Organization

DES MOINES — Alongside the familiar sounds of roosters crowing and thrill seekers screaming on rides at the recent Iowa State Fair, there was a chorus of boos from Turning Point Action activists who were heckling Democratic politicians making their way through the crowds.

Videos of the confrontations got hundreds of thousands of views on social media, a burst of attention for a conservative youth organization that is charting its next chapter after last year’s fatal shooting of its leader Charlie Kirk. But the true test of Turning Point Action’s clout was unfolding inside the exhibition center, where staff members were registering voters, handing out buttons and signing people up for social events.

“Building the foundation for 2028,” said one of the fliers.

While Democrats have punted Iowa from the top of its presidential primary calendar, the state’s caucuses will still kick off Republicans’ next nominating process. Turning Point Action is positioning itself to shape that contest, a reminder that preparations for the next White House campaign are already in motion even though no candidates have announced and the midterm elections are still two months away.

Turning Point Action wants at least one staffer in each of Iowa’s 99 counties to mobilize the conservative grassroots.

“It is important to us to see high voter participation in the caucuses,” said Tyler Bowyer, the organization’s chief operating officer. “That’s your measuring stick.”

In addition to Iowa, Turning Point Action grew its footprint in New Hampshire and Nevada for this year’s midterms, which could also help in 2028.

The likely beneficiary of this initiative would be Vice President JD Vance, who is widely expected to launch a presidential campaign. Turning Point leaders including Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, have been clear they’re ready to throw their support behind Vance if he jumps in.

More than a dozen Republican officials, activists, lawmakers and strategists in Iowa said Turning Point’s imprint in the state was visible but still something of a mystery, and some privately question whether the organization’s impact will match the buzz it generates online.

But others have eagerly welcomed the organization to the state.

“A year ago, Iowa was virgin — no Turning Point. And many of us complained,” said Kelley Koch, a former Dallas County Republican chair, to a gathering of MAGA Nation Iowa, the grassroots organization she founded. “Finally, Turning Point Action listened to us.”

Early state investments could benefit Vance

When asked about his 2028 ambitions, Vance demurs and says he’s focused on his current job, but he’s expected to be an immediate Republican front-runner if he decides to seek the presidency. Bowyer said Turning Point Action wants to be supportive without “being pushy.”

“We haven’t officially endorsed as an organization yet because no one’s announced, right? But, you know, depending on who announces and when we endorse — yeah, of course we’ll be out campaigning on behalf of who we endorse,” he said.

Bowyer said Vance can bridge the gap between the Make America Great Again movement, which President Trump launched more than a decade ago, and younger voters who were attracted to Charlie Kirk’s brand of conservatism.

“It’s a natural fit,” he said.

Bowyer acknowledged that Turning Point Action’s growing infrastructure in early primary states could cause some agitation on the right if it is seen as throwing its weight behind one candidate. But, he said, “that’s not why we do it,” describing the goal as boosting turnout in the Iowa caucuses to send a strong signal heading into the general election.

Other potential candidates include Marco Rubio, Trump’s secretary of State. Rubio, however, has said he wouldn’t run against Vance.

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has not announced a campaign, but he has already made several visits to Iowa this year and said in a recent podcast hosted by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick that “it’s no secret that I want to be president.”

Looking to grow the grassroots

Although Iowa has shifted rightward over the last decade, it’s considered a political battleground in this year’s midterm elections because of Trump’s sagging approval ratings, declining access to healthcare and tariff-driven turmoil in the agricultural industry.

Sen. Joni Ernst and Gov. Kim Reynolds, both Republicans, are retiring, and there are fiercely contested races to replace them. Democrat Josh Turek and Republican Ashley Hinson are seeking the Senate seat, while Democrat Rob Sand and Republican Zach Lahn want to be governor. Two battleground congressional districts will help determine control of the House as well.

The spotlight on Iowa this year is an opportunity for Turning Point Action to demonstrate its clout.

The organization said it hired four staffers on the ground last year. After Lahn’s surprise win over Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra, Turning Point Action said it would double its staffing in the state before the midterms.

Young activists regularly post on social media from county fairs and Republican committee meetings. They upload selfies on sidewalks or stoops to show days spent knocking on doors.

