week

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.

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 Bass ousted 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.

State of play

— SB CANDIDATE: Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt acknowledged 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. Rob Bonta 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.

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.

Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, the top two Republicans in the race, were leading the field of candidates before the president got involved, according to a recent poll by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies.

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.

Until this week, Newsom had held back from responding to Bianco’s controversial investigation into voter fraud, in which the Sheriff’s Department seized thousands of ballots in Riverside County. State Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta led the court challenges. Bianco said he paused his inquiry in late March, citing “politically motivated lawsuits and court filings.”

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.

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.

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You can still explore its huge courtyard, sunken orange gardens and reflecting pools.

When it comes to souvenirs, head to Jemaa el-Fnaa square which 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.”

Travel Reporter Alice Penwill suggests heading to the beautiful Dar el Bacha Palace in the Medina.

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.

BOOK A BREAK

El Pueblo Tamlelt, Agadir

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.

BOOK A BREAK

Diwane Marrakech

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.

BOOK A BREAK

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.

BOOK A BREAK

It’s also home to Bacha Coffee café, 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 swimming pool 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.

For more on Morocco, here’s more on the overlooked city of Fez that’s three hours from the UK that ‘still isn’t touristy’.

And this beautiful coastal African city that’s just one hour by boat from Spain has cheap five star hotels and is 20C this week.

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.

We ran five stories: architecture critic Sam Lubell’s review of the building; art critic Leah Ollman’s roundup of 17 must-see artworks currently installed in the galleries; my report on how, exactly, the $724 million was spent; and an up-close look at the reinstallation of Alexander Calder’s fountain sculpture, “Three Quintains (Hello Girls),” which was among the museum’s very first commissions when it opened in 1965. We also included a handy map to the new campus.

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.

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.

Gallery 1988, which opened in 2004 and proclaimed itself “the first pop culture-focused art gallery in the world,” is closing at the end of April, writes contributor Marah Eakin. The beloved gallery often attracted lines around the block for its openings featuring “art-focused campaigns around properties such as ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ while also launching solo shows from artists like Scott C, Luke Chueh and Tom Whalen.” Some fans believe that AI is to blame for the closure.

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.”

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.

— Jessica Gelt

And last but not least

This headline about the Artemis II journey fills me with longing.

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.

Disney declined to comment.

The total number of layoffs could be as many as 1,000, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported news of the planned cuts.

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.

On Tuesday, Sony Pictures Entertainment said it planned to cut hundreds of its employees worldwide as it looked to restructure its business.

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.

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice has indicated that former Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi will not appear for a scheduled deposition next week before a House committee investigating how the government handled its investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.

Jessica Collins, a spokeswoman for the House Oversight Committee, said Wednesday that the department signaled that Bondi, who was ousted by President Trump last week, will not appear for the deposition April 14 “since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general.” The committee will contact Bondi’s personal counsel to discuss the next steps about scheduling the interview, she said.

Bondi has faced scrutiny for how the Justice Department handled what are known as the Epstein files, and the Republican-led committee subpoenaed her in a bipartisan vote last month. The department’s release of millions of case files on Epstein, the late financier who sexually abused underage girls, contained multiple errors and ran behind a deadline set by Congress.

After Trump announced Bondi’s ouster from his Cabinet on April 2, Bondi said on social media that over the next month she would be “working tirelessly to transition the office.” But Deputy Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche has been elevated to the top job, on at least an acting basis, and is performing the duties of the department’s top official. The Justice Department’s website on Wednesday still listed Bondi as attorney general.

Meanwhile, some Republicans who had joined Democrats to subpoena Bondi said they would insist on having her appear before the committee.

Rep. Nancy Mace, who initiated the motion to compel her appearance, said on social media Wednesday that “Bondi cannot escape accountability simply because she no longer holds the office of Attorney General.”

Mace (R-S.C.) added that the motion was done “by name, not by title” and that “we expect her to appear as soon as a new date is set.”

The top Democrat on the committee, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, also said he would push to enforce the subpoena and threatened to press for contempt of Congress charges if she does not appear.

In a statement, he said, “Now that Pam Bondi has been fired, she’s trying to get out of her legal obligation to testify before the Oversight Committee about the Epstein files and the White House cover-up.”

