Three days after being carted off the field with a neck injury, Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell provided a health update.
It was good news.
“I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such a short period of time,” Campbell said in a statement released Wednesday by the Lions. “I have full movement in my lower body, and I’m continuing to make progress with movement in my upper body. I know there’s still work ahead, but I remain very optimistic. I’m taking things one day at a time, staying positive, and focusing on getting better.”
STATEMENT FROM JACK CAMPBELL
My family and I want to sincerely thank everyone for the overwhelming amount of love, prayers, and support we’ve received over the past few days. It means more to us than words can express.
I’m incredibly encouraged by the progress I’ve made in such…
Speaking to reporters in a previously scheduled news conference, Lions coach Dan Campbell remarked on the injured player’s statement.
“Especially being able to hear it from him, that means a lot,” the coach said. “That’s powerful in itself, more than hearing it from me or anybody else. Those are his and his family’s words, so that’s powerful. And I know that always helps, to know that he’s improving, because at this point that’s all you’re looking for is just to know that he is improving.”
Jack Campbell was lying face down and motionless on the field after tackling Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson early in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s 19-15 victory Sunday at Ford Field. Medical staff tended to the 2025 Pro Bowl selection for almost 10 minutes, then strapped him to a backboard and carted him off the field. Campbell was breathing and alert when he was taken to the hospital.
“I especially want to thank the athletic trainers and medical personnel who responded and cared for me on the field,” Campbell said. “I know those were difficult moments, and I’m incredibly grateful for the professionalism, compassion, and care you showed me. The way you handled everything and looked after me when I needed it most is something I’ll never forget. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
“I also can’t say enough about the incredible care I’ve received from the medical team at Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Lions medical staff. They’ve been amazing to me and my family throughout this process, and I’m truly grateful for everything they’ve done.”
The fourth-year player also expressed his appreciation for the support he has received from the Lions organization and the fans.
“My faith in God has never been stronger. I know He has a plan for me, and I trust in that plan,” Campbell said. “I know there may be challenges ahead, but with my faith, my family, and so many people in my corner, I know we’ll get through this.”
A Democrat from Kansas has been elected to the US Senate for the first time in 94 years. Christian pastor Adam Hamilton beat his Republican opponent Roger Marshall, cementing a Democratic majority in Congress.
Weeks after Sean “Diddy” Combs was hospitalized for a head injury suffered while serving time in federal prison, his release date has moved up.
The disgraced music and alcohol mogul is now set to be released on Feb. 6, 2028, nearly a month sooner than his projected release date last month, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate database. Combs was sentenced in October 2025 to more than four years in prison following his July conviction for transporting prostitutes across state lines for drug-fueled sex parties known as “freak-offs.”
The release date for Combs has changed multiple times since his conviction, and although he was initially projected to be freed in June 2028, the embattled producer’s release date has been moved forward and back, as dates frequently change due to a variety of factors.
Combs, 56, was reportedly placed in solitary confinement in late September following an NBC News report that he allegedly obtained a contraband cellphone, had access to a tablet that had been “jailbroken” to remove various restrictions and was stashing booze, often called pruno or toilet wine. The report also detailed ways in which Combs was allegedly living it up on the inside and receiving massages and special meals.
In October, after his head injury, the circumstances of which are unclear, he was transferred out of Fort Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey, to another low-security prison, FCI Allenwood in Pennsylvania, where he is now an inmate in the general population.
“The continued scrutiny of every mundane detail of Sean Combs’s life in prison has reached the point where the media characterizes ordinary prison life as news,” a spokesperson for Combs said in a statement to NBC News. “The only real news is that Sean continues to serve his sentence while awaiting the court’s decision on his appeal.”
Times staff writers Alexandra Del Rosario and Andrea Flores contributed to this report.
Audiences who saw Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s hit documentary “You Can See Everything” may have left the theater with a few questions about Elizabeth Holmes and her longtime partner Billy Evans. While the former Theranos CEO is serving time in a Texas federal prison, Evans is active on X and fielding burning questions inspired by the documentary.
If you’ve haven’t yet seen the film, spoilers ahead.
Evans, 34, comes from a wealthy family who owns a luxury resort in San Diego. He and Holmes have two children, a 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter, and while Holmes serves an 11-year prison sentence, Evans is raising their kids, pursuing a new biotech venture and running the couple’s X accounts.
In “You Can See Everything,” Evans bares it all for the cameras, revealing everything from his nude body in the shower to his intense personality, among other questionable traits that have been widely discussed since the film hit theaters last month.
On Monday afternoon, he participated in an “AMA” (Ask Me Anything), and fans of the film flooded the comments.
Holmes’ parents, Christian Rasmus Holmes IV (a former vice president at Enron’s Clean Energy Solutions Group) and Noel Anne Holmes (née Daoust), both appear in the film, but as Fielder attempts to interview Holmes’ father, Evans becomes increasingly agitated.
On X, @kalmiavtuber asks, “My biggest question is, Billy, why did you stop Nathan from speaking to Liz’s father? Both Nathan and the audience saw it as integral to the documentary to truly ‘see everything.’ It felt like a missed opportunity that could have continued to give Liz more light.”
Evans replied, “She was going to prison. We had 3 days [together] at the time. I wanted to spend that time together. He interviewed her parents after she went in. They chose not to include that in the film. I didn’t control the edit. If there was something the directors wanted from them they had multiple opportunities to get it.”
One question popped up again and again, in various iterations: “Why did you keep sniffing throughout the documentary?”
And according to Evans, it wasn’t drug-induced sinus issues but, rather, germ- and Texas-induced. He said being a single dad to two toddlers makes him sick “approx 75% of days.” And, “Allergies in Austin TX are no joke. I take Claritin daily. Much less sniffling.”
And as for the blood testing device that Holmes spread out onto the kitchen table — the one that Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz said was not the same device that sent Holmes to prison but, rather, a future version of the Theranos product that was never used and never completed — @insistent_dw asked, “If the Theranos machine really worked as Liz said it did, why did it have to be dug out of storage containers in multiple pieces? I’d expect something like that to be locked in a safe and protected if it’s the prized machine behind a once billion dollar company.”
Evans replied, “Fair question. Theranos had been shut down for years, so naturally the hardware was in storage. We deliberately showed a disassembled device to show its internal components, not because that was all that remained. To my knowledge, 16 complete, functioning devices still exist. And Liz wasn’t reading a script. She was reading directly from the trial transcript. The litigation was still ongoing when we filmed.”
Farther down into the thread, one X user asks, “Have you ever told a lie?” To which Evans replies, “Yes.”
And @alexandraandnyc asked Evans to dispel one misconception from the film: “That I somehow control Liz,” Evans replied. “Anyone who actually knows her would find that idea hilarious.”
“She’s fiercely independent, strongwilled, and my best friend. We are partners in every sense. We challenge each other, disagree, and face the world together. Her closest friends are also some of my closest friends. If I ever mistreated her, they’d have my head.”
While it may have surprised audiences, “You Can See Everything,” landed an R-rating for its graphic nudity. One scene in particular features a full-frontal of Evans, and the dad of two has since said that he wasn’t thrilled with the shower scene making it into the film. When X users pressed him on allowing the cameras into the room, he pointed to a People article that featured anonymous sources saying Evans felt exploited and thought the scene would be kept PG.
“Trust the sources,” he said, alongside a link to the story.
Oppenheim, however, told Vulture last month that Evans seemed to initiate the scene: “It seems like he really had something he wanted to show to us and to the world.”
Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where, no, we did not get a Luka Doncic bobblehead.
Fans and even some Lakers players walked away with the coveted statuettes after the Lakers’ win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Sandro Mamukelashvili said he would display his in his office next to bobbleheads of former teammates Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli.
With Doncic eavesdropping on his postgame interview Sunday, Jarred Vanderbilt said he didn’t need a bobblehead.
“I don’t want to see no more Luka,” Vanderbilt said minutes after Doncic walked out of the locker room.
If the beginning of the season is any indication, we’ll all be seeing more Luka.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Thuc Nhi Nguyen’s weekly newsletter.
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Luka’s scoring magic
When half-court isn’t hard enough, Luka Doncic goes for the full-court heave. When a traditional three-pointer is a bore, he’ll try a one-handed, underhand three instead. Doncic keeps pushing the ball higher and higher on trick shots that are approaching the rafters before they ultimately drop softly through the net. And with Doncic, they almost always do.
“He’s done it so many times now,” Lakers forward Matisse Thybulle said of Doncic’s array of trick shots, “that [you] just kind of chalk it up to that’s just Luka.”
Doncic is not only just up to his old scoring tricks, he’s made them even better. After leading the league in scoring last year, Doncic is averaging 38.3 points per game through the first two weeks. And that’s despite what he deemed a “terrible” start while he was still trying to find his offensive rhythm.
“We live on a spaceship and we’re going at the speed of light at all times when he’s on the court,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Sunday after Doncic scored 45 points with six assists in a “supernova” performance that still felt “normal” enough to get overshadowed by his 15 defensive rebounds and five steals.
In his last five games, Doncic is averaging 43.4 points and 8.6 assists on 53.2% shooting from the field and 44.7% from three. His five consecutive games with 35 or more points matches the longest such streak for a Lakers player since Kobe Bryant averaged 53.6 points across a five-game heater in March 2007.
The Lakers (6-2) celebrated the Slovenian superstar’s scoring prowess Sunday with a bobblehead giveaway. The miniature statue showed Doncic shooting a one-legged fadeaway jumper, one of his classic shots.
Doncic’s jump shot has become his calling card while turning into one of the league’s most dangerous scorers. Beginning in the 2023-24 season when Doncic won his first scoring title, at least 35.3% of his field-goal attempts each year have been from three. He never attempted more than 33.2% of his shots from beyond the arc during an NBA season prior to that year. The uptick in attempts has closed the gap between how many points he’s scoring from two compared to points off three-pointers, and this season, the hot-shooting Doncic is scoring more on threes than twos. Through his first six games, Doncic scored 66 points on twos and 105 on threes. His 5.8 made threes and 13.5 three-point attempts per game both lead the league. In the small sample size, he’s shooting a career-best 43.2% from three.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
For those who have known Doncic through different phases of his career, watching this dominant scorer emerge feels like watching a Pokémon evolve.
“He just polished a lot of his offensive weapons, let’s say,” Doncic’s longtime Spanish agent Quique Villalobos said. “If you ask me what is different from Luka in Europe than Luka in the NBA, Luka in the NBA is scoring much more.”
The 18-year-old Doncic won EuroLeague MVP averaging 16 points, 4.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Even considering that EuroLeague games are 40 minutes compared to the NBA’s 48, Doncic’s 22.2 points per 36 minutes during his final EuroLeague season is still less than his NBA rookie rate of 23.7 points per 36 minutes.
Different rules also help NBA players stuff box scores. The NBA court is bigger (94 feet by 50 feet compared to 91.86 feet by 49.21 feet in Europe) allowing more space to move. Doncic knows he can take advantage of the NBA’s defensive three-seconds violation by timing his attacks when the center leaves the paint. Doncic’s pacing remains one of his sharpest scoring weapons.
“I would say his patience,” Lakers guard Collin Sexton said of what makes Doncic such a prolific scorer. “And really not be able to be sped up at times. When you’re not able to be sped up, you’re able to control the game at your speed and do what you want to, no matter what the defense is doing.”
Doncic moves at a slow pace, but is creating loud moments. He is becoming ubiquitous around Crypto.com Arena. The full-page ad he bought in The Times for the season opener was blown up to more than six feet tall and displayed on the concourse at a recent game. Lakers girls wore his No. 77 jersey during a performance on his bobblehead night. And the sight of him hitting a contested step-back jumper will live in the nightmares of defenders all season.
New rules are a flop
As gracefully as a 40-year-old can manage, Al Horford attempted to spin across the lane. The Golden State Warriors’ center stepped on Vanderbilt’s foot and the Lakers’ forward fell backward. Vanderbilt looked at referees in disbelief when he was called for a flop.
The NBA’s new flopping emphasis has been a headache for players and coaches as they struggle to understand how referees will interpret the rules. While offensive players are often chastised for flopping in an attempt to get free throws, every clip in the NBA’s four-minute video about flopping focused on defensive players. During the video shown to players and coaches, the NBA’s head of referee development and training Monty McCutchen emphasizes moments where the defenders’ reactions are “theatrical and excessive” and are “in a manner inconsistent with the contact.”
