Aug. 26 (UPI) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 50,000 people in July, an average of more than 1,500 people a day, according to newly released government data.
This sets a new monthly record for ICE in President Donald Trump‘s second term. ICE provided the information to the Deportation Data Project based at UC Berkeley and UCLA.
“The way people are being detained is far less flashy, but we are continuing to see arrests,” Melissa Shepard, director of legal services at immigrant services group ImmDef, told The Guardian. “It’s just on a quieter scale instead of, you know, 10, 12 officers making one arrest, you have a handful of officers pulling someone over.”
Markwayne Mullin took over as secretary of U.S. Homeland Security in March, succeeding Kristi Noem, and said he would fulfill Trump’s deportation goals without constant headlines.
“What we’re seeing is an expansion in all of the different ways that ICE is detaining people,” Graeme Blair, co-director of the Deportation Data Projection, told NPR. “They’re arresting people at airports, at ICE check-ins, at immigration courthouses, and this is the result of that.”
The 49,571 people detained in July mark the highest total since October 2022. A record number of those arrested had no criminal history, making up 51% of detainees, The Guardian said.
The number of those removed from the United States also hit a record high in July — nearly 34,000 people.
More than half the arrests were in Texas, Florida, Georgia and California. The prior three states take part in the 287(g) program, in which state and local police can do parts of ICE’s job in the field under ICE supervision. California and a number of other states, including New York, Maine and Vermont, ban 287(g) agreements.
Congress recently approved a $70 billion surge in funding for the Department of Homeland Security, including ICE, helping fuel these numbers. The figures also include the first arrests made after the Supreme Court allowed Trump to revoke Temporary Protected Status for Haitian immigrants last month.
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Boeing (BA) engineers and technical workers rejected the company’s four-year contract offer and voted in favor of a strike authorization, union officials said Friday.
The 17,000 members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace voted overwhelmingly to give its negotiating
Mater Dei and Sierra Canyon have been the two best high school girls’ volleyball teams in the Southland the last several years and the likelihood is high that they will meet in the Southern Section Division 1 finals for a third consecutive season.
Mater Dei won the state Open Division championship in November, led by four seniors now suiting up for NCAA Division I programs — setter Sam Capinpin at Cal State Bakersfield, libero Lizzy Robinson at Oregon and middle blocker Addison Coady and outside hitter Layli Ostovar (the 2025 Gatorade California player of the year) at USC.
The Monarchs won the Queen’s Court Invitational (the last preseason warmup tournament) in Irvine at the start of the month and boast one of their deepest rosters in coach Dan O’Dell’s 14 seasons thanks to five elite transfers: senior opposite hitter Katherine Nowak from JSerra; junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Sienna Cicero from Orange Lutheran; junior middle blocker Reagan Williams from Sunny Hills; junior outside hitter Janiah Burrage from Rancho Christian and senior middle hitter (and Long Beach State commit) Saaliyah Brown from Etiwanda, all of whom are eager to contribute once the mandatory sit-out period ends Sept. 13.
Sierra Canyon senior Kendall Omoruyi, right, is one of the top middle blockers in the country.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
In a matchup of reigning state champions, Mater Dei prevailed in five sets over Harvard-Westlake in its Aug. 11 season opener, and it was no surprise that UCLA-bound senior hitter Westley Matavao made her presence felt with 16 kills, 19 digs and six aces. California commit Emma Kingston added 13 kills and three blocks as setting duties were shared by senior Kalea Lee (24 assists) and junior Riley Stringer (20 assists).
“It’s great to start out playing a team that’s just as competitive as us — it’s good prep for what we can expect all season,” said Matavao, who recorded 405 kills, 177 digs, 37 aces and 32 blocks a year ago. “This teaches us to not be laid back, to keep our foot on the gas. I think we’re better than last season because we have more versatility.”
Making an immediate influence was freshman Jimin Seung, who ended the first point of the season with a kill and finished with 10. On a team with 11 seniors, Seung is fitting right in with a fearless attitude and competitive drive.
“It was nerve-racking, but knowing our team is one, the nervousness turns to confidence,” Seung said. “I came to Mater Dei because it’s the place that felt most like home and I wanted to grow in my religion. I’ve only known Westley a few weeks and she’s already like a big sister to me. She’s a senior and I’m a freshman, but we have a lot in common because we play the same position.”
Mater Dei coach Dan O’Dell guided the Monarchs to the CIF State Open Division championship in 2025.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Though Mater Dei has superior depth, Sierra Canyon has a more experienced starting lineup — a nucleus of All-Americans consisting of Missouri-bound setter Lucky Fasavalu, Nebraska-bound middle Kendall Omoruyi and a trio of outside hitters in Eva Jeffries (Tennessee), Hanna McGinest (Texas Tech) and McKenna McIntosh (USC).
