The long-awaited debut of star USC freshman Alijah Arenas will have to wait at least another week.
Arenas is “progressing well” from the knee injury he suffered in the summer, but not ready to return, a person familiar with his status not authorized to speak publicly told The Times.
The five-star prospect has already been ruled out for this week’s matchups against Maryland or Purdue, which had initially been the target for his return.
When Arenas will suit up for USC is uncertain. The expectation is that he’ll play for the Trojans at some point during Big Ten play, possibly by the end of this month.
Arenas returned to practice last month after sitting out since July. He said at the time that he’d been undecided on whether to return to play for the Trojans versus just declaring for the draft, but that his teammates “were kind of the key factor in me wanting to come back.”
They could use him back as soon as possible. The Trojans (13-3, 2-3 Big Ten) narrowly escaped a third straight loss Friday in Minneapolis and are still scraping by with a ballhander-by-committee approach. When he does return, Arenas is expected to step into a significant role.
Two of USC’s next three games are at home against the Big Ten’s two worst teams — Maryland and Northwestern — but after that, road matchups against Iowa and Wisconsin, each of which have lost just one home game this season, will loom large for the Trojans.
Without Arenas, USC will continue to lean heavily on sixth-year senior Chad Baker-Mazara, who bounced back in a big way from a two-game slump Friday, scoring 29 points.
GENEVA — President Trump will return to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting of business, political and cultural elites in Davos, Switzerland, next week, leading a record-large U.S. delegation, organizers said Tuesday.
The Geneva-based think tank says Trump, whose assertive foreign policy on issues as diverse as Venezuela and Greenland in recent months has stirred concerns among U.S. friends and foes alike, will be accompanied by five Cabinet secretaries and other top officials for the event running from Monday through Jan. 23.
A total of 850 CEOs and chairs of the world’s top companies will be among the 3,000 participants from 130 countries expected in the Alpine resort this year, the forum says.
Forum President Borge Brende says six of the Group of Seven leaders — including Trump — will attend, as well as presidents Volodymyr Zelenskky of Ukraine, Ahmad al-Sharaa of Syria and others. A total of 64 heads of state or government are expected so far — also a record — though that number could increase before the start of the event, he said.
China’s delegation will be headed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s top trade official, Brende said.
Among the scores of other high-profile attendees expected are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as well as tech industry titans Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Brende said the U.S. delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The forum, which held its first annual meeting in 1971, has long been a hub of dialogue, debate and deal-making. Trump has already attended twice while president, and was beamed in by video last year just days after being inaugurated for his second term.
Critics call it a venue for the world’s elites to hobnob and do business that sometimes comes at the expense of workers, the impoverished or people on the margins of society. The forum counters that its stated goal is “improving the state of the world” and insists many advocacy groups, academics and cultural leaders have an important role too.
This year’s edition will be the first annual meeting not headed by forum founder Klaus Schwab, who resigned last year. He’s been succeeded by interim co-chairs Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of New York-based investment management company BlackRock, and Andre Hoffmann, the vice chairman of Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche Holdings.
Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where things are about to get extra busy.
The Lakers started a stretch of five games in seven days on Monday with a 124-112 loss to the Sacramento Kings. They’ve lost three games in a row and could have a tough time turning the tide during an incredibly difficult schedule this month. This week’s five-game sprint leads directly into an eight-game marathon trip that starts on Jan. 20 in Denver.
The Lakers (23-14) are in danger of letting their slump stretch further as LeBron James could be limited Tuesday against Atlanta. He has not played back-to-back games all year and already played 33 minutes against the Kings, scoring 22 points.
If James is out, the Lakers could at least still welcome someone else back.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Reinforcement on the way
Rui Hachimura was available against the Kings after missing two weeks with a calf injury, but didn’t play. He could be more valuable against the Hawks on Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back.
Hachimura will begin on a minutes restriction and won’t immediately reprise his starting role. But the struggling Lakers know what they will need from him when he returns.
“He’s our best catch-and-shoot guy,” coach JJ Redick said of Hachimura. “He’s one of the best guys in the league. … This is the balance that we’ve been battling all years: We can play better defenders and our offense isn’t as good. We can play better offensive players and our defense isn’t as good. So we’re continuing to find that balance.”
Hachimura is shooting 43.6% on catch-and-shoot attempts, which ranks 23rd among players with 100 or more such attempts. He started the season on a Michael Jordan-esque shooting streak, but cooled off in recent games. He was four for 14 from three-point range in his last four games before the latest injury. Averaging 12.7 points per game, Hachimura is still shooting a team-best 44.5% from three. He’s the only player shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc on a team that is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league.
But Hachimura has never been known as a stout defender. He’s averaging 3.8 rebounds per game this year, which equals his career-low.
Meanwhile, Jake LaRavia, who has started in Hachimura’s place, has been the Lakers’ most consistent defender all season. He can be a scorer, too. Only last week, we dedicated this newsletter to LaRavia’s back-to-back 20-point games.
But Redick also said that the team won’t count on that from him every night. LaRavia’s job is to be a perimeter anchor on defense and he has delivered in that role.
Redick said he hasn’t made any decisions about the starting lineup going forward as the team gets healthier.
The Lakers were 11th in offensive rating and 24th in defensive rating before Monday’s game. They were getting outscored by 0.7 points per 100 possessions. They’re the only team with a negative net rating with a winning record.
All-Star voting winds down
Luka Doncic is on top of All-Star voting.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
It’s election season in the NBA. All-Star elections, that is.
Lakers star Luka Doncic led the league in fan All-Star voting after two reveals, the league announced last Tuesday. His 2,229,811 votes were more than 137,000 ahead of Eastern Conference leader Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has led the league in All-Star fan voting for the last two seasons.
“Honestly it’s pretty amazing,” Doncic said of the early voting results. “Just, I mean, a kid from Slovenia only can dream about that, can dream about being in the NBA.”
Fan voting ends Wednesday at 8:59 p.m. PST. Doncic is in line to earn his sixth All-Star honor.
It’s already been quite the year for Doncic. After signing a three-year contract extension with the Lakers in August, the 26-year-old superstar is leading the league in scoring with 33.6 points per game. He had a second child. He launched a new signature shoe.
And he’s become the unquestioned leader of the Lakers in his first full season in L.A. Even LeBron James called Doncic “the franchise.”
“One, I think, [Doncic has] established himself as a global superstar. He has for years now,” Redick said. “Certainly speaks to the popularity of the Lakers’ brand and the amount of fans that follow us and cheer for us and live and breathe with every shot in every game like everybody in that locker room does. And I think he’s a fantastic representative of this organization.”
James was eighth in Western Conference voting in the second fan returns and 14th overall. The superstar who led the league in voting for seven consecutive seasons from 2017 to 2023 may see his 21-year All-Star streak end this season.
He has appeared in just 20 games, averaging 22 points, 6.8 assists and 5.5 rebounds while managing sciatica and foot arthritis. James was named a starter last season, but was a late scratch from the event because of foot and ankle injuries. It was the first time James didn’t participate in the NBA’s midseason showcase event since his rookie season.
This could be Austin Reaves’ first All-Star honor but a recent calf injury has hurt his campaign. Reaves was 11th in the West in fan voting after two returns.
Reaves appeared to be a lock for the honor earlier this season. He is averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds a game, all career-highs. He scored 51 points in a game against Sacramento.
The All-Star game will be held at Intuit Dome on Feb. 15 with yet another unorthodox format that hopes to generate some legitimate competition at the exhibition that has seemingly lost its luster in recent years. Voting takes place in traditional East vs. West format to decide the five players from each conference that are named “starters.”
But the group may not actually play together during the game.
The format will instead have two, eight-man teams of U.S. players and one “world” team of international players. They will compete in a round-robin tournament of four, 12-minute games. If the voting doesn’t yield 16 U.S. players and eight international players, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will select additional players to reach the minimum required.
Voting for starters is determined by fan vote (50%), NBA players (25%) and media (25%). After the starters are announced on Monday, NBA coaches decide the seven reserves for each conference.
On tap
Tuesday, vs. Hawks (20-21), 7:30 p.m.