When asked about the new emphasis from referees, Redick echoed sentiments shared by Minnesota coach Chris Finch last week, saying the NBA’s focus on defensive flopping doesn’t align with what the goal should be.
“We all recognized the fans want the offensive players to stop flopping, and all of our flopping fouls have been defensive,” Redick told reporters in San Francisco. “The reality for the officials [is] each crew is so different and what they interpret is so different.”
Flopping is one of the NBA’s four points of emphasis this season. It may conflict with another area of focus, which involves cracking down on offensive players forcefully using their off-arm to create separation. Offensive players get a win with the emphasis on defensive flopping while the defense is supposed to get the advantage if referees are legislating off-arm push-offs out of the game.
The two sides are then left asking for different things on the same play such as the Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski pleading for the foul while Austin Reaves motioned for a flop with his arms extended and palms up after the two collided on an in-bounds play last Friday.
Neither player got what they asked for.
On tap
Wednesday at Kings (1-6), 7 p.m. PST
The Kings finally won a game, taking down Dallas for their first win of the year Monday. Rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. isn’t shy in his first NBA games: he is second in the NBA in field goal attempts per game with 23.6. He is averaging 26.1 points per game.
Friday vs. Trail Blazers (5-1), 7 p.m. PST
The Lakers lost to the Trail Blazers last week but Portland is already a different team. Ja Morant will be out for at least most of November after he suffered a grade 2 hamstring injury on Oct. 29. The dynamic guard will be out for four to six weeks.
Sunday at Pistons (6-1), 3 p.m. PST
The Pistons have impressive early season wins over Boston and Philadelphia despite an injury to center Jalen Duren. The center who was at the center of an offseason contract feud was sidelined for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, the team announced Oct. 25.
Monday at Atlanta (4-4), 4 p.m. PST
Forward Jalen Johnson is backing up his first career All-Star selection and a third-team All-NBA honor by leading the Hawks with 18.1 points, nine rebounds and 7.9 assists this season.
Favorite thing I ate this week
Lime and cilantro marinated bean salad.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
I somehow got into the bean evangelist corner of the internet and now I’m a believer. I’ve been on the fibermaxxing routine with meal-prepped bean salads, including this cilantro lime find from Pinterest. The dressing is sweet, savory (from a tablespoon of miso paste), tangy and herby and it all came together in 20 minutes. It would have been even faster if I didn’t accidentally spill an entire bowl of marinated red onions on the floor during assembly.
Melissa Rycroft has been arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, again.
The “Bachelor” and “Dancing With the Stars” reality television star was arrested after Southlake, Texas, police say that she crashed into an ambulance and fled the scene on Halloween.
According to a press release published on the Southlake Police Department’s Facebook page, the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader allegedly collided with a Southlake Fire Department ambulance that was sitting at a stop sign just before 6 p.m. A short time later, officers tracked down the “hit-and-run vehicle” and identified the driver as Rycroft.
No injuries were reported, but the mom of three was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, second offense; accident involving damage more than $200; and driving with an invalid license. The TV personality was transported to the Keller Regional Detention Facility for processing, and bond for the combined offenses was set at $9,000.
Rycroft, who appeared on the 13th season of “The Bachelor” and went on to host “Bachelor Pad,” pleaded guilty to a separate DWI charge in August, stemming from a September 2025 incident, and agreed to serve 20 months of probation. Days before her Halloween arrest, she posted photos from a Studio 54‐themed party, where she donned a costume complete with a gold sequined dress and showed off the “Dancing With the Stars” mirror ball trophy she scored when she won Season 15 in 2012 alongside her pro partner Tony Dovolani.
Rycroft’s attorney did not immediately respond on Monday to The Times’ request for comment.
WASHINGTON — After spending a month asking voters to treat the midterms as a vote on him, President Trump closed his monthlong campaign sprint on Monday sounding like a man bracing for defeat.
“For some reason, the sitting president doesn’t win the midterms,” Trump said. “But we gave this a very strong shot.”
Still, Trump said he hopes Americans are “ready to do the right thing” and insisted that Republicans could hold on to Congress if voters who buoyed his 2024 victory turn out again. He urged voters to do so, calling this election “the most important midterm, I believe, in our lifetime.” The alternative, he warned, will be a “radical agenda” in Washington as he finishes his last two years in office.
“With your vote, we will decide if these extremists will be given power or not,” Trump said, claiming that the Democratic Party has “nominated the most extreme and dangerous slate of candidates in American history.”
The message capped a dizzying campaign push in which Trump made himself the focus of the midterms as he held dozens of rallies in mostly Republican states. In those rallies, he promised $5,000 checks and brighter days ahead to Americans who vote to keep Republicans in control of Congress. But heading into Tuesday, most polls are predicting a Democratic wave amid a voter backlash to Trump’s handling of the economy and a war in Iran.
Democrats are heavily favored to retake power of the House and are leading in all the key states that would be the likeliest to decide which party will control of the Senate, according to a New York Times/Siena University poll released Sunday. But polling can be flawed, as evidenced by forecasts that underestimated Trump’s support in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Trump’s approval rating is near historic lows this time around, the poll found. A separate NBC News poll released Sunday found nearly two-thirds of voters are seeking a change from the direction Trump is leading the country.
This year, early voting has already seen strong turnout, outpacing the last midterm election cycle, a trend that could mean bad news for Republicans. If a Democratic surge materializes, party leaders have vowed to use their potential congressional powers to investigate Trump and his family’s business dealings, with a focus on alleged corruption and economic harm to the American people.
Trump told Fox News on Sunday that if Democrats win control of both chambers he will “become Mr. Veto” and “make deals” with them, but hopes he won’t have to “worry about that.”
On the eve of the election, Trump’s message once again seemed to acknowledged that possibility, but his focus was largely focused on the numerous beautification projects his administration is leading in the nation’s capital.
President Trump holds up an image of algae in the Reflecting Pool as he delivers remarks Monday.
(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)
His final pitch to voters was made in front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a landmark his administration has spent months trying, and at times failing, to repair. For the first 20 minutes, he did not mention the election at all. Instead, he flipped through photos of the damaged pool, describing in detail how crews resurfaced and re-caulked its granite, and worked to address the “tremendous algae” that covered the pool.
“Look, it is not an easy thing. The algae is brutal. It forms easily and I don’t think you’ll see too much,” Trump said as he showed a picture of the algae layered over the water. “The green, that’s not grass, that’s algae. It took over the entire pool.”
Trump spent time listing numerous other renovation projects around the capital, arguing that the construction work shows how his presidency is delivering for the American people.
“Our country is strong, respected and prosperous once more and our capital is cleaner and safer and more spectacular than ever,” Trump said.
His focus on renovation projects drew the attention of Democrats, who argued his message was out of touch with what American voters want from leaders now.
“This is just [what] the median voter wants to hear — an update on various capital improvement projects in the District of Columbia,” Ashley Schapitl, a former Biden Treasury official, posted on X.
It was not the first time Democrats had poked fun at the president’s for being too focused on construction projects. At a rally last week, former President Obama said Trump “should be on HGTV,” ridiculing his ballroom project and the changes he has made to the Rose Garden and the Oval Office.
“He has the White House looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory,” Obama said. “There’s just gold everywhere.”
Trump has bristled at such criticism, insisting that renovations relax him and that he gets them done quickly.
His message on Monday struck a similarly dismissive tone as in other campaign events. Even as voters say they are struggling with the cost of living, Trump has insisted the economy is “booming” and brushed off higher gas prices as a “very small price to pay” for the war in Iran.
The contrast was on display over the weekend at a glitzy Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private club in Florida. As hundreds gathered in the club’s ballroom, eating Alaskan king crab and caviar, Trump showed off the crowd to reporters.
“Look at all my rich members,” Trump told reporters. “They spent all day getting ready. Look at these guys.”
ESPN personality Michael Wilbon announced he is taking an indefinite leave of absence from “Pardon the Interruption,” the sports debate show he has hosted with Tony Kornheiser for 25 years, and his NBA duties with the network and on ABC.
In a statement posted to social media on Monday, Wilbon cited “struggles with multiple health issues in recent months.”
“This isn’t retirement, but it is a trip to the injured list,” Wilbon, 67, wrote. “Hopefully not an extended one.”
He added: “Probably, I should have listened to medical professionals and people closest to me, yep Kornheiser included, who saw worrisome signs in recent years that suggested I take time away earlier. But I didn’t.
“And as one close friend has said as my issues have become bigger, ‘the bill has come due.’ The struggles are all health related, not to alcohol (I’m not swearing off the now-and-then Kier Royale) and not to gambling (those winds of change I find loathsome).”
Appearing on “The Tony Kornheiser Show” podcast Monday morning, Wilbon said he had taken last week off from “PTI” because “I was just, I mean, exhausted. Beyond exhausted — lifeless. And this has been going on for a while.”
He said that “part of what I have to deal with right now” stems from having diabetes. But, Wilbon added, “that’s not the entirety of it.”
Wilbon and Kornheiser, both former Washington Post sports writers, have hosted “PTI” since it debuted Oct. 22, 2001. The show has won the Sports Emmy Award for daily studio show three times (2009, 2016 and 2019). The hosts signed multi-year contracts in September 2025.
“Michael and his family have ESPN’s full support as he takes time away to focus on his health and well-being,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “He’s an important member of our ESPN team and widely respected by his peers, sports fans and so many others throughout our industry. We are here for Michael every step of the way and look forward to welcoming him back whenever he is ready.”
ESPN likely will have guest hosts fill in for Wilbon on “PTI” while calling on some of its other analysts to handle his NBA duties.
“I have loved sparring and hosting PTI with Tony every single day these past 25 years,” Wilbon wrote. “And I’m incredibly grateful for the support and encouragement of my colleagues as I take this time away to concentrate on me, specifically on my well-being. I have no idea exactly how this part of my journey will wind up. The goal is to come out of it feeling much better than I do now and ready to return to sparring with Tony.”
Zainab Johnson believes in optimism — to a somewhat alarming degree. Not just because she usually presents as smart and happy and sharply dressed on stage or because she’s doing incredibly well in her comedy career, or even just because she’s a millennial. She’s happy in spite of every aspect of life that conspires to bring her down because it’s the ultimate power move. From surviving a near deadly car crash that broke both her legs to fighting for every opportunity to become successful in stand-up only to realize there’s more work at the top of the mountain, Johnson’s attitude towards it all has been to keep smiling. It’s no wonder she named her newly-arrived second special “Toxically Optimistic” (the first stand-up special produced by the Obama’s Higher Ground Productions).
But the unbridled joy is also the byproduct of a weight she’s lifted off herself in this new hour on Netflix — the pressure of always having to keep it real in her comedy. As a Black female stand-up it’s the box she says she’s often put in when she goes on stage and audiences are expecting her to air out her true-life trauma and make it funny as if she’s got nothing else to offer. Those who know her know better. Johnson’s mode as a storyteller has always been to dig for the deeper meaning in things, and in this new special she uses an opossum — her unlikely spirit animal — to get the job done.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity
Having optimism is tough these days, especially for people glued to their algorithms and, of course, watching too much news. Is it a challenge as a comedian to be able to get people out of that and get them into the positive mode of thinking?
It’s not difficult because it’s kind of what they want. People come to comedy shows because they want to feel good. Ultimately, they do want to come to hear you say the things that they can’t say. They want to hear your opinion on the things happening in the world that we’re all experiencing. They want to be affirmed by you. They want to be challenged by you, but ultimately they want to feel good. A comedy club is like a restaurant for the soul. Nobody likes to eat and then not feel good afterwards, right? And so I think that what I do in my comedy is I always like to put medicine in the candy. And “Toxically Optimistic,” is another medicine in the candy.
What were some things that you took from your first special “Hijabs Off” that helped you craft “Toxically Optimistic?”
My first special “Hijabs Off” was me laying the groundwork. I just wanted people to understand my foundation of who I am and know that whatever I give them after that, this is who it’s coming from. I think that “Hijabs Off” taught me to have fun, to really trust myself in the moment. There’s really spontaneous moments that I have in “Toxically Optimistic” and watching at home, you might not know that they’re spontaneous. You might think that I wrote that and I have been performing that all along. Some things in that special that night was the first night I said it… I don’t shy away from things. If anybody watched “Hijabs Off,” one of the most talked about moments was when my hair was like getting unruly because of the temperature in the room, and I can’t see myself, but I could I could feel it, and I called it out in that moment, like comedically. You see everybody on camera all the time, and so it liberated every woman in the room to “OK, good, she knows her hair is going crazy right now.” I was glad that I trusted myself at that moment, and so I just leaned more into that with “Toxically Optimistic.”