“We’re newer in Iowa,” a Des Moines-based senior field staffer, Kylie Kloewer, told a visitor who stopped by Turning Point Action’s booth at the state fair.

The booth featured signs declaring that there are only two genders and one that said “men can’t get pregnant,” the kind of confrontational culture war messaging that Charlie Kirk practiced on college campuses. Some people nodded and chuckled, while others raised their eyebrows as they wandered by.

Those who walked up to the table could sign up for social clubs that host events, including barbecues and volleyball games.

“Any involvement is success,” said Kelsey Newberry, who is based in the organization’s Phoenix headquarters and was helping at the Iowa State Fair. “You’re bringing people together as a community. The more you talk to your neighbors, the better.

“And even if they’re not ready to get activated now,” Newberry added, “being around like-minded people might encourage them in the future.”

Fingerhut and Price write for the Associated Press. Price reported from Washington.

The Sparks have hired a new general manager from the NBA ranks.

Ariana Andonian will officially join the organization next month, the Sparks said Friday. She replaces Raegan Pebley, who was fired in mid-July after 2½ years.

The Sparks (15-25) are headed toward a sixth consecutive losing season. The organization owns three WNBA championships, but none since 2016.

Andonian, 31, has been general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats, the NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers, while also serving as the 76ers’ vice president of player personnel.

While Pebley had no previous executive experience, Andonian has spent over 10 years working in basketball operations, scouting, player personnel and talent evaluation across the NBA and NBA G League.

“Ariana has distinguished herself throughout her career as an exceptional evaluator of talent and a thoughtful, forward-thinking basketball executive,” Sparks managing partner and governor Eric Holoman said in a statement. “She has earned the respect of some of the best basketball minds in the game, but what stood out to us throughout this process was her vision for building a team and an organization.”

Andonian is a California native who graduated from USC. She earned an MBA from Duke University, where she worked directly with Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski and current head coach Jon Scheyer as a player personnel consultant for the men’s basketball program.

“It was clear to me throughout this process that the Sparks ownership group is committed to delivering for our fans,” she said in a statement. “My goal as GM is to build a culture of excellence centered around great people, strong processes and doing everything within our power to best support our players on and off the court.”

Andonian joined the 76ers in 2024 as vice president of player personnel, where she ran the organization’s professional scouting group and co-led its extended scouting efforts. She was named GM of the Delaware Blue Coats last year.

Andonian began her NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 2015. In four seasons, she worked in basketball operations and scouting, becoming the NBA’s only female scout at the time and ultimately helping coordinate the Rockets’ scouting group.

In 2020, Andonian joined the Memphis Grizzlies, where she spent four seasons and advanced to director of player personnel.

Fallout continued Thursday for content creator and apparel brand Good Good Golf over an ad that was supposed to promote a new Callaway driver but ended up being criticized for portraying violence against women.

Good Good announced it would no longer be the title sponsor of a new PGA Tour event in Austin, Texas, in the fall, saying in a statement that the decision came “after thoughtful discussions with the PGA Tour and careful reflection.”

“We recognize that we have work to do as an organization, and our focus right now is on our team, our culture and ensuring we learn from this situation,” the company wrote. “We are grateful for our relationship with the PGA Tour and appreciate their partnership over the years. We remain committed to earning back trust, and we hope to work together again in the future.”

The controversial ad for the Good Good Callaway Quantum Driver depicted a man, played by Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark, shoving a woman to the ground as she reaches for one of his golf clubs. “Do not touch my new driver,” he says menacingly as he stands over her.

The ad was posted on Friday and deleted hours later. Both companies issued apologies days ago, and Callaway announced Thursday it had cut ties with Good Good after a three-year business relationship.

Callaway also said it had “taken appropriate internal corrective actions and significantly strengthened” its content approval procedures and committed $1 million “to support organizations working to prevent violence against women, provide resources to survivors, and advance education and awareness efforts.”

“These actions do not undo the harm caused or excuse our role in it,” Callaway wrote. “We sincerely apologize to everyone who was hurt, disappointed, or offended by this incident.”

A day earlier, Clark posted a lengthy video on social media in which he apologized for “the worst ad known to man.”

“I personally want to apologize for playing the role in this skit, in this ad, at the magnitude that I did,” Clark said. “And then on Good Good marketing team’s behalf, I wanted to say an apology as well because this is not at all what we stand for. … I want everyone to know that I do not support [domestic violence], abuse or any of that of any kind.”

