number

In any given year there are more than 500,000 American boys playing on almost 20,000 high school basketball teams, and fewer than 2% of them will make it to March Madness. Only 60 young men get drafted by an NBA team each summer, and in the most recent draft a third of those spots went to international players.

The numbers suggest the funnel from the Amateur Athletic Union into the NBA is one of the narrowest in all of sports. And we used to talk about the game with the reverence that exclusivity implies. The numbers are how we decide who is an All Star or a Hall of Famer. The numbers are how we determine — or debate — the greatest.

Gambling and cheating scandals are not the only threats to sports. Because of the economic gravity of fantasy sports leagues and legal gambling, the numbers most of us hear about these days have more to do with bettors making money than with players making shots.

Bill James — the godfather of baseball analytics, who coined the phrase sabermetric in the late 1970s — did not revolutionize the way the sports industry looked at data so we could have more prop bets. The first fantasy baseball league was not started in a New York restaurant back in 1980 to beat Las Vegas. The numbers were initially about the love of the game. But ever since sports media personalities decided to embrace faux debates for ratings — at the expense of pure fandom — disingenuous hot takes have set programming agendas, and the numbers that used to tell us something about players are cynically used to win vacuous arguments. And after states began to legalize sports betting, athletes went from being the focus to being props for parlays.

That’s not to say gambling wasn’t there before. In fact, while James and others were revolutionizing the way fans — and front offices — evaluated players, the Boston College point-shaving scandal was unfolding in the shadows. The current gambling scandal surrounding Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who this week pleaded not guilty to charges alleging a role in a poker-fixing scheme, is not unprecedented. It’s just recent.

What’s new is how we talk about the numbers.

The whole idea of fantasy sports leagues was to enable fans to be their own general managers — not to make money, but because we cared about the game so much. At the risk of sounding more pious than I am: When every game, every half, every quarter and even every shot is attached to gambling odds, good old-fashioned storytelling gets choked out. Instead of learning about players and using numbers to describe them, we hear numbers the way private equity firms see a target’s holdings.

Nothing personal, just the data.

The whole point about loving sports used to be that it was personal. Our favorite players weren’t just about outcomes. They were 1 out of 500,000 guys who made it. Each had a backstory, and the way they got there was a big part of the connection we felt with them.

This is why the Billups saga hits the NBA community emotionally. Drafted in 1997, the Colorado native played for four teams in his first five years before becoming an All Star and a Finals MVP. His numbers aren’t what defined him — even though those numbers were good enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. It was the resilience and character he demonstrated while trying to make it that fans admired. In his early-career struggles, we were reminded that making it in the NBA is hard and that everyone in the league beat the odds. It’s something we all know … but when broadcasters come out of commercial breaks showing the betting lines before the score, it’s easy to forget.

Thanksgiving is a big sports weekend and thus gambling weekend. Go ahead, eat irresponsibly … it’s the other vice that worries me.

YouTube: @LZGrandersonShow

Our writer Sarah White – and frequent skier – discovered stunning views and thrilling activities on a family trip to the French ski resort of Les Arcs

On arrival at Arc 1800, one of five resorts in the Les Arcs ski region in southeast France, we were surprised to discover a 4ft dump of snow had fallen overnight. Skis were parked up, snowmen were being built and snowballs were flying through the air like scenes from a Christmas movie.

Although the extreme snowfall had temporarily closed some of the ski lifts, it freed up time on our first day to explore the village’s bustling pedestrianised centre. It’s well equipped with restaurants, bars, ski shops for the inevitable lost gloves, and patisseries with fancy cakes that wouldn’t look out of place in a capital city.

READ MORE: ‘I found a family-friendly Cotswolds spa hotel with free childcare and royal neighbours’

READ MORE: Beautiful lesser-known European ski destination with scenery that looks like a movie set

What to do in Les Arcs

Our apartment at Pierre & Vacances Premium Résidence Le Roselend offered impressive views of Mont Blanc direct from our balcony. Our daily ritual quickly became an early morning walk down the hill to the village bakery to buy delicacies for our afternoon tea. The steps back up to our accommodation were a steep but short journey, and were a good warm-up for the day of skiing ahead.

Part of the Paradiski ski circuit, Arc 1800 gives you easy access to Les Arcs’ highest slope at 3,226m, at the top of the Aiguille Rouge mountain – and with 70% of the ski area above 2,000m, you can expect fantastic snow coverage throughout the season.

As you would expect, the views from the top are truly impressive, and they’re not the only attraction at the summit. There’s a new awareness area where skiers can learn how the glacier has evolved over time and discover the problems surrounding its existence, so you can educate yourself while taking in your surroundings on the Varet panoramic terrace.

