Columbus was without defenseman Zach Werenski, who is day to day with a lower body injury sustained blocking a shot against the Ducks on Saturday. Werenski leads the Blue Jackets in goals, assists and points, and his 14 goals are tied with Washington’s Jakob Chychrun for most in the NHL by a defenseman.
However, newcomer Marchment made up for it, scoring twice in the first period, giving him three goals in two games since being acquired from Seattle on Friday. He opened the scoring 4:07 into the game with a wrist shot off Forsberg’s blocker, before making it 2-0 with 23.5 seconds remaining in the first period when Boone Jenner’s shot took a double deflection and went in off Marchment’s shoulder.
Kuzmenko got the Kings on the scoreboard with 1:19 remaining in the second, but Marchenko added a third power-play tally for the Blue Jackets with 5:46 remaining in the third. The three goals with the man-advantage were a season high, and it was the third time the Blue Jackets had multiple power-play goals.
The Kings were playing for the first time since trading third-line center Phillip Danault to Montreal on Friday, but newly promoted bottom six centers Alex Turcotte and Samuel Helenius struggled to make a consistent impact with frequent penalties creating a choppy game flow.
Up next for the Kings: vs. Seattle at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
United States President Donald Trump has issued a new warning to Nicolas Maduro, saying “it would be smart” for the Venezuelan leader to leave power, as Washington escalates a pressure campaign against Caracas.
The warning on Monday came as Russia pledged “full support” for Maduro’s government, and China condemned the US’s seizure of two oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela.
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Trump, speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida alongside his top national security aides, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, suggested that he remains ready to further escalate his four-month pressure campaign.
When asked if the goal was to force Maduro from power, Trump told reporters: “Well, I think it probably would… That’s up to him what he wants to do. I think it’d be smart for him to do that. But again, we’re gonna find out.”
“If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’s ever able to play tough,” he added.
Trump levied his latest threat as the US coastguard continued for a second day to chase a third oil tanker that it described as part of a “dark fleet” that Venezuela uses to evade US sanctions.
“It’s moving along, and we’ll end up getting it,” Trump said.
The US president also promised to keep the ships and the nearly 4 million barrels of Venezuelan oil the coastguard has seized so far.
“Maybe we’ll sell it. Maybe we’ll keep it. Maybe we will use it in the strategic reserves,” he said. “We’re keeping it. We’re keeping the ships also.”
Maduro fires back
Trump’s campaign against Venezuela’s vital oil sector comes amid a large US military buildup in the region with a stated mission of combating drug trafficking, as well as more than two dozen strikes on alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near the South American nation.
Critics have questioned the legality of the attacks, which have killed more than 100 people.
Venezuela denies any involvement in drug trafficking and insists that Washington is seeking to overthrow Maduro to seize the country’s oil reserves, which are the world’s largest.
It has condemned the US’s vessel seizures as acts of “international piracy”.
Maduro fired back at Trump hours after the latest warning, saying the US president would be “better off” if he focused on his own country’s problems rather than threatening Caracas.
“He would be better off in his own country on economic and social issues, and he would be better off in the world if he took care of his country’s affairs,” Maduro said in a speech broadcast on public television.
The exchange of words came on the eve of a United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the growing crisis.
Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov, in a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil, slammed the US’s actions and expressed support for Caracas.
“The ministers expressed their deep concern over the escalation of Washington’s actions in the Caribbean Sea, which could have serious consequences for the region and threaten international shipping,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
“The Russian side reaffirmed its full support for and solidarity with the Venezuelan leadership and people in the current context,” it added.
US blockade
China also condemned the US’s latest moves as a “serious violation of international law”.
“China opposes any actions that violate the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and infringe upon the sovereignty and security of other countries,” said Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“Venezuela has the right to develop independently and engage in a mutually beneficial cooperation with other nations. China understands and supports Venezuela’s stance in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests,” he added.
Last week, Rubio brushed aside Moscow’s stated support for Caracas.
Washington, he said, was “not concerned about an escalation with Russia with regards to Venezuela” as “they have their hands full in Ukraine”.
US-Russia relations have soured in recent weeks as Trump has voiced frustration with Moscow over the lack of a resolution on the war in Ukraine
Gil, on Monday, also read a letter on state television, signed by Maduro and addressed to UN member nations, warning that the US blockade “will affect the supply of oil and energy” globally.
“Venezuela reaffirms its vocation for peace, but also declares with absolute clarity that it is prepared to defend its sovereignty, its territorial integrity and its resources in accordance with international law,” he said.
“However, we responsibly warn that these aggressions will not only impact Venezuela. The blockade and piracy against Venezuelan energy trade will affect oil and energy supply, increase instability in international markets, and hit the economies of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries.”
Bob Chesney didn’t have to go far to secure his most important player.
He was already on campus.
Nico Iamaleava has agreed to return to UCLA for next season, giving the Bruins a top-level quarterback as part of their new coach’s bid for a quick turnaround from a 3-9 season under his predecessor and an interim coach.
Iamaleava announced his intentions on Instagram, posting a highlight video alongside a caption reading, “NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Back with my brothers. Same vision. Same goals. Same grind. Locked in. Time to work!”
