Sonoda was a significantly better interpreter this season than he was last season. On his commutes to Dodger Stadium, he listens to audio of Horie interpreting for Yu Darvish or Fujiwara for Kodai Senga.
Yamamoto noticed.
“His efforts in the shadows have been to where I can feel them,” Yamamoto said. “He’s a very pure and straightforward person. I think he’s really wonderful.”
Last year, Sonoda received a set of national-park-themed underwear from his wife, who knew of his affinity for the outdoors. The Yellowstone Park pair featured a roaring bear, which reminded Sonoda of Yamamoto screaming on the mound. Sonoda started wearing the boxers on days Yamamoto pitched, switching to a different pair for the next start if he lost or didn’t pitch well.
A new season called for a new set of underwear, but a stretch of inadequate run support prompted Sonoda to unretire a pair he wore on the Dodgers’ World Series run last year, the ones with the rainbow-emitting rabbit.
“I’m very superstitious,” Sonoda said.
Sonoda is also grateful.
“I think there are 14 or 15 Japanese interpreters in the majors leagues,” he said. “I feel like I’m the most blessed.”
Blessed because Akasaki talked him out of resigning. Blessed because of the baseball education he received from McGuiness and Duncan. Blessed because he has mentors such as Horie and Fujiwara. And above all, blessed because he was paired with a player whom he considers as good a person as he is a pitcher, the kind of high-character individual for whom he would wear radiant underwear in the off chance it could improve his fortune.
Sources familiar with the mediated talks between Israel and Hamas say that progress was made on Monday, with negotiations to continue.
The first day of resumed indirect talks between Israel and Hamas in Egypt ended on a positive note, amid hopes of a potential deal to implement US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war on Gaza, multiple sources told Al Jazeera and other media outlets.
Negotiators are set to return for more discussions on Tuesday.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
Sources told Al Jazeera Arabic that the meeting in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday was “positive” and that a roadmap was drawn up for how the current round of talks would continue.
The Hamas delegation told mediators that Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza poses a challenge to negotiations on the release of captives, Al Jazeera Arabic reported.
The Hamas delegation included Hamas leaders Khalil al-Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, two negotiators who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in central Doha that killed five people last month.
Talks on day one covered the proposed exchange of prisoners and captives, a ceasefire, and humanitarian aid entering Gaza, according to Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Trump was pushing for an early exchange of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, in a bid to build “momentum” to implement other parts of his plan to end the Gaza war.
“The technical teams are discussing that as we speak, to ensure that the environment is perfect to release those hostages,” Leavitt said, adding that teams were “going over the list of both the Israeli hostages and also the political prisoners who will be released.”
Trump, speaking to reporters from the Oval Office on Monday afternoon, said that “we have a really good chance of making a deal”, while also noting that he still has his own “red lines”.
“But I think we’re doing very well. And I think Hamas has been agreeing to things that are very important”, Trump added.
Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan reporting from Washington, DC, said that Trump had not “not given any details of how he thinks the discussions are going beyond his general positive assessment.”
“The US President also was very complimentary of the joint Arab-Turkish support to keep Hamas at the bargaining table, he was complimentary of the Israeli people and of course, he was complimentary about his own special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who was leading the US delegation in these negotiations,” said Jordan.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a real estate developer, is also reportedly part of the US delegation.
Egypt’s Al-Qahera News, meanwhile, confirmed that the talks were expected to continue on Tuesday, which marks two years since the Hamas attack on Israel that killed 1,139 people and saw about 200 people taken captive.
And even as the talks were held on Monday, Israeli forces killed at least 10 Palestinians in attacks across Gaza, including three who were seeking humanitarian aid, according to Al Jazeera sources.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres shared a social media post late on Monday, New York time, acknowledging the two year anniversary of Hamas’s “abhorrent large-scale terror attack on Israel”, on October 7, 2023.
Guterres also said that the “recent proposal” put forward by Trump “presents an opportunity that must be seized to bring this tragic conflict to an end.”
“A permanent ceasefire and a credible political process are essential to prevent further bloodshed and pave the way for peace,” the UN chief wrote.
The man accused of opening fire on the lobby of a Sacramento ABC television station cited the government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case as a motive and promised several members of the Trump administration would be “next,” according to a federal court filing made public Monday.