Also up here is an eco-friendly café, where the produce is organic and locally sourced, alongside another popular attraction, the Aiguille Rouge Zipline. This exhilarating ride is a speedy, 1.8km descent from 2,680m, offering breathtaking views of the Alpine landscape – if you have your eyes open, that is!

Adrenaline levels still pumping? You might want to seek out some après ski at Folie Douce for an unforgettable experience. Nestled into the mountain near the Arc 1800 village, it’s easily accessible by skis or by foot via the Villards gondola and Dahu cable car. It boasts the world’s highest cabaret show and a 360° stage for performing dancers and aerial artists.

DJs provide first-class entertainment while revellers dance on tables, making dancing in ski boots look ridiculously easy. Families are welcome to join in the fun or you can sit back and just enjoy the people watching, as we did. A little tip: remember where you put your skis upon arrival if you want to avoid playing an Alpine edition of Where’s Wally? at home time.

What else to do in the Paradiski area

Les Arcs makes up only half of the Paradiski area, so you might also fancy skiing over to neighbouring La Plagne. Make a day of it but check the weather conditions before you set off.

Ski down to Peisey-Vallandry, where stunning forested slopes meet tree-lined runs that connect you to the Vanoise Express cable car for your onward journey to La Plagne. Ensure you have the accessible Paradiski lift pass to get to the other side of the mountain, otherwise your journey will end here.

The Vanoise Express is the world’s largest double-decker cable car, with two levels that can carry 200 people across the valley at once. The crossing is 380m above the ground, giving you a birds-eye view of the snow-capped scenery, and the journey takes less than five minutes. Travel in the lower level for the thrill of seeing the valley through the glass floor.

Do check lift closing times with the brilliant Yuge app, a must when skiing in this area. It gives you live information to avoid busy periods, instant GPS tracking and live weather updates, and you can even buy passes and reserve activities through it. All this saves you precious ski time and aching legs when searching for those sometimes hard-to-find ticket offices.

After each full-on day, we would head back to Le Roselend, prise off our ski boots and enjoy the well-deserved afternoon tea and cakes we purchased in the morning. Also on the agenda was a swim in the residence’s indoor pool, a sauna or hammam to help our muscles recover and planning the next day’s activities – including which cakes to buy.

Five best things to do in the Paradiski ski region

• The Mountain Animals Museum: A museum dedicated to mountain fauna with more than 30 animal species on display, including wolves, deer and bears.
• First Track event: Be among the first to carve your line on freshly groomed runs. Take in the sunrise at the top of the slopes and share breakfast with the ski patrol.
• The Illuminated Murals of the Aiguille Rouge: An immersive installation inside a converted ski lift garage, where you can experience all the seasons of the mountain in a light show.
• Aerolive: A gondola like no other! Strap on a harness, clip onto the open-sided gondola and feel the fresh mountain air rushing around you. You’re completely exposed to the elements on your ascent with no windows to block the view.
• Icefall: Scale the 24m-high artificial ice tower, suitable for beginners and experienced climbers alike.

How much does it cost to visit Les Arcs?

2026 rates at Pierre & Vacances Premium Résidence Le Roselend start from £1,357 for a seven-night stay for five people. For more information on Les Arcs, click here.

For more ski holidays to Les Arcs, have a browse of Neilson’s and Iglu Ski’s offerings.

THE race to crown the Christmas No1 will get under way in two weeks.

And a dark horse, or should that be lovable bear, has entered the fray.

Paddington has become a major contender with song One Of Us, which is actually sung by McFly’s Tom Fletcher, who wrote it for the new Paddington The Musical in London’s West End.

He has stiff competition in what is looking set to be the most closely fought contest in years.

Martin Talbot, chief executive of The Official Charts Company, said: “The vision of Paddington taking on this year’s diverse gaggle of new festive chart contenders, alongside seasonal classics from The Pogues, Mariah Carey and Wham!, will be something to savour.”

The winning song will be revealed on The Radio 1 Chart Show just after 5.30pm on December 19.

Lee Phelps, from bookies William Hill, said: “Wham! are our odds-on favourites to be Christmas No1 for the third year running.

“They’ve been popular in the betting and are now as short as 1/2

“Kylie Minogue is the only other single-figure price at 11/2, while Together For Palestine take third spot in our market at 12/1.

“At 14/1, Taylor Swift joins Alison Limerick and Mariah Carey to top the charts on Christmas Day for the first time in the UK.”

Associate Bizarre Editor Howell Davies casts his eye over the contenders . . .

• Odds provided by William Hill. See the full market at sports.williamhill.com.

Paddington and Tom Fletcher — One of Us

6/1

AS one of the nation’s favourite characters, Paddington has topped the box office multiple times.