Johnson says Black women comedians often face pressure to deliver authenticity and personal meaning, while some white male peers can roam freely into the absurd; her bit nudges audiences to expect more.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
The people that know you now through that special know your story of being one of 13 siblings. If that doesn’t make you funny. I don’t know what will.
A lot of people say “you must be so funny being one of 13.” But I don’t know if that can take responsibility for me being funny.
I think it helps at least when it comes to fighting to be heard. I know because I’m one of a bunch.
How many specifically?
Well, I’ve got four in my immediate group, but my dad had 14 total.
Oh wow, look at papa, a Rolling Stone.
[Laughs] So I understand what it is to like fight for space in the conversation or to do anything. So maybe for you it was something like that?
I definitely think that it is. I can attribute that to being one of 13, being on stage with stand-up. Because with comedy, you could choose improv, you could choose sketch, right? But I think I do like that I’m carving out time almost every night that I get to be the center of attention, whether it’s for 15 minutes at a time or an hour at a time. But yeah I think my family’s so funny. They just don’t have the guts to do it in front of people over and over again, which is why I try to bring them as characters to life on stage. I feel like I might be the messenger.
You talk specifically about one of your sisters in your new special and how close you are with her as well as her mental state.
I think she would be called neurodivergent but I don’t really like that term. Every time I see a movie with “divergent” in it, the divergent is bad. Anytime you see a sci-fi movie and they talking about a divergent, the divergent is like not a good thing.
“I’m not a person that gets on stage and just talks about something for the joke of it,” Johnson said. “I’m always looking not just on stage, but in my life, for the deeper meaning, or the ‘why’ in things.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
I think it’s worth noting that you don’t necessarily treat your sister any different.
Oh no, no. I talk about that on stage a lot. Like any time we have taboo topics or taboo-like scenarios different from the “norm” we get really precious about it. Even in comedy clubs, people get awkward and stuff. The only way to normalize it is we have to get comfortable talking about like it is not something different. My sister is getting roasted like everybody else. She’s having a say like everybody else. She has a voice like everybody else — and we wouldn’t have it any other way. However, that’s inside the house. Now, outside the house, protection is different. I’m not like, “Oh yeah, you could talk to her like you would talk to me.” No, no, no. Talk to her nicely or you’re gonna have 12 other people to deal with.
In comedy specials there’s a difference between storytelling for a cheap laugh and showing us an allegory or something with a deeper meaning within the story. I love that you take that route with kind of an unlikely character.
I love talking about comedy when you’re not trying to give away the punchline.
I’m trying.
You’re trying to save the bit. Like they gotta go watch the bit. Yeah. But you want to talk about the bit!
What was the key for you about going beyond the joke or the story in that particular part of your special?
I am aware of the point that I’m making. The point that I ultimately end up making, I’m hyper aware of that because I’m living in that every day. Eugene, the opossum [the main character of the bit in question], was something that was really happening to me, and so these were like these two simultaneous situations — what does it mean for me to now be on stage as a Black woman every night trying to deliver comedy, but also I got this wild animal in my backyard every night and like, how am I dealing with this? And at some point on stage, I found the connection. I found it because I’m not a person that gets on stage and just talks about something for the joke of it. I’m always looking not just on stage, but in my life, for the deeper meaning, or the “why” in things. And when I found [it], I know it’s a trip to just give the audience this [wild story] but I’m gonna use it to prove a point. I’m gonna use it to illustrate something that I think is really important for the audience to be aware of. And when I figured that out, I felt really good. Watching it, you’re like “Where is she going with this?” And then when you get there, you’re like “it’s a great destination, thank you so much for bringing me here.”
And I think that destination brings up a big issue about what Black women are and aren’t allowed to say or how they’re “allowed” to be comedic. Why was that topic important for you to put out there to the world?
A few reasons. One, I am an observer as much as I am a doer, and I would be doing these really fun shows with really big comedians…I remember Mark Maron put me on a show with him and Zach Galifianakis, who’s hilarious and can speak very deeply about things in the world. I remember he went out in front of this audience, and I mean the stuff he was saying was so wildly imaginative. I was kind of like, “Hold on a second, they’re not even requiring him to be based in reality.” Like they were eating it up, you know?
And I was like, “What would happen if I did that?” That’s just a question that I asked myself… I watch someone who’s fully capable of being accountable not have to be accountable at all and kill in front of this audience. But the moment I went out there [on stage], I felt the pressure. I don’t know if it’s from me or from [the audience]. I can’t tell. But the pressure is there. It’s pungent, for me, like to “Give us something real, give us something valuable. Tell us who you are.” And [Galifianakis] didn’t have to do that. And I was like, “What does it feel like to not have to do that?”
“I don’t know if I should say that, but sometimes I’m watching things, and sometimes I’m up there as a performer, and I want the audience to want more,” Johnson said. “I want the audience to be smarter.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Does the freedom from “being real” as a Black female comedian feel like an unboxing for you?
I think this is an unboxing. I’m naturally so scared to be trapped. It’s crazy because I’m usually not a person that’s trapped, but it’s because I’m so scared to be trapped. But also, the thing that I love about the Eugene [opossum] bit is that I say, you know, that there’s this comedian talking about a horse. A horse is a majestic animal. It’s a respected animal, nobody’s afraid of a horse, people love horses, horses signify beauty. But the opossum? To make an audience love an opossum is very difficult because I would go out on a road, and the moment I would say, “Anybody know what an opossum [is]?” Immediately, the audience would be like, oh, like their reaction to an opossum is like, “Girl, don’t even. I’m not trying to think about that right now. I’m sitting here enjoying some chicken wings at a comedy and you about to make me think about a big a— rat!” So even just to get them to sort of endear an animal that usually gives people a sort of like a reaction of like “ugh,” just that alone is a win for me. But then to turn up the heat and say also, I want you guys to know that I walked you through something that you had no idea that I was walking you through, and here’s why, you know. And I hope that it trains the audience in a way.
I don’t know if I should say that, but sometimes I’m watching things, and sometimes I’m up there as a performer, and I want the audience to want more. I want the audience to be smarter. I want the audience to be more sophisticated. I don’t want them to have less fun. I don’t want them to be less silly. I knew every time I did that bit, I was challenging them without letting them know. Like I’m about to challenge you guys to do something, and when you leave here, I hope that you, you know, I hope that you don’t do it just for me, but every other person that you see that is not a straight cis white male.
I think wanting better for the audience, especially a comedy club audience, is the most toxically optimistic thing I’ve ever heard. But it’s a pursuit I think you’ve achieved. I also walked away with a greater respect and love for possums.
I love that. I think most people do. I was at an event last night, it was an event solely focused on beauty and makeup and that sort of stuff, right? And the amount of women that came up to me and were like, “How’s Eugene?” The special was not out yet at this point, but they saw me working out this bit, And it reminded me of the process. To get up on stage and just do that [bit], it’s not easy. It’s easier to do it once I’ve already given you a full, nice 40 minutes of comedy. Now I’m gonna go into the experiment. But [the women who saw the early version of the bit] reminded me “Yeah, Zainab, you’re bold. You, you’re not doing it the way most comedians do it.”
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. I’m Eric Sondheimer. The football playoff pairings have been announced. It’s prediction time.
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Prediction time
Quarterback Thaddeus Breaux of No. 2-seeded Hamilton in City Section Division I.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
It’s that time of year to make football playoff predictions. Let’s start with the City Section because there’s one certainty: Carson will win the Open Division.
Carson worked hard in the off season getting better on the offensive and defensive lines to support quarterback Chris Fields III. If any team wants to get close, they need to control the clock. Cleveland can be that team to at least make the Colts sweat if the Cavaliers reach the final.
In Division I, No. 2-seeded Hamilton has been making progress and its passing attack looks ready to deliver a championship. The others: Division II, watch out for 1-9 Marquez, which had a great strength of schedule. Division III, South East.
In Division 2, Chaparral is seeded No. 1 and has the chance to take advantage of being healthy and having played a tough 10-game schedule to take home the title.
Division 3 is wide open. There’s former Division 1 champions Long Beach Poly, Edison and Crespi to deal with. Poly outscored its weak Moore League opponents 199-0, so it’s hard to say if the Jackrabbits have turned things around since quarterback Trevor Scott became eligible. If it’s not an illusion, then the Jackrabbits can win it all.
Division 4: This is about who gets hot. Dana Hills, Cathedral, La Habra and Cajon all have the opportunity to be that team. La Habra went 0-5 in the tough Bravo League, but quarterback DJ Mitchell is capable of a four-game win streak.
Division 5: Mary Star let the cat out of the bag by taking Carson to the very end before losing 45-42. Oaks Christian has started playing like the Oaks Christian of old, so watch out.
Division 6: Quarterback Jack Hurst is back for Laguna Beach.
Division 7: Paramount loaded up on transfers and now gets to win a title.
Division 8: Never choose against Rio Hondo Prep.
Division 9: Lawndale has former Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett as an assistant and is 9-1. Don’t underestimate 1-9 Western. They’ve played much tougher opponents.
Division 10: Top-seeded Nogales is unbeaten for a reason. It can run and pass.
Division 11: Viewpoint is better than people think.
Division 12: Rancho Alamitos will find a way.
Division 13: Rialto is finally healthy and got an ideal division placement.
Division 14: If San Gabriel wins, it will be front page news in the San Gabriel Valley.
Mater Dei’s sideline, led by coach Raul Lara, erupts in celebration after the Monarchs pulled out a 36-35 win over St. John Bosco.
(Craig Weston / For The Times)
The final regular-season game between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco had a classic ending to another memorable rivalry game, with Mater Dei winning 36-36 on a successful two-point conversion with 7.5 seconds left. Here’s the report.
Mission Viejo won the Alpha League title over San Juan Hills. Here’s the report.
Valencia rallied to defeat Hart for the Foothill League title. Here’s the report.
Long Beach Poly didn’t allow a single point in Moore League play, outscoring its opponents 199-0.
Hoover earned its first playoff berth since 1987.
Freshman Deon’Dre Smith is having a terrific season for Bellflower at receiver. Here’s the report.
The Coliseum League ended in a three-way tie for first place among King/Drew, Dorsey and Crenshaw after Dorsey upset King/Drew, requiring all three to go to the City Section Open Division playoffs.
Marshall coach Jose Razo with his 11-year-old son, Adrian. He spent 18 years as a football assistant at Marshall.
(Aida Alrafe)
Rejected twice after interviews for head football coach at Marshall, Jose Razo decided to stay as an assistant coach. When the job opened again in 2025, he was promoted to head coach. Now the team is 10-0 and Northern League champions.
JSerra quarterback Kate Meier throws while being blitzed by Huntington Beach defender Olivia Quick during the CIF Southern Section Open Division flag football semifinals on Oct. 31, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Unbeaten JSerra will play Newport Harbor for the Southern Section Open Division flag football title Saturday at Huntington Beach.
They’ve been considered the top two teams all season.
Mater Dei is 38-1 with its only loss coming to Santa Margarita. It has a tournament win over Sierra Canyon, which is 32-1. Also No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the state. The time will be announced early this week.
The City Section will hold its finals at Venice and Birmingham this weekend. In Tuesday’s semifinals, Venice will host Taft and Cleveland is at Palisades.
Palisades wins in tennis
Palisades High freshman Aila Monahan won her three sets at No. 1 singles in the City Section girls’ tennis finals.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Palisades continued its domination in girls tennis with another City Section girls title.
Former Mater Dei and USC quarterback Matt Leinart remains heavily involved in sports as a TV analyst and Mater Dei supporter. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2004 and his son, Cole, is a quarterback at SMU.
Harvard-Westlake sophomore baseball player Louis Lappe is getting so good that coach Jared Halpert believes he’ll be one of the five best best players to come out of the school. The next NL MVP is likely former HW OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, so it’s big list.
This week’s @CIFSS cross country rankings were delayed a bit but here they are as we enter another weekend of action before the start of a very robust League Finals week schedule! https://t.co/mRRx3s0lga
Senior Zac O’Leary of @JSerraTF put together another excellent racing display in capturing the Trinity League Finals individual title at Central Park in 15:00.9! Here’s our interview with Zac, along with team scores and top individual finishers! https://t.co/uXvSUSxPG4
Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com, and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.
