As the world famous Settle to Carlisle line celebrates 150 years of service, the Mirror joined the 1 m passengers expected this year.
150th anniversary of Settle to Carlisle line
It is widely lauded as one of the best train journeys in the world, and is just about to celebrate its 150th anniversary.
A huge public outcry and an appeal that raised £3m saved it from closure in the 1980s.
The Settle to Carlisle line survived and remains one of the most scenic in the country, crossing the Pennine Hills, the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria’s Eden Valley.
It celebrates 150 years since its first rail passenger journey with a series of events including a steam train service.
The Mirror joined some of the 1 million passengers expected to travel on the route this year.
It was wet, wild and stormy as we ventured south from Carlisle to the Ribblehead Viaduct.
Its magnificent 400m arches are 400 meters (1,300 ft) long. A huge workforce of 6,000 men – 2,300 specifically on the Viaduct – built it between 1870 and 1875.
You can imagine the conditions they faced during winter on the wide open moorland surrounding the giant structure.
The navvies who died are buried in the cemetery at Chapel-le-Dale. Even in the pouring rain, the path passing under its 24 arches remains busy with hikers and cyclists.
You must take a short break during your train journey to see the viaduct in all its glory.
From your train seat, you have a breathtaking backdrop of rolling countryside.
Wind bent the trees on the distant hills. The stations are straight out of a 1930s black-and-white film.
“I say that is my office window,” said Yvonne Harland, 52, a Carlisle-based conductor on the route.
“It is absolutely stunning. Many passengers are hikers and dog lovers heading outdoors.
“It does not matter if you are in the valleys around Dent or the Ribblehead Viaduct.
“It is a tonic. You have to get off the train to see the viaduct; otherwise, you only catch a glimpse.
“The Three Peaks are just beautiful too. No disrespect to people who work in an office, but it takes some beating.
“I was in education for 20 years, and I fancied a change.”
Regular passenger Robin Gilder, 83, a retired ITV newsman, remembers the campaign to save the line in the 1980s.
Now he enjoys bringing along his grandson Finley Doran, 12, for days out. “I use it regularly now,” he said. “Especially since I retired.
“They had a dog sign the petition to save the railway and there is a statue to him at Garsdale station.
“There was huge public outcry when they announced they were closing this line.
“They raised millions of pounds to keep it open. So I think we should use it as much as we can.”
Finley, tucking into some sweets and pop, added: “I have been on about twenty times now. We use it all the time.”
For Scottish pharmacist Amy Robertson, it is her maiden journey. The 28-year-old is heading to Leeds to see a former friend with the misty hills rolling by her window.
“It does remind me of Scotland,” she said. “This is really lovely and you get some really nice views when you go up to the north of Scotland around Fort William.
“The weather may not be very good, but the countryside is beautiful.”
Northern recorded 995,000 passenger journeys on the line in 2025, the highest number since the Covid-19 pandemic.
But demand is expected to rise this year. Commercial and customer director Alex Hornby said he was confident passenger numbers would hit 1m.
“Customers can enjoy miles of breathtaking scenery, which changes throughout the year, and there are plenty of opportunities to get off and explore,” he said.
The Settle to Carlisle section of the line was completed in 1875; freight trains ran for a year before passenger trains were introduced on May 1, 1876.
The Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company will run a chartered steam train between Carlisle and York on May 23.
Karen Morley-Chesworth, their community rail officer, told the Mirror: “The Lonely Planet said it was in the Top 10 most scenic railway journeys in Europe.
“So it brings in many tourists and serves local people all year round. It runs down the backbone of Britain through Cumbria, Yorkshire and the Pennines.
“But it is the beauty of it that stays with you; every station takes you back in time, and the history of the line still fascinates people. It remains important to communities all along the route.”
Northern is set to offer £1.50 tickets to customers travelling on the route to mark the milestone.
Thousands of workers contributed to its complex construction, which includes 14 tunnels and more than 20 viaducts along its 72 miles (116km) of track.
In 1983, British Rail announced plans to close the line to passengers amid concerns about the cost of repairing the Ribblehead Viaduct. But £3m was spent between 1988 and 1991 to bring it back into use.
The Settle Carlisle Railway Development Company’s chairman, Pete Myers, said the company was working with communities along the line to mark the “special anniversary year.”
He said: “The Settle to Carlisle line is unique, connecting communities from Yorkshire through to Cumbria, and also providing a sustainable and beautiful way for visitors to explore the Yorkshire Dales, Westmorland Dales and Lake District.”
This year’s WNBA draft is bigger than ever with two expansion teams joining the league. It’s also a top-heavy draft, with a ton of depth in the first round and no clear first overall pick.
This is also the first year teams will be selecting talent knowing players can be signed to two developmental roster spots per team that don’t count against the salary cap, which might change the way teams use their picks.
The Sparks don’t pick until the mid-second round, but they should have options to help address depth needs. Here’s how the draft is projected to unfold.
First round
1. Dallas Wings: Awa Fam | C | Spain | 6-foot-4
This is one of the first years in recent memory without an obvious No. 1 overall pick. Fam could go anywhere from first to fourth, but the 19-year-old would benefit from an environment where she doesn’t have to dominate right away. The Wings also need size.
2. Minnesota Lynx: Olivia Miles | G | TCU | 5-foot-10
The Texas Christian star nearly averaged a triple-double during the Horned Frogs’ Elite Eight run and she is the best point guard in this draft. Minnesota needs backcourt depth.
UConn guard Azzi Fudd dribbles up the court during Sweet 16 game against North Carolina on March 27 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Fudd’s stock might have dropped because of an underwhelming NCAA tournament, but she is still a pro-ready offensive threat who will get playing time with a rebuilding Storm squad.
4. Washington Mystics: Flau’jae Johnson | G | LSU | 6-foot
Johnson could join an up-and-coming Washington squad as a three-level scorer who can play defense as a two-way guard. With second-year player Sonia Citron already ahead of her at her position, the Mystics can develop Johnson.
5. Chicago Sky: Kiki Rice | G | UCLA | 5-foot-11
The Sky need a guard who can score and defend, and with Courtney Vandersloot out to start the season, Rice might get some early playing time. She can rebound and scrap for loose balls too, and with Ariel Atkins reportedly being traded, Rice could play a big role.
6. Toronto Tempo: Lauren Betts | C | UCLA | 6-foot-7
Betts could become one of the faces of the new franchise as a starting center. She is a pro-ready post scorer who can continue to develop defensively and play against bigger players.
UCLA guard Kiki Rice drives around South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson during the NCAA championship game on April 4.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
7. Portland Fire: Nell Angloma | F | France | 5-foot-11
Angloma needs time to develop, but general manager Vanja Cernivec has seen her plenty. She is a physical guard who has proven she can score against much older players.
8. Golden State Valkyries: Gabriela Jaquez | F | UCLA | 6 feet
Jaquez can score and win rebounds and would fit in well with the Valkyries’ scrappy style. She fits in a clear role and is the type of player coach Natalie Nakase and company prefer to draft. Jaquez could have some electric games off the bench.
With three first-round picks, the Mystics could consider a draft-and-stash here, and that might just be Carrion. She’s a good shooter and passer and plays bigger than her size. They can be patient and develop her into a starting point guard in a few years.
10. Indiana Fever: Madina Okot | C | South Carolina | 6-foot-6
Indiana can add the third-best center in the draft early here and get a physical player who can create space on the floor as long as she can assert herself in the post.
11. Washington: Raven Johnson | G | South Carolina | 5-foot-9
Johnson’s defensive ability and facilitating skills make her one of the most WNBA-ready players in the draft. Her shutdown defense on Sarah Strong in the Final Four showed she can handle tough assignments.
McMahon could get early playing time as a ballhandler for a Sun team in transition that needs versatility. She can make her own shot and slot in wherever Connecticut needs her.
UCLA forward Gabriela Jaquez dribble past Carolina Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards during the NCAA women’s championship on April 4.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
13. Atlanta Dream: Ta’Niya Latson | G | South Carolina | 5-foot-8
There was a time when Latson was the best scorer in the college game, and she could join an Atlanta team building both to win now and for a future run. She wouldn’t be relied on too heavily, which would give her room to develop as a scorer at the pro level.
14. Seattle: Marta Suarez | F | TCU | 6-foot-3
Suarez may have seen her WNBA draft stock rise the most this season, her first at TCU, where she led the Horned Frogs to a Sweet 16 game in which she scored 33 points. She’s an older prospect at 24 but still kind of raw. She could help a Storm team trying to find itself.
15. Connecticut: Gianna Kneepkens | G | UCLA | 5-foot-11
Kneepkens is a shooter who can play decent defense and is likely as WNBA-ready as anyone in this first round. She could jump in off the bench and make some serious shots, developing into a starter pretty quickly.
Second round
16. Seattle: Frieda Buhner | G | Spain | 6-foot-2
A big guard, Buhner can shoot the three-ball when she’s at her best, collect rebounds and bang in the post.
17. Portland: Jessica Timmons | G | Alabama | 5-foot-8
Timmons had a breakout year for Alabama as an All-SEC player. She can create her own offense and hit shots.
UCLA forward Angela Dugalic shoots over South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards during the NCAA championship on April 4 in Phoenix.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
18. Connecticut: Angela Dugalic | F | UCLA | 6-foot-4
At 24, Dugalic will be one of the more experienced rookies in the WNBA, which could help mold a Sun team in transition. A tough interior presence who also can shoot from distance, Dugalic was arguably the best bench player in the nation during UCLA’s title run.
19. Washington: Shay Ciezki | G | Indiana | 5-foot-7
After averaging 22.8 points per game, Ciezki proved she can score in a variety of ways. She is undersized but could get time to develop on the young Mystics.
20. Sparks: Charlisse Leger-Walker | G | UCLA | 5-foot-8
The first pick for the Sparks of this draft, they stay close to home and get a much-needed ballhandler who can hang defensively. Leger-Walker went from a flashy three-point scorer at Washington State to a well-rounded player who can add energy to the Sparks’ bench.
21. Chicago: Yarden Garzon | G | Maryland | 6-foot-3
Garzon did not have a great senior campaign with Maryland, but Chicago needs guard depth, and she has size and can shoot from distance.
UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker slips past Minnesota guard Tori McKinney and scores on March 27 in Sacramento.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
22. Toronto: Janiah Barker | F | Tennessee | 6-foot-4
A 6-4 forward who can shoot, Barker has plenty of talent but moved around a lot in her college career. Toronto can be patient with her.
23. Golden State: Serah Williams | C| UConn | 6-foot-4
The Valkyries might need some size with Monique Billings moving on and Temi Fagbenle’s future unclear.
24. Sparks: Teoni Key | F | Kentucky | 6-foot-5
Key would give the Sparks some size off the bench behind Cameron Brink, Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby. Key is more physical than Brink and could give her a bit of a break in the post.
25. Indiana: Ashlon Jackson | G | Duke | 6-foot
Jackson had perhaps the most iconic shot of the NCAA tournament with her game-winner in the Sweet 16 over Louisiana State with 2.5 seconds left.
Michigan State forward Grace VanSlooten dribbles the ball during a game against Washington on Jan. 8.
(Stephen Brashear / Associated Press)
26. Toronto: Grace VanSlooten | G | Michigan State | 6-foot-3
An elite two-point shooter for the Spartans, VanSlooten has a high motor on the offensive side and can play a quick defensive game.
As an undersized but scrappy guard, underestimate Harmon at your own risk. One of the peskiest point-of-attack defenders in the country, Harmon was named to four all-defense teams during her time at Texas.
28. Atlanta: Dari Littlepage-Buggs | F | Baylor | 6-foot-1
A strong rebounder who can move the ball upcourt, Littlepage-Buggs is worth a pick to see how she might adapt to the WNBA. She is someone whom the developmental slots might help a lot.
29. Las Vegas Aces: Maggie Doogan | F | Richmond | 6-foot-2
The Aces already have a core in place, but Doogan has enough upside to be worth a late-round pick as a reliable bench shooter.
30. Washington: Justine Pissott | F | Vanderbilt | 6-foot-4
Another versatile player, Pissott was a part of a dynamic Vanderbilt offense this season. She can space the floor and add depth to the Mystics.
Third round
31. Dallas: Laila Phelia | F | Syracuse | 6-foot
Phelia is a solid defensive forward who can shoot well for her position.