Filling the last rotation spot will be Isabella Torres-Wallace from ICL Academy; fellow sophomore middle Cassie Smith and junior Raneighla Gonzalez, who transferred from Heritage Christian last year but got hurt and played in only two sets. The top back row options for coach Stefanie Wigfall, who will likely pass the 400-win mark this season, are senior Olive Shum and Mira Costa transfer Blake Gurney.
Sierra Canyon, which beat Mater Dei to win its second section title in four years last fall, finished fifth at Queen’s Court without Fasavalu, Omoruyi and McGinest, who led the team a year ago with a combined 469 kills, 265 digs, 29 blocks and 28 aces. The Trailblazers beat Kahuku (Hawaii), Mira Costa, JSerra, San Juan Hills, Palos Verdes, Harvard-Westlake and Cornerstone Christian (San Antonio) to reach the finals of the Ann Kang Invitational in Honolulu. They then rallied past host Iolani, 18-25, 25-11, 15-9, in Saturday’s championship match to win the prestigious tournament for the first time.
Lucky Fasavalu helped lead Sierra Canyon to the Southern Section Division 1 title in 2025.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Division I state champion Harvard-Westlake got 12 kills each from sophomore Brooke Cotter and Boston College-bound Ruby Sampson and 11 from Princeton commit Sophia Cotter against Mater Dei. Last year the Wolverines finished third in the Mission League behind Sierra Canyon and Marymount, which has lost five Division I players to graduation — Sammy Destler (Washington), Elle Vandeweghe (Southern Methodist), Declan Eastman (Rice), Olivia Penske (Georgetown) and Frankie Jones (Brown) — but brings back Northwestern commit Makenna Barnes, setter/hitter Leighton Devereux and Katelyn Oerlemans, a middle/opposite hitter committed to Stanford for beach volleyball.
Challenging Mater Dei in the Trinity League will be Santa Margarita, which won the Southern Section Division 2 title last year behind player of the year Ireland Real, a Texas commit who pounded more than 400 kills and had 150 digs.
Mira Costa will be led by senior captains Brynn Barry (libero), Lerin Rosenthal (setter, opposite) and Allyn Hilt (outside hitter) but will have to overcome the loss of setter Milly McGee (USC) and hitters Audrey Flanagan (Wisconsin) and Simone Roslon. Bay League rival Redondo Union is in a similar circumstance, having to replace hitter Abby Zimmerman (Cal), twins Avery and Addi Junk (Florida State) and middle blocker Taylor Boice (UC Irvine). Cypress graduated CIF-SS Division 3 player of the year Isabella Faro.
Defending champion Palisades and Taft, which lost to the Dolphins in the Open Division semifinals last fall, are the preseason favorites in the City Section.
Matavao relished a chance to face her cousin Fasavalu (the CIF-SS Division 1 player of the year) in the finals again: “I think there’s a good chance we’ll see them again.”
Teams to watch: Mater Dei, Sierra Canyon, Marymount, Harvard-Westlake, JSerra, Santa Margarita, San Juan Hills, Mira Costa, Redondo Union, Newport Harbor, Los Alamitos, Long Beach Poly, Temecula Valley, Crean Lutheran, West Ranch.
A NEW ferry linking a quirky English seaside town with France is setting sail in just a few weeks.
The crossing will take around eight hours with each sailing limited to 12 passengers.
SailLink has teamed up with award-winning sailor Michel Desjoyeaux, who will personally skipper each journey from Shoreham to Fécamp, Normandy.
Mr Desjoyeaux, the only sailor in history to have won the Vendée Globe, a round-the-world sailing race, twice, built the wind-powered catamran from parts of other race boats that had already sailed round the world.
He hopes to prove that regular, wind–powered crossings can become a practical alternative to traditional cross-Channel ferries.
The pilot project will run from September 8-13 .
Billed as a fishing port and religious pilgrimage site, Fécamp is renowned for its striking chalk cliffs and Benedictine liqueur.
The sailing itself retraces the historic voyage of Charles II, who reached Fécamp from Shoreham in 1651.
Ticket prices start from £220 for a one-way trip, with return journeys starting from £440.
Tom Willis, chief executive at Shoreham Port, said: “We are delighted to see Shoreham Port working with SailLink and the Port of Fécamp to offer this unique cross-Channel crossing experience.
“As global warming challenges the way we travel, wind propulsion offers a compelling alternative.”
Tickets for the pilot project go on sale on August 1.
BofA sees August setting up as tough for stocks; dollar, gold favored
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Two people were killed and several others were injured after an Israeli strike hit the Mawasi area of Khan Younis, a zone previously designated by Israel as a humanitarian area in the southern Gaza Strip. A total of five people were killed across Gaza on Monday.
Published On 29 Jun 202629 Jun 2026
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15:41, 22 Jun 2026Updated 07:02, 28 Jun 2026
Tourists need to make a phone setting change (stock image)(Image: Getty Images)
There’s so much to think about when you travel abroad, but something that probably slips your mind is safely using your phone during your journey. It’s something you need to pay attention to, as you are required to follow a few rules to keep safe.
