IF you thought that ditching long-haul holiday for destinations closer to home will save you money, you’re wrong.
Majorca is just a few hours from the UK and a trusted holiday spot – but in some cases it’s actually cheaper to go to the Caribbean.
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It’s cheaper for Brits to go to the Dominican Republic than MajorcaCredit: Getty ImagesThe island of Majorca has all-inclusive holidays in August from £953ppCredit: Alamy
The Spanish island has always been a top holiday destination, with two million British tourists going there every year.
It’s not hard to see why – the flight is short at around two and a half hours long, it’s got great weather and lots of pretty beaches.
But if you want to get more bang for your buck, you might want to look elsewhere – like the Caribbean.
In some cases, a two-week holiday to the Dominican Republic came in cheaper than a one-week break to Majorca.
This was highlighted by Pedro Fiol, the president of the Aviba association of travel agencies in the Balearics.
Talking to Majorca Daily on behalf of Spanish citizens, he said: “At certain times of the year it is more affordable to spend 15 days in the Caribbean than to enjoy a week in our own country.”
He continued to add: “For one of the most popular weeks of the year, around August 15, this can cost some €2,300 (£2,000) per person.
“In contrast, for the same dates a trip to the Caribbean, for example to Punta Cana (Dominican Republic), for14 nights in five-star all-inclusive hotelscan be found for around €2,250 (£1,957) per person.”
While Pedro Fiol highlighted the expense for Spanish citizens to go on holiday in their own country – the same applies for Brits heading there too.
Looking at the likes of TUI, a one-week all-inclusive in Majorca during the week of August 17, 2026 can be as high as £3,793per person.
To have an all-inclusive break on the seafront – in similar looking locations to the Dominican Republic – you can book a break from £1,921 per person.
This is for a seven-night all-inclusive stay at the Iberostar Selection Albufera Playa departing on August 15, 2026, which has multiple swimming pools and beach access.
Meanwhile, 14-day all-inclusive to Bahia Principe Explore La Romana in the Dominican Republic departing on August 17, 2026, works out at £1,832 per person.
The Bahia Principe Explore La Romana has everything from multiple swimming pools to bars, a kids’ club and five on-site restaurants.
Overall the trip to the Dominican Republic is £89 cheaper – and you get to stay for twice as long.
At a day-rate, the break to the Dominican Republic resort works out at £130pppn, and the one in Majorca is £274pppn.
A one-week all-inclusive in Majorca in August 17, 2026 starts from £953per personCredit: TUI
Here are some of our favourite Caribbean holidays…
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Hotel Capriccio Mare, Dominican Republic
Facing the calm, crystal waters of the Caribbean Sea, Hotel Capriccio Mare looks like a bright white island villa. The hotel’s position on Bavaro’s coastline is perfect for exploring the popular resort town of Punta Cana. Whether it’s strolling the sands to grab a fresh coconut with a straw, or venturing out on a catamaran trip to Saona Island, this dreamy Caribbean resort is not one to miss.
This friendly, family-run hotel is a slice of Caribbean paradise. This hotel sits smak-bang on a sugar-white beach with warm turquoise waters. Enjoy both the beaches of Barbados and its plethora of rum bars – there are about 1,500 of them on the island.
Set on the quiet side of St Kitts’ Frigate Bay, the boutique Sugar Bay Club offers superb value and wonderful views of the Atlantic Ocean. Staff are on hand to assist with island tours, from catamaran cruises to scenic railway excursions.
Amazing Antigua has 365 beaches – one for every day of the year – as well as a fascinating history. This resort in Falmouth Harbour is perfect for exploring the beautiful local area, including Pigeon Point, Nelson’s Dockyard and English Harbour.
Bahia Principe Explore La Romana in the Dominican Republic is much cheaperCredit: Unknown
All-inclusive breaks to Majorca don’t have to be that expensive though – with TUI they start from £953 per person.
At this price you can stay for seven-nights at the Hotel Stil Picafort Park which has an adults-only pool, to entertainment like cabaret and comedy performances as well as bars and a restaurants.
It has four-stars and includes return flights to London Gatwick departing on August 17, 2026.
But, it still works out cheaper to go to the Caribbean island though by £6 a day.
The Dominican Republic is one of the cheapest Caribbean islands, so it’s fairly inexpensive to explore when you get there too.
The average price of coffee in the Dominican Republic is £1.54 and a meal at an inexpensive restaurant can start from as little as £4.96, according to Wise.
In Majorca, a coffee can be as much as £3.04 with a meal ranging from £26 to £43.
The flight to the Dominican Republic is, of course, longer, taking on average nine hours and 15 minutes.
But you can expect better weather all year round too – even its coldest month, the average low is 23C.
Canto de la Playa in the Dominican Repubic is one of the world’s best beachesCredit: Alamy Stock Photo
One of the world’s best is Canto de la Playa which is found on Saona Island and is considered ‘one of the Caribbean‘s best-kept secrets’.
It’s been described as having noticeably soft sand with calm waters for swimmers and vibrant coral reefs just offshore.
Saona Island is found off the southeastern tip of the Dominican Republic and forms part of the East National Park which is known for its mangroves coral reefs and palm-fringed beaches.
In the waters around the island, visitors can expect to see sea turtles, dolphins and even humpback whales.
April 14 (UPI) — A budget resolution to fund federal immigration enforcement could hit the Senate floor by next week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday, as Republicans seek to bypass Democratic demands for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.
Federal funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol lapsed on Feb. 14 after Republicans agreed with the Democrats to remove the Department of Homeland Security from a larger spending package and avert a government shutdown.
Neither agency has been funded through regular DHS appropriations since, though they continue operating through other, emergency funding.
Democrats began demanding reforms to the federal immigration enforcement agencies before agreeing to restore funding after two U.S. citizens were killed by federal immigration officers amid President Donald Trump‘s aggressive immigration crackdown.
Amid a stalemate in negotiations, Republicans are considering passing three years of funding for the agencies through a complicated legislative mechanism called a budget reconciliation bill that permits certain spending legislation to pass with a simple majority rather than 60 votes, Thune told reporters Tuesday in the Capitol.
“Republicans are going to stand with our Border Patrol, with our law enforcement agencies and we’re going to ensure that they are funded, not only today but well into the future,” Thune, R-S.D., said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is preparing the resolution to fund the agencies that will be followed by the reconciliation bill “to ensure the job gets done,” he said.
Democrats have blocked funding for ICE and Border Patrol until reforms — including requiring judicial warrants and banning officers from wearing masks — are made, but the reconciliation bill tactic could ensure funding without any votes from Democratic lawmakers.
The same tactic was used last year to pass Trump’s sweeping spending and tax cut bill, which provided $75 billion for ICE.
“All of the things that the Democrats made this about, which was supposed to be about reforms to the way that ICE and Border Patrol operate — they get none of that,” Thune said.
“And now, we’re going to fund those agencies for three years into the future. The only thing the Democrats got out of this was they now own the issue of open borders and defund law enforcement.”
Republicans hold a narrow 53-47 majority in the Senate, with two independents caucusing with the Democrats, as well as a 218-213 majority in the House.
The Senate has twice passed bipartisan bills to fund DHS aside from ICE and Border Patrol, which the House has balked at. Democrats blame the Trump administration’s influence on the lower chamber.
“Republicans are dragging the Senate through a partisan circus just to avoid basic accountability for ICE and Border Patrol,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters at the Capitol during a separate press conference on Tuesday.
He said Democrats will continue to push for immigration enforcement reforms.
“So, the pattern, unfortunately, with this administration is clearer and clearer,” the veteran New York Democrat said. “Chaos abroad — the war; chaos at home with not funding DHS with reforms. A failed war overseas, a manufactured crisis here in Washington — in both cases Republicans aren’t leading, they are following orders.”
The Walt Disney Co. has begun a broad round of layoffs, which will result in 1,000 jobs being cut across multiple divisions within the Burbank entertainment giant.
The layoffs, which began Tuesday, will ripple across Disney’s television and movie studios, sports giant ESPN, its product and technology unit, corporate functions and marketing, according to a person familiar with the retrenchment but not authorized to comment.
Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro notified Disney staff members about the looming cuts on Tuesday morning. In the message, viewed by The Times, D’Amaro acknowledged the elimination of roles would be difficult.
The move follows Disney’s announcement in January that it would consolidate Disney’s sprawling marketing division.
“Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney,” D’Amaro said in the note.
“Given the fast-moving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs,” D’Amaro wrote. “As a result, we will be eliminating roles in some parts of the company and have begun notifying impacted employees.”
After officially taking the reins, D’Amaro told employees he wants the company — which includes film and TV studios, a tourism division, streaming services and live sports programming — to operate as “one Disney,” saying the global businesses all play a role in deepening consumers’ relationship with the brand and its characters.
Traditional entertainment companies have been reeling from the steady erosion of what was once an economic pillar — programming fees from ESPN, Disney Channel and other popular outlets.