The possible benefits go beyond improving Iamaleava’s NFL draft stock with a strong season. Another important plus could be the reputational boost associated with staying put after Iamaleava left Tennessee during spring practice in 2025 as part of an emotionally charged falling out with the Volunteers that sparked widespread criticism.
Remaining a Bruin will also allow the redshirt junior to spend at least one more season on the same team as his brother Madden, who will be a redshirt freshman quarterback after appearing at the end of one game last season.
None of UCLA’s struggles in 2025 could be blamed on its starting quarterback. Constantly under duress from a pass rush that met little resistance from his offensive line, Iamaleava was his team’s leading passer and rusher despite being sacked 27 times.
Iamaleava accounted for 17 of his team’s 24 touchdowns and led the Bruins with 10 plays of 20 yards or more, all coming on the ground. Although he wasn’t a prolific passer — his 255 yards through the air as part of a furious comeback against Nevada Las Vegas were a season high — Iamaleava’s ability to produce big plays with his arm and his legs presented a huge problem for opposing defenses.
Iamaleava’s passing accuracy enjoyed a slight uptick from his final season at Tennessee, where he helped the Volunteers reach the College Football Playoff. In his first season as a Bruin after returning home in part to be closer to his family in Long Beach, Iamaleava completed 64.4% of his passes for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
Whether he was scrambling out of the pocket or sprinting on designed quarterback runs, Iamaleava might have been hardest to stop when he planted his feet and took off. He led the team with 505 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 112 carries, including 128 yards and three touchdowns during a victory over then-No. 7 Penn State.
Equally important was the leadership of a player who unflinchingly met with the media after losses and challenged others. Amid the team’s 0-4 start, Iamaleava told teammates they could leave if they didn’t want to stay and help spark a turnaround. No one did, and the team went on to win its next three games.
Now Iamaleava is staying put, giving his coach a huge building block as part of his efforts to forge a sturdy foundation.
It’s difficult to overshadow a game in which two touchdowns were negated by the officials in the last 30 seconds, enabling the Pittsburgh Steelers to hang on for a 29-24 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday in a Week 16 game with significant playoff implications.
Offensive interference penalties erased both Lions scores, including one of the wildest plays ever seen as time expired. What possibly could steal a headline from that?
How about Steelers star wide receiver DK Metcalf reaching into the stands and swinging at a fan with seemingly more force than the contact by Lions receivers that prompted the offensive interference flags?
Multiple videos captured Metcalf approach a fan wearing a blue wig at the first row of seats behind the Steelers’ bench at Ford Field. The fan leaned over the rail to say something and Metcalf reached up, grabbed him by the shirt or wig with his right hand before turning and walking away.
What would prompt Metcalf, one of the NFL’s top receivers in each of his seven seasons, to lose his temper and allegedly engage with a fan in a way strictly forbidden by the league?
Well, the fan, who identified himself as Ryan Kennedy from Pinckney, Mich., to the Detroit Free Press, said he called Metcalf by his full given name — DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf — and that apparently touched a nerve.
“He doesn’t like his government name. I called him that and then he grabbed me and ripped my shirt,” Kennedy said. “I’m a little shocked. Like everyone’s talking to me. I’m a little rattled, but I just want the Lions to win, baby.”
Kennedy didn’t get his wish thanks to Lions receivers getting too pushy themselves, albeit on the field of play.
The play that will be replayed countless times came as time expired. Lions star wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown was stopped after catching a pass at the one-yard line, but before the whistle St. Brown underhanded the ball back to quarterback Jared Goff, who barreled into the end zone for what appeared to be a miraculous game-winning touchdown.
However, St. Brown had given Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey a shove before breaking free to make the catch and a flag had been thrown before Goff crossed the goal line. The officials announced after a lengthy huddle that St. Brown had committed offensive pass interference and that the game was over.
The applicable NFL rule reads: “If there is a foul by the offense, there shall be no extension of the period. If the foul occurs on the last play of the half, a score by the offense is not counted.”
Fewer than 30 seconds earlier, Lions rookie wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa set an illegal pick that enabled St. Brown — a former USC and Mater Dei High star — to break free in the end zone and make a nine-yard scoring catch.
The Steelers sideline erupted in joy after the second call resulted in a victory that put them in control of their destiny for the AFC North title. They need one win or a Baltimore Ravens loss in the last two weeks of the regular season to clinch it and secure a home playoff game.
The Lions, meanwhile, had their playoff chances reduced to 6% after the loss.
DeKaylin Zecharius Metcalf, it can be presumed, has a near 100% chance of being fined and suspended by the NFL for taking the swing at Kennedy.
One of college football’s longest-lasting and most storied rivalries will be taking a break in 2026.
After months of negotiations and public posturing, USC and Notre Dame have failed to reach an agreement to continue their rivalry series, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to discuss it publicly.
USC has now turned its focus to finding a new nonconference opponent to fill out its 2026 schedule. The earliest the two rivals could play again, a person familiar with discussions told The Times, is the 2030 season.
The rivalry series dates back to 1926 and was only previously paused for World War II. With the exception of the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, the two schools had played for 78 straight seasons. They last met in October, with Notre Dame dealing USC a 34-24 defeat.
The Rams have lost four games this season, three resulting in part from special teams breakdowns.