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This location is a living slice of British history, featuring one of the last chippies in the world still cooking in beef dripping over coal-fired 1950s fryers
The retro village attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year(Image: Paul Maguire via Getty Images)
If you are sick of endless notifications and modern life, this sprawling northern village offers the ultimate escape – complete with a legendary, coal-fired chippy.
A quaint northern location has been heavily praised online for its “insane” chip shop and its unique ability to take visitors on a genuine journey back in time.
Beamish, a sprawling, 350-acre open-air museum nestled in the County Durham countryside. Designed to offer an authentic window into northern England’s past, the “living” museum is packed with period-accurate shops, traditional eateries, Georgian gardens, and vintage transport, drawing hundreds of thousands of eager tourists every single year.
According to the official Beamish website, the world-famous attraction brings history to life across several dedicated exhibits, including an 1820s Pockerley setup, a 1900s Town and Pit Village, and 1950s farm areas.
To keep the historical illusion absolutely bulletproof, you will never catch any of the in-character actors sneaking a glance at a smartphone, either.
Combined with the notoriously patchy mobile signal across the sprawling site, visitors agree this enforced digital detox is actually a massive bonus, allowing them to completely unplug and fully immerse themselves in the Edwardian experience.
Using a clever combination of authentic reconstructions and meticulously relocated historical structures, visitors can fully immerse themselves in the past – right down to the food.
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Inside Davy’s Fried Fish Shop
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Food content creator Robbie Thompson made the trip to the preserved settlement to try the local grub. During his visit, he stopped by the celebrated Davy’s Fried Fish Shop, which is widely recognised for its fiercely traditional cooking techniques.
Nestled in the attraction’s 1900s Pit Village, the beloved chippy operates exactly as a traditional Edwardian takeaway would. There are no modern fryers or cheap vegetable oils in sight.
Instead, staff in period dress serve up piping-hot, golden-battered fish and chunky chips cooked the old-fashioned way – bubbling away in rich beef dripping over authentic, coal-fired ranges.
The intensely flavoursome, crispy results routinely draw massive queues of hungry tourists, and Robbie was quick to sing its praises.
In a video tour of the chippy and the surrounding town, the TikToker told his followers: “This is the fish and chip shop trapped in time – one of the last in the world that uses coal to heat the original 1950s fryers, with fish and chips cooked in beef dripping.”
Praising the wider village, he continued: “The sweet shop makes candy by hand, the bakery makes the same cakes as a century ago. There’s no mobile phone reception up here, so people actually have to talk to each other. A slice of England unchanged. It’s one of the most incredible fish and chips, it’s Davy’s in Beamish.”
Captioning the viral clip, he added: “Insane chippy stuck in history. Absolute scenes.”
“The best you will ever eat”
TikTok users were swift to flood the comments with their own rave reviews of the living museum and its famous food.
One gushed: “Beamish museum – if you’ve not yet been then go, it’s brilliant, them chips and fish best ever.”
Another agreed: crowning the meal the “best fish and chips [they] have ever had.”
A third nostalgic viewer reminisced: “We went on a school trip to Beamish when I was about 10. Loved it! I’m 57 now.”
Others were heavily drawn to the village’s lack of signal. One said: “Wonder if no mobile reception is a specific tactic. What a world with no mobiles and social media.”
The overall vibe of the historic settlement left many viewers wanting to pack their bags for good, with one begging: “Make the WHOLE of the UK like this.”
Another joked: “Not me Googling if people live here, in an attempt to escape modern society.”
Looking over the edge of the snow-smoothed canyon down to dark rushing water, we thought we saw a moose or a reindeer, but it could have been a rock. The light was fading fast so it was hard to tell. It was time to turn back; we didn’t want to get lost in the wood, or fall into the river. By the time we’d retraced our steps to Abisko, the blue world had turned to black and dust-like snowflakes whirled around the little village. Back in our hotel room after our expedition, I looked at my phone – it was only 2pm!
Travelling to the Arctic Circle in winter had always been a dream, but when I realised the sun wouldn’t get above the horizon on my holiday, it made me twitchy. I usually pack my limited annual leave as tightly as I pack my working life. I was already using up three days’ holiday travelling by train from London to Abisko. How would I make the most of my time there with barely any daylight?
My partner and I chose to stop in this small village in Swedish Lapland almost by chance, when we researched the most northerly stops on the train line between Stockholm and Narvik. Abisko looked on the map like a tiny enclave surrounded by lakes and mountains. Reading more about it, we found that it was home to the Abisko blue hole – a unique microclimate where the geography creates frequent clear skies, making it one of the most reliable places on Earth to see the aurora borealis.
After a blur of cities and sleeper trains, we arrived at Abisko Ostra, a tiny station comprising just one low platform and a glass shelter over the exit door, at 11am. We jumped down from the high step of the carriage into soft, deep snow, our feet creating the only imprints on the length of the walkway. White mist hung all around us, and the couple of buildings we could see were fading into the sky. Apart from the icy train tracks cutting a sharp black detail, everything in the landscape appeared icing soft.
We walked along an empty road that curved up to the Abisko Mountain Lodge, one of a handful of accommodation options we had found online. Our room wasn’t quite ready, so we spent a while in the hotel’s warm, firelit bar watching people change into their outdoor gear then disappear into the cold. Knowing that darkness would soon set in, I was itching to get outside as well – while we could still see our surroundings.
By the time we were salopetted up, thick clouds had made the white world grey, but it was still everything my Christmas-film-loving inner child had imagined. The path we followed was lined with low lights glowing yellow against the white landscape, guiding us among houses with bright windows illuminating the dusk. We followed our phone map towards a viewpoint by a river. It was only half an hour’s walk, but in the deep snow it seemed much longer, and felt like walking through a thick white cloud.
We had expected to spend the day exploring. Instead, we’d somehow finished our outing before the afternoon had properly begun. Feeling the luxury of time stretching out, we made tea in our room and read for a while, but we still had plenty of time before dinner, so we went for a few rounds in the sauna.
Northern lights over Lake Torneträsk. Photograph: Tomasz Wozniak/Alamy
In the restaurant later, we heard an excited murmur among the diners. The aurora! We rushed out, wearing the clothes we’d been eating dinner in, and watched the green glow, our feet growing more and more numb. But the night was still young, so we got back into our cold-weather gear and walked up a path to higher ground where a family were making snow angels while watching nature’s light show. Their enthusiasm added to our excitement, and we found ourselves not wanting to look away from the dancing sky in case it got better or brighter. Our initial walk to the canyon felt like days ago but we’d only arrived 12 hours earlier.
The next day, after a long and leisurely breakfast of pickled herring, gherkins and lots of delicious rye bread, we hiked a few hours along the bank of Lake Torneträsk. The snow on the path was compact enough for us to explore in our hiking boots, but we saw a few adventurous groups snowshoeing through the wilderness. We followed a narrow path through bare silver birches weighed down with bulbous drifts, until we found a picnic spot near a frozen waterfall, where we enjoyed some provisions we’d squirreled away from the generous breakfast.
I did a double-take as I looked back at the way we had come. The sunrise-like colour seemed to be glowing in exactly the same way as when we’d set off, hours before. Unable to tell if it was morning or afternoon, I felt my sense of time opening up. The sun remained below the horizon, but its colourful glow hung in the sky for hours. The pinks and oranges slowly brightened, lingered, then imperceptibly began to fade. The ideas of dawn, midday and evening began to fade, too.
From the waterfall, we walked up to a high viewpoint and ate flapjacks as we watched the hidden sun cast a last ray of deep orange towards the horizon. We warmed up with hot chocolate in the Abisko Turiststation hotel, drying snow-damp clothes on a radiator before heading back into the cold. The stars were out by then – in the mid-afternoon. We took the long path back to the village and headed through the misty gloom towards the red neon sign and strip-light interior of the supermarket to stock up on snacks for the next day’s train journey.
The supermarket was designed for people likely to get snowed in, with lots of produce for sale in bulk, but we found delicious jars of pickled herring, cloudberry jam and more of the region’s dense rye bread to tide us over, along with a squeezy tube of cheese spread from the surprisingly varied range that covered almost a whole aisle. Back at our hotel, we had another sauna, then dinner, before a beer in the cosy hotel bar. Then we headed outside again. It had been dark for hours, but it was still only early evening.
The aurora over the lávvu-style building. Photograph: Camilla Yates
We were due to take a cable car up to Abisko Sky Station, a mountain viewpoint 900 metres (nearly 3,000ft) above sea level, but high winds meant the 20-minute cable car journey was too dangerous, so our evening’s plans changed shape. Our guide took us to an outcrop above Lake Torneträsk, where we got another spectacular show of the aurora, complete with shooting stars, courtesy of the Geminids. I have no idea how long we stood there, admiring the sky. I’d stopped trying to fit the holiday into my idea of what should be done when.
Later, we warmed up with reindeer soup in a building shaped like a traditional Sámi lávvu, a conical structure with a central fire for warmth and light. Our guide told us some of the myths and legends surrounding the aurora: that the lights were ancestors dancing, or a fox spirit running through the sky with snow attached to its tail. He also showed us the best forecasting apps to use, like the Aurora Buddy and My Aurora, and what all the bars on the various graphs meant. The northern lights lit the darkest part of our walk home.
I came to Abisko worrying that darkness would take something away from my trip, but instead it removed the boundaries that normally suggest what I should be doing when. When the distinction between night and day dissolved, there unexpectedly seemed to be more holiday in front of me. It felt like a surprisingly liberating way to travel.
It has been a week since Angel City qualified for the NWSL playoffs. On Sunday, the team found out who and where it would be playing.
With a 4-1 victory over Boston Legacy, Angel City finished the regular season fifth in the standings and will travel to Kansas City on Saturday to meet the Current in its second-ever trip to the postseason. And it will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the NWSL, riding a league-best 10-game unbeaten streak.
The goals Sunday came from Nealy Martin in the first half and Evelyn Shores, Sveindis Jonsdottir and Claire Emslie in the second. Boston’s only score came from Brazilian striker Amanda Gutierres just before intermission.
Angel City began the final game of the regular season with a chance to finish as high as third in the table, earning the right to open the playoffs at home. But to do that it, it needed a win and it needed the two teams directly ahead of it, Kansas City and Washington, to lose.
Neither the Current nor Spirit cooperated, leaving the standings mostly frozen where they were at the start of the week. Not that it really mattered, attacker Ally Sentnor said before the game.
“You have to beat the best to win a championship. You have to beat everyone, so doesn’t really matter who you play at the beginning,” she said. “Every team in the playoffs is a great team, so I think we are just focused on us and what we’re doing on the field and what we are going to produce on the field.
“We just take every game as it comes.”
Although Sunday’s match was a home game for Angel City (15-8-7), it wasn’t played at home. LAFC is the primary tenant at BMO Stadium and when MLS moved the team’s game with Minnesota United from Saturday to Sunday to avoid competing with USC’s football game at the Coliseum, Angel City was forced to relocate 12 miles down the freeway to Dignity Health Sports Park.
An enthusiastic crowd of approximately 15,000 followed the team to Carson for the “Decision Day” match.
But the move left Angel City playing a home game on the road in an effort to avoid the road and play at home in the playoffs. Not that the home-field advantage has meant much to the team this season: Angel City was 6-5-3 at BMO Stadium this season — the worst home record for an NWSL playoff team —- and 9-3-4 everywhere else.
However four of those five home losses came under former coach Alexander Straus. Interim manager Leif Smerud said this is a different Angel City team.
“We are good both home and away,” he said. “If I can choose, I would of course play at home in front of a fantastic crowd. And all the logistics would be a bit simpler as well.
“But that’s not up to me to decide and control.”
Ariadina Alves Borges of Angel City dribbles the ball against Alba Caño of Boston in the first half Sunday.
(Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
It’s unlikely Angel City would be playing anywhere in the postseason if not for the June coaching change that saw it replace Straus.
The team won just one of its final eight games under Straus and was 12th in the 16-team NWSL table at the time of the change. It has lost just twice in 19 games since, setting franchise records for wins (15), goals (54), points (52) and goal differential (a league-best plus-22).
Martin opened the scoring with the first goal of her six-year NWSL career in the 17th minute. Given tons of time and space just outside the penalty area, she settled a short pass from Sentnor, then patiently chipped forward a right-footed shot that Boston defender Deja Davis inadvertently headed into the net.
