worse

Like a teenager armed with their first smartphone, President Trump’s masked immigration enforcers love nothing more than to mug for friendly cameras.

They gladly invite pseudo-filmmakers — some federal government workers, others conservative influencers or pro-Trump reporters — to embed during raids so they can capture every tamale lady agents slam onto the sidewalk, every protester they pelt with pepper balls, every tear gas canister used to clear away pesky activists. From that mayhem comes slickly produced videos that buttress the Trump administration’s claim that everyone involved in the push to boot illegal immigrants from the U.S. is a hero worthy of cinematic love.

But not everything that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and its sister agencies do shows up in their approved rivers of reels.

Their propagandists aren’t highlighting the story of Jaime Alanís García, a Mexican farmworker who fell 30 feet to his death in Camarillo this summer while trying to escape one of the largest immigration raids in Southern California in decades.

They’re not making videos about 39-year-old Ismael Ayala-Uribe, an Orange County resident who moved to this country from Mexico as a 4-year-old and died in a Victorville hospital in September after spending weeks in ICE custody complaining about his health.

They’re not addressing how ICE raids led to the deaths of Josué Castro Rivera and Carlos Roberto Montoya, Central American nationals run over and killed by highway traffic in Virginia and Monrovia while fleeing in terror. Or what happened to Silverio Villegas González, shot dead in his car as he tried to speed away from two ICE agents in suburban Chicago.

Those men are just some of the 20-plus people who have died in 2025 while caught up in ICE’s machine — the deadliest year for the agency in two decades, per NPR.

Publicly, the Department of Homeland Security has described those incidents as “tragic” while assigning blame to everything but itself. For instance, a Homeland Security official told the Associated Press that Castro Rivera’s death was “a direct result of every politician, activist and reporter who continue to spread propaganda and misinformation about ICE’s mission and ways to avoid detention” — whatever the hell that means.

An ICE spokesperson asked for more time to respond to my request for comment, said “Thank you Sir” when I extended my deadline, then never got back to me. Whatever the response would’ve been, Trump’s deportation Leviathan looks like it’s about to get deadlier.

As reported by my colleagues Andrea Castillo and Rachel Uranga, his administration plans to get rid of more than half of ICE’s field office directors due to grumblings from the White House that the deportations that have swamped large swaths of the United States all year haven’t happened faster and in larger numbers.

Asked for comment, Tricia McLaughlin, Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs, described The Times’ questions as “sensationalism” and added “only the media would describe standard agency personnel changes as a ‘massive shakeup.’”

Agents are becoming more brazen as more of them get hired thanks to billions of dollars in new funds. In Oakland, one fired a chemical round into the face of a Christian pastor from just feet away. In Santa Ana, another pulled a gun from his waistband and pointed it at activists who had been trailing him from a distance in their car. In the Chicago area, a woman claimed a group of them fired pepper balls at her car even though her two young children were inside.

La migra knows they can act with impunity because they have the full-throated backing of the White House. Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller crowed on Fox News recently, “To all ICE officers: You have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties.”

That’s not actually true, but when have facts mattered to this presidency if it gets in the way of its apocalyptic goals?

Greg Bovino, El Centro Border Patrol sector chief, center, walks with federal agents near an ICE detention facility in Broadview, Ill.

(Erin Hooley / Associated Press)

Tasked with turning up the terror dial to 11 is Gregory Bovino, a longtime Border Patrol sector chief based out of El Centro, Calif., who started the year with a raid in Kern County so egregious that a federal judge slammed it as agents “walk[ing] up to people with brown skin and say[ing], ‘Give me your papers.’” A federal judge ordered him to check in with her every day for the foreseeable future after the Border Patrol tear-gassed a neighborhood in a Chicago suburb that was about to host its annual Halloween children’s parade (an appeals court has temporarily blocked the move).

Bovino now reports directly to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and is expected to pick most of the ICE field office directors from Customs and Border Protection, the arm of the federal government that the Border Patrol belongs to. It logged 180 immigrant deaths under its purview for the 2023 fiscal year, the last year for which stats are publicly available and the third straight year that the number had increased.

To put someone like Bovino in charge of executing Trump’s deportation plans is like gifting a gas refinery to an arsonist.

He’s constantly trying to channel the conquering ethos of Wild West, complete with a strutting posse of agents — some with cowboy hats — following him everywhere, white horses trailed by American flags for photo ops and constant shout-outs to “Ma and Pa America” when speaking to the media. When asked by a CBS News reporter recently when his self-titled “Mean Green Machine” would end its Chicago campaign — one that has seen armed troops march through downtown and man boats on the Chicago River like they were patrolling Baghdad — Bovino replied, “When all the illegal aliens [self-deport] and/or we arrest ‘em all.”

Such scorched-earth jibber-jabber underlines a deportation policy under which the possibility of death for those it pursues is baked into its foundation. ICE plans to hire dozens of healthcare workers — doctors, nurses, psychiatrists — in anticipation of Trump’s plans to build more detention camps, many slated for inhospitable locations like the so-called Alligator Alcatraz camp in the Florida Everglades. That was announced to the world on social media with an AI-generated image of grinning alligators wearing MAGA caps — as if the White House was salivating at the prospect of desperate people trying to escape only to find certain carnage.

In his CBS News interview, Bovino described the force his team has used in Chicago — where someone was shot and killed, a pastors got hit with pepper balls from high above and the sound of windshields broken by immigration agents looking to snatch someone from their cars is now part of the Windy City’s soundtrack — as “exemplary.” The Border Patrol’s peewee Patton added he felt his guys used “the least amount of force necessary to accomplish the mission. If someone strays into a pepper ball, then that’s on them.”

One shudders to think what Bovino thinks is excessive for la migra. With his powers now radically expanded, we’re about to find out.

Southwest Airlines has announced that it is changing its policy for passengers who cannot fit within the armrests of their seat in a move that has split opinion

A major US airline will soon require travellers who cannot fit within the armrests of their seat to purchase an additional one in advance.

The new rule—part of a series of recent changes Southwest Airlines is implementing—takes effect on January 27, the same day it begins assigning seats. It has proved particularly controversial. While some love the idea and see it as a fair one, others have argued it will make things worse for all passengers.

At present, plus-size passengers can either purchase an extra seat beforehand with the possibility of receiving that money back later, or they can request a complimentary additional seat at the airport. Under the carrier’s updated policy, a refund remains possible but is no longer guaranteed.

READ MORE: TUI flight attendant says pre-flight decision is key to a happy flight with kidsREAD MORE: Jet2 and Ryanair announcement sparks travel chaos this winter as warning issued

In a statement on Monday, Southwest said it is revising some of its policies as it prepares for assigned seating next year.

“To ensure space, we are communicating to Customers who have previously used the extra seat policy that they should purchase it at booking,” the statement said.

It represents the latest modification at Southwest, which had long been recognised for allowing its passengers to choose their own seats after boarding the aircraft, and for permitting their bags to fly for free, which ended in May. Those benefits were crucial to distinguishing the budget carrier from its competitors.

Southwest says it will still reimburse a second ticket under its new policy for extra seating if the flight isn’t fully booked at the time of departure, and if both of the passengers’ tickets were bought in the same booking class.

The passenger also needs to request the refund within 90 days of the flight. Under the new policy, passengers who require an extra seat but fail to purchase one in advance will be obliged to buy one at the airport.

If the flight is fully booked, they will be rebooked onto another flight.

Jason Vaughn, an Orlando-based travel agent who shares theme park reviews and travel advice for plus-size individuals on social media and his website, Fat Travel Tested, believes this change will affect travellers of all sizes. He said that Southwest’s current policy made flying more comfortable for plus-size passengers while ensuring everyone had enough room in their seats.

“I think it’s going to make the flying experience worse for everybody,” he commented on the new rule.

Vaughn described the change as another disappointment for loyal Southwest customers like himself, comparing it to the recent logo change by Cracker Barrel that upset some of the restaurant’s fans.

“They have no idea anymore who their customer is,” he said about the airline. “They have no identity left.”

On the Southwest Airlines subreddit, some criticised the policy, arguing that it would penalise those with different sized bodies. One person wrote: “I have broad shoulders. My issue with seats has nothing to do with me being fat or lazy. Seat size, aisle size, foot space, it’s all shrinking. Be careful, you cheer this too much you may find youself kicked off for not being small enough.”