Meanwhile McFly’s Tom Fletcher has scored seven No1 singles. Now they are joining forces with One Of Us, written by Tom for Paddington The Musical.

The video, which is out today along with the song, sees them appear together at Paddington train station in London and had to be filmed under the cover of ­darkness to keep the secret.

The full soundtrack to the musical will be released in March ­following rave reviews for the stage show.

Wham! — Last Christmas

1/2

WHAM!’s hit about a seasonal break-up, set against jingle bells, has reached No1 for the last two Christmases.

When it was first released in 1984, it was pipped to the top spot by Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?.

It’s the third best-selling single in UK history and was already the highest ­charting Christmas song on last Friday’s rundown, when it was at No19.

The profits originally contributed to famine aid in Ethiopia, but in recent years George Michael’s estate has been dividing the proceeds between a series of other charity groups.

Roland Gift — Everybody Knows It’s Christmas

66/1

THIS number from Fine Young Cannibals frontman Roland Gift started off as a bet but has since racked up more than 86,000 views online.

It fuses glam rock with a festive, jingle bell ball and is being released on CD and 7in single, as well as streaming and download services, in a bid to boost sales.

Roland told The Sun: “It started out as a bet with my mate, who’s a big Slade fan.

“He said if I could write a Christmas song that was a hit, he’d give my car a free service and new tyres. I hope this song brings a bit of warmth, a smile and maybe a bit of that Christmas magic your way.”

Kylie Minogue — Xmas

11/2

SHE released her album Kylie Christmas in 2015 and now the Aussie star is back to spread joy with a savvy link-up.

Her new song Xmas is ­exclusive to Amazon Music, meaning it can only be downloaded there or played through its streaming service.

But it’s a clever move, because it is among the first tracks to be played when people ask their Alexa devices to play Christmas music.

The last two years have seen Tom Grennan’s It Can’t Be Christmas and Sam Ryder’s You’re Christmas To Me finish in second place in the festive chart because of the power of Amazon.

Alison Limerick — Where Love Lives

14/1

THIS track has swelled in popularity since a cover by Labrinth featured in this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert.

Alison Limerick’s pulsating house tune was originally released in 1990. It peaked at No9 in 1996 but recently re-entered the charts at No44.

Now it is being tipped to rise far higher as the TV ad gets more plays.

Alison said: “Music has always had the power to bring all kinds of peeps together, but I hope this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert will give those who see it a new, emotional connection with the song.”

Denise Welch — Slayyy Bells

100/1

THE firm festive outsider this year is actress Denise Welch with her borderline-unlistenable offering.

The track has been released as a tie-in with choc brand Celebrations – 30 years after she hit No23 with a cover of You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.

Denise, whose son Matty Healy is lead singer for The 1975, said: “I love Christmas, but sometimes I want to shake things up a bit. We don’t always have to have turkey or play charades. We can celebrate this special holiday our way.

“This remix, apart from being cool, catchy and a sure- fire hit, is all about ­having fun.”

Mariah Carey — All I Want For Christmas Is You

14/1

AS the Queen of Christmas, Mariah is never far from the charts at this time of year.

All I Want For Christmas Is You was first released in 1994 and has returned to the Top 40 every year since 2007.

It is an unabashedly joyful belter, complete with bell chimes and lyrics about ditching a desire for materialistic gifts.

It topped the charts in 2021 and remains a strong contender for Christmas No1, finishing last year at No3.

In the US, it is even more ­popular and has been the ­festive No1 for the past six years.

Taylor Swift — Opalite

14/1

SHE already has five No1s to her name and has spent the same number of weeks at the top with The Fate Of Ophelia. But Opalite, another track from her The Life Of A Showgirl album, is poised to become a competitor after The Sun on Sunday revealed she had flown to London to shoot a festive video.

She hired out a shopping centre in ­Croydon to film the scenes, with the video believed to include cameos from singer Lewis Capaldi among others.

An updated version of Opalite is expected to be launched alongside the video, just in time for Christmas.

Together For Palestine — Lullaby

12/1

THERE have been plenty of Christmas songs for good causes. Now Together For Palestine are hoping to raise funds with their ­charity single Lullaby.

Musicians including Neneh Cherry, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Brian Eno, Bastille frontman Dan Smith and Celeste have joined forces with Palestinian musicians to appear on the track, which is a reimagining of a ­traditional Palestinian lullaby.

Speaking about the song, out on December 12, Eno said: “We have a real shot at landing Christmas No1 – and turning that moment into vital life-saving support for Gaza’s families.”

Spanish language network Univision is back on YouTube TV after parent company TelevisaUnivision reached a new distribution agreement with the Google-owned streaming service.