The Hawks have won three consecutive games, including two after trading star Trae Young to Washington on Jan. 9. While Young — who ended up in Atlanta after in a draft-day trade that sent Doncic to Dallas — was the unquestioned headliner in the organization, the Hawks were just 2-8 in games with him this season. They didn’t need Young to beat the Lakers by 20 points in November.
Thursday, vs. Hornets (14-26), 7:30 p.m.
LaMelo Ball has returned since the last time the Lakers faced the Hornets in Charlotte. The former Chino Hills High star is averaging 19.9 points and 7.8 assists per game while Kon Knueppel leads all rookies with 19.1 points per game.
Saturday at Trail Blazers (19-21), 7 p.m.
Deni Avdija (averaging 26.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.9 assists) left Sunday’s loss against the Knicks in the fourth quarter with a back injury. The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Trail Blazers, who had won seven of eight. Point guard Jrue Holiday (calf) also returned from a nearly three-month absence.
Sunday, vs. Raptors (24-16), 6:30 p.m.
This is the second game of the Lakers’ second back-to-back in a week. The Lakers have five games in seven days. Brace yourself for some ugly basketball during this stretch.
Status report
Austin Reaves: left calf strain
There’s about two weeks left until Reaves is reevaluated for the calf injury he aggravated on Christmas Day.
Adou Thiero: right MCL sprain
The rookie won’t be reevaluated for at least another two and a half weeks.
Favorite thing I ate this week
Simpang Asia’s festival rice: A platter of turmeric rice, and, clockwise from bottom left: fried wonton sheets, steamed vegetables under peanut dressing, tumeric chicken under shredded egg, fried noodles, potatoes under sambal balado, a red chili sauce with red peppers and tomatoes.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
I’m an indecisive eater. Choosing a dish at a restaurant feels like a very high-stakes decision. So a variety platter always hates to see me coming.
When I don’t want to just settle for one thing, the festival rice (nasi kuning komplit) from Simpang Asia in Palms helps cover all the bases. The Indonesian feast has a little bit of everything. A tower of turmeric rice stands at the center of the plate and is surrounded by potatoes under sambal balado — a red chili sauce with red peppers and tomatoes — fried noodles, turmeric chicken under shredded egg, steamed vegetables under peanut dressing and fried wonton sheets.
We also ordered roti paratha, Bali sea bass, which is grilled in banana leaves, and kwetiau goreng, a wok-fried rice noodle dish with bean sprouts, Chinese greens and eggs. We even uncovered a secret menu item: They don’t list their croquettes — fried potato balls filled with chicken — on the menu but you can still ask for them. You should ask for them.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey was released in September last year and despite its star-studded cast, received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
Actress Margot Robbie’s latest film will be on Netflix(Image: Taylor Hill, FilmMagicvia Getty Images)
A divisive film is arriving on Netflix this week. It’s the latest project from award-winning actress Margot Robbie, though it has sparked contrasting reactions from both critics and audiences.
Netflix subscribers will be able to form their own opinion about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (2025) when it drops on the streaming service on Saturday. Robbie stars opposite Colin Farrell as two strangers who cross paths at a friend’s wedding.
The pair are then offered an opportunity to revisit pivotal moments from their histories. It explores the journey that brought them to where they are now and offers them the possibility to alter their destinies.
The romance, fantasy, drama was penned by Seth Reiss and directed by Kogonada. Its impressive ensemble also features Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Jennifer Grant and Kevin Kline.
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey hit cinemas last September and received a lukewarm reception. Sadly, it flopped at the box office, taking just $20.2 million against its $45 million net budget, reports the Express.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, only 36% of 185 critics’ reviews are favourable.
Their summary states: “Too solemn to have much fun with its high concept while also too saccharine for its wistful themes to resonate, this well-meaning odyssey never quite lives up to its title.”
However, audience reactions proved more favourable.
The consensus stated: “The dividends of this Journey may depend on how much of A Big Bold Beautiful cheese your stomach can tolerate, but for those seeking vibrant colors and heart, it may pay in spades.”
One cinema-goer reflected: “A good movie to get you thinking about how reviewing how our past choices can reshape how we move forward with our lives and make better choices and be better people. Treat ourselves better and others better.”
Another praised: “Very interesting rom com premise. Loved Colin Farrell (very charming) and Margo Robbie (lovely as always) together.”
A third viewer observed: “I can understand how this movie might not be for everyone, but for anyone who has ever felt like they might be on a big, bold journey, this movie told that story beautifully.”
Yet opinions remained divided, with one remarking: “The movie was too slow,” whilst another noted: “Storyline was too strange for me. Great actors though.”
Jan. 13 (UPI) — Adelaide Writers’ Week, a premier literary event in Australia, was canceled after most of the writers dropped out in protest of the festival’s decision to disinvite a Palestinian-Australian author.
Last week, the Adelaide Festival board announced that Randa Abdel-Fattah, a critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, was disinvited “given her past statements.”
“Whilst we do not suggest in any way that Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah’s or her writings have any connection with the tragedy at Bondi, given her past statements we have formed the view that it would not be culturally sensitive to continue to program her at this unprecedented time so soon after Bondi,” the Jan. 8 statement said.
Following Abdel-Fattah’s ousting, 180 writers and four board members quit the festival, which was scheduled for Feb. 27-March 15. Writers’ Week is part of the broader Adelaide Festival. The three remaining board members, the chair and Writers’ Week director Louise Adler resigned. Adler announced her resignation in Guardian Australia. “I cannot be party to silencing writers,” The Guardian reported she wrote.
Some prominent writers who dropped out were American Pulitzer-prize winning author Percival Everett, British novelist Zadie Smith, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Australian authors Helen Garner and Trent Dalton.
The Jewish Council of Australia also condemned the cancellation of Abdel-Fattah’s appearance. In a message on Instagram on Jan. 9, it said the council condemned the decision “and the board’s cynical and deplorable reference to the Dec. 14 Bondi massacre. The fact that yet another institution has caved to a relentless campaign waged against Dr. Abdel-Fatah and supporters of Palestinians should be deeply concerning to all who value a plural and open society.”
After growing backlash, the board released a statement apologizing for the distress the decision caused.
“As a Board we took this action out of respect for a community experiencing the pain from a devastating event. Instead, this decision has created more division, and for that we express our sincere apologies,” it said.
“We recognize and deeply regret the distress this decision has caused to our audience, artists and writers, donors, corporate partners, the government and our own staff and people. We also apologize to Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah for how the decision was represented and reiterate this is not about identity or dissent but rather a continuing rapid shift in the national discourse around the breadth of freedom of expression in our nation following Australia’s worst terror attack in history.
“We acknowledge and are committed to rebuilding trust with our artistic community and audience to enable open and respectful discussions at future Adelaide Writers’ Week events.”
Abdel-Fattah, a fellow in the sociology department at Sydney’s Macquarie University with expertise in Islamophobia, said on X that she rejects the apology.
“It is clear that the board’s regret extends to how the message of my cancellation was conveyed, not the decision itself,” she wrote.
“Once again the board, citing the ‘national discourse’ for an action that specifically targets me, a Palestinian Australian Muslim woman, is explicitly articulating that I cannot be part of the national discourse, which is insulting and racist in the extreme.
“The board again reiterates the link to a terror attack I had nothing to do with, nor did any Palestinian. The Bondi shooting does not mean I or anyone else has to stop advocating for an end to the illegal occupation and systematic extermination of my people — this is an obscene and absurd demand.”
Adler said the cancellation of the event was inevitable.
“It was untenable,” she said. “There were 165 sessions and as of yesterday at about 4 p.m., only 12 events had a full complement of writers left. Seventy percent of all the writers had withdrawn. You can’t stitch that back together. All those Australian writers, the internationals, people like Zadie Smith, M. Gessen, Jonathan Coe — all of that hard work, gone.
“I am so sorry that this masterclass in poor governance has landed us in this position,” she added.
It was a big night at the Golden Globes for Warner Bros. Discovery, which won nine awards — the most of any studio.
But there was little time to celebrate before reality set in.
On Monday, David Ellison’s Paramount sued Warner, demanding the company and its chief executive, David Zaslav, release more information about how Netflix’s bid was chosen. The move came a little less than a week after Warner rejected Paramount’s latest offer, citing the massive debt load the Ellison-led studio would take on to finance its takeover.
