The Trump administration has frozen, terminated or delayed billions in congressionally approved research grants since last year. Proposition 38 aims to backfill some of that loss by creating a stable source of money to fund immunology and immunotherapy research.
The basics
Proposition 38 would authorize the state to issue $8.4 billion in bonds to fund immunology and immunotherapy research to uncover treatments that help the immune system fight diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s disease more efficiently.
The impact
The measure would require at least $4.2 billion of the funds to be used for immunology research on cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. It also would authorize the state to enter a partnership with an immunology and immunotherapy research institute selected by the California Department of Public Health and allocate half of the bond revenue to it. The remaining funds would be used for competitive grants that focus solely on immunology and immunotherapy research.
Californians would take on an increased cost of $500 million to $600 million annually to repay the bond for about 20 years, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The Yes on 38 campaign says the proposition pays for itself: 10% of all proceeds from the licensing of immunotherapies must be returned to the state to offset the total cost of the bond measure, including interest.
However, it’s difficult to predict whether any research projects will lead to marketable treatments.
Dig deeper
Proposition 38 is backed by organizations including the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and the ALS Assn., as well as a majority of local chapters of Democratic organizations across the state. Supporters say the proposed funding could give those afflicted with chronic illness hope and potentially more options for treatment.
Its opponents have said the proposed criteria for awarding the grant funding would appear to create an extremely small pool of qualified recipients. Only the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, co-founded by billionaire Gary K. Michelson, would qualify under the proposed criteria, according to No on 38, the campaign against the proposition.
Robin Swanson, spokesperson for the Yes on 38 campaign, said “lots of institutions would qualify for funds under this measure.”
But she said at a virtual news conference in mid-September that it was “very likely” that the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy “will qualify for half of the funds under the current criteria.”
Ultimately, Swanson said, the decision lies with the California Department of Public Health.
Farbrace, who moved from Sussex at the end of the season, has not yet officially started in his new role at Lancashire but delivered the news to Anderson at a meeting last week alongside chief executive Richard Kenyon, who has also recently been appointed.
The news was first reported on Wednesday and Lancashire did not comment officially until Sunday. At a meeting with members on Monday, the club said they would look into arranging Anderson a farewell.
“It shows a lack of leadership at that club,” said Broad, whose combined total of Test wickets with Anderson stands at a record 1,039 in 138 Tests.
“It shows a lack of doing it the right way.
“Paul Farbrace is new, but where is the chair? Where is the board demanding that this is done in a better way?”
The landmark Casa Vega Mexican restaurant in Sherman Oaks was honored in May with a sign proclaiming its corner of Ventura Boulevard as “Casa Vega Square.”
Mayor Karen Bass was there, and so was City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, whose district is on the other side of the San Fernando Valley. The event was perhaps more notable for who wasn’t there: Nithya Raman, the mayoral candidate whose City Council district includes Casa Vega.
To Raman’s critics, the episode represents what they say is one of her biggest flaws as an elected official: not tending to the parochial needs of her district. Bass has sounded that theme repeatedly during the mayoral election campaign, including calling Raman “contemptuous of her constituents” during their televised debate on NBC4 and Telemundo 52 Oct. 13.
Raman called that “a lie.” Some of Raman’s constituents beg to differ, saying her office has seemed unwilling to help with a broad array of city services, including fixing broken sidewalks and removing homeless encampments.
“She’s just been MIA,” said Jessica Lewis, who owns Dragonfly Cycle and Train, a fitness studio in Sherman Oaks. “I would send photos of what I was experiencing, like human feces at my front door, encampments at the back door … all those emails just fell on deaf ears.”
Raman spokesperson Stella Stahl disputed that contention, saying the council office has “a proactive constituent service team.”
“Our approach is to listen to those who live and work in a neighborhood, then use every tool the city has to fix what they’ve told us is broken,” Stahl said.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, left, and challenger Nithya Raman during their debate before the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.
(David Butow / For The Times)
Raman co-presented the motion to designate Vega Square, along with Councilmember Rodriguez, according to documents filed in March. Raman was unable to attend the ceremony because of scheduling conflicts, Stahl said, but other Raman staffers were present.
Councilmember Rodriguez said her staff spearheaded the designation, part of her broader work to “enshrining the many positive contributions that Latino families have made throughout our city.”
To be sure, Raman has constituents who are big fans. Marissa Rodriguez said she wasn’t aware of the web of licenses and city permits she would have to obtain before she could open her wine shop in Studio City, Dia Natural Wine. The process felt monumental, she said, and nearly impossible to complete on her own.
She reached out to Raman’s team, and said the council office’s help was integral to Dia Natural Wine making its debut in 2022.
