It turned out to be an easy sell for the governor. By the end, Californians appeared ready to send a loud message that they not only objected to the president’s election rigging but practically all his policies.
Trump is his own worst enemy, at least in this solidly blue state — and arguably the California GOP’s biggest current obstacle to regaining relevancy.
Here’s a guy bucking for the Nobel Peace Prize who suggests that the country resume nuclear weapons testing — a relic of the Cold War — and sends armed troops into Portland and Chicago for no good reason.
The commander in chief bizarrely authorized Marines to fire artillery shells from a howitzer across busy Interstate 5. Fortunately, the governor shut down the freeway. Or else exploding shrapnel could have splattered heads in some topless convertible. As it was, metal chunks landed only on a California Highway Patrol car and a CHP motorcycle. No injuries, but the president and his forces came across as blatantly reckless.
And while Trump focused on demolishing the First Lady’s historic East Wing of the White House and hitting up billionaire grovelers to pay for a monstrous, senseless $300-million ballroom — portraying the image of a spoiled, self-indulgent monarch — Newsom worked on a much different project. He concentrated on building a high-powered coalition and raising well over $100 million to thwart the president with Proposition 50.
The ballot measure was Newsom’s and California Democrats’ response to Trump browbeating Texas and other red states to gerrymander congressional districts to make them more Republican-friendly. The president is desperate to retain GOP control of the House of Representatives after next year’s midterm elections.
Newsom retaliated with Prop. 50, aimed at flipping five California House seats from Republican to Democrat, neutralizing Texas’ gerrymandering.
It’s all sleazy, but Trump started it. California’s Democratic voters, who greatly outnumber Republicans, indicated in preelection polling that they preferred sleazy redistricting to an unhinged president continuing to reign roughshod over a cowardly, subservient Congress.
Similar partisan voting was found in a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. Pollster Mark Baldassare said that “96% of the people voting yes on 50 disapprove of Trump.”
Democrats — 94% of them — also emphatically disapproved of the Trump administration’s immigration raids, the PPIC poll showed. Likewise, 67% of independents. But 84% of Republicans backed how the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency was rounding up people living here illegally.
ICE agents shrouded in masks and not wearing identification badges while traveling in unmarked vehicles — raiding hospitals, harassing school kids and chasing farmworkers — are not embraced in diverse, immigrant-accepting California.
When the PPIC poll asked voters how undocumented immigrants should be handled, 69% — including 93% of Democrats — chose this response: “There should be a way for them to stay in the country legally.” But 67% of Republicans said they should be booted.
The ICE raids were among the Trump actions — and flubs — that helped generate strong support for Prop. 50. It was the voters’ device for sticking it to the president.
“Californians are concerned about the overreach of the federal government and that helped 50,” Democratic consultant Roger Salazar says. “It highlights how much the Trump administration has pushed the envelope. And a yes vote on Prop. 50 was a response to that.”
Jonathan Paik, director of a Million Votes Project coalition that contacted 2 million people promoting Prop. 50, says: “We heard very consistently from voters that they were concerned about the impact of Trump’s ICE raids and the rising cost of living. These raids don’t just target immigrants, they destabilize entire communities and deepen economic struggles.
“Voters saw Prop. 50 as a way to restore balance and protect their families’ ability to work, pay rent and live safely.”
The Trump administration did Padilla a gigantic favor in June by roughing up the senator and handcuffing him on the floor when he tried to query Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a Los Angeles news conference about ICE raids. Such publicity for a politician is golden.
Padilla became a leading advocate for Prop. 50 while seriously considering a gubernatorial bid. The senator said he’d decide after Tuesday’s special election.
“I haven’t made any decision,” he told me last week. “Sometime in the next several weeks.”
But it’s tempting for this L.A. native, the son of Mexican immigrants who was inspired to enter politics by anti-immigrant bashing in the 1990s.
“I’d have an opportunity and responsibility to be a leading voice against that,” he said. “California can be a leader for the rest of the country on immigration, environmental protection, reproduction quality, healthcare…”
In many ways it already is. But Trump hates that. And California Republicans step in it by meekly following the hugely unpopular president. Prop. 50 is the latest result.
California Republicans can do better than behave like Trump’s wannabe reserve toy soldiers.
Viewers have been left divided after watching The Guest, with some praising the new BBC drama highly whilst others issuing similar complaints about the whole thing
The new thriller which stars Gabrielle Creevy as a cleaner who develops a toxic relationship with her strange employer, played by Eve Myles(Image: BBC/Quay Street Productions/Simon Ridgeway)
Viewers have been left divided after watching The Guest. The new BBC drama aired on Monday and is the latest offering of writer Matthew Barry and director Ashley Way, both of whom were behind the 2023 hit Men Up, which boasted Gavin & Stacey star Joanna Page amongst its cast.