Boston (9-15-6) pulled that back in the 37th minute on a blistering right-footed strike from the edge of the box by Gutierres, her 11th goal of the season. That ended a 144-minute scoreless streak for Angel City keeper Angelina Anderson.
But Angel City went ahead to stay eight minutes into the second half when Shores headed in a long cross from Jonsdottir for her fourth goal of the season. Jonsdottir put the game away with her franchise-record 10th goal of the year on a breakaway in the 72nd minute and Emslie closed the scoring 12 minutes later with her first goal since September 2024. Taylor Suarez assisted on both goals.
NWSL playoff pairings Quarterfinals
Friday No. 2 San Diego Wave, 18-8-4 vs. No. 7 Utah Royals, 14-11-5, 5 p.m., Prime Video
Saturday No. 4 Kansas City Current, 16-9-5 vs. No. 5 Angel City, 15-8-7, 9 a.m., CBS/Paramount+
Sunday No. 1 Gotham FC, 18-5-7 vs. No. 8 Seattle Reign, 14-11-5, 9:30 a.m., ABC No. 3 Washington Spirit, 17-9-4 vs. No. 6 Portland Thorns, 14-8-8, noon, ABC
NEW YORK — Ohio State dropped out of the top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday for the first time in five years, UCLA entered the top five for the first time in 25 years and New Mexico earned the first ranking in program history.
The Buckeyes plummeted from No. 2 to No. 11 following their 30-18 loss at USC, making it four weeks in a row the No. 1 or 2 team has lost to an unranked opponent.
Miami was No. 1 for the third straight week after escaping North Carolina with a 38-35 victory. Georgia moved up a spot to No. 2 and was followed by Utah, Notre Dame and UCLA.
The Hurricanes, who visit Notre Dame on Saturday for their much-anticipated top-five matchup, received 62 of 70 first-place votes from the media voting panel. Georgia got seven first-place votes and Utah got one.
Indiana slipped two rungs to No. 6 after a 23-16 overtime win over Minnesota. Brigham Young, Kentucky, Alabama and Texas rounded out the top 10.
Ohio State hadn’t been out of the top 10 since Sept. 26, 2021. The Buckeyes slipped to No. 11 after beating Akron by 52 points and were back in the top 10 the next week after a 39-point win over Rutgers and stayed there for 86 consecutive polls.
UCLA is 8-0 for the first time since 2005 under first-year coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins stepped out of conference play and shut out Nevada 27-0. At No. 5, UCLA has its highest ranking since it was No. 4 following a 6-0 start in 2001.
New Mexico, which has been playing football since 1892, cracked the AP rankings for the first time at No. 22 following a 21-16 win at San José State. The breakthrough comes in Jason Eck’s second season and after the Lobos’ first 7-1 start since 1982.
In and out
In: No. 18 USC’s win over Ohio State was the biggest in Lincoln Riley’s five seasons and put the Trojans right back into the playoff hunt.
In: No. 21 Iowa continued its recent domination of Wisconsin with a 30-0 victory and is back in the poll after a one-week absence.
In: No. 22 New Mexico is the only Mountain West team unbeaten in conference play and is a serious contender for the Group of Six playoff spot.
In: No. 23 South Carolina’s season and Shane Beamer’s tenure with the Gamecocks were all but written off a month ago, but now they’ve won three straight and are ranked for the first time since September 2025.
Out: SMU’s playoff hopes, barring an ACC championship, are fizzling with its 30-27 last-minute loss at Syracuse.
Out: Northwestern led into the fourth quarter but couldn’t finish the job at Oregon.
Out: Oklahoma State gave Iowa State a short field for a walk-off field goal because of unsportsmanlike conduct and lost a 51-49 shootout in Ames.
Out: Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell, who got a one-week reprieve with a dominant win over USC, is back on the hot seat following the humiliating loss at Iowa.
Full top 25 poll:
1. Miami (Fla.) 2. Georgia 3. Utah 4. Notre Dame 5. UCLA 6. Indiana 7. BYU 8. Kentucky 9. Alabama 10. Texas 11. Ohio State 12. Ole Miss 13. Texas Tech 14. Wake Forest 15. LSU 16. Tennessee 17. Houston 18. USC 19. Missouri 20. Boise State 21. Iowa 22. New Mexico 23. South Carolina 24. Arizona 25. Florida
Others receiving votes: Northwestern 79, Oregon 55, UTSA 43, SMU 27, Virginia Tech 12, Duke 10, Minnesota 8, Liberty 4, Oklahoma State 3, Louisville 1
This City is Ours fans are urged to watch a crime drama that has been praised by viewers as potentially “the greatest UK crime drama series of all time”.
Diana was in danger in season 2 of This City is Ours(Image: BBC)
A “gripping” crime drama with “sublime acting” could be the next stop for This City Is Ours fans.
Netflix’s London-set thriller has been hailed a must-watch for This City is Ours fans. The five-season series shares much of the twisty Liverpool drama’s appeal, from fraught loyalties and friendships to struggles for power in the criminal underworld. Praising Top Boy, the series in question, one fan wrote on IMDb: “S3 is hands down the best series of them all without a shadow of a doubt. If not, the greatest UK crime drama series of all time.”
The comparison has also struck a chord with viewers of This City Is Ours. One IMDb reviewer praised James Nelson-Joyce’s performance in the BBC drama before writing: “The series feels quite similar to Top Boy in some ways, but with a Liverpool setting.”
With BBC viewers gripped by This City Is Ours’ second run, those who have already watched it on iPlayer may be looking for another crime drama to get stuck into. Here are three shows exploring the tensions and power struggles that make gangland stories so compelling, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Top Boy
Top Boy originally aired on Channel 4 before Netflix revived it. Across five seasons, the British crime thriller follows drug dealers Dushane, played by Ashley Walters, and Sully, played by Kane Robinson, as they navigate drug dealing and gang violence in London.
The series earned critical acclaim for its writing, performances and authenticity, picking up numerous BAFTA awards and nominations. Like This City Is Ours, it examines loyalty, friendship and hierarchy, and the fallout when those bonds are tested.
The IMDb reviewer who praised its third season also wrote: “This show is literally breathtaking. Gripping throughout. Brutal. It catches you from the get-go and really makes you FEEL. You relate and feel what every character is feeling. The plot is thrilling. The acting is sublime.”
Gangs of London
Sky series Gangs of London, also available on Netflix, is an action crime drama based on the video game of the same name. It follows bitter power struggles between rival gangs and criminal organisations across the capital.
Much like the Phelans in This City Is Ours, the Wallaces are a powerful crime family. When their patriarch is killed, London’s criminal underworld is plunged into chaos.
One IMDb reviewer wrote: “Best gang-related TV series I’ve seen in years, the fight and gun scenes have been directed and filmed superbly, and it’s also extremely well written. My advice is, if you like this kinda thing, you’ll end up binge-watching Gangs of London.”
Kin
Available to stream for free on BBC iPlayer, Kin is an Irish crime drama about a Dublin family embroiled in a brutal gangland war. Production on a third season began in July 2026. Aidan Gillen and Ciarán Hinds play rival gang leaders Frank Kinsella and Eamon Cunningham respectively.
Like This City Is Ours, the show explores the battle for power and the extreme measures people will take to stay at the top. It quickly became one of Ireland’s most-watched series after its release.
One IMDb reviewer wrote: “Kin has to go down as one of the best series I’ve seen in this genre and sits alongside Top Boy for me. Character’s brilliant portrayed and expertly drags you into the murky world of the extended Kinsella family and Dublin’s underworld with a storyline that twists and turns.
“The actors combine in a fluent way which has you hating someone one moment and then thinking ‘maybe I was wrong about you’. Thankfully most of us will never experience a family life like it but you’ll love watching theirs.”
This City is Ours is streaming on BBC iPlayer, with episodes also airing weekly on BBC One on Sundays and Mondays
Classics like Halloween, The Omen and Nightmare on Elm Street are nowhere to be seen.
13:27, 01 Nov 2026Updated 13:28, 01 Nov 2026
The 2012 film has been named the scariest film ever according to science(Image: 2011 Summit Entertainment)
Everyone has their own opinion when it comes to the scariest film ever made. What we find terrifying depends on a whole host of factors, whether it’s the “found footage” format of The Blair Witch Project, the blood-soaked slashing of Nightmare on Elm Street, or the supernatural dread of The Autopsy of Jane Doe.
Yet one film has been officially crowned the most frightening of them all, based on scientific evidence. The Science of Scare ranking of 2026 gauged people’s physiological reactions to horror films by monitoring their heart rate, heart rate variability and peak heart rate. Researchers put together a list of English-language horror films and screened them to 250 participants, recording their physical responses using heart monitors.
After gathering each film’s average heart rate increase, largest heart rate spike and heart rate drop, the figures were combined to produce a Science of Scare Score out of 100. This year’s top film achieved a score of 96. For context, Shrek holds a Scare Score of just 3, reports the Express.
However, it’s unlikely to be the film that immediately jumps to mind for most people when they think about the scariest movie of all time. Many will instinctively think of iconic classics such as The Evil Dead, The Omen, Halloween or Don’t Look Now, while others might lean towards more recent offerings like The Exorcism of Emily Rose or Paranormal Activity.
The scariest film of all time
This year’s winner, with a score of 96 out of 100, was the 2012 film Sinister. It pushed viewers’ average heart rate up by 34%. The supernatural horror film establishes its dark and menacing atmosphere from the outset, opening with old home video footage depicting a family of four standing beneath a tree with sacks over their heads and nooses around their necks. It goes on to follow the story of a true crime writer, played by Ethan Hawke, whose family relocates to a new house and uncovers a box of terrifying home movies in the attic. The film was directed by Scott Derrickson.
Séance horror Host came in second place with a score of 95, while Skinamarink claimed third with 91. The scariest new releases, meaning those that came out in 2026, were Undertone and Obsession, both of which scored just 63.
However, the biggest jump scare of all belonged to this year’s Resident Evil, which sent viewers’ heart rates soaring to 134 BPM — a staggering 70 BPM spike, the highest surge ever recorded in the project’s history. Despite this, the film failed to crack the overall top 50 scariest films.
What critics say about Sinister
Sinister may well be the most terrifying film ever made according to this experiment, yet it divided critics sharply. Writing in the Chicago Sun-Times, legendary film critic Roger Ebert described it as “an undeniably scary movie, with performances adding enough human interest to give depth to the basic building blocks of horror”.
Meanwhile, Mark Olsen, writing in the Los Angeles Times, said: “As the best horror stories so often do, Sinister makes clear that we are our own boogeymen, the worst monsters of all.”
Yet not everyone was won over. In the Toronto Star, Peter Howell claimed Sinister is “more stupid than scary” and “can’t even figure out who its real demon is”, while Michael O’Sullivan in the Washington Post wrote: “The hero of Sinister is almost unaccountably dumb. So, unfortunately, is the movie.”
The Science of Scare 2026 ranking
Here are the scariest films ever according to The Science of Scare 2026 study, with their “scare score” out of 100.
MARANA, Ariz. — Michael Falk was heading into the Pima County branch library to drop off his ballot when he stopped to discuss Tuesday’s midterm election.
Pima County, in south-central Arizona, is home to one of the most competitive congressional races in the country. Falk, a 66-year-old retiree and political independent, was casting his vote for the Democrat, JoAnna Mendoza, even though he hardly knows a thing about her.
But Falk knows — and loathes — a good deal about President Trump.
“From the very beginning, when he stepped on the political stage, he made it quite clear to the people who were silenced for a long time, the bigots of the United States, he gave them a voice, and he told those people, ‘It’s OK for you to think the way that you do.’
“And then that just took off like wildfire,” Falk said, sweeping his arm like a moving wall of flame, “and that’s why we have all these laws that are against brown people and illegal people.”
Gregory Corron confessed he’s not too familiar with Mendoza’s opponent, the Republican incumbent Juan Ciscomani.
But Corron, a 67-year-old computer programmer, voted for Trump three times and believes the president is moving the country in the right direction.
Gregory Corron likes the way things have gone under Trump and wants him to continue unimpeded by a Democrat-run Congress.
(Cassidy Araiza / For The Times)
“I think, for instance, exposing fraud is a big thing. Technology is taking off. I’m totally excited about that,” said Corron, who was killing time at a strip mall in Oro Valley while the tires on his Lexus were being replaced. “I think the economy is strong. The stock market is doing well. Employment is doing well.”