Disney erased at least 8,000 jobs after D’Amaro’s predecessor, Bob Iger, returned for his second stint as CEO in November 2022. Iger determined that Disney was cranking out too many TV shows and made-for-streaming movies, many of which didn’t live up to the company’s high standards of quality and diluted its blockbuster franchises.
This year, the company has been centralizing its operations, including folding its marketing for entertainment, sports and experiences into a single division that reports to Asad Ayaz, its chief marketing officer.
The streamlining is a way to reduce expenses and better organize a sometimes confusing reporting structure.
“Despite these difficult decisions, I remain optimistic about where we’re headed as a company,” D’Amaro said in Tuesday’s note.
“Compassion and respect remain at the heart of our company,” D’Amaro wrote. “As we move forward through this transition, our priority is to support those impacted and help each person navigate what comes next with resources, guidance, and direct support.”
“I’m deeply grateful for all of your contributions and for the dedication, professionalism, and care you bring to your work each day,” D’Amaro said. “Even in challenging moments, you continue to demonstrate what makes Disney so special.”
It has been just one day at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, and there’s already a palpable sense of relief in the air.
Attendance at this year’s show is up about 5% from last year, according to Cinema United, the trade group that organizes the four-day convocation of thousands of movie theater owners, studio executives and industry folks at Caesars Palace.
Groups of people wearing orange-colored lanyards are everywhere throughout the hotel and casino, with many filling the Colosseum on Monday afternoon for a presentation from specialty film companies Angel Studios, Sony Pictures Classics and StudioCanal.
“The energy in every room reflected a sector that believes deeply in its own future,” said Stephanie Silverman, owner of the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville who serves on Cinema United’s strategic planning committee. “For independents, that sense of collective purpose is powerful — we’re not just holding on, we’re building toward something real and lasting.”
Amid such upbeat sentiment, CinemaCon allows theater owners and their business partners to see what’s coming from each studio and get a snapshot of the year ahead.
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On Monday, Provo, Utah-based Angel Studios showed footage from their upcoming film “Young Washington,” about the early life of the first U.S. president, as well as a trailer from an animated retelling of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm.”
“Theatrical isn’t fragile,” Shelley Schulz, vice president of domestic theatrical sales and exhibitor strategy at Angel Studios, said during the presentation. “It’s not fading. It’s evolving.”
European indie film studio StudioCanal also unveiled some of its upcoming films, including scenes from a new animated “Shaun the Sheep” movie that got laughs from the audience, before bringing out director Danny Boyle to applause and cheers to speak about his new film “Ink,” about the beginnings of the British tabloid “The Sun.”
Later this week, Warner Bros., Universal, Amazon MGM, Paramount and Disney will unveil footage from their upcoming releases and likely bring their major stars on-stage to build excitement about this year’s slate.
As I reported Monday, a string of recent hits like Amazon MGM Studios’ “Project Hail Mary” and Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Illumination’s “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” have pushed year-to-date domestic box office revenue about 23% higher than the same time last year.
The upswing signals that the exhibition business is embarking on its long-awaited recovery from the devastating downturn that occurred in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Studio executives and theater operators chalk up the improved prospects in part to a better and more plentiful crop of bankable movies that are bringing people back to the multiplex.
Exhibitors feel better about the lineup this year — it’s full of major franchises like “Star Wars” and Marvel superheroes as well as well-known animated titles such as “Toy Story 5” and “Minions & Monsters.” Also coming are anticipated films from acclaimed directors Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg.
“We’re getting into that cadence we needed in terms of having good movies, different types of movies being released every weekend,” Cinépolis USA Chief Executive Luis Olloqui told me ahead of CinemaCon. “This year in general, we’re feeling more confident, more optimistic.”
It’s quite the turnaround from the anxiety I heard last year leading into CinemaCon, when theater owners grappled with the box office downturn and the general shakiness of the industry.
Not to say that this year is all roses.
As I wrote, there are still major question marks facing the industry, including how Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery will affect the business. Paramount Chief Executive David Ellison has said the combined company will release 30 films a year, but exhibitors fear that cost cuts from the deal could impede that goal, which many believe is unrealistic.
And Hollywood is still going through a painful retrenchment.
Just last week, Sony Pictures Entertainment said it would cut hundreds of jobs across its film, TV and corporate divisions. Then came the news about upcoming layoffs at Disney, which could number as many as 1,000.
It hasn’t been much better in the exhibition space, either. In February, Dallas-based Look Dine-In Cinemas abruptly closed three Southern California locations; then, in March, the iPic chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it planned to pursue a sale of its assets.
A better box office this year wouldn’t solve all of these problems, but it would inject more hope into an industry that has been in turmoil since the pandemic.
That amount “represents one of the highest golden parachute estimates ever observed,” investor advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services wrote in a recent report. The firm said support for the proposal “is not warranted.”
Warner shareholders will vote April 23 on the proposed takeover.
What I’m watching
For years, one of the shows on my weekly must-watch list is “Ghosts,” the delightful comedy about a couple who moves into a historic mansion haunted by its previous inhabitants. After a long week, the antics of Viking ghost Thorfinn always make me laugh.
Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where it’s finally the postseason.
The Lakers begin the playoffs Saturday against the Houston Rockets, a team that a month ago looked like one of the most vulnerable playoff targets in the West. Now the tables have turned. The Lakers, without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, are the team everyone wanted to see in the first round. They’re shorthanded. They’re vulnerable. But they’re not giving up.
“All season people have counted us out and all we season we have continued to show why we belong here and that we really don’t care what people say,” guard Marcus Smart said. “And that’s us. That’s who we are and I think it shows with our two guys down and the way we finished the season and the miles we had going into the playoffs.”
One player on this team has significantly more miles on his tread, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from watching him race down the court for another crowd-pleasing dunk.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Thuc Nhi Nguyen’s weekly newsletter.
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The crown still fits
LeBron James chuckled at the suggestion. He smiled before the question was done.
How does he feel like he’s handled the shift back to the being the Lakers’ primary option?
“What’s wrong with you, man?” James said with a smile.
He’s not new to this. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is taking back the reins as the Lakers’ No. 1 playmaker and steering the team straight into the postseason.
Since Doncic and Reaves were injured, James has averaged 25.5 points, 11 assists, 6.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals, finishing the season with an exclamation point against the Utah Jazz: 18 points, six assists and three steals in less than 17 minutes Sunday. A month after acknowledging and adjusting to life as the world’s most accomplished third fiddle, James was named Western Conference player of the week Monday, the 70th such honor of his career.
“He had not a good season, not a great [season],” Lakers coach JJ Redick said, “he had a remarkable season, all things considered.”
Like the wine he’s cut out of his diet, James is aging just fine. After sitting out of the first 14 games, James played in 60 of the final 68. Even though he often joked that at his age he was questionable for every game, he averaged 23.3 points in his six appearances playing with zero days of rest, shooting 58% from the field with 8.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds per game. It was more points than he averaged on one or two days’ rest.
With Doncic orchestrating most of the Lakers’ offense, James found a different way to thrive. The 41-year-old led the league with 5.7 fast-break points per game.
Of James’ 919 total made field goals, 97 were dunks. The 11.2% was tied for the largest percentage of dunks in a season in his career. It was nearly a decade ago — 2016-17 — that he dunked this often. More than 20% of his made field goals are dunks, the most of any season in his career.
“I think there’s an enjoyment level that I think he gets from making highlight plays and it feeds into it with the crowd,” Redick said. “I think that’s just part of it. The other part of it is, for him, I think he recognizes that’s one of the ways that he can really impact winning on our team. And so he’s taken [the] responsibility of, like, ‘I’m going to be the best transition player in the NBA,’ and he has been.”
James’ ruthlessness in transition set the tone for teammates, who couldn’t be seen moving slower than someone who is closer to their father’s age than theirs.
“If we see him run down, he beats us down the court, that’s not a good thing,” center Jaxson Hayes said. “So I feel like I got to get down there when I see him start going.”
The 22-time All-Star is now leading more than just a fast break for the Lakers. The team experienced an emotional hangover after the regular season-ending injuries to Reaves and Doncic. The Lakers needed more than just points from James to cure their woes.
He delivered by locking in against Golden State, being vocal during the team’s pregame meeting and showing the trademark determination that teammates can’t help but follow. It sparked a three-game winning streak to finish the regular season that James punctuated with several soaring dunks against the Jazz.
“You have no idea how much I have a respect for him,” forward Rui Hachimura said. “It’s his Year 26 or 27, or whatever the hell it is. He’s still playing the last game of the season against the team that, they’re not trying to win. We really appreciate that.”
Smart moves
Marcus Smart
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
He’s not Doncic. He’s not Reaves. But Smart’s return to the Lakers’ lineup is still significant in time for the playoffs.