Despite a strong lineup of film and TV contenders this awards season, the overarching story for Warner will continue to be its uncertain future.
Will the storied company’s studios be swallowed up by streaming giant Netflix, which theater owners fear will lead to fewer theatrical releases? Or will Paramount prevail, which would continue the consolidation of the industry?
On Sunday, Hollywood’s anxiety over that deal was on full display.
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Samantha Masunaga delivers the latest news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
“Shark Tank” staple Kevin O’Leary, who made his movie debut in A24’s pingpong drama “Marty Supreme,” predicted that Netflix would prevail in its quest to control Warner Bros.’ studios, HBO and HBO Max because investors want to see the best possible return in the next two years.
“I think if they control those franchises, and they have the distribution that’s global … it’s very, very hard to compete with that,” he told The Times.
Eagle-eyed observers zeroed in on a seemingly warm exchange between Zaslav and Netflix Chief Executive Ted Sarandos at the event. And host Nikki Glaser wasted no time in addressing the elephant in the room.
“Let’s get down to business, shall we?” the comedian said, less than a minute into her monologue. “We’ll start the bidding war for Warner Bros. at $5. Do I hear $5?”
Jokes aside, Warner’s strong showing at the Globes could mean a fruitful next few months for the company.
The Globes signify the start of Hollywood’s awards season. And while its status as an Academy Awards bellwether has been hit-or-miss over the years — particularly given the tumult surrounding the show and its members — recognition there can help boost a film’s prospects.
Leading the pack was Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” which collected four awards, including best motion picture for musical or comedy. The film, widely considered to be a top contender for the best picture Oscar, follows a onetime revolutionary played by Leonardo DiCaprio who must revisit his old life after his daughter is kidnapped by a former foe.
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” was also recognized with Globe awards for cinematic and box office achievement as well as original score for a motion picture.
Acclaimed medical drama “The Pitt” picked up two awards, while HBO Max‘s “Hacks” notched one for female actor in a television series — musical or comedy.
The recognition for Warner highlights why the fight for its future has been so contentious — both Netflix and Paramount see the company and its successful franchises and film and TV slates as a major prize to be won.
Also noteworthy at the Globes, this year marked the first time podcasts were an awards category. The inclusion underscores the growing importance of podcasts to Hollywood — nearly every nominated podcast was hosted by an actor or well-known personality.
But Penske Media, which runs the Globes, came under fire when the Ankler reported that Penske-owned Variety solicited marketing partnerships from potential award winners. (“For Your Consideration” awards campaign ads are also sold by other publications, including The Times).
Penske owns the audio analytics firm, Luminate, that compiled a short list of podcast nominees.
Within the podcast industry, there were also questions about the selection criteria and how some popular shows didn’t make the cut.
Dick Clark Productions, which produces the Golden Globes and is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, declined to comment.
A Times investigation in 2021 raised concerns about its ethics and financial practices. NBC later pulled the show off the air in 2022 and Netflix, Amazon and many publicity agencies cut ties with the Globes, which undertook a series of changes before returning to the air a year later.
In June 2023, Penske Media acquired the nonprofit group that formerly hosted the Golden Globes — the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. — and made its members paid employees of the new enterprise.
The Globes scrapped that practice a year ago, describing the change in policy as “an acknowledgment that continuing to pay members could add to a perception of bias in voting.”
Stuff We Wrote
Film shoots
Number of the week
So far, so good for domestic theaters in 2026. Box office revenue for the U.S. and Canada is about $327.5 million to date, up 23% compared with the same time period last year.
This January has been bolstered by strong, holdover performances from Disney-owned 20th Century Studios’ “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and the Mouse House’s animated sequel “Zootopia 2,” as well as Lionsgate’s “The Housemaid.” Paramount Pictures’ chimp horror flick “Primate” opened this past weekend to $11.3 million domestically and $13.4 million worldwide.
Finally …
My colleague Christie D’Zurilla wrote about the now-paused fundraising effort for Mickey Rourke. The Oscar-nominated actor, who was facing eviction, rejected more than $100,000 raised by fans and supporters.
YOUR own pool, never having to hunt down a free sun lounger and all the space to relax as a family or with friends – villa holidays are rightly popular.
The market has been boosted by the relaunch of popular brand James Villas and Lisa Minot finds great value deals with her pick of holiday homes in the sun.
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Villa holidays offer space, pools and hassle-free sunbathingCredit: Getty
POLIS, CYPRUS
Polis is a short drive away, with plenty of cafes and tavernasCredit: Supplied
VILLA Lilly Rose has a generous pool.
It sleeps six in three bedrooms, there’s a compact kitchen and an open-plan living and dining area.
Polis is a short drive away, with plenty of cafes and tavernas.
A week villa-only is from £1,265 in total, arriving August 26 or from £745pp inc flights (six sharing. See solmarvillas.com.
This traditional Croatian villa in Biograd boasts a pool, hot tub and bikes for exploring the coastCredit: supplied
A TRADITIONAL stone house on Croatia’s northern Dalmatian coast promises plenty of places to relax, with a lovely pool, hot tub and lots of loungers on the terrace of this holiday home.
Sleeping six, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, the villa is on the outskirts of Biograd and comes with four bicycles for exploring the area, including the pretty marina and sandy beaches.
Seven nights from £1,080 in total this spring and summer.
Villa Miracosta in Spain offers stunning mountain and sea views, a gated pool, and comfy family-friendly living spacesCredit: Supplied
WITH traditional Andalucian-style decor, Villa Miracosta’s hillside position allows it stunning views of the mountains and the sea.
Just a 25-minute drive from Nerja’s sandy beaches, it has a gated pool, two comfy bedrooms, living room, dining room and kitchen – ideal for families wanting a summer break.
Seven nights’ villa-only is from £1,541 in total, arriving August 22 or from £621pp including flights, based on four sharing.
Trulli Selva in Puglia offers a quirky stay with a pool, gardens and stunning valley viewsCredit: cvvillas.com
This is a quirky villa with a difference, part of a collection of beautifully restored traditional Puglian trulli houses, known for their thick stone walls and conical roofs.
The Trulli Selva sleeps six, with three bedrooms and bathrooms and a fully equipped kitchen.
There’s a pool, landscaped gardens and a dining area with fabulous views over the Canale di Pirro valley.
Seven nights villa-only is from £1,250 or from £563pp including flights, based on six sharing.
This 19th-century French house in Languedoc offers rustic charm, gardens and easy access to forests and lakesCredit: supplied
ESCAPE into nature with this 19th-century house in Montredon-Labessonnie, with its spacious, landscaped gardens.
Sleeping up to ten with three bedrooms and three bathrooms, there’s a rustic feel, with beamed ceilings and lovely covered terraces for al fresco dining.
The forests of the Haut Languedoc, medieval towns and stunning lakes are within easy reach.
Seven nights is from £870 in total, or £87pp, based on ten sharing.
Dimora Pietra Nica in Sicily offers ocean views, a hot tub and a cosy retreat for two or a small familyCredit: Supplied
IN the south-east of the island, this retreat for two could also serve as a base for a family with young children, with a double sofa bed in the living room.
Dimora Pietra Nica is steps from the shoreline at Cava d’Aliga and the terraces have great ocean views and a hot tub.
The UK will bring into force a law which will make it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images, following widespread concerns over Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot.
The Technology Secretary Liz Kendall told the Commons the law would make it illegal for companies to supply the tools designed to create such images.
A family who visited Center Parcs Elveden Forest in the UK during the school summer holidays in 2024 has shared their brutally honest review of the popular holiday resort after spending nearly £2,700
13:06, 12 Jan 2026Updated 13:06, 12 Jan 2026
Center Parcs(Image: )
A mum who forked out nearly £2,700 for a week-long summer break at Center Parcs has voiced her astonishment at the prices in the on-site supermarket, particularly for a bottle of ketchup. Vicky Smith, speaking on her YouTube channel, gave a candid breakdown of the costs, cautioning that while the experience can be enchanting for kids, the food prices on site might give parents a jolt.