The new thriller stars Gabrielle Creevy as a cleaner who develops a toxic relationship with her strange employer, played by Eve Myles. It comprises four episodes in total and has come througn Quay Street Productions, the same production company behind Michelle Keegan’sNetflix hit Fool Me Once and The Blame, which will also feature the former Coronation Street star in the leading role.
But as the drama hit screens at the start of the new week, fans weren’t entirely sure what to make of it all, but one fan was full of praise after sitting down to tune in. TV critic Scott Bryan said: “The Guest on BBC One is the most unhinged show this side of Christmas. Completely loved it. Great characters and funny one-liners.”
Viewers weren’t entirely sure what to make of the new four-part series(Image: BBC/Quay Street Productions/Simon Ridgeway)
Another wrote: “Oh. My. GOD! #TheGuest is fun, twisty, flirty, thrilling! Eve Myles & Gabrielle Creevy are perfect in this. So well written and beautifully directed. And filmed in Wales! Loved, loved it, loved it,” and another said: “Just watched ” The Guest ” on BBC I player starring Eve Myles . A good thriller. Worth watching.”
One fan was left ‘terrified’ by the whole thing as they admitted: “Omg there is a drama on bbc1 this eve at 9 called #TheGuest it’s rather gripping but terrifying all at the same time and I wan to continue watching it but it’s a bit too dramatic, oh and halfway through there was a spider crawling up my wall.” Another concurred as they said: “So many jump scares on #TheGuest – I’m a nervous wreck”
Another viewer was completely shocked by the way the first episode had wrapped up as they took to social media to exclaim: “Bloody hell, that ending to the first episode of The Guest was NOT how I expected it to go!”
Some viewers were less than enthusiastic with their reviews, as one said: “What utter tosh passes for drama on the bbc! Wasted an hour on The Guest -am dram at best,” and another said: “what a mess of a storyline. Utter garbage ending. Can’t believe I wasted 4 hours of my life watching that!”
One viewer even admitted they were ‘terrified’ by it all (Image: BBC/Quay Street Productions/Simon Ridgeway)
Prior to the series launch, Reach Plc chatted to Eve and Gabrielle about their roles in the programme and why they think audiences are drawn to intense female bonds.
Eve, 47, remarked: “Because it’s complex, it’s not easy, it’s not actually an easy thing to talk about or to try and describe or explain, it’s about something very, very intoxicating. It’s about two women sharing something very important.
“Like myself and Gabby, Fran and Ria are also incredibly vulnerable, never mind the strengths you see from both of them, they both have great strengths, but they both have great weaknesses.”
Eve detailed the unlikely bond between Fran and Ria, explaining that their contrasting backgrounds add a layer of intrigue and mystery for some.
She further elaborated: “It’s not about a boss and a cleaner it’s about two women who share this part of their lives together, they share secrets together, they go through something very traumatic together then they’ve got to fix that, or not and what that does to them.”
Matthew Barry, the writer of The Guest, expressed his excitement about the project: “I’m beyond excited to be re-teaming with Nicola, Davina and the whole team at Quay Street Productions and the BBC to bring The Guest to life.
“As well as being an exciting thriller, at its core this is an examination of class, social mobility and the growing disparity between those at the top and bottom of our society.”
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who struggles with setting boundaries in any type of relationship.
That sound you hear is the lingering sigh of relief — or is it sadness? Confusion? The frustration over what could have been? — as “And Just Like That” completed its last sprint in heels this week. The “Sex and the City” sequel concluded its three-season run with a Thanksgiving from hell and an epilogue for Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, Lisa and Seema that will surely generate plenty of TikTok analysis to occupy us all weekend. The decision to end the series was surprising, sure, but hardly shocking — even if it still feels like a fever dream that’s not quite over. Our crew of dedicated watchers unpacked some of what they’re feeling — grab a slice of pie, pull up a chair and join the attempt to process it all. It’s a safe place.
But don’t fret, there are some other peeps you can add to your friend group to help ease the loss. Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen prove that men and women can be strictly (incredibly co-dependent) friends in Apple TV+’s “Platonic.” The comedy returned earlier this month for its second season, and creators Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller dropped by Guest Spot to discuss the challenges of making opposite-sex friendship more compelling than a romance, plus the story behind the perfectly pathetic pet name they have Rogen’s character saying all season.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a crime drama that sees a “Clueless” star enter her sleuth era? That’s right, TV critic Robert Lloyd tells you about a new Acorn series that stars Alicia Silverstone as an L.A. divorce lawyer who hightails it to Ireland after receiving a mysterious message from her estranged father. If you’re in the camp of people who prefer shows with a lighter touch on death, culture columnist Mary McNamara drops in to suggest an old-fashioned workplace/fish-out-of-water comedy set in the world of probate law — Huh, you say? Trust us! It’s funny!