The guard played the final two games of the regular season after missing what felt like the longest, three-week, nine-game stretch in basketball history. Scrambling on the floor next to Maxi Kleber to find Jarred Vanderbilt for a cutting dunk against the Suns on Friday, Smart made the expected immediate defensive difference. But with 17 assists in two appearances, Smart flashed his ability to deliver in different ways on offense.
His timely return can ease the playmaking pressure on Luke Kennard, who filled in admirably in an emergency stretch with 31 assists in four games, and help handle the load next to James.
Smart is especially aware of the energy of his teammates. He is eager to reward centers for running the floor. He shovels the ball to teammates who are going through shooting slumps to prioritize scoring over his own. It’s not a coincidence that he fired two early passes to Deandre Ayton for dunks against the Jazz and Ayton finished with his first 20-point double-double in a month.
“Even post-Boston the last couple seasons he’s graded out well as a secondary playmaker,” Redick said of Smart. “So he’s been in that position before. He knows how to get other guys involved.”
Smart knows the pressure of the playoffs. He helped the Boston Celtics reach the NBA Finals in 2022, but hasn’t played in the postseason since he was traded in 2023. He missed it. So even if he’ll begin this postseason journey without two of his main teammates, Smart will relish this chance.
“It ain’t gonna be easy,” Smart said. “We all know it, but it’s gonna be fun, and we’re gonna enjoy this ride.”
On tap
Saturday vs. Rockets, 5:30 p.m.
Here we go, friends. Game 1 of the playoffs. In March, these teams played a two-game series in Houston that felt like a playoff preview, but circumstances have changed completely since Doncic’s clutch time brilliance led the Lakers to two key wins. The Lakers went 22-8 in games within five points in the last five minutes this season, but the Rockets had a 22-23 clutch time record, which ranked 16th in the NBA, the worst clutch-time winning percentage for any Western Conference playoff team.
Status report
Jaxson Hayes: left foot soreness
Hayes missed the past four games of the regular season. He was a late scratch before the game against Oklahoma City on April 7 and has remained day to day since.
Luka Doncic: left hamstring strain
After getting injections on his injured hamstring in Spain, Doncic will be back stateside by Friday but there is no timetable for his return to the lineup.
Austin Reaves: left oblique strain
Reaves is working hard to return this season but similar to Doncic, there’s no timeline for his comeback yet.
Favorite thing I ate this week
Lotus root kofta curry (left), paratha and duck confit biryani from Rasa in Burlingame, Calif.
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
On my way to San Francisco last week, my colleague Broderick Turner texted me to “find a good restaurant.” You don’t have to tell me twice.
I went straight from the airport to Rasa in Burlingame, which specializes in Southern Indian dishes. We explored the tasting menu, which offered two appetizers, a dosa and two entrees. We started with the rasa sliders, which were spiced potato fritters with a tamarind chutney and cilantro chutney, General Tso’s cauliflower, an Indian-Chinese crossover with a familiar spicy sauce. The dosa was filled with a tamarind-spiced potato masala with basil chutney, ginger, garlic and cilantro. It was my favorite dish of the night, but I was so consumed by eating it, I forgot to take a picture. The mains (pictured) were a vegan lotus root kofta curry and duck confit biryani. I could barely touch my entree because I was so full from the first two courses, but it made great leftovers for the morning after the game.
Rio Ngumoha (Liverpool): What a talent this kid is! Young, energetic, carefree. He is not afraid to go at his defender and makes something happen every single time. It was a wonderful goal. He just looks like a young kid having fun, which is the best part about his game.
Alex Scott (Bournemouth): After the England call-up, I thought Scott was a little bit off it and not really himself – maybe feeling a bit sorry for himself because he could not deliver for his national team. But he seems to have got his mojo back. Going up against Declan Rice, the thing you have to do is match his running and that’s what he did. He matched him physically – his intensity and tackles. And obviously a wonderful goal to cap off a wonderful performance.
Casemiro (Manchester United): Even though he was on the losing side, he was excellent against Leeds. I don’t know whether it’s because he is leaving at the end of the season but the pressure seems to be off him. Another goal would do him a lot of good. He was Man Utd’s biggest focal point in the attack and had one cleared off the line. He was very, very good.
Rayan Cherki (Manchester City): My favourite player in the Premier League. I am glad people are starting to see just how good a football player this guy is. Honestly, he is like Toy ‘R’ Us for adults – you get excited every time he is playing. Wonderful to watch, not only did he dominate the second half but he plays with a flair of ‘just pass me the ball and watch what I do’. His pass to Marc Guehi for the second goal, everyone is looking on the outside and he just does a little pass with the outside of the left foot. It’s simple when you’re talking about it, but to do it at that speed… He is honestly one of the best players in world football.
Noah Okafor (Leeds United): Two goals for him after putting in such a shift on that left-hand side. His double might have sealed Leeds staying in the Premier League, so fair play to him.
Beckham Borquez of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame suffered a spill during the running of the 110 high hurdles on Saturday night at the Arcadia Invitational.
Initially, he was more upset at himself for falling over one of the last hurdles and landing on the track. You could see skin on his shoulder was exposed after scrapping the track, but the real pain came from his hip.
He gathered himself, feeling frustrated, then rested on the infield turf waiting for an athletic trainer to arrive to offer assistance. Track coach Joe McNab was first to arrive to check on him. McNab quipped about being pre-med in college. Soon Borquez was seen walking off to get his shoulder bandaged.
I snapped a photo of him on the ground only to keep it as a reminder when he’s back winning races because that’s what he’s going to do, like getting back on a horse that you fall from, learning and succeeding next time.
He’s run 13.91 in the event, should be favorite to win the Mission League title on April 30, then take aim at a Southern Section title. High school athletes are tough and resilient, and that’s what he showed in his moment of misery.
“I’m pretty bruised,” he said Sunday morning. “I’m coming back.”
He got his shoulder taped and was sent home. He’s going through rehabilitation this week so he could be back for a dual meet and the Mt. SAC Invitational on Saturday.
“That’s the first time I’ve fallen in the 110,” he said. “It was tricky. I was moving fast, clipped the eighth hurdler and lost my balance. That’s never happened to me before.”
Have no fear, for Beckham has learned.
“These next two weeks, I’ll be on my redemption,” he said.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
So this is how we find out Justin Bieber is a YouTube Premium subscriber.
The 32-year-old teen-pop survivor headlined Coachella on Saturday night, and for roughly half an hour in the middle of his set, what Bieber did was sit behind a laptop and sing along to his old music videos — often an octave down from where he recorded them — as he searched up the songs on YouTube and played them over the festival’s state-of-the-art sound system.
YouTube Premium, that is, given that he (and we) faced no ads during the performance.
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Expectations were insanely high for this show — Bieber’s first large-scale concert after a few years he spent in the pop-star wilderness recovering from various health ailments of both the physical and mental variety.
Invite-only warm-up gigs he played over the last couple of weeks in L.A. led to widespread speculation that at Coachella he might play only material from last year’s “Swag” and “Swag II” comeback albums.
And indeed that’s what he did for the first half-hour or so, singing songs like “All I Can Take,” “Speed Demon” and “Butterflies” — and singing them with extreme precision — accompanied by prerecorded backing tracks; after that, he brought out Carter Lang and Dylan Wiggins — two of his closest “Swag” collaborators — to do more of the “Swag” material “up close and personal with you guys,” as he put it.
“This is a night I dreamed about for a long time,” he said, dressed in a red hoodie, shorts and Paddington-gone-Balenciaga rain boots.
Together the three did gorgeous Christian-youth-group white-soul renditions of “Things You Do” and “Glory” and “Everything Hallelujah,” the last of which Bieber used to shout out his wife, Hailey Baldwin, who was in the crowd and made herself available to Coachella’s roving cameras.
Then: “Feels like we gotta take you guys on a bit of a journey,” Bieber said. “You guys remember this song?”
That was his own cue for a YouTube deep dive — it started with “Baby” and included “Never Say Never” and “Beauty and a Beat” — that made you wonder about the unresolved trauma he’s still dealing with from his child-star days. (Second night in a row for that, by the way, after Sabrina Carpenter on Friday.)
“How far back do you go?” he asked the crowd at one point. “Are you really with the s—?”
Bieber went on to play much-memed videos of himself running into a revolving door and himself falling off a stage; that led to an unfortunate little digression about the paparazzi and their rapacious ways.
“These guys won’t leave you alone, bro,” he said before playing that famous video of the guy freaking out over the double rainbow.
The final portion of the show had Bieber doing “Yukon,” then “Devotion” with Dijon — the vocals! — then “Essence” with Tems and Wizkid.
“Tonight has been beautiful,” Bieber said before bringing out Mk.gee to close with “Daisies,” and he was right: This was a radical reframing of what a headlining Coachella performance is supposed to be, and I loved it.
Here’s a list of key deals reported across sectors this week:
Organon (OGN) climbed ~23% on Friday, on track to record its best-ever intraday rally after mediareportsfrom India indicated that Mumbai-based generic drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical
Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Alene Tchekmedyian, with an assist from Rebecca Ellis, giving you the latest on all things local government.