The committee’s head, Republican Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, enforced subpoenas on Bill and Hillary Clinton this year, making the former president and former secretary of State, respectively, among the highest-ranking former government officials to be subpoenaed by Congress.

Groves writes for the Associated Press.

WITH temperatures set to hit the mid-20s in parts of the UK this week – and it still being the Easter holidays – there couldn’t be a better time for a last-minute staycation.

Londoners can expect highs of 25C today, while those in Cardiff and Manchester will enjoy 21C.

So with the weather being this good, the seaside is an ideal spot to soak up the sun.

Here are our favourite seaside spots in the UK you could head to this week for a last-minute break.

Teignmouth, Devon

Cyann Fielding, Travel Reporter

Devon isn’t short of pretty seaside towns that are ideal for family days out and trips.

But when it comes to Teignmouth on the South West Coast Path, it has a charm that not many other places I have visited in Devon have.

The seafront has a wide promenade, ideal for a walk or for kids to whiz along on a scooter.

The long beach features Devon’s famous red sand due to its iron minerals.

Often the sea is too rough to swim in here, but it doesn’t matter as Teignmouth Lido – which recently announced it was going to close – has been saved and will reopen for the season.

While a date is yet to be announced, the lido usually opens in May.

About halfway along the beach, you will find the 161-year-old Teignmouth Grand Pier.

Despite suffering storm damage in late January, it remains open – just the deck at the end is closed.

This means kids can still have fun in the arcades with the penny slot machines.

In the town, there are a few shops you can explore and plenty of cafes and bakeries to grab a bite to eat, too.

Make sure to head to Jane’s Ice Creams for a treat as well – their Turkish Delight ice cream is heavenly.

If you want to extend your visit to explore the surrounding areas, hop on the ferry to Shaldon, which is the oldest passenger ferry in England.

You could stay at Coast View Holiday Park for three nights from April 10 to April 13, costing from £37.17 per person per night, based on a family of four sharing.

Southwold, Suffolk

Alice Penwill, Travel Reporter

The seaside town of Southwold has it all.

Of course, it has a huge stretch of beach, but it also has the classic arcades and activities, without being too lively.

The 190-metre-long pier stretches over the sea and is filled with the classic 2p machines, an ‘Under the Pier Show’, restaurants and little ice cream parlours.

On the other side of the pier is a boating lake where visitors can rent out a pedalo or rowing boats.

It also has an adventure golf course and a cosy tearoom which has lovely views across the lake.

One of the best ways to spend an afternoon is stocking up on food and taking it for a beach picnic, which you can do at the lovely food stops in the high street, like The Black Olive Delicatessen or The Two Magpies Bakery.

Of course, a staple of the town is the Adnams Brewery, where you can buy some of its locally brewed beer – they even offer tours.

Then there’s the beach, which is lined with multi-coloured beach huts.

For fish and chips, you’re spoiled for choice with places like The Little Fish & Chip Shop and Mrs T’s Fish and Chips.

My favourite place, the Sole Bay Fish Company, is a five-minute drive away from the beach.

Pull up on the side of the road, grab your fish supper and then head out to watch the boats bobbing in and out of the harbour during sunset; it’s the perfect way to end the day.

A lot of availability for hotels in Southwold is booked up this week, but just down the road, you will find Boundary Farm, Suffolk.

You can stay from April 8 to 10 for £290 total, for a family of four in a safari tent – around £36.25 per person per night.

Boscastle, Cornwall

Caroline McGuire, Head of Travel (Digital)

Cornwall has more than its fair share of picture-perfect seaside towns
and villages, and Boscastle is up there with the very best.

The fishing village on the north coast of the county has a more rugged
charm than those in the south, owing to the fact that it faces out into
the Atlantic Ocean.

One hundred years ago, Boscastle was a busy fishing port, but today its
dramatic, cliff-edged harbour is mainly used for small fishing boats and tourism.

Oh… and swimming.

When the tide is high, there’s nowhere better to go for a morning dip.

Then on the way back, it’s almost mandatory to pick up a coffee and a pastry from the Harbour Light cafe.