32. Chicago: Tonie Morgan | G | Kentucky | 5-foot-9
Morgan is a terrific passer who can attack downhill.
Texas center Kyla Oldacre shoots over UCLA center Lauren Betts during a Final Four game on April 3 in Phoenix.
(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
33. Connecticut: Kyla Oldacre | C | Texas | 6-foot-6
This would be a pure depth pick after the Sun added Brittney Griner.
34. Washington: Kara Dunn | G | USC | 5-foot-11
Dunn has averaged better than 15 points per game during each of her last three seasons (two at Georgia Tech and one at USC) and been efficient in doing so, most recently shooting 57.3% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range.
35. Sparks: Jalyn Brown | G | Michigan State | 6-foot-1
An incredibly efficient shooter, Brown has size and is a three-level scorer who has been a top perimeter defender in the Big 12 and Big Ten. She is a true wing and could give the Sparks a developmental player with a high floor.
36. Toronto: Lani White | F | Utah | 6-foot
White started for only one season but showed she can shoot from distance and give the Tempo another forward to build their bench depth.
USC guard Kara Dunn dribbles up the court during a game against Saint Mary’s at the Galen Center on Dec. 2.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
37. Portland: Raegan Beers | C | Oklahoma | 6-foot-4
For a while, Beers was one of the most interesting prospects in the college game. She proved she can be an efficient scorer when she went from Oregon State to Oklahoma. Her offense is far ahead of her defense, though.
38. Golden State: Elle Ladine | G | Washington | 5-foot-11
A San Francisco native, Ladine, when she is on, can be a dynamic three-way scorer.
39. Seattle: Saffron Shiels | G | Australia | 6-foot-2
A big guard who could be a late-round steal because of an ankle injury last season.
40. Indiana: Jordan Harrison | G | West Virginia | 5-foot-6
Harrison is undersized but was a good defender in the Big 12. She can facilitate and cause havoc on the court too.
41. New York Liberty: Hannah Stuelke | F | Iowa | 6-foot-2
This is the Liberty’s only pick, and Stuelke is a tough rebounder who has a high upside.
Notre Dame guard Cassandre Prosper drives to the basket under pressure from UConn guard Azzi Fudd during an Elite Eight game on March 29.
The Atlantic Coast Conference’s most improved player, Prosper can score and rebound while also being surprisingly quick for her size in the frontcourt.
43. Atlanta: Laura Ziegler | F | Louisville | 6-foot-2
An All-ACC first-team player for an underrated Louisville team, Ziegler can pass and make threes.
44. Las Vegas: Mya Perry | G | Cincinnati | 5-foot-11
A 17.8-point scorer, Perry is a three-point shooter who could earn a developmental slot.
45. Minnesota: Madison St. Rose | G | Princeton | 5-foot-10
St. Rose led Princeton in scoring and could be worth a shot as a developmental player.
When the final horn sounded Saturday on the Kings’ 1-0 matinee win over the Edmonton Oilers, Anze Kopitar made his way to center ice, a microphone in his hand and his heart in pieces.
“Thank you very much,” he said to the fans, his voice cracking. “Thank you for being here.”
Kopitar then held his hands in front of him and folded his fingers into the shape of a heart before skating away — not quite into the sunset, but headed in that direction.
Kopitar announced in September that this season would be his last, so unless the Kings make the playoffs — a distinct possibility after the team’s fourth win a row and fifth in six games, its best streak of the season — Saturday marked the final home appearance of a brilliant 20-year career spent entirely in Los Angeles.
The Kings’ Anze Kopitar vies for position in front of the Oilers’ Darnell Nurse during the second period on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Scott Strazzante/For The Times)
And the announced crowd of 18,145 at Crypto.com Arena made sure he knew that parting is such sweet sorrow, standing and cheering long after the game had ended.
“Eventually it was going to happen,” Kopitar, 38, reflected before the game. “Whether it was this year or two years from now, there was going to be a last day. And I’m very OK with my decision.”
Kopitar will leave having written his name all over the Kings’ record book. He’s the all-time franchise leader in points (1,314), assists (862), game-winning goals (79) and games played (1,518). He ranks third in goals (452) and power-play goals (129).
And most importantly, he played a starring role on the Kings’ only two Stanley Cup championships, leading both the 2011-12 and 2013-14 teams in goals, assists and points.
“Over 700 people have put the Kings’ uniform on,” said Daryl Evans, who was one of the 700 before retiring to become a broadcaster with the team. “He stands at the top of the mountain as one of the greatest — if not the greatest — to do so. He’s a great hockey player, as we can all see. But he’s a better person off the ice.”
It’s that second part, Evans said, that will make Kopitar difficult to replace.
“Records are made to be beaten. But the intangibles, the things that he did as the team’s captain, the leadership that he provided, the type of a player he was, very unselfish,” Evans said. “He’s one of those guys who’s a special player.”
The Kings got the only goal they would need Saturday 7:34 into the first period when Artemi Panarin stripped Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard of the puck at the Kings’ blue line and took off the other way, skating in alone on Oilers’ goalie Connor Ingram, then beating him on a wrist shot from between the circles.
Kings players react as Anze Kopitar speaks to fans after his final regular-season home game, a 1-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.
(Scott Strazzante/For The Times)
The goal was Panarin’s ninth in 23 games since joining the Kings just ahead of the Olympic break. Edmonton nearly pulled that back midway through the period when Curtis Lazar tipped the puck by Kings’ goalie Anton Forsberg, only to have defenseman Cody Ceci dive through the crease and swipe it away with a desperate one-handed wave of his stick.
Forsberg was brilliant the rest of the way, stopping 27 shots to post his 11th career shutout and win his season-best fourth game in a row, preserving the Kings’ one-point lead over Nashville in the race for the Western Conference’s final wild-card playoff berth.
The son of a coach, Kopitar was born in the former Yugoslavia, in the mining town of Jesenice near the border with Austria, an area that became part of Slovenia when that country declared independence just before Kopitar’s fourth birthday.
At 16, he led the new country’s first-tier professional league in scoring, so he moved to Sweden in search of a challenge — and led that country’s top junior league with 49 points in 30 games. That drew the attention of the Kings, who took Kopitar with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 draft.
Fourteen months later he became the first Slovenian to play in the NHL, making his debut as a teenager and scoring two goals against the Ducks. He never looked back — nor looked to play elsewhere, twice signing contract extensions with the Kings rather than test the free-agent market. (Not that he needed to test the free-agent market since he made more than $140 million in his two decades with the Kings, becoming the best-paid player in team history.)
“I’ve always felt extremely comfortable in L.A.,” said Kopitar, whose two children were born here. “The organization has been world-class since I got here, so I had no desire to go anywhere else.”
Anze Kopitar celebrates with the Stanley Cup after the Kings’ win over the New Jersey Devils in 2012.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
As a result only six players in league history have played more games with a single organization, making Kopitar’s name synonymous with the franchise.
“The greatest to play for the Kings,” said Luc Robitaille, the franchise leader in goals (557) as a player and now the team’s president. “What’s he meant to this franchise — you know this franchise never won and he came along and we won two [Stanley Cups]. So he deserves all the credits and everything that’s coming his way.”
He’s also among the last of a dying breed: a two-way center who stood out on both ends of the ice, but was also gentlemanly enough to win the Lady Byng trophy three times. Only one player has won the NHL’s top sportsmanship award more often this century.
“Every coach would love to have him because he never cheats the game,” Evans said of Kopitar, who this month was also nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ice hockey.”
“He’s got a lot of pride and he doesn’t want to let his teammates down,” Evans said. “He’s been a student of the game from Day 1. He plays the game the right way. If you could tell a player ‘watch somebody,’ there’s a guy you want to watch.”
Kopitar’s numbers have declined this season, owing partly to a pair of lower-body injuries that caused him to miss significant time in both October and January. That’s left him on pace to finish with fewer than 16 goals in a full season for just the third time while his 24 assists and 36 points are career lows.
But he has the best plus/minus number on the team and he’s winning a career-best 57.7% of his faceoffs, including four crucial draws deep in the Kings’ end in the final minute Saturday.
“It’s been, obviously, an up-and-down season,” he said. “Some good, some bad, some ugly.”
Kopitar admits the goodbyes have been emotional at times. On his final visit to Madison Square Garden last month, for example, he and former teammate Jonathan Quick exchanged several hugs after the game.
“I’m enjoying it,” he added. “I’m not sad about it. I guess I’m staying in the moment and enjoying the moment.”
The Kings’ Anze Kopitar tries to flip a shot past Edmonton goaltender Connor Ingram Saturday at Crypto.com Arena.
(Scott Strazzante/For The Times)
The Kings can extend Kopitar’s farewell tour by at least a couple of weeks by making the playoffs, a task that’s looking much more likely than it did a week ago. After Saturday’s win the Kings not only lead Nashville in the wild-card race, holding a game in hand over the Predators, but they are just two points out of third place in the Pacific Division standings.
“He hopes he’s going to play here again,” Kings coach D.J. Smith said of Kopitar’s possible postseason encore.
Just where and when the team might open the postseason — if, indeed, it qualifies — is up in the air since the Kings could finish anywhere from first to fifth in the division, leaving them with more than a dozen possible playoff scenarios. So when the team leaves for its final three-game trip of the season Sunday, the players have been told to pack for 10 days.
Either way Kopitar isn’t changing his mind; when the Kings’ season ends — whenever that is — his career will end as well. So will his time in Los Angeles since Kopitar is selling his Manhattan Beach home and moving back to Slovenia to accept a new role as a full-time father.
“I’m going to be a dad,” he said. “I’m going to just relax and see how long it takes to get bored and then we’ll figure it out from there. Of course I’m going to miss this place. But it was a family decision, obviously, to move.
“As much as this place is super nice and the community was great to us, it’s time to slow down the tempo a little bit and enjoy life. But I’ll make it back here for sure.”
THERE are English market towns that cling lovingly to the past — all Georgian facades, cobbled streets and the gentle chime of church bells.
And then there is Sherborne.
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Sherborne in Dorset has all the features of a traditional English market townCredit: AlamyAmy and Sylvie at Oxford’s BakeryCredit: Supplied
A Dorset town that still manages to do all that, while at the same time establishing itself as one of the West Country’s most up-and-coming foodie destinations.
On its attractive high street, record stores and trendy coffee spots sit alongside chintzy tea rooms that seem preserved in time.
And slap bang in the middle of that action is Oxford’s Bakery, whose shelves are piled high with artisanal loaves, sticky doughnuts, chocolate-y treats and savoury pastries.
While the shop is in the heart of town, the real magic happens at the chain’s site in nearby Alweston where the Oxford family have been baking bread for over 200 years.
Led by head baker Dave Chapman, this flour-dusted kitchen pumps out between 250 and 800 loaves every day cooked in ovens that were first installed in 1921.
A 75-year-old antique dough mixer — a similar size to a hot tub — is also still used and is the last working one of its kind in the world.
Dave tells me: “Our ovens are our main feature and the main attraction — they are over 105 years old.
“I’m baking at nine tonight, and that’ll be billowing smoke,” he says.
Sherborne’s pretty abbey sits in the centre of townCredit: Alamy
“These ovens bake around seven days a week and they’re never cold.”
That inviting mix of old and new runs deep through Sherborne.
Sherborne Abbey stands grandly in the centre, its stunning fan-vaulted ceiling hailed as beautiful as any work of the Italian Renaissance.
The Abbey dates to 705 AD, and two Saxon kings are buried here. Another historical gem, Sherborne Old Castle, is 20 minutes’ walk away, and opens to visitors in summer.
And souvenir shoppers won’t be disappointed. Sherborne Antiques
Market has more than 40 dealers and is a cavern of curiosities. Of course, there’s plenty more to see of the local food scene and at its heart is The Clockspire.
Found in the village of Milborne Port, a short ten-minute taxi journey from Sherborne, the two AA Rosette restaurant resides in a former primary school. But you won’t find a turkey twizzler in sight.
With its wrought-iron chandeliers, low level lighting and a stylish mezzanine cocktail bar, it would make the perfect date spot, but my friend and I didn’t feel out of place with our two little ones either.
Having trained with Michael Caines at Lympstone Manor, chef Luke Bryant serves up first-class West Country produce — think crispy pork belly on a puddle of “bacon foam” or perfectly pink beef sirloin on top of an oozy onion sauce (£37).