Last summer, the Los Angeles Fire Department enlisted a public relations firm to help shape the narrative around its response to the Palisades fire as it geared up to release its long-awaited after-action report.
The optics around the devastating fire hadn’t been good.
A Times investigation revealed that top LAFD officials failed to pre-deploy engines in Pacific Palisades, despite forecasts of dangerously high winds. Mayor Karen Bassousted the fire chief. The thousands of residents who lost their homes were growing increasingly angry. City and LAFD officials were concerned about how the report, which was intended to examine what mistakes the department made and how to avoid repeating them, would land.
“While we have a section that deals with press inquiries, media, and interview requests, they are not equipped to deal with what I call a ‘Crisis,’” LAFD Deputy Chief Kairi Brown wrote to the Lede Company in July.
The Times obtained the email and other materials this week through the California Public Records Act. Brown wrote in the email that his brother, Jay Brown, who co-founded the entertainment company Roc Nation with Jay-Z, recommended the firm.
At the time, LAFD’s public information director position was vacant, but a staff roster shows that two captains and four firefighters were assigned to the Community Liaison Office. The captains, Erik Scott and Adam Van Gerpen, each made more than $200,000 in overtime alone last year, on top of their roughly $200,000 base salaries, payroll data show.
Scott and Van Gerpen did not immediately respond to a question about what the overtime was for.
Fire officials also met with and considered another PR firm called Cielo Strategic Communications, but ultimately selected Lede for the job. Lede bills itself as a “full-service strategy, communications and social impact consulting firm,” with high-profile celebrity clients like Kerry Washington and Emma Stone, according to its website.
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, which calls itself “the official nonprofit arm of the LAFD” that provides “vital equipment and funds critical programs to help the LAFD save lives,” took care of the $65,000 bill.
The Times has described efforts by Bass and others to water down the after-action report. Lede’s role, according to internal documents, was to shield the LAFD and the mayor’s office from “reputational harm” associated with the report’s release.
Bass also was involved in media spin, with Scott writing in an Oct. 9 email that “any additional interviews with the Fire Chief would likely depend on the Mayor’s guidance.”
The documents obtained by The Times this week reveal that Lede embarked on “Media 101” training for interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva, including basic tips such as: “While reporters aren’t always out to get you, they’re not your friends either.”
“Tricks” that reporters use to get people talking, according to a Lede slideshow, include: “Speculate,” “Stir the pot,” “The long pause/silence” and “Act like your friend.”
Other advice from Lede: “Stay on message and don’t volunteer information that is not asked.” Don’t “offer information to fill the silence (this is a reporter tactic).”
The Lede Company previously declined to comment on its work for the LAFD, citing client confidentiality. An LAFD spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
Other records previously released show that Lede also analyzed news articles before and after the Palisades fire — the goal was to get a sort of vibe check of LAFD from the public — and found criticism of department leadership as well as support for the rank and file.
And a communications plan developed in the event that the after-action report was leaked to reporters involved convening an “emergency briefing between LAFD, Lede, and the Mayor’s Office within 60 minutes of discovery,” as well as embargoed briefings within a day “to control the narrative and reinforce lessons learned and key actions coming out of the LAFD.”
Lede worked with the LAFD until about mid-November, when Jaime Moore took over as fire chief. A couple of months later, the agency hired a public information director, Stephanie Bishop, to lead the Community Liaison Office.
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State of play
— SB CANDIDATE: Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Prattacknowledged this week that he’s living in Santa Barbara County after the Palisades fire destroyed his home. He’s allowed to use his Palisades address to vote and run for office, as long as he intends to return, election officials said.
— BASS BUCKS: Bass and City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado say they want to allot more than $360 million to developers and nonprofits creating affordable housing. The money, which comes largely from the “mansion tax,” would fund 80 projects.
— REVOLVING DOOR: A Times analysis found the longer the mayor’s signature program to battle homelessness exists, the worse its metrics are. As Inside Safe finished its third year in December, roughly 40% of the people who had gone indoors were back on the street.
— CHANGE AGENT: Everyone running for L.A. mayor wants to be a champion of change. As her first term comes to an end, Bass is campaigning on change, vowing to tackle decades-old problems. So is City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who says her decision to run was based on “a sense of urgency that things needed to change.”
—FIGHT FLOP: More than a year after California Atty. Gen. RobBonta charged 30 probation officers with facilitating so-called “gladiator fights” among youths inside the county’s juvenile halls, almost half of the criminal cases are falling apart. State prosecutors dismissed charges against one-third of the officers, and four more entered into plea deals Tuesday that will end with their cases dropped.
— BADGE BREACH: Sensitive police records, including personnel files, were seized by hackers in a breach involving the L.A. city attorney’s office. A group known for conducting ransomware attacks on large entities took credit for the hack, which involves 337,000 files.
— OLYMPIC OOPS: Los Angeles officials are worried that taxpayers could be on the hook for budget-busting costs to support the 2028 Olympic Games, if the profit promised by LA28 doesn’t materialize. City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto and Councilmember Monica Rodriguez both want a contract pledging that LA28 cover any future costs incurred by the city.
— VANISHING BLUES: Up for reelection and facing a budget deficit, Bass says she’s shifting from her original plan to grow the L.A. Police Department to the 9,500-officer force it once was. Her new goal: making sure the department doesn’t shrink from its current total of 8,677 officers, which is the lowest in nearly a quarter-century.
— PRICEY PROTESTS: A well-known LAPD critic and two attorneys are suing the LAPD after officers allegedly fired less-lethal rounds at them during a protest last summer. Activist Jason Reedy says he was shot in the groin after confronting an officer outside LAPD headquarters.
QUICK HITS
Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature homelessness program monitored 126 encampment sites across the city and visited an interim housing site.
On the docket next week: L.A. County officials will unveil their budget for the upcoming fiscal year Monday, with the supervisors weighing in at their Tuesday board meeting.
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.
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:
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg receives a brief from U.S. Air Force Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), during an orientation of the command’s battle deck at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., April 6, 2018. During his visit, Stoltenberg toured the command’s global operations center and participated in discussions with Hyten, other senior leaders and subject matter experts on the continuing U.S. commitment to supporting NATO and allies. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Julie R. Matyascik)
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.
SACRAMENTO — An attorney for Rep. Eric Swalwell, a leading Democratic candidate for California governor, on Thursday sent a cease and desist letter to an unknown individual demanding that they stop accusing the congressman of sexual assault.
Swalwell’s attorney Elias Dabaie of the law firm Dabaie Kelley, in Los Angeles, confirmed Friday that he sent the cease and desist letter, which tells the recipient that they could be sued for defamation. A copy of the letter was posted online by a social media influencer on Friday, and Dabaie confirmed it was authentic.
Swalwell (D-Dublin) and his representatives earlier this week denied allegations made by social media influencers and repeated by political insiders in recent weeks that he behaved inappropriately toward young staffers and others.
Dabaie’s letter sent Thursday states that it “has come to our attention that you have made false statements accusing Mr. Swalwell of sexual assault and non-consensual sexual encounters…”
“We write to demand that you immediately and permanently cease and desist from continuing your wrongful conduct, including by stopping any further publication of such information or allowing it to be disseminated in any form, whether oral, written, electronic or otherwise,” the letter stated.
Dabaie confirmed to The Times that he sent the letter via text. He declined to say whether other cease and desist letters had been sent.
“I can tell you that there have been multiple baseless allegations made against the Congressman and we are attacking them on all fronts,” he said.
A spokesperson for Swalwell’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cheyenne Hunt, a Laguna Hills attorney and executive director of a progressive advocacy group who has said she is helping organize a group of women who allege inappropriate behavior toward Swalwell, posted a screenshot of Dabaie’s letter online on Friday.
“This is the first page of the cease and desist letter from Swalwell’s team — it has has been shared with permission from the recipient,” she wrote on social media.
The name of the individual who received the letter was redacted.
Hunt told The Times on Friday that she was aware of two individuals who received cease and desist letters from Swalwell’s team.
Swalwell earlier in the week denied any inappropriate behavior, including allegations that his office required interns to sign nondisclosure agreements. “It’s false,” he told reporters.
Swalwell said he never behaved inappropriately with female staff members or had a sexual relationship with a staff member or an intern.
For weeks, salacious talk swirled in campaign circles, ricocheted through email chains and was served up, like a buzzy side dish, over gossipy lunches from Sacramento to San Diego.
The talk revolved around Eric Swalwell, the 45-year-old congressman from the East Bay and one of the top Democratic contenders for California governor. The rumors involved allegations of inappropriate behavior with young staffers.
Pressed by rival camps, pursued by the political press corps, the claims were largely confined to unvetted corners of the internet until this week, when Swalwell’s campaign — knowing the whispers were getting louder — issued a public statement denying any wrongdoing.