He added at the end: “Hopefully we can move on and grow the women’s side of golf.”

The PGA Tour has expressed disappointment over the video. Chief Executive Brian Rolapp told reporters on Tuesday that Good Good initially did not accept enough accountability for the matter.

Earlier this week, the Golf Channel postponed the premiere of reality show “Big Break x Good Good” because one of the sponsors wanted out. Also, Dick’s Sporting Goods and subsidiary Golf Galaxy removed Good Good’s merchandise from their stores.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Just after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in 2022, ending the nationwide right to legal abortion, Olivia Rodrigo walked onstage at the Glastonbury festival in the United Kingdom, sad and furious but also galvanized. “I’m heartbroken over what happened in America yesterday,” Rodrigo said onstage then. “I’m devastated and terrified that so many women and so many girls are going to die because of this.”

Four years later, Rodrigo has a new festival of her own this weekend, Daisy Chain Fields in Irvine’s Great Park, that’s entirely in service to those causes of women’s rights and reproductive autonomy.

“I remember being at Glastonbury that day with the most exciting opportunity to perform on that stage, but at the same time, being shaken to my core knowing that women’s rights were being stripped away,” Rodrigo told the Times via e-mail just before the festival. “I want people to walk away from here feeling hopeful and feeling like they can effect change. That was the entire thesis of this festival. I do think we can. We’ve seen it happen before, and we’re seeing some change now.”

Daisy Chain Fields is an ambitious escalation of Rodrigo’s activism in this sphere, which has paralleled her chart-topping success after debuting as a teenager with her LP “Sour” in 2021. The festival — with similarly-aligned acts including Chappell Roan, Doechii, Bikini Kill, Katseye and others — will be a globally-prominent cultural event, underlining the urgency for reproductive and women’s rights work amid the current right-wing backlash. It raises funds to benefit 10 like-minded advocacy groups, and intertwines her music career and women’s rights advocacy in ways few pop artists at her scale are attempting.

“We are ecstatic to have Olivia supporting our work, not only financially, but using her voice and reach to shine a light on these urgent issues,” said Nancy Northup, president and chief executive of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which challenged abortion bans in 11 states, and filed the first lawsuit on behalf of women denied abortions in 50 years. “Women are continuing to suffer under these bans, and that won’t stop until abortion is federally protected once again. Her support will help us continue filing lawsuits and advocating for laws that expand reproductive rights, both in the U.S. and globally.”

Olivia Rodrigo performs during the opening night of her Guts tour at Acrisure Arena on Feb. 23, 2024, in Palm Desert, Calif.

(Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times)

Rodrigo’s public work in activism began in earnest on the tour for “Guts” in February 2024. That tour coincided with the launch of Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good, a nonprofit (under the fiscal sponsorship of the 501(c)(3) group Entertainment Industry Foundation) that steered $2.5 million in profits and donations from that tour to a range of global groups working in women’s rights, health and reproductive care. These included Jhpiego — a Johns Hopkins-affiliated global women’s health NGO — along with Women’s Shelters Canada, Women Against Violence Europe, and the Korea Foundation for Women.

“She did something. She could have played it safe, but she acknowledged that she has the power to make stuff happen, and she’s going to use it for good,” said Kathleen Hanna, founder of the legendarily activist punk group Bikini Kill, who will play Daisy Chain Fields on Saturday. While Hanna recalled feeling initially skeptical about the all-women Lilith Fair in the ’90s, she respects how Rodrigo learned about that fest’s communal, radical goals from a recent documentary, and sought to update it for her fans’ generation.

“What’s awesome about that is that it’s not that rare” for artists to be outspoken on these issues now, Hanna said. “Look at Megan Thee Stallion, Hayley Williams — all I see is women who are like ‘This is bull—.’ In a fascist era, we need to be meeting each other and opening friendship circles instead of isolating ourselves.”

Rodrigo’s advocacy hasn’t always gone smoothly. While on tour for “Guts” in 2024, Rodrigo brought abortion rights groups under the National Network of Abortion Funds to canvass at shows, and some groups handed out free condoms and emergency contraceptives to fans. Those efforts upset conservatives in states like Missouri, which had enacted a near-total abortion ban, and where state legislators sought to ban the morning-after pill. Fearing political backlash, Rodrigo’s management team at the time reportedly asked the groups to refrain from passing out contraceptives, but still encouraged them to canvass on-site.