Anibal Hernandez-Santana, 64, is charged with multiple weapons offenses and interfering with a radio or communication station for firing several bullets at the window of ABC10’s offices in Sacramento around 1 p.m. on Friday, according to a criminal complaint.
Hernandez-Santana was arrested the same day as the shooting. During a search of his car, detectives found a note that read “For hiding Epstein & ignoring red flags,” according to the complaint filed by prosecutors in the Eastern District of California.
The note referenced FBI Director Kash Patel, his second-in-command Dan Bongino and U.S. Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi, reading “They’re next. — C.K. from above.”
Sacramento Dist. Atty. Thien Ho said he believed the “C.K.” portion of the note was a reference to Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was killed by a sniper in Utah this month. In an interview on Monday, Ho said police also found a book titled “The Cult Of Trump” in Hernandez-Santana’s vehicle.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento said she could not comment beyond what was contained in court documents.
Patel said “targeted acts of violence are unacceptable and will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law,” in a post on X.
Hernandez-Santana was born in Puerto Rico and was not registered as a Republican or Democrat, according to voting records. The Trump administration has faced increasing criticism from both sides of the political spectrum to disclose more information about those who did business with Epstein, the financier charged with trafficking young girls to rich and powerful men before his death by suicide in a federal lockup in 2019.
Hernandez-Santana was a retired lobbyist, according to Ho, who said the shooting was clearly “politically motivated.”
Hernandez-Santana first registered as a lobbyist in 2001. His clients included an environmental justice group, the California Catholic Conference and the California Federation of Teachers, according to state lobbying records.
The day of the shooting, Ho said, a protest was scheduled to take place outside ABC10’s offices over their parent company’s decision to suspend late-night host Jimmy Kimmel over comments he made about the way Republicans have reacted to Kirk’s killing. Kimmel’s suspension was lifted Monday and he is expected to return to the air Tuesday,
Ho said it was clear the TV station was not a “random target.”
“When it comes to public safety it’s not about going right or left, it’s about moving forward … clearly he was motivated by current political events,” Ho said.
Hernandez-Santana did not have a significant criminal history and was not known to local law enforcement before the incident, according to the prosecutor.
Prosecutors said Hernandez-Santana fired four times at the ABC station, once near the building and three additional times at a window in the station’s lobby, according to court records. No one was injured, but there were employees inside at the time.
In addition to the message invoking members of Trump’s Cabinet, Sacramento Police detectives also found a day planner that contained a handwritten note to “Do the Next Scary Thing,” on the date of the attack, court records show.
In a court filing seeking to deny Hernandez-Santana bail, federal prosecutors said the note referencing Patel, Bongino and Bondi “indicates that he may have been planning additional acts of violence.”
Ho has also charged Santana-Hernandez with assault with a firearm and shooting at an inhabited dwelling. He was expected to make court appearances in both cases on Monday. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.
Santana-Hernandez faces five years in federal prison and an additional 17 years in state prison if convicted as charged, according to Ho.
“When someone brazenly fires into a news station full of people in the middle of the day, it is not only an attack on innocent employees but also an attack on the news media and our community’s sense of safety,” Ho said in a statement.
Times staff writer Laura Nelson and researcher Cary Schneider contributed to this report.
Tyrrell Hatton has revealed how he got hopelessly drunk – and violently sick! – after qualifying for his fourth Ryder Cup.
Hatton said he went on a “bit of a tear-up” with Jon Rahm – the player he teamed up with in Rome two years ago – when European captain Luke Donald rang to confirm he was definitely on the team.
3
Tyrell Hatton has revealed how he celebrated qualifying for the Ryder CupCredit: Getty
3
He got hopelessly drunkCredit: Getty
That came as a surprise to the English ace. He feared he would be knocked out of the six automatic spots on the team by some of the European stars in action at last month’s Tour Championship.
He explained: “Luke called me to say the guys weren’t earning points in Atlanta, and I’d actually made the team automatically. That was a very nice phone call to receive, and I was over the moon.
“Jon had just won the LIV individual title, so we had a bit of a tear-up. Yeah, that was a messy night. I don’t ever want to get into that state again to be honest.