In the aftermath of their defeat by the Seattle Seahawks, coach Sean McVay made a significant move.
Chase Blackburn, the Rams’ special teams coordinator for the last three seasons, has been fired, a team official said Saturday.
Assistant Ben Kotwica remains on the staff.
Earlier this month, Blackburn said, “The job of a special teams coach is to be able to adapt and overcome on all things.”
That proved a challenge for a team that features a high-powered offense, and an at-times dominating defense.
On Thursday night in Seattle, the Rams led by 16 points in the fourth quarter when they allowed Rashid Shaheed to return a punt 58 yards for a touchdown. The play sparked the Seahawks’ comeback that sent the Rams to a 38-37 overtime defeat.
The loss dropped the Rams’ record to 11-4, and knocked them out of the No. 1 seed in the NFC and first place in the NFC West.
The breakdown was the latest in a series of special teams issues that have plagued the Rams.
In September at Philadelphia, the Eagles blocked two field-goal attempts by Joshua Karty, returning the second for a winning touchdown on the final play of regulation.
Two weeks later, in a 26-23 overtime defeat by the San Francisco 49ers, Karty missed a long field-goal attempt and had an extra-point attempt blocked. Karty’s kickoff in overtime did not reach the landing zone, giving the 49ers the ball at the 40-yard line.
Before their Week 10 game against the 49ers, the Rams signed kicker Harrison Mevis to replace Karty and signed veteran snapper Jake McQuaide to replace Alex Ward.
The kicking game solidified. Mevis made all eight of his field-goal attempts, including three against the Seahawks, before he missed a 48-yard attempt with just over two minutes left in regulation.
The Rams, who clinched a playoff spot, play the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 29 in Atlanta and then conclude the regular season at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
Four years after the family of deceased Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs filed a wrongful death suit against the Angels, and two months into often contentious testimony in an Orange County Superior Court courtroom, jurors are set to begin deliberations on whether Skaggs’ widow and parents deserve hundreds of millions of dollars.
During closing statements Monday, plaintiffs lawyer Daniel Dutko argued that the Angels were negligent in failing to supervise Eric Kay, the drug-addicted team communications director who gave Skaggs the fentanyl that killed him in 2019.
However, Angels lawyer Todd Theodora insisted that Skaggs was a selfish, secretive opioid addict who for years manipulated Kay into obtaining drugs for him. Theodora told the jury that the Angels didn’t owe the Skaggs family any award.
“He died when he was doing things we teach our children and grandchildren not to do — do not chop up and snort pills from the street,” Theodora said.
But it’s not just Skaggs’ family and the Angels who have a lot riding on the jury’s decision. Among those powerful stakeholders who have been watching the proceedings closely are the agencies that insure the Angels.
According to people with knowledge of the Angels’ defense, the team is insured by several companies that each provide coverage with various limits, and it’s possible that those insurers could facilitate a case settlement even before the jury reaches its verdict.
“Insurance companies are in the business of mitigating risk; they don’t like uncertainty,” said Brian Panish, a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who was not involved in the case but has won several landmark jury verdicts. “They calculate risk and proceed from there. In this case we are talking about multiple insurance companies, a tower of insurance.”
Even though the insurance companies represent the Angels, they ultimately could reduce risk for the Skaggs family and their lawyers through an 11th-hour settlement.
Legal experts say that in cases where enormous sums of money are at stake, the two sides can reach what is called a high-low agreement, with the insurance companies promising to pay plaintiffs an agreed-upon sum even if the jury awards nothing. In exchange the plaintiffs accept an agreed-upon cap to their award — even if the jury thought they deserved more.
A nightmare outcome for the Skaggs family would be the jury awarding them nothing, meaning that in addition to widow Carli Skaggs and parents Debbie Hetman and Darrell Skaggs leaving empty-handed, their high-powered legal team that has spent thousands of hours on the case wouldn’t be paid. Their contingency fee — typically 35% to 40% of an award — would be zero.
A high-low agreement with the Angels would ensure that Skaggs’ lawyers are paid and the family gets some money even if the jury denies them anything.
Both sides are scrambling to assess risk before the jury returns a verdict. Another source of information for the Angels has been a “shadow jury,” a half-dozen or so people hired by the insurance companies to sit in on the trial and provide feedback to the Angels lawyers on their reactions to the testimony.
Next could come negotiations with little time to spare.
“Who is going to blink first?” Panish said. “The posturing and maneuvering is over. The hay is in the barn. The bricks have been laid. I’d be very surprised if they aren’t talking already.”
A person with knowledge of backroom negotiations between the two sides said one insurance company with a relatively low limit on its coverage of the Angels — near the bottom of the tower — has blocked progress toward a settlement. The insurance companies eventually made a “lowball offer” more than a month ago that was rejected by the Skaggs family.
“If a settlement proposal is within the insurance policy limits, there will be pressure on the defense to settle,” Panish said. “But if it is above the limits, say coverage is for $50 million and the demand is $100 million, the insurance companies can’t force the Angels to settle because they would have to pay the excess amount.”
The facts regarding Skaggs’ death are not in dispute. An autopsy concluded the 27-year-old left-hander accidentally died of asphyxia after aspirating his own vomit while under the influence of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol the night of July 1, 2019, when the Angels were in Texas for a three-game series against the Rangers.