The cafe has a lovely spot next to the stream that leads out to sea,
and is the perfect place to watch the world go by.

It’s also opposite the famous Museum of Witchcraft and Magic – home to
one of the world’s largest collections of items relating to witchcraft
and magic, which is well worth a visit.

In that same riverside stretch is the renowned Rocket Store, a tiny
seafood restaurant serving excellent dishes like grilled scallops in
green chilli butter, torched seabass and grilled leeks in brown
butter.

The combination of extremely welcoming staff and the size of the
venue, makes it feel like you’re almost eating in someone’s home.

If you’re looking for something simpler, I recommend a pint in the
garden of the Wellington Hotel, which has a really cool suntrap of a
back garden.

It is a quintessential, charming Cornish fishing village, ideal for scenic walks, exploring local history, and experiencing a unique atmosphere on the north coast of Cornwall.

The YHA Boscastle is in a stunning location on the edge of the harbour, and it still has private rooms this week from just £80 a night that sleep up to six people – working out at a very reasonable £13 per person.

Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk

Jenna Stevens, Travel Reporter

Raised in this postcard North Norfolk seaside town, I’ve had years to explore every nook and cranny.

So here’s all of the must-visit spots, with insider tips from a local.

The main buzz of the town is found on the quay, where you can easily spend an afternoon dipping into traditional sweet and souvenir shops and spending spare change in the amusements.

I recommend heading down to the East Quay with a bucket, crabbing line and diced bacon for a quiet spot to go gillying (Norfolk slang for crabbing) – a must-do when in Wells.

On the quay, Will’s of Wells is a trendy spot where you can enjoy an expertly-made flat white in a surf shack-style interior, while the Golden Fleece serves posh pub classics and local ales.

There are also two award-winning fish and chip shops here, just a few doors down from one another, French’s and Plattens, which have long divided locals with their rivalry.

Both offer seating with quay views where you can watch fishermen haul in their catches, but for me, Plattens takes the win with its crispy battered fish and soft golden chips.

Wells-next-the-Sea beach is worth the mile-long walk from the quay.

The raised coastal path offers views over the harbour, marshland and pinewoods, making your stroll down to the shore a scenic activity in itself.

Once you reach the end, you’re met with miles of sweeping golden sands, backed by rolling dunes and thick pine forests.

Colourful beach huts separate the forest from the sand, and if you fancy treating yourself on your beach trip, you can even rent one from £65 per day.

The rental comes with deckchairs, a windbreak, and, of course, shelter from the scorching sun or the odd blustery breeze.

They’re also handy for storing your belongings and have a comfy spot to sit in and watch the children play on the beach.

For a place to stay, I recommend the Pinewoods Holiday Park.

It’s perfectly placed just minutes from the beach, plus it’s close to the trendy beach cafe and watersports centre that offers kayaking and paddle-boarding.

A three-night stay from April 7 to 10 costs £174 for three people – that’s £14.50 per person per night.

Deal, Kent

Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor

The Kent coastline is hardly short of fantastic seaside towns, but one of the best spots for me is Deal.

It’s quickly becoming a foodie destination to rival London, with some insanely good places to eat after spending your day on the pebbly beach.

There is The Blue Pelican, with unique small plates as well as ramen on select days.

Make sure to head downstairs to the underground bar for a mean cocktail too.

Otherwise, there is Jenkins & Son Fishmongers that opens as a street food bar, where the juicy scallop and bacon roll is a must.

The pubs are just as fabulous – The King Head has live music and a front beer garden overlooking the beach, while The Port Arms does a rather unusual but very delicious Jamaican-style roast.

Outside of eating your way around town, hit up the shops with places like The Hoxton Store and 123 High Street, making sure you don’t leave without picking up a present or two.

Grab a drink at the recently renovated Le Pinardier wine bar or the established Deal Pier Kitchen, right at the end of the brutalist pier.

And when you need to spend the night, you can head to Parkdean Resorts St Margaret’s Bay Holiday Park.

For a three-night stay from April 10 to 13, you could pay from just £17.42 per person per night (£209 total).

Whitby, Yorkshire

Lisa Minot, Head of Travel

If you love your classic UK beach break to come with a dose of the dramatic, then it has to be the seaside town of Whitby.