“When I actually got back into my hotel room, I fell across the bed sideways, face down and fell asleep in that position.
“Then I woke up throwing up in that same position.
“Then I fell back asleep, and when I woke up again, I had gotten sick all down my arms, both sides, all down my shirt.
“I get off the bed and walk around to the bathroom, look in the mirror, and I’ve got sick on my face, and in my beard.
“How I set an alarm to make a flight in a few hours’ time, I don’t know.
“But yeah, waking up in a slightly more sober state was horrendous, and having to clean up that mess. I ended up calling my wife, Emily, and saying: ‘I don’t know what to do’.
“I was rushing to make the room somewhat more acceptable before leaving.
Sky Sports commentator slams Ryder Cup star Tyrrell Hatton as a ‘terrible influence’ for snapping a club in anger
“So I ended up stripping the bed, leaving some cash and a note, saying I was really sorry, I was sick in the bed in the night, please throw it in the trash.
“I feel like I did the right thing but I was obviously in a pretty bad state. I do not ever want to feel as bad as I did that next day. Yeah, that was aggressive.”
Hatton, 33, who is one of the star attractions at this week’s BMW PGA Championship, proceeded to give details of just how much he had drunk – admitting the episode was like a remake of the hit film The Hangover.
He added: “I had like six glasses of wine at dinner, and then I had a double gin and tonic.
3
Hatton will be in action at the PGA Championship this weekCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
“Drunk that at a very normal rate, and then Jon was deciding what he wanted and he said Disaronno Sours.
“And I was like, perfect, go on them. They go down very easily.
“Then I was starting the chant of basically getting someone to down it, and then every cocktail that then followed was a shot.
“So we then ran out of Disaronno Sour. The guy at the bar made some hazelnut sour which wasn’t great, but we still had a few of them.
“Then there was a margarita and then there was a strawberry vodka thing.
“God, it was aggressive. It was horrible. But I mean, it was funny at the time. Not so much the next day.”
Ryder Cup line ups
Here are the players who will be competing in the Ryder Cup…
Benedict had asthma and several allergies, including eggs, nuts, kiwi fruit and milk.
His parents had worked with the school to put together an allergy action plan in case of a reaction.
The school was responsible for storing oat milk in the staff fridge, which was labelled with the child’s name, and pouring it into Benedict’s cup in the classroom before handing it directly to him.
However, the jury inquest found that, on the day of his death, that process was not followed because his milk had been poured in the staff room rather than the classroom.
Benedict was rushed to hospital but tragically couldn’t be saved and died later that day.
This year, his sister, Etta, six, took a petition to Downing Street to campaign for higher food safety regulations in schools.
She was joined by five other primary school students who took placards and the letter to Whitehall.
They called for Benedict’s Law to be implemented across the country to end the “postcode lottery” of allergy safeguards in schools.
Etta and friends joined other children affected by allergies to stand in front of No 10 and knocked on the door to hand over the petition signed by more than 13,000 people.
It comes following July’s jury inquest intoBenedict’s deathat Peterborough Town Hall, which found that Barnack Primary School, between Stamford and Peterborough, did not follow all the measures in place to prevent the fatalanaphylactic reaction.
It also found there were risks of contamination and delays in administering theadrenaline pen.
2
The school blunder was shared on social mediaCredit: Instagram
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON FOOD ALLERGIES?
APPROXIMATELY 44 per cent of people in Britain have an allergy or allergic disorder of some kind, says the charity Allergy UK.
Rates are higher in under-35s and lowest in pensioners.
The most common food allergies, according to the NHS, are:
Cow milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios and Brazil nuts
Soy beans, chickpeas and peas
Shellfish
Wheat
You may be allergic to a food if it makes you feel dizzy, lightheaded, sick or itchy, brings you out in hives or swollen lips or eyes, or causes diarrhoea, vomiting, a runny nose, cough, breathlessness or wheezing.
Los Angeles classical music station KUSC-FM (91.5) has laid off employees after Republicans cut federal funding from the Corp. for Public Broadcasting.
James A. Muhammad, president of Classical California, the entity that operates the nonprofit KUSC and its sister station, KDFC in San Francisco, confirmed the workforce reduction in a note sent Thursday to its listeners.