The move was a prebuttal. Strategists figured it better to get out front of the chatter and address the online innuendo, even if it meant exposing the allegations to a much wider audience. The campaign’s statement was followed hours later by a categorical denial from the congressman.
“It’s false,” Swalwell told reporters Tuesday night in Sacramento. He said he never behaved inappropriately with female staff members or had a sexual relationship with any staffer or intern. There were no quiet legal settlements, he said. No hiding behind nondisclosure agreements.
Then, on Friday, the San Francisco Chronicle published a lengthy report — filled with highly specific and graphic details — quoting a woman who worked nearly two years for Swalwell, stating she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss. Twice, she alleged, he sexually assaulted her when she was too intoxicated to consent.
The woman, who is 17 years younger than Swalwell, said the congressman began pursuing her within weeks of her hiring at age 21 to work in his district office in the East Bay Area. That was in 2019.
The woman said she largely kept quiet about Swalwell’s behavior out of fear she would suffer personal and professional consequences. She told the Chronicle she did not share her account with authorities because she was afraid they would not believe her. The newspaper said medical records show the woman obtained pregnancy and STD tests a week after one of the alleged assaults.
Swalwell issued another categorical denial.
“These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor,” he said in a statement, somewhat overstating his status in the neck-and-neck gubernatorial race. “For nearly 20 years, I have served the public — as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women.
“I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action,” Swalwell said. “My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies.”
Even before the Chronicle published its article, once the privately bandied rumors were suddenly the open, you could almost hear the sound of a dam bursting. Swalwell’s competitors were quick to amplify the assertions, grappling for advantage in a race that remains stubbornly knotted up.
“Very, very troubling,” said fellow Democrat Katie Porter. “Deeply troubling,” echoed Betty Yee, another of the Democratic hopefuls.
A third Democrat running, Antonio Villaraigosa, was more inventive, accusing Swalwell “of skipping town” — he did not attend a Wednesday candidate forum in Sacramento — “as more and more women come forward with sexual harassment allegations.”
At that point no one with firsthand knowledge had come forward to contradict Swalwell’s denial of wrongdoing.
But with Friday’s article in the Chronicle, opponents escalated their attacks. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and state schools superintendent Tony Thurmond both called on Swalwell to quit the race.
One of his highest-profile backers, Democratic Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, withdrew his endorsement and expressed regret he had defended Swalwell on social media prior to the Chronicle’s account. Democratic Rep. Jimmy Gomez of Los Angeles also withdrew his endorsement and urged Swalwell to abandon his candidacy.
Behind closed doors, other major Swalwell backers were reassessing their support.
It’s understandable — and probably necessary — for the congressman to retreat, as he suggested, to spent time with his wife and family.
But in light of the Chronicle’s report, and its damning allegations, he’ll need to do more than issue strongly worded statements on threatened legal action if he has any hopes of salvaging his gubernatorial candidacy and political career. (Swalwell gave up his congressional seat to run for governor.)
If the allegations are false, he needs to refute each and every detail in thorough, incontrovertible fashion. If they’re true, then what could Swalwell possibly have been thinking — not just forcing himself on his alleged victim, but running for governor knowing what he’d done? Was he convinced his behavior would never come to light? Did he believe that adamant denials would allow him to brazen his way through?
Swalwell has a lot of explaining to do — about his behavior, his disclaimers, his judgment.
And even though the June primary is still many weeks away, he has very little time to do so.
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom has dismissed questions about the race to succeed him in California for much of the last year.
“You know my position,” he said to reporters last month. “I don’t talk about this governor’s race.”
But as his party runs the risk of losing the most powerful office in the state, Newsom recognizes that he may need to step in and endorse one of the Democratic candidates whether he wants to or not.
California Democrats have put themselves in an unnecessary pickle in the 2026 gubernatorial election: Too many candidates, with few policy distinctions between them, are running to replace Newsom. Opinion polls show no clear favorite and Democrats largely splitting votes.
The tepid support raises the possibility that two Republicans in the race could place first and second in the June primary and advance to the general election. By their own strategic blunder, Democrats could be knocked out of the contest in a state where they outnumber Republicans nearly 2 to 1.
It’s a disaster everyone saw coming and no Democrat, except perhaps Newsom, has the power to stop, said Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at UC San Diego.
“Gavin Newsom’s megaphone is loud enough to echo across this race, leading other prominent members of the party to endorse whomever he chooses and vaulting someone, finally, out of the crowded pack,” Kousser said. “This could be the last remaining chance for the party to avoid splitting its vote in June and being locked out of November.”
Endorsing a successor before the primary carries inherent risk and perhaps more so for Newsom, who is positioning himself as a potential leading candidate in the 2028 presidential contest. Publicly backing a candidate for governor ties Newsom to the outcome of the race and the candidate.
“If it doesn’t work, his endorsement would broadcast his political vulnerabilities and attach him to his party’s weakness just at the time when he needs to project his personal strength,” Kousser said. “But if his intervention rescues the party and elevates his chosen successor into being an overwhelming favorite in the general, it would further elevate his national profile while winning him a close friend in Sacramento.”
Newsom is taking a wait-and-see approach for now, tracking polls to determine whether his intervention is necessary.
President Trump’s decision to endorse conservative commentator Steve Hilton over the weekend could relieve some pressure on Newsom to weigh in.
If Trump’s support causes support for Hilton to rise and Bianco to drop, it’s more likely that one Democrat and one Republican will place in the top two in the primary.
Trump’s endorsement left Kousser and other California political observers scratching their heads. If a candidate from each party advances to November, the Democrat is expected to easily win the race because of the voter registration advantage.
But the governor publicly celebrated a California Supreme Court ruling this week that Bianco halt the investigation.
“This rogue sheriff chased conspiracy theories, tried to undermine our elections, and got the ruling he deserved,” Newsom posted on X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. “Trump and MAGA’s election denialism is a cancer, a danger to our democracy, and it must be stopped.”
Rob Stutzman, a Republican political consultant in California, compared Newsom’s posts about Bianco to “trying to return a gift.” The Democratic governor’s attack could boost Bianco’s profile and support among Newsom-hating voters.
“Trump has probably bailed the Democrats out of their dilemma by elevating Hilton and for Newsom’s response to be to elevate and draw attention to Bianco, just doesn’t make any sense, and it’s everything Bianco wanted out of this whole ballot seizure gambit to start with,” Stutzman said.
Newsom’s reluctance to endorse a Democrat in the race is, in part, a reflection of his feelings about leaving a position he’s held for eight years and a recognition of his own “sell-by date” in the post. His answers to questions about the contest vary from declining to comment to pointing out that voters don’t appear interested in the race, either.
The focus on national politics, attention Trump draws “24 hours a day” and earlier speculation over whether former Vice President Kamala Harris or U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla would run for governor distracted from the candidates in the field, he said.
“But when I’m out in the community, people aren’t talking to me about it, which is interesting this late, just weeks and weeks before early voting,” Newsom said in March. “And so, as a consequence, I’m not directly as engaged as perhaps I might need to be.”
His comments suggesting that he isn’t paying attention to the race haven’t sat well with some of the candidates. Some Democrats, including San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, were already running against Newsom’s record.
For Newsom, inaction is more risky than picking a losing candidate, Kousser said. Though California’s top-two system and poor leadership from the state party would mostly be to blame if Democrats lose, giving control of California to the GOP would bolster criticism of Newsom’s leadership.
“A Republican victory in the state Newsom leads would be read, on the national stage, as a rejection of his legacy,” Kousser said.
THE UK basked in sky high temperatures on Wednesday and if you want more heat, you can head to another nearby city.
Marrakech, in western Morocco is set to hit highs of 35C next week, and flights there are still a bargain.
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Marrakech is basking in highs of 35C next weekCredit: AlamyYou can explore the main square which is filled with shops, cafes and restaurantsCredit: Alamy
It’s nicknamed the ‘Red City’ because it’s been built from red clay and sandstone – in the sunlight, and especially at sunset Marrakech seems to glow an orange-red colour.
One of its biggest landmarks is Bahia Palace, a 19th-century building decorated with stunning paintings and mosaics.
It’s the largest and best-preserved 19th-century palace in the city with 160 decorated rooms, courtyards, and pretty gardens.
Another must-see is El Badi Palace – commissioned by the then-sultan Ahmad al-Mansur after his accession in 1578, it eventually fell into ruin after his death.
You can still explore its huge courtyard, sunken orange gardens and reflecting pools.
When it comes to souvenirs, head to Jemaa el-Fnaa squarewhich is filled with vibrant cafes and colourful stalls.
It has lots of restaurants too where visitors can pick delicacies like tagine, brochettes (skewered kebabs), fried fish and couscous.
Lisa Minot, Head of Sun Travel, filled us in on her recent trip to the Moroccan city. She said: “I’ve just returned from a wonderful long weekend in Marrakech and the city is as exciting as ever.
“We were sunbathing on the roof of our riad in the Medina in glorious 22 degree temperatures – and I loved the amazing desert landscapes just 40 minutes from the hustle and bustle of the souks.