TelevisaUnivision announced Wednesday that it has a multi-year “expanded partnership” with YouTube TV, which will carry the company’s U.S. networks including Univision, Unimas, TUDN and Galavisión on its base plan available to its 10 million subscribers.

The deal ends a two-month blackout of the channels, including Los Angeles flagship KMEX.

Under the new pact, YouTube will also make Univision’s subscription streaming service Vix available on its Primetime Channels hub.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that restores Univision to YouTube TV, ensuring millions of Hispanics can access the news, sports, and entertainment they care about and have relied on for over 70 years,” said Daniel Alegre, CEO of TelevisaUnivision, said in a statement.

YouTube TV had sought to move Univision’s channels to a more expensive Spanish-language add-on package, amounting to an 18% fee increase for customers.

Putting Univision on a higher-priced tier also would have cut into subscriber revenues, as the fees the networks received are based on the number of customers paying for the higher-priced tier.

The proposal became a major sticking point in negotiations, keeping the Univision channels off YouTube TV since Sept. 30 and drawing the attention of Washington. A number of legislators expressed concerns that consumers were being asked to pay more for Spanish-language programming.

YouTube TV was introduced in 2017 as a lower-priced alternative to cable and satellite packages. But the cost of programming goes up with every deal made to carry major networks, leading to blackouts and tense negotiations.

The Walt Disney Co.’s networks, including ESPN, were off YouTube TV for 10 days before the two sides could agree on a new carriage deal on Nov. 14.

NBCUniversal’s channels were also at risk of being pulled before a new deal was reached on Oct. 2.

The price of a YouTube TV subscription — $82.99 a month — has more than doubled since the service launched.

Michael B. Jordan, 38, has given awards-worthy performances since he was a teenager. He now appears poised for his first Oscar nomination for playing twin bootleggers in frequent collaborator Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners.”

15

Age when Jordan delivered an indelible performance as the softhearted, conflicted teen drug dealer Wallace on HBO’s “The Wire.”

2

Despite being considered one of the finest television shows of all time, “The Wire” received only two Emmy nominations — both for writing — and won neither.

20+

“Breakthrough” awards and other mentions poured in for Jordan’s nuanced portrayal of Oscar Grant, a real-life Bay Area man killed by transit police, in Coogler’s 2013 debut feature “Fruitvale Station.”

1

Although none of the top awards bodies recognized his “Fruitvale Station” performance, Jordan received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best male lead.

2016

The prestigious National Society of Film Critics named Jordan best actor for his portrayal of boxer Adonis Creed in “Creed,” Coogler’s expansion of the “Rocky” franchise.

0

Despite the NSFC signaling his arrival as a bona fide movie star, Jordan was left off the Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA nominations lists.

2018

Jordan’s performance as complex antagonist Erik Killmonger in Coogler’s “Black Panther” drew widespread awards attention from critics groups, and the film’s cast won the SAG ensemble prize — Jordan’s highest acting honor to date.

4 (ish)

Although the data is shaky, it appears Jordan would be the fourth lead actor nominated for playing multiple characters in a movie if he gets the nod for “Sinners,” after Peter Sellers (“Dr. Strangelove”), Lee Marvin (“Cat Ballou”) and Nicolas Cage (“Adaptation”).

1

Only Marvin won, in 1966, for playing two gunmen — one far more broadly than the other.

CHICAGO — Chicago has entered what many consider a new uneasy phase of a Trump administration immigration crackdown that has already led to thousands of arrests.

While a U.S. Border Patrol commander known for leading intense and controversial surges moved on to North Carolina, federal agents are still arresting immigrants across the nation’s third-largest city and suburbs.

A growing number of lawsuits stemming from the crackdown are winding through the courts. Authorities are investigating agents’ actions, including a fatal shooting. Activists say they are not letting their guard down in case things ramp up again, while many residents in the Democratic stronghold remain anxious.

“I feel a sense of paranoia over when they might be back,” said Santani Silva, an employee at a vintage store in the predominantly Mexican American neighborhood of Pilsen. “People are still afraid.”

Intensity slows, but arrests continue

For more than two months, the Chicago area was the focus of an aggressive operation led by Gregory Bovino, a Border Patrol commander behind similar efforts in Los Angeles and soon Louisiana.

Armed and masked agents used unmarked SUVs and helicopters throughout the city of 2.7 million and its suburbs to target suspected criminals and immigration violators. Arrests often led to intense standoffs with bystanders, from wealthy neighborhoods to working-class suburbs.

While the intensity has died down in the week since Bovino left, reports of arrests still pop up. Activists tracking immigration agents said they confirmed 142 daily sightings at the height of the operation last month. The number is now roughly six a day.