Others were more positive about the policy. “It’s fair. Being way overweight and encroaching on others, especially on long flights, is just awful for everyone,” one person contributed to the discussion. Another added: “Now let’s do the same for men who spread their legs and feet into others’ footwells and space too.”

The airline has been struggling recently and is facing pressure from activist investors to increase profits and revenue. Last year, it announced plans to charge customers extra for additional legroom and offer overnight flights.

Bettina Aptheker was a 20-year-old sophomore at UC Berkeley when she climbed on top of a police car, barefoot so she wouldn’t damage it, and helped start the Free Speech Movement.

“Power concedes nothing without a demand,” she told a crowd gathered in Sproul Plaza on that October Thursday in 1964, quoting abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

She was blinded by the lights of the television cameras, but the students roared back approval, and “their energy just sort of went through my whole body,” she told me.

Berkeley, as Aptheker describes it, was still caught in the tail end of the McCarthyism of the 1950s, when the 1st Amendment was almost felled by fear of government reprisals. Days earlier, administrators had passed rules that cracked down on political speech on campus.

Aptheker and other students had planned a peaceful protest, only to have police roll up and arrest a graduate student named Jack Weinberg, a lanky guy with floppy hair and a mustache who had spent the summer working for the civil rights movement.

Well-versed in those non-violent methods that were finally winning a bit of equality for Black Americans, hundreds of students sat down around the cruiser, remaining there more than 30 hours — while hecklers threw eggs and cigarette butts and police massed at the periphery — before the protesters successfully negotiated with the university to restore free speech on campus.

History was made, and the Free Speech Movement born through the most American of traits — courage, passion and the invincibility of youth.

“You can’t imagine something like that happening today,” Aptheker said of their success. “It was a different time period, but it feels very similar to the kind of repression that’s going on now.”

Under the standards President Trump is pushing on the University of Southern California and eight other institutions, Aptheker would likely be arrested, using “lawful force if necessary,” as his 10-page “compact for academic excellence” requires. And the protest of the students would crushed by policies that would demand “civility” over freedom.

If you somehow missed his latest attack on higher education, the Trump administration sent this compact to USC and eight other institutions Thursday, asking them to acquiesce to a list of demands in return for the carrot of front-of-the-line access to federal grants and benefits.

While voluntary, the agreement threatens strongman-style, that institutions of higher education are “free to develop models and values other than those below, if the institution elects to forgo federal benefits.”

That’s the stick, the loss of federal funding. UCLA, Berkeley and California’s other public universities can tell you what it feels like to get thumped with it.

“It’s intended to roll back any of the gains we’ve made,” Aptheker said of Trump’s policies. “No university should make any kind of deal with him.”

The greatest problem with this nefarious pact is that much of it sounds on the surface to be reasonable, if not desirable. My favorite part: A demand that the sky-high tuition of signatory universities be frozen for five years.

USC tuition currently comes in at close to $70,000 a year without housing. What normal parent thinks that sounds doable?

Even the parts about protests sound, on the surface, no big deal.

“Truth-seeking is a core function of institutions of higher education. Fulfilling this mission requires maintaining a vibrant marketplace of ideas where different views can be explored, debated, and challenged,” the document reads. “Signatories acknowledge that the freedom to debate requires conditions of civility.”

Civility like taking your shoes off before climbing on a police car, right?

As with all things Trump, though, the devil isn’t even in the details. It’s right there in black and white. The agreement requires civility, Trump style. That includes abolishing anything that could “delay or disrupt class instruction,” which is pretty much every protest, with or without footwear.

Any university that signs on also would be agreeing to “transforming or abolishing institutional units that purposefully punish, belittle, and even spark violence against conservative ideas.”

So no more talking bad about far-right ideas, folks. That’s belittling to our racists, misogynists, Christian nationalists and conservative snowflakes of all persuasions. Take, for example, the increasingly popular conservative idea that slavery was actually good for Black people, or at least not that bad.

Florida famously adopted educational standards in 2023 that argue slavery helped Black people learn useful skills. In another especially egregious example from the conservative educational nonprofit PragerU, a video for kids about Christoper Columbus has the explorer arguing, “Being taken as a slave is better than being killed, no? I don’t see the problem.”

And of course, Trump is busy purging the Smithsonian of any hints that slavery was a stain on our history.

Would it be violating Trump’s civility standards for a Black history professor to belittle such ideas as unserious and bonkers? What about debates in a feminism class that discuss Charlie Kirk’s comment that a good reason for women to go to college is to find a husband?

Or what about an environmental science class that teaches accurately that climate change denial is unscientific, and that it was at best anti-intellectual when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently referred to efforts to save the planet as “crap”? Would that be uncivil and belittling to conservatives?

Belittle is a tiny word with big reach. I worry that entire academic departments could be felled by it, and certainly professors of certain persuasions.

Aptheker, now 81, went on to become just the sort of professor Trump would likely loathe, teaching about freedom and inclusivity at UC Santa Cruz for decades. It was there that I first heard her lecture. I was a mixed-race kid who had been the target of more than one racial slur growing up, but I had never heard my personal experiences put into the larger context of being a person of color or a woman.

Listening to Aptheker and professors like her, I learned not only how to see my life within the broader fabric of society, but learned how collective action has improved conditions for the most vulnerable among us, decade after decade.

It is ultimately this knowledge that Trump wants to crush — that while power concedes nothing without a demand, collective demands work because they are a power of their own.

Even more than silencing students or smashing protests, Trump’s compact seeks to purge this truth, and those who hold it, from the system. Signing this so-called deal isn’t just a betrayal of students, it’s a betrayal of the mission of every university worth its tuition, and a betrayal of the values that uphold our democracy.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has rightfully threatened to withhold state funding from any California university that signs, writing on social media that the Golden State “will not bankroll schools that sell out their students, professors, researchers, and surrender academic freedom.”

Of course, some universities will sign it willingly. University of Texas called it an “honor” to be asked. There will always be those who collaborate in their own demise.

But authoritarians live with the constant fear that people like Aptheker will teach a new generation their hard-won lessons, will open their minds to bold ideas and will question old realities that are not as unbreakable as they might appear. Universities, far from assuaging that constant fear, should fight to make it a reality.

Anything less belittles the very point of a university education.

Gogglebox star Stephen Webb has opened up after feeling “really conscious”

Stephen Webb has avoided cataracts after having vision correction surgery, revealing it has made him feel like a “new person”.

In August, the former Gogglebox star underwent Laser Lens Replacement/Refractive Lens Exchange – a common procedure that involves replacing the natural lens inside the eye with a synthetic implant, starting at £3,497 per eye.

Stephen, 54, felt “conscious” by how “bulgy” his eyes looked in glasses – of which the lenses kept “getting thicker” due to how bad his sight was getting.

The TV personality had a “15-minute per eye” treatment with Sheraz Daya at Centre for Sight’s hospital facility in Oxshott, Surrey, and the result of sharper vision has had a huge impact on Stephen.

Stephen, who appeared on the Channel 4 reality programme with his ex-partner Daniel Lustig until they quit in September 2023, exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “I’ve been wearing glasses since I was, like, 20.

“And every year, I’d go and get my eyes checked, and my prescription was just – the last sort of like 10 years, they’re just getting worse and worse and worse. So my prescription was going up, so that meant my glasses were getting thicker.

“So in the end, the last pair of glasses I bought just made my eyes look like the bottom of two bear glasses – really magnified.

“And I was really conscious about it – especially when people would look at you from side on, it would kind of make your eyes look really bulgy.

“So that was one of the reasons, pure vanity. I’m just sick of wearing [glasses]. They’re so expensive – every year I’d have to pay at least £6/700 for a pair of glasses.

“I’ve got really nice frames, they were always between 2 and 300 quid, the lenses are [£]400, and I was just finding that they just weren’t lasting, they were scratching a lot quickly.

“And I just thought, ‘I’m 54, I’m never going to get cataracts now.’ So I guess it was just preventative as well from stopping [my eyes] from getting even worse.”

Asked if he feels like a new person since his Laser Lens Replacement/Refractive Lens Exchange, Stephen continued: “Yeah, I do. Just because I’m really active, I do a lot of running, I horse ride, and wearing glasses is just a hindrance.

“When you’re running, they steam up; you can’t see through them. And it’s the same horse riding, I have to wear my helmet, and [glasses] just always got in the way.

“But glasses are always an issue. So, it’s just nice to be free of them.”

Now that he no longer wears glasses, Stephen revealed that people are not recognising him as much.