The family, who holidayed at Center Parcs Elveden Forest in August 2024 with their two children aged seven and nine, had strong views about whether the popular UK holiday resort truly justifies its hefty price tag. “We have just come back from a week’s holiday at Center Parcs with our two children aged seven and nine,” Vicky detailed, stating their intention was to provide “very-very honest views on staying at Center Parcs” for families contemplating a booking.
The primary concern, she highlighted, was the expense. Visiting during the school summer holidays meant dealing with peak prices, which they described as unavoidable for many families.
“We went during August, which is the school summer holidays, which is when Center Parcs — and, let’s face it, all other holidays — are at their most expensive, and you really do pay a premium here,” she remarked.
The family lodged in a new-style Executive Lodge with two bedrooms, which cost them £2,648 for the week. This figure didn’t cover food or additional activities, with only access to the swimming pool included in the accommodation cost, reports the Express.
“I checked how much exactly the same accommodation would cost us during September once the kids were back at school, and it was over £1,000 cheaper,” she revealed, describing the price gap as “really significant.”
However, there were upsides. Entry to the outdoor playground — revamped in 2023 — is included, and it went down a storm with their youngsters.
“There’s a really nice mixture in that playground for younger and slightly older kids,” Vicky noted, highlighting climbing frames, swings and slides that kept the children occupied for hours.
The swimming pool also proved to be a major highlight. “The swimming pool is amazing. I can’t say enough good things about the swimming pool,” she enthused, explaining that unlimited access, from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m., was part of the package.
They suggested families could easily fill an entire week at Center Parcs by making use of the pool and park amenities without splashing out on additional activities.
Nevertheless, the mum cautioned that to experience the “full experience,” most families will be tempted to book activities — and that’s when expenses can spiral rapidly. “Those activities really, really add up,” she warned, questioning whether it represents genuine affordability and value for money.
Food shopping on site emerged as one of the most contentious elements of their visit. The Park Market, situated in the Village Square, offers everything from fresh meat to ready meals, which Vicky appreciated as a practical alternative to restaurants and takeaways.
However, the costs left her gobsmacked. “The prices in this supermarket are wow, just wow,” she remarked.
One product particularly caught her attention: “They were charging £4 for a bottle of ketchup.”
She also drew attention to an £8 disposable barbecue as shockingly pricey, alongside inflated costs for toiletries including shampoo and conditioner. In total, she reckoned prices were “anything from 10% to 40% more compared to normal supermarket prices.”
Whilst she recognised Center Parcs was “capitalising on the fact that they have a captive audience,” she provided straightforward guidance to fellow families. “Bring key supplies with you,” she advised, reeling off essentials including milk, spreads, table sauces and barbecue supplies.
The family made a pit stop at a local supermarket roughly 10 minutes away before their arrival, loading up on fresh fruit and children’s snacks. This approach enabled them to avoid depending excessively on the Park Market — a tactic they claimed made a significant difference to their total expenditure.
AS THE weather seems to have turned rather chilly, it might be tempting to just snuggle up at home this week – but there are some must-see free events across the UK.
Whether you don’t mind the cold and are happy to go on a light trail walk or would rather stay inside watching The Traitors in the warmth of a pub, there is something on for everyone this week.
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The Southbank Centre in London has a new light trailCredit: Alamy
Winter Light, Southbank, London
Running from January 12 to 18, you can head off on an illuminated walk by the Southbank Centre.
The light trail features a number of artists that have explored topics that are currently being discussed in today’s society, such as identity and technology.
Visitors can even use the Bloomberg Connects App to head on a self-guided tour of the trail and get behind-the-scenes insights.
Mendip Activity Centre, Churchill, Winscombe near Bristol
The Mendip Activity Centre near Bristol is hosting a line-up of free music gigs in the Alpine Lounge as part of its Apres-Ski Fest 2026.
Harmony with the Volcanic World, Southbank Centre, London
On Saturday evening, head to the Southbank Centre to see Springwatch presenter Kate Humble discussing all things volcanoes.
The free talk takes place before a paid concert.
The talk is from 5pm to 5:45pm, on January 17.
Earth Day Outdoor Photography Exhibition, Ambleside, Cumbria
Head to Ambleside in Cumbria for an outdoor photography exhibition around the grounds of Wray.
The photos show “conversations about the world, its inhabitants, environments and the changing climate”.
The exhibition is running until April 30.
Spies, Lies and Deception at IWM North, Manchester
At the Imperial War Museum in Manchester, visitors can explore the world of spies and how some plots have influenced and altered conflict throughout history.
For kids, there is the chance to visit the ‘Mission Room’ where they can head off on a top-secret exhibition trail and link pieces of information to find out how to succeed as a spy.
Visiting both the museum and the exhibition is free and the exhibition will run until August 26 this year.
At the IWM North in Manchester, kids can see if they would make it as a spyCredit: Alamy
The free session on January 14 takes place at 7:30am and is mat-based.
It lasts 45 minutes and focuses on functional strength and boosting energy.
Live Traitors screenings, London
Love doing something on a Friday night but also want to stay cosy?
Well, head to The Rising in Elephant and Castle to watch The Traitors at 8pm.
Other pubs across London, like Two Brewers are also doing viewings, as well as some across the UK – so it is worth seeing if there are any in your local area.
Fan of The Traitors? Well you can watch live in a cosy pubCredit: BBC
Indivisible – Vane, Newcastle
On January 16 and 17 at 12pm each day, head to the ‘Indivisible’ exhibition at Vane in Newcastle to explore works by 14 artists.
All artists’ works come under the theme of ‘EarthFLag’ and show the earth‘s composition, transformation and living systems.
If you can’t catch the exhibition this weekend, there are other dates available.
Family Printing Workshop at Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, Devon
On January 17, head to Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Devon between 11am and 3pm to make a watery print to celebrate the opening of the new Shifting Waterscapes exhibition.
The session will be run by Emma Molony, who will be on hand to help visitors create their own original print.
The Delusion, Serpentine North Gallery, London
Until January 18, you can head to the Serpentine North Gallery to see Danielle Brathwaite-Shirley’s current exhibition.
The Delusion exhibition shows themes of censorship and social connection and for visitors, it will feel like a post-apocalyptic world.
Essentially, the exhibition is a multiplayer, video game-like immersive experience, where society has broken.
Hampton Court Palace is opening its gardens for free this weekendCredit: Alamy
Garden open days, Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey
Visitors can enter parts of the gardens for free including The Great Fountain Garden, the Kitchen Garden and the Pond Garden.
If you want to head into the palace itself, you will need to pay admission.
The New Wimbledon Theatre, London
On January 17 from 10am, New WimbledonTheatre is hosting an Open House Day where the public can explore inside the theatre as well as attend a variety of events.
For example, on the stage there will be a Dear England-themed penalty shoot out, where you could win tickets to the show.
Also on the stage will be the Friends couch, for the perfect photo op.
There’s stain glass window making, a Peppa Pig colouring competition and drama wellbeing workshops too.
If you are looking for more things to do across the UK, here are our top picks for ‘fun under £5’ across all £9.50 Holiday destinations in the UK.
But rookie wide receiver Tre’ Harris can’t help but feel some change, even if just so slightly — knowing that a loss means back-to-back seasons under Harbaugh without a playoff win.
“Everybody a little bit more locked in,” Harris said. “Everybody’s staying a couple more hours after meetings and things like that. Cleaning up things, making sure everything’s dotted. That’s what comes with playoff football.”
Harris referenced a “wise words” speech linebacker Daiyan Henley made at the end of practice Thursday as an example of the communication veteran players and coaches are extending to younger players on the team.
Henley, who eclipsed 100 tackles for the second straight season, said his message was about not letting up — a reminder to adhere to the Chargers’ season-long standards and processes with their Super Bowl aspirations on the line.
“For me mentally, and for a lot of guys here, you get into these rooms with these coaches, and they can build up the moment, build up the anticipation,” he said. “It’s the playoffs. It’s do or die.”
The Crenshaw High alumnus continued: “These are things we all know. But what we have to understand is that it’s been do or die since we started this season, because if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be here — we wouldn’t be in this situation in the playoffs.”
The importance of the game isn’t lost on Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who has been working longer in meetings — and waking up earlier too. Roman, who guided the Chargers to the 12th-best offense (334 yards per game) despite losing standout offensive linemen Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt and running back Najee Harris to injuries during the year, has been getting a head start on playoff preparations by setting his alarm for 2:30 a.m.