“I don’t think demanding that women and girls be safe and have ownership over their own bodies is a radical idea,” Rodrigo said. “I was raised by parents who encouraged that belief in me.”

At Daisy Chain Fields, Rodrigo will likely face little resistance — but the show arrives in an ever more challenging time for women’s health and rights.

The return of President Trump to office has resulted in legislation like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that slashed funding for healthcare; decimated funding for groups like USAID; and saw controversial, conspiracy-pushing figures like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. brought into government. Crucial issues in women’s health risked being ignored or exacerbated.

“It is a fraught moment” said Angela Aina, co-founder and executive director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, one of the groups supported by Daisy Chain Fields. Aina said that American Black women die in childbirth at three times the rate for white women, and 87% of these deaths were preventable.

“What matters most to us is that the festival is showing people the organizations that are doing this work and pushing solutions,” Aina added. “Black maternal health has too often been treated as a niche concern, something discussed among public health professionals and then set aside.” But when these topics underpin a massive, sold-out festival of music with an audience of young women, it becomes “part of ordinary civic life,” she said.

These organizations said Rodrigo made a real effort to connect personally with their teams and more closely learn about their issues and strategies. Some, like the National Institute for Reproductive Health and Planned Parenthood, focus on reproductive justice. Baby2Baby supports mothers in poverty while Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health focuses on Native and First Nations community healthcare; FreeFrom responds to the epidemic of gender-based violence, while the National Domestic Workers Alliance advocates for care workers, the vast majority of whom are women.

“It’s really extraordinary,” said National Domestic Workers Alliance President Ai-Jen Poo. “[She’s] making the time to come to meetings and learn about each organization directly from us, offering to think through different ways that she can lift up our work even beyond the festival.”

Part of NDWA’s mission is to change the cultural conversation around domestic labor — “We as a culture often refer to it as ‘help,’ as opposed to the profession that it is for millions of workers,” Poo said — an undertaking Poo said Rodrigo understands well.

“I think that she is a great storyteller herself through her music, and she knows that great storytelling is at the heart of what moves people and what creates change for people,” she said.

Olivia Rodrigo speaks at the beginning of the July 14, 2021, daily briefing at the White House in Washington, where she was filming a video to promote vaccines.

(Susan Walsh / Associated Press)

The National Women’s Law Center works across virtually every issue affecting women and girls in the United States. “One of the things I like to say is that our fingerprints are on the lives of women in this country in ways that they’re probably not even aware of,” said Uma Iyer, NWLC’s chief external affairs officer.

Iyer said that the “constant conversation” between law, policy and culture change is at the heart of the NWLC’s work, and Rodrigo’s advocacy keeps that conversation urgent.

“We’ve seen that in how #MeToo played out. That spawned litigation, but it was also a big global cultural moment,” Iyer said. “You’re talking about it at kitchen tables and movie theaters and on talk shows, and that discourse really matters when you’re trying to effect change.”

Each of the nonprofits will have a physical presence at the festival in Irvine’s Great Park. For their station, Poo said the NDWA will set up a space for visitors to learn about care work and pay tribute to the caregivers in their own lives through artwork, which will all knit together “in a big chain of care” by the festival’s end.

“We’re really excited about all the people who will come to our tent and have a conversation with us and stay involved in our movement long afterwards,” she said. “We feel like Daisy Chain is almost like a catalyst for really growing this movement for care in our country.”

Several organizers said the recognition and opportunities for connection that the festival brings are just as meaningful as whatever financial support it generates.

While the festival’s total donation pool is yet unclear, Rodrigo has said that all artists on the lineup are performing for free, though production and staffing costs for a fest this size will be substantial.

What money the nonprofit groups do receive will go right back into “continuing the work,” Iyer said. “The work of gender justice in whatever form it shows up for any of these 10 organizations is really the work of protecting our democracy.”

Money generated by Daisy Chain Fields will be “flexible dollars,” Iyer explained, usable for anything an organization needs to fill in the gaps. “Those are critical dollars for nonprofits to be able to survive and do the work,” she said. Beyond the impact for populations the organization serves, Iyer said the promise of Daisy Chain Fields has boosted morale among NWLC staff during an extremely difficult time in America.