“It’s not over,” said Brandon Lee with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “I don’t think it will be over.”

Suburb under siege

Bearing the brunt of the operation has been Broadview, a Chicago suburb of roughly 8,000 people that has housed a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center for years.

Protests outside the facility have grown increasingly tense as federal agents used chemical agents that area neighbors felt. Broadview police also launched three criminal investigations into federal agents’ tactics.

Community leaders took the unusual step of declaring a civil emergency last week and moving public meetings online.

Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson said the community has faced bomb threats, death threats and violent protests because of the crackdown.

“I will not allow threats of violence or intimidation to disrupt the essential functions of our government,” Thompson said.

Questionable arrests and detentions

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has touted more than 3,000 arrests, but the agency has provided details on only a few cases in which immigrants without legal permission to live in the country also had a criminal history.

The Trump administration posts photos on social media of supposed violent criminals apprehended in immigration operations, but the federal government’s own data paint a different picture.

Of 614 immigrants arrested and detained in recent months around Chicago, only 16, less than 3%, had criminal records representing a “high public safety risk,” according to federal government data submitted to the court as part of a 2022 consent decree about ICE arrests. Those records included domestic battery and drunk driving.

A judge in the cases said hundreds of immigrant detainees qualify to be released on bond, though an appeals court has paused their release. Attorneys say many more cases will follow as they get details from the government about arrests.

“None of this has quite added up,” said Ed Yohnka with the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which has been involved in several lawsuits. “What was this all about? What did this serve? What did any of this do?”

Investigations and lawsuits

The number of lawsuits triggered by the crackdown is growing, including on agents’ use of force and conditions at the Broadview center. In recent days, clergy members filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging they were being blocked from ministering inside a facility.

Federal prosecutors have also repeatedly dropped charges against protesters and other bystanders, including dismissing charges against a woman who was shot several times by a Border Patrol agent last month.

Meanwhile, federal agents are also under investigation in connection with the death of a suburban man fatally shot by ICE agents during a traffic stop. Mexico’s president has called for a thorough investigation, while ICE has said it did not use excessive force.

An autopsy report, obtained by the Associated Press last week, showed Silverio Villegas González died from a gunshot fired at “close range” to his neck. The death was declared a homicide.

In October, the body of the 38-year-old father who spent two decades in the U.S. was buried in the western Mexico state of Michoacan.

A chilling effect

Many of the once bustling business corridors in the Chicago area’s largely immigrant communities that had quieted down were seeing a buzz again with some street vendors slowly returning to their usual posts.

Andrea Melendez, the owner of Pink Flores Bakery and Cafe, said she has seen an increase in sales after struggling for months.

“As a new business, I was a bit scared when we saw sales drop,” she said. “But this week I’m feeling a bit more hope that things may get better.”

Eleanor Lara, 52, has spent months avoiding unnecessary trips outside her Chicago home, fearful that an encounter with immigration agents could have dire consequences.

Even as a U.S. citizen, she is afraid and carries her birth certificate. She is married to a Venezuelan man whose legal status is in limbo.

“We’re still sticking home,” she said.

Tareen and Fernando write for the Associated Press.

Reporting from Sacramento — Three quarters of California voters believe the state should restrain home building in areas at high risk of wildfires, a new survey has found.

The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies Poll, prepared for the Times, shows bipartisan support for such restrictions after deadly fires wiped out tens of thousands of homes across the state in the last two years.

“The voters think there should be limits,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS Poll.

The survey revealed broad backing across party lines, demographic groups and all regions in California for restricting growth in wildfire zones. Nearly 85% of Democrats support doing so compared with 57% of Republicans and 72% of independent voters.

At least 66% of respondents in every region of the state back the idea, including the non-Bay Area northern section. This includes the area surrounding Paradise, which was almost entirely destroyed in last fall’s Camp fire and where many homeowners have said they hope to rebuild.

Overall, 37% of voters surveyed said they supported strongly limiting new home building in wildfire areas with an additional 38% saying they somewhat supported the idea.

Source: UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll

(Kyle Kim / Los Angeles Times Graphics)

Despite voters’ willingness to restrict growth in wildfire areas, Gov. Gavin Newsom and lawmakers have not openly discussed the idea among other options to prevent destructive infernos. State leaders have instead focused their discussions on utility companies’ financial responsibility for the blazes, how to pay for damages from wildfires and cutting back vegetation and other ways to manage the state’s forests.

Last year Ken Pimlott, the recently retired head of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said that government should consider stopping home building in threatened communities because of the substantial loss of property and lives.

But in an interview with the Associated Press this spring, Newsom rejected it.

“There’s something that is truly Californian about the wilderness and the wild and pioneering spirit,” Newsom said. “I’m not advocating for no” building.