Luckily for the sleep-deprived Roman, he should have a healthy offensive line. Jamaree Salyer, who sat out the last two weeks with a hamstring injury, is set to return at left tackle, giving the Chargers their best starting five.
But one big question remains: will running back Omarion Hampton play?
After recovering from a fractured left ankle, the rookie tweaked his right ankle during Week 17 against the Houston Texans. Hampton, listed as questionable, said he’s planning to play against the Patriots. If Hampton can’t play or isn’t 100%, it could prove costly against a New England team that had the NFL’s sixth-best run defense (102 yards per game) during the regular season.
A standout performance by the Chargers’ defense would alleviate some of the pressure on offense. Under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, the Chargers allowed the fifth-fewest yards (285 per game) and had the league’s ninth-ranked scoring defense.
In December 2024, the Chargers defeated quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots 40-7 in Foxborough. Under coach Mike Vrabel, New England is a much different team — and Minter knows stopping Maye, a favorite for NFL MVP, will not be easy.
“Maybe the top offense in football,” said Minter, who has received requests to interview for head coaching jobs with the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans.
But Minter is ready for the challenge, one that could add another highlight to his resume and send the Chargers into new territory under Harbaugh.
“I think everybody in our room has tremendous confidence,” Minter said.
Wet and windy weather has begun to replace the wintry conditions which hit most of the UK this week, spelling an end to early January’s cold snap.
An amber warning for snow and ice in north-western Scotland has been downgraded, joining a series of yellow warnings for rain and wind across much of the country – all of which are due to expire by Monday morning.
Sunday is forecast to bring rain and blustery conditions to most of the UK as mild air moves in from the west after a cold week.
Meanwhile, the National Grid said it was continuing work to resolve power outages affecting thousands of properties still without power in parts of England and Wales.
National Rail has warned that disruption to travel is possible until Monday, while the Met Office advised those covered by yellow warnings to prepare for delays and possibly dangerous road conditions.
Forecaster Craig Snell said next week would still see wind, rain and “unsettled” conditions, but the UK would be “saying goodbye to the really cold weather”.
Temperatures between 9-11C are expected in the south and about 6-8C elsewhere.
Milder temperatures could spell a risk of flooding in places as snow from Storm Goretti melts, with the public urged to check local flood warnings.
The storm brought days of heavy snow, ice and strong winds to most parts of the UK.
When it arrived on Thursday, the Met Office issued a rare red warning for wind in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
Wind speeds of up to 99mph (159km/h) were later recorded in the region.
Police have since said a man was killed in the Mawgan area of Helston after a tree fell onto his caravan.
Cornwall Council said the storm had been “one of the most severe” the county had experienced “in living memory”, with crews working around the clock to clear fallen trees and carry out emergency repairs.
Meanwhile, areas across the country have struggled with power outages.
On Saturday, the National Grid said more than 20,000 properties remained without electricity – with the south-west of England continuing to face the most outages.
The National Grid said it was working “tirelessly” and had restored power to almost 170,000 properties.
Hundreds of schools across the UK were also forced to close ahead of the weekend as heavy snow caused travel disruption.
Noah Darnell, a senior pitcher at Santa Margarita High, got to experience something that is becoming too common in the world of the college transfer portal and changing NIL rules.
He was committed to Tulane for about five months. Then a week before his senior year was to begin, he received a phone call.
“They didn’t have a spot for me,” he said of Tulane. “We’re going in another direction.”
A week later, Darnell went to an Ivy League showcase and informed coaches he was back on the market. Harvard coaches saw him, knew he had a 4.4 grade-point average and told him they wanted him.
“Harvard was No. 1 from the get-go,” Darnell said. “I’m so happy.”
These last-minute phone calls by schools telling commits there’s no longer a spot have become more frequent, especially because college baseball has changing roster rules. Luckily for Darnell, everything worked out.
“I felt a little bit angry,” he said of his initial reaction. “I was frustrated. I wanted to work twice as hard to get another offer.”
As for lessons learned in this sometimes uncertain environment, Darnell said, “The main lesson I learned was God has a plan and you have to trust it.”
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
From an Israeli strike on a displacement camp in Gaza City that killed at least three people and deadly battles in the Syrian city of Aleppo to Orthodox Christmas celebrations and pro-government demonstrations in Venezuela, here is a look at the week in photos.
As movies have morphed from a vibrant public event into a product we watch on our personal screens, film criticism has also been disrupted thanks to apps like Letterboxd. Fortunately, film critic A. S. Hamrah hasn’t gotten the memo. He is an insurrectionary voice in a time of critical complacency. Hamrah, who contributes reviews to Bookforum, n+1 and the Baffler, wields his pen like a flame thrower, lambasting Hollywood’s decline in a trenchant voice spiked with barbed wit while also shining a light on great marginalized films.
Hamrah has recently published two new books: a collection of his reviews called “Algorithm of the Night,” as well as a compilation of Hollywood news items called “Last Week in End Times Cinema” that reads like a doom scroll of cultural decay. I chatted with Hamrah about Marvel, Pauline Kael and AI.
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A. S. Hamrah is a film critic and author of the recently published books “Algorithm of the Night” and “Last Week in End Times Cinema.”
(Courtesy of A. S. Hamrah)
Both of these books really describe the end of an era for movies, what you call the end of a worldview. What do you mean by that?
I think the goal of the studios, Netflix in particular, is not just to end theatrical exhibition but to end a certain way of understanding the cinema and to just turn it into television. The merger of cinema and television is very bad for cinema.
In the past, when existential threats of film reared their head, whether it was television or videocassette recorders, there was a sense of movies having to work harder to maintain its supremacy. But if everything is film, then there is no countervailing force. It all just merges into one thing.
People who watch a lot of TV were seen as kind of not really up to life in some ways. But it was never the goal of TV to crush cinema, which is the case now. Someone like Ted Sarandos at Netflix, his whole thing is based on pretending that no one likes to go to the movies anymore, when, in fact, millions of people all over the world love going to the movies.
I feel like your criticism is not about thumbs up, thumbs down. Even when you write a negative review, it’s fun to argue against it. You are creating a dialogue with your readers.
I don’t write a negative review to stop people from seeing a film. I want them to see it and make up their own mind about it. I also really try to avoid writing anything that can be extrapolated for a movie ad. I don’t want my stuff to be taken out of context and thrown onto a movie poster.
“Algorithm of the Night” is a collection of reviews by film critic A. S. Hamrah.
(Courtesy of A. S. Hamrah)
What critics inspired you?
Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael. The writer who had the biggest influence on me is Manny Farber, for the way he thinks about things and the freedom of his writing.
“Last Week in End Times Cinema” is the most depressing book I read last year, just a desultory litany of headlines about movie reboots, the creeping influence of AI on film, and so on.
When I first started publishing these, people thought I was making them up. I started culling them with great joy and mirth, but as the year progressed, with the wildfires in LA, the whole project became much more dire. And the death of David Lynch was a real blow, I thought.
You take a dim view of AI.
It seems to be Hollywood’s goal to not have any human beings involved in filmmaking. Why pay Will Smith $20 million when you can have an AI voice? But they’ve been preparing the ground for this since the beginning of the century. It feels like the whole system of production of Marvel films is already a form of AI. They’re trying to educate audiences into liking garbage, and that is what I mean when I write about the death of a worldview.
“One of the reasons I decided to focus on Orange County is that it’s not the norm — not what you think of as the Deep South. It’s Disneyland. It’s California,” author Eric Lichtblau says.
(Photos by Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times, Little Brown Company)
Costa Bevan Pappas has a chat with Eric Litchtblau about his new book “American Reich,” which explores the roots of white supremacy in Orange County. “One of the reasons I decided to focus on Orange County is that it’s not the norm — not what you think of as the Deep South,” Lichtblau tells Pappas. “It’s Disneyland. It’s California. These are people who are trying to take back America from the shores of Orange County because it’s gotten too brown in their view.”
Xialou Guo has crafted a radical remix of “Moby Dick” titled “Call Me Ishmaelle,” and Leanne Ogasawara is enchanted: “There is so much pleasure to be had in rereading old favorites — and part of the joy is meeting beloved characters, who have been updated or somehow arrive in a new form to resist old tropes and types.”