ICYMI
Must-read stories you might have missed
Daniel Dae Kim is the star and executive producer of Prime Video’s “Butterfly.”
Alicia Silverstone stars as Fiona Murphy, an American divorce lawyer — no husband for her! — whose unsuspected past comes calling in form of a photograph mailed from Ireland, showing a picture of a locker with a phone number written on the backside. Not being me, she calls it right away and so begins a dark treasure hunt that brings her to Wicklow, Ireland, where she discovers the father (Jason O’Mara in flashbacks) who left on her 10th birthday was living, and is now dead, under possibly suspicious circumstances. She also discovers a briefcase full of clues; family she didn’t know she had; an inherited house; potential romance with the local owner of a boxing gym (Leonardo Taiwo); and a quirky policewoman (Ruth Codd), excited to help when Fiona is mysteriously attacked. As in many, or most, stories in which a city person travels to the country — “I Know Where I’m Going” or “Local Hero,” just to be Celtic about it — Fiona will experience a feeling of renewal, notwithstanding the threat of death. The mystery keeps you guessing, the characters are appealing, and Silverstone gives a lovely, lived-in performance. — Robert Lloyd
“Fisk” (Netflix, Season 3 premieres Wednesday)
I can’t say I was looking for a comedy that revolved around Australian probate law, but one found me and now I’m hooked. Co-created by and starring Australian comedian Kitty Flanagan, “Fisk” is an old-fashioned workplace/fish-out-of-water comedy that follows recently divorced Helen Tudor-Fisk (Flanagan), who has fled the shining lights of Sydney for the more sedate Melbourne where her father, a retired Supreme Court justice, lives. And she needs a job. After a disastrous interview with a legal recruitment firm — Fisk only wears brown, has no references and “is not a people person” — she lands at Gruber & Gruber, a small firm dealing mostly with wills. Ray Gruber (Marty Sheargold), an easily distracted schlub, is thrilled to hire the daughter of a Supreme Court justice; his sister Roz (Julia Zemiro), a woman so tightly wound she controls the key to the firm’s one restroom, is not. But Roz has been suspended; hence the need for Helen. Misanthropic and quietly contentious, Helen has little patience for client hand-holding, social niceties and, well, patience; but, as time inevitably tells, she is a good lawyer and her heart is not nearly as hard as she wants everyone to believe it is.
With a revolving cast of clients, and the requisite Gen Z assistant (here played to great effect by Aaron Chen), “Fisk” is a deceptively small show — “The Office” seems hectic and flashy by comparison — but it deftly mines the mundane and often quiet absurdities of life to laugh-out-loud effect. Flanagan, too, plays it close to the vest (or in this case, an over-large brown suit), making Helen the queen of the raised eyebrow and muttered aside. She is neither savior nor saint — many of her problems are of her own making — but anyone who has ever wondered why ordering a smoothie, or renting an Airbnb, or having a straight-forward conversation about just about anything has to be so complicated these days will find a “but that makes no sense” advocate in “Fisk.” — Mary McNamara
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in Season 2 of Apple TV+’s “Platonic.”
(Katrina Marcinowski / Apple TV+)
In “Platonic,” the only will-they/won’t-they tension is about whether two longtime friends with co-dependency issues can avoid a breakup of their friendship. The Apple TV+ series stars Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as formerly estranged besties who, in the first season, rekindled their friendship at pivotal junctures in their lives — Sylvia (Byrne) is a married mother of three children who feels unfulfilled, while Will (Rogen) is a middle-aged hipster and brewer going through a divorce — and help each other in their quest to get back on track. The series returned earlier this month with Will experiencing cold feet at the prospect of marrying his fiancée (and boss), while Sylvia, who is helping to plan the ceremony, gets caught in the crosshairs just as she must contend with developing sore spots in her own marriage. Creators Delbanco and Stoller stopped by Guest Spot to discuss how platonic friendships can be love stories, too, and the story behind this season’s embarrassing pet name.
What is the challenge in depicting a platonic friendship between people of the opposite sex when viewers enjoy character shipping? How do you make “just friends” something to root for?