Speaking about his recent trip to Benidorm, Spain, the Celebs Go Dating star said: “People who tend to go to Benidorm are definitely my demographic – that’s my core fan base!

“And, yeah, it was just so lovely to go away for – I was only there four days to get some sun and not get recognised … it was just nice to have a break from that.”

However, Stephen’s distinctive voice is his “second” giveaway, as he quipped: “My big giveaway was my glasses. But my second giveaway is my voice.

“So if I speak too loudly, I’d see a few people look, they recognise – and people that approach me go, ‘I heard the voice.’ So I still had to [talk] quiet.”

Stephen was treated by Mr. Sheraz Daya at the Centre for Sight, the UK’s leading, trusted centre of excellence for advanced eye care, innovation and life-changing results. For more information, visit centreforsight.com.

A Brit living in Tenerife has shared a vital warning for visiting Brits, urging them to be ‘very careful and aware’ if they’re planning to visit for some winter sun

A Brit who traded the UK for sun-soaked Tenerife has issued a stark warning to fellow holidaymakers heading to the popular winter sun destination. The video resurfaced as one visitor to the island claimed three ‘racist’ hospitals turned her away.

The Canary Island, a favourite among those seeking some winter warmth, may seem like paradise, but visitors are being urged to stay on their toes. TikTok user @theknightstrider1, who’s called Tenerife home for over a decade, warns of a recurring issue that hits the island every winter season. Unlike mainland Spain, which winds down in winter, Tenerife’s tourist trade thrives, drawing in criminal gangs who “fly in” with the sole aim of pickpocketing from tourists – some even treating it like a “full-time job”.

In his video, which he posted last year, the expat explained: “They are very good at it, and they will do pickpocketing. They will steal from cars if you leave stuff inside them, so please do be very careful with your wallets, and stuff like that.”

He went on to say: “If you’re down here, busy, the golden mile area, the Sunday markets, the Tuesday markets, all of that – those busy areas – people bumping into you, just be careful. Just like at home, we do have pickpockets around.

“I normally just take my little wallet out, and I have it in my front pocket. Just be very careful and aware. You’ll be absolutely fine if you are but, unfortunately, so many people switch off, and they have their wallet busting with cash hanging out of their back pocket.”

He warns that pickpockets can be shockingly quick, swooping in for the pinch when you’re least expecting it.

The expat also claimed thieves are on the hunt for pricey electronics like cameras and iPads, which shouldn’t be left unsecured or in plain sight. Recently, he’s heard “more and more” tales of holidaymakers being targeted.

The video sparked a wave of comments online. One user remarked: “I genuinely was expecting you to say bring a coat.”

Others fondly recalled their holidays, with one posting: “Never had an issue over there. Can’t wait to go back in December.”

Not everyone is eager to return though, as another commented: “I don’t know what is going on in Tenerife. I know it’s not just Tenerife, but the vibe is off. I don’t think I would go back, and I’m not alone in that.”

Another person added: “Such a shame. Always come in the winter, but noticed it’s definitely getting worse. Just don’t feel safe in the evening.”

Matthew: We keep with the same formation that has failed us consistently since November. Five wins in 32 league games is the sort of form that doesn’t give you any leeway. You can change personnel but it’s the formation that needs to change. Which he’s shown he won’t. Thanks for the cup, Jimmy, but times up I’m afraid.

Graham: The message is simple now. Thelin is not good enough for AFC. Must go unfortunately.

Aldo: Thelin has to go. The tactics are terrible, a squad of supposedly creative players create no chances whatsoever. Beating a few lower division teams and a terrible Hearts, then a flukey win over Celtic on pens should not keep him in the job.

SPB: The rather bizarre Scottish Cup final gave him a stay of execution. He won’t see out the year I’m afraid. His purple patch last year – when he blew a fantastic start – is all he has achieved in his tenure. He’s not the only one who should be walking at the club.

Ally: Awful! Lazy and slow. No passion, no heart. I’m afraid the bell tolls for the Aberdeen manager. Faith in your shape has failed! Thanks for the cup, Jimmy, but fare thee well!

Denis: Board must act now. Give Leven a few games as he was up for it last year when acted as interim manager.

Neil: Can someone tell Thelin that performing the same experiment (formation) over and over again, and expecting different results, is the definition of insanity! Adapt, or go!

Andy: There’s something much more wrong at Aberdeen than managers. Changing again will solve nothing. These players need to get honest.

Director of Confluence Advisory, Khalood Khair, explains why she believes the United Nations could play an important role in alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.

The most densely packed section inside the Rose Bowl on Saturday was filled with fans wearing the colors of the visiting team.

Swathed in red and white, they crammed into one corner of the century-old stadium for what amounted to a nightlong celebration.

Fans cheering for the home team were more subdued and scattered throughout a stadium that seemed about one-third full, outnumbered by empty seats, visiting fans and those massive blue-and-gold tarps covering most of each end zone. Deliberately or not, Fox cameras inside the stadium showed those watching from home only wide shots filled with graphics that obscured the paltry crowd.

By late in the third quarter, the only suspense remaining in UCLA’s 43-10 blowout loss to Utah was waiting for the announced attendance. Reporters in the press box were given a figure of 35,032, which seemed inflated given so many empty seats below them.

It was.

The scan count, a tally of people actually inside the facility, was 27,785, according to athletic officials.

Creative accounting is the norm in college football given there are no standardized practices for attendance reporting. The Big Ten and other conferences leave it up to individual schools to devise their own formulas.

UCLA defines its announced attendance as tickets distributed — including freebies — plus non-ticketed and credentialed individuals such as players, coaches, staff, vendors, cheerleaders, band members, performers and even media. Across town, USC’s announced attendance includes only tickets distributed, according to an athletic department spokesperson, which was 62,841 for the season opener against Missouri State.

In recent seasons, UCLA’s announced attendance was sometimes more than double the scan count, according to figures obtained by The Times through a public records request.

For UCLA’s home opener against Bowling Green on a sweltering September day in 2022, the announced attendance was 27,143, a record low for the team since moving to the Rose Bowl before the 1982 season.

The actual attendance was much lower. UCLA’s scan count, which represented people who entered the stadium (including the aforementioned non-ticketed and credentialed individuals) was 12,383 — 14,760 fewer than the announced attendance. The scan count for the next game, against Alabama State, was just a smidgen higher at 14,093.

Those longing for an on-campus stadium could quip that UCLA might as well hold some games at Drake Stadium given the track facility holds 11,700 and could probably accommodate several thousand more with temporary bleachers placed opposite the permanent grandstands.

Empty seats aren’t just a game day buzzkill given their correlation to lost revenue.

“Since we are now in the era of NIL and revenue sharing, where cash is king,” said David Carter, an adjunct professor of sports business at USC, “every school hoping to play competitive big-time football needs to generate as much revenue and excitement around its program as possible. But since empty seats don’t buy beer or foam fingers, let alone merchandise and parking, any and all other forms of revenue are needed to offset these chronic game day losses in revenue.”

Declining revenue is especially troublesome at a school whose athletic department has run in the red for six consecutive fiscal years. The Bruins brought in $11.6 million in football ticket revenue during the most recent fiscal year, down nearly half from the $20 million they generated in 2014 when the team averaged a record 76,650 fans at the Rose Bowl under coach Jim Mora. But one athletic official said the school in 2025 could come close to matching the $5.5 million it generated in season ticket revenue a year ago.

Low attendance is a deepening concern. UCLA’s five worst home season-attendance figures since moving to the Rose Bowl in 1982 have come over the last five seasons not interrupted by COVID-19, including 46,805 last season. That figure ranked 16th among the 18 Big Ten Conference teams, ahead of only Maryland and Northwestern, which was playing at a temporary lakeside stadium seating just 12,023.

Recent attendance numbers remind some longtime observers of the small crowds for UCLA games in the late 1970s at the Coliseum, which was part of the reason for the team’s move to Pasadena. During their final decade of calling the Coliseum home, the Bruins topped 50,000 fans only six times for games not involving rival USC.

“Now, disappointingly, it would appear that the same attendance challenges that UCLA football faced at the Coliseum in the 1970s are repeating themselves at the Rose Bowl,” said John Sandbrook, a former UCLA assistant chancellor under chancellor Chuck Young and one of the primary power brokers in the school’s switch to the Rose Bowl.