There’s even a kids’ menu with hand-made fish goujons with chips and peas (£10), which my 22-month-old Sylive wolfed down.
Don’t leave without trying the stem ginger mousse with rhubarb and creme fraiche sorbet (£13), either. It was simply irresistible.
Sherborne Old Castle, is 20 minutes’ walk away, and opens to visitors in summerCredit: Alamy
We’d been staying at The Eastbury Hotel and Spa, a proud five-star joint in a listed Georgian townhouse.
Originally designed as an 18th century gentleman’s residence, our room felt suitably grand, with a free-standing bath, ornate Chinese screen and luxurious antique furniture.
There are 21 traditional rooms in the original buildings plus Potting Shed Suites set in the walled garden for those wanting extra privacy.
There’s a billiard room, a croquet lawn and garden spa, offering top quality treatments.
My hour-long full body massage (£80) was worth every penny. I could have easily drifted off into an afternoon snooze, dreaming of Oxford’s Bakery’s moreish loaves.
I wonder if there’s still time to stock up before the home leg. . .
GO: Sherborne
STAYING THERE: Rooms at The Eastbury start from £123.23 per night or £145 with breakfast.
Former Pakistani diplomat to the US Maleeha Lodhi says expectations from the Islamabad talks between the US and Iran should be realistic, stressing that “we should recognise that diplomacy is not an event, it’s a process, it takes time.”
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice seeking Massachusetts’ state voter rolls, marking the latest setback in a wide-ranging effort by the Trump administration to collect detailed data on the nation’s voters.
The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin marks at least the fifth time a judge has rejected similar attempts by the Justice Department. Sorokin, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, said the U.S. attorney general’s office did not take the necessary steps required to access voter rolls, as outlined in federal law.
“Put simply, the statute requires a statement of why the Attorney General demands production of the requested records,” Sorokin wrote. That statement has to be factual, “not just a conceivable or possible basis.”
In an emailed response, the Justice Department said it “does not comment on ongoing litigation.”
It has said it’s seeking the voter data as part of an effort to ensure election security, but Democratic and Republican officials in several states have refused, saying the demand violates state and federal privacy laws. Some have raised concerns that federal officials will use the sensitive data for other purposes, such as searching for potential noncitizens.
During a hearing last month in Rhode Island, a Justice Department attorney told a federal judge that the department was seeking unredacted voter roll information so it could be shared with the Department of Homeland Security to check citizenship status. Homeland Security over the past year has beefed up the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, program, for just this purpose.
“Our intention is to run this against the DHS SAVE database,” Department of Justice attorney Eric Neff told U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy during a March 26 hearing challenging the federal government’s authority to access the voter data.
The Justice Department has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia seeking to force release of the data, which includes dates of birth, addresses, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers.
At least 12 states have either provided or promised to provide their detailed voter registration lists to the department, according to the Brennan Center: Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming.
In the Massachusetts case, the the judge found that the Justice Department failed to follow the requirements for demanding the voter rolls set by a 1960 civil rights law.
That law, enacted as part of an effort to end racial discrimination in elections, says state voter records must be made available for inspection by the U.S. attorney general if the office includes a statement outlining why the information is being demanded and how it will be used.
The department’s letter demanding Massachusetts’ voter data made no reference to the Civil Rights Act and didn’t cite any concerns about the way Massachusetts complied with federal voting laws, the judge said. Most importantly, it didn’t include any factual basis for the demand, Sorokin wrote.
In court documents, the Justice Department said it was demanding the data to check for “Massachusetts’ possible lack of compliance” with federal voter registration list requirements. It also said the Civil Rights Act was designed to be an investigatory tool to identify federal election law violations and argued that the U.S. attorney general can’t be required to prove a violation before seeking evidence of one.
“These arguments miss the point,” Sorokin wrote.
Massachusetts Atty. Gen. Andrea Joy Campbell called the ruling a decisive win for voters and the rule of law.
“The privacy of our voters is not up for negotiation, and I will continue to defend the integrity and security of our elections from the Trump Administration’s cruel and harmful agenda,” she said in a news release.
Four federal judges in other states have dismissed similar lawsuits from the Department of Justice.
A federal judge in Michigan found the laws cited by the Justice Department do not require the disclosure of the voter records sought by the federal government. A federal judge in California said the administration “may not unilaterally usurp the authority over elections,” which the Constitution gives to the states and Congress. A federal judge in Oregon said the federal government was not entitled to unredacted voter registration lists containing sensitive data.
A federal judge in Georgia dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit because he found it had been filed in the wrong city. The federal government then refiled the lawsuit in the city specified by the judge; that case is ongoing.
The Justice Department has appealed the Oregon, California and Michigan dismissals.
Boone writes for the Associated Press. Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. AP writer Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, R.I., contributed to this report.
Living outside the community they want to represent can be a handicap for political candidates, but it’s not likely to be a problem for Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt, who until recently was living in Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County, analysts say.
That’s because Pratt’s home burned in the January 2025 Palisades fire, making him a sympathetic figure among many voters — especially those living in his Westside base, they say.
“I don’t think this is going to be electorally consequential,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, a former Los Angeles County supervisor and L.A. City Council member who now runs the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “He’s a victim of the Palisades fire that doesn’t have a home to live in because it burned down.”
Pratt filed to run for mayor in February and was in second place behind Mayor Karen Bass in a recent poll by the Luskin school. He was certified by the Los Angeles city clerk on March 2 as one of 14 candidates in the June 2 primary election.
While some observers have raised questions about his eligibility, a state memorandum following the fires said that voters who were temporarily displaced from their homes can use their prior address as their permanent residence as long as they “intend to return” in the future.
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt currently resides in a private community in Carpinteria, Calif.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Michael Sanchez, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, said this also applies to candidates.
“In situations where a candidate has been temporarily displaced (such as the 2025 wildfires), their eligibility to run for office is not impacted, provided they maintain domicile in their district,” Sanchez said in a statement.
He explained that domicile is determined by a person’s primary residence and their intent to return to that residence. “Temporary relocation during rebuilding or recovery does not, by itself, change a person’s domicile.”
The Times asked the L.A. city clerk’s office last week about Pratt’s residency and eligibility.
“We cannot comment on the specifics of a candidate’s address due to confidentiality. Any matter concerning a candidate’s eligibility or residency, such as this situation, can be formally challenged through the court,” said Josue Marcus, a spokesperson for the city clerk’s office.
Any potential challenge to Pratt’s eligibility based on residency would turn on the question of whether he had intent to return, said Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Marymount University law professor. “Those are tricky inquiries because it depends on someone’s state of mind,” she said.
Pratt and his campaign aides didn’t respond to requests for comment. Pratt released a video Monday, following inquiries from The Times, defending his decision to move to Carpinteria but saying he now intends to live in a trailer placed on his burned-out lot in Pacific Palisades.
The city of Los Angeles sprawls across roughly 500 square miles, creating logistical hurdles if nothing else for a candidate seeking citywide office from a remote location, noted Democratic political consultant Mike Trujillo.
“Anyone that has done the drive from San Pedro to Sylmar knows that L.A. is a big place,” said Trujillo, who isn’t affiliated with any of the candidates in the June 2 mayoral primary. “To add another hour and a half to the drive is not advantageous if you’re trying to campaign in every corner of the city.”
Pratt, a former reality TV star, has millions of followers on social media, but Trujillo said that Pratt will need to show a strong presence in the community to wage a successful campaign.
Pratt is a Republican running in a Democrat-majority city. Developer Geoffrey H. Palmer, a major campaign donor to President Trump, plans to host a reception for Pratt at his Beverly Hills home April 28, according to a document the Pratt campaign filed with the city Ethics Commission.
The UCLA Luskin poll released this month showed Pratt with the support of 11% of likely voters, behind Bass with 25% and ahead of City Council member Nithya Raman with 9%.
Mayoral candidate Adam Miller, who polled at 3% in the survey, said Pratt’s party affiliation is his biggest hurdle to winning the mayoral race.
“I sympathize with Spencer for losing his home and feeling outrage toward the city, but he is not a viable candidate. It doesn’t matter where he lives, a Republican hasn’t been elected mayor in 30 years in this city, and he isn’t going to change that now,” said Miller, a tech executive.
Others say party affiliation is less of an issue.
“This is a nonpartisan race,” said Roxanne Hoge, the chair of the Los Angeles County Republican Party. “There’s no letter accompanying anyone’s name. … I personally support him because he’s an intelligent alternative.”
Some think Pratt will also hold appeal for some Democratic voters.
“There are people I speak to who I know to be Democrats who really, really like him,” said Maryam Zar, who heads the Palisades Recovery Coalition. “To the extent that people are disappointed in this recovery, they pin their hopes on Spencer. That’s not a bad place for him to be.”
Harry Redknapp and Jimmy Bullard were seen for the first time on I’m A Celebrity South Africa with the football legend dressed as a king as fans say they ‘can’t wait’ for the next episode.
22:45, 10 Apr 2026Updated 22:45, 10 Apr 2026
Harry Redknapp seen in I’m A Celeb for the first time dressed as a king(Image: ITV)
At the end of Friday’s episode (10 April), I’m A Celeb aired a snippet of what’s to come next week, including the arrival of two new campmates. Football manager Harry and former Fulham and Hull player Jimmy, who were both announced as part of the cast earlier this year, were then seen entering the camp. Harry was dressed up in an elaborate outfit, reminiscent of the King of the Jungle flower crowns.
The footballer could be seen in the normal I’m A Celeb uniform of a khaki shirt and shorts, but also had a velvet cape over the top as well as a huge flower crown.
Fans were delighted to see Harry and Jimmy. One said: “Lowkey quite looking forward to Jimmy and Harry going back in.” Another said: “Monday is gonna be a great episode. The dynamics are definitely gonna change with Harry and Jimmy coming in!” A third added: “Can’t wait to see Harry Redknapp and Jimmy Bullard on Monday show.”
Unlike the normal series, I’m A Celebrity South Africa will not air across the weekend. So while the arrival of Harry and Jimmy will be teased on Friday, it will air on Monday.
Prior to tonight’s episode, fans had been wondering when Harry and Jimmy would make their debut. Taking to social media, one fan said: “Where is Harry and Jimmy Bullard?” Another asked: “So no Harry?” as a third said: “Now we just need Harry!” Some viewers were quick to comment that they’d heard the pair would be late arrivals.
Host Ant McPartlin previously said that Harry and Jimmy’s arrival would kick the show into “another gear”. He said: “We’ve got two more late entries coming at the end of this week. Then, from week two, it just goes off again to another gear. It’s just got everything.”
This week has already been dramatic as several feuds have flared up. To begin with, David Haye and Beverley Callard began to feud after he sent her to Savannah Scrub, much to the shock of the other campmates and Ant and Dec. While the hosts proclaimed the Corrie star to be “poor Bev”, she vowed to get even and said that she would “chin” the boxer.
David also appeared to have a feud with Gemma Collins, first because he insisted that his team draft Craig Charles to his team over Gemma and then because he refused her water during her eating challenge. Gemma told him that she didn’t think that was very nice, but that was not the end to their fighting.
In Friday’s episode, Gemma was talking about the thickness of her hair and David said: “It ain’t thin.” An offended Gemma later told Adam Thomas that she felt David was “unwelcoming”.
Gemma has also had a feud with Sinitta, after the singer said she thought it was a “joke announcement” when Gemma was announced as Mama Morton in Chicago in 2022.
Gemma fumed: “I am not a joke.” The feud was so intense that it was taken off air, with Sinitta slamming fans for their “nasty” response, and Gemma saying “f**k you” to anyone that didn’t believe in her.
Mark Jones has been an on-air staple on ESPN since the first Bush administration — as in George H.W. Bush, who served from 1989 to 1992.
So, yeah, it’s been a long time.
And now, Jones says, “it’s time to move on.”
Jones’ final ESPN broadcast will be Sunday, when he will serve as the play-by-play announcer for the Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics game on the final day of the NBA’s regular season. It could very well be the last time the phrase “hotter than fish grease” is uttered on the network.
“It’s been a memorable journey these decades with the ABC/ESPN family, but I have decided that it’s time to move on,” Jones wrote in a statement posted Friday on Instagram. “From the day Dennis Swanson hired me in 1990 and working with the best producer in the business, Kim Belton, until today I will forever be grateful for the many friends and colleagues along the way.”