The north Yorkshire coastal gem is dominated by the clifftop gothic ruins of 13th-century Whitby Abbey, thought to have inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

It’s perfect for a spooky family game of hide and seek.

With clean, sandy beaches aplenty, the town’s West Cliff Beach is among the most popular, complete with colourful beach huts, safe waters and rock pools for crabbing.

Nearby Pier Street is your go-to for 2penny arcades, fish and chips and more.

For a hidden gem a little further afield, check out the Falling Foss Tea Garden, a magical destination in beautiful North York Moors woodland, complete with a tumbling 30ft waterfall.

The tea garden is in the heart of the forest, and you can enjoy a strong brew and homemade cakes while enjoying the magical surroundings.

You could camp at Whitby Holiday Park between April 9 and 11 for £122 for four people, which is just £15.25 per person per night.

For more seaside destinations to explore, here’s an English coastal town overlooked by its busy neighbours that’s like ‘going back to the 1950s’.

Plus, seven great UK seaside towns with beachfront theme parks – and you can stay with Hols from £9.50.

A Utah judge ruled Tuesday that reality TV star Taylor Frankie Paul can have supervised visits with the 2-year-old son she shares with Dakota Mortensen until another hearing for a protective order later this month.

Paul appeared remotely for the hearing Tuesday with on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend Mortensen — the father of Paul’s third child, Ever — regarding his request for a restraining order. Paul had temporarily lost custody of their son when a temporary protective order was awarded to Mortensen last month. Paul and Mortensen are known for their roles on the Hulu reality TV series “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

Third district court commissioner Russell Minas decided on supervised visitation after Paul’s legal team voiced concern over Mortensen’s alleged lack of credibility and his attorneys raised worry over her “volatility,” citing separate incidents from May 2025 and February. Paul was granted up to eight hours a week of visitation.

“I have concerns going both ways, quite frankly,” Minas said, noting Mortensen’s alleged “pushing of buttons to get reaction” and Paul’s “troubling” reactions to the aggravation.

The embattled exes are also ordered to appear remotely at a court hearing April 30 to go over the “merits and entry” of Mortensen’s protective order against Paul. Prior to Tuesday’s hearing, Paul filed her own protective order against Mortensen.

Mortensen filed for his protective order following two incidents in February that involved “grabbing, scratching, shoving, and striking” that allegedly left Mortensen with marks on his neck, according to police documents.

Around the same time, the cast of “Mormon Wives” paused filming for Season 5 and, subsequently, the release of a video of a separate dispute in 2023 led to the shelving of Season 22 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” which featured Paul as its heroine. In the video, recorded by Mortensen on his cellphone, Paul can be seen screaming and throwing metal chairs, one of which struck one of her children who witnessed the altercation, according to the criminal indictment. Police body camera footage from that incident was documented in the first season of “Mormon Wives.”

That 2023 incident resulted in Paul being arrested; she eventually pleaded guilty in abeyance to aggravated assault, reducing her sentence, so long as she follows the terms of her probation. A final review hearing scheduled for early August could mark the end of that probation, but it’s unclear if the new allegations — police are also investigating a third domestic violence claim from Mortensen against Paul that took place in 2024 — will affect that.

How the outcomes of these various court decisions will affect “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” and the unaired season of “The Bachelorette” is yet to be seen. It has not been announced whether the dating series will eventually air, or if and when “Mormon Wives” will resume filming — and whether Paul will continue on as a cast member. (Both Hulu and ABC are owned by Disney.)

The judge’s order this week is the latest development in the fallout from the domestic violence investigation involving Paul and Mortensen.

Last week brought more collateral damage to Disney’s reality TV universe with the news that Mortensen’s storyline would be edited out of the new season of “Vanderpump Villa,” which follows former Bravo star Lisa Vanderpump and her staff at various luxury European estates. The third season of “Mormon Wives” featured the fallout from an explosive crossover with “Vanderpump Villa” that resulted in “Mormon Wives” stars Demi Engemann and Jessi Ngatikaura getting embroiled in drama with staff member Marciano Brunette, who alleges he had intimate connections with both women. The fourth season of “Mormon Wives” revisits the crossover, with some of the women’s spouses and exes, who call themselves #DadTok, partaking in their own “Villa” getaway that fuels more drama, including between Mortensen and Paul.