Kay provided Skaggs with the counterfeit oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl and is serving 22 years in federal prison for his role in the death.
The Skaggs family legal team, led by attorneys Rusty Hardin, Shaun Holley and Dutko, argued that several Angels employees knew about Kay’s own years-long addiction to opioids and ignored team and Major League Baseball policies by failing to report or punish Kay.
Dutko said Kay was operating within his scope of employment when he gave Skaggs and several other players opioid pills — a stance vigorously opposed by Theodora. Dutko referred to testimony that Kay did anything he could to please players — obtaining Viagra prescriptions and marijuana vape pens for them, booking tee times and massages, and humoring them by taking a fastball off his knee and eating pimples off the back of star outfielder Mike Trout.
“From Viagra to vape pens to opioids. Eric Kay’s job responsibility was to get the players anything they wanted,” Dutko said.
Theodora continually portrayed Skaggs as a conniving drug addict who callously pressured Kay to obtain pills for him and doled out pills to teammates, even pressuring Kay to deliver opioids shortly after the longtime employee and admitted drug addict came out of rehab.
On Monday, Theodora reviewed testimony from five of Skaggs’ teammates dating back to 2011 and argued that not only had Skaggs’ drug use escalated over a nine-year period, but that Skaggs had introduced Kay to them and personally obtained pills for the players.
“It’s called the chain of distribution,” Theodora said.
The Skaggs family is seeking not only lost earnings and emotional distress damages but also punitive damages. California law doesn’t allow punitive damages in a wrongful death case, but precedent going back to the O.J. Simpson case makes an exception if the person suffered property damage before death. Skaggs lawyers believe Kay was responsible for fentanyl contaminating the pitcher’s iPad, which was confiscated and never returned to the family.
“The jury first must find the defendant liable for economic and emotional distress damages, and then a second deliberation will determine if punitive damages are appropriate,” said Edson K. McClellan, an Irvine lawyer who specializes in high-stakes civil and employment litigation. “The purpose of punitive damages is to send a message to the defendant: Don’t do this again.”
McClellan said a purpose of closing statements is to “sway hearts,” to persuade jurors who might not have made up their minds. Both sides gave impassioned arguments that the case they presented over two months validated a verdict in their favor.
There were only four days left of shooting on “Hamnet” when Chloé Zhao realized she didn’t have an ending. The filmmaker had led the cast through a week filming the pivotal climactic sequence inside the Globe Theatre, where William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) is staging his opus “Hamlet,” but something was missing. The script had Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes (Jessie Buckley), and her brother Bartholomew (Joe Alwyn) witnessing the demise of Hamlet (Noah Jupe), a denouement that should have evoked a sense of release. But even though the moment was meant to tie Shakespeare’s masterpiece to the still-fresh death of Will and Agnes’ 11-year-old son, Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), neither Zhao nor Buckley could feel the necessary catharsis.
“Jessie and I avoided each other for the rest of the day because we both knew we had no film,” Zhao says. “We both went home feeling completely lost.”
“We were searching for this ending,” Buckley adds. “It was a daunting idea to try and pull together all the threads of the story we’d woven prior to this moment. I felt incredibly lost and a bit untethered.”
Zhao admits that she rarely preplans the endings of her films because she doesn’t tell stories linearly. She imagines the journey of her characters unfurling in a spiral, with the story extending downward into the darkness before rising back up.
“I’ve had to wait on every single film,” she says. “But this time I was going through the ending of a relationship, so I was terrified of losing love. I was holding on to it with dear life.”
Actors Jessie Buckley and Joe Alwyn with director Chloé Zhao on the set of “Hamnet.”
(Agata Grzybowska)
The morning after they filmed the scripted ending, Buckley sent Zhao Max Richter’s “This Bitter Earth,” a reimagining of his song “On the Nature of Daylight” with lyrics. The filmmaker played it in the car on her way to the set.
“I could feel the tears and the heart opening, and then I started reaching my hand out towards the window,” Zhao remembers. “I was trying to touch the rain outside of the car. I looked at my hand and I realized that I needed to become one with something bigger than me so I would no longer be afraid of losing my love. Because love doesn’t die, it transforms. When we’re one with everything around us, it’s the illusion of separation that makes us so afraid of impermanence.”
The true culmination of “Hamnet” occurred to Zhao as she reached for the rain. If Agnes reached her hand toward the dying Hamlet, he could then rest and she could let go of her grief over losing Hamnet. And if the audience joined her, the sensation of release would be even greater.
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“The thing I didn’t expect, the surprise of it, was the absolute communal surrender,” Buckley says. “The way the fourth wall was broken between the play and the audience, the need to reach out and touch the core of the play. Agnes’ compass has always been touch.”
Although the specifics didn’t come to life until those final days, Zhao always planned the production so the Globe scenes would be done last. Production designer Fiona Crombie re-created the historic open-air theater on the backlot at England’s Elstree Studios using real timber brought in from France. The set version, which took 14 weeks to build, is smaller than the original Globe to create a sense of intimacy.
Plans for the building of the Globe Theatre set in “Hamnet.”