“Tourism is booming in the city and while the streets are as colourful and chaotic as ever, the influx of visitors has brought some gorgeous new bars, restaurants and stunning hotels.”
Behind the 20th-century palace walls is intricate tilework and a courtyard with orange trees that you wouldn’t know is there from the outside – and is ideal for pictures.
For more holidays to Morocco – check out some of our favourites…
*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue
Riu Palace Tikida Taghazout
This hotel in laid-back surf capital Taghazout has seven giant pools to pick from, as well as six bars and four restaurants. The on-site spa offers massage treatments, facials and even a hair salon, should you fancy a pampering. Take a stroll outdoors to find colourful souks and a five and a half mile-long beach.
El Pueblo Tamelt in Agadir sees year-round sunshine and is just steps away from the beach. The huge resort has 363 rooms, each with a balcony or terrace overlooking the sea or gardens. Food here includes three daily meals in the main buffet restaurant, as well as snacks like pizza, hot dogs and burgers at the snack bar.
Smack-bang in the centre of Marrakech, this hotel is a private paradise with its own giant pool and sun deck hidden within. Kids will love dancing and singing along to the live entertainment, whilst parents can unwind in the sauna and spa. Here, you’re only 10 minutes’ drive from both Jemaa El-Fnaa square and the medina.
Riad Meski Enjoy a stay in a traditional riad in Fes, know as Morocco’s capital of culture. Soak up the sun from the rooftop terrace, enjoy the artistic interiors, and wander through the famous blue gates into the oldest medina in the world, just a 15-minute walk away.
Dar El Bacha has incredible tilework – and a sought out coffee spotCredit: Alamy
It’s also home to Bacha Coffeecafé, a luxurious spot that serves over 200 types of Arabica coffee.
Marrakech is a very affordable spot too – you can fly from Birmingham to Marrakech from £15.99 with Ryanair.
Flights are short, taking on average three and a half hours.
Once you’ve landed, you can pick up a local beer for as little as 25MAD (£2), and a meal at an inexpensive restaurant can cost as little as 35MAD (£2.81).
Coffee can cost as little as 21MAD (£1.68), according to Wise.
Hotels can be inexpensive too. A seven-night stay for two at the Grand Mogador Agdal & Spa in April is £677 – or £48pppn.
The hotel has five-stars on Booking.com and has a sun terrace, garden, and a year-round outdoor swimmingpool with slides.
Another great deal is at the Le Palais Averroes Adults Only hotel.
It’s dubbed as having a “5-star riad experience with adults-only access”.
It also has a year-round outdoor swimming pool, spa and wellness centre, massage services, a steam room, a hammam and restaurant.
With Booking.com, you can book a five-night stay in May for two for £564 – or £56.40pppn.
This week saw the publication of The Times’ tremendous package on the imminent opening of Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen Galleries. The nearly $724-million new building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, which opens to members on April 19, with general admission beginning May 3, has been a lightning rod for split opinions for nearly two decades — and it seems not much has changed.
Each article attracted its fair share of reader comments — for and against — the new building. I’m rounding up nine that best reflect reader consensus. (Note: Comments don’t have formal names attached.)
1. “Ugh. I hate that building. It does nothing to activate the street itself and Wilshire should be an active urban street with thousands of people walking. The design is a puddle of oil seeping high above and across the boulevard that conflicts with its surroundings. For all of that gross amount of money spent it should be universally positively recognized. But it’s not and most of the citizens that have commented about it don’t appear to be too happy with a building its creators expect to exist for hundreds of years. What a blotch.”
2. “One will always wonder: what would Frank have done if he had ended up with the commission for replacing LACMA’s core campus. Did he ever venture to tell anyone what approach he might have pursued?”
A high priest of design has given Los Angeles a plebian concrete maze (period) which demands that visitors ascend one story above the ground plane for the sake of art. Rather than the prospect of random wandering, this respondent wonders whether Mister Gehry may have otherwise had no fear of paying homage to the classical idea of hierarchy, would have elevated our better angels and given us a singular or particular reason (aspiration) to go upwards at a far greater extent, first off, then return to the ground plane mixing formal and random paths.
With Disney Hall he became an emotional hierarch of the city and his discountment from this project will always remain a great tragedy. He understood us.”
3. “I love LACMA’s collection and have been going several times a year for a long time. Very excited to check out the new galleries. Contrary to a lot of other commenters, I find the architecture of the new building fresh and exciting, and I appreciate how it hangs over Wilshire in a manner that incorporates the museum directly into the city.”
4. “I loved the old museum. I really hope I’m wrong, but I’m afraid the new one will be disappointing. Less display space, chaotic organization and galleries that on paper look like warehouse spaces make me wonder how successful the new museum will be. I look forward to visiting and finding out for myself.”
5. “I’m amazed that it is almost 11:00 AM and I am posting the first comment here. Does nobody reading the L.A. Times care about this very expensive reimagining of our County Art Museum, $125 million of which was funded by our taxpayers? What I want to know now is whether any these 17 pieces are adjacently-placed in some idiosyncratic curatorial thematic scheme that will elude both common sense and intuition of most museum visitors? How is this reduced gallery capacity with ever-changing displays providing access to art to the people that helped to fund it?”
6. “I look forward to visiting this museum and experiencing its uniqueness.”
7. “It’s one of the worst decisions in art-world history. Destroy perfectly functional galleries and spend hundreds of millions on smaller galleries. And they are ugly. It’s a mockery of art to place a beautiful painting on those concrete walls.”
8. “I knew there would be a bunch of negative Nellies in the comment section lol. I LOVE the new building and interior spaces (as pictured) I can’t wait to see and experience the unique curatorial displays!”
9. “How exciting for Los Angeles! I can’t wait to see it and love that we now have such a world class forward thinking art museum in L.A. Money well spent.”
I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt, getting the conversation started. Here’s your arts and culture news for the week.
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The week ahead: A curated calendar
FRIDAY Blue Kiss An SAT tutoring session takes unexpected twists and turns when a teacher learns his student is not who she claims to be in this drama by playwright Stephen Fife. Directed by Mike Reilly. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays, through May 17. Ruskin Group Theatre, 2800 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. ruskingrouptheatre.com
Camerata Pacifica Principal pianist Gilles Vonsattel performs his second solo recital of the season featuring three piano sonatas by Beethoven. 7 p.m. Friday. Music Academy of the West, 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara; 8 p.m. Sunday. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. cameratapacifica.org
Danish String Quartet and Danish National Girls’ Choir Two of Denmark’s cultural treasures team up for an evening that includes a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang. 7 p.m. Friday. Granada Theatre, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. artsandlectures.ucsb.edu; 8 p.m. Saturday. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. philharmonicsociety.org
Lise Davidsen and Freddie De Tommaso The celebrated opera singers return backed by an all-star orchestra of classical musicians. 7:30 p.m. BroadStage, Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, 1310 11th St. broadstage.org
History of the Tango Violinist Martin Chalifour, in musical dialogue with guitarist Mak Grgic, reveals the evolution of Argentina’s iconic style. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. sierramadreplayhouse.org
Installation view, “Instant Theatre: Rachel Rosenthal and King Moody,” 2026. Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.
(Paul Salveson/Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects)
Instant Theatre: Rachel Rosenthal and King Moody Archival material and design elements set the scene for this exhibition exploring the experimental theatre movement founded by Rosenthal in 1955 and continued with her husband into the 1960s, an antecedent to the performance art of the 1960s and 1970s. Through May 23. Roberts Projects, 442 S. La Brea Ave. robertsprojectsla.com
Spectacular Brooding Writer, dancer and experimental filmmaker Harmony Holiday explores Black grief in this multimedia exhibition involving the preparation of a solo dance piece. On Wednesdays at noon, Holiday will take Katherine Dunham Technique classes with choreographer Bernard Brown in the gallery. Noon-6 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; Through July 5. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown L.A. redcat.org
Turangalîla Australian conductor Simone Young leads the L.A. Phil, featuring Jean-Yves Thibaudet on piano and Cynthia Millar on the theremin-like 1920s instrument ondes martenot, in Olivier Messiaen’s symphony inspired by the tragic romance of Tristan and Isolde. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com
Tyshawn Sorey Trio Featuring the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist, pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Harish Raghavan, this modern jazz ensemble riffs on original compositions and breathes new life into the American Songbook. 8 p.m. UCLA Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu
SATURDAY The Baptist Witches of Shelbyville Mamie Gummer and Gigi Bermingham star in a new Southern Gothic comedy written by Julie Shavers and directed by Daniel O’Brien. 8 p.m. Saturday; April 17-18, April 25, May 1. Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks. whitefire.stagey.net
The Ifugao people of the Philippines leaving a harvest, from the immersive exhibition, “Mountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines.”