“I thought I could do this myself, and at a certain point, I hit a ton of roadblocks at the city,” Marissa Rodriguez said. “They were extremely helpful in just sort of helping me navigate who I needed to talk to.”
Tyler Simmons, who owns a coffee wine bar, Reunion & Co., on Hyperion Avenue in the Franklin Hills neighborhood of Los Feliz, said Raman and her team have always been receptive to his community’s needs.
In response to complaints of speeding, he said, Raman’s office helped get four speed tables — a flatter, wider version of speed bumps — installed in the intersection near his business last year.
“She’s done her best,” Simmons said. “I think there’s larger systemic issues at play within the city … it’s bigger than a councilperson, unfortunately. I’m hoping, if she wins, she’ll help change all that.”
Sidewalks in disrepair along the 1300 block of Ventura Blvd on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Sherman Oaks, California. Christy Vega, owner of Casa Vega, claims that Nithya Raman, Councilmember, Fourth District, has been unhelpful and ignored her requests to get certain city services, including street sidewalk repairs and addressing homelessness in her parking lot. (Gary Coronado/For The Times)
A street in disrepair along the 1300 block of Ventura Blvd on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Sherman Oaks, California. Christy Vega, owner of Casa Vega, claims that Nithya Raman, Councilmember, Fourth District, has been unhelpful and ignored her requests to get certain city services, including street sidewalk repairs and addressing homelessness in her parking lot. (Gary Coronado/For The Times)
On the other hand, Casa Vega owner Christy Vega rattles off a long list of complaints when discussing Raman and her office. She said she’s spent years seeking help from Raman’s staff, including to make repairs on sidewalks and pavement outside the restaurant, and to remove a homeless encampment that sprang up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With Raman’s office, they viewed me as a nuisance rather than someone who’s trying to keep her employees safe,” Vega said.
Vega is supporting Bass in the Nov. 3 election, and she sits on on the board of Thrive LA, an advocacy group backed by business and community leaders that is running ads against Raman in the mayoral race and also ran anti-Raman ads during her 2024 City Council reelection campaign.
Vega says she’s not supporting Raman because of her experience seeking help from Raman’s council office for problems her business encountered, including cars being broken into in the restaurant’s parking lot and muggings on the street out front. One employee was stabbed at a nearby bus stop, and another fell because of the potholes in the alley behind her restaurant, she said.
At one point, Vega said, she called Raman’s office to ask for help in fixing the curb near her restaurant that was damaged during a street racing incident.
Vega said she was told by Raman’s office that she would need to fix the curb herself, meaning she’d have to pull permits, hire a contractor and pay out of pocket for the repairs Vega said she pushed back, and a staff member suggested she move to another district.
Raman’s office didn’t comment on that assertion, but Stahl said that the Bureau of Street Services isn’t funded to repair damaged sidewalks, and the responsibility falls to the adjacent property owners.
“Every constituent who contacts our office deserves a response, and we take Ms. Vega’s concerns seriously. People often reach out to us on their hardest days,” Stahl said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to accommodate it at that time. Telling constituents no to basic service requests is frustrating for residents and for us, and it’s part of why the council member ran for office.”
Councilmember Rodriguez, who represents the northeast San Fernando Valley, said she’s stepped in to help business owners in Raman’s district over the years. Most recently, she helped Vega with permitting issues on the restaurant’s outdoor patio.
A sign for L.A. Councilmember Nithya Raman’s district office on Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.
(Gary Coronado / For The Times)
“I’ve heard some of the same frustrations and stories from many people. … It reflects a pattern,” said Rodriguez, who is backing Bass for mayor. “If this is your audition [for mayor] based on your performance in your own district, I think it’s an example of the responsiveness of what people can expect.”
Sophia Brodetsky, who owns the Valley Inn restaurant with her husband in Sherman Oaks, isn’t happy with either mayoral candidate, but said Bass’ office has been more receptive to her needs.
Brodetsky has endured robberies, property damage and homeless encampments that have disrupted her restaurant that dates back to 1947, she said.
“They’re running for office right now. They promise you an arm and a leg, but they don’t deliver,” Brodetsky said.
According to Vega and Lewis, owner of the Dragonfly gym, a number of Sherman Oaks business owners reached out to Bass after she was elected mayor in 2022 to voice their concerns about Raman’s stewardship of the district.
The mayor met with a group of business owners in the area in 2023 and she convened weekly safety meetings between business owners, district leaders and local law enforcement to address their concerns, Vega said.
Vega said it was Bass and Rodriguez who helped her navigate the permit process when she sought to open an outdoor patio for her restaurant last year.