“Despite our best efforts, the fact is that Classical California has experienced a reduction of $1.1 million in support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,” Muhammad wrote. “This, along with other impacts, requires us to make difficult decisions across KUSC-FM and KDFC-FM.”
A representative for Classical California did not respond to questions on the number of employees cut. A person briefed on the move who was not authorized to comment publicly said it was eight positions, including two department managers, all based in Los Angeles.
None of the announcers at the two stations were included in the cuts.
Classical California is among the many public media outlets that are scrambling to fill the budget gaps caused by the decision by the Trump White House and the Republican Congress to claw back the $1.1 billion in federal money allocated to the Corp. for Public Broadcasting.
The nonprofit entity administered the funds for public radio and TV stations, mostly affiliates of NPR and PBS.
Conservatives and libertarians have long called for the end of public funds supporting media organizations, especially ones they view as politically left-leaning. Trump has called NPR and PBS government-funded “left-wing propaganda.”
The Corp. for Public Broadcasting was also a vital revenue source for cultural and fine arts programming that often struggles to sustain itself in the commercial media marketplace.
Both KUSC and KDFC, which are owned and operated by the University of Southern California, play classical music 24 hours a day and are not NPR affiliates. They are the most-listened-to classical radio stations in the U.S.
Muhammad’s note to listeners included a plea for contributions to make up for the shortfall caused by the cuts.
“We remain committed to continuing to be your home for classical music,” Muhammad said. “As a listener-supported station, we need your support of KUSC and KDFC, now more than ever.”
Feedback is the seasoning that flavors the success of our favorite TV shows. Whether it’s from an executive, a trusted colleague or the actors, advice can shape tone, pacing, plotlines and character arcs — all of which can make or break a series. We asked some of this year’s Emmy contenders how creative collaborations provided the notes to their success.
“The Diplomat”
Allison Janney in “The Diplomat.”
(Netflix)
To create the unrelenting tension in the Netflix political drama, which was inspired by conversations with real diplomats, creator Debora Cahn turned to advice from “Homeland” showrunner Alex Gansa: “He said take whatever story that you’re planning in the last episode of the first season and do it in the first episode. And I was like, ‘Ooh, s—.’” The result hurls lead Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) into high-stakes chaos, none wilder than her clash with the vice president (Allison Janney) and a jaw-dropping Season 2 twist. “I was embarrassed to pitch it to the writers’ room. It was an unspeakably dumb idea and a bad cliche, but I had to get it off my chest. We looked for other things, but we kept coming back to it and realized that it did the thing that you really want a plot to do, which is it changes everything.”
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”
Nicholas Alexander Chavez, left, Cooper Koch and Javier Bardem in “Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story.”
(Miles Crist / Netflix)
“In researching [the Menendez brothers case], [co-creator] Ryan [Murphy] mentioned, ‘I think this story is [Akira Kurosawa’s] “Rashomon.”’ That was the one note I was like, ‘Oh, I totally get this now,’” says co-creator Ian Brennan of the Netflix limited series. “We’re never going to know what the true story is, but that became a really good guiding light because we made sure that when we’re telling an aspect of this story that’s disputed, we’d go back and tell it the other way,” he says. “What we’re doing is based on as much truth as we can find, but I feel like you’re obliged to take some liberty. It’s not only to tell a story that’s entertaining but to get to those deeper truths that are sometimes occluded by the mundanity of some facts. It’s a painting, not a photograph.”
“Only Murders in the Building”
Steve Martin, left, Selena Gomez and Martin Short in “Only Murders in the Building.”
(Eric McCandless / Disney)
Creator John Hoffman says the idea for Hulu’s mystery-comedy came to him during the pandemic, when everyone was afraid to step outside their door. “This show is about lonely New Yorkers who found a connection between true crime and a death in their building,” he says. But his chief concern was injecting soul into the punch lines. “When I was talking about my ideas for how to make it more connective and humorous, I wanted the comedy to come from humanity as opposed to jokes and behavior. I was deeply surprised by everyone’s response, from the studio, the network and [executive producer] Dan Fogelman, that they wanted to lean into that more profound connective tissue that was more unexpected and dramatic at times,” he says. “There are a lot of personal things in that first season that I thought, ‘Well, that’s going to get me fired.’ But they accepted it.”