(Fowler Museum)
Mountain Spirits: Rice and Indigeneity in the Northern Luzon Highlands, Philippines An immersion into the world of the Ifugao, an Indigenous Filipino group known for high-altitude farming, via this exhibition’s carved guardians, ritual bowls, woven blankets, farming tools, soundscapes and video installations. Opening, 6-9 p.m. Saturday; Walkthrough, 1 p.m. Sunday; “Decolonizing Philippine History” talk, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday. Fowler Museum at UCLA, 308 Charles E. Young Drive North. fowler.ucla.edu
Mutate L.A. Dance Project presents this selection of multi-medium performances curated by Masha Cherezova, whose relationship to dance changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. The evening includes performances from Skylar Campbell, former principal dancer of Canada National Ballet, and dancer Jaclyn Oakley, USC BFA student Garris Munez in a world premiere choreographed by Cherezova, and comedian and breast cancer survivor Julia Johns, plus film screenings from various artists. All profits will be donated to Blood Cancer United. 8 p.m. 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles. ladanceproject.org
OperaFest LA The diverse festival returns to celebrate the city’s rich opera community. Participating companies and venues include Beth Morrison Projects, LA Opera, Long Beach Opera, Overtone Industries, Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater, Synchromy, the Industry, the Wallis, and USC Thornton School of Music. The opening week features selected performances from various groups and a panel discussion at the Wallis; Long Beach Opera commemorates the release of the first commercial recording of Anthony Davis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning opera “The Central Park Five,” which was commissioned and premiered by LBO in 2019 and remounted in 2022; and the Industry presents composer Veronika Krausas and Her Rogue’s Gallery performing selections from her work, including “Hopscotch,” “Ghost Opera,” “The Mortal Thoughts of Lady Macbeth.” Kickoff Panel & Performance, 4 p.m. Saturday. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. 6 p.m. Saturday. “Celebrating the Central Park Five Opera,” 440 Elm, 440 Elm, Long Beach. Veronika Krausas, 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Monk Space, 4414 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles. OperaFest LA continues through May 30. operafestla.org
Temporal Echoes The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and music director Jaime Martín are joined by violinist Anne Akiko Meyers for the West Coast premiere of Eric Whitacre’s “The Pacific Has No Memory” and Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending.” a timeless ode to lyricism and light. Music Director Jaime Martín unveils Juhi Bansal’s celebratory new work for Sound Investment’s 25th anniversary, followed by the searing intensity of Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony and the sparkling brilliance of Prokofiev’s “Classical” Symphony. A program of passion, poetry, power, and unforgettable resonance. 7:30 p.m. Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laco.org
A Weekend with Bong Joon Ho The Oscar-winning filmmaker hosts screenings of the 2007 thriller “Zodiac,” with special guest, director David Fincher, and his own 2025 sci-fi satire “Mickey 17.” “Zodiac,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday; “Mickey 17,” 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org
SUNDAY Chamber On The Mountain The duo Dyad — violinist Niv Ashkenazi and bassoonist Leah Kohn — performs their own arrangements of selections from Ernest Bloch, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Niccolo Paganini, Irving Berlin, Bruce Babcock, Johann Sebastian Bach, Camille Saint-Saëns and George Gershwin. 3 p.m. Logan House at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, Ojai. chamberonthemountain.com
Eat Me The world premiere of a play, written by Talene Monahon and directed by Caitlin Sullivan, about a group of foodies in search of fulfillment; part of SCR’s annual Pacific Playwrights Festival. Previews, 2 p.m. Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; Opening night, 7:30 p.m. April 17; continues through May 3. South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scr.org
Poetry in the Garden: Scores National Poetry Month and Earth Month find a natural juncture at this free, daylong event, co-presented with Dublab, featuring live poetry and music inspired by “The Scores Project: Experimental Notation in Music, Art, Poetry and Dance 1950-1975 .” The project is shaped by midcentury experimental artists like Yvonne Rainer, John Cage and Benjamin Patterson. Performers include contemporary DJs. musicians and poets. 11:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. getty.edu
MONDAY
Ruben Ochoa, “Class: C.” The Ochoa family’s former tortilla delivery van transformed into a mobile art gallery.
(Ruben Ochoa)
Breakdown/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure Part 1 of this two-part exhibition probing the ecological cost of L.A.’s human-made landscape presents the photography of Ruben Ochoa alongside works by Carlos Almaraz and Pat Gomez. Part 2 is “Class: C,” a pop-up gallery created by Ochoa, who transformed his family’s Chevy van into a mobile studio and exhibition space while a student at UC Irvine, and now repurposes it to present work by the school’s current students and alumni. An artist talk with Ochoa is scheduled for April 18. “Breakdown/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure,” 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays–Saturdays, through May 16. UC Irvine Langson Museum Interim Gallery, 18881 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. “Class: C” pop-up gallery, Monday-April 18 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre Plaza, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine; Artist Talk with Ochoa, 2 p.m. April 18. UC Irvine Langson Museum, 3333 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. imca.uci.edu
TUESDAY
John Waters
(The Luckman)
Going to Extremes: A John Waters 80th Birthday Celebration The boundary-pushing cult filmmaker and raconteur holds court with behind-the-scenes tales and commentary on the brink of his becoming an octogenarian (April 22). 8 p.m. The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA, 5151 State University Drive. theluckman.org
THURSDAY
An image from Barbara Kopple’s “Harlan County, U.S.A.’
(American Cinematheque)
This Is Not A Fiction The American Cinematheque’s celebration of documentary filmmaking kicks off with the 50th anniversary premiere of a 4k restoration of Barbara Kopple’s L.A.”Harlan County, USA” and a Q&A with the filmmaker. The festival continues with screenings and appearances by Ross McElwee (“Sherman’s March,” “Photographic Memory”) and Gianfranco Rossi (“Notturno”), plus anniversary screenings of “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” and “Jackass Number Two” and more. 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. The festival runs through April 24 at the Aero; Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave. americancinematheque.com
Arts Everywhere
New and recent releases of arts-related media.
Alice Neel: I Am the Century The catalog for the American artist’s first major retrospective in Italy, presented by the gallery Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin through May 4, provides an artistic and biographical profile of the Pennsylvania-born painter (1900-1984). Neel defied the abstract expressionism of her contemporaries with a distinctive style of portraiture that exposed the psychological truth of her subjects. The bilingual text (English and Italian) features contributions from curators, scholars and artists, alongside 60 of Neel’s works and archival documents. Mousse Publishing: 272 pp. $50.
Daniel Radcliffe, left, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez in the movie “Merrily We Roll Along.”
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Merrily We Roll Along Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez star in Maria Friedman’s film of her acclaimed 2025 revival staging of the Stephen Sondheim musical that originally flopped in 1981. “Captured at the Hudson Theatre last year during its Tony-winning Broadway run, this ‘Merrily’ is stirring evidence of a hit production,” wrote Robert Abele in his December review for The Times when the film had a theatrical run. Its story, of a “tight-knit trio of New York creatives whose friendship, depicted backward across decades, feels like a shattered vase being reassembled so that we appreciate the cracks and cohesion.” Netflix, streaming.
Tyshawn Sorey
(John Rogers / Fully Altered Media)
The Susceptible Now Can’t get a ticket to the Tyshawn Sorey Trio’s gig at the Nimoy tonight? No problem. Check out their latest album from 2024, which features covers of some of Sorey’s favorite music. The four tracks, which range from 15 to 22 minutes in length, include “Peresina,” the McCoy Tyner classic from the album “Expansions”; Joni Mitchell and Charles Mingus’ collaboration, “A Chair in the Sky,” from her album “Mingus”; “Bealtine” from the Brad Mehldau Trio; and contemporary soul group Vividry’s “Your Good Lies.” Pi Recordings: Available on vinyl ($35), CD ($14) or digital download ($13).
— Kevin Crust
Culture news and the SoCal scene
Compton artist Fulton Leroy Washington — known as Mr. Wash — at his studio.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Painter Fulton Leroy Washington — known as Mr. Wash — recently opened a new exhibit, “The City of Compton: Then & Now,” which serves as a fundraiser for a $15-million community arts center that Mr. Wash plans to build on his property. “The Art by Wash Studio & Community Center … is being designed to provide housing, studio space and support for formerly incarcerated artists with artistic talent,” writes contributor Jane Horowitz about the Morphosis Architects-designed complex.
Times classical music critic Mark Swed got the scoop on the latest Los Angeles Philharmonic appointment. “With Gustavo Dudamel’s final season as music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic reaching its homestretch, the orchestra has announced the appointment of its latest not music director. Anna Handler, a former Dudamel fellow and rapidly rising young conductor, will be given the new title of conductor-in-residence for the next three seasons,” Swed writes.
On a recent trip to New York City Swed noticed how much the Big Apple owes to L.A. for its current cultural offerings. L.A. artists are reshaping New York’s major institutions, Swed writes, noting that Gustavo Dudamel is revitalizing the New York Philharmonic and Yuval Sharon of the Industry is directing the Met’s “Tristan und Isolde.”