Jones, 64, started at ESPN in 1990. As a play-by-play announcer, he is best known for calling NBA games but he has also covered college football, men’s and women’s college basketball, the WNBA and UFL. On June 2, 2022, Jones, Mark Jackson and Lisa Salters were the first all-Black crew to call an NBA Finals game on TV.
In addition, Jones has hosted the “NBA Today” studio show and been an anchor and reporter on “SportsCenter.”
“Mark has made an enduring impact at ESPN since 1990, serving as a signature voice primarily within our NBA and college football coverage and across nearly all of our platforms,” ESPN said in a statement. “We’re grateful for Mark’s countless contributions and we wish him continued success.”
Separate from his work at ESPN, Jones has also been the primary TV play-by-play announcer for the Sacramento Kings since 2020.
Jones hasn’t indicated what he’ll be doing next, but he ended his announcement with a big prediction for the future — and threw in his signature phrase for good measure.
“As I move on to my next chapter I believe my best work is yet to come,” he wrote. “I’ll be out there cookin’ hotter than fish grease!”
Hit comedy series The Inbetweeners’ return to screens is reported to be close with Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas all said to be keen for a reunion
21:24, 10 Apr 2026Updated 21:25, 10 Apr 2026
All four of the show’s main characters are said to be on board with a reboot of The Inbetweeners(Image: CHANNEL 4)
The iconic Noughties sitcom may have only run for three series, spawning two follow-up films, but it still remains one of the most popular British shows in decades. Now another movie is edging ever closer with a multi-million-pound deal “being finalised” – and it could land on Nexflix next year.
Will McKenzie (Simon Bird), Simon Cooper (Joe Thomas), Jay Cartwright (James Buckley), and Neil Sutherland (Blake Harrison) were at the heart of the Channel 4 hit as the socially awkward friends tried to make the most of their teenage years with often disastrous results.
Emily Atack, who played tortured Charlotte “Big Jugs” Hinchliffe on the show, is also said to be up for reprising her role with other originals reportedly considering offers to return. Many of the lads’ parents, including Belinda Stewart-Wilson – Will’s saucy mum Polly – will be high on fans’ wish lists.
“Inbetweeners fans will be thrilled and relieved because when talk of a reboot emerged last year, there were fears it might not turn out to be a telly project,” A source told The Sun. “But this deal will mean the comedy will be back on our television screens for the first time in 16 years, even though it won’t in its original home on Channel 4.
“Netflix have been keen to make the project happen partly because its enjoyed a bit of a renaissance since old episodes aired on the streaming service and introduced a whole new generation to the show. The deal is on the cusp of being fully rubber stamped, with discussions still happening about production timelines, storylines and cast.”
Actor Joe, who portrayed unlucky in love Simon, spoke out about talk of the show returning, confirming that something is in the works. However, the 42-year-old has remained tight-lipped on what fans can expect.
He shared: “I can’t really say anything more than what’s already been put out there, which is basically that a deal has been struck between [TV production sisters] Fudge Park and Banijay, which means that it’s now possible to do more.
“I haven’t seen anything from them about what that might be, so I’m sort of, to a certain extent, waiting to hear as well.”
Creators Morris and Beesley have already confirmed that the reboot will thankfully not be focussed on a new set of characters. In a statement, they humorously clarified: “Incredibly exciting to be plotting more adventures for our four favourite friends (ooh friends).”
Last summer, fans were left convinced something was brewing when Joe and James, who played Jay, shared a cryptic post on Instagram that got fans tongues wagging about a possible reunion. While the pair did not give anything away James captioned the post: “Working on something…” One fan asked: “Inbetweeners 3?” whilst another listed their wishes should a reunion come about.
One fan said: “We need an Inbetweeners reunion. Set 10/15 years later. Jay gets married and carnage ensues. American Pie reunion showed that it can be done well,” and finished their comment off with a fingers crossed emoji. A third fan simply wrote: “Inbetweeners 3, we waiting,” and another joked: “Where are the other two melons?”
I decided that, just this once, I was rooting for evil to win — mainly because I liked their energy more.
The wereboar growled next to Black Pudding, a hulking vicious monster, both focused on ripping Puck and Cordelia to shreds. Oberon, an Archfey god, stood alongside them, concerned. But only one thing would decide the fate of everyone on stage: the D20, a 20-sided die.
For 45 minutes on Saturday morning, a rambunctious audience of elves, fairies, gnomes, wizards and more was transported to another land, far away from any concern for modern life, as they watched the “Dungeons & Shakespeare” live show at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire at the Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area in Irwindale.
Lynx the Sword Swallower prepares the audience for his show.
Before Saturday, I’d never attended a renaissance fair, a reenactment of the English Renaissance in the form of an immersive festival (i.e. why the Irwindale fair is based in the 16th century village of Port Deptford). Although I was not entirely new to fanciful make-’em-ups. My family had been members of the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval-era living history organization. We frequently dressed up to visit our local kingdom. Once, a wizard gave me a cape. Another time, I won a plague-themed frog toss.
I’d long forgotten what a blissful escape those weekends had been for a young queer kid living in rural America — until Saturday, when I looked around the fair and realized it was a diverse crowd in every sense of the word.
At the “Dungeons & Shakespeare” show, host Willy Nilly encouraged us to lean into the welcoming atmosphere we found among our fellow outcasts.
“Let’s stop worrying about whether we seem weird and make our stories amazing,” the actor, who grew up in conservative Midland, Texas, told the crowd.
And with that same energy, my wife and I trodded further into the fair in hot pursuit of merriment and wonder.
I should note: The Irwindale fair is packed full of opportunities to spend a day. It can, at times, feel overwhelming (and dusty). Here’s what we learned that will set you up for success, should you fancy a trip back in time.
Guests make their way out of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire at sunset.
1. Thou must plan thy morrow
Translation: You must plan your day.
The best way to have the perfect day?
It depends!
Before your visit, I would recommend loosely plotting out your day using the fair’s map. First, you’ll want to discern which performances you’d like to see. Each weekend’s entertainment schedule is released the prior Wednesday, although it can change due to “weather, illness or Her Majesty’s whim,” as the fair website notes.
There are 12 stages and performance areas, each with their own programming. And it’s a real range.
For example, you’ll find MooNie the Magnif’Cent, a fair staple who mixes clowning, stunts and comedy, all without speaking. Supernova the Strongwoman will dazzle the crowd with risky tricks and demolition. And Dora Viellette teaches her audience about an array of music, from medieval to folk favorites, as she plays the hurdy-gurdy (which is very fun to say aloud).
I’d recommend attending the performance you want to see the most early in the day, as the fair seems to get more crowded as the day progresses.
Similarly, if you’d like to focus the day on playing games and experiencing human-powered carnival rides, I’d recommend doing that first. We originally wanted to practice our archery skills, but because we’d waited until after noon, the line was long every time we checked. That said, I did quickly get to throw 10 javelin for $10 later in the day, and I noticed the lines for the “big swing” — aptly named — and the dragon swing were both short. Additionally, it looked like a fairly quick wait to learn from the teachers at St. Jude’s School of Fencing and the Sword Master’s Challenge, where a worker told my wife, “You look like you’d like to hit someone!” (Trust, it wasn’t me, despite my perpetually high anxiety.)
There are also additional paid activities, like having tea with the queen or imbibing via a pub crawl. And then there are the jousting competitions (more on those below).
Her majesty the queen is seen with her court.
2. The Queen doth nay require fanciful garb
Translation: Costumes are not required but very fun.
About five minutes into the fair, I realized I could entertain myself for probably the entire day by simply people watching. Entertainers and guests’ costumes alike were incredible.
Woodland fairies carrying giant daffodils or wearing hats covered in mushrooms. Knights in real armor. Every version of Merlin the wizard, spanning an expansive gender spectrum. Gnomes in tall red hats. And at least one pickle pope blessing people with herbs. You might say they were kind of a big dill. (Hold your applause.)
There are multiple themed weekends, too, including the first weekend when guests were encouraged to strut out in their best pirate garb.
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1. Stephanie Divinski looks down at her shoulder puppet.2.Trilainna Stanton, also known as Prince Rain, of San Diego.3.Partners Reese Pei, left, and Mariner Song are pictured.4.Meisha Mock, left, and Aimey Beer both wear wolf masks created by Meisha.
3. Parley with the guildfolk
Translation: Talk to the townspeople.
Around the fair, you have the opportunity to interact with several guilds and performance tropes. “The most fun you’ll get at the fair is from talking to people,” my friend Matthew, who has several years of renaissance fair experience, told me. “As someone who volunteers with a guild, we aren’t just there to sit around and look pretty. Come talk to us.”
I loved watching the fae creatures of the Fantastikals frolic around, getting into mischief. I kept an eye out for Danse Macabre, whose members dance away the threat of the plague to the fair. But I was most starstruck when I met her majesty Queen Elizabeth I. (Note: The actors do not break character, even to tell a journalist their given name outside of their fair life.)
As I waited in line, I observed the diligently trained actors of the Queen’s Court. The lord high treasurer bent down and handed a gold coin to a toddler doddling around as his family waited to meet the queen. He tried to eat it, but was bested by his mother.
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1.The Fantastikals, representing nature and the elements, provide a sense of wonder and mischief.2.Royal guard member Maria DeSilva, left, stands by Anna of Austria, the queen of Spain, and her sister Elisabeth of Austria as they read their Bibles together.3.A maid of honor to the queen passes the time with canvas work.
“You must be quicker if you are to be successful,” Sir Thomas Heneage, the court’s gentleman usher, told him.
I asked the queen what a newbie like me should know about visiting her village.
“I would tell them that at the fair, there is all the world to be had,” she said. “And no matter what you find that will set your heart alight, you will find it here.”
(I also asked her if it was as fun as it looked to be carried around in a basket by the Yeomen of the Guard, and after a good laugh, she affirmed, “It is truly a highlight of our day.”)
The crowd cheers as the jousters charge one another during the final bout of the day.
4. Hark! What a clatter!
Translation: Prepare for shouting
But it’s the fun kind!
When the fair opens at 10 a.m., guests shout, “Open wide the gates!”
“Huzzah!” is commonly shouted out in celebration, like when you tip someone, or when your trusty javelin strikes the target (mine did not).
And “God save the queen!” is exclaimed during the parades and just about any time the queen is around.
5. By hook and crook, ready thyself for a joust
Translation: It’s essential to attend a joust.
A jousters charges toward his opponent during the final bout of the day.
Attending a joust is one of the quintessential renaissance festival experiences.
At the L.A. fair, there are generally three joust performances per day: the Deptford tournament joust, the queen’s joust and the “joust to the death.”
It’s best to arrive 45 minutes early to get a seat, as the performance space fills to capacity. You will be turned away if it is full.
And it’s competitive. Immediately after sitting down, my seatmate informed me that we were rooting for green and blue, and the other team was our mortal enemies. I hooted and hollered accordingly.
6. There is much fine belly-timber
Translation: There is so much good food.
OK, here’s a confession: I eat a vegan diet. But, I can still appreciate the wide range of food options available — including the iconic turkey leg.
After securing our marinated tofu nachos and poke bowl, my wife and I sat down among other guests. Our tablemates had purchased a litany of fried options, including scotch eggs from the Quail Inn, which also serves bacon-wrapped jalapeño peppers, cheese fritters and “whole, partially deboned quail.”
I personally regret not heading over to Scoops on Tap, where I could have ordered vegan lemon blueberry swirl and mint chip ice cream. Their spirit-infused offerings include buttery beer, mocha stout crush and drumstick stout (which is not turkey-flavored, but rather a vanilla base).
7. Pray thee pay full mind to the merchants
Translation: Take time to learn about the artisans.
Drabbits, hand-crafted and one-of-a-kind shoulder puppets, at the Imagination Adoptorium booth.
Throughout the fair, you can easily find unique and colorful birthday gifts, like dragon eggs or a buy-your-own-fairy house, that would make your nieces, nephews and little cousins quickly proclaim you their favorite relative.
Beyond that, you can speak to artisans who’ve been honing their craft, in some cases, for decades. I asked glass artist Stuart Abelman, who has regular glass-blowing demonstrations during the fair, how his artistry fits into the renaissance fair.
“They’ve been blowing glass for 5,000 years,” Abelman, whose studio is based in Van Nuys, said. “Through the Renaissance, there were incredible glass blowers at Murano, Italy, incredible glass blowers. The queen drank [out of] beautiful glassware. They were the best.”