Attendance woes are hardly confined to UCLA. Sixty-one of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams experienced a year-over-year decline in attendance last season, according to D1ticker.com.

UCLA faces several unique challenges, particularly early each season. Its stadium resides 26 miles from campus and students don’t start classes until late September. Other explanations for low turnouts have included late start times such as the 8 p.m. kickoff against Utah, lackluster nonconference opponents and triple-digit heat for some September games.

Quarterback Nico Iamaleava said he appreciated those who did show up Saturday, including a throng of friends and family from his hometown Long Beach.

“Fan base came out and showed their support, man,” Iamaleava said. “You know, it felt great going out there and playing in front of them. Obviously, we got to do our part and, you know, get them a win and make them enjoy the game.”

On some occasions, UCLA’s attendance figures have closely reflected the number of people in the stadium, including high-interest games such as Colorado coach Deion Sanders’ appearance in 2023. For that game, the announced attendance (71,343) only slightly exceeded the scan count (68,615).

The rivalry game also gets fans to show up. The announced attendance of 59,473 last season for USC’s 19-13 victory at the Rose Bowl wasn’t far off from the scan count of 51,588.

See all those empty seats? There were fewer than 13,000 fans in attendance to see quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, right, and wide receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala celebrate a touchdown against Bowling Green in 2022.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Still, as traditions go, creative accounting might predate the eight-clap. Similar to fudging practices known to be widespread at other schools, UCLA officials have been known to embellish attendance figures, sometimes rounding far enough past the next thousand not to strain credulity, according to two people familiar with operations who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Additionally, according to a former university administrator who observed the practice, a member of the athletic department staff would show a slip of paper with a suggested attendance figure for basketball games at Pauley Pavilion in the 1960s and 1970s to athletic director J.D. Morgan, who would either nod or take a pen and change the number to one more to his liking. That practice continued under subsequent athletic director Peter Dalis, the administrator said.

While declining to comment for this story, current athletic administrators have acknowledged the challenge of drawing fans in an increasingly crowded sports landscape that now includes two local NFL teams. Among other ventures, UCLA has created a new fan zone outside the stadium that can be enjoyed without purchasing a ticket and will hold a concert on the north side of the stadium the day of the Penn State game early next month.

While there’s no promotion like winning, as the saying goes, there also may be no salvaging the situation for the Bruins’ next home game. UCLA will face New Mexico on Sept. 12 for a Friday evening kickoff that will force fans to fight weekday traffic to see their favorite team face an opponent from the Mountain West Conference.

Brave souls who look around and hear the announced attendance might experience inflation on the rise once more.

A WOMAN who moved from a council estate to a “posh” house has admitted she wasn’t prepared for her nightmare neighbour.

TerriAnn is famous for appearing on TV show Rich House, Poor House, and regularly shares behind the scenes tales from the show on her social media pages.

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In a recent TikTok, she decided to post a story time of “coming from a council estate and moving to a ‘POSH’ area”, as she recalled acclimatising to the new home, and an unfortunate situation with their neighbour.

Calling it her “dream home”, which came complete with a cinema room and bar, TerriAnn said the real problems began when she spent £40,000 building a home office in her garden.

“Then I had a new neighbour and he was a doctor and he wasn’t very nice,” she said.

“I think personally he could not stand the fact like I’m just me – I’m not posh, I’m just me, I’ll never change.

“I’ll always be from a council estate, always a bit rough and ready… and he just couldn’t stand us.”

While the house had a “massive drive” for all her staff to park on, they all arrived for work at different times, meaning that they ended up blocking each other in.

So they instead decided to park on the street.

And following one of her staff having an argument with the neighbour, the man ended up phoning the council to complain.

“Then when council got involved basically the reason I had to move out of the house is because they said I couldn’t run my business from there,” she said.

“So I’d spent £40,000 on this office being built in the back garden and the council turned around and said you’re using your property as a commercial property.

“There was a massive hoo-ha over it anyway and I thought, I’m not staying here and not being able to run my business.

“It’s just not worth it what we’ve invested.”

So they decided to sell the house – making a profit in the process – and then moved to another home, which was the one that featured in Rich House, Poor House.

Concluding the video, TerriAnn said it wasn’t the first time she’d been discriminated against for coming from a council estate – and it probably won’t be the last.

“I think they look down on people who have turned their life around, who are now living that lifestyle – who are doing it by genuine means, who are earning legitimate money.”

She was quickly praised in the comments section for her refreshing attitude, with one writing: “Love to see my own kind of people getting along in life good on you.

“Sounds like the doctor was very bitter and jealous of you!”

“You hit the nail on the head,” another agreed.

“As long as you’re happy now!” a third said.

“Love your story times, you’re so real,” someone else added.

For President Trump, it’s all about appearances.

He’s busy with so many makeovers: The Versailles-ification of the Oval Office, which seems to sprout more gold leaf and ornamentation every time Trump assembles the media there. The paving of the Rose Garden, now Mar-a-Lago Patio North, crowded with white tables and yellow umbrellas just as at his Florida retreat. The estimated billion-dollar conversion of a Qatari luxury jet built for a king, more in keeping with Trump’s tastes than the “less impressive” Air Force One. Even a new golf cart, the six-figure armored Golf Force One. And, assuming Trump gets his way, as he mostly does, he’ll break ground soon on a $200-million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom, a veritable Hall of Mirrors nearly doubling the footprint of the White House.

The president has $257 million from ever-compliant Republicans in Congress to transform the nearby Kennedy Center into the “Trump/Kennedy Center,” as Trump immodestly suggested on Tuesday. (Meanwhile, the purported populist president has canceled grants to local arts groups across America and seeks to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts, which underwrites cultural events in every state.) Even the medallions for the annual Kennedy Center Honors winners are getting a makeover — from Tiffany & Co., natch. Trump, having made himself the Kennedy Center chair after a first term in which he skipped the honors shows by popular demand, was there on Wednesday to announce the 2025 honorees.

Let’s pause here to consider just how Fox News and MAGA World would react if the president overseeing all this extravagance were named Biden, Obama or Clinton.

These preoccupations of the reality-show president are a metaphor for something much bigger, however — Trump’s virtually unchecked makeover of the entire U.S. government as well as its major institutions of education, culture, law and more, all in service of the appearance of gilded grandeur and raw power: His.

Consider recent events. After federal data showed worrying job losses in recent months — not a good look for the self-styled economic wizard — Trump fired the wonky bureaucrat who runs the Bureau of Labor Statistics in favor of a MAGA flunky disdained by economists of all stripes for his bias and ignorance. Only the best.

Cultural gems — eight Smithsonian Institution museums — are in for a Trumpian overhaul. “White House to Vet Smithsonian Museums to Fit Trump’s Historical Vision” was the Wall Street Journal headline this week. So Trump, the historical visionary who once seemed to think abolitionist Frederick Douglass was still alive and whose Homeland Security Department this week seemingly promoted a neo-Nazi book on its social media account, will curate American life and history for posterity. What could go wrong?

Though Vladimir Putin refuses to compromise or cease firing on Ukraine, making a mockery of Trump’s talk of brokering peace on Day 1, Trump plans to reward the war-crime-ing global pariah on Friday with the ultimate recognition: a summit on American soil. After all, a summit gets so much more media attention than a mere private phone call. So what if nothing comes of it, as with Trump’s first-term “summitry” with Putin, Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un. It’s the televised power struts that count.

Want to look tough on crime? Trump the performance artist has militarized the nation’s capital just as he did Los Angeles, declaring a crime emergency in a city where crime is at a 30-year low. (As with the jobs numbers, the White House disputed the crime data.) The president called up 800 National Guard troops and myriad federal agents to patrol Washington, a power he declined to use for three long hours on Jan. 6, 2021, when the city actually did face rioting. Trump is so into scene-setting that he’d rather put FBI agents on the D.C. streets than leave them to their behind-the-scenes work on counterintelligence and anti-terrorism.

I don’t feel safer.

This isn’t just an anti-crime show for Trump, however. He says it’s also about beautification. “I’m going to make our Capital safer and more beautiful than it ever was before,” he posted on social media. This from the president who was untroubled by his supporters defiling and defecating in the Capitol on Jan. 6. As a longtime resident, I don’t recognize the dystopian city he describes; as a citizen, I’m offended.

And of course Trump’s power play is also about fundraising. What isn’t about money for him? In an email solicitation on Tuesday, he boasted to would-be donors that he’d “LIBERATED” the capital from “Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum.” You know what’s really scummy? Constant money-grubbing.