Stoller: It’s definitely a challenge to break story as almost all TV show plots involve either sex or murder. But the funniest comedies explore human relationships honestly. Our artistic project with “Platonic” is to delve into the complications and rewards of male-female friendships. We think anyone who’s ever had this kind of friendship will find the show relatable. While “Platonic” is a hang-out show, we also are invested in the show having a strong story drive. We think we have figured out series arcs for our characters that go deep on midlife and hopefully will make you laugh out loud.
Delbanco: In a way, platonic friendships are love stories too — not exactly the same kind of love stories, of course, but they do have certain similar preoccupations: Can we survive our disagreements? Are we ultimately good for each other or not? Is our relationship going to last through all of the phases of our lives as we change and grow? Ultimately, we’re hoping we can make viewers feel the same degree of investment in “will they make it” as friends that we’re all accustomed to feeling in rom-coms. It’s definitely a creative challenge, but we all know how important friendships are to our overall emotional health, so it stands to reason that they deserve some exploration onscreen too.
This season provides an opportunity to explore the intimidation factor of a new significant other experiencing the Sylvia-Will dynamic. How did that make you think about Will’s fiancée, Jenna [Rachel Rosenbloom]?
Stoller: We originally conceived of “Platonic” as an anthology series where we were going to explore a different platonic friendship each season. While shooting the first season, we had such a great time making it that we asked Seth and Rose if they wanted to do more of the show together, and luckily for us they said yes. The Jenna character had been created to give Will a happy ending. We knew that to make more episodes of the show we would have to give Will a new conflict. We knew that Sylvia needed to understand Will in a way Jenna just didn’t. But we also wanted Jenna to be a legitimate partner for Will. So in the Season 2 writers’ room, we reconceived Jenna to just be operating at a slightly different wavelength than both Will and Sylvia. We worked with Rachel Rosenbloom, who plays Jenna and is super funny, to figure out a character that was just a little out of step with both Will and Sylvia.
Delbanco: We really wanted to write Jenna as a human, relatable character rather than a one-dimensional “lame girlfriend” type of comedy villain, because at its core, the insecurity that Jenna feels about Sylvia is a feeling most of us have had before: Who is this woman my boyfriend/fiancé/husband spends so much time with, and how can I be sure he isn’t actually in love with her? Likewise, we didn’t want Jenna to be someone Sylvia could easily dismiss: In many ways she’s good for Will, and intimidating in her own right. There have been so many amazing comedies about introducing a significant other to your parents, and your family, but there’s a lot of great dramatic tension to mine when new love interests collide with old friends.
What is the backstory with the “penguini” pet name? What were other iterations before you landed on that one?
Stoller: We just tried to think of the most embarrassing thing that Will would have to say in front of Sylvia. And so “penguini” was born. Hilariously, one of our locations where we shot this season turned out to be right next to a restaurant called Caffe Pinguini.
Delbanco: It made us laugh so hard to imagine Seth having to use a private baby-talk, lovey-dovey voice — it just doesn’t suit his character, and it’s so mortifying to be overheard in that mode. It felt like a strong way to announce that something new was going on with him this season.
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
Stoller: I just watched the Billy Joel documentary [“Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” HBO Max]. I’ve always been a fan of his, but the documentary uncovers a lot of pain and history I was unaware of. It made me revisit his music and understand it in a whole new light. I also just saw the film “Sorry, Baby” [VOD], which is hilarious, beautifully-shot, moving and even, at times, slightly scary.
Delbanco: I recently finished the second season of “Wolf Hall” [PBS.org], and I can’t stop thinking about it — I loved the novels and was floored that they were adapted for the screen with such incredible depth and power. The finale is still haunting me even though I watched it weeks ago. Main takeaway: I am so freaking glad I wasn’t born during the reign of Henry VIII.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
Stoller: I watch “Rushmore” [Hulu, Disney+], “When Harry Met Sally” [VOD] and “The Shining” [VOD] once a year. The endings of both “Rushmore” and “When Harry Met Sally” never fail to make me cry. Every time I watch “Rushmore,” I notice a new detail. And “The Shining” casts a hypnotic spell that makes me want to revisit the Overlook [Hotel] again and again.
Delbanco: I guess we’re an early Wes Anderson household, because “The Royal Tenenbaums” [Hulu, Disney+] is the movie I see on repeat when I close my eyes. It makes me laugh and also cry in all the right ways, and I love its desultory, romantic mood. I don’t think any scene has ever worked for me as well as Gwyneth Paltrow’s walk towards Luke Wilson when she gets off the bus. The bus station! Her fur coat! Nico! What could ever top it?
IT’S been hailed a ‘game-changer’ when it comes to getting to sleep on hot nights.
But would you sleep on a gel pillow designed to keep your dog or cat cool in a heatwave?