For that reason, Corron cast his ballot for Ciscomani, fearful of what might happen if Democrats take control of Congress. “The reforms that Trump started,” Corron said, “need to continue.”
Mendoza and Ciscomani have assaulted the voters of southern Arizona for months, overwhelming their senses and curdling the airwaves with a ceaseless barrage of acrid advertising. Together, the two rivals and their allies have spent tens of millions of dollars on the contest, which both parties have made a top priority.
And yet, to a large degree, Mendoza and Ciscomani are mere stand-ins, their candidacies serving as little more than proxies for the president and his opposition.
Laura Lentner, another Oro Valley resident, allowed as how Ciscomani has done some good things. He is not, the Democrat said, a bad man.
“But his continued support of Trump negates it all for me,” said the 73-year-old retired dental hygienist. It’s about time, Lentner suggested, Republican lawmakers stand up and “stop being afraid of [Trump] and his constituents.”
Arizona’s 6th Congressional District is anchored in eastern Tucson and its suburbs, sprawling north toward Phoenix, east to New Mexico and south all the way to the U.S.-Mexico border. The arid landscape is creased with rugged mountain ranges, cleaved by scenic canyons and filled with vast stretches of open space interrupted by midsize cities and small towns that spring like oases from the desert floor.
In recent years, the terrain has been some of the hardest-fought political turf in the nation.
Joe Biden carried the district in 2020 by less than a percentage point. Four years later, Trump flipped it by the same tiny margin.
Ciscomani, bidding for a third term, has won two nail-biters. He’s facing a fresh opponent in Mendoza, a Marine veteran and former congressional staffer.
The district has a significant Latino population — Ciscomani and Mendoza are Mexican American — and a sizable number of seniors, veterans and military personnel. Mendoza has leaned into her Navy and Marine Corps service. “Battle Tested. Ready To Lead,” her billboards declare, including one near the Ft. Huachuca Army base. (His signs tout “Veterans For Ciscomani.”)
Mendoza has attacked the incumbent as a “spineless” tool of Trump, putting the president front and center in her avalanche of advertising. Ciscomani’s incessant ads tout his bipartisanship — he hails from the establishment wing of the Republican Party — and portray Mendoza as a tool of the unhinged left.
In that way their campaigns distill the push-pull of this midterm election, which, like every one before, amounts to a referendum on the occupant of the Oval Office.
Higher costs, Trump voters said, are a hangover from Biden’s time in office, a needed sacrifice or an inconvenience that will pass. Echoing the president, they said the record-breaking cost of gas was a trade-off — and a good one — to keep Iran from building a nuclear weapon.
“I wish gas prices were lower,” said Susan Summers, a Republican who stopped to chat while grocery shopping in Vail. The old railroad town has become a destination for retirees like Summers, 74, a former administrator at Cal State San Bernardino, and for commuters who don’t mind the roughly 25-mile drive to Tucson.
But, Summers went on, she’s willing to accept higher gas prices “because I think it was important to stop a fanatical regime from acquiring nuclear weapons that would actually threaten us in the longer range. Once there is some kind of resolution … prices will come down somewhat and it will make life easier for a lot of people.”
Merilyn Prentice, 78, is another refugee from the state next door. She moved to Benson (population 5,500) from Southern California after a career in nursing. She praised Trump for demonstrating a resolve that other presidents lacked.
“They’re terrorist supporters, and we have terrorist cells in this country,” Prentice said of Iran. “No one wants to talk about that. None of the other presidents wanted to touch it.”
An early voting center and ballot drop-off location at the public library in Marana, Ariz.
(Cassidy Araiza / For The Times)
If backers of the president often seemed defensive — justifying, rationalizing, urging patience — Trump critics were seething.
In Sierra Vista, Ann Nichols, 72 and a Democratic-leaning independent, could scarcely get the words out fast enough as she cataloged her outrage.
“Let’s not forget how the tariffs have wrecked the economy,” she said, “how the war that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu tricked Trump into declaring on Iran has wrecked the economy, driven up gas prices, and the rampant corruption in the government, and how the Environmental Protection Agency might as well be known as the Environmental Pollution Agency, and the attempt to wreck the Education Department, and we’ve got a twit who knows nothing about medicine in charge of medicine.”
Nichols paused to adjust her N95 mask. She spent decades as a medical librarian at the Ft. Huachuca Army base.
Her vote for Mendoza, Nichols said, was a vote to leash Trump and start undoing some of the damage he’s inflicted over the last two years.
For all that passion, however, it would be wrong to assume a blue wave — should one come Tuesday — means there’s great regard or overflowing affection for Democrats.
Clayton Surratt, 63, a retired actor and screenwriter, was passing out boxes of groceries — veggies, protein, a loaf of bread — at the food bank in Vail when he paused to share his unhappiness with both Trump and the Democratic Party.
“I think our current government thrives and lives on cruelty,” he said as a steady stream of cars pulled up for delivery. “It upsets me to see our world, our leaders, acting in ways that we would punish an 8-year-old at school if they behave that way.”
At the same time, Surratt said, he’s not sure what Democrats stand for, beyond opposition to Trump.
Adam Thompson, a Democratic-leaning independent, was blunter still. “I don’t like either party,” he said. The 39-year-old lives in Tanque Verde and travels throughout south-central Arizona, delivering soda and snack foods to major retailers. He’s particularly upset these days with Trump.
Why, Thompson asked, are so much time and resources being devoted to matters overseas?
“We need to take care of the people here,” Thompson said. “The war in Iran, the war in the Middle East is not helping me put food on my table. I work my ass off. But at the end of the day, I have to pay that price because … we’re so busy fighting wars for other people.”
The big question is how many discouraged Trump voters sit the election out. Their level of apathy and absenteeism will spell the difference between a good and a great night for Democrats.
Alex Lagerberg, a 35-year-old tattoo artist and libertarian, is a three-time Trump voter. He was initially attracted by his seeming authenticity and background as a New York real estate developer. “He was a good option because he was not a politician,” Lagerberg said outside a mercado in Casa Grande. But, he continued, it turns out that Trump’s supposed entrepreneurial prowess wasn’t all Lagerberg thought it was, or that Trump purported it to be.
“Treating the country like a business was a good thing for a little bit, but it really hasn’t helped,” Lagerberg said. “We haven’t seen much change.”
He’s not particularly motivated to vote, Lagerberg said, or decide between Ciscomani and Mendoza, especially with the two heaving so much mud at each other.
Alex Lagerberg is disappointed in Trump and not very motivated to vote on Tuesday.
(Cassidy Araiza / For The Times)
Rick, who declined to give his last name because he doesn’t want to be hassled for his opinion, has made up his mind. He’s done voting — forever.
The 67-year-old retired government worker, a right-leaning libertarian, soured on politics and politicians long ago. “Democrat, Republican,” he said, “it’s all the same thing.”
He voted for Trump in 2024, giving the political system one last shot. And now? Trump promised “no new wars. What do we have?” Rick asked. “New wars. Taxes are still too high. And Medicare? Medicare sucks.” So no, he said, he’s not bothering with the election.
As he left Vail’s thrift shop, steamed about Trump, Mendoza, Ciscomani and the whole lot, Rick clutched his purchase, a compilation of Ray Price’s greatest hits. One song by the country singer seemed to sum up Rick’s attitude: “You Done Me Wrong.”
Arctic thrills and survival skills in Finnish Lapland
At Ruka, the first skiers of the year slalomed down the slopes on 2 October. Just inside the Arctic Circle, Ruka’s long snow-sure season and cosy village atmosphere make it a popular ski resort with Finnish families. The long polar nights mean there are only a few hours of dim twilight each day, but the slopes here are floodlit, so that never stops play.
The Narnia-like setting offers just as much action off the runs as on them, and in December the resort launches Ruka Guides, guided adventures from a dedicated activity centre. Spend the morning e-fatbiking through snowy forests (from €90) or cutting a hole in a frozen lake to catch fish (from €89), before learning Arctic survival skills (from €85) or snowshoeing in the evening darkness on the hunt for the northern lights (from €89).
Other, more offbeat diversions include floating in a thermal suit down the freezing Kiveskoski river in meditative silence (from €135), whizzing down an alpine coaster at up to 25mph (from €11.88) and practising your sun salutation in the forest surrounded by grazing reindeer (from €45).
Dasher and Dancer are a clue to the other reason Ruka is such a hit with children: the main merry man himself. Father Christmas, Mrs Claus and the elves live at Santa’s Cottage, about 30 minutes’ drive from Ruka, where they test how good little helpers are at gingerbread baking and Christmas card making, before those wannabe elves sing Santa’s favourite carol to him in Finnish, post cards at the post office and sledge down the hillside outside (from €105).
All activities atruka.fi. Rukariutta Superior apartments sleep up to six from €362 a night (rukapalvelu.fi). Lumo Lakeside Lodges sleep up to two adults and two children from €215 (rukasafaris.fi)
Stargazing in the Cairngorms
The Tomintoul and Glenlivet area of the Cairngorms is a designated International Dark Sky Park. Photograph: Cairngorms Astronomy Group
In the depths of winter, the sun sets just a shade after 3.30pm in the Cairngorms national park and doesn’t rise again until about 8.50 the following morning. Those long hours of darkness combined with low levels of light pollution (the area around Tomintoul and Glenlivet is an International Dark Sky Park) makes it the perfect place for stargazing.
While it’s easy to be dazzled by the Milky Way without even reaching for a telescope, the Discovery Centre in the village of Tomintoul lends out stargazing kits (pre-booking required) to help visitors delve deeper into the cosmos at one of their recommended viewing sites, such as the nearby Tomintoul Field of Hope, with its purpose-built Skyhide pavilion.
The centre is also the meeting point for astronomy events (there is a close-up look at the moon on 18 November and an evening of meteor spotting when the Geminids shower is at its peak around mid-December (suggested donation £7, cairngormsdarkskypark.org).
A short drive away, just north of Aviemore, storyteller Sarah Hobbs leads monthly Stargazing Storywalks. The 1½-mile after-dark amble weaves in Gaelic and Pictish tales of the night sky from thousands of years ago, from warrior queens to one-eyed giants, and ends with a cup of foraged wild tea (£20pp, Oct-March). For something a little more strenuous, Hillgoers organises regular three-mile night walks with certified star rangers, spotting glowing planets and nocturnal wildlife (£40pp, maximum of eight in a group).
The Lazy Duck continues the dark-sky theme with a clutch of off-grid huts among the pines of the Abernethy Forest with stargazing windows above the beds (from £187 a night in December).
There are plenty of winter activities in daylight hours too, from driving the SnowRoads route, which winds along the highest public roads in Britain, to meeting the country’s only free-roaming reindeer herd (guided hill trips run Feb-Dec from £29.40pp, cairngormreindeer.co.uk).
Toboggans and glaciers in Chamonix
The Grotte de Glace, carved into the Mer de Glace glacier above Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. Photograph: Hemis/Alamy
At the foot of Mont Blanc, Chamonix is famous among skiers for its gnarly off-piste terrain and intense black runs. But that dramatic landscape makes it prime territory for action off the slopes too. One of Responsible Travel’s new trips this season is a four-night self-guided snowshoeing holiday in the Chamonix valley.
Using the traditional mountain spa town of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains as its base, the itinerary ventures deep into the snow-covered Vallorcine valley, hiking through larch meadows and pine forests, heading up the Flégère gondola to walk along a balcony trail facing Mont Blanc, and taking in the views from the summit of Mont d’Arbois at 1,833 metres.
The Mont Blanc massif is one of the most densely glaciated areas in the Alps, and while the ice is receding due to the climate crisis, taking the dinky red Montenvers cog train up to the Mer de Glace is still an impressive experience. This huge river of ice winds some 5 miles between the mountains, and at the top a cable car followed by around 200 steps descends into the Grotte de Glace, a blue tunnel carved into the glacier (€49.70 for the train, gondola and ice cave visit).
A more intrepid ice-spotting option is Les Contamines-Montjoie circular snowshoeing route, which climbs through pine forests to the Plateau du Truc, with its views of the d’Armancette, Miage and Covagnet glaciers.