“Slow Horses”
Gary Oldman in “Slow Horses.”
(Apple TV+)
“[Executive producer] Graham Yost was always very clear that we should focus on adapting Mick Herron’s work and not just use it as a launchpad for some kind of offshoot,” says creator Will Smith of the clever Apple TV+ show, which follows a group of disgraced MI5 agents. “Whenever we got stuck in the room, Graham’s watchword would be, ‘Well, let’s look at what Mick wrote,’ and we would go back to the book and figure it out from there. So the tone of the books infused the scripts.” The outcome is a nail-biter of a tale with humor smuggled in like contraband. ”Our fabulous exec Jamie Laurenson and our brilliant [Season 1] director James Hawes both understood that nothing should ever feel like a joke, nothing should feel gratuitous or crowbarred for a laugh. It should all be thrown away, underplayed, said on the run.”
“What We Do in the Shadows”
The cast of “What We Do in the Shadows.”
“There’s a part of me that feels like it’s cheating, but it really helps,” says showrunner Paul Simms of the mockumentary shooting style behind the hilarious FX series, which portrays the awkward lives and bizarre pitfalls of centuries-old vampires. “If you’re writing a narrative show that’s not documentary format, people’s motivations have to come out in their dialogue. With this, you can have characters very directly and, in a very funny way, state their motivations.” Unlocking its full bite of wit were two keys. “One great thing about this format is that you’re not hamstrung by little continuity details in the edit. You can do jump cuts and jam in as much funny stuff without having to worry,” Simms says. The other, a network note: “From the beginning, FX and John Landgraf were saying the vampire stuff is fun, but it can’t be all vampire jokes. So our approach every season was to go in new directions and create constant tension.”
The majority of Friday’s papers lead with the UK-France “one in, one out” agreement to tackle migrant Channel crossings. The Daily Telegraph reports French President Emmanuel Macron said British people had been “sold a lie” that Brexit would make tackling the crisis easier. The paper says the deal was unveiled hours after hundreds of people were seen being escorted from French shores without being stopped by police.
Macron’s comments on Brexit fuelling Channel crossings also lead the i newspaper. Leaving the EU without a returns agreement created an incentive for migrants to make the crossing, which he said was the “precise opposite of what Brexit promised”.
“What a joke” is the Daily Mail’s assessment of the “one in, one out” scheme with France. The “half-baked” deal “was already threatening to unravel”, according to the paper, after the prime minister conceded it was “not a silver bullet”.
The Guardian also leads with the deal, noting that it is the first time such an agreement has been struck between the UK and France.
The Daily Express front page also carries criticism of the deal, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer being accused of “caving in”. Opponents say it will do little to stop the flow of boats across the Channel, the paper reports.
Metro carries comments from shadow home secretary, Chris Philp, who said the deal would not address the “migrant merry-go-round”. It has been reported that the scheme would see up to 50 people a week being returned, though Sir Keir has not confirmed any figures. But with the agreement being signed on a day that hundreds of people arrived in the UK, the paper says there is “instant doubt it will work”.
The UK-France deal is already facing opposition among some EU politicians, The Times reports. In its lead story, the paper reports that the Department of Health is looking to limit GPs issuing “not fit for work” notes. Last year, the NHS issued 11 million “fit notes”, 93% of which declared people “not fit for work” with no alternative plan to get them back in employment, the paper reports.
The Financial Times leads with accusations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of luxury brand LVMH. Maria Gasparovic, a former chief of staff to the company’s global head of distribution, is seeking €1.3m (£1.1m) in damages for unfair dismissal after she raised concerns about misconduct about senior colleagues. Moët Hennessy is suing Gasparovic for defamation, saying that she was fired because she made threatening remarks to colleagues.
Celebrity chef Gino D’Acampo’s relocation to Australia makes the front page of the Sun, which reports the former I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here winner is launching “multiple work projects” there.
The Daily Mirror says it has seen a leaked letter from the BBC to former Masterchef host Gregg Wallace following his dismissal. In it, the Mirror says a senior member of staff tells him his behaviour is “unlikely to improve”. Wallace denies the allegations against him and has hired a “top lawyer to fight the claims”, the paper reports.