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Lynsey Hope tested sleeping on a cooling mat during hot weatherCredit: Gary Stone
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Can the gadget guarantee a good night’s sleepCredit: Gary Stone
Pet cooling mats can be found at many high street stores in the UK, and whilst they are designed for animals, some people have been buying the gadgets for themselves – or nicking them from their four-legged friends.
Commenting on a TikTok video calling for people to share their ‘unhinged tips on how to stay cool’ during hot spells, one social media user wrote: “Borrowed by cat’s gel cooling mat as she’s uninterested in it and it’s a lifesaver.”
With temperatures set to hit the mid-30s in parts of the UK this week, I’m happy to give anything a go in a bid to stave off the extreme heat and get some kip.
There are lots available to buy including a Sunny Daze Cooling Dog Mat for just £5 at petsathome.com, or a slightly larger and more plush Weashume Dog Cool Gel Pad for £10.99 on amazon.
I opt for one from Chillmax costing just under £6 on Amazon, which has dozens of five-star reviews online.
When it arrives it doesn’t look much. It’s a simple blue mat filled with cooling gel.
But manufacturers claim it absorbs excess heat and dissipates it away for up to three hours, giving your skin a lovely cool feeling.
There’s no water so no refilling is necessary.
You simply pop it in the fridge and get it out when your pet needs a rest so they can lay on it and cool down.
I popped it in the fridge during the day, then laid it over my sheet when it was time for bed.
It was pretty hard to lay my entire body weight down on it as it felt icy cold. I really had to grit my teeth.
I laid on it feeling pretty uncomfortable, but after around five minutes, the initial discomfort eased, my body adjusted to the cold and I drifted off to sleep pretty quickly.
This was quite an achievement as I’ve been really tossing and turning of late due to the frequent spells of hot weather.
In fact, I think I fell asleep at least 45 minutes faster than I had on previous hot nights. It was actually quite calming too and refreshing.
The coolness wears off after a few hours and though it was soft enough to lay on, I woke up feeling a little uncomfortable.
But I just pulled it out from under me and tossed it on the floor.
The next night I tried putting it on top of my pillow case but I found the cold felt too extreme against my face.
It was a little better inside the pillow case, but still I preferred it near my body.
This funny little pet pillow has become a must-have in my bedroom now for hot nights.
Even better as it’s so small, you can easily take it away with you if you need to. No need to lug a big fan around instead.
You can also wipe it clean, making it a good gel option as most are built into the pillow and can’t be washed.
You can sit on it whilst working if you want to, though I did not find this comfortable.
But I didn’t mind using it as a foot rest on hot working days and it can also be used as a laptop cooling pad.
My kids kept stealing it saying it kept them cool so I guess I might be buying more to keep us all as cool as cucumbers.
Others have said similar pet mats are not only helpful in the heatwave but hot flushes, too.
One Amazon reviewer said it was brilliant for menopausal women, especially for the price.
You can spend £20 to £30 on a pet cooling pillow, but most of us won’t want to pay that much when the heatwave doesn’t last long in the UK.
Similar products designed for humans also tend to be more pricey.
This is wallet-friendly and effective. For less than £6 this is a real bargain. If it’s good enough for Fido, it’s good enough me.
No more sweaty nights here.
Five ways to keep your kids cool in the heat
IT can be really difficult – and costly – to keep kids cool when it’s hot outside. But Fabulous Digital Senior Reporter and mum-of-two Sarah Bull shares five ways to help, and they won’t break the budget either.
Strip them off
It might sound simple, but stripping kids off at home can really help them regulate their temperature when it’s warm outside. Just remember to regularly apply suncream, as more of their skin will be exposed to the sun.
Cool down bedrooms before nighttime
When it’s hot outside, it can be difficult for kids to go to sleep – especially if their bedroom feels like an oven. If you have a room that’s not in direct sunshine, keep the windows open to let in a breeze. It’s also a good idea to keep the curtains closed, to prevent the room from heating up.
Wear a hat
Another simple technique, but one that really works. Make sure that if your kids are playing outside, they’ve got a hat on. It keeps their face and head shielded from the sun, and also helps if you’ve got a little one who struggles with bright sunlight. If your tot struggles to keep a hat on, try one with a strap that goes under the chin to help.
Avoid the car
The car can be one of the hottest places during a heatwave, and often takes a long time to cool down. If you have the option, it’s better to stay at home rather than taking kids out anywhere in a hot car.
Stay hydrated
This is always important, but even more so in a heatwave. Make sure you’re regularly reminding your kids to have a drink, and top them up with cool liquids whenever you can. Use ice too to ensure it’s as cold as it can possibly be.