Director Knud Adams is photographed at the Wallis in Beverly Hills.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Times theater critic Charles McNulty sat down for an interview with theater director Knud Adams, who has staged world premieres of back-to-back Pulitzer Prize-winning plays — both of which are heading to Los Angeles. “English” opened Thursday at the Wallis Annenberg Center, and “Primary Trust” will land at the Mark Taper Forum on May 20. “He has become one of the most prized directors of new work in the country, and now Los Angeles will get a sample of his textually nuanced, scenically surprising excellence,” McNulty writes of Adams.
Finally, Malia Mendez wrote a piece about the upcoming two-year closure of the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. Your last day, to visit is July 6. “Prior to closing, the Tar Pits will host a free public KCRW Summer Nights event June 12 and a members-only, disco-themed dance party June 27,” Mendez writes, noting that the closure will facilitate the “first significant overhaul in [the museum’s] 50-year history.”
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CineVita near SoFi Stadium is staging “Teen Beat Live,” an immersive concert experience, through May 17.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Remember CineVita — the 15,000-square-foot Spiegeltent at Hollywood Park next to SoFi Stadium? It’s staging a glitzy tribute to the upbeat, universally loved (or at least known) music of 1980s cinema, running through May 17. Called, “Teen Beat Live,” the immersive concert experience is sure to have you racing to find your old VHS copies of John Hughes films.
Did I tell you about the golden toilet installation on the promenade near the Lincoln Memorial? It was placed there by the satirical arts group Secret Handshake as a criticism of President Trump’s White House renovations. “This toilet, spray-painted gold and set on a faux-marble pedestal, is the latest in a series of protest artworks and installations taking aim at President Donald Trump and his administration. A plaque on each side of the structure reads: a Throne Fit for a King,” writes the Washington Post.
Barely a week ago, a charmed Lakers season screamed three words.
Deep playoff run.
Today, a jinxed Lakers season soberly whispers three very different words.
Shut it down.
With less than a month of games remaining, the Lakers season is done, finished, kaput.
Twisted and torn by the sudden same-day injuries to their two best players, the Lakers are broken beyond repair.
They can’t win without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and neither is coming back at full strength in time to save them.
They were wholly embarrassed in their first two shorthanded games and will wind up falling to a fourth or fifth seed with a first-round matchup looming against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.
They can’t beat the Rockets, they won’t beat the Rockets, and the season will officially and quickly and sadly end. It might end in something more palatable than a sweep — maybe they win a game? — but it’s going to end, and soon, and the Lakers need to reinforce their priorities before it does.
Shut it down.
Tell Doncic to stay in Spain for as long as it takes for that magic medicine to cure his strained hamstring. Tell Doncic his MVP-worthy season is DOA. Tell Doncic to begin getting ready for September.
The Lakers don’t need him showing up in three weeks trying to save this season on a limp and a prayer. They don’t need him risking a reinjuring of the hamstring that could affect his summer workouts and bleed into next season.
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts to a play during a blowout loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City last week.
(Cooper Neill / Getty Images)
Most experts agree it would be a miracle if Doncic would return at 100% in time to carry them through the first round of the playoffs, which start April 18. The Lakers don’t need him to be a miracle. They need him to be the cornerstone of a franchise that is being rebuilt in his image.
They don’t need him now, when he’s not going to save them anyway. They need him six months from now, to be healthy and in shape to lead them into their next era.
Shut it down.
The Lakers need to say the same thing to Reaves, who they’re going to give a boatload of money this summer to be their No. 2 star for the indefinite future.
They don’t need him to try to play with an injured oblique and make things worse. They don’t need him to gut it out. They need him to sit it out.
The fans aren’t going to like reading this. And the players aren’t going to like hearing it.
Just listen to Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks star who has been shut down since March 15 because the Bucks didn’t want his nagging injuries to worsen and affect either his trade value or his 2026-27 season.
“Like a slap in my face,” he told reporters recently. “I’m available to play today. Right now. I’m available. Do I look like I’m not available? … I don’t know what game is being played right here, I just don’t wanna be a part of it.”
There is no game with the Lakers. Their new Dodger ownership group doesn’t play games. Their goal is to build a franchise that has sustainable success. Pushing all their chips into the middle for a team that doesn’t have a chance in hell is not building sustainable success.
You’ve seen how the Dodgers rest their players for six months to prepare themselves for the postseason, right. Shutting down the Lakers now is sort of this, in reverse. They’re punting in the playoffs to prepare themselves for next season.
Certainly, Doncic would take the news of a shutdown about as well as Antetokounmpo.
“I think he’s, in my conversations with him, he’s motivated to do everything possible,” said coach JJ Redick to reporters. “And I know for him, it’s hard for him not to be on a basketball court. That’s his happy place. And he’s one of the handful of guys that really plays year round. And it’s not just international competition. But he likes to be in the gym. He likes to be working on his craft. And I think it’s hard for him. He wants to get back on the court.”
Lakers forward LeBron James reacts to a play during a win over the Kings last month at Crypto.com Arena.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
And no, LeBron James is not going to be happy either, trying to carry a team that seemingly isn’t trying. So what? Do you really believe he is going to take remarkably less money to stay on the Lakers next season? Do you really believe the Lakers want him back when they will have the cap space to trade for a player like, um, Antetokounmpo?
To leave James alone on a first-round island might be unfair, but the Lakers have kowtowed to him plenty in his eight years here. He’s just going to have to take one for the team, however briefly that team may be playing.
“It was a shot to the heart and the chest and the mainframe with Luka,” James told reporters. “I woke up from my nap and saw that [Reaves] news and was like, ‘S—.’”
You know who else wouldn’t easily accept the news of a shutdown? That would be Redick, who, barely one week after being lauded as the first Laker coach since Phil Jackson to manage consecutive 50-win seasons, now finds himself again fighting for credibility.
Remember last year when Redick took heat for playing his starters the entire second half of a playoff loss to Minnesota?
He’s taking heat again this spring for playing both Doncic and Reaves in the second half of a blowout loss to Oklahoma City that sent both players to the injured list.
Lakers coach JJ Redick directs players during a blowout loss to the Thunder on Tuesday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
When Doncic was hurt the Lakers trailed by 32 and he had already looked injured after grabbing his leg in the second quarter. Reaves, meanwhile, spent much of the first quarter grabbing at his back.
Redick said both players were medically cleared and that they both insisted on challenging the league-leading Thunder in the second half.
“The group wanted to go for it in the second half,” Redick told reporters. “There was nothing leading into that game that would suggest either those guys were ‘running hot.’’’
This was just the beginning of Redick’s bad week.
Jarred Vanderbilt was certainly running hot Tuesday night in a rematch against Oklahoma City after he was benched in the first moments of the second quarter. Vanderbilt accosted Redick on the court and had to be restrained. Redick ultimately responded by benching Vanderbilt the rest of the game and then not-so-subtly ripping him afterward.
“I think for all of us, you know, being undermanned, we’ve got to scrap and claw, we’ve got to all be on the same page, we got to be great teammates, we got to all play hard,” Redick told reporters. “Called a timeout to get him out of the game. And he reacted.”
One has to wonder about Redick’s connectivity with his players if one of them is unafraid to confront him on the court during the middle of a game.
One has to also wonder, again, about Redick’s big-game management style if he would allow his two best players to risk their health during a blowout.
Redick, who signed an extension in September that will keep him under contract until 2030, is not on the hot seat, not yet. But another spring meltdown will not endear himself to new owners who expect their coaches to be the calm face of the organization.
Then again, for everyone involved, there must be some grace granted in the wake of the incredible tension surrounding a team whose dream season just became a nightmare.
End the nightmare now. For the sake of the future of the franchise, shut it down.
Walt Disney Co. is planning an extensive round of layoffs in the coming weeks, according to a source familiar with the matter but unauthorized to comment.
The move comes nearly three months after Disney unveiled a more streamlined management structure that sought to centralize its sprawling marketing operations.
Many of the layoffs are expected to come from the recent consolidation of Disney’s marketing department.
After officially taking the reins of the company last month, Chief Executive Josh D’Amaro told employees he wants the Burbank media and entertainment giant — which includes film and TV studios, a tourism division, streaming services and live sports programming — to operate as “one Disney,” saying the global businesses all play a role in deepening consumers’ relationship with Disney and its characters.
Like many studios in Hollywood, Disney has faced decreased theatrical revenues, the continued decline of linear television and the smaller profits it makes from its streaming services. Though the company’s theme parks division has served as its economic engine for years, Disney recently indicated it expects to see “headwinds” in international tourism to its U.S. parks.
News of the planned Disney job cuts add to the ongoing drumbeat Hollywood has endured for the last few years.
Disney recently laid off thousands of workers in the years after former Chief Executive Bob Iger returned to the company. At the time, Iger said Disney had been pumping out too many shows and movies to compete with Netflix and needed to retrench.