An assortment of masks are seen in the Mischief Masks booth.
8. Fret not if the winds of fate blow you elsewhere
Translation: Don’t worry if you can’t attend this specific fair.
California has several renaissance fairs and similarly themed events throughout the year. And, for the most adventurous, there are other fairs across the country and world, including the Texas Renaissance Festival, said to be the largest in the U.S.
I spoke to Deptford’s lord mayor, Sir Barnubus Bliss, about what’s most important to him about folks experiencing the fair closest to L.A.
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire
When: Saturdays and Sundays through May 17 Where: Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, 15501 Arrow Highway, Irwindale. Note: The fair’s organizers advise you to not put the address in your GPS. It’s recommended that you take the 210, exit off Irwindale Ave (#38) and follow the signs to the fair. Upon arrival, you will pay the $15 entrance fee to the park, and then be directed to a large parking area. Tickets: $53 for adults and children 13 or older, $28 for children 5 to 12, and free for kids 4 and younger. Although you can buy tickets at the fair, it’s logistically easier to buy them online at renfair.com.
“Every time someone comes through those doors, I always wish them a ‘Welcome home,’” he said, “because it is my understanding that no matter where you are from, no matter what your life has been, when you come within these gates, when you are within our walls, you are at home, no matter where you were beforehand.”
Nik Frey, far left, and his partner Joanna Dominguez, far right, sword fight with Bexleigh Kilker, 9, and Bexleigh’s dad Kevin, as they all wait out traffic after opening day at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire.
And I felt that as I watched adults gallivant around with childlike glee. As my wife and I left the fair, I did not find myself immediately reaching for my phone. I wanted to stay, just a while longer, in a world where seemingly everyone is welcome to be just as they are.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — After the career grand slam, a grand entrance.
Rory McIlroy, who last year became the sixth man to win all four major championships, got off to a spectacular start at the Masters on Thursday to claim a share of the lead with a five-under-par 67.
In one sense, the pressure is off. No more wondering about winning a green jacket. Yet he was relieved to feel those familiar butterflies on the first tee.
“Look, we’re playing the first major of the year, it’s the Masters,” he said, having overcome a slightly wobbly start to collect five birdies in his final 11 holes. “If I felt absolutely nothing on that first tee, that’s not a good sign.
“So it was nice to feel my hand shaking a little bit when the tee went into the ground, and struggle to put the ball on top of the tee. So I knew I was feeling it. That’s a good thing. That’s why we want to be here. We want to be able to play our best golf when we’re feeling like that.”
Among those two shots off the lead is 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, who said the warm and dry conditions figure to make a difficult course even more challenging.
“It definitely has the teeth in it to make it really, really tough,” Reed said. “The greens are already getting firm, crusty, and bouncy.”
He said the 17th green, typically one of the firmest on the course, is a good example of that.
“I actually broke one tee on the hole trying to fix a ball mark,” he said. “You already know it’s going to get crusty. You know it’s going to get fast, and it’s going to take a lot of patience.”
Some stars struggled. Two-time champion Bubba Watson shot four-over, as did the long-hitting Bryson DeChambeau, who tied for fifth last year.
Said Shane Lowry, who finished two under: “This might be the toughest Masters we’ve played in a while.”
Bryson DeChambeau reacts after his tee shot on the 12th hole Thursday at Augusta National.
(Eric Gay / Associated Press)
There’s something about this storied tournament that can make even the steeliest of players weak in the knees. Mason Howell, the 18-year-old amateur playing with McIlroy, was taking such vicious swings at the ball that his hat came off three times during his round, including on the opening tee.
“That hasn’t happened in a while,” said Howell, who last year became the third-youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur. “I mean, I was going to swing out of my shoes to see if I could cover that right bunker [on No. 1].”
Even the legendary Jack Nicklaus, who won the Masters a record six times, duck-hooked his ceremonial tee shot early Thursday morning, sending it over the head of patrons lining the left side of the downward slope in front of him.
“I got it high enough to hit it about 110 yards over their heads to the left,” said Nicklaus, 86, who won his last green jacket 40 years ago. “I don’t know what was running through my mind other than not hurt anybody.”
Fred Couples, 66, the oldest competitor in the field, went from a tie for eighth to a tie for 43rd … on one hole. He had a nine on the par-five 15th, landing in the water twice.
Couples, who had been two under to that point, finished quadruple bogey, double bogey, double bogey.
Collin Morikawa, who shot a 74 at two over, said he doesn’t feel quite right, physically, although it doesn’t feel like a back issue to him.
“Physically there’s no pain,” he said. “It’s just a trust thing. My legs don’t want to trust that it’s going to hold up the back and the rest of the body. When that’s feeling wobbly, plus you add the adrenaline and the nerves, it’s just not — it’s not easy…”
He called Thursday “the toughest round I’ve ever played,” and said he could not remember waking up quite as nervous as he was before the start of this tournament.
“I honestly didn’t know if I was going to make contact,” he said.
Rory McIlroy plays a shot from the 12th tee during the first round of the Masters on Thursday.
(Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
McIlroy, playing in his 18th Masters, said he leaned heavily on his experience to maintain an even keel. A year ago, he had two double-bogeys on Thursday, and two more on Sunday, yet never panicked.
So this time, when he found himself hitting out the trees on some early holes, he resisted the urge to get too “guide-y” on his shots and instead kept swinging away.
“Even though I wasn’t hitting fairways the first few holes, I still kept swinging,” he said. “I didn’t try to get the tee down and hit fairway finders. I just trusted that eventually I’ll start to make some good swings. So that was a little bit different.”
The biggest difference? What he achieved a year ago.
“It’s easier for me,” McIlroy said, “to make those swings and not worry about where it goes when I know that I can go to the Champions Locker Room and put my green jacket on and have a Coke Zero at the end of the day.”
THE crisis in Iran has had a knock-on effect around the world from the rising cost of fuel, an increase in energy bills, and where to go on your next holiday.
But when it comes to the price of summer breaks this year, the good news is that they’ve barely moved – and in some cases, the cost of holidays have even dropped by hundreds of pounds.
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Three destinations in Italy, including the Amalfi Coast, have seen price dropsCredit: Getty Holidays to the Dominican Republic have dropped by £130pp on averageCredit: Alamy
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On average holidays are up £23, but TravelSupermarket has also revealed that surprisingly, hundreds of popular destinations have actually seen prices fall.
TravelSupermarket has found that some holidays at certain destinations are actually cheaper than when the Iran conflict began.
Here are the top five destinations with the biggest price drops in the summer holidays based on a seven-night holiday between April and September, 2026.
At the very top with the biggest price drop is the Neapolitan Riviera in Italy.
Here, holidays are sitting at an average price of £905 per person, which has a price drop of £232.
It’s where you’ll find beautiful and colourful towns perched on clifftops – with spectacular views of Mount Vesuvius in some cases.
Specifically, it’s where you can explore the clifftops of Sorrento, the island of Capri and Ischia in the Bay of Naples.
Other places in Italy make it into the top five too – the Amalfi Coast and the Italian Lakes.
The Amalfi Coast is a popular destination with millions of tourists who flock there every summer for its great weather and tasty food.
Now, holidays on average there have dropped by £126 per person, with the average price of a break being £1,073.
At the Italian Lakes, which is where you’ll find the beautiful Lake Garda, Como, Maggiore and Orta – prices have dropped on average by £122pp.
Now, the average cost of a holiday here per person during the summer is £714.
For more on holidays, here are our favourite TUI breaks…
*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
Globales Montemar, Ibiza
This hotel sits on a quieter side of Ibiza, so you can soak up the island’s natural beauty away from the party crowds. This family-friendly option has a large pool that curves around the resort, surrounded by plenty of sunbeds, plus a kids zone. Here you’re just a 10-minute stroll from a horseshoe-shaped bay with clear waters.
This resort is set up like a small village, with low-rise buildings set among palm trees and six different swimming pools. Entertainment spans from DJ nights to bingo and live sports screenings, plus sports on offer include water polo, rifle shooting and shuffleboard.
This hotel sits on Majorca’s Cala Gran Beach, a beautiful cove just a short drive away from the coastal town centre, with its trinket shops and relaxed bars. The hotel itself has all the activities and entertainment you’d expect, including bingo and live music – as well as some unique extras like mini golf and archery. Week-long breaks start from £478pp.
The Riu Baobab is the only TUI hotel in the country, sat on the Pointe Sarane coastline. There are the four huge pools overlooking the beach, swim up pool bars and a copious amount of sunloungers to choose from. The sushi at the Asian Dorayaki and the pasta dishes at Veneto are the highlight meals of this standout hotel. Week-long breaks start from £883pp.
If you’re looking for a long-haul destination, check out the Dominican Republic.
TravelSupermarket worked out that the average holiday here is now £1,364pp – a drop of £130pp.
It has cracking weather, white sand beaches, beautiful resorts and lively towns like Punta Cana on the eastern side of the island.
The Dominican Republic is also the cheapest in the Caribbean – the average price of coffee is £1.53 and a meal at an inexpensive restaurant can start from £4.90, according to Wise.
In comparison, a meal in Barbados is around £14.50 and a coffee is around £3.32.
The Canary Island of La Palma is incredible affordable this summerCredit: Getty
Spain
If quick and easy holidays are more your bag for 2026, then check out La Palma.
It’s not the most well-known of the Canary Islands and is much quieter too.
It doesn’t have the enormous resorts, so if a calmer, nature-inspired holiday is on the cards, it’s a great option.
The main town is Santa Cruz La Palma which has bright coloured buildings, cobbled streets and wooden balconies that look over the black-sand beach.
Holidays here have dropped by £120 and can be on average as cheap as £474pp.
Chris Webber, Head of Holidays and Deals at TravelSupermarket, said: “Despite the current uncertainty, summer holiday prices haven’t moved dramatically — up by just £23 on average across all destinations.
“For holidaymakers sitting on the fence, that’s a signal worth paying attention to. Prices won’t stay like this indefinitely, and with so many destinations actually seeing prices fall — places like Majorca, Corfu and Turkey — now could be a smart time to book ahead of any increases.
“Holiday companies are keen to get bookings moving, and that’s likely filtering through into some very competitive pricing right now.”
These are the 20 holiday destinations that have fallen in price, according to TravelSupermarket…
Here are the 20 destinations that have fallen in price – and the average amount less per person…
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — If you’ve ever planned to motor west and take the highway that’s the best, this might be the time: Route 66 turns 100 this year.
The Mother Road, as author John Steinbeck dubbed it, has evolved over the years from an escape for poor farmers fleeing the devastating dust storms of the 1930s to perhaps the quintessential American road trip that’s still delivering kicks.
Although there have been faster and more direct routes between the nation’s second- and third-largest cities for some time, Route 66’s neon still burns brightly and its vintage signs beckon travelers to restored motor lodges, classic diners and roadside attractions.
Each stop turns the wheels of the imagination, leaving travelers to contemplate what life was like for the people and communities that have made the road hum over the years.
Illinois
Chicago has long been one of the country’s economic engines, with access to international waters and railroads that linked all corners of the country. In the 1920s, Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the Father of Route 66, knew it wouldn’t be long before automobiles would dominate the transportation landscape, and the Windy City would be the perfect place to start the journey he envisioned.
A member of the federal highway board appointed to map the U.S. highway system, Avery opted to go with the number 66. He knew those double digits were ripe for marketing and could be seared into the minds of motorists.
For some travelers, the journey is fueled more by the food than the scenery, and there’s plenty to choose from — slices of homemade pie, thick shakes, cheeseburgers and an assortment of fried delights.
The Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield, the Illinois capital, is one of the many diners that sprang up along Route 66, and its breaded hot dogs on a stick have stood the test of time. Third-generation owner Josh Waldmire says the recipe is a secret.
Waldmire’s grandfather, Ed, saw the concoction’s potential as fast and convenient road food and developed a system for frying the dogs vertically.
Missouri
Route 66 has its share of twists and turns, and it’s no surprise that a highway famous for its quirky roadside attractions would cross the nation’s most famous river on one of the more peculiar bridges known to modern engineering.
As the road nears St. Louis, the mile-long (1.6-kilometer-long) Chain of Rocks Bridge hovers more than 60 feet (18 meters) above the Mississippi River.
Engineers eventually built a straighter, higher-speed option, and a poor resale market spared the original bridge from the scrap heap. Today it’s reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.