A year after the wildfires, L.A. native Jacob Soboroff has written “Firestorm,” and he sat down with Mariella Rudi to discuss the first book to be written about the calamity. “For me, it’s a much more personal book,” Soboroff says. “It’s about experiencing what I came to understand as the fire of the future. It’s about people as much as politics.”
Finally, Bethanne Patrick gives us the lowdown on January’s must-read book, while Eva Recinos gives us the five best science books of 2025.
📖 Bookstore Faves
Josh Spencer, owner of the Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles, opened a second location of the book store at 4437 Lankershim Blvd.
(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
Ever since it opened a little over a year ago, Josh Spencer’s second edition of The Last Bookstore has grown a vibrant community of Valley-dwelling book lovers hungry for a store that sells newly published titles and a curated selection of second-hand gems. I chatted with store manager Shane Danielson about what customers are excited about right now.
What’s selling right now at the Valley store?
Right now film adaptations current and upcoming are driving a lot of our fiction sales – “Frankenstein,” Pynchon’s “Vineland” (for “One Battle After Another”), “Wuthering Heights.” Certain “brand name” authors always do well: Brandon Sanderson, Stephen King, Kurt Vonnegut. But generally, our stock is so diverse that it’s hard to spot broader trends.
What kind of community has gathered around the store?
We have a growing community of literate, curious, frequently funny, often politically-engaged readers and book lovers, both young and not-so-young, who see reading and things like book groups as an act of resistance to the dominant culture. They want to turn off their screens for a while, and give themselves over to the longer narrative and deeper pleasures that a book provides.
What specific genres are popular?
Plays and books about acting sell every day – unsurprising, since we’re close to the Warner Bros. and Universal studios as well as two local theatre schools. Horror, science fiction and fantasy are perennials; and an increasing number of women, presumably disillusioned with real-world dating options, are enthusiastic consumers of “romantasy” authors like Rebecca Yarros and Sarah J. Maas. Classics also do surprisingly well: people seem to be reading an awful lot of Dostoevsky and George Orwell and Jane Austen. Which is encouraging.
We know how difficult it is in this culture to make folks care about books. Do you still find in people that desire — to read, and to explore through books? Are people still curious to learn about the world via books as opposed to ChatGPT?
Many of our customers say they treasure the physicality of a book – its heft, the tactility of the pages – as opposed to the frictionless experience of reading on a Kindle or another device. And interestingly, they all say variations on the same thing, which is that those other reading experiences just don’t stick; for whatever reason, they don’t retain much of what they’ve read afterward.
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Noah Goldberg giving you the latest on city and county government.
For a long time, Spencer Pratt refused to be put into a political box.
The reality-television-personality-turned-national-figure-turned-mayoral-candidate told the New York Times in October that he hated politics and didn’t identify with either major party. He “demurred” when asked by the Hollywood Reporter about his personal politics.
But the supporters who are beginning to line up behind Pratt have made one thing clear: MAGA has entered the Los Angeles mayoral race, just one day after “The Hills” alumnus announced he’s running.
Despite his nonpartisan statements, Pratt has become a darling of the right wing, meeting with influential Republicans across the country who have latched onto his sharp criticism of Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom over their handling of the Palisades fire.
On Thursday, Pratt, who lost his home in the fire, finally commented on his political affiliation, saying he has been a registered Republican since 2020.
“I wasn’t going to change it now just to check a different box,” he wrote on X. “This is a non-partisan race — there will be no D or R next to my name. As Mayor, I will not serve either party. I will work with anyone who wants to help the city. No labels necessary.”
The confirmation of Pratt’s political affiliation came as endorsements flowed in from across the country — and not from Democrats, for the most part.
Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, who has launched a congressional investigation into the response to the Palisades fire, posted on X that he was “glad” Pratt decided to run for mayor. Scott has toured the Palisades with Pratt, and the two met in Washington, D.C., after Scott announced the investigation.
Pratt was also endorsed by Richard Grenell, who is President Trump’s Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions.
“I endorse Spencer Pratt for Mayor of Los Angeles and will help raise money for him. Transparency is what we need. Spencer has the passion and the drive to make positive change for Los Angeles,” Grenell wrote on X.
Closer to home, Pratt picked up an endorsement from Riverside Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Trump supporter and a Republican candidate for governor.
“LA needs him, California needs him. He’s got integrity and the backbone we need,” Bianco posted on X.
Roxanne Hoge, chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, said the group welcomes into the mayoral race “every common sense voice who stands for good governance and stands for representing the people over public sector unions and developers and NGOs.”
Hoge said she has a “great affinity” for Pratt, whom she called a personal friend.
“I support his willingness to speak up and be a voice for the voiceless,” she said.
Hoge said the county organization has not endorsed in the race.
Former City Councilmember Mike Bonin, who represented Pacific Palisades until 2024, said Pratt and Trump have many similarities.
“If you look at the model of who he is as candidate, it’s similar to Trump: the reality television background; his most visible communication presence is on Twitter, just as Trump’s was. And he’s sort of developing a candidacy around frustration and blowing the system up, just like Trump did,” Bonin said.
Bonin said Pratt’s entry into the race could be “perilous” for Bass.
The mayor has also tried to tie Pratt to Trump, seeking to position herself as the anti-MAGA candidate in a deep blue city.
“Donald Trump and Spencer Pratt are cut from the same cloth — two Republican, reality star villains running with MAGA backing, spewing disinformation and misinformation to create profit and division. Good luck with that in Los Angeles,” said DougHerman, a spokesperson for Bass’ campaign.
Candidates will be judged by the people they associate with, Bonin added.
“Show me who you walk with and I’ll tell you who you are,” said Bonin, who is executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.
Rick Caruso, a former Republican who registered as a Democrat when he ran against Bass in 2022, has tried to distance himself from Trump. Caruso said during his mayoral campaign that he never supported Trump for president or donated to his campaigns.
Caruso, a billionaire developer who is considering a run for either mayor or governor, said he hadn’t spoken with Pratt in months but that he was glad the social media influencer was joining the race.
“I think it’s great [that Pratt is running],” Caruso said. “I think the more people that actively get in government service the better.”
Pratt did not respond to multiple texts requesting comment. A member of his team said he is “currently embargoed from doing interviews because of other projects that were previously in play before he announced.”
A campaign staffer did not specify what the other projects were and said Pratt would be able to speak in early February.
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State of play
— A YEAR OF FIRES: A year after two of the most destructive wildfires in California history erupted just hours apart, survivors marked the day in Altadena and Pacific Palisades with a mixture of anger and somber remembrance.
— ENTER PRATT: Spencer Pratt announced his candidacy for mayor of Los Angeles on the anniversary of the Palisades fire. Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag, lost their home in the fire. Since then, the reality TV personality has become a vocal critic of Bass and Newsom.
— WATERED DOWN: LAFD Chief Jaime Mooreadmitted Tuesday that his department’s after-action report on the Palisades fire was watered down to shield top brass from scrutiny.
—REPORT ANDREFINE: The head of the Los Angeles Fire Commission said Tuesday that a “working draft” of the after-action report was sent to the mayor’s office for “refinements” before it was published last October. She added that in her long career in civic roles, she had learned that words like “refinements” could mean troubling changes to a government report, made for the purpose of hiding facts.
— FINAL ADDRESS: In his final State of the State address, Newsom shifted from the problem-solving posture that defined his early years in office to a more declarative accounting of California’s achievements, casting the state as a counterweight to dysfunction in Washington.
— KILLINGS PLUMMET: There were 230 homicides in Los Angeles in 2025, according to the LAPD. That was a 19% drop from 2024 and the fewest the city has seen since 1966, when the population was 30% smaller.
— MAYORAL MOVES: Bass spokesperson Clara Karger is leaving the mayor’s office and heading to public affairs firm Fiona Hutton & Associates. Karger was with Bass’ team for nearly three years. Her departure comes months after Bass’ deputy mayor for communications Zach Seidl left. Seidl was replaced by Amanda Crumley.