Season 3 of “Vanderpump Villa,” which starts streaming April 16, is expected to capture that stay, except now without Mortensen’s storyline. But he isn’t totally off screens. Mortensen is set to appear in “Unwell Winter Games,” a YouTube reality competition series produced by Alex Cooper, that premiered Monday.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy, defending Masters champion, finally belongs.

That’s how he feels in the Augusta National clubhouse, at least, even though this week marks his 18th start in the historic golf tournament.

“I always felt like I knew the week of the tournament that the clubhouse is for participants and their families,” he said, “but I still felt like I had to earn the right to be there a little more often.”

A year ago, McIlroy beat Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff to become the sixth man to complete a career grand slam, winning all four major championships.

In the last 12 months, McIlroy has discovered that was more of a memorable mile marker than a monumental, life-changing milestone.

“I think the story as it relates to me is what do I do from now onwards?” he said Tuesday. “What motivates me? What do I still want to achieve in the game? I think that’s the story.

“And there’s still a lot I want to do. You think every time you achieve something or have success that you’ll be happy, but then the goalposts move. And they just keep nudging a little bit further and further out of reach.”

It’s a reminder, McIlroy said, to find enjoyment in the journey rather than finally achieving a specific goal.

“Honestly, I felt like the career grand slam was my destination,” he said. “I got there and realized it wasn’t the destination.”

The 36-year-old from Holywood, Northern Ireland, had gone 11 years between major championships and joined Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the only playerswith a career grand slam.

What’s more, McIlroy was the first Masters winner to have four double bogeys over four rounds — two on Thursday, two on Sunday.

“I think panic is the wrong word, but I didn’t overreact on Thursday …” he said. “I didn’t overreact when I was only one-under through nine on Friday. I think not overreacting and not pressing too hard, I stayed patient or as patient as I could be, and I feel like that patience was rewarded.

Scottie Scheffler puts the green jacket on Master winner Rory McIlroy last year.

(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)

“I played a 14-hole stretch at 10-under par after that, and that was literally the stretch of golf that won me the tournament. So I think in years past I would have went for a pin I shouldn’t have went at, missed in the wrong spot, made another bogey, and then all of a sudden the round starts to get away from you, especially around here.

“Last year, I didn’t let that happen to me, and that was a big difference.”

As is tradition, he wore his green jacket as he spoke to reporters from the dais in the media auditorium. He has brought that sports coat around the world in the last year, but was too protective of it to have it dry cleaned or have a tailor change a stitch of it.

“I think for the past 17 years I could not wait for the tournament to start,” he said, adding with a laugh: “This year, I wouldn’t care if the tournament never started.”

Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where life comes at you fast.

Only a week ago, the Lakers were winning games and flying high. Quite literally. Remember when Luka Doncic dunked?

Happier times.

Now Doncic and Austin Reaves are both sidelined at least for the rest of the regular season and likely through the first round of the playoffs. The injury updates that came on consecutive days following Thursday’s 43-point loss to Oklahoma City felt like a devastating series of gut punches. Coach JJ Redick often talks about “not letting go of the rope.” The Lakers will have to white-knuckle their way through the next few weeks without their two stars.

Why is Luka Doncic in Europe?

Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts after sustaining a hamstring injury against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2.

(Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

He knows magic. Now Luka Doncic needs medicine to help pull off his next stunning trick.

With the playoffs approaching, Doncic traveled to Europe to seek treatment for his strained left hamstring, his agent, Bill Duffy, confirmed to The Times’ Broderick Turner. The hope is that with specialized treatments, Doncic can speed up what is typically a four- to six-week recovery process and get back in time for at least part of the Lakers postseason, which begins April 18.

Ultrasound-guided platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections and stem cell injections are the most common treatments for injuries of this nature, said Kenton Fibel, a primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics.

The biologic injections can speed up healing of injured tissue. PRP injections use the natural growth and anti-inflammatory factors in platelets to promote healing while stem cells harvested from a patient’s bone marrow or adipose tissue similarly help with the regeneration and turnover of the healing tissue into normal muscle tendon tissue, Fibel said.