A median in Missouri is home to St. Robert Route 66 Neon Park, which features orphaned neon signs that once beckoned travelers to stop at certain sites and businesses along the highway. Often handcrafted, they weren’t only markers for motels, cafes and gas stations, but were also folk art and symbols of local culture.
Kansas
The Sunflower State hosts only a short stretch of Route 66, but it packs a punch with the Kan-O-Tex Service Station in Galena. A classic example of roadside fare, the station served as inspiration for the animated 2006 Pixar film “Cars.”
Director John Lasseter and his crew took road trips along the route, digging into history and looking for elements that could bring the project to life. It was in Galena where they spotted the old boom truck that served as the basis for the character Tow Mater. The plot wasn’t far off, as so many once bustling towns — like the fictional Radiator Springs — nearly faded away after being bypassed by an interstate.
Kansas also is home to the Brush Creek Bridge, otherwise known as the Rainbow Bridge. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of few remaining examples of the concrete arched bridges designed by James Barney Marsh.
Oklahoma
There was a real danger for some who traveled the road, particularly Black motorists passing through inhospitable and segregated areas during the Jim Crow era. The Green Book — a guide first published in 1936 by Victor Hugo Green — listed hotels, restaurants and gas stations that would serve Black customers.
The Threatt Filling Station near Luther wasn’t listed in The Green Book, but it was a safe haven — not only for getting fuel, but for barbecue and baseball. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was the only known Black-owned and operated gas station along Route 66.
Route 66 is littered with abandoned buildings and faded signs, but one example of the highway’s resilient spirit stands tall in Sapulpa, near Tulsa. The restored Tee Pee Drive-In Theater offers a step back into the 1950s, when the booming car culture helped spawn thousands of drive-in theaters nationwide.
Built in 1949, the drive-in officially opened in the spring of 1950 with a screening of John Wayne’s “Tycoon.” It was one of the few drive-ins at the time to have paved pathways. Over the years, it survived a tornado, a fire that destroyed the concession stand and break-ins before being shuttered for more than 20 years. It reopened in 2023.
Texas
Blink and you might miss it, but a stop at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo is a must for any Route 66 journey. For decades, visitors have been spray-painting the 10 vintage Cadillacs at the site and mulling the transitory nature of time as Bruce Springsteen did in his 1980 song of the same name.
It’s not a ranch, but rather a public art installation created in 1974 by the art and architecture collective Ant Farm. At first, the cars — which were half-buried front-down at a 60-degree angle — were used for target practice. Others would scratch their initials into the metal. The spray painting started later.
Arrive in Adrian and you’re halfway through your trip. Steps from a white line marking the midpoint of Route 66 is the Midway Cafe, where the “ugly pies” are anything but.
If you’re still hungry, head back to Amarillo for a 72-ounce (2 kilogram) steak and all the sides at The Big Texan. If you can finish the meal in an hour or less, it’s free.
New Mexico
More than half of Route 66 cuts through sovereign Native American lands, often tracing routes used by tribes long before settlers arrived. Much like the railroad in the 1800s, the highway opened the door to a new era of commerce, but it also fueled stereotypes about cultures along the way.
There are still faded and crumbling references to tipis and feathered headdresses at some stops along the historic highway. The symbols were easily appropriated for marketing by roadside vendors but weren’t indicative of the separate and distinct Native American cultures in the area.
Today, tribes are telling their own stories and showcasing their creations, whether it be pottery, fruit pies or poems.
Albuquerque boasts the longest intact urban stretch of Route 66. Those 18 miles (29 kilometers) pass through several neighborhoods and business districts, from historic Old Town to Nob Hill.
Some of the old motor lodges and neon signs along what is now Central Avenue have been restored. Other signs are being reimagined using hubcaps, elaborate lowrider-inspired paint jobs and New Mexico’s classic yellow and red license plates in a nod to the car culture that is very much still alive in the city.
Arizona
Musician Jackson Browne was taking his own road trip in the early 1970s when his car left him stranded in Winslow. The experience inspired the lyrics to the Eagles’ hit “Take it Easy.” But it’s certainly not the only song that is a must-have for a Route 66 playlist.
Bobby Troup created a classic American road anthem in the 1940s with “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones and Depeche Mode carried it through the decades, each covering the song with their own flair.
While standing on a corner in Winslow, don’t be surprised if someone saunters up with a guitar and starts strumming favorites from their own road trip playlist.
Before leaving the state, the one-time gold mining town of Oatman features a Wild West atmosphere, daily staged shootouts and beloved burros. Oatman was a destination along one of the original alignments of Route 66 via a treacherous path through the Black Mountains, but it was later bypassed as part of improvements made in the 1950s.
California
Once a desert oasis, Roy’s Motel & Café in Amboy is a quintessential Route 66 landmark. The towering neon sign is one of the most photographed spots along the road. Inside, foreign currency left by international visitors lines one wall. Across the street, a clothing post decorated with shoes, shirts and other items juts up from the desert floor.
This stretch of the highway through the Mojave Desert offers a special kind of solitude. The pavement gets rough in spots and the landscape takes charge, showing off Joshua trees, wide-open spaces and the remnants of ancient volcanic activity.
Much of the area is undeveloped, meaning it looks a lot like it would have when Route 66 was commissioned in 1926.
After making it through oft-congested Los Angeles, the iconic Santa Monica Pier marks the end of the line, and it’s nothing short of a perpetual party with a steady stream of spectators and performers. Although many stretches of Route 66 have lapsed into decay, the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean are a reminder of the pursuits made possible by the road over the last century.
Bryan writes for the Associated Press. AP writers John O’Connor in Springfield, Ill., and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.
When the speaker of the Texas House recently outlined his priorities for the next legislative session, he mentioned tax relief, the development of data centers and a notion that sent many eyebrows skyward.
Dustin Burrows, a Republican from Lubbock, directed the chamber’s governmental oversight committee to study the legal and economic implications of Texas absorbing one or more counties in eastern New Mexico.
The “conversation,” Burrows told the Dallas Morning News, “is ultimately about culture, opportunity and the right to choose a path that reflects the shared values of the Permian and Delaware basins,” a vast desert expanse awash in oil and natural gas.
Apparently, Texas lawmakers have time and money to burn.
The notion of the swaggering state swallowing a chunk of its resistant neighbor is completely far-fetched. Just four states have been carved from the territory of others: Kentucky, Maine, Vermont and West Virginia. And it’s been quite a spell since the last time that happened. West Virginia split off from Confederate Virginia in 1863.
Realistically, there is no end of hurdles — legal, political, practical — that would have to be surmounted for a partial Texas-New Mexico merger to occur. Both states would need to agree — New Mexico is a hard no — and Congress would also have to approve.
But the impulse to bust up, break away and move on is as old as America itself and, at the same time, as fresh as the latest provocation to pass the lips of the nation’s frothing commander-in-chief.
The notion being if you don’t like it, then leave.
Or, at least, make noise about doing so.
Eastern New Mexico — dry, desolate — looks and feels very much like an appendage of West Texas. Its residents have long been estranged from the rest of their state and, especially, the Democratic leadership in Santa Fe, the state capital. That is not to say, however, the slightest inch of New Mexico territory will be going anywhere anytime soon.
Earlier this year, two Republican state lawmakers introduced a measure to give voters a say on whether they wanted their counties to break away — or, as one of the legislators put it, “Get the hell out of New Mexico.” The constitutional amendment died without a hearing.
When Burrows renewed talk of a takeover, Javier Martinez, speaker of the New Mexico House, responded without equivocation. “Over my dead body,” he said.
But the notion has garnered Burrows plenty of attention in the Lone Star State, a place with no lack of self-regard. And it certainly hasn’t hurt his standing with Texas’ arch-conservative Republican base, which has sometimes viewed Burrows with suspicion.
“People in Texas have a lot of fun with the idea that Texas … is entitled to secede and that maybe it can restore lost lands in New Mexico, Kansas, Colorado and beyond,” said Cal Jillson, a longtime student of Texas politics at Southern Methodist University. “It [appeals to] the conservative base, but also to everyone who loves to chuckle.”
Serious or not, secession — or independence, as some prefer to call it — has long been the dream of dissenters, of the discontented and those who feel put upon or politically unrepresented. America, after all, was birthed by divorcing itself from Britain and King George III.
For the longest time, residents in the ruddy north of blue California have agitated for a breakaway state called Jefferson. In recent years unhappy conservatives in eastern Oregon have spoken of splitting from their Democratic state and becoming a part of Republican Idaho. (Lawmakers in Boise passed a measure in 2023 inviting Oregon to the negotiating table; Oregon has so far declined to show.)
Since 2020, voters in 33 rural Illinois counties have voted to separate from their state and its Democratic leadership, a move welcomed in a measure passed by the Republican-run Indiana Legislature and signed by the state’s GOP governor, Mike Braun. (Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker dismissed the 2025 legislation as “a stunt.”)
Which, indeed, it appeared to be.
But Richard Kreitner said there is a certain logic behind secession movements, as governments from Washington to the statehouse are seen as increasingly unresponsive and dysfunctional.
“As people become more disenfranchised … more disillusioned from the political process, you’re going to start looking outside of the political process, the political structure, the constitutional structure, for a possible solution,” said Kreitner, who hosts a history podcast, “Think Back,” and has also written a book on secession. “If you’re going to do that in a country founded with a secessionist manifesto, the Declaration of Independence, at some point people are going to start thinking about that.”
Legitimate grievance grounded in serious concern is certainly worthy of attention. But exploiting that discontent to draw notice or score cheap political points — as Burrows seems to be doing in Texas — is something altogether different.
The chance of New Mexico ceding a part of itself to Texas is precisely zero, meaning the legislative study is less about “culture” and “opportunity” than the speaker and fellow Republicans evidently looking to troll their blue-state neighbor.
There are better, more productive ways for lawmakers to spend their time.
Reaction to Tiger Woods’ car crash and driving under the influence arrest last month ranged from sadness to dismay to exasperation. Few observers, however, expressed surprise.
Although widely recognized as perhaps the greatest golfer of all time, Woods, 50, has been in a downward spiral personally and professionally for years.
His struggles with prescription drugs became public in 2017 when police found him asleep at the wheel of his car with the engine running near his Jupiter, Fla., home. Multiple painkillers, sleep aids and THC were detected in his system. Woods checked into rehab shortly after that incident, saying his efforts to manage insomnia and pain from his staggering number of surgeries on his own was a mistake.
Now, though, he’s again in rehab, likely in Switzerland after his private jet landed in Zurich on Friday, according to reports. The latest crash is the fourth major incident involving Woods behind the wheel since 2009.
“I feel bad for Tiger,” fellow golf great Jack Nicklaus told the Palm Beach Post. “He’s been taking painkillers for a long time and I don’t know how much pain he’s in. But I don’t think he’d be taking them if he didn’t need them.”
Woods’ current pivot to recovery follows a barrage of headlines about his rollover crash and unfocused, hiccups-laden aftermath captured on police officers’ body cameras that included a phone call to President Trump, failed field sobriety tests, handcuffs and a drive to jail in the back seat of a squad car.
A vehicle rests on its side after a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods along a road in Rancho Palos Verdes on Feb. 23, 2021. Woods suffered leg injuries that required surgery.
(Ringo H.W. Chiu / Associated Press)
The episode also provides an opportunity to reflect on Woods’ meteoric rise, sustained excellence and precipitous decline on the golf course, his scandal-plagued personal life and what the future might hold.
What does this latest episode say about Tiger Woods and where does he goes from here?
Prodigy to supremacy
Born Eldrick Tont Woods on Dec. 30, 1975, Tiger was given his nickname by his father, Earl, a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel and Green Beret who served in Vietnam. Earl’s combat partner was nicknamed Tiger and it was passed along.
Earl was deployed in the 1960s to the same base in Thailand where Kultida Punsawad worked as a secretary. They married and settled in the Orange County town of Cypress after the war. Tiger was their only child.
“When Tiger was 10 months old, I unstrapped him out of his high chair and he walked over and hit the ball,” Earl recalled on an HBO documentary about his son. “I said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got something special.’ ”
Amateur Tiger Woods, right, talks with his father, Earl Woods, after practice for the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in the 1990s.