While it may be something that rarely crosses your mind, it should actually be on the top of your travel list, as making some simple mistakes can be super costly when you’re on a holiday adventure. We all use our mobile phones when we’re at airports but, little you may know, some dangers can come with making the decision to use them in certain ways.
This isn’t the first time such matters have been brought to people’s attention either. Previously, some other hidden dangers were outlined to aid travellers.
Free airport Wi-Fi feels like a small win when you’re killing time before a flight. However, William Thackray, IT expert at AGT Computer Services, claims it’s one of the riskiest things you can do on your phone.
William explained: “The biggest threat isn’t the airport’s actual network. It’s the fake ones sitting right next to it.
“Criminals can set up a hotspot called something like ‘Heathrow Free Wi-Fi’ or ‘Gatwick Passenger Network’ that looks completely legitimate. The moment you connect, they can intercept your data including passwords, emails, anything you’re sending or receiving.”
This technique, known as an “evil twin” attack, is increasingly common in busy public spaces and airports and, with thousands of distracted travellers all hunting for a signal, they are prime targets.
You may not realise, but connecting to airport Wi-Fi can leave your personal data exposed to hackers in seconds. Criminals can set up fake networks designed to look identical to the real thing.
Airport Wi-Fi is rarely considered completely safe. While it is generally fine for browsing the news or checking your flight status, public networks leave you vulnerable to hackers, phishing attempts and rogue “evil twin” hotspots.
You should avoid online banking or entering passwords without taking precautions. This is why the guidance is so essential.
However, one simple phone setting can keep you protected without costing you a penny. It’s easy to sort out once you know what to do.
The fix is straightforward. Before you leave for the airport, go into your phone’s Wi-Fi settings and turn off “Auto-Join” or “Auto-Connect” for public networks. On iPhone, you can also go to Settings > Wi-Fi and toggle off “Ask to Join Networks”.
That way your phone won’t go hunting for a signal without your say-so. “Better still, use your mobile data if you have it,” added William.
“It costs a little more, but it’s your own private connection. If you do need to use airport Wi-Fi, avoid logging into anything sensitive like banking, work email, anything with a password – until you’re somewhere you trust.”
The rule of thumb? If you didn’t set up the network yourself, treat it with caution. This is a rule that’s really worth paying attention to, as failing to follow it could lead to major problems.
The stunning victory by the New York Knickerbockers over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday gave ABC the most-watched NBA Finals Game 4 since 1998, the year of Michael Jordan’s last championship with the Chicago Bulls.
Nielsen data showed an average of 20.9 million viewers watched the Knicks overcome a 29-point halftime deficit to top Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs 107-106 at Madison Square Garden, the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. The Knicks have a 3-1 lead in the series and will play Game 5 on Saturday in San Antonio, attempting to win their first NBA championship in 53 years.
Through the first four games, the NBA Finals are averaging 19.6 million viewers, also the highest since the Bulls-Utah Jazz faced off on NBC in 1998. The series is on track to become the most-watched since the NBA Finals moved to ABC and ESPN in 2002.
“The match-up is ideal from a media business standpoint, featuring the nation’s largest media market with New York, teams with robust followings and multiple all-stars, especially Wemby, the compelling new face of the NBA,” said Lee Berke, president of LHB Sports Entertainment & Media, Inc.
The Knicks-Spurs series is up 116% over the first four games of last year’s match-up between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. But the most encouraging numbers for ABC and ESPN is the growth among younger viewers, who have become harder to reach in the age of social media and streaming. Ratings among teens aged 12 to 17 are up 138% while the 18 to 24 age group is up 147%.
ABC is also seeing spikes in viewing among women, up 121%, and the Latino audience due to its large populations in the markets of New York and San Antonio, according to Flora Kelly, ESPN’s senior vice president for audience research.
Viewing in the New York market alone is accounting for 18% of the national audience.
Este Haim, Taylor Swift, and Mariska Hargitay react during the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026.
(Al Bello / Getty Images)
In addition to delivering highly competitive games, the NBA Finals also had President Trump and pop superstar Taylor Swift in attendance at Madison Square Garden. Both are capable of turning a live TV event into a full-blown spectacle.
“What we’re seeing is that this Spurs-Knicks series is a tremendous cultural moment,” Kelly said.
Trump attended Game 3, making him the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals. While Trump was a fixture at Knicks games before he entered the national political scene, some commentators, such as ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, believed the president’s insistence on attending Monday’s contest became a distraction that disrupted the home team’s momentum. (The Knicks lost the game 115-111, ending the team’s streak of 13 consecutive wins).
Swift showed up for Game 4, joining “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay and the other celebrities that regularly show up court side at Madison Square Garden.