Natural disaster is inevitable in California. And it can define a governor’s legacy »

Stanford University’s Michael Wara, who serves on a state wildfire commission, said the scale of recent fires is influencing how Californians think about development, even those whose property is safe.

“They wake up and go outside and they can’t breathe and there’s ash on their car,” said Wara, who directs the school’s climate and energy policy program. “It’s not something you read about in the newspaper. It’s something you experience.”

But Wara said any decision to limit growth in fire zones remains politically difficult. People who own land or might want to build in those areas strongly prefer to maintain the status quo.

“This is an issue where there’s concentrated very powerful interests that have a lot to lose by changing the rules,” he said.

It’s also possible that voters might support the idea for limiting growth but not the details of what a plan might look like, said DiCamillo, the pollster. A recent Cal Fire report said 1 in 4 Californians live in areas considered at high risk for wildfires, including in suburban Southern California and the Bay Area.

People who live in parts of Marin County may not realize they reside in one of these zones when answering that question, he said. “They’re probably thinking about all these rural areas.”

The Berkeley poll also examined other housing issues and found less consensus among voters than that of limiting growth in wildfire areas. The survey offered respondents three proposed solutions for making housing more affordable: offering more tax breaks or subsidies for lower and middle-income homebuyers; allowing more apartment or condominium construction along mass transit routes; or increasing the share of apartments with rent control.

Source: UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll

(Kyle Kim / Los Angeles Times Graphics)

None of the three answers achieved close to majority support. Additional tax breaks ranked highest with 34% backing. Nearly a quarter of those surveyed did not agree with any of the options.

Voters were evenly divided over whether the state should take a more aggressive role on housing issues and require cities and counties to build more homes in their communities. The poll found 51% in support of the idea.

The lack of agreement on how to address California’s housing problems, including the state government’s responsibility, could help explain why lawmakers recently turned away major housing legislation, DiCamillo said. Last month, legislators shelved Senate Bill 50, which would have boosted building near transit lines and in single-family home neighborhoods. They also blocked and weakened measures that aimed to add protections for renters.

Addressing the housing problem with a specific solution, DiCamillo said, is “the big dilemma for the Legislature. They might not have the public behind them when they do it.”

The survey did find a split among age and demographic groups on whether the state should take a larger role on expediting more housing. Nearly two-thirds of those ages 18 to 29 wanted more state intervention compared with 45% of those 65 and older. Similarly, more than 60% of Latinos, blacks and Asians backed a more expansive state role, compared with 45% of whites.

The online survey of 4,435 California voters took place June 4 to 10 and has an overall margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5%.

[email protected]

@dillonliam

Wales: Murray; Rees-Zammit, Llewellyn, Hawkins, Rogers; Edwards, T Williams; Carre, Lake (capt), Assiratti, D Jenkins, Beard, Mann, Deaves, Plumtree.

Replacements: Coghlan, G Thomas, Griffin, F Thomas, Morse, Hardy, J Evans, Tompkins.

New Zealand: Love; Jordan, R Ioane, Lienert-Brown, Clarke; McKenzie, Ratima; T Williams, Taukei’aho, Tosi, S Barrett (capt), Holland, Parker, Kirifi, Sititi.

Replacements: Bell, Newell, Bower, Lord, Lio-Willie, Christie, Fainga’anuku, Reece.

Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)

Assistant referees: Andrea Piardi (Italy), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy).

The World Food Programme is warning that 318 million people will face critical levels of hunger next year. The United Nations agency says that is double the number from 2019.

What is behind this worsening crisis that is putting so many people in danger?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Jean-Martin Bauer – director of food security and nutrition analysis at the World Food Programme

Shahin Ashraf – head of global advocacy at Islamic Relief Worldwide

Manenji Mangundu – Oxfam’s country director in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

After a whirlwind first couple of years on the tour, the last thing for Littler to accomplish was the world-number-one ranking.

Humphries had topped the PDC Order of Merit since winning the 2024 World Championships but Littler had been gradually chipping away at his rival’s lead and eventually completed his ascension at the Grand Slam of Darts.

He won 10 of the last 11 legs to beat Danny Noppert in the semi-finals and secure top spot in the rankings, even before the final against Humphries.

He went on to win that 16-11, winning 10 of the final 13 legs to secure back-to-back titles.

“I am the best in the world, I can finally say. World number one, you are the best in the world. To top it off by going back-to-back here makes it even more special.

“Now I’m number one, I’m hungry to stay there. I want to be there for the next few years. There’s going to be a target on my back from Luke and all the other players. It’s made me more hungry.

“Now I’ve got the number one spot and he wants it back. We’re going to be battling even more, I think we’re going to playing well because obviously he wants it back and I don’t want to give it away. You’re going to see many more great games.