Top U.S. athletes have gone to Europe to seek the treatments for decades. Kobe Bryant, former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey are among those who’ve crossed the pond for solutions to chronic injuries. But similar treatments are also available in the United States.

In the U.S., only PRP and stem cell injections coming from a patient’s own body are allowed and the cells are not allowed to be manipulated, Fibel said. With looser regulations in Europe, doctors can attempt to increase the concentration of anti-inflammatory factors in a single PRP sample or culture stem cells over days to increase the number of them with hopes of speeding up healing even more.

Whether there is a significant increase in efficacy between the cutting-edge European treatments compared to the U.S. methods is unclear, Fibel said, but an athlete’s decision to pursue treatment often comes down to individual comfort level or prior experiences.

Lakers star Luka Doncic shoots over Brooklyn Nets guard Drake Powell during a Lakers win on March 27.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The ubiquity of degenerative conditions or recurring soft tissue injuries in sports have turned European countries, including Germany and Switzerland, into hot spots for top athletes searching for help.

“These are injuries that are not always that easy to completely prevent, and it’s also not the easiest to always prevent reaggravation,” Fibel said. “And so I think [the new treatments] also comes from a frustration of doing a lot of the treatments and modalities that were used in prior injuries and still having an issue afterwards [so] that they’re searching for something new and different.”

Doncic knows the routine when it comes to hamstring injuries. As a player who thrives on his shifty change of pace, Doncic’s quick start and stop motions put extra load on his hamstrings and put him at risk of reinjury. Another left hamstring strain sidelined him for four games earlier this season.

Now with a Grade 2 injury, Doncic’s timeline for recovery would typically be four to six weeks. A Grade 2 injury shows “true disruption” that involves about 50% of the tissue, Fibel said. The most severe Grade 3 is used to describe a more significant, if not complete, tear of the muscle or tendon. The Lakers have suffered several Grade 2 injuries this season, including Austin Reaves’ latest left oblique strain.

The timing of the injuries couldn’t be worse for the Lakers. Not only do the playoffs begin in less than two weeks, but the Lakers were playing their best basketball of the season before the injuries to Doncic and Reaves. They appeared to be legitimate contenders in the playoffs. Now they must wait to see if Doncic’s super serum turns him into a superhero capable of saving their postseason.

“[Doncic is] going to go through all the necessary things to be back at some point,” Redick said, “and it’s our job again to extend the season so both those guys can get back.”

Scoreboard watching

Lakers star LeBron James reacts during a game against the Sacramento Kings on Dec. 28.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

It’s true what they say: No lead is safe in the NBA.

Just when it looked like the Lakers were likely to finish third in the West, the Nuggets found a rhythm, the Lakers got bitten by the injury bug and the Rockets refused to relent.

Reeling from the loss of their two leading scorers, the Lakers have fallen to fourth in the West with Denver surging on a nine-game winning streak. After an overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, the Nuggets (51-28) have a half-game advantage over the Lakers for the No. 3 seed.

The good news: The Lakers can’t drop below the fifth seed, thanks to Minnesota’s recent slide. They also have an additional cushion from their exceptional March, which gave them head-to-head tiebreakers against Denver and Houston.

I won’t repeat the obvious injury-related bad news.

To drop to fifth, the Lakers have to be 2-2 (or worse) in their last four games, while the Nuggets, who have the head-to-head tiebreaker against Houston, go at least 2-1 and the Rockets (49-29) run the table. The Nuggets have the tougher schedule between the three teams, though, playing both Oklahoma City and San Antonio in the final three games.

Here’s a look at the remaining games for the teams fighting for third, fourth and fifth in the West:

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

On tap

Tuesday vs. Thunder (62-16) 7:30 p.m. PDT

The Lakers won’t be able to undo last week’s 43-point loss in Oklahoma City, but a competitive showing in the rematch could at least offer a much-needed confidence boost entering the postseason.

Thursday at Warriors (36-42), 7 p.m.

The Warriors are in position to eke into the play-in tournament as the 10th seed. Believe it or not, this could be the last meeting between LeBron James and Stephen Curry in their illustrious careers as the 41-year-old James enters unrestricted free agency this summer.