(Agata Grzybowska)
“This is my version,” Crombie says. “Our footprint is a bit smaller overall, but the essential architecture of the tiers and the roofline and the shape and everything is accurate. By virtue of having real beams that are scarred and aged, it feels more realistic. We wanted the whole thing to feel completely authentic. You want to smell these sets and feel these textures off the screen.”
“I told Fiona I wanted it to feel like the inside of a tree,” Zhao says. “So, spiritually, it’s correct for this story. And the play is accurate. We didn’t change any lines.”
Historically, there would not have been a backdrop onstage. But for the thematic purposes of “Hamnet,” a backdrop was essential. “There was a whole conversation about not just the aesthetic but the importance of that motif,” Crombie says. “It’s also a wall that separates Will from Agnes.”
“Hamnet’s” Globe was constructed to have a working backstage so Mescal, Jupe and the players could move in and out of the wings. There were real prop tables and makeup stations, as well as a nod to other Shakespeare plays. “We had a horse from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ that was loaned from the real Globe,” Crombie says. “There were loads of details everywhere that honored theater.”
The actors learned significant portions of “Hamlet.” Mescal led the cast of players in rehearsals before filming. “We would rehearse later in the evenings as an ongoing part of the process,” Mescal says. “Once the camera came in, it was Chloé’s baby, but we rehearsed consistently throughout the production. It was so cool. I have a lot of sympathy for directors. What I loved about it wasn’t necessarily the act of directing. It was more so the part of the process in helping me to act. It felt weird to direct them as Paul, but I could direct them as Will.”
Paul Mescal backstage at the Globe in “Hamnet.”
(Agata Grzybowska / Focus Features)
Mescal and the players acted out 30 to 40 minutes of “Hamlet” while filming. The actor describes the feeling of being on the Globe stage as “sacred,” both because of the physical space and because of the emotional quality of the scenes.
“It felt very charged,” he says. “Up until that point we knew we had made something very special, but we were also acutely aware that this is where you had to land the plane. And that came with its own pressure. There’s something very special about playing Shakespeare and hearing Shakespeare’s words spoken in that place. The film is talking about the collision of art and humanity, and there are no greater words to communicate that feeling than the words in ‘Hamlet.’”
Zhao enlisted 300 extras to be the theater’s crowd. Each day, Zhao and Kim Gillingham, a dream coach who worked on the film, led the cast and extras in a daily meditation or dream exercise. It was unlike anything many of the actors had previously experienced.
“Everyone dropped into this very deep place of connection to themselves and to what was happening in front of them on the stage,” Alwyn says. “It was this amazing collective feeling of catharsis and connection to something bigger than ourselves.”
(Evelyn Freja / For The Times)
“The performances from some of the supporting artists are extraordinary,” Mescal adds. “And that was intentional in terms of how Chloé constructed that feeling and by having Kim there.”
After Will notices Agnes in the audience, he goes backstage and finally breaks down, experiencing a long-awaited release of grief. Mescal prepared for the scene by listening to Bon Iver’s “Speyside.” Fittingly, it was the last thing he filmed.
“The play becomes something different because it’s being witnessed by Agnes,” Mescal says. “It comes alive for the audience because of this weird alchemy. Something feels different in the air. That moment felt like such relief, like he could just let go.”
“Hamnet” ends with Agnes reaching for Hamlet. In doing so, she gives herself permission to let her son go. It was a moment that had to be discovered rather than constructed.
“The scene became a holding of collective grief in a communal space where we were allowed to let it out,” Buckley says. “It was like a tsunami. I’ll never forget it.”
In Mescal’s mind, the film’s ending is really its beginning. He imagines the relationship between Will and Agnes will go on, continuing the spiral.
“I have no idea how a relationship survives the death of a child, but I do think there is a miraculous hope and they can see each other again in that moment,” Mescal says. “They’ve abandoned each other in certain moments, but now she understands where he went. And I think they will return to each other.”
Oxnard Pacifica had loads of motivation heading into Saturday’s CIF state 1-A bowl game. Having fallen to Sacramento Grant in the 2-AA state final last season, the Tritons were anxious to redeem themselves against Fresno Central East in one of the weekend’s marquee matchups.
The game showcased two high-octane offenses, but every spectacular play by the Tritons was answered by the opponent as they were dealt their first defeat, 42-28, in the second of three games at Saddleback College.
“You’ve gotta win on third down and we weren’t,” Pacifica coach Mike Moon said. “Their offense is hard to stop. We thought we’d be able to score with them and we couldn’t. We wanted to go up-tempo and we weren’t able to do that.”
Pacifica scored first, marching 91 yards in 12 plays, capped by Taylor Lee’s 15-yard strike to Tyler Stewart with 3:21 left in the first quarter. The North region champions punted during their first three possessions and turned it over on downs on the fourth, but ultimately tied the game on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jelani Dippel to Bayon Harris that finished an eight-play, 78-yard drive with 5:43 left in the second quarter.
Oxnard Pacifica quarterback Taylor Lee slings a pass to the flat in the first half of the CIF Division 1-A state championship game Saturday at Saddleback College.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
After forcing a punt, Central East moved 82 yards in 10 plays and took a 14-7 lead on Brandon Smith’s two-yard run 1:05 before halftime.