“I wasn’t a supporter of hers. I wasn’t someone that she owed any favors to,” Vega said of Bass. “She answered the phone immediately, and she heard the panic of my voice and my tears, and she said, ‘I’m on it.’”
Lewis, however, said she and others felt betrayed by Bass when she endorsed Raman for reelection in 2024.
“That just felt like a huge slap in the face,” Lewis said.
Lewis said she plans to vote for Bass, but reluctantly. Keeping her business afloat has felt nearly impossible at times, she said, but getting help from both the council and the mayor’s office has been an even tougher hurdle.
“The council office would blame the mayor’s office. The mayor’s office would blame the county,” Lewis said. “It was like everyone was just pointing fingers at someone else, and no one was actually doing anything about it.”
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has blood clots in his lungs and will not be able to participate in football activities while he is being treated, according to a statement released Monday by the team and Hurts’ agent, Nicole Lynn.
Hurts has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis and a bilateral pulmonary emboli, the statement said, meaning a blood clot has traveled from his legs to his lungs. While no timeline was given for Hurts’ return to football, multiple media outlets report that the Super Bowl LIX MVP is out for the season.
“He is clinically stable and has no significant functional limitations,” the Eagles and Lynn said in their statement. “His treatment should only involve anticoagulation [i.e. “blood thinners”]. During this time, he will not be allowed to participate in any contact activities, including football.
“Jalen’s prognosis is very good, and we expect a full recovery. We anticipate that he will have the opportunity to resume contact football activities when off the blood thinners. In the meantime, he will remain active around the team and continue to condition. More importantly, we anticipate that he will have no long-term effects.”
Hurts injured his calf during an Oct. 4 loss to the Rams, according to a statement by the Eagles on Thursday, but did not inform his team of the injury until four days later. An ultrasound revealed a superficial blood clot, but Hurts was cleared to play Oct. 11 in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A follow-up ultrasound “revealed movement in the small blood clot,” the team said Thursday, and Hurts was held from the following day’s game against the Carolina Panthers “as we determine the appropriate course of treatment.” Two days later, the Eagles announced that Hurts had been placed on injured reserve, meaning he would miss at least four games.
Tanner McKee started at quarterback for the Eagles on Sunday and completed 26 of 45 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown in the 25-14 loss.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ stay in federal prison has taken yet another turn. The disgraced music and alcohol mogul has been hospitalized after suffering a head injury, The Times has learned.
Combs, 56, is receiving treatment for the head injury, sources say. A representative for the fallen Bad Boy Records founder said in a statement to The Times, “We are aware of the reports concerning Sean Combs and are working to confirm the circumstances. Sean’s health and well-being are our immediate concern, and we appreciate everyone who has reached out.”
A spokesperson for FCI Ft. Dix, a low-security federal prison in New Jersey, did not comment. Combs, who is behind bars for two counts of a prostitution-related charge, was rushed to a hospital on Saturday for a non-life-threatening injury, TMZ reported. Combs reportedly was conscious and speaking before his hospitalization, according to the outlet.
Combs and his time in FCI Fort Dix recently made headlines when NBC News reported last month that the musician had been paying men for special services, including paying inmates to clean and cook special meals for him. Curry chicken, pizza and empanadas were reportedly among those special meals. NBC News also reported that the hip-hop and R&B music producer also receives Chinese-style massages. Combs also allegedly obtained a contraband phone, had access to a “jailbroken” tablet and had smuggled an illegal stash of alcohol.
“The continued scrutiny of every mundane detail of Sean Combs’s life in prison has reached the point where the media characterizes ordinary prison life as news,” a spokesperson for Combs said in a statement to NBC News.“The only real news is that Sean continues to serve his sentence while awaiting the court’s decision on his appeal.”
Combs was sentenced in October 2025 to 50 months in prison after he was convicted of transporting prostitutes across state lines for drug-fueled sex performances known as “freak-offs.” After some back-and-forth with his prison sentence, he is currently set to be released in March 2028.
Times staff writer Andrea Flores and Richard Winton contributed to this report.
Reports have indicated in recent months that Derry attempted to terminate McClean’s contract because of persistent injuries, a matter alluded to in Tuesday’s statement by the PFAI.
The statement says that Derry had attempted to invoke Section 18 of the Standard Players Contract, which permits them to terminate a contract with six months’ notice when a player is deemed to have a “permanent incapacity”, as confirmed by an independent physician.
“For any club to feel it is OK to attempt to terminate a player’s contract without any due process or just cause is incomprehensible, and it sets a dangerous precedent for every player in this league,” said McClean.
“I am not permanently incapacitated, or anything even remotely close to that. I am capable of contributing and doing well in the League of Ireland. I train as hard and give as much as anyone.