Back in Chamonix, the Mont-Blanc Museum opened in July, tracing the valley’s history and Alpine exploits from the ice age to today, showcasing objects that include memorabilia from the first Winter Olympic Games (held in Chamonix in 1924) and the walking stick of Jacques Balmat, half of the two-man team that made the first ascent of Mont Blanc in 1786. That climb is only for serious mountaineers, but the cable car from Chamonix town centre is a shortcut to Aiguille du Midi’s almost-as-impressive 3,842-metre peak (€43 round trip) – leaving plenty of energy to hit the nearby La Luge toboggan run (€23 for the pedestrian lift pass and one descent; ski-saintgervais.com).
A four-night self-guided snowshoeing trip in Chamonix from £790pp with Responsible Travel, including B&B accommodation, route maps, smartphone navigation app, GPS trackers and 24/7 phone support
Snowshoeing and bear spotting in Transylvania
A Eurasian brown bear in Transylvania, Romania. Photograph: Image Broker/Alamy
Hiking along narrow trails in the Piatra raiului national park, you’re more likely to come across bear or wolf tracks than other walkers’ footprints. The Carpathian mountains are one of Europe’s last bastions for large predators – there are thought to be more than 10,000 brown bears and around 2,500 grey wolves in Romania alone.
A week-long guided trip with Exodus makes tracks into Transylvania’s dramatic karst landscape, and is an atmospheric introduction to snowshoes and crampons. Base camp is the family-run Villa Hermani guesthouse, over 1,000 metres above sea level in the village of Magura, where there’s always a warming glass of homemade pălincă (fruit brandy) waiting.
Hikes climb up to the high ridge of Dealul Măgurice or to the plateau between the Piatra Craiului and Bucegi mountains, where the only thing that might break the silence is the howling of a wolf. One of the most spectacular walks heads along the Zărnești Gorge, its vertical limestone walls rising 200 metres above the icy canyon floor.
When not snowshoeing through Christmas-card scenes, take in medieval churches, the cobbled old town of Brașov and the Libearty bear sanctuary, which has rescued over 120 brown bears from the cruelty of captivity. And while Bram Stoker never set foot in Romania, let alone Bran Castle (often said to be the inspiration for Dracula’s lair), you can. With its frosty turrets and towers set against the Carpathians, it looks more gothic than ever, and even better without the bloodthirsty summer crowds.
Exodus’s seven-night Transylvania winter walk and snowshoe trip from £1,459pp, including all accommodation, meals, transport and activities, tour guide, snowshoes and poles
Igloos and Christmas markets in Innsbruck
A luxury igloo at Iglu-Dorf, near Innsbruck.
Innsbruck is ringed by the Austrian Alps, meaning wherever you wander in the city – among the medieval alleys of the Altstadt or past the colourful houses along the River Inn – snow-covered mountains are the constant backdrop. Those jagged peaks are home to 12 ski areas within 15 to 75 minutes of the city by public transport, and some are worth the trip for the snow-plough-averse too.
Zaha Hadid’s swooping, modernist Bergisel ski jump is a dominant sight above the town and the vertiginous view is even better from its observation deck. The architect also designed four of the Nordpark Cable Railway stations that feature fluid glass canopies mimicking natural ice formations and glaciers. They take skiers and non-skiers up to the Nordkette mountains for a bird’s eye view of the Tirolean capital.
There’s plenty more to get pulses racing without clipping on a pair of skis, from bobsleighing down the 1,399-metre Olympic track at Igls at speeds of up to 115km/h (from €45 for bobrafting, €119 for piloted race bobsleighing) to night sledding at Rangger Köpfl (€25). For more icy fun, there are igloos to spend the night in at Iglu-Dorf in Kühtai, Austria’s highest ski resort (from €537 for up to three people, including cheese fondue, community sauna and breakfast).
Back down in Innsbruck, Christmas market season kicks off in November, and there are seven dotted around the streets and squares, from the historic old town market to the lofty Hungerburg – be sure to try kiachl, a doughnut-like pastry served either savoury with hot sauerkraut, or sweet topped with wild cranberry jam.
New skating experience Ice Magic also launches this winter, with illuminated ice paths connecting different parts of the city, alongside light installations and projections, ice disco nights and DJs (from €8).
Nordic ice-skating in Sweden
Iceskating in the Stockholm archipelago. Photograph: Henrik Trygg/Getty Images
While Scandinavians started using animal bones to make primitive ice skates thousands of years ago, wild, or Nordic, skating as we know it (long-distance skating outdoors on natural ice for sport rather than utility) evolved in Sweden in the 1900s. Stockholm’s Skridskoseglarklubb (“Skate Sailing Club”) was formed in 1901 and today has more than 10,000 members, who share the latest ice information online to find the ideal skating locations.
Nordic skates have long blades attached only at the front of the boot, used to make long, rhythmic glides; other specialist safety kit includes long, pointy poles to assess ice thickness and a backpack that doubles as a flotation device.
Wild is the operative word here, and it is prudent as a beginner to skate with a pro. Stockholm-based Ice Guide runs a number of trips, from one-day introductions to multi-day tours, which head out on to Lake Mälaren or the Baltic Sea in the Stockholm archipelago (from £143 including all gear, transport and lunch). Hellasgården, less than half an hour outside Stockholm, is another popular skate spot with ploughed tracks on Lake Källtorpssjön, and there are holes cut in the ice for the bravest swimmers (and a sauna for after).
While in the city centre, get your frozen kicks at the ice rink at Kungsträdgården (skate rental about £7.50 an hour) or by joining the boisterous crowd at a Djurgården IF ice hockey match at the Hovet stadium.
Ruby Frida opened this summer and has doubles from £70 room-only
A foodie walk in the Dolomites, northern Italy
Hiking through the Drei Zinnen nature park in the Dolomites.
Hearty Tirolean food is made for winter: Knödel dumplings smothered in melted butter and parmesan, the ricotta- and spinach-filled pasta pockets of Schlutzkrapfen, the cast-iron skillet hash of Bauerngröstl. Hiking through the slopes and valleys of the Dolomites’ Drei Zinnen (Three Peaks) nature park on a week-long trip with self-guided walking holiday specialists Inntravel is a good way to work up an appetite.
From the charmingly traditional Hotel Drei Zinnen in the village of Sesto near the Austrian border, a network of 100km of well-groomed, partially cleared paths (meaning no snowshoes required) branches out through the Fischleintal valley and beyond into the nature park.
Mountain huts (rifugios) are dotted along routes for a warming lunch: Talschlusshütte serves mountain pine and porcini mushroom risotto and classic comforting Gerstensuppe (barley soup) along the Fischleintal valley walk; while the 100-year-old Dreischusterhütte among the fir trees in the nearby Innerfeldtel valley is much loved for its Kaiserschmarrn (shredded pancake) and homemade Apfelkiachl(fried apple rings).
Other routes start with a cable car ride and cut across the snowglobe landscapes of the Kreuzbergpass (stopping for a drink on the terrace at the Klammbach hut, of course) or loop around the banks of the frozen Lake Toblach.
Hotel Drei Zinnen has welcomed a fair few winter explorers through its doors since it opened in 1930. One regular guest – the mountaineer and author of Seven Years in Tibet Heinrich Harrer – inspired the hotel’s original owner Hans Watschinger to transform the establishment and the village of Sesto (Sexten in German) into a winter destination. It’s still run by the Watschinger family, and today there’s daily afternoon cake and a Finnish sauna to ease walk-weary muscles, and four-course nightly feasts of Italian favourites and local South Tirolean specialities to fuel up for another day in the mountains.
A seven-night Italian Dolomites Winter Walking trip from £1,076, including half-board accommodation, local bus pass and transfers (inntravel.co.uk)
Husky sledding, reindeer and the northern lights in Norway
Feeding reindeer in Tromsø.
For as long as the lights of the aurora borealis have danced across the sky, the people living beneath them have told stories explaining the mysterious, spectral glow – are they omens or gods, communication from spirits or threat of war? For some Sámi communities in northern Scandinavia, they were the souls of the dead, souls that were not to be disturbed by looking, talking, waving or pointing at them, in case the ghostly veil snatched you into the sky or cut off your head.
At 217 miles (350km) above the Arctic Circle, Tromsø is the ideal destination for northern lights chasers and learning about the indigenous Sámi people – many of whom still herd reindeer across the vast wilderness.
The Oskal family have lived a way of life shaped by reindeer for generations, and their herd spends winter around the camp near Tromsø and summer roaming free in the mountains. The family now share that traditional way of life through Tromsø Arctic Reindeer, opening up their camp to visitors to sled ride, feed the herd and join the family around the fire in the lavvu (tent), for joik (traditional Sámi song) and perhaps glimpses of the aurora overhead (experiences start at 990 kroner/£75 for reindeer feeding).
At the gateway to Norway’s frozen far north, Tromsø is the launchpad for numerous activities – ice fishing and fjord cruising, husky sledding and snowmobile safaris – and the lively university town is interesting in itself. It was once the departure point for expeditions to the north pole – a history captured at the Polar Museum on the harbour front – and today also draws cultural travellers for concerts in the angular Arctic Cathedral and the international film festival in January.
Three-night trip to Tromsø from £767pp, including B&B and an aurora-chasing trip, with Discover the World
In a sign of the times, for the first time in many years, U.S. Air Force fighters have returned to an air defense alert posture at Eareckson Air Station in Alaska’s remote Aleutian Islands. This represents a notable development in efforts to strengthen NORAD’s ability to defend North America’s northern and Pacific approaches from a key strategic stronghold on Russia’s back doorstep. The deployment culminated in a multinational air defense mission involving U.S. and Canadian fighters operating across thousands of miles, reflecting a growing focus on the increasingly strategic Arctic and North Pacific regions.
A fully armed U.S. Air Force F-16 taxis at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, during Operation Noble Defender, Oct. 18, 2026. Noble Defender is a recurring NORAD air defense operation that demonstrates the command’s ability to defend the United States and Canada against threats from every approach. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Frank Houseton
Fighter operations at Eareckson date back to the Cold War, when F-4s and F-15s deployed to the island to support air defense missions against Soviet aircraft. The base’s routine fighter mission ended in the early 1990s, making the October 2026 deployment a notable return to an alert posture at one of America’s westernmost military outposts. In the interim, we have seen fighters, including F-16s, return to Eareckson, but not in the context of air defense alert missions.
Packing live air-to-air missiles, the F-16s were deployed to Eareckson, on Shemya Island, from October 18 through 26, maintaining an alert posture before launching on October 25 as part of a homeland defense mission.
A satellite image of Shemya Island. Eareckson Air Station, with its lengthy runway, is seen along the southern edge. Google Earth
The F-16s operating from Eielson were assigned to the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS), a particularly unusual unit with roots as the 18th Aggressor Squadron. The unit was redesignated in 2024, shifting its primary combat focus from adversary training toward aerospace control and homeland defense in Alaska. Its Block 30 F-16s bring a combination of air defense capabilities and experience in replicating adversary tactics, making them a very specialized outfit, as you can read about here.
From their distributed locations, the Eareckson-based F-16s provided coverage in the southern portion of the theater, while fighters from Eielson operated in the northwest. Canadian CF-18s covered the northern approaches.
U.S. Air Force F-16s assigned to Eielson Air Force Base sit parked on the flight line at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, on Oct. 19, 2026. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Frank Houseton
An E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson provided airborne command and control, supported by multiple U.S. KC-135 tankers and a Canadian CC-150 Polaris. An HC-130 Combat King II also participated, providing contingency search and rescue and personnel recovery coverage.
HC-130J Combat King II pilots assigned to the 211th Rescue Squadron pilot an aircraft en route from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, on Oct. 19, 2026. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Frank HousetonA U.S. Air Force KC-135 lands at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, on Oct. 18, 2026. U.S. Air Force Photo by Maj. David Brown
The distances involved illustrate the scale of the operation. Eareckson is approximately 1,600 miles from Eielson and 2,600 miles from Cold Lake, requiring substantial coordination and aerial refueling support to bring the different elements together.
A map showing just how remote Shemya Island is, as well as its relative position to mainland Alaska to the east and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to the west. Google Earth
Strategic Significance
Located at the western end of the Aleutian chain, Shemya occupies a strategically important position in the North Pacific, facing the approaches from Russia’s Far East and the wider Pacific region and acting as a gateway to the Arctic. While fighters operating from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, with additional support from Eielson when needed, normally provide coverage across this vast area, Eareckson puts combat aircraft dramatically farther west. Its reactivation as a fighter operating location gives NORAD another forward option, extending the reach of its air defense network well beyond Alaska’s principal airbases.