Friday vs. Suns (43-35), 7:30 p.m.

Phoenix is currently seventh in the West with a chance to chase down sixth-place Minnesota for a playoff berth. Dillon Brooks recently returned from a fractured left hand that kept him out for about six weeks. The Suns went 9-9 during his absence.

Sunday vs. Jazz (21-58), 5:30 p.m.

The Jazz and the Kings are in a heated race to the bottom of the conference. Losers of nine straight, the Jazz are primarily hoping to keep their top-eight protected draft pick, which was at risk of conveying to Oklahoma City.

Status report

Luka Doncic: left hamstring strain

The Lakers have ruled Doncic out for at least the remainder of the regular season. Doncic previously missed four games with another left hamstring strain, but that same timeline won’t apply because the absence rolled into All-Star weekend, when he made a token appearance in the All-Star Game.

Austin Reaves: left oblique strain

Reaves played through the injury he suffered in the first quarter against the Thunder last week, but was ruled out for the rest of the regular season and he likely will miss the first round of the playoffs. He was injured while reaching for a loose ball.

Marcus Smart: right ankle contusion

Smart will miss his eighth consecutive game Tuesday against the Thunder as his ankle injury has lingered for more than two weeks since he got tangled up with Orlando’s Goga Bitadze. While Smart has worked out with staff members on the court before games, he is still day-to-day for his return.

Favorite thing I ate this week

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

When in doubt, consult the L.A. Times. For all the news you need to know, yes, but also about your local food needs. This dinner was brought to you by the L.A. Times’ best 101 restaurants list, which recommended Lalibela on Fairfax for an Ethiopian feast. We started with the lentil sambusa (not pictured), which came with a perfectly spiced herb sauce, and shared the veggie utopia, which hits every note with the restaurant’s most popular vegetarian dishes.

In case you missed it

Injury-riddled Lakers lose to Dallas; Luka Doncic to have medical treatment in Europe

Lakers’ Austin Reaves out for rest of regular season with oblique strain

Luka Doncic’s hamstring strain will keep him out for remainder of the regular season

Lakers star Luka Doncic suffers hamstring injury in reality-check loss to Thunder

After a sizzling March, Lakers face a big playoff test against equally hot Oklahoma City

Luka Doncic matches Michael Jordan for the most magical March in NBA history

LeBron James achieves his 125th career triple-double in Lakers’ win over Wizards

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

Although delighted to be part of the field, McKibbin is eager to make his mark and acknowledges the famous course is challenging.

Long fairways and “pristine” greens are what he will encounter but he wants to leave on Sunday happy with his week’s work.

Whether that means playing through the weekend or making a charge at the leaderboard remains to be seen, but making the most of this opportunity is his primary motivation.

“Some of the holes are very long, especially around 10 and 11, you’re hitting a lot of long irons into the greens which look pretty small from there, but the golf course is just incredible,” he noted.

“I’ve played it a few times now and it’s everything you could imagine, so to play more over the week is pretty cool.

“The greens are absolutely perfect, so pristine, quick and once you get out onto the course, there are some pretty crazy slopes on them you can really play around with.

“The golf course changes so much over the week, I don’t know what to expect, but I would just like to have a nice week, play well and see where that is. Your first one there aren’t a lot of expectations, but I want to have a good week.”

Published on
06/04/2026 – 15:51 GMT+2

With European markets reopening after the Easter holidays, investors are set to navigate a mix of geopolitical risks and crucial economic data that may shape sentiment over the coming week.

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Attention will focus on Iran’s response to US President Donald Trump’s deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil supplies. Any escalation or de-escalation could quickly affect energy markets, driving oil prices and inflation expectations.

J.P. Morgan noted on Thursday that oil prices could reach as high as $150 a barrel if supply disruptions persist until mid-May.

Beyond geopolitics, inflation data, central bank signals and corporate updates will also draw attention as markets gauge the outlook for the second quarter.

Economic data in focus

The macroeconomic calendar kicks off on Tuesday with the release of eurozone PMI data, a key leading indicator of economic activity. Recent readings have pointed to slowing growth in the bloc, with the composite PMI signalling only marginal expansion amid softening demand and heightened uncertainty.