And the Daily Star leads with US President Donald Trump’s praise of Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his “good English”, despite it being the country’s official language. The paper says Trump’s comments would have left the US president feeling “red faced” during their meeting earlier this week.
A holidaying couple were left furious at a hotel’s ‘unfair rules’ when it comes to sunbeds. Jo and Martin travelled to the resort town of Salou, near Barcelona, Spain, for one week.
But while staying at the four-star, £140-per-night H10 Salauris Palace, the couple were hit with ‘stern warning cards’. After leaving their sunbeds for 30 minutes, they came back to find a warning card left on their towels.
Jo said, “When you leave your sunbed for 30 minutes, yet others leave theirs for two plus hours and nothing gets done to them.”
She added: “Two-tier sunbed policing at the H10 Salauris Palace, Salou.”
The clip went viral on TikTok with 235,000 views and dozens of comments. One local said, “Thirty minutes? Hardly time to go for lunch before you need to come back.”
The hotel left a warning card on their sun lounger (Jam Press)
“At least somewhere with rules with sunbeds though, but probably should be after one hour,” added another. Jess joked: “I would place it on someone else’s.”
Jo, who jetted from Belfast International Airport, near where they live, also shared a video of the hotel’s sunbeds appearing to be fully reserved early in the morning.
She advised others: “Unless you get down to the pool at 6 am, you won’t get a good location for your lounger.” One follower said: “We are in a five-star in Lanzarote and despite rules saying no allocating sun loungers, most have towels on by 8 am.”
Pete suggested: “Just move them.” Regina added: “Go somewhere a bit nicer than Salou, then problem solved.”
The couple say not everyone gets a card (Jam Press)
Jo, known as ‘Grump’ online, also complained about holidaymakers using large pegs to pin down their towel on a windy day. She fumed: “What is it with these giant pegs on sunbeds that annoyed me so much?
“We survived without these for years before!”
However, many of her followers disagreed. One follower said: “Nahhh, they’re amazing. Best fiver I ever spent. Mine are watermelons.”
Camille added: “They are actually quite handy, loved mine, didn’t have to keep fixing the towel!” Andie remarked, “I have watermelon and flamingo ones, which makes your sunbed look quite pretty.”
The H10 Salauris Palace has been approached for comment.
Brits on Spain holidays should take note of new rules around Euro notes in holiday hotspots including the Canaries as you could find your cash is refused
Brits heading to Spain should take note of new rules(Image: Getty Images)
Brits planning Spain holidays this year will no doubt be looking to withdraw some cash for shopping, food and souvenirs but there’s a new rule in place you’ll need to be aware of.
Although nowadays most people will favour card payments over cash, the latter can still be useful especially if you’re out and about and find yourself in a shop or restaurant that doesn’t accept card.
However, UK holidaymakers heading to Spain, the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands may want to take note of new rules regarding Euro notes.
Firstly, if you can, avoid withdrawing €500 notes at the currency exchange or bank. The European Central Bank and the Bank of Spain officially ceased production of these notes in 2016, but a small quantity of these purple notes are still in circulation. Although they are legal tender, their usage is becoming increasingly challenging, reports Bristol Live. The hefty value of the notes, along with their link to illicit activities, has resulted in many establishments refusing to accept them.
Some Euro notes are being phased out (Image: Cesare Ferrari via Getty Images)
If you withdraw money and receive a €500 note, insist on smaller denominations instead. You can also take large notes to a Spanish bank for exchange.
Of course when it comes to cash, most of us will opt for smaller amounts at a time, but if you’re thinking of using up some older €50 notes from previous holidays, you may want to get rid of these quickly. This is because Spain’s central bank has started phasing out old and damaged €50 notes from circulation. This scheme, which kicks off this summer, aims to bolster the security of cash transactions and thwart fraud.
The new changes are being rolled out, so if you’ve got a holiday booked this summer you won’t suddenly find that all of your cash isn’t accepted. However if you do have some Euros lying around the house, you may want to consider using them up on your next holidays.
It’s also worth checking the state of your banknotes, especially if they’ve been crammed into a purse at the bottom of a drawer or suitcase for a few months. That’s because as part of the new rollouts, old and damaged banknotes will also be gradually withdrawn from circulation.