“I will decide when I retire. Nobody else will make that decision for me. When that time comes, my body will tell me. This is my life and my career. I deserve the same duty of care and fairness given to the majority of other players at Derry City FC.”
The PFAI gave further information on the nature and extent of the player’s injury.
“In short, James has had a hip injury which had been causing intermittent issues for him. This has caused him to miss some games and occasional training sessions,” the statement read.
“He has sought medical treatment for this and is currently fit and well.
“He has trained fully for the last nine weeks and has made himself available for selection. He recently played in an internal match arranged by the club. He believes he can help the team and has not been provided with a satisfactory reason for being left out of the squad.”
BBC Sport NI contacted Derry City for comment but a spokesperson said that the club were presently “solely focused on this weekend’s FAI Cup semi-final against Galway United (Saturday, 15:00 BST kick-off).
Rapper Lucki was allegedly involved in a fight at ComplexCon in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, leaving him with a gash on his neck, according to videos on social media.
Police confirmed to The Times on Sunday evening that four people were wounded in what appeared to be a knife attack but did not name the victims. Officers responded to reports of a fight involving multiple people near Chick Hearn Court and Georgia Street around 4:45 p.m. Saturday, police said. When officers arrived, people were still fighting, according to police.
Footage shared on X appears to show a brawl involving Lucki, 30, outside the L.A. Convention Center.
In one part of the video, as onlookers shout for a paramedic, one unidentified bloodied man shuffles to a car while holding a towel to his neck.
Although police did not confirm whether the rapper or his associates were involved in the fight, police told TMZ that Lucki was surrounded by fans for photos when a suspect “hit him on the side of his face, causing a laceration.”
Additional footage posted to TikTok appears to show a visibly shaken Lucki climbing into the back seat of a black car with a wound near his jaw.
Two people were transported to a local hospital after sustaining injuries “that appeared to be the result of a knife attack,” police told The Times. A third person self-transported to a local hospital for treatment of a severe laceration.
A fourth person approached an officer at the scene and showed a laceration to his elbow, police confirmed. The victim declined medical treatment and left the scene on his own. Authorities did not know if the victim sought medical help afterward.
Before the violence, ComplexCon shared a story to Instagram on Saturday in which the rapper said he was “happy to be here.” In a statement to People Magazine, the venue said officials were aware of the situation, adding that they “take incidents of this nature extremely seriously and remain focused on maintaining a safe and secure environment for everyone.”
Authorities did not provide any further information Sunday.
CALUM Best shared a sweet tribute to his ‘fighter’ mum Angie as she returned to the UK after treatment amid her colon cancer battle.
Angie, 74, announced that she was diagnosed with the disease in January and in July was told that she was cancer free.
Proud son Calum shared a tribute to his ‘fighter’ mum Angie as she returned to the UKCredit: UnknownAngie has been seeking alternative mistletoe therapy in SwitzerlandCredit: Instagram
Over the past year she has kept fans up to date while undergoing traditional medicine, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, as well as an alternative mistletoe therapy in Switzerland.
Now Angie is back in the UK with her son.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Calum shared a snap of their pair cuddled up together in the airport car park, as well as one of her approaching him in arrivals.
He captioned the post: “Right then, she’s back on UK soil, let’s get you healed, fed healthy and fighting fit!
“From me to you mother, I’m so proud of what a strong fighter you are, this last year has been hell and u have managed it with such grace, a year or treatments.
“Surgerys and all the rest are not easy and you have powered through it so well and we will continue to.
“What I also want to say is a huge thank you to everyone so far on this journey, so many people asking and involved both in person and through social media, thank you for caring about Angie.”
Many rushed the comments section to share the love.
One said: “Oh wow.. so pleased to see this, right where you belong.. no place like home!”
Another wrote: “Such a beautiful Mother and Son relationship. Rest up now Angie, you’re incredible.”
A third chimed in: “Sending you both love and hugs.”
A fourth commented: “How incredible to go through such a journey and looks so beautiful and be an inspiration to us all!!!!!”
“Wonderful news ,you mum is definitely a true fighter 💪❤️wishing her well,” a fifth added.
Last month Angie revealed that she’s back in hospital after suffering a ‘setback’ following battle with cancer.
Taking to her page earlier today, Angie said: “Update my homies. I find myself back in the hospital.
“I have an infection. They think it’s bacterial. Bt I have to stay here a few days for results and to make it better.
“See you on the other side.”
After major surgery to remove a tumour from her colon in July, Angie revealed that she was cancer free.
Angie and footballer ex George Best are Calum’s parents.
Calum is a reality star who has been on Celebrity Love Island, Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity SAS.