Washington and Los Angeles likely are just dry runs for Trump’s future shows of force. He’s repeatedly threatened similar crackdowns in other Democratic-run cities. And on Tuesday, the Washington Post broke the news of a Pentagon plan for a “Domestic Civil Disturbance Quick Reaction Force” with 600 National Guard troops on permanent standby to deploy at Trump’s command. All of this is of dubious legality, but when has that stopped him?

Whether the subject is crime, tariffs, immigration, whatever, Trump just declares an emergency to supposedly justify his aggrandizement of power. Never mind that each emergency reflects a problem that’s long-standing and not a crisis. Absent these declarations, Trump would have to govern with Congress and pass legislation to try to actually solve problems, as the framers intended. That means time, tedium, policy details and compromise — hardly the stuff of a camera-ready wannabe action hero/strongman.

Say Trump’s orchestrated gerrymandering in Texas and other red states doesn’t work in the 2026 midterm elections and Democrats take control of the House. It’s not hard to imagine him declaring an emergency and sending in the military to seize voting machines. Trump was restrained from issuing just such an order after the 2020 election.

Yes, he’s a busy man. But you know what Trump hasn’t done? Release the Epstein files. Wouldn’t be good for appearances.

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A HAIR removal specialist has warned travelers not to get a wax immediately before boarding a flight, as it could lead to painful skin problems that might spoil the start of a holiday.

Timca Pruijt, hair removal expert from Laser Hair Removalo, says the conditions inside aircraft cabins can worsen post-wax skin irritation, causing redness, increased sensitivity and potential infection risks.

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She noted that many people book last-minute beauty treatments just before flying abroad, without considering how the aircraft environment might affect freshly waxed skin.

Cabin air is extra dry

“To avoid condensation, cabin humidity is reduced dramatically to anywhere between 10% and 20%, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s latest Aviation Weather Handbook.

“This is much lower than what your skin is used to, which is ideally between 30% and 50%, based on guidance from the US Environmental Protection Agency,” Pruijt explains.

“We can easily feel our lips chapping, our nose drying and our eyes getting itchy, but we rarely remember our skin is suffering too.”

She explains that newly waxed skin will have its protective hair layer removed, and tiny pores are left open and exposed.

“After waxing, your skin needs time to recover and close those open pores. The ultra-dry cabin air draws moisture from your skin at the worst possible time – right when it needs hydration to heal properly,” she adds.

“People often forget that waxing is not just hair removal; it is quite traumatic for the skin. You are pulling hair from the root and removing a thin layer of skin cells in the process,” she says. 

Pruijt also points out that the stress of travelling, along with changes in temperature between air-conditioned airports, hot tarmacs and cool cabins, puts additional strain on your skin’s ability to recover.

Your Skin Needs At Least 48 Hours to Heal

According to Pruijt, sitting in a confined space for hours with compromised skin creates ideal conditions for bacteria to multiply, potentially leading to spots, rashes, or even infections.

For holidaymakers who still want to be hair-free on arrival, she recommends planning beauty treatments carefully.

“Preparation is the only way you can avoid complications from waxing. This means booking your appointments well ahead and applying moisturizers before leaving the house for the airport.”

“Get your waxing done at least 48 hours before your flight. This gives your skin adequate time to recover and those open pores to close,” she advises.

She also suggests applying a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer before the flight to create a protective barrier.

Airports can be bacteria breeding ground for freshly waxed skin

“Our hands contact multiple surfaces in airports, planes, taxis, buses, and cafes. We then inevitably touch our skin with those hands, breeding with bacteria.

“You can use hand sanitizer generously and often, but bacteria are on surfaces you might sit on or accidentally touch.

“While you cannot exactly cover a waxed upper lip or brow, you could swap shorts for loose trousers and tank tops for airy, long-sleeved shirts to give your fragile skin an extra layer of protection from unsanitary surfaces and your own contaminated hands.”

The expert noted that wearing loose, comfortable clothing on the flight is essential if you have recently had a wax, particularly for sensitive areas.

“Tight clothing creates friction and traps heat and moisture, which can lead to irritation or folliculitis, when your hair follicles become inflamed,” she explains. “Opt for cotton for avoid sweating and maximize your skin’s ability to breathe.”

Last-minute waxing can cause rashes

If you are used to waxing as your preferred hair removal method, you may be reluctant to consider alternatives or combinations thereof.

“Many travelers now opt for a waxing appointment a few days before their flight and pack a small razor for touch-ups if needed during their holiday,” she says.

“If you travel often or want longer-lasting results, treatments like laser hair removal might be worth considering. Unlike waxing, once a course of laser treatments is complete, there is no need to worry about last-minute hair removal before flights.

“Ultimately, if it is too late to plan more permanent hair removal options, your best bet is packing a good old set of fresh razors and, importantly, a new loofah or gentle brush to exfoliate your sensitive, sun-bathed skin before shaving,” Pruijt notes.

“You are better off putting in the extra effort of shaving daily than walking around with a waxed, sore rash you cannot control your entire vacation.”

Sun exposure can damage sensitive skin

Pruijt also advises taking extra care with sun exposure after both waxing and flying.

“Newly waxed or dehydrated skin makes you more susceptible to sun damage.

“You should avoid applying sunscreen on freshly irritated skin, which is why, if you do need to step out the following 24 hours, cover your skin with clothing rather than sunscreen, depending on the area. Wear trousers, long-sleeved tops, a wide-brimmed hat and trainers.

“Make sure you are extra vigilant with sunscreen once you reach your destination,” she warns.”

A MAJOR bank with millions of customers is make a huge change to dozens of bank accounts starting within days.

The Co-operative Bank is cutting interest rates on 36 savings accounts, delivering a fresh blow to savers.

It comes just days after the Bank of England lowered the base rate from 4.25% to 4%, marking the fifth interest rate cut since 2020.

The decision means lower mortgage payments for homeowners but often leads to smaller returns for savers.

That’s because the base rate impacts the interest rates banks offer on savings accounts and loans, including mortgages.

The Co-operative Bank has wasted no time, announcing that interest rates on dozens of accounts will be reduced starting on August 14 and October 22.

On August 14, the Base Rate Tracker accounts will see reductions, with interest rates dropping from 4% to 3.75% and from 3.75% to 3.5%.

For example, if you had £1,000 deposited for 12 months, the interest earned at 4% would have been £40.

After the rate drops to 3.75%, you would earn £37.50 – a difference of £2.50.

Similarly, with the rate falling from 3.75% to 3.5%, the interest earned would decrease from £37.50 to £35, meaning £2.50 less over the year.

From October 22, various other accounts will experience cuts, including the Future Fund, which will see its rate fall from 1.53% to 1.46%, and the Online Saver, dropping from 2.12% to 2.06%.

Other affected accounts include the Smart Saver, Select Access Saver 5, and Privilege Premier Savings, with reductions ranging from 4.15% to 3.9% and 3.53% to 3.4%. 

Cash ISA holders will also be impacted, with Cash ISA 2 rates falling from 3.25% to 3%.

Fortunately, several savings providers still offer returns of up to 5%.

With the average bank customer holding around £10,000 in savings, according to Raisin, switching could be a smart move.

To help you get the best returns, we’ve listed the top savings rates for each account type below.

What’s on offer?

If you’re looking for a savings account without withdrawal limitations, then you’ll want to opt for an easy-access saver.

These do what they say on the tin and usually allow for unlimited cash withdrawals.

The best easy access savings account available is from Cahoot, which pays 5% – and you only need to pay a minimum of £1 to set it up.

This means that if you were to save £1,000 in this account, you would earn £50 a year in interest.

Meanwhile, West Brom Building Society’s easy access account offers customers 4.55% back on savings worth £1 or more.

If you’re okay with being less flexible about withdrawals, a top notice account could be a great option.

These accounts offer better rates than easy-access accounts but still let you access your money more flexibly than a a fixed-bond.

RCI Bank UK’s 95 day notice account offers savers 4.7% back with a minimum £1,000 deposit, for example.

This means that if you were to save £1,000 in this account, you would earn £47 a year in interest.

Meanwhile, GB Bank’s 120-day notice account offers 4.58%, requiring a minimum deposit of £1,000.

If you want to lock your money away and keep the same savings rate for a set time, a fixed bond is a good choice.

The best fixed rate currently offered is Vanquis Bank’s one-year fixed bond, which pays 4.44%, requiring a minimum deposit of £1,000.