This could mean that tourists might find their worn or torn notes being rejected by cashiers. When you’re swapping your holiday money, make sure any €50 notes are in tip-top shape, and ask for replacements if you spot any damage.
Tattered notes can be exchanged at any Bank of Spain branch or selected partner banks, but don’t forget to bring some form of identification like your passport. They won’t exchange counterfeit or deliberately damaged notes.
For those who usually toss their spare change into a jar after their holiday, it’s worth noting that some countries may soon ditch one and two cent Euro coins too. Countries such as Ireland, Belgium, and Italy have already ceased using these coins, rounding up cash transactions to the nearest five cents instead, and they’re no longer being produced. Meanwhile a number of other Eurozone countries are doing the same,
Do you have a travel story you want to share with us? Email us at [email protected].
The iconic New York jazz club Blue Note announced Tuesday the opening slate of shows for its long-awaited Los Angeles location, which includes Robert Glasper, Charlie Puth and Killer Mike. After delays caused by construction and permitting in the wake of L.A.’s January fires, the venue will open its doors in mid-August with local favorite Robert Glasper christening the new venue Aug. 14 and 15.
Located in Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard and Ivar Avenue, the celebrated jazz institution is rolling out a roster of A-list artists in jazz and other genres. Following Glasper’s two opening shows, Grammy nominee Alex Isley will headline Aug. 16 and 17.
The first month is particularly stacked, as the team behind the Blue Note is taking the responsibility of introducing the ethos and the way they do shows to an L.A. audience very seriously.
Like the New York Blue Note location (the brand has clubs around the world, including in Napa, Tokyo and Honolulu), artists will be doing two shows a night. Both Blue Note Entertainment President Steven Bensusan and Director of Programming/Talent Buyer Alex Kurland have emphasized that the L.A. location will reflect a local vibe, including in the acts they book.
Among the first run of shows will be a heavy slate of local artists, including Terrace Martin with guest Kenyon Dixon Aug. 19 and 20, Braxton Cook Sept. 9 and 10, Kamasi Washington Sept. 30 to Oct. 5 and Oct. 7 to 12, Keyon Harrold Nov. 18 and 19 and many more.
The rest of the released schedule, which runs into 2026, features a stellar array of jazz luminaries such as Branford Marsalis Oct. 21 and 22, Esperanza Spalding Sept. 2 to 7, Ravi Coltrane Aug. 28 to 31, Kenny Garrett Sept. 11 to 14, Cimafunk Nov. 20 and 21, and a Lady Blackbird residency multiple dates.
Also sticking to the Blue Note ethos, there is a healthy dose of musicians from a variety of genres, such as Charlie Puth Oct. 16 to 19, Andra Day Nov. 28 to 30, Killer Mike Sept. 19 to 21, Slum Village Oct. 20, Ben Folds Dec. 11, Mayer Hawthorne Aug. 25 and more.
D. Wayne Lukas, 89, who has been a staple in horse racing since 1968 when he was training quarter horses at Los Alamitos, is leaving the game after contracting a potentially life-ending illness.
In a note to owners and friends on Sunday, Lukas Enterprises announced: “We regret to inform you that D. Wayne Lukas will not be returning to racing. A severe MRSA blood infection has caused significant damage to his heart, digestive system, and worsened pre-existing chronic conditions. The doctors proposed an aggressive treatment plan, involving multiple surgeries and procedures over several months. Even with the best-case scenario, Wayne would require 24/7 assistance to manage daily activities.”
The note goes on to say that Lukas declined the aggressive treatment plan and would “return home to spend his remaining time with his wife, Laurie, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”
It also says that he will be under home hospice care.
Lukas is a member of both the U.S. Racing and Quarter Horse Halls of Fame. He has won the trainer Eclipse Award five times, and his horses have won 25 Eclipse Awards.
In his career, Lukas has run 30,436 races, winning 4,953. His horses have earned over $300 million. His last significant win was in last year’s Preakness Stakes, which he won with Seize the Grey.