Pacifica received the second-half kickoff and drove 71 yards in seven plays, tying the game 14-14 on a one-yard rush by Isaiah Phelps and David Carranza’s extra point.
Central East moved deep into Pacifica territory on its ensuing drive before Phelps deflected the ball and PeeWee Wilson intercepted it at the Tritons’ 24. However, Pacifica (15-1) was forced to punt and on its next possession, and Central East regained the lead on Smith’s four-yard run with 4:03 left in the third quarter and upped the margin to 28-14 on Dippel’s state-leading 58th touchdown pass, a 34-yarder to Kevin Cooks.
“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Moon added. “They made plays when they needed to and we didn’t. Simple as that.”
Lee hit Alijah Royster in stride for a 74-yard gain to Central East’s four-yard line and Phelps powered across the goal line on the next play to cut the Tritons’ deficit in half with 10:20 left in the game.
However, the Bengals (14-1) recovered a fumble at the Pacifica 18 and took two plays to capitalize on Dippel’s five-yard keeper.
Royster’s 12-yard touchdown reception made it 35-28 with 6:25 left, but Smith scampered 15 yards for his third touchdown to close the scoring with 3:21 left.
Pacifica beat Palos Verdes 20-10 to capture the Southern Section Division 3 title Nov. 28 for its second CIF crown in a row under Moon. The Tritons defeated St. Bonaventure in the Division 4 final last year.
Fresno Central East lost to Huntington Beach Edison in the state 1-A bowl last year at Saddleback.
Lee completed 21 of 31 for 317 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice and sacked three times. Phelps ran for 127 yards in 23 carries. Royster caught six passes for 114 yards and Stewart had seven catches for 93.
Pacifica has played 32 games in the last two seasons and won two section and two regional crowns, just not the ultimate prize it covets.
“It’s a long two years to not have a state championship … but we’ll try to get back next year,” said Moon, who has scheduled nonleague games with Sierra Canyon and San Diego Lincoln next fall. “This is a super group of seniors and the younger players will grow from this.”
WANT to score big for the 2026 World Cup? Then start planning now.
Price-comparison site Skyscanner saw a 340 per cent increase in searches for flights from the UK to host nations the US, Canada and Mexico on Saturday after the draw.
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The World Cup is heading to the US – here is what you need to know if you wish to visit, pictured BostonCredit: GettyEngland captain Kane will be wanting to bring football home againCredit: Getty
Don’t panic, though, as there’s still time to bag a deal and plan the ultimate holiday.
Sophie Swietochowski has tips for booking a World Cup trip, with things to see and do in the cities where England will be competing.
Dallas, Texas
England v Croatia, June 17
The stunning Texas skiesCredit: GettyLonghorn cattle in Fort WorthCredit: Getty
IT may be a booming skyscraper city, but Dallas has managed to maintain that classic Southern charm for which Texas, the second largest state in the US, is so well known.
Even non-footie fans may be familiar with its 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, home to the NFL’s Cowboys and America’s most famous cheerleading squad, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
A dedicated fan zone will take over Fair Park – a 277-acre parkland in the city centre which annually hosts the State Fair of Texas as well as regular festivals.
More details, including dates and activities, are yet to be revealed.
It would be a sin to visit Texas and not dine at a barbecue joint.
Cattleack Barbeque in North Dallas is one of the best, and it is featured in the Michelin guide for good reason.
Meats are scorched on oak-fired smokers and served with tangy pickles, cornbread, mac and cheese and “Granny’s coleslaw”. Go for the wagyu brisket.
If England win big, take the celebrations to Deep Ellum, the arty entertainment district known for its music venues and boisterous cocktail bars.
New York
England v Panama, June 27
The illuminated NYC skylineCredit: GettyEngland will be heading to the Big Apple on June 27Credit: Getty
IF you have never been to the Big Apple, you’re in for an absolute treat.
England will be taking on Panama at the MetLife Stadium, which sits just across the water from Manhattan and can be reached from Times Square in around 20 minutes by cab on a good day.
If it is your first time, you’ll want to tick off the must-sees, and the best way to do that is with a CityPass.
You can pick one up for around £100 per child and £120 per adult.
It is a rather hefty outlay, but it will save you money in the long run.
Passholders will gain entry to the Empire State Building Observatory and the American Museum of Natural History, as well as their pick of three other attractions, such as the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, 9/11 Memorial & Museum and Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
Booked independently, these would add up to almost £200.
The city promises to be even more buzzy than usual during the summer, thanks to a fan village that will open at the Rockefeller Center (July 4-19).
Expect interactive soccer pitches, live match viewing, musical performances and guest appearances.
And if that’s not enough, across the bridge, Jersey’s Liberty State Park will play host to the huge Fifa Fan Festival from June 11 to July 19.
Some of NYC’s most breathtaking landmarks, such as the Manhattan skyline, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, will provide the backdrop to interactive experiences and concerts.
Atlanta, Georgia
The Three Lions could head to Atlanta for their first knockout matchCredit: Getty
IF England are successful in the initial stages and win their group, the Three Lions head to Atlanta for their first knockout match.
The Centennial Olympic Park will play host to the Fan Festival there, exactly 30 years after it welcomed the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.
Elsewhere in the state capital, you can walk in the footsteps of the civil rights activist at the Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park.