“It definitely is war because if someone takes it off you then you want it back. You don’t want to be second. It’s taken me 19 or 20 months to get to world number one so now I want to stay there for a few years.”

Luke Littler will become world number one for the first time after booking his place in the Grand Slam of Darts final in Wolverhampton.

The world champion’s 16-9 victory over the Netherlands’ Danny Noppert means he will overtake rival Luke Humphries to top the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) world rankings regardless of the result of Sunday evening’s final.

At just 18, Littler will become the youngest PDC world number one, surpassing Michael van Gerwen who achieved the feat aged 24 in 2014.

Littler’s earnings over the two-year period that determine the Order of Merit total £1,770,500 after making the final, a figure that will rise to £1,850,000 if he wins.

With Humphries defending the money he won from triumphing in this tournament in 2023, even if he lifts the trophy again, he will have earned £1,769,000 – just short of fellow Englishman Littler.

“It is has not even been two years that I’ve been on the tour and I’m already world number one,” Littler told Sky Sports.

“That is job done – I am world number one – but there is a bigger match tonight.

“I am the best in the world. No matter what, I’ve said it throughout the year that Luke Humphries is the best in the world.

“No matter if you go out in the first, second or third round you are the best in the world.”

Jude Bellingham was named on the bench for England’s World Cup qualifier against Serbia on Thursday, with Morgan Rogers in the number 10 role.

Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly, 20, will make his senior international debut at left-back while Marcus Rashford plays in attack.

Bellingham, 22, has missed the past four internationals – partly due to a shoulder injury – but was recalled to the squad for this week’s games against Serbia and Albania, with England having already qualified for next summer’s tournament.

England manager Thomas Tuchel told the BBC on Wednesday that Aston Villa midfielder Rogers was carrying a slight hamstring issue and would require a late fitness check.

Rogers has excelled in deputising for Real Madrid’s Bellingham and Tuchel faces a clear selection dilemma before the World Cup next year.

O’Reilly makes his full England debut following an impressive start to the season with City.

Reece James, Ezri Konsa and John Stones join O’Reilly in defence.

Barcelona forward Rashford replaces the injured Anthony Gordon in attack.

Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson continue in midfield alongside Rogers while Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane get the nod in attack.

Jordan Pickford retains his place in goal.

The U.K. Royal Navy flagship, HMS Prince of Wales, is now carrying 24 F-35B fighters — the largest number of the jets to go aboard either of the U.K.’s two aircraft carriers, or any ship, for that matter. All 24 of the jets are British, a significant achievement for the British F-35 force, which has long faced questions about the feasibility of deploying a meaningful number of the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) jets at sea, without U.S. Marine Corps aircraft making up the numbers.

The Royal Navy announced today that the 24 British F-35Bs were aboard HMS Prince of Wales for planned multinational maneuvers in the Mediterranean, called Exercise Falcon Strike. The service has not so far published photos showing all the jets on deck, instead posting imagery from Operation Highmast, the eight-month cruise that took the carrier to the Indo-Pacific region.

HMS Prince of Wales entered the Mediterranean, via the Suez Canal, around a week ago. Six additional British F-35Bs embarked in the carrier once it had arrived in the Med, flying from their base at RAF Marham in England.

As part of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group, the conventionally powered HMS Prince of Wales is accompanied by the Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, the Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, the replenishment tanker RFA Tidespring, and several allied ships. A Royal Navy Astute class nuclear-powered attack submarine is normally also part of the Carrier Strike Group.

For Exercise Falcon Strike, the U.K. Carrier Strike Group is joined by the Italian frigate Luigi Rizzo, as well as Norwegian warships, for what are Italian Navy-led air and maritime maneuvers.

Commodore James Blackmore, commander of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group, said that Falcon Strike is “a real demonstration of the warfighting readiness” of the group.

The British F-35Bs on the carrier are from the two frontline units, the Royal Air Force’s No. 617 Squadron and the Royal Navy’s 809 Naval Air Squadron, as well as from the training unit, No. 207 Squadron, RAF, which serves as the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).

Well done to everyone at Marham for making this happen. Whilst it did require the rather unprecedented deployment of the OCU to achieve a totemic milestone, it has readily demonstrated that our Carriers can be reinforced anywhere in the NATO region in a matter of hours. https://t.co/eIWNIyKkLX

— Greg Bagwell (@gregbagwell) November 7, 2025

It’s notable that, in the past, larger F-35B complements on U.K. carriers were assisted by detaching U.S. Marine Corps aircraft during these cruises.

