Notable:Klare began his career at Purdue and played three seasons for the Boilermakers before transferring to Ohio State.
Last season: Klare caught 43 passes for 448 yards and two touchdowns for the Buckeyes, who finished 12-2.
Why the Rams drafted him: McVay at times used a tight-end heavy offense during the latter part of last season, so the Rams need reinforcements for a position group that includes veteran Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen and Terrance Ferguson. Higbee is at the far end of his career and Parkinson is in the final year of his contract, and none of his salary is guaranteed, according to Overthecap.com.
Florida center Jake Slaughter gets set during a game against Kentucky in 2024.
(Gary McCullough / Associated Press)
6-4, 303 pounds | Florida | Round 2, Pick 63
Notable: Slaughter was a finalist for the 2025 Rimington Trophy, awarded to the top center in college football. He was a two-time All-American and three-year starter at Florida.
Last season: Slaughter, 23, ranked 18th among FBS centers in pass block grade (84.1) and third in run block grade (80.2) in 2025, per Pro Football Focus. Over 748 snaps last season, he allowed four total pressures, one sack and one hit on his way to earning All-Southeastern conference honors.
Why the Chargers drafted him: Despite Slaughter playing as a center in college, the Chargers are confident he can compete with Trevor Penning for a starting job at left guard. The Chargers like his versatility at both guard positions and center, offering them a potential starter at either position and much-needed depth. After last season’s struggles to protect quarterback Justin Herbert in the wake of injuries to Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, it makes perfect sense Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz would use a Day 2 pick to extend their flexibility on the offensive line.
Dishing about what you’re reading is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Even better if your audience has read the same book. Reading with others also provides space to deepen community, ignite conversations and share moments of joy. Los Angeles needs that more than ever right now as we continue to shoulder a heavy 2025 marked by fires and ICE raids. But how to choose a book to get started? The best books to read in groups inspire a dialogue. They have sparkling prose and unshakable narratives. These were the guiding factors for compiling our recommendations for all kinds of readers.
We surveyed 200-plus luminaries in the book and journalism worlds to make this in-depth list. The voters included prizewinning authors, indie bookstore owners, a Man Booker Prize judge, Ivy League professors, literary agents, lauded journalists and several zealous book club members. To ensure an especially varied selection, the editors gave a final curatorial pass.
The list includes 10 categories for every type of reader, whether you reach for literary fiction or romance. We also crowned an “Ultimate Book Club Pick,” which is the title that received the most votes out of all the books by a landslide, and happens to be eerily prophetic (find it among the “Make-Believers” selections). Of course, we couldn’t include every worthy book. Let us know your picks and pull up a chair next to us. Why not read together? — Sophia Kercher
If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores.
One quarterback will go in the first round of the NFL draft, but he won’t have to wait long to hear his name.
And five Ohio State players will go in the opening round, including three in the first seven picks.
That’s how this year’s beat-writer draft unfolds, at least. For more than two decades, the Los Angeles Times has turned to reporters who cover NFL teams on a daily basis to make their selections.
This year’s version is heavy on edge rushers, light on quarterbacks, and has two running backs as bookends at the beginning and end of Thursday night’s first round, which for the first time is taking place in Pittsburgh.
🚨 The NFL reporters’ mock draft begins at 9 a.m. PDT, with the Las Vegas Raiders on the clock at No. 1.
The new officials were backed by a large majority of the legislature. (Archive)
Mérida, April 14, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan National Assembly (AN) appointed Larry Devoe as the new Attorney General and Eglée González Lobato as the Ombudswoman during an ordinary session on Thursday, April 9.
The appointments were the result of a parliamentary selection process in the wake of the resignations of Tarek William Saab and Alfredo Ruiz, who previously held the positions, in February. The new officials will assume their roles immediately.
The National Assembly finalized the appointments following the review of a list of 71 candidates for Attorney General and 61 for Ombudsman. According to official reports, the selection focused on technical and academic backgrounds, while multiple deputies spoke of the need to select “consensus” candidates.
Devoe is a lawyer who has held various legal and diplomatic positions within the Venezuelan government, having served as the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Council. In recent years, he represented Venezuela before the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS) on human rights matters.
Devoe had taken over the Attorney General post on an interim basis following Saab’s resignation. Saab had served as the country’s top prosecutor since 2017. Following his appointment and swearing-in, Devoe used his official channels to vow that his office would be committed to “defending human rights” and “protecting our people.”