Or uncover the secrets of Britain’s favourite fizzy drink at the World Of Coca-Cola.
The museum feaures interactive exhibits and hosts a vault that guards the secret recipe.
Mexico City
The majestic Basilica of GuadalupeCredit: Getty
HERE’S hoping our boys battle it through to the last 16, because that means we will likely be playing in Mexico City.
What better way to celebrate a win (or drown your sorrows) than in the birthplace of tequila?
Licoreria Limantour is frequently named in the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars thanks to its creative concoctions (there are classic drinks, too).
There’s likely to be more than just official fan zones — the Mexicans know how to party so come prepared.
But there’s so much more to do, including the Basilica of Guadalupe temple ruins, museums, cable cars and parks.
Boston
The city of Boston has some great stories to tellCredit: GettyThe marvellous John W Weeks Bridge in Harvard UniversityCredit: Getty
HOME to the world-famous Harvard University, America’s oldest public park and a vibrant harbour, the city of Boston has some great stories to tell from down the years.
Games will take place at the Gillette Stadium, which is being temporarily renamed the Boston Stadium for the World Cup.
It sits in the town of Foxborough, around an hour on the train from the main city of Boston, so you might want to book a stay a little farther out if you wish to save those pennies.
But make sure you don’t miss out on the delights of the city, which has an incredibly rich history.
You can learn all about it and the American Revolution on the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail, which will guide you to 16 culturally significant sites, from museums and churches to meeting houses and burying grounds.
And why sample one Boston foodie tradition when you can do several at once?
Head to Quincy Market, a huge food hall that dates back to 1826 where you can pick up classic New England grub like clam chowder, lobster rolls and the notorious Boston cream pie.
The whereabouts and details of the fan zone are still being decided upon for this city, but you can guarantee there’ll be lots of footie-themed fun.
That was the Ventura football team’s mindset Friday night at Fullerton High.
The Cougars drove 99 yards in eight plays and scored on a 12-yard pass from Derek Garcia to Tristan Phillips on fourth and goal to pull within a touchdown with 2:40 left, but San Francisco St. Ignatius College Prep recovered the ensuing onside kick and gained a first down to run out the clock and hang on for a 42-35 victory in the CIF state Division 3-AA bowl game.
“You are true competitors,” Derek’s father and head coach Tim Garcia told his dejected players minutes later. “We fought, kept fighting, just came up a little short, but let’s not forget what you guys accomplished. You won the Channel League, you won CIF, you won regionals and are state runner-up.”
Ventura defenders Nathan Radwich and Tristan Phillips tackle San Francisco St. Ignatius College Prep receiver Ty Hicks in the first half Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Garcia, who is headed for Nevada Las Vegas, entered the game having thrown for 3,369 yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He added to that impressive total by completing 15 of 26 passes for 208 yards and two scores.
James Watson had 10 carries for 152 yards and two touchdowns and Western Colorado-bound receiver Jack Cunningham, who entered with a Ventura Country record 116 catches for 2,041 yards and 26 touchdowns, had seven catches for 67 yards.
St. Ignatius (9-6) finished the season on a seven-game winning streak thanks in large part to senior quarterback Caedon Afsharipour, who threw a touchdown pass and ran for the winning score.
The Cougars (13-3) had their 10-game winning streak snapped. The lead changed hands five times in the first half.
Ventura quarterback Derek Garcia passes against St. Ignatius College Prep on Friday night.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
James Watson scored on runs of 13 and 31 yards on consecutive drives to give Ventura its first lead, 14-7, with 2:33 left in the first quarter.
Steve Malone broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter and scored on a 27-yard run to put the Wildcats up 20-14, but the extra point was blocked.
Tristan Savage’s one-yard run capped an eight-play, 69-yard drive that put Ventura back on top, 21-20, but St. Ignatius answered on a 61-yard touchdown run by Luke Tribolet and a two-point pass from Afsharipour to Hawkes Packard to take a 28-21 lead into halftime.
Packard caught a 65-yard touchdown pass to extend the North region winners’ lead to 35-21 on the first play of the second half.
Garcia hit Cunningham in stride for a 31-yard touchdown to pull the Cougars within 35-28 at the 3:49 mark of the third quarter. However, Afsharipour’s 27-yard touchdown scamper pushed the Wildcats’ lead back to two scores early in the fourth quarter.
“We’ve done it before a couple times this season … we’ve battled back and come out on top,” Derek Garcia said as reality set in that his high school career was over. “I tried to stay in the present. I’m done being a Ventura Cougar, but now I look forward to the next chapter.”
According to the Echo, Tricia Cowdrey, Green Party candidate for Shoebury, said: “One of the attractions of this playground is that it is close to a beach.
“The steps and ramps nearby have suffered extreme wear and tear, and temporary flimsy fencing is a huge safeguarding concern.
“We ask that secure fencing be erected before the playground opens and that plans for accessible beach access be expedited.”
Work is currently underway to improve access to the beach, however it might not be finished in time for the opening of the playground.
Steven Wakefield, independent councillor for Shoebury Ward, also commented on the project, claiming that it is in the “perfect place, right next to the cafés.
He added that the project will mean that East Beach is no longer a “forgotten area of Shoeburyness”.
Works on the playground could begin in spring 2026.