Billy Bob Thornton reflects on life in the tabloid spotlight with Angelina Jolie, Jason Isaacs discusses the ‘shocking’ scrutiny of ‘The White Lotus’ cast and more tales from the Envelope Drama Roundtable. READ HERE
Comedy
Nathan Lane recalls the Friars Club Roast from hell, Kate Hudson opens up about needing to fight for roles beyond the rom-com and more tales from The Envelope Comedy Roundtable. READ HERE
Limited Series / TV Movie
Elizabeth Banks explains why comedy is harder than drama, Brian Tyree Henry recalls being mistaken for his characters and more tales from our limited series / TV movie Roundtable. READ HERE
Writers
Writers from six of the year’s most entertaining and acclaimed TV series open up about runaway production, the binge model and tuning out (or into) social media. READ HERE
Under mounting pressure from the Trump administration, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will shutter its longstanding healthcare program for trans children and young adults this summer, according to emails reviewed by The Times.
The Center for Transyouth Health and Development began telling its nearly 3,000 patient families of the closure on Thursday, saying there was “no viable alternative” that would allow the safety-net hospital to continue specialized care.
“There is no doubt that this is a painful and significant change to our organization and a challenge to CHLA’s mission, vision, and values,” hospital executives wrote to staff in a Thursday morning email.
The email said the decision to close the center on July 22 “follows a lengthy and thorough assessment of the increasingly severe impacts of federal administrative actions and proposed policies” that have emerged since the hospital briefly paused the initiation of care for some patients this winter.
The note sent shock waves through the tight-knit patient community, members of which had recently breathed a sigh of relief after CHLA reversed its brief ban on some care for new patients in February.
“We’re just disappointed and scared and enraged” said Maxine, the mother of a current patient, who declined to give her last name for fear of attacks on her son. “The challenge is how we break news to this kid who has had such a positive experience with everybody at Children’s.”
In the email, executives said that continuing to operate the center would jeopardize the hospital’s ability to care for “hundreds of thousands” of other children, noting that federal agencies including the Department of Justice, Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had warned of dire consequences for doctors and hospitals providing care opposed by the administration — including threat of prosecutions for doctors.
“These threats are no longer theoretical,” the note said. “Taken together, the Attorney General memo, HHS review, and the recent solicitation of tips from the FBI to report hospitals and providers of GAC strongly signal this Administration’s intent to take swift and decisive action, both criminal and civil, against any entity it views as being in violation of the executive order.”
The hospital’s Transyouth center is among the oldest and largest programs in the country, and among the only facilities that provides puberty blockers, hormones and surgical procedures for trans youth on public insurance.
But the hospital is also significantly more reliant on public funding than any other pediatric medical center in California — a situation that leaves it particularly exposed to the Trump administration. Roughly 40% of pediatric beds in Los Angeles are at Children’s.
“CHLA has a responsibility to navigate this complex and uncertain regulatory environment in a way that allows us to remain open as much as possible for as many as possible,” executives wrote. “In the end, this painful and difficult decision was driven by the need to safeguard CHLA’s ability to operate amid significant external pressures beyond our control.”
Protests erupted in February after the hospital briefly paused hormone therapy for some patients under 19, in response to President Trump’s executive order.
That move was reversed a few weeks later, amid pressure from patient families, LGBTQ+ civil rights groups and the state Department of Justice.
“Let me be clear: California law has not changed, and hospitals and clinics have a legal obligation to provide equal access to healthcare services,” Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta wrote on Feb. 5, days into the pause.
The California Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Thursday’s internal email from Children’s leadership notes the pressure from the federal government has risen at the same time that support from the state has ebbed.
“Over the past several months, California’s deepening budget crisis, President Trump’s executive orders, proposed federal legislation and rulemaking, and growing economic uncertainty have made the situation even more dire,” the email said.
Activists say the closure sets a dangerous precedent.
“CHLA needs to be a leader in this and stand up to the Trump administration, because other hospitals are taking note of what they’re doing,” said Maebe Pudlow, a trans nonbinary activist and Silverlake Neighborhood Council member who helped lead the protests when care was paused this winter.
“It feels very conveniently timed when everybody’s focus is on ICE raids happening in Los Angeles,” the activist went on. “I think it’s despicable.”
Maxine, the mom, was more measured.
“We’re slowly going underground, underground, underground,” the mother said. “You put one thing in place, and then you have to prepare for when that gets taken away. We’re just trying to stay a couple of steps ahead, sticking together with other parents, knowing who our allies are.”