For her part, new Ombudswoman González is also an attorney and a university professor specializing in Administrative Law at the Central University of Venezuela (UCV).
She served as the Director of the UCV’s Democracy and Elections Chair and has worked as an institutional and electoral analyst. The parliamentary nominations committee highlighted González’s academic background and experience in human rights as primary factors for her selection to replace Ruiz.
Devoe and González were ratified on the posts with the approval of 275 of 285 National Assembly deputies, receiving the endorsement of the ruling Socialist Party (PSUV) and allies, as well as part of the opposition.
González, who has been identified as representing a sector of the moderate opposition, was proposed by David Uzcátegui from the Fuerza Vecinal party. Devoe’s candidacy was put forward by the PSUV.
Addressing the chamber, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez emphasized the importance of reaching political agreements and “respecting differences.”
The right-wing Libertad faction opposed the appointments, with legislator Henri Falcón stating that the appointees did not meet “autonomy and democratic plurality” criteria.
“In the past, the institutions have been used as politically partial spaces and ideological trenches,” stressed Falcón, a former presidential candidate.
The renewal of the Attorney General and Ombudsman’s Office coincides with the processing of thousands of amnesty requests currently under review by judicial authorities. According to the National Assembly, the Amnesty Law approved in February has benefited more than 8,000 beneficiaries in less than two months.
“The economy is the most important thing”
Parliamentary leader Jorge Rodríguez stressed the importance of “dialogue” among different political factions and working to “strengthen” state institutions in a recent interview with Spanish daily El País.
“We are rapidly pushing for changes so that people feel the country’s democratic institutions are functioning properly,” he stated.
When asked about the possibility of holding elections, Rodríguez argued that the country’s economy is “the most important thing right now.”
Since January, the Venezuelan legislature has fast-tracked a number of important new laws with support from the acting Delcy Rodríguez administration, including pro-business reforms to the country’s hydrocarbon and mining frameworks.
“The Venezuelan economy needs to gain enough momentum so that the population feels this entire process was worth it,” he added, in reference to the January 3 US bombings and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro which Rodríguez described as a “traumatic event.”
The Venezuelan official went on to argue that “there is much work to be done” ahead of an eventual electoral process, including the selection of an electoral authority that all political organizations can “trust.”
The first UCLA player off the WNBA draft board Monday night was Lauren Betts, who went No. 4 overall to the Washington Mystics.
Betts’ selection touched off a lengthy Bruins celebration in New York, with UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez selected No. 5 by the Chicago Sky and UCLA guard Kiki Rice selected No. 6 by expansion team Toronto Tempo.
After a brief break, UCLA forward Angela Dugalic was next in line. She was selected with the No. 9 pick by the Washington Mystics, where she will join Betts.
It is the second time the same college had four players selected in the first round. The last time was in 2002 when UConn had four first-round draft picks.
Betts averaged 17.1 points per game, 8.8 rebounds and shot 58.2% from the field as a senior in the Bruins’ national championship run. She was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, was an AP All-American First Team and Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
“I play with joy,” Betts said on ESPN after she was drafted. “This season has been so joyful. … You can see all the positivity that I play with.”
UCLA center Lauren Betts poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 4 by the Washington Mystics Monday.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
She also joined her former Stanford teammate and USC rival Kiki Iriafen, who was a first-round pick last year.
“It’s been amazing, I’ve grown so much, my confidence, I’ve owned who I am as a player and a person,” Betts said.
Jaquez spent all four seasons with UCLA and was one of the most improved players in the nation en route to helping the Bruins win a national title. She averaged 13.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds and shot 53.9% from the field and 39% from three-point range.
“I’m so excited to be here, I think having these dreams of going to UCLA and going to the WNBA and to achieve them not only by myself, but with my teammates means everything,” she told ESPN.
UCLA guard Gabriela Jaquez poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 5 by the Chicago Sky on Monday.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team and was an All-Big Ten second team selection.
“Going into every game and doing what the team needs,” she said about how she wanted to contribute to Chicago. “I’m going into training camp ready to learn, being a sponge and being myself and working hard.”
Rice played four seasons for the Bruins and scored 14.9 points per game with 5.9 rebounds last season while picking up 4.3 assists and averaging a 49% from the field. She was named an AP third-team All-American, was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team and was on the Big Ten First Team and all-Defensive team.