(Amy Sancetta / Associated Press)
That soon became apparent to everyone. At age 5, Woods showed his golfing prowess on the television show “That’s Incredible.” At 6, he played a televised two-hole exhibition at Calabasas Country Club with legendary golfer Sam Snead, whose record of 82 PGA Tour victories would be equaled by Woods nearly 40 years later.
Life wasn’t all manicured greens. The only black child in his kindergarten class, he was tied to a tree by sixth graders, The Times’ Bill Plaschke reported. Woods played in his first national junior tournament at 13 in Texarkana, Ark., and a local reporter accused him of participating only because he wanted to integrate the local country club.
His excellence eventually stifled racism and quieted critics. As a high school sophomore in 1992, Woods became the youngest golfer to play in a PGA Tour event, shooting a one-over-par 72 at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
He first hurt his back during that historic round, pulling a muscle while hitting out of deep rough. Afterward he remained on site for treatment, foreshadowing what would be a career-threatening battle with back injuries that includes seven surgeries since 2014 — several microdiscectomies, a 2017 lumbar fusion and most recently a lumbar disc replacement performed in October 2025.
“Tiger Woods’ experience with spinal disease highlights a real and under-recognized issue among modern-era golfers,” said Dr. Corey Walker of the Barrow Neurological Institute. “Tiger’s use of the mechanics of the modern-day swing places a tremendous strain on the back.”
The high-torque swing emphasizes maximum rotation of Woods’ shoulders relative to his hips. It’s tough on his spine but also results in long drives and low scores.
Bothersome backs are common among golfers. Scotland-based osteopath Gavin Routledge, who has teamed with renowned golf coach Gary Nicol in developing a treatment program for spinal injuries, views Woods’ medical history as particularly telling.
“I honestly can’t see a way out for him,” Routledge told Golfweek. “We have known for decades that once you have one disc surgery, the chances of having another are substantially higher, especially if you use the fusion technique like Tiger. It’s a domino effect.”
Woods had no such worries in the mid-1990s. Amid winning three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles, he attended Stanford but left in 1996 after two years and turned pro at 20, smiling and saying “Hello, world” at his introductory news conference.
By 2000, he became the youngest golfer to complete the career Grand Slam of winning the Tour’s four majors and only the fifth ever to do so, following Ben Hogan, Gene Sarazen, Gary Player, and Nicklaus.
His dominance accelerated quickly, and nearly every year from 1997 to 2013 he won at least four and as many as nine tournament championships. He had his first back surgery in 2014 and the victories ceased until he shocked the sports world in 2019 by winning the Masters — the tournament considered the pinnacle of golf — for the fifth time, but the first in 14 years.
Tiger Woods and caddie Steve Williams watch Woods’ chip shot teeter at the edge of the cup before dropping in the 16th hole during the final round of the 2005 Masters tournament.
(Al Tielemans / Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“It’s overwhelming, just because of what has transpired,” Woods said. “It’s unreal to experience this.”
A few months later he won the inaugural PGA Tour event in Japan to tie Snead’s record of 82 career titles, hoisting the trophy 23 years to the day of his first Tour title at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational. It was his last victory.
Comeback attempts have been infrequent and unsuccessful, measured against the standards he set for decades. All the while, his injuries mounted and personal life deteriorated.
Losing his grip
Even with his career at its pinnacle and before his back became chronically balky, Woods found his way onto tabloid headlines. It all started with his first public car accident.
Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant outside his home in Isleworth, Fla., at 2:30 a.m. Nov. 27, 2009. He was treated at a hospital with minor injuries and the incident turned out to be the culmination of a whirlwind of missteps that revealed Woods having affairs with several women outside of his marriage to Swedish model Elin Nordegren, the mother of his two children.
Additional reporting identified Woods as a regular at the Mansion, a club for high rollers at the MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas, where he had a $1 million betting limit and played blackjack at $25,000 a hand with NBA superstars Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.
Woods admitted in 2010 that he had a sex addiction and spent 45 days at an inpatient program in Hattiesburg, Miss. He and Nordegren divorced.
The turmoil took a toll on Woods’ golf game for two years, but he rebounded, winning three tournaments in 2012 and five in 2013. It wasn’t until his first back surgery in 2014 that his career plummeted for good.
Research indicates that retirees who define themselves primarily through their careers are vulnerable to prolonged distress. Few have had a professional life so clearly defined and wildly successful as Woods.
Tiger Woods hits from the fairway at the Riviera Country Club during the second round of the Genesis Invitational on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 in Pacific Palisades.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
While not officially retired — he planned to play in this week’s Masters until his rollover crash and arrest — his last PGA Tour event was the Open Championship in Scotland in July 2024.
His most formidable obstacles to another comeback might be physical. Woods walks with a limp after suffering extensive damage to his right leg and ankle from a near-fatal single-car crash in Rancho Palos Verdes in 2021. And his most serious back surgery took place only six months ago.
Woods’ more immediate concern seems to be kicking his use of addictive opioid painkillers. A judge in Martin County, Fla., granted his request to seek treatment outside the U.S. He also turned down the role of United States Ryder Cup captain in 2027.
“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” Woods said in a statement. “I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.
“I’m committed to taking the time needed to return to a healthier, stronger, and more focused place, both personally and professionally. I appreciate your understanding and support, and ask for privacy for my family, loved ones and myself at this time.”
What now?
Woods will continue to make a sizable impact on golf even if he never sets another ball on a tee.
He serves as Founder and CEO of TGR, a multibrand enterprise that includes a charitable foundation, a golf course design company, an events production company and an upscale restaurant, among other holdings.
His immense popularity lined the pockets of nearly everyone associated with the PGA Tour. TV ratings skyrocketed, tournament purses spiked and he single-handedly expanded golf’s demographic appeal.
The Masters is taking place this week in Augusta, Ga. Woods, who has donned the famed green jacket given the champion five times, is on the minds of many of the golfers.
Tiger Woods celebrates after sinking his putt on the 18th green to win the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019.
(Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
“He was my hero growing up,” said Jason Day, a veteran pro golfer and close friend of Woods. “It must be hard to be who he is and have everyone kind of down on him.”
Later, Day added this: “The only thing I don’t understand is that it’s a bit selfish of him to drive and put other people in harm’s way as well. But when you’re the player he was and how strong-willed he is — he thinks he can do almost anything — and that’s probably why he’s driving and a little bit under the influence.”
Woods has also been on the mind of Nicklaus, at 86 the only living golfer who enjoyed anything close to the success of Woods.
“Sometimes you get too far down the line and just need somebody to help you,” he said. “I think Tiger probably needs some help. We all want to help him. We are all on his side.”
Angel Reese has a message for Atlanta Dream fans: ATL Barbie is here to stay.
The two-time WNBA All-Star told People on Tuesday that she was excited when she learned she had been traded to the organization after spending her first two seasons with the Chicago Sky.
“The team has welcomed me so much, the atmosphere, the culture. … I’m so excited to be in A-Town,” Reese told the outlet. The two teams announced the trade Monday, the first day of free agency following the ratification of a new, historic collective bargaining agreement between the WNBA and its players union in March.
The excitement appears to be mutual. Shortly after the trade was announced, the Dream online store had made Reese’s new jersey available for purchase. They sold out so quickly that Reese’s mother posted on social media that even she was unable to snag one in time. (Don’t worry, the Dream’s social media team has her covered).
Reese is a bonafide star on and off the court. A known fashion icon, the Dream forward was in New York on Tuesday to help launch Victoria Secret’s new “The Season of Strapless” campaign. It’s the first time the lingerie and loungewear brand has tapped a WNBA player to star in one of its campaigns.
The collaboration follows Reese’s runway debut at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in October, where she was the first professional athlete ever to walk the show. She’s also set to appear in the second season of “The Hunting Wives.”
At the Tuesday event, Reese had a message for Dream fans.
“Atlanta, what up? ATL barbie is in town and I am here to stay,” she told People.
Reese was selected seventh overall in the 2024 WNBA draft by the Sky after a standout college career that included winning the NCAA championship title with Louisiana State in 2023. She has led the WNBA in rebounding in both of her seasons so far and has averaged 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds overall.
Reese also shared a message to Chicago fans on Instagram on Monday after her trade was announced.
“To the city of Chicago, you showed me real love from day one,” Reese says over a video montage of highlights of her time as a Sky player. “Thank you Chicago. Always, Chi-Town Barbie.”
The Sky went 23-61 after drafting Reese, including 10-34 last season (1-13 in games without Reese) and missing the playoffs for a second straight year.
UCLA football practices simulate as many aspects of a game as possible, including TV timeouts. In a Bob Chesney practice, those simulated breaks become a chance for coaches to share information with the players.
“Instead of just taking a break … the coaches get together and then they break up and disseminate that information to the players, and then they come back together again and then we go out and play,” Chesney said.
Chesney wants his entire team to adapt, overcome and perform. These goals are often utilized in rest periods. They’re spread throughout practice to break the monotonous nature of it.
“I want the coaches to talk about the new plays they’re seeing from the offense and the new things they’re seeing from the defense,” he said. “I want them to practice coaching in-game, and they themselves want to practice coaching in-game.”
The coaching staff tries to slow things down for players. They don’t want players to rush through learning the playbook, and there’s no concrete deadline for installing plays into practice, offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy said.
“It’s fluid,” he told reporters last week.
In previous seasons at James Madison, Kennedy and Chesney noticed there were times when they would focus on learning plays too early in spring practice, leading to execution mistakes during games. This convinced them to put a hold on finalizing certain plays so players had more time to process details and make necessary adjustments.
“There’s a million football plays, but if you just install stuff and you don’t actually get a rep of it, what’s the point, right? You can’t assess it on film,” Kennedy said. “You can’t teach it to them the proper way because realistically, just like us, there’s only so much they can learn, right?”
Competition is at the heart of Chesney’s efforts to revitalize the Bruins. From the weight room to sitting in meetings, to the way the lockers are kept — everything is a competition, Chesney said.
“Every single thing is going to be graded and judged and held to a high standard, and accountability will follow it,” he said. “That has got to be it, we have to be able to compete. We play a game where you keep score and everybody’s in a one-on-one matchup and [compete] as hard as possible for 80, 90, however many plays it might be in a game.”
For UCLA, it’s important to set a level of competition that mimics game-time energy during practice.
“I want Saturdays to feel as much like a Tuesday and Wednesday as humanly possible,” Chesney said.
That includes the pressure of trying to filter out thousands of screaming fans. In punt return drills involving receiver Mikey Mathews, UCLA players rushed him, screamed at him and sprayed him with water in an attempt to prevent him from catching the ball.
Chesney doesn’t want to wait until the season starts to see if his players crack under pressure.
“I’d rather find out right now in practice three and just continue to elevate it week in and week out,” he said. “I think that’s probably the focal point of this entire program is that you pay attention to no virtue that has not been tested in fire, and I want to make sure that we test everything that we can out here in fire.”
Injury update: Linebacker Ryan McCulloch, who transferred from Cal, could see some practice time near the “very end” of the spring practice period, Chesney said. McCulloch missed most of the 2025 season because of injury.
WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence agencies are “urgently warning” private sector companies throughout the nation that Iranian actors “are conducting exploitation activity” that has resulted in “disruptions across several U.S. critical infrastructure,” according to a government notice reviewed by The Times.
The Iranian cyberactivity comes as President Trump is threatening to target Iran’s critical infrastructure in the coming hours, particularly its bridges and power plants.
Iran’s attack targeted products by Rockwell Automation’s Allen-Bradley, one of the most widely used industrial automation brands, according to the notice, which said that cyber actors affiliated with Iran were exploiting “programmable logic controllers across U.S. critical infrastructure.”
Tehran’s targeting campaigns against U.S. organizations “have recently escalated, likely in response to hostilities between Iran,” the notice warned.
“Iran-affiliated advanced persistent threat (APT) actors are conducting exploitation activity targeting internet-facing operational technology (OT) devices, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs) manufactured by Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley,” the notice reads.
“U.S. organizations should urgently review the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) in this advisory for indications of current or historical activity on their networks,” it continues.
The advisory was issued Tuesday jointly by the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the National Security Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and Cyber Command.
Top executives from companies at the core of the nation’s ability to function — those leading America’s largest energy, water, transportation, and communications corporations — had already been taking it upon themselves to increase their vigilence over potential attacks, concerned that Trump’s willingness to target Iran’s critical infrastructure inadvertently put a mark on their backs.