On Wednesday, investors will examine the latest eurozone retail sales and industrial producer price figures from Eurostat. These will shed light on consumer demand and upstream inflation pressures.

The European data schedule remains relatively light but still significant. Euro area financial accounts will provide additional detail on lending trends, while UK markets stay attuned to labour market and growth signals following recent signs of stagnation.

Focus then shifts to the US, with the release of the Federal Reserve’s latest meeting minutes on Wednesday. These will be scrutinised for hints on policymakers’ views regarding the timing of any potential rate cuts.

Thursday brings key US labour data, including weekly jobless claims, offering further insight into employment conditions.

The week ends with the US consumer price index for March, including the closely watched core CPI reading. A stronger-than-expected figure could dampen hopes for policy easing and spark volatility in global markets, including Europe.

On the corporate side in Europe, activity is limited, although Raiffeisen Bank International’s annual general meeting on Thursday will be watched for any signals on banking sector health and regional credit conditions.

Standard adult passport costs are increasing from April 8, but there is one way to do it cheaper

Brits in need of a new passport are being reminded that applying via a specific method will save them £13.50 as fees are set to increase this week. Using the Government website to obtain your essential travel document is less expensive than submitting a postal application.

A passport is necessary for travelling overseas. In the UK, they remain valid for 10 years for adults, or five years for those aged under 16. When your passport is approaching its expiry date, it is crucial to apply for a replacement well in advance, to avoid the risk of having to cancel a holiday. However, you may be unaware that the method by which you apply for a new passport can have an impact on the cost.

At present, applying for a standard adult passport online costs £94.50. However, obtaining the same passport via a postal application is priced at £107 – a difference of £12.50.

This gap is set to widen further with the introduction of revised fees from April 8. The update means that a standard adult passport will cost £102 to order online and £115.50 through the post – a difference of £13.50.

New passport fees

The full list of passport fee changes:

• Adult: takes up to three weeks to arrive – online cost now – £94.50, online cost from April 8 – £102, postal cost now – £107, postal cost from April 8 – £115.50
• Adult fast-track – arrives one week after appointment – online cost now – £178, online cost after April 8 – £178
• Adult ‘Premium’ – given at the appointment – online cost now – £222, online cost after April 8 – £239.50
• Child – takes up to three weeks to arrive – online cost now – £61.50, online cost after April 8 – £66.50, postal cost now – £74, postal cost after April 8 – £80
• Child fast-track – arrives one week after appointment – online cost now – £145, online cost after April 8 – £145

READ MORE: Five key passport checks for Easter holidaymakers to avoid missing flightREAD MORE: UK travel company shuts down as all booked holidays are cancelled

Applying online

To apply online, visit GOV.UK. You will need a digital photo, a credit or debit card for payment, and your old passport if renewing. You’ll also need to provide information about your identity and citizenship.

You can also get help with your online application at a Post Office. Staff can:

• Take your digital photo
• Help you fill in the application online

However, this service costs extra.

To apply via post

You can pick up a paper passport application form from your local Post Office and apply by post. It takes longer to apply by post than online.

You’ll need to send off a fully completed application form, supporting documents, two photos, and your fee. If you need help, Post Office staff can check you’ve filled in the form correctly.

However you will need to provide your own photos – and this service costs extra. You can pay by cash, or debit or credit card.

Fast-track applications

According to GOV.UK, it typically takes three weeks for a new passport to be processed and delivered. However, it can take longer if the passport office needs more information. If this is cutting it too close with your holiday, there are two ways to apply for an urgent passport.

GOV.UK says: “You can pay to get a passport urgently if you think the standard service will take too long.” For both of these options you will need to go to a passport office for an appointment:

• One day premium
• One week fast track

If your passport is lost, stolen or damaged

If your passport has been lost or stolen, you must cancel it before applying for a replacement. And if your passport is damaged, you must replace it.

GOV.UK says: “You may not be able to travel with it.” HM Passport Office will consider your passport damaged if:

• You cannot read any of your details
• Any of the pages are ripped, cut or missing
• There are holes, cuts or rips in the cover
• The cover is coming away
• There are stains on the pages (for example, ink or water damage)