Initial plans for a new playground were first introduced over three years ago.
And back in the summer, Beach House Cafe opened next door to the East Beach Cafe and marked the completion of a £2million regeneration project.
A recent visitor at the Beach House said: “Love it here! Come for brunch every weekend, drive up from London. Lovely beach setting, food is fresh, tasty & lush!
The playground will feature different themed areas and be open to all age groups and abilitiesCredit: Southend Council
Over the summer, The Telegraph also named Shoeburyness as one of the top 20 destinations in Britain for the best secret and remote beaches.
The Telegraph stated: “Just three miles from the mayhem that is Southend in summer, Shoeburyness has two Blue Flag beaches that are far less well known.
“Its East Beach is the nicest and is popular with local paddleboarders and kitesurfers, thanks to its long strand of sand.”
One key feature of the park will be a submarine with interactive featuresCredit: Southend CouncilWork on the playground could start as soon as the springCredit: Alamy
Since it first opened in 1923, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has been the sole home of USC football. No major sports team in the city’s history has played in the same venue for longer.
But after more than a century spent in the city’s iconic stadium, The Times has learned that the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games will likely force USC to find a new home for its football team in 2028, with the likeliest option being SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Times that the Coliseum would not be ready for the start of college football season in September 2028 because of the $100-million temporary track that’s being built on top of the Coliseum field to host the track-and-field competition at the L.A. Olympics and Paralympic Games.
The logistics are still being worked out with L.A. 2028, and USC has not made a final decision about where the Trojans’ 2028 football season will be played. A source said the school hasn’t officially determined whether the Coliseum field could be ready later in the fall, perhaps to host a portion of USC’s 2028 home schedule. But even if it is logistically possible, it’s not clear that USC’s athletic department would find that arrangement in its best interest, given it would mean uprooting the team midseason or spending a long stretch of the 2028 slate away from L.A.
“USC and LA28 are working in lockstep on all logistics for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” USC athletics spokesperson Cody Worsham said in a statement. “We will share details with the public when they are finalized.”
SoFi Stadium officials declined to comment when asked about USC’s possible move to the venue in 2028.
With the closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games set for Aug. 27, 2028, there would be just two weeks for the temporary track to be removed and the grass field below to be restored ahead of USC’s currently scheduled 2028 home opener on Sept. 9. Multiple people told The Times that’s not a feasible timeline for a structure LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman once called “the most expensive and probably complicated thing we actually have to build” ahead of the 2028 Games.
This isn’t a new problem at USC. Discussions about the plausibility of the football program sharing the Coliseum with the Olympics in 2028 trace back well before current athletic director Jennifer Cohen was hired in 2023. The belief at one point, according to a person familiar with those discussions, was that with some clever scheduling, USC would only have to miss a home game or two.
Now, according to multiple people familiar with the situation, USC is expected to spend the 2028 season at SoFi Stadium, which hosts the NFL’s Rams and Chargers. By that point, it may also be the home field of the city’s other Big Ten football team.
UCLA has already stated it plans to trade the Rose Bowl, where it has played since 1982, for the modern SoFi Stadium, in spite of a lease agreement that runs through 2044. The city of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company have since sued the school and SoFi Stadium’s ownership in hopes of blocking the Bruins’ move.
If UCLA forges on with plans to abandon the Rose Bowl in 2026 for SoFi, all four of the city’s major football teams could be playing under the same roof two years later.
Those logistics, however, pale in comparison to what it will take to host Olympic track and field at the Coliseum in 2028, in the same stadium where the competition was held almost a century earlier. The biggest obstacle LA28 faced using an iconic venue that hosted the 1984 Olympics is that there wasn’t enough room on the Coliseum floor for an Olympic-sized track.
Renovations in the early 1990s added 14 rows of seats at the bottom of the bowl, shrinking the size of the Coliseum field. The solution requires installation of a track 11 feet above the field that stretches over the first few rows of stadium seating to met Olympic standards.
To build the temporary track, the Coliseum’s turf and the dirt beneath it will be scraped away, down to the stadium’s concrete base where columns will be placed about every 10 feet. That construction at the Coliseum is expected to begin immediately after the Trojans finish their home football schedule sometime in November 2027.
Bill Hanway, the executive vice president for AECOM — the infrastructure consulting firm hired to oversee LA28’s preparations — told The Times in June 2024 that the track was “an incredibly complex build” in “an incredibly tight space.”
Taking track down will be its own challenge, one that will take longer than the two-week window between the end of the Games and the beginning of USC’s 2028 slate. When a similar structure was built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, the soccer team that played in the stadium — Queen’s Park FC — didn’t return for more than a year.
Unless that timeline can be slashed, the Trojans will spend the 2028 season switching off Saturdays with their rivals, who, for one year, would be across-the-hallway as opposed to across town.
USC and UCLA shared the Coliseum for 54 years before the Bruins moved to the Rose Bowl in 1982. For 33 of those years, the Coliseum also hosted the Rams on Sundays.
If that feels too crowded to USC, the Rose Bowl is the only other option in town — and suddenly seems to be in serious need of a tenant.
But as of now, according to a person familiar with the situation, SoFi Stadium is the only venue that’s been discussed as a potential temporary home.