— LA|DC|NYC: Anna Bahr, who worked as a deputy press secretary for former Mayor Eric Garcetti and then ran communications for Sen. Bernie Sanders, is headed to the Big Apple to run communications for newly elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
QUICK HITS
Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature program brought Angelenos inside in Skid Row and South Los Angeles this week. The program also partnered with Project Street Vet to provide veterinary care — including vaccines, medications and check ups — to nearly 30 pets belonging to Inside Safe participants, the mayor’s office said.
On the docket next week: The City Council’s Committee on Public Works will get updates on the city’s graffiti abatement program as well as the city’s efforts to address illegal dumping and to repair pot holes.
Stay in touch
That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to LAontheRecord@latimes.com. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.
FOUR major UK airports have rung in the new year by hiking their drop-off fees.
Nearly all UK airports now charge for kiss and fly parking following Newcastle airport scrapping its free drop-off policy in December.
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New year, new charges as four major UK airports raise drop-off fees within the first week of 2026Credit: GettyLondon City has introduced its first-ever drop-off charge, setting an £8 fee for up to five minutes and £1 for each additional minute to a 10-minute maximumCredit: Getty
These include London City Airport, which has introduced a fee for the first time from 2026 – setting an £8 charge for up to five minutes with each additional minute costing £1 until a maximum stay of 10 minutes is reached.
The airport, based in the Royal Docks area of East London, said the measure is intended to maintain efficient access for all users, with Blue Badge holders and black cabs exempt.
Gatwick, the country’s second-busiest airport after Heathrow, became the most expensive for drop-offs by increasing its 10-minute fee from £7 to £10, having only raised it to £7 in May last year.
It attributed the rise to higher costs, including business rates that have more than doubled.
At the moment, councils usually have to use a Traffic Regulation Order – a slow, complicated legal process often limited to one street at a time.
But under the new approach, they will be able to bring in area-wide bans more easily and can also allow sensible exemptions where a bit of pavement parking helps traffic flow on narrow streets.
Gatwick becomes the UK’s most expensive airport for drop-offs, lifting its 10-minute fee from £7 to £10Credit: GettyHeathrow raises its drop-off fee from £6 to £7 on New Year’s Day and imposes a strict 10-minute rule in its forecourt areasCredit: GettyBristol Airport pushes its drop-off prices to £8.50 for up to 10 minutes, with stays of 10 to 20 minutes climbing from £9 to £10.50Credit: Getty
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread.
This week’s second caption reads:
NANTWICH, ENGLAND – MAY 24: A general view inside the former RAF Hack Green secret nuclear bunker on May 24, 2023 in Nantwich, England. Hack Green played a central role in the defence of Britain for almost sixty years. It was chosen during WW2 to protect the land between Birmingham and Liverpool from hostile attack and as a location for the new RADAR equipment. The bunker went on to be used for shelter and protection during the Cold War. As relations between East and West thawed many of the UK’s nuclear bunkers were sold off. The Secret Bunker is now privately owned by the Siebert family and is run as a museum trust. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Also, a reminder:
Prime Directives!
If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you.
If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else.
No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like.
Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see.
So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on.
Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard.
Despite playing in only 14 games, Adams finished with 60 catches for 789 yards and an NFL-best 14 touchdown catches, becoming the first player to lead the league in touchdown receptions with three different teams.
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The Rams are looking to avenge their loss in Carolina earlier this season with a win over the Panthers in the NFC wild-card playoffs.
In 2020, with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, Adams caught 18 touchdown passes for the Green Bay Packers. In 2022, with Derek Carr at quarterback, he caught 14 touchdown passes for the Las Vegas Raiders. And this season, Adams achieved the feat by catching nearly a third of quarterback Matthew Stafford’s league-leading 46 touchdown passes.
“He’s in rarefied air,” coach Sean McVay said of Adams.
McVay sensed the possibilities when he aggressively pursued Adams to replace Cooper Kupp, and the Rams signed the three-time All-Pro to a two-year contract that included $26 million in guarantees.
Adams, 33, has been an upgrade, especially when the Rams have the ball close to the goal line. His 117 career touchdown catches are the most among active players, and seventh all time.
With Stafford sitting out all of training camp because of a back issue, it took the two veterans a third of the season to establish a consistent connection. Adams broke out with three touchdowns in a Week 7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
“We struggled to hit on a few things early in the season,” Stafford said, “to where he was absolutely dominating people in the red zone.”
Or, as offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur put it: “Once it clicked, it just clicked.”
Adams, 6 feet 1 and 204 pounds, said he has possessed “a nose for the end zone,” since his college days at Fresno State.
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 23.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
His ability to separate from defenders becomes especially acute and effective in the tighter space near the goal line. But dominating near and in the end zone goes beyond physical moves.
“It’s understanding how to communicate with the quarterback, and knowing what he sees and being able to react,” Adams said.
Adams’ skills benefit other Rams receivers as well.
“It’s been an advantage for everybody else in our offense, knowing where the defense is trying to land and trying to stop every cut they can from No. 17 and the opportunities are given to everybody else,” said Puka Nacua, who led the league with 129 catches.
Adams played through a hamstring issue for much of the season before he went down while running a route against the Lions. The injury might have been worse, Adams said, if he attempted to “push through” to catch the ball rather than collapsing to the turf.
“Me bailing out of it right there,” he said, “I think I saved it a little bit.”
The first few days after an injury are a mental challenge because “you’re feeling sorry for yourself,” Adams said. But the realization that he remained a role model for younger receivers helped him work through the anguish.
“I still have to be there for them, being strong for the team, being present and finding a way to still include myself in things and be helpful,” he said.
Adams’ presence and personality also has influenced players on the Rams’ defense.
Edge rusher Jared Verse, a third-year pro and noted trash talker, said he initially was wary of teasing Adams.
“I won’t lie,” Verse said, “if you go against Davante, you have to be ready because he’s going to have something crazy to say back.
“You have to be prepared for it.”
Now Adams is preparing for his seventh playoff appearance, his first since the 2021 season. In 11 postseason games, all with the Packers, he caught 72 passes, eight for touchdowns.
Adams has played in four NFC championship games but is still searching for his first Super Bowl victory.
“We have bigger goals in mind than to just survive the first round of the playoffs,” he said.
How quickly Adams and Stafford can establish their connection remains to be seen.
Adams said a few weeks off would not “deteriorate the success and the growth” they experienced during the season.
“We’ve put in the work and we understand each other a lot better than what we did when we first started the season,” he said. “Hopefully that takes care of that.”
Stafford is not concerned.
“I just have to put it in the ballpark,” he said, “and let him go do his thing.”
In some ways, it was just another campaign coffee: Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner in a roomful of voters talking about his career and life accomplishments.
But this was no ordinary meet-and-greet. Beutner was standing inside a partially rebuilt house — with no doors, no windows and no drywall — in an area leveled by the Palisades fire. In the living room, about a dozen people spoke about what they had been through, from the frantic evacuation to the sight of smoldering ruins to the battle to get rebuilding permits.
Allison Holdorff Polhill, who owns the home, introduced Beutner — a former L.A. school superintendent — as the civic leader she would turn to first in a crisis.
“We were in the worst disaster that L.A. has ever experienced,” she told the group. “And we needed a leader that has experience with disasters and emergencies.”
The catastrophic Palisades fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead, has redefined the L.A. mayor’s race, expanding the field of candidates and creating a political minefield for Karen Bass as she seeks a second four-year term.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at a City Hall ceremony where flags are lowered to half-staff to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Palisades and Eaton fires.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
When the fire broke out on Jan. 7, 2025, Bass drew criticism for being in Ghana on a diplomatic mission. Once she returned, she was at odds with her fire chief and unsteady in her public appearances.
More recently, she has faced scrutiny over her handling of the recovery, as well as fire officials’ watering down of an after-action report that was supposed to identify mistakes in the firefighting effort.
The Times found that LAFD officials failed to fully pre-deploy engines to the Palisades amid forecasts of dangerously high winds and that a battalion chief ordered firefighters to leave the scene of a Jan. 1 blaze, even though it wasn’t fully extinguished. That fire rekindled a week later to become the Palisades fire.
Fernando Guerra, a political science professor at Loyola Marymount University, said he expects the disaster will be the No. 1 issue in the June 2 mayoral primary, resonating with voters well beyond Pacific Palisades.