Meanwhile, Atom Bank’s one-year fixed bond offers 4.42% back on a deposit of £50 or more.

This means that if you were to save £1,000 in this account, you would earn £44.20 a year in interest.

If you want to build a habit of saving a set amount of money each month, a regular savings account could pay you dividends.

Principality Building Society’s Six Month Regular Saver offers 7.5% interest on savings.

It allows customers to save between £1 and £200 a month.

Save in the maximum, and you’ll earn £25.81 in interest.

While regular savings accounts look attractive due to the high interest rates on offer, they are not right for all savers. 

You can’t use a regular savings account to earn interest on a lump sum.

The amount you can save into the account each month will be limited, typically to somewhere between £200 and £500.

Therefore, if you have more to save, it would be wise to consider one of the other accounts mentioned above.

A woman has claimed she was “unfairly” charged by easyJet when she was travelling from London Luton Airport to Paris – and she said the experience only got worse

Travelling to the airport can be a stressful experience, and it can be even worse when things go wrong. This is exactly what appeared to happen to one woman when her easyJet flight wasn’t what she expected for more than one reason.

Emi, who shares her life on TikTok under the username emilia.petcu, recounted her less-than-pleasant experience travelling from London Luton Airport to Paris. She felt “unfairly” overcharged and described her flight as a “poor experience”, which cast a shadow over her Parisian getaway.

In her video, Emi alleges that easyJet hit her with a £96.00 fee for a backpack she believed complied with the cabin policy and should have fit under the seat. She branded the last-minute charge as “unfair”, despite airlines’ usual reminders to passengers to verify baggage rules before flying.

But the troubles didn’t stop there, as she also claimed the aircraft was dirty, adding to her travel woes. Her post included the caption: “The experience only got worse on board. The airplane was dirty, with poor hygiene and cleanliness conditions.

“The flight was delayed without clear updates.”

Emi documented the journey, which took place on July 24, showing both the bill and the state of the plane. Visuals of crumbs and rubbish strewn around her seating area did little to improve her impression of the airline.

The video has racked up a fair number of views since being posted, sparking a flurry of comments from viewers sharing their diverse opinions and experiences.

One viewer recounted: “This happened to me. I complained to easyJet and they gave me the amount in a voucher.”

Another chimed in with a similar experience, adding: “I had the same thing at Luton.”

A third shared their luggage strategy: “I’ve used the same backpack for the last three to four years with different airlines.”

Meanwhile, another commenter offered straightforward advice: “Follow the rules, no charges – simple.”

Some commenters came to the airline’s defence, offering an alternative viewpoint. One person pointed out: “Please bear in mind the staff have six to eight minutes to clean the plane and, if they are late, it’s 90% of the time not their fault.

“It can be if the plane in front of them was late taking off or landing – it delays others.”

Another person wrote: “Blame the set of passengers for leaving the mess, not the crew. If they were to tidy it, the flight would be delayed and they would get bother from the airline for being late and the passengers too.”

In the video, Emi didn’t showcase her bag, leaving viewers unable to judge its size; she only displayed the receipt given to her by staff upon paying the fee.

easyJet has not commented on this particular case, but the airline did issue a statement regarding its baggage policy. It read: “easyJet’s bag policy is well understood and all customers can bring one small under seat bag for free.

“We provide clear information on bag allowances including dimensions clear when booking, via email before travel and on our boarding passes and our ground handlers check bags to ensure they will fit in the cabin, and in fairness to customers who have paid to bring additional bags.”

Sam slammed the airline in a now viral TikTok video that has racked up more than three million views after spending her savings on a dream holiday to Miami with her best friend

A furious holidaymaker has blasted British Airways after a dream trip to Miami left her out of pocket and without her belongings for almost her entire holiday.

Sam, who shared her ordeal in a viral TikTok, claimed she was forced to pay £60 per suitcase on her journey to Miami – only to discover later her missing bag had been sitting in her hotel’s storage room all along. Her nightmare began at the airport check-in desk, where she was told her British Airways booking didn’t include checked-in luggage – despite her insisting she had paid for it.

“We tried to use the bag drop at the airport and it wouldn’t let us check in,” she explained. “We go to the check in desk and this woman literally looks like she hates us. We are the bane of her existence. She’s saying we hadn’t pre-booked our luggage, which we definitely had.”

READ MORE: Ryanair cabin baggage changes in full and how it compares to other budget airlines

Staff allegedly made her pay £60 per suitcase to get them on the flight. But it got worse after she claims the check-in assistant accidentally charged her twice and told her she’d have to reclaim the money online after her holiday.

Sam said: “We ended up crying at the desk. She was not bothered.”

After finally boarding her flight to Miami, she said she noticed her suitcase being pulled aside for a security check. She was later informed it hadn’t been properly labelled for her connecting flight – but staff assured her the issue had been sorted.

However, when she landed in Miami, her suitcase was nowhere to be found. “I explained all the issues we had a check-in to someone at the airport,” she said. “It’s never happened to me. I’m panicking. I’m crying.”

British Airways reportedly told her the bag was “stuck in limbo” and promised to send it on to her hotel as soon as possible. Days later, she received a text saying her luggage was on the way – but it never arrived.

“I go to the hotel receptionist and she tells me there’s no suitcase,” Sam said. “There was one day on the holiday that I made 45 calls to British Airways. I had none of my makeup, shoes, toiletries and medication that I have to take daily.”

But at the end of her holiday, Sam made a shocking discovery – her suitcase had been at the hotel all along, stashed away in the storage room for several days while she went without her belongings.

After returning home, she contacted British Airways to complain and says she was eventually given a refund for all expenses endured.

The Mirror has contacted British Airways for comment.

READ MORE: Emily Atack’s Dune sandals look just like Hermes Oran pair and cost £500 less

WASHINGTON — Americans’ per capita income–after adjustment for inflation–declined in 1991, the first drop in nine years, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

The fall in real personal income was even greater in California, reflecting the impact of the recession in the state.

Nationwide, personal income averaged $19,082 last year, a scant 2.1% improvement over the prior year. That compares to a 4.1% rise in consumer prices, meaning real per capita income fell last year.

In California, personal income averaged $20,952 in 1991, a 1.3% increase over 1990. Nevada lagged even more with personal income of $19,175, only 0.7% higher than the prior year.

It was the first time since 1982 that growth in per capita income failed to keep pace with inflation, and it was the slowest growth since per capita incomes rose just 1% in 1958, a recession year.

The Commerce Department calculates personal income using wages and salaries, rents, dividends and government payments such as Social Security. This total measure of income–$4.81 trillion nationally in 1991–divided by a population of 252.2 million yields the per capita income for America.

California last year was among a group of 14 slow-growing states, according to the Commerce Department. This represents a major change from the 1980s, when these states were enjoying rapid growth, significantly above the national expansion of per capita incomes. They led the boom, with the central part of the nation lagging behind.

Now the situation is reversed, with the Midwest enjoying growth while both coasts suffer from sluggish economic performance.

The eastern states, notably New England and New York, suffered “declines in earnings in construction, durables, manufacturing and retail trade,” the Commerce Department said. Incomes grew in the West, but population and inflation grew even faster.

The fast-growing states, in which per capita income outstripped the national average, had strong gains in construction, manufacturing and service industries, the Commerce Department said. This group included Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Hawaii and Utah.

Nationally, the growth rate in per capita income has been slowing since the end of the Reagan Administration. The increase in 1988 was 7.1%, and then slipped to 6.9% in 1989, and 5.4% in 1990 before reaching 1.3% last year.

The Commerce Department indicated that the recession, now in its second year, has had widespread and pervasive impact throughout the country. The growth of income slowed in all 50 states compared to the previous year’s performance.

“The defense cutbacks are having a big impact,” said Rudolph E. DePass, a Commerce Department analyst. “The high-income states (in the 1980s) . . . were generally all pretty heavily involved in the defense industry.”

Only seven states enjoyed per capita incomes in 1991 matching or exceeding the national inflation rate. They were: Wyoming, 5.1%; Montana, 4.8%; North Dakota, 4.8%; Hawaii, 4.6%; Louisiana, 4.2%; New Mexico, 4.1%, and Arkansas, 4.1%. Mississippi at 4% virtually matched the national average.

Economists predicted that income growth would improve modestly this year as the economy recovers.