“I take a ton of pride in being the best teammate and figuring out how to make everyone better around me,” she told ESPN. “Really excited to get to work and meet everyone. It’s going to be really important to have great leadership.”
UCLA guard Kiki Rice poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 6 by the Toronto Tempo on Monday.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
Rice was grateful so many UCLA players got a chance to celebrate getting selected.
“This is so special,” she said. “Every one of us here deserves it so much.”
Dugalic came off the bench last season as the Bruins’ sixth player after starting the previous two seasons. In her role, she was one of the most steady veteran players in the country.
“That’s gonna be great,” Dugalic said to ESPN of playing with Betts. “I’m super excited for that. That will be a smooth transition, playing with her.”
UCLA forward Angela Dugalic poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected No. 9 by the Washington Mystics on Monday.
(Pamela Smith / Associated Press)
The Big Ten Sixth Player of the year averaged 9.0 points per game, 5.6 rebounds and shot 50.2% from the field. She can shoot from range at 32.6% and is a tough perimeter defender and can bang in the post at 6-foot-4.
Earlier in the draft, UConn guard Azzi Fudd was selected by Dallas Wings with the No. 1 overall pick. Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles was selected by the Minnesota Lynx with the No. 2 pick. Awa Fam Thiam, who played in Spain, was selected by the Seattle Storm with the No. 3 pick.
In between UCLA picks, Iyana Martín Carrión, of Spain, was selected No. 7 overall by the Portland Fire. LSU star Flau’jae Johnson was selected No. 8 by the Golden State Valkyries.
South Carolina’s Raven Johnson was selected No. 10 by the Indiana Fever. Ole Miss’ Cotie McMahon was selected No. 11 by the Washington Mystics. Nell Angloma, of France, was selected No. 12 by the Connecticut Sun. South Carolina’s Madina Okot was selected No. 13 by the Atlanta Dream. Duke’s Taina Mair was selected No. 14 by the Seattle Storm.
The Sparks are idle in the first round and will make picks in the second and third rounds.
Liverpool could not play on the Monday because of the Champions League, so Sky Sports could swap the games.
Everton‘s game is on a Monday, but it was not picked for a Monday. So it may not count as part of the Monday allocation.
Sky Sports says the process involves so many bodies, including clubs and the police, that much of the decision-making is taken out of their hands.
The order of first, second and third-choice picks between Sky and TNT Sports can also have an influence.
It is clear that the five-appearance maximum is a just loose limit.
Supporters will simply see their club has been picked six, seven or eight times.
Manchester United will almost certainly be in Europe next season, so will join the band of clubs largely shielded from the Friday-Monday package.
But with at least eight Premier League clubs set to be in Europe, the issue is not going to go away.
If Tottenham stay in the Premier League they will go to the top of the list for Friday and Monday selection, given they have a large fan base and are viewed as a glamourous club.
Everton fans say the scenario is “damaging supporter accessibility, matchday experience, and long-term engagement”.
The issue that has created the most noise since Tuchel took charge is about how he has dealt with Jude Bellingham and the battle for the number 10 position.
The Real Madrid midfielder was left out of the October camp after injury despite wanting to join up as Tuchel favoured keeping a settled group after excellent performances.
Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers impressed in qualifying, starting five of England’s eight group games, and has become the first-choice number 10.
“Rather than finding positions for my best players just so that I can have them on the field, I prefer to put everyone in their best positions and have some competition,” Tuchel said when speaking about the pair going up against each other.
There is no denying Bellingham is one of the best midfielders in the world when he is fit and in form, but the midfielder is currently working his way back from a hamstring injury and has not played since 1 February.
It’s easy to forget that Bellingham is just 22, given he has already produced some iconic moments for England such as his last-gasp bicycle kick against Slovakia at Euro 2024 and his assist for Cole Palmer’s goal in the final.
Tuchel has made a point about how his England team need to be settled and united, but if Bellingham is producing his best for Madrid at the end of the season, the England manager has a very difficult decision on his hands.
Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, who has also had injury problems this season, has barely played under Tuchel, featuring for just 65 minutes.
And Phil Foden’s role is not clear in this England squad – he was called up as a back-up striker for the last camp and assisted Eberechi Eze in the win over Serbia at Wembley in November from that position.