The island’s military significance was especially pronounced during the Cold War, when it supported detachments of RC-135 surveillance aircraft, including hosting Cobra Ball missile-tracking aircraft, as you can read about here.
An RC-135S Cobra Ball outside a hangar at Shemya. Robert S. Hopkins III
Shemya’s potential role in a future conflict has attracted increasing attention from U.S. military planners in recent years. The island hosts the AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane radar, a massive phased-array installation that provides critical ballistic missile warning and tracking capabilities. Its position in the western Aleutians, roughly 500 miles from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and approximately 1,000 miles from mainland Alaska, gives it considerable strategic importance but also leaves it isolated and potentially vulnerable.
The growing threat posed by one-way attack drones and cruise missiles also makes protecting Cobra Dane a significant force-protection challenge. Forward-deployed fighters provide a highly adaptable, wide-area defensive layer, intercepting aerial threats before they reach the island, much like the fighter deployments to Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
The vulnerability of Shemya and Cobra Dane has been the focus of several military exercises. In 2021, Green Berets assigned to Special Operations Command North participated in a NORAD exercise that involved deploying to Shemya and preparing to defend the Cobra Dane installation against potential attack. The troops arrived by sea and brought Stinger man-portable air defense systems, highlighting concerns about protecting the island against both conventional and unconventional threats.
Special operators assigned to Special Operations Command North (SOCNORTH), including Army Green Berets from the 10th Special Forces Group, practice the defense of the AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane early warning and tracking radar at Shemya. U.S. Air Force
In August 2023, elements of the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, better known as the Night Stalkers, returned to the island as part of Operation Polar Dagger, as TWZreported at the time. At least two MH-60M Black Hawk helicopters and associated personnel and equipment deployed to Eareckson, with a C-17 transporting personnel and materiel. The exercise explored the ability to rapidly project special operations capabilities into the remote region, protect critical infrastructure, and improve operational awareness in the Arctic and sub-Arctic.
The Cobra Dane radar installation is seen in the background of this picture of an MH-60M helicopter from the 160th SOAR on Shemya Island during the Polar Dagger exercise in 2023. U.S. Army
Taken together, these developments point to growing interest in Shemya as a potential forward operating location in a wider North Pacific defense network. Its radar, long runway, and remote position offer considerable advantages, but its isolation also presents significant logistical and force-protection challenges.
The return of F-16s to an air defense alert posture at Eareckson adds another dimension to the installation. With its ability to host forward-deployed fighters, the base can maintain an alert posture and generate homeland defense sorties. Its location would be particularly useful for responding to activity approaching Alaska from the western Pacific and the Bering Sea. At the same time, having fighters at Eareckson provides an organic means of defending Shemya’s critical surveillance assets.
A U.S. Air Force F-16 taxis at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, on Oct. 18, 2026. U.S. Air Force Photo by Maj. David Brown
There are other potential benefits in dispersing fighter operations away from Alaska’s principal airbases. In a major conflict, those installations could be subject to missile strikes and other attacks, making alternative operating locations valuable. Eareckson’s long runway, ramp space, and arresting equipment provide a foundation for such operations, although sustaining fighters there over an extended period would require significant fuel, munitions, maintenance, and force-protection support.
Outside of Eareckson, Alaska has a network of remote airfields that can support dispersed fighter operations during contingencies. These include King Salmon Airport on the Alaska Peninsula, which hosted four 18th FIS F-16s during an Agile Combat Employment deployment in September last year.
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 lands at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, on Oct. 18, 2026. U.S. Air Force Photo by Maj. David Brown
The October deployment does not mean Eareckson is being transformed into a permanently staffed fighter base. It does, however, demonstrate that NORAD can use this isolated installation as another node in its air defense network, extending the geographic reach and flexibility of its operations across the North Pacific.
A U.S. Air Force maintainer performs preflight inspections on an F-16 at Eareckson Air Station, Alaska, on Oct. 18, 2026. U.S. Air Force Photo by Maj. David Brown
For NORAD, having additional locations from which it can generate air defense sorties is a major plus. The combination of forward-based fighters, airborne command and control, aerial refueling, and Canadian participation demonstrates another way of distributing combat power across a broad geographic area rather than depending exclusively on a handful of major bases.
More broadly, the Aleutians are assuming renewed strategic importance as the westernmost part of U.S. territory, positioned at the intersection of the North Pacific and Arctic theaters. As military competition with both Russia and China intensifies, the island chain offers a valuable forward position for surveillance, air defense, and power projection, as well as a means of gaining time and distance against potential threats approaching North America or operating across the Pacific. The return of F-16 alert operations to Eareckson adds another piece to that defensive architecture, underscoring the continued military relevance of this remote island chain.
I can’t tell you exactly what time Phoebe Bridgers started her concert Friday night or exactly what time it ended. I’m reluctant to say which of her band members was dressed as a crocodile since I can’t check my memory against a photo.
Most regretfully, I can’t report the precise words Bridgers used to describe her difficult relationship with her late father as she introduced her song “Still Standing” — though I can say her language so quieted the thousands of people inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome that it almost felt like you could hear her thinking.
The first of three hometown shows on Bridgers’ Lost Tour, Friday’s gig was a phone-free experience: As you walked into the arena, you surrendered your device to a venue employee, who locked it in a fabric pouch that would put you beyond the reach of the digital world, including your clock and your camera and your voice recorder, until you walked back out.
In her lengthy preamble to “Still Standing” — it’s a chilling highlight from the singer’s latest album, “Lost Weekend,” about how abuse can shape ideas of love — Bridgers thanked her fans for going along with the no-phones policy, which she framed as a necessary condition for performing such intimate material.
Had phones been allowed, she added, this very moment “would have been a TikTok video with someone who doesn’t like my face commenting on it.” (A quote that sharp I could easily remember.)
Widely expected to land multiple nominations for February’s Grammy Awards, “Lost Weekend” — which in addition to Bridgers’ dad’s death addresses the flowering of her romantic relationship with the comedian Bo Burnham — complements all the emotional bloodletting with a biting sense of humor. Friday’s show opened, as the album does, with “The Outside,” which ushers the listener into her dad’s funeral this way: “Crying in a suit and tie / But you should see the other guy / One more time for old time’s sake / I’ll watch him get carried away.”
At Intuit, after she brought out Billie Eilish to join her for her song “Savior Complex” — guaranteed Instagram content in any other circumstance — Bridgers said, “You don’t have your phones,” then added a literal “ha-ha.”
It’s anyone’s guess whether Bridgers would’ve been able to muster the deep feelings she put across Friday if she hadn’t banned the handheld computers whose bluish glow has become a ubiquitous feature of the concert landscape. For all her vulnerability on “Lost Weekend,” she remains a pro who’s been performing since she was a teenager; my suspicion is that she probably would’ve found a way to get there.
What I know is that she did get there: Wearing a Peter Pan costume the night before Halloween, Bridgers sang folky ballads like “Kill Me” and “The Governor’s Waltz” with a tenderness that belied a pretty tough view of her experiences over the last few years; relatively rowdy rock songs like “Bobby” and “Lost Boys,” meanwhile, crackled with an energy bordering on the ecstatic.
The show took place across a pair of stages: one beneath an illuminated dome that resembled either a spaceship or an old-fashioned greenhouse, the other a smaller circle positioned near the middle of the arena floor. Bridgers and her musicians (who’d dressed up as Tinker Bell and John and other Pan-related characters) moved a couple of times between the two, which was about it as elaborate as the production got.
Beyond Eilish, Bridgers welcomed the indie-pop band Muna, which did its song “Silk Chiffon,” and her younger brother, Jackson, who sang a vocal part in “I Can’t Wait” performed on the new album by Geese’s Cameron Winter. At the beginning of “Lost Weekend’s” title track, Bridgers had to futz with her keyboard when it didn’t do what she wanted.
“Of course, this happens at home,” she said.
In the audience, the lack of phones provided for a level of attention you could practically feel, never less so than in “As Above,” which she did after “Still Standing” and for which she centered herself alone at the base of a cone of light.
“I thought about my mom driving herself to the hospital,” she sang, green felt hat perched on her head, daring us not to turn away.
Although All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. will miss his fourth consecutive game because of a hamstring injury, the winless Chargers are coming off their bye week with some much-needed reinforcements.
“It’s a good thing,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “It’s good to have them back out there. Good work put in. Feel good about the preparation and feel like we’re in a good place, ready to go.”
Harris and McConkey have been the Chargers’ top two receivers when available this season. Harris leads the team in receptions (15), receiving yards (225) and targets (26), while McConkey is right behind him with 13 receptions for 200 yards on 18 targets.
And Alt’s return instantly improves the Chargers’ banged-up offensive line, which has allowed Justin Herbert — who carries a league-worst 29.4 quarterback rating — to be sacked nine times in the two games the offensive tackle has missed.
“Regrouping. Retooling. Thought it was a really good week of preparation,” Harbaugh said.
Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and his unit desperately need all hands on deck.
The Chargers are averaging a league-worst 15 points per game and are tied for the second-fewest yards per play (4.6).
“I spend all of my time focusing on the best plan for the players that we have available this week, to attack the defense we have,” McDaniel said. “And then you have to illustrate, in a good manner, what the vision is for how we’re going to play and improve the results.”
McConkey, Harris and Alt returning will help McDaniel’s cause, especially as wideout Brenen Thompson (quad/hamstring) remains out alongside key offensive linemen Rashawn Slater (ankle) and Kayode Awosika (fibula).
Meanwhile, the Chargers’ defense, which allows the eighth-fewest passing yards per game (206.2), must hold the fort again without James, who suffered a rehab setback.
“You can’t replace Derwin,” defensive coordinator Chris O’Leary said. “It’s not possible. He’s one of the best in the league, if not the best in the league.”
That task will be even harder if cornerbacks Donte Jackson and Rodney Shelley, who are both questionable with hamstring injuries, can’t play.
“For us, our message from the offseason to now is: team defense,” O’Leary said. “Play together. We’re not going to put too much on one guy’s plate. … And that’s really just spiked, now that Derwin’s out.
“It’s just a group effort, and I think the guys have done a great job.”
O’Leary’s defense has bent but rarely broken all season.
McDaniel’s offense, however, could use a breakout performance. And with more of Herbert’s primary targets fully healthy, there’s no better time than Sunday.
It’s official: Former entertainment power couple Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff are ending their marriage.
“The Substance” star Qualley and Bleachers rocker Antonoff filed papers for an “uncontested joint divorce” on Friday in Kings County Supreme Court in New York. Representatives for Qualley, 32, and Antonoff, 42, did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.
The Emmy-nominated actor and the Grammy-winning musician, also known for collaborations with pop stars Taylor Swift and Lorde, separated in the summer. A source close to the couple confirmed to People at the time that the estranged partners were going through a “rocky” period.
“They share a deep affinity and love for one another, and though their romantic partnership is ending, they will absolutely be lifelong friends,” the source told the outlet.
Speculation about the pair’s split began in July, with internet fans noticing that Qualley — daughter of actor Andie MacDowell and Paul J. Qualley — appeared to delete photos featuring Antonoff (formerly of rock bands fun. and Steel Train) from her Instagram page. Among the scrubbed photos were reportedly wedding pictures she shared in March to promote the musician’s song “dirty wedding dress.”
Qualley and Antonoff married in August 2023, a little over a year after they got engaged and two years after first sparking up a romance in August 2021. Lana Del Rey, then-item Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum, and Swift were among the attendees at their nuptials at Parker’s Garage on Long Beach Island.
News of the Qualley-Antonoff split arose days after the latter was spotted attending Swift and Travis Kelce’s lavish wedding bash at New York City’s Madison Square Garden without his wife. Antonoff’s ex-girlfriend, “Girls” creator and “Famesick” author Lena Dunham, was also in attendance.
Antonoff has been on the road for the Bleachers Forever tour since June and recently performed at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. He kicks off the European leg of the tour next week in Italy. He spoke to the Guardian in an interview published this week about still performing music inspired by his romance with Qualley. “It’s beautiful,” he said.
“I don’t rewrite the past, I have no shame about the things I’ve said. My life has been dedicated to making it impossible for me to rewrite the past, because I’m standing there, singing about how I felt during the good times,” he said, “so when the bad times hit I can’t look myself in the mirror and pretend that those times didn’t exist. I would rather live through something publicly than even escape it privately.”