“1992 will be slightly better. You could see a 3% to 4% increase,” said economist Lawrence Chimerine of DRI-McGraw Hill, a Lexington, Mass., forecasting firm. “But we still will be lucky to match or exceed inflation, and we won’t make up for the weakness of the last several years.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

HOPLAND, Calif.  — On a sun-kissed hillside in remote Northern California, I watched in awe as a crackling fire I’d helped ignite engulfed a hillside covered in tall, golden grass. Then the wind shifted slightly, and the dense gray smoke that had been billowing harmlessly up the slope turned and engulfed me.

Within seconds, I was blind and coughing. The most intense heat I’d ever felt seemed like it would sear the only exposed skin on my body: my face. As the flames inched closer, to within a few feet, I backed up until I was trapped against a tall fence with nowhere left to go.

Alone in that situation, I would have panicked. But I was with Len Nielson, chief of prescribed burns for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, who stayed as cool as the other side of the pillow.

Like a pilot calmly instructing passengers to fasten their seat belts, Nielson suggested I wrap the fire-resistant “shroud” hanging from my bright yellow helmet around my face. Then he told me to take a few steps to the left.

And, just like that, we were out of the choking smoke and into the gentle morning sunlight. The temperature seemed to have dropped a few hundred degrees.

“It became uncomfortable, but it was tolerable, right?” Nielson asked with a reassuring grin. “Prescribed fires are a lot about trust.”

Dripping gasoline onto dry grass and deliberately setting it ablaze in the California countryside felt wildly reckless, especially for someone whose job involves interviewing survivors of the state’s all too frequent, catastrophic wildfires. But “good fire,” as Nielson called it, is essential for reducing the fuel available for bad fire, the kind that makes the headlines. The principle is as ancient as it is simple.

Before European settlers arrived in California and insisted on suppressing fire at every turn, the landscape burned regularly. Sometimes lightning ignited the flames; sometimes it was Indigenous people using fire as an obvious, and remarkably effective, tool to clear unwanted vegetation from their fields. Whatever the cause, it was common for much of the land in California to burn about once a decade.

“So it was relatively calm,” Nielson said, as the flames we’d set danced and swirled just a few feet behind him. “There wasn’t this big fuel load, so there wasn’t a chance of it becoming really intense.”

With that in mind, the state set an ambitious goal in the early 2020s to deliberately burn at least 400,000 acres of wilderness each year. The majority of that would have to be managed by the federal government, since agencies including the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service own nearly half of the state’s total land. And they own more than half of the state’s forests.

Cal Fire crew members set a prescribed burn near Hopland in Mendocino County.

(Josh Edelson / For The Times)

But California officials worry their ambitious goals are likely to be thwarted by deep cuts to those federal agencies by Elon Musk’s budget-whacking White House advisory team, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. In recent months, the Forest Service has lost about 10% of its workforce to mass layoffs and firings. While firefighters were exempt from the DOGE-ordered staffing cuts, employees who handle the logistics and clear the myriad regulatory hurdles to secure permission for prescribed burns were not.

“To me, it’s an objective fact that these cuts mean California will be less safe from wildfire,” said Wade Crowfoot, California’s secretary of natural resources. He recalled how President Trump, in his first term, erroneously blamed the state’s wildfires on state officials who, Trump said, had failed to adequately “rake” the forests.

“Fifty-seven percent of our forests are owned and managed by the federal government,” Crowfoot said. If anybody failed, it was the president, he argued.

Larry Moore, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Forest Service, said the job cuts won’t affect the agency’s fire prevention efforts.

The Forest Service “continues to ensure it has the strongest and most prepared wildland firefighting force in the world,” Moore wrote in an email. The agency’s leaders are “committed to preserving essential safety positions and will ensure that critical services remain uninterrupted.”

Cal Fire crew members plot out the direction and scope of a prescribed burn in Mendocino County.

(Josh Edelson / For The Times)

Nevertheless, last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom added $72 million to the state’s forest management budget to bridge some of the gap expected to be left by federal agencies. But wildfire experts say that’s just a drop in the bucket. Doing prescribed burns safely takes a lot of boots on the ground and behind-the-scenes cajoling to make sure local residents, and regulators, are on board.

Because people get pretty testy when you accidentally smoke out an elementary school or old folks home, burn plans have to clear substantial hurdles presented by the California Environmental Quality Act and air quality regulators.

It took three years to get all the required permissions for the 50-acre Hopland burn in Mendocino County, where vineyard owners worried their world-class grapes might get a little too “smoky” for most wine lovers. When the big day finally arrived in early June, more than 60 firefighters showed up with multiple fire engines, at least one bulldozer and a firefighting helicopter on standby in case anything went wrong.

They gathered at the University of California’s Hopland Research and Extension Center, where students learn about ranching and wilderness ecology.

But this was no school project. A fire that began in the surrounding hills a couple of years ago threatened to trap people in the center, so the area being burned was along the only two roads that could be used to escape.

“We’re trying to create a buffer to get out, if we need to,” said John Bailey, the center’s director. “But we’re also trying to create a buffer to prevent wildfire from coming into the center.”

Smoke emanates from a prescribed burn in Mendocino County. (Josh Edelson / For The Times)

As the firefighters pulled on their protective yellow jackets and pants, and filled their drip torches with a mixture of diesel and gasoline, Nielson bent down and grabbed a fistful of the yellow grass. Running it through his fingers, he showed it to his deputies and they all shook their heads in disappointment — too moist.

Thick marine-layer clouds filled the sky at 7 a.m, keeping the relative humidity too high for a good scorching. In many years of covering wildfires, it was the first time I had seen firefighters looking bored and disappointed because nothing would burn.

By 8:45 a.m., the clouds cleared, the sun came out, and the grass in Nielson’s fist began to crinkle and snap. It was time to go to work.

The fire that would fill the sky and drift north that afternoon, blanketing the town of Ukiah with the familiar orange haze of fire season, began with a single firefighter walking along the edge of a cleared dirt path. As he moved, he made little dots of flame with his drip torch, drawing a line like a kid working the edges of a picture in a coloring book.

Additional firefighters worked the other edges of the field until it was encircled by strips of burned black grass. That way, no matter which direction the fire went when they set the center of the field alight, the flames would not — in most circumstances — escape the relatively small test patch.

On the uphill edge of the patch, along the top of a ridge, firefighters in full protective gear leaned against a wooden fence with their backs to the smoke and flames climbing the hill behind them. They’d all done this before, and they trusted those black strips of pre-burned grass to stop the fire before it got to them.

Their job was to keep their eyes on the downward slope on the other side of the ridge, which wasn’t supposed to burn. If they saw any embers drift past them into the “green” zone, they would immediately move to extinguish those flames.

Nielson and I were standing along the fence, too. In addition to the circle of pre-burned grass protecting us, we were on a dirt path about four feet wide. For someone with experience, that was an enormous buffer. I was the only one who even flinched when the smoke and flames came our way.

Afterward, when I confessed how panicked I had felt, Nielson said it happens to a lot of people the first time they are engulfed in smoke. It’s particularly dangerous in grass fires, because they move so fast. People can get completely disoriented, run the wrong way and “get cooked,” he said.

Grass fires are particularly dangerous, because they move so fast, says Cal Fire Staff Chief Len Nielson. People can get disoriented in the smoke, run the wrong way and “get cooked.”

(Josh Edelson / For The Times)

But that test patch was just the warmup act. Nielson and his crew were checking to make sure the fire would behave the way they expected — pushed in the right direction by the gentle breeze and following the slope uphill.

“If you’re wondering where fire will go and how fast it will move, think of water,” he said. Water barely moves on flat ground, but it picks up speed when it goes downhill. If it gets into a steep section, where the walls close in like a funnel, it becomes a waterfall.

“Fire does the same thing, but it’s a gas, so it goes the opposite direction,” Nielson said.

With that and a few other pointers — we watched as three guys drew a line of fire around the base of a big, beautiful oak tree in the middle of the hillside to shield it from what was about to happen — Nielson led me to the bottom of the hill and handed me a drip torch.

Once everybody was in position, and all of the safety measures had been put in place, he wanted me to help set the “head fire,” a 6-foot wall of flame that would roar up the hill and consume dozens of acres in a matter of minutes.

“It’s gonna get a little warm right here,” Nielson said, “but it’s gonna get warm for only a second.”