For example, in 2021, HMS Queen Elizabeth deployed with a Marine Corps-augmented air wing. On that occasion, eight F-35Bs from No. 617 Squadron were joined by 10 from Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211, the “long.” This total is still smaller than the current F-35B complement for Exercise Falcon Strike.

The number of F-35Bs now on HMS Prince of Wales is also bigger than has been deployed aboard any amphibious assault ship by the Marine Corps. Back in 2022, the USS Tripoli (LHA-7) hosted 20 of the jets during a test of the “Lightning Carrier” concept. This is based upon essentially turning a big-deck “Gator Navy” amphibious assault ship into a light aircraft carrier, packed with F-35Bs.

The biggest carrier embarkation involving fifth-generation fighters also makes an interesting parallel with developments in China, which is now also flying the J-35 stealth fighter, as well as fixed-wing airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft from its latest flattop, the Fujian. Elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan is meanwhile preparing for regular F-35B operations aboard its two amphibious assault ships that have been modified to become STOVL carriers.

Having a larger number of F-35Bs on board the British carrier means that HMS Prince of Wales can contribute more to Falcon Strike, which also involves air assets from France, Greece, Italy, and the United States.

More importantly, a carrier deployment with 24 British F-35Bs is a major requirement for the declaration of full operating capability for the U.K. Carrier Strike capability, once planned for 2023, then delayed to the end of this year. A 24-aircraft total is the minimum required for this declaration, with the Queen Elizabeth class having the capacity to embark more jets, if required.

The move toward full operating capability is also welcome, considering recent criticism of the British F-35 program.

Last week, the U.K.’s Public Accounts Committee released its latest report on the program. Among others, this highlighted the effects of a lack of overall investment in the program. According to the report, cost-cutting measures have had an adverse impact on the F-35B’s capability, availability to fly, and value for money.

The number of British F-35Bs that will ultimately be available to the Royal Navy’s two carriers has long been a matter of intense debate.

To date, the United Kingdom has only placed firm orders for 48 F-35Bs. The previous Conservative government confirmed it was negotiating to buy another 27 F-35Bs for delivery by 2033. However, this batch of 27 jets will now be divided between F-35As (12) and F-35Bs (15). The conventional takeoff and landing F-35A offers a number of advantages, including being cheaper, possessing a bigger weapons bay, having a nuclear capability, and improved performance in many scenarios. However, it cannot embark on a carrier.

Most analysts consider that many more than 48 F-35Bs would be required to meet the ambition of 24 jets available for the baseline Carrier Strike mission, across two carriers, as opposed to just one. Considering training and other demands, a figure of 60-70 jets is generally thought to be reasonable. It is for this reason that U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs have been relied upon to make up the required aircraft numbers during carrier cruises.

Officially, at least, the U.K. Ministry of Defense says that it still expects to procure 138 F-35s over the lifetime of the program. However, this total now includes at least 12 F-35As. Having a smaller pool of F-35Bs will also put more strain on the fleet of STOVL jets that are required for missions aboard the carriers.

“The new fast jets will be based at RAF Marham, with the Government expected to procure 138 F35s over the lifetime of the programme.” Everything else aside, this is about as clear a commitment to the UK’s full programme of record as you’re ever going to get……

— Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) June 25, 2025

Whatever the final F-35B numbers, the Royal Navy is increasingly looking to the potential of uncrewed aircraft to bolster its carrier air wings. The Royal Navy hopes that a combination of drones and long-range weapons will help to make a more balanced ‘hybrid carrier air wing,’ as you can read about here.

In 2023, the Royal Navy revealed details of its plan to fit its two carriers with assisted launch systems and recovery gear, enabling operations by a variety of fixed-wing uncrewed aircraft and, potentially, also conventional takeoff and landing crewed types.

“We are looking to move from STOVL to STOL, then to STOBAR [short takeoff but arrested recovery], and then to CATOBAR [catapult assisted takeoff but arrested recovery],” Col. Phil Kelly, the Royal Navy’s Head of Carrier Strike and Maritime Aviation, told the Combined Naval Event conference in 2023. “We are looking at a demonstrable progression that spreads out the financial cost and incrementally improves capability.”

By the time a British carrier makes its next scheduled deployment to the Indo-Pacific, planned for 2029, the Ministry of Defense hopes that it will include some kind of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). This aspiration was laid out by First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins earlier this year, when he said he wanted to “launch the first jet-powered collaborative platform drone as a concept demonstrator off a Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier” before the end of 2026.

Nevertheless, for the foreseeable future, the F-35B remains the cornerstone of the carrier air wing’s strike capability. Putting the largest number of the stealth jets on a Royal Navy carrier is a visible demonstration of the aircraft’s central role and underscores the British F-35Bs’ progress, despite lingering concerns over final aircraft numbers and other criticisms of the program.

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