“When you have this big festival with people you love to hear, who bring you joy and bring you comfort and peace and entertainment and laughs and love, and they’re all banding together because this one incredible person asked them to, because she believes it’s the right thing to do — it makes the work a little less hard.”

The work seems to be catching on. Roan, long outspoken on LGBTQ+ rights issues, will throw the Super Graphic Spectacular concert at the Shrine in Los Angeles on Oct. 21-22, benefiting trans youth through Roan’s Midwest Princess Project. Last year, Doechii told the audience at the GLAAD Media Awards in L.A. that as ”hard-won cultural change and rights for transgender people and the LGBTQ+ community have been threatened,” the superstar rapper was “disgusted” by the revanchism.

“Olivia’s involvement is such a gift, because she is reaching and educating young people who may feel checked out or hopeless on these issues,” Northup said. “Olivia is giving us a chance to meet young people where they’re at, and she’s approaching it with positivity. Her message is not about what we’ve lost, it’s about what we can accomplish if we channel our collective power as women and girls.”

Rodrigo just followed up her acclaimed LP “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love” with a new single, “Serena Joy,” titled after a character in Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” who complies with an oppressive theocracy.

“If they do it to them, they’re gonna do it to you,” Rodrigo sang, with a fury that brooks no room for despair.

“There’s a growing sentiment among young people and women that we have to create change, and hopefully people are inspired, whether it’s by engaging with some of our NPO partners or simply finding whatever way feels right to them,” Rodrigo said. “There is no doubt in my mind that protecting women and girls, and ensuring they have ownership over their own bodies, has to be a priority for all of us.”

The international body declared Uganda Ebola-free after 42 days without any new transmission, though cases are rising in DR Congo.

Uganda has been declared free of Ebola, with the World Health Organization (WHO) confirming that the East African country had passed the mandatory 42-day monitoring period without any new cases.

WHO made the announcement at a joint news conference on Tuesday with Uganda’s Ministry of Health.

But the declaration came roughly a month after Uganda had declared that the local outbreak was over, based on its own analysis of the virus’s spread.

“We had assessed the risk, we had assessed the whole chain of transmission and the dynamics of importation of the virus in the country, and we knew that we were free from Ebola,” Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary for Uganda’s Health Ministry, told national broadcaster NTV.

“However, WHO had to wait because that’s the process. That’s the guideline.”

Atwine called on countries that had imposed travel restrictions on Uganda during the outbreak to lift them.

“Unless they have other reasons, they should definitely lift the restrictions off the country, and Ugandans should be free to travel to any country,” she said.

Uganda reported 20 Ebola infections in total, with its last confirmed case recorded on June 21. Two people died from the virus during the outbreak.

The last patient was discharged from Mulago National Referral Isolation Centre on July 16, and the Health Ministry formally declared the outbreak over on July 28.

The outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), by contrast, is accelerating.

Confirmed cases in the DRC reached 5,656 as of August 25, an increase of 72 from a report released one day prior. A total of 2,715 deaths have been recorded, according to the latest government data cited by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Ituri province, in the northeast of the country, remains the epicentre of the outbreak, with more than 4,700 people infected.

Uganda shares a border with the northeast part of the DRC, stretching more than 877km (500 miles).

Kasonde Mwinga, the WHO’s representative for Uganda, said in Wednesday’s news conference that the country was supporting treatment and laboratory capacity at two sites across the border, in Aru and Kasenyi, both part of the Ituri province.

Mwinga added that the model for cross-border collaboration could be expanded regionally.

Already, Uganda has announced it would open two additional Ebola treatment centres in the DRC, bringing the total to four.

On Monday, Ugandan and Congolese officials also met in Kampala to review a bilateral memorandum of understanding on cross-border health security.

Kenneth Akiiri, the undersecretary for Uganda’s Health Ministry, called for the WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to mobilise further resources.

“When you are vulnerable and you have littler resources, you are supposed to raise an alarm for help,” Akiiri said in a joint statement.

For his part, DRC delegation head Adelard Lufungula urged strong action to combat the virus. “We want to fight Ebola like a war,” he said.

Aug. 26 (UPI) — The U.S. Treasury issued sanctions Wednesday against British-based direct action group Palestine Action and two other organizations it called “violent far-left terrorist networks.”

The treasury declared Palestine Action a “specially designated global terrorist,” meaning that it can freeze the group’s assets, including bank accounts and property. The sanctions also prohibit people from giving funds, goods or services to the organization.

“Far-left extremists, their fronts and their enablers should be on notice: We will bring the full weight of our economic tools to bear,” said Scott Bessent, secretary of the treasury. “Political terrorism has no place in our society, and we will continue to cut the financial lifelines of these groups until they are eliminated.”

In response, Huda Ammori, the co-founder of Palestine Action, said the group’s activities in the United States and other countries “have always been about saving lives by disrupting the Israeli war machine, which is committing a genocide in Gaza with the support of the U.S. government,” The Guardian reported.

“Trump has been at the center of the mass murder of Palestinians, enabling the Zionist regime at every turn,” Ammori said.

Palestine Action was also the first direct action group named under Britain’s Terrorism Act in July 2025. The group is fighting the ban in a legal challenge before the country’s supreme court in November.

“The fact that Trump is now taking inspiration from Britain’s repression of the movement for Palestinian freedom exposes just how dangerous this ban is and should be a wake-up call to anyone who cares about free speech and civil liberties,” Ammori said.

The U.S. Treasury said Palestine Action “has supported numerous acts of terrorism since July 2020, including acts that have physically injured U.K. law enforcement personnel, as well as acts intended to intimidate lawful commercial enterprises and coerce the U.K. government.

“The group’s action include multiple high-profile instances of breaking into defense infrastructure and British military installations and causing millions of dollars’ worth of damage to military equipment,” it said.

In March 2025, Trump’s golf course in Scotland was targeted by Palestine Action supporters who painted graffiti on the clubhouse and damaged the course, spraying “Gaza is not 4 sale.” Trump at the time called those responsible “terrorists.”

Other groups named global terrorist organizations by the United States include Hamas, al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

The groups sanctioned Wednesday also include Autistici Inventati, an Italy-based group “that supplies specialized digital architecture, tools and services for Antifa cells and other violent far-left extremists,” and Masar Badil, “which operates as a front for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine,” the treasury said.

The San Diego Padres minor league catching coordinator is in the custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will remain so “pending removal proceedings,” a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday in a statement.

Oswaldo Pirela, a former Texas Rangers minor league player, was detained Sunday morning at El Paso International Airport.

Pirela, 34, was flying to Phoenix, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. The Padres’ triple-A affiliate is the El Paso Chihuahuas, and Pirela was with the team during its home game Saturday night against the Salt Lake City Bees, an Angels affiliate.

The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Pirela came to the United States from his native Venezuela in September 2014 and that his permission to remain expired Feb. 10, 2018.

Homeland Security said Pirela was not carrying his work permit at the time he was detained. Pirela’s brother Juan Pirela presented Phoenix multimedia news organization Arizona’s Family with Oswaldo’s work permit, which indicated it was issued in 2024 and is valid until 2029.

“It’s very hard. He’s authorized to work in the United States,” Juan Pirela said. “So, the same department, Homeland Security, issues a work permit but then somehow it’s not enough.”

The Homeland Security statement addressed the issue: “To be clear, work authorization or a pending application do NOT confer legal status in the United States.”

“In violation of our nation’s laws, [Pirela] overstayed his welcome. When approached by law enforcement officers, he was not in possession of legal documentation granting him status in the country. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process.

As a roving catching instructor, Pirela is based out of the Padres’ spring-training complex in Peoria, Ariz., and travels to the organization’s minor league affiliates in San Antonio, Fort Wayne, Ind., and Lake Elsinore in addition to El Paso. He spent the 2024 season as bench coach for the Class-A Lake Elsinore Storm and became the organization’s catching coordinator in 2025.

“We recently became aware of the detainment of minor league catching coordinator Oswaldo Pirela in El Paso, Texas,” the Padres club said in a statement. “We are working to gather additional information and will not have any further comment at this time.”

Pirela was signed by the Rangers at age 17 out of Barquisimeto, Venezuela, and played catcher, first base and the outfield from 2009 to 2011 for the team’s Dominican Republic Summer League affiliate.

Stephen A. Smith fired back at the National Assn. of Black Journalists on Monday, calling its decision to give him a “Thumbs Down” award, because of his consistent criticism of Black female politicians, a political and “personal hit job.”

In a 44-minute address on his YouTube channel, the outspoken sports commentator said that while he was “far from perfect and … will always try to do better on behalf of my community and for the journalism community and beyond, that does not negate the bulls— that the NABJ did.”

He added, “I’ve received a lot of insults in my day, but that might be the lowest.”

Smith said the award, which was given Saturday at the organization’s gala, had nothing to do with journalism, attributing the dishonor to board members unhappy with his political opinions. “They did not engage in journalism when it came to critiquing me,” he said.

“People are scared,” he added, calling himself a registered independent. “See, I talk too much and I don’t speak glowingly enough about the Democratic party.” He called out NABJ President Errin Haines, who is editor-at-large for the nonprofit news outlet the 19th, saying she and other board members did not reach out.

“What you did to me was beneath the organization,” Smith said.

He said he invited Haines to discuss the award on the air but she declined, saying she would prefer a private conversation off the air.

The NABJ pushed back on Smith‘s account of the conversation. “President Haines welcomed the opportunity to speak with Mr. Smith and proposed that they begin with a private conversation focused on listening, accountability and meaningful dialogue, with the opportunity for public engagement to follow,” it said Monday in a statement. “At no point did President Haines decline a conversation with Mr. Smith or rule out a future public conversation.”

Other recipients of the “Thumbs Down” award included Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission; DuJuan McCoy, Circle City Broadcasting president and chief executive; CBS News and the Washington Post.

The statement continued: “As President Haines emphasized in her remarks Saturday night, the purpose of the Thumbs Down Award is not permanent condemnation or criticism for criticism’s sake. Accountability should create an opportunity for reflection, dialogue and progress. NABJ remains open to meaningful engagement with any of this year’s recipients and will continue fulfilling its responsibility to advocate for Black journalists, fair and accurate coverage of Black communities, and a strong and independent press.”

In its presentation of the award, the NABJ said Smith “has established a recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports and media.”

The statement continued, “Such commentary reinforces harmful narratives, undermines the fair and respectful representation of Black women in public discourse and stands in direct conflict with NABJ’s longstanding commitment to accurate, responsible and inclusive portrayals of Black communities.”

Smith then took to social media vowing he would strike back: “This is the epitome of Christmas arriving early. The NABJ wants to call folks out, fine! You had your turn, now mine is coming. And make no mistake…..,I’m coming,” he wrote.

Smith has been increasingly vocal about his politics as he hints at a possible presidential run. His statements, bombastic delivery and occasional praise for President Trump have come under fire in Black media and with celebrities. He accused Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas last September of using “street verbiage” in her frequent criticisms of Trump. He also has been critical of former First Lady Michelle Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, tennis star Serena Williams and others.

Smith defended those remarks Monday, saying he felt he was being fair and was supportive of the women. He declared that supporting Black women always has been a priority in his life.

“Everything I am, everything that I have achieved, everything that has lifted me up in my life has been associated with Black women. They have been my strength, my source of inspiration and so much more my entire life,” he said.

He added that he would not have been targeted by the Black media if he made the same sort of comments about conservative figures.

During his speech, he noted how the “Thumbs Down” award marked a reversal of NABJ’s previous embrace of him and his ESPN show “First Take,” when it hosted live broadcasts of the program during its 2024 and 2025 conventions. Smith also implied that instead of being hammered by the NABJ, he should be celebrated because he is about to be inducted into the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame.

The NABJ statement further outlined the history of the “Thumbs Down” award, saying it has been handed out 44 times since it was first presented in 1989. The designation holds “individuals and institutions across the media landscape accountable when their reporting, commentary or practices have conflicted with the organization’s mission and values. Recipients over the years have included Black and non-Black individuals and institutions. NABJ calls balls and strikes based on the conduct and issues before us, not the identity of the recipient.”

Despite his anger, Smith told listeners he had no ill will toward the organization. “Please continue to support the NABJ,” he said.

When the Oakland Athletics released Max Muncy before the 2017 season, the then-26-year-old didn’t know if a baseball career was for him anymore, let alone a future at third base.