As I leaned in with the torch and set the grass ablaze, the heat was overwhelming. While everyone else working the fire seemed nonchalant, I was tentative and terrified. My right hand stretched forward to make the dots and dashes where Nielson instructed, but my butt was sticking as far back into the road as it could get.

I asked Nielson how hot he thought the flames in front of us were. “I used to know that,” he said with a shrug. “I want to say it’s probably between 800 and 1,200 degrees.”

With the hillside still burning, I peeled off all of the protective gear, hopped in a car and followed the smoke north along the 101 Freeway. By lunchtime, Ukiah, a town of 16,000 that bills itself as the gateway to the redwoods, was shrouded in haze.

Everybody smelled the smoke, but prescribed burns are becoming so common in the region, nobody seemed alarmed.

“Do it!” said Judy Hyler, as she and two friends walked out of Stan’s Maple Cafe. A veteran of the rampant destruction of wildfires from years past, she didn’t hesitate when asked how she felt about the effort. “I would rather it be prescribed, controlled and managed than what we’ve seen before.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Congratulations to my granddaughter, Riley, for graduating from the fifth grade this week and moving on to, gulp, middle school (or as they called it when I was a kid, junior high. That was back when we had to walk to school every day. Barefoot. In the snow. Uphill both ways. Fighting off dinosaurs. Kids today have it so easy).

Competition

We could talk about Max Muncy or Michael Conforto or Tanner Scott again, but let’s give them a break this edition and focus on something else.

The Dodgers are 38-25, on pace for 98 wins. But who have they built their record against? Let’s take a look.

vs. teams with a winning record (.500 or better)
Chicago Cubs, 3-4
Cleveland, 2-1
Detroit, 3-0
NY Mets, 3-4
NY Yankees, 2-1
Philadelphia, 1-2
Total, 14-12, .538

vs. teams with a losing record
Angels, 0-3
Arizona, 4-3
Athletics, 2-1
Atlanta, 5-1
Colorado, 3-0
Miami, 5-1
Pittsburgh, 2-1
Texas, 2-1
Washington, 1-2
Total, 24-13, .649

They have done well against both. They project out to 87 wins if they played a full schedule against winning teams, and 105 wins against teams with a losing record. About what you would expect from a team that could win the World Series. Last year, they went 51-41 (.554) against teams with a winning record, 47-23 (.671) against teams with a losing record. So, they aren’t doing as well as they did last year.

But here’s some good news for the Dodgers. If you look at their remaining schedule, the Dodgers have the second-easiest schedule the rest of the way among the 30 teams in baseball.

The easiest schedules the rest of the way. List number is the combined current winning percentage of the rest of the teams on their schedule:

1. Houston (no relation), .467
2. Dodgers, .484
3. San Francisco, .485
4. Arizona, .485
5. Cleveland, .488

Of course, two other NL West teams are also in the top five.

The teams with the most difficult schedule:

1. Chicago White Sox, .527
2. Cincinnati, .521
3. Colorado, .515
4. Miami, .514
5. Boston, .512

The Padres are in 14th place at .502.

Having the easiest schedule doesn’t guarantee anything of course, but it’s better than having the toughest schedule.

And here’s the weird things about this season: The Dodgers haven’t played the Padres or Giants yet. And the Padres and Giants have played each other only four times.

The NL West will come down to who can win the most games among the Dodgers-Padres, Dodgers-Giants and Padres-Giants. The Dodgers play the Padres 13 times (first game is Monday at San Diego) and they play the Giants 13 times. If the Dodgers can go 8-5 or better against both, then it gives them an enormous advantage in winning the division. A losing record puts them at a disadvantage.

The Dodgers last play the Padres on Aug. 24. They don’t play them at all in September! I’m sorry, that’s just bad scheduling on the part of MLB. They play the Giants for the final time on Sept. 21. They close the season against Seattle! Again, just bad scheduling. MLB needs to have enough vision to see how the division races are probably going to play out and the final six games of the season should have been against the Padres and Giants. It’s little things like this where MLB hurts itself. They don’t see the little things that are important to fans of any team. It’s like going to a great restaurant with the best food, but they forget to give you silverware and the plates are chipped. It makes the main product less appealing.

By the way, last season after 63 games, the Dodgers were….. 38-25, the same record they have this season. They had a seven-game lead in the West.

Tyler Glasnow update

Bad news for those awaiting the return of Tyler Glasnow. A week after throwing his first bullpen session since going on the injured list in April with shoulder inflammation, he has been feeling “general body discomfort,” Dave Roberts said.

“There was one ‘pen, and then [his] body didn’t respond,” Roberts said. “So we’re trying to figure out when we can ramp him back up.”

If you’re like me, when you hear the phrase “general body discomfort,” you immediately think of former Dodgers outfielder Mike Marshall, who might have missed more games with “general soreness” than any player in history.

Top 10 shortstops

We begin our “Top 10” series with shortstops. Who are the top 10 shortstops in Dodgers history? First, my picks, then who readers picked. Numberslisted are with the Dodgers only. Gold Gloves are also listed, but keep in mind Gold Gloves were first awarded in 1957. Click on the player name to be taken to his full stat page at baseball-reference.com.

1. Pee Wee Reese (1940-42, 1946-58, .269/.366/.377, 68.4 WAR, 99 OPS+, 10-time All Star)

Reese is the clear No. 1 shortstop in Dodgers history and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He also finished ninth the last time we did reader voting for the greatest Dodgers of all time.

Harold Henry Reese was born on July 23, 1918, in Meade County, Ky. When he turned 21, he was 5 feet 6 and 160 pounds, but he was called “Pee Wee” long before that. Not because of his size, because of his other hobby other than baseball: marbles. He won a couple of pee wee marbles competitions in Kentucky, so people started calling him Pee Wee.

After graduating from high school, Reese, who played in only five baseball games in his senior year, didn’t seem headed for Major League fame. He took a job as a cable splicer for a telephone company. He often said that climbing all those poles made him much stronger physically and helped him reach the majors.

Reese led his semipro team to the Louisville city championship in 1937 and signed with the minor league Louisville Colonels. He did so well there that Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey bought the Colonels in 1938 in order to secure the rights to Reese. One problem: the Red Sox were led by Joe Cronin, one of the best shortstops around. Cronin did not want to move from short to make room for Reese, so Yawkey decided midway through the 1939 season to sell Reese’s contract to the Brooklyn Dodgers for $35,000 and two players, Red Evans and Art Parks, neither of whom ever played for the Red Sox, so it was quite a good deal for the Dodgers.

Reese made it to the majors in 1940 and was a great fielder, but only an average hitter for three seasons before he spent three years in the Navy with the construction battalion. He returned to the Dodgers for the 1946 season and was a much better hitter, batting .284 with 87 walks.

In spring training of 1947, a few Dodgers signed a petition that threatened a players’ boycott if Jackie Robinson joined the team. When it came time for Reese to sign, he refused, later saying, “If he’s man enough to take my job, I’m not gonna like it, but, Black or white, he deserves it.”

Reese died on Aug. 14, 1999. He was 81.

At his funeral, Joe Black, one of the first Black pitchers in the majors and a former teammate of Reese, said: “Pee Wee helped make my boyhood dream come true to play in the majors, the World Series. When Pee Wee reached out to Jackie, all of us in the Negro League smiled and said it was the first time that a white guy had accepted us. When I finally got up to Brooklyn, I went to Pee Wee and said, ‘Black people love you. When you touched Jackie, you touched all of us.’ With Pee Wee, it was No. 1 on his uniform and No. 1 in our hearts.”

2. Maury Wills (1959-66, 1969-72, .281/.330/.331, 32.1 WAR, 87 OPS+, 1 MVP award, 2 Gold Gloves, 6-time All Star).

Wills made the stolen base popular again. In 1960, his first full season as the Dodgers’ shortstop, Wills led the league with 50 stolen bases, becoming the first National League player to steal 50 since Max Carey stole 51 in 1923. Wills stole more bases by himself than three NL teams did.

1961 was a bit of a down year as he stole only 35, which was still more than the entire Pittsburgh Pirates team (29).

1962 was his year though. Wills broke Ty Cobb‘s 47-year-old record by stealing 104 bases and was named NL most valuable player. He stole more bases than every other NL team.

In 1965, he stole 94 bases, more than every other team except the St. Louis Cardinals, who stole 100.

So you could say that Wills is the Babe Ruth of base stealing. He definitely should be in the Hall of Fame.

By the way, in the year Wills stole 104 bases, he was caught only 13 times. After the season, Wills