Some fear Iran’s ability to conduct cyber operations that could take down transformers or power inverters, if not a wide-scale power system. Others are concerned by threats to brick and mortar sites from proxies of Tehran — physical attacks against facilities such as nuclear plants, or power management systems, the crown jewels of the sector.
Larger, even more capable actors, particularly Russia and China, may also take advantage of the fog of war to launch strikes themselves.
“There remains concern about Iranian cyber capabilities and retaliation if the U.S. carries through on threats to attack their infrastructure,” said Ernest Moniz, former U.S. secretary of energy under President Obama who helped negotiate the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. “There may already be backdoors, Trojan horses and malware hidden in our infrastructure.”
“I have to believe that the government cyber experts — or what’s left of them — are working closely and indeed overtime with the power companies and other infrastructure operators on cyber defense and intrusion detection and warning,” Moniz added.
Iran has demonstrated an ability to penetrate networks tied to critical U.S. infrastructure before.
In 2015, Iran-backed hackers accessed data associated with Calpine Corp., one of California’s largest power producers, obtaining detailed engineering diagrams and credentials related to power plant systems. Some were labeled “mission critical.” U.S. officials feared at the time that the breach would allow Tehran to initiate blackouts nationwide.
Since that time, companies at the center of the U.S. energy and telecommunications sectors have markedly improved their defenses. But Iran’s offensive capabilities have improved, as well.
Large players in the energy sector are operating with “a watchful eye and an elevated posture right now,” said Pedro J. Pizarro, president and chief executive officer of Edison International, the parent company of Southern California Edison, one of the nation’s largest electric utilities.
Companies like Edison have been operating under persistent threat for over a decade. In 2024, a pair of devastating cyberespionage attacks targeting U.S. critical infrastructure attributed to Chinese hackers, Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon, were discovered after avoiding detection for at least three years.
The threat of a similarly latent attack — where malware lies dormant in critical infrastructure systems, waiting for a signal to activate — is a real cause for concern in the sector, despite its best efforts and technological advances, experts and insiders said.
“The threat of cyber and physical attacks targeting critical infrastructure is not new,” said Jennifer DeCesaro, senior vice president of industry operations at the Edison Electric Institute, “which is why we partner with the government through the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council to share actionable intelligence and prepare to respond to incidents that could affect our ability to provide electricity safely and reliably.”
The ESCC works closely with the National Security Council and its intelligence arms, particularly the intelligence agencies and CISA, to coordinate regular briefings on safety standards, best practices and intelligence tips.
The CIA declined to comment. A spokesperson with CISA, listed as out of office due to the ongoing federal funding hiatus for the Department of Homeland Security, could not be reached for comment.
Last summer, announcing a 40% cut to the workforce of her office, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard eliminated the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, previously seen as a critical fusion hub of information by private sector partners.
Asked to respond to the potential of retaliatory attacks against U.S. infrastructure, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, repeated the president’s threats.
“The Iranian regime has until 8PM Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States,” she said. “Only the president knows where things stand and what he will do.”
Trump has threatened to destroy every bridge and power plant in Tehran if they fail to come to an agreement that ends its control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Ultimately, corporate executives shoulder much of the burden as the first line of defense for the country’s critical infrastructure, roughly 85% of which is owned by private sector companies.
Tom Fanning, former CEO of Southern Co. and now executive committee chairman at the Alliance for Critical Infrastructure, said the threat from Iran is “credible.”
“I have not seen what I would describe as the existential threat, to take down a wide-ranging power system,” Fanning said. “Could those things be turned on? Sure. Is the United States critical infrastructure prepared to act? I think so.”
Last month, early on in the war, the Los Angeles Metro transit system was forced to shut down a portion of its network due to a hack. Authorities say it is still unclear who was behind the breach, but a source told The Times that Iran-backed hackers are being investigated as the potential culprit.
The transportation agency said its security team had “discovered unauthorized activity,” and were making sure its roughly 1,400 servers were secure before bringing them back online. The agency has emphasized the hack did not impact passengers’ commute time.
The FBI said it was aware of the hack. DHS is working with local partners “to address cyber threats to critical infrastructure,” an official said.
“The reality is that the threats are here and now,” Fanning added. “The truth is, the bad guys are already here.”
Times staff writers Kevin Rector, Richard Winton and Rebecca Ellis, in Los Angeles, contributed to this report.
Loose Women’s Penny Lancaster shared insights into her marriage to Sir Rod Stewart and revealed how they keep their spark alive after 26 years together
15:19, 07 Apr 2026Updated 15:27, 07 Apr 2026
Penny Lancaster said she was ‘desperately missing’ Rod Stewart
Penny Lancaster has opened up about the secret behind her successful marriage to Rod Stewart. The couple have been together for 26 years, tying the knot in 2007 and going on to welcome two sons, Alastair Stewart and Aiden Stewart.
Penny, 55, Rod’s third wife and his longest marriage to date, shared what has helped keep their relationship strong – and the main reason might come as a surprise.
According to the former model, spending weeks apart has played a huge role in keeping things exciting. She told Best Magazine: “We don’t [live in each other’s pockets] and time apart helps keep the spark alive.”
At the time of the interview, the pair had been apart for three weeks and were planning on reuniting.
She told the publication: “We’re desperately missing each other and have been counting down the days. Rod generally has a driver pick him up from the airport, but I’m meeting him because we can’t wait to see each other. Right from the start of our 26 years together, we’ve spent time apart.”
Reflecting on the first year of their relationship, Penny said she had been studying photography in the UK while Rod was based in the US, meaning much of their time together was spent communicating through a screen.
“We’d spend hours and hours on the phone talking about everything, including photography and paintings,” she revealed.
Sharing more about her husband away from the spotlight, she added: “Rod has a deeply, spiritual, sensitive and artistic side. That’s what he’s like underneath it all.
“That’s the real man. He can be quite demanding and he does require a lot of attention, but that’s fine because I’m good at giving it,” she added.
In the same interview, the Loose Women star said effort was key to their relationship, revealing the pair make sure to have regular date nights – whether that’s going to the theatre or enjoying “long romantic walks” together.
She also said the couple still “flirt with each other and make each other laugh” to keep the intimacy alive. “We don’t take each other for granted,” she added.
Alongside the two sons he shares with Penny, Rod is also father to six other children – Sarah, Kimberly, Ruby, Renee, Sean and Liam.
Previously opening up about fatherhood, the Maggie May hitmaker admitted he has had to be “several different fathers” due to the large age gaps between his children.
His eldest daughter, Sarah Streeter, whom he shares with a former partner, is 62, while his youngest child with Penny is 14.
According to MailOnline, he added: “You really have to treat all of them as individuals with individual problems. As a dad, I’ve learned to listen and not blow my top.”
Sorry, Orlando. Southern California is the theme park capital of the world. Yes, I believe that.
A brief history: Knott’s Berry Farm created a framework that allowed Disneyland to invent the theme park, which Universal Studios tweaked. SoCal innovations, all of them — and the industry remains centered here.
Theme parks are integral to SoCal life. They’re institutions, as familiar as Dodger Stadium, Griffith Park or the Getty. Many of us grew up going to the parks and have archives of fading photos to prove it.
That’s why The Times is launching its first-ever theme park newsletter, a weekly guide to what matters and how to best experience these themed wonderlands. Welcome to Mr. Todd’s Wild Ride, where I’ll take you on my adventures in make-believe, share news and tips, and go deep on the hidden artistry behind SoCal’s most beloved attractions. (Sign up, and we’ll be in your inbox soon.)
Why theme parks are magical
Maybe you haven’t been to a theme park in a while. And maybe that’s intentional. Yes, ticket prices increase every year, crowds frustrate and your ankle will probably be struck by a stroller. But theme parks are art. They’re meticulously designed, as real as our ability to pretend. Few spaces exist in which so many artistic endeavors collide: architecture, costuming, landscaping, animation, engineering, urban design and more. The delight is in the details.
Theme parks are more than an escape — they reflect and respond to culture. Maybe these are simply the ramblings of a Disney adult and fan of all theme parks, but I won’t apologize for seeking joy, wonder and play. It’s what’s needed right now.
I visit theme parks regularly — probably too often by some people’s standards — but I’m excited every time. The key is to stop viewing them as a checklist of activities. So as we enter the busy spring break and summer seasons, here are some ways to develop a deeper appreciation (and simply have more fun) at our most iconic parks.
Sign up for Mr. Todd’s Wild Ride
An insider guide to the ever-changing world of theme parks, coming to you straight from SoCal — the theme park capital of the world.
By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads.
Embrace the Disneyland classics
I received pushback when I declared It’s a Small World the best attraction at the Anaheim resort, but hear me out. The ride is designed in the look of animator turned theme park artist Mary Blair, reflective of her color clashes and childlike whimsy. It’s akin to a boat trip through an art gallery. No other attraction is so reflective of a singular art style. The facade, designed by renown Disney Imagineer Rolly Crump and inspired by Blair, mixes glistening white metals and fiberglass with gold leaf accents that nod to the Eiffel Tower, Tower of Pisa, a Dutch windmill and more. How many more landmarks can you spot amid the jagged edges and byzantine shapes?
Fun fact: Legend tells that Disneyland used the entire U.S. supply of gold leaf to make the facade. Germany, apparently, came to the rescue.
Don’t skip a ride on the greatest tram tour ever built
Visitors enter the set of Jupiter’s Claim from the movie “Nope” while taking the Universal Studios tram tour in May 2023.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Universal Studios’ World-Famous Tram Tour, as it is officially designated, is the most important modern theme park attraction in America. The slow-moving backlot trek existed long before Universal Studios had a theme park, but it changed the industry.
In 1976, one year after Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” opened, the studio put guests face-to-face with a 24-foot shark. Never before had a cultural phenomenon like “Jaws” been so quickly replicated in a theme park. “Ride the movies” is a phrase coined by Spielberg, and it’s an industrywide trend that hasn’t stopped.
Fun fact: Universal consulted submarine builders General Dynamics to construct a shark that could survive long term under water.
Spend an afternoon in America’s first theme park
Knott’s Berry Farm’s entrance as parkgoers ride the Silver Bullet roller coaster behind it in May 2021.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
There are times I go to Knott’s Berry Farm and never leave its Ghost Town area, which predates Disneyland and is filled with oddities. A toy shop, for instance, sells actual puppets, and a train ride still features a staged robbery. The park also just remodeled its 72-year-old Bird Cage Theatre, home to outrageous vaudeville-style shows, where a young Steve Martin once performed. It’s a rarity these days to have live theater at a theme park.
Fun fact: The theater’s facade is a replica of the original Bird Cage in Tombstone, Ariz., which has long had a bawdy reputation.
So I hope you’ll sign up for Mr. Todd’s Wild Ride, where we’ll geek out on the history, the artistry and the future of these spaces. Have a theme park question? Email me, and I hope to answer it in an upcoming edition of the newsletter. Life is tough. We can all use more fun.
Today’s top stories
Billionaire Tom Steyer speaks during Jewish California: Governor 2026 Candidate Forum at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 26.
(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
Billionaire candidate for California governor faces criticism
Tom Steyer, a Democratic candidate for California governor, faces mounting criticism over his former hedge fund’s prior investments in private prisons now housing undocumented immigrants.
Steyer says he deeply regrets the investment and left his hedge fund 14 years ago and has since spent hundreds of millions on Democratic causes, particularly efforts to fight climate change.
Artemis II crew flies past the moon
NASA’s Artemis II crew flew past the moon Monday, traveling farther from Earth than any humans in history and becoming the first to see some sections of the moon’s far side in the sunlight with the naked eye.
The four astronauts described the far side in eloquent detail: Geometric patterns of browns, blues and greens amid the moon’s typical shades of gray.
L.A.-based relatives of a deceased Iranian leader were arrested
The general’s daughter has disputed the family connection, according to Iranian media, which has quoted a statement attributed to her saying that the two women bear no relation to the general.
What else is going on
Commentary and opinions
This morning’s must read
For your downtime
State Route 78.
(Josh Jackson)
Going out
Staying in
And finally … your photo of the day
The Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne travels over the Coachella 2004 crowd in an inflated plastic bubble.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Robert Gauthier during 2004 Coachella. Here’s a look at The Times’ photos from every year of the festival, including its origins in 1999, legendary performances from Daft Punk, Prince and Beyoncé, and the iconic art installations the festival has hosted over the years.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Andrew Campa, weekend writer Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