“Man, there’s a lot with that,” Muncy told The Times. “It’s just a lot.”

Then, the Dodgers came calling, signing Muncy to a minor-league contract in late April 2017.

And now — nine seasons, three All-Star nods and three World Series championships later — Muncy just eclipsed 10 years of service time on Sunday against the Brewers, eight days before his 36th birthday.

“It’s special. It’s a rare accomplishment in baseball,” Muncy said of the feat that fewer than 10% of all MLB players reach. “It’s something that I’m extremely proud of. There’s not many things that I take personal pride in when it comes to, you know, personal accomplishments. For me, it’s always about winning rings and doing things as a team.

“But this is one of the few that I’m really, really proud of, and I’ll definitely cherish.”

No one could’ve foreseen the unobtrusively great career that Muncy has carved out for himself, specifically over the last nine seasons in Los Angeles since getting called up in 2018.

Entering this week’s three-game series in Colorado against the Rockies, Muncy is the Dodgers’ all-time playoff home run leader with 16 and is fifth on the franchise’s all-time home runs list with 233. He has slashed .234/.357/.486 over 1,039 regular-season games with the club, anchoring lineups alongside countless big-name teammates while evolving into a trustworthy defender.

Even someone who’s seen Muncy’s journey up close like Dodgers reliever Brock Stewart, who was also vying for a big-league opportunity in Triple-A Oklahoma City during that forever-ago 2017 season, is still moved by his ascent.

“He’s always been a good teammate [and] always been a good human,” Stewart said. “I don’t know if he always believed in himself, and I can relate to that, because I didn’t believe in myself all the time … But to see him and how he persevered through that feeling [or] that self-doubt and became what he is now [is] super special.

“And, man, to know that he’s now the Dodger [Stadium] all-time home run leader? Whatever it is … after being an older guy in Triple-A with me and then getting called up … special.”

In retrospect, though, this was always Muncy’s destiny.

He’s long been a manager’s dream, a status that is timeless and priceless.

“I remember a guy that just got DFA’d that was sort of kicked to the curb by an organization that didn’t believe in him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Muncy. “He was close to being out of baseball … He’s one of the leaders on our ballclub, the longest-tenured Dodger currently. So I just have nothing but praise.

“The ability to kind of adapt, start, come off the bench and still [do] whatever it takes to help the team win — he’s all in. … He does everything you want as a manager — everything. He’s cut from the same Freddie Freeman cloth.”

Muncy is as team-first as it gets.

Although some stats might occasionally catch his eye, Muncy doesn’t put much thought into individual accomplishments. Recently passing Eric Karros, for example, for first in career homers at Dodger Stadium — Muncy currently has 132 to Karros’ 130 — doesn’t light up Muncy as one might think.

“There’s not much when it comes to me, personally, that I care about,” Muncy said. “But three rings is definitely what I [cherish] most.”

That selfless approach is what MLB’s premier organization and latest dynasty loves most about Muncy.

“He’s a guy that is always going to show up for the team and do whatever it takes to put the team in a good position,” said Miguel Rojas, Dodgers infielder and veteran leader. “That’s what I believe is a sign of a leader without talking much. … Every time he goes out there and he breaks a record, you feel good for the guy because he’s been working really hard toward the things he has right now in his power.

“I’m so happy and proud that I can say I was a teammate with him because he was one of the first guys that kind of opened his arms to me when I got back here in 2023. … He’s a guy you always can root for, especially in this organization full of stars. He always gets [overlooked] a little bit, but I feel like he’s one of the leaders of this club, and he will be until he retires.”

L.A. has borne witness to nothing but stars over the years.

Since Muncy has called L.A. home, he’s suited up alongside several future Hall of Famers, from Clayton Kershaw to Shohei Ohtani, mainly at the hot corner, where the bar is high after the trails blazed by Justin Turner, Ron Cey and others.

But if Muncy’s 10 years of service represent anything, it’s that he has become a Dodgers great, too — even if he hasn’t fully embraced the label yet.

“Surreal. It’s crazy. I definitely don’t see myself as that,” Muncy said of his growing place in Dodgers history. “But maybe one day, when I’m done, I’ll be able to sit back and kind of reflect on that. But for me, it’s just all surreal.”