To wage a competitive campaign, each of Bass’ challengers will need to make the fire and its aftermath “a reflection of what’s wrong with city government,” he said.
“It really does reflect on the readiness of the city, the responsiveness of the city, how is government working at the most basic level,” said Guerra, who also runs the Center for the Study of Los Angeles.
So far, Bass’ major challengers are embracing that strategy.
Beutner, who ran the L.A. Unified School District early in the pandemic, has accused Bass of failing to take responsibility for the city’s failures before and after the fire. On Monday, appearing with fire victims in Pacific Palisades, he called on the mayor to form a citizens commission to examine what went wrong.
Rae Huang, a community organizer who is challenging the mayor from the left, has expressed disappointment in what she called Bass’ “finger-pointing” — a reference to the mayor’s criticism, and ouster, of Fire Chief Kristin Crowley last year.
Then there’s reality TV star Spencer Pratt, an outspoken Bass critic, who launched a campaign rooted in his fury over the city’s handling of the fire — and the loss of his family’s home in the flames.
“I’ve waited a whole year for someone to step up and challenge Karen Bass, but I saw no fighters,” Pratt said in a social media post Wednesday. “Guess I’m gonna have to do this myself.”
Reality TV star Spencer Pratt, second from right, announced on Wedneday that he is running for mayor. He is suing the city over its handling of the Palisades fire, which destroyed his home in Pacific Palisades.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Still unclear is whether two formidable public figures will jump in — L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and real estate developer Rick Caruso, who lost to Bass in 2022. On Wednesday, Caruso said he will decide in the next couple of weeks whether he will run for mayor or governor.
Asked whether he might stay out of both races, Caruso responded: “I think that option is pretty much off the table now.”
As the city marked the one-year anniversary of the fires this week, Bass mostly kept a low profile, addressing the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club over the weekend and joining a private vigil at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine.
While Pratt and hundreds of demonstrators were staging a “They Let Us Burn” rally in the Palisades, Bass stood solemnly outside City Hall as police officers lowered flags to half-staff. Bass spoke about grief and loss, but also the fact that more than 400 homes are being rebuilt.
“You see signs of hope everywhere,” she told the crowd.
Bass’ political team has taken a tougher approach, accusing her most outspoken critics — including Pratt, who is releasing a book later this month — of exploiting the disaster for political or even financial gain.
“For the first time ever we saw a major wildfire politicized by MAGA leaders and monetized by social influencers making tens of thousands of dollars per month and hawking books on the backs of a devastated community,” Bass campaign strategist Doug Herman said in a statement.
For much of the past year, Bass has faced criticism over the Fire Department’s deployment decisions and its failure to put out the Jan. 1 fire. She also has taken hits over the recovery, with residents saying she has not delivered on promises to waive permit fees for rebuilding homes lost in the fire.
Now, the focus has turned to a new and unsettling question: Did the city undermine its own effort to assess the Fire Department’s mistakes?
The Times reported last month that LAFD officials made changes to the after-action report that were so significant that its author, Battalion Chief Kenneth Cook, declined to endorse it.
“The fact that [Cook] is not willing to sponsor, or support, or endorse the report says a hell of a lot about the fact that there is no trust and clear leadership,” Huang said.
Bass told The Times on Wednesday that she did not work with the Fire Department on changes to the report, nor did the agency consult her about any changes.
L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath speaks at a rally in support of the county’s emergency rent relief program to help households who have lost income because of federal immigration enforcement.
(Al Seib / For The Times)
Horvath, who is running for a second four-year term as county supervisor, has also ripped the city over the report, saying wildfire victims feel “gaslit” — and deserve answers.
The supervisor, whose sprawling district includes the Palisades burn area, said she has been hearing from people asking her to run for mayor. She said she would prefer to continue in county office. But she voiced concern about the city’s future — not just its handling of the wildfire, but also the budget, the homelessness crisis and the delivery of basic services.
“I think people are hungry for a different kind of leadership,” she told The Times.
Pacific Palisades has not been a political stronghold for Bass. Although she won her 2022 race against Caruso by a 10-point margin, she trailed him by double digits in the Palisades.
Like many people across the region, the major mayoral candidates were directly impacted by the January fires or have family who lost homes — or both.
Beutner’s home was severely damaged in the Palisades fire, forcing him to live elsewhere for the past year. His mother-in-law’s home, also in the Palisades, was completely destroyed.
Bass has spoken repeatedly about her brother, whose Malibu home was destroyed in the Palisades fire. Huang’s 53-year-old cousin lost her Altadena home in the Eaton fire. Pratt, who is suing the city over the Palisades fire, said on social media that the flames consumed not just his home but also one owned by his parents.
Caruso, still a candidate-in-waiting, managed to save Palisades Village, the shopping center he opened in 2018, in part by securing his own private firefighting crew. But the inferno nevertheless destroyed the homes of his son and daughter, who are 26 and 29.
Real estate developer Rick Caruso on Wednesday unveils an installation in Pacific Palisades with three beams of light to mark the one-year anniversary of the fires.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
On the night the fire broke out, Caruso voiced his fury on live television about empty fire hydrants and the overall lack of water to douse the flames. Since then, he has offered a steady stream of criticism about the rebuilding process, including the mayor’s decision not to select a replacement for Steve Soboroff, who served 90 days as her recovery czar.
Caruso has spoken favorably in recent weeks about a few aspects of the recovery, including the reopening of classrooms and the quick removal of fire debris. He credited L.A. Unified and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, respectively, for those accomplishments — not the city.
“Frankly, the bright spots are under the leadership of other people,” he told The Times.
Beutner has been equally blunt. At last month’s campaign coffee, he said the city needs to convene a citizen panel similar to the Christopher Commission, which was formed weeks after the 1991 police beating of Rodney King. The panel assessed the LAPD’s handling of discipline, misconduct complaints, excessive force by officers and other issues.
“If you have a tragedy, you have public hearings, you have leaders who are empaneled with the money they need to ask tough questions of everybody — the mayor, her staff, the acting mayor, police, fire” and the Department of Water and Power, Beutner told the group. “What did you do, and what would you have done differently?”
Clara Karger, a spokesperson for Bass, said the city is already participating in a state investigation, which is being overseen by the Fire Safety Research Institute, into the Palisades and Eaton fires.
On top of that, she said, the fire department is commissioning an independent investigation into its response to the Jan. 1 fire that reignited into the Palisades fire. That blaze, known as the Lachman fire, was mentioned only briefly in the department’s after-action report.
“Mayor Bass wants all the information to ensure accountability and to continue implementing needed reforms, many of which are already underway from LAFD,” Karger said.
CBS News named veteran anchor and correspondent Adriana Diaz and business journalist Kelly O’Grady as the new co-hosts for “CBS Saturday Morning.”
The duo will officially start this week, the division announced Friday. The previous long-time co-hosts, Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, were let go in a wave of company-wide staff reductions in October.
The cuts and changes at the weekend program were in the works before Bari Weiss arrived to begin her role as editor-in-chief of CBS News earlier that month.
Weiss has generated controversy and bad publicity for the network with her last-minute decision to pull a “60 Minutes” story on the Trump administration’s treatment of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants who were deported to El Salvador. Critics have also been less than impressed with the revamp of “CBS Evening News” which began this week with new anchor Tony Dokoupil.
Diaz and O’Grady will also alternate as co-hosts of “CBS Mornings 24/7,” the daily program on the CBS News streaming platform, working alongside featured host Vladimir Duthiers.
Diaz has been with CBS News since 2012. She has served as a China-based correspondent covering Asia, and later reported from Chicago. Her last anchor role was on “CBS Mornings Plus,” a short-lived one-hour program that followed “CBS Mornings” in several markets, including Los Angeles.
Diaz, 42, also had a stint as anchor of “CBS Weekend News.” She is a frequent fill-in for “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. Internally, Diaz is considered a possible successor to King who is in the final year of her contract with CBS News.
O’Grady, 34, is a recent addition to CBS joined the network in 2024 as a correspondent for its MoneyWatch unit where she reported on the economy. She had been a correspondent and fill-in anchor at Fox Business.
In addition to her co-host role, O’Grady will continue to cover business, technology and the economy for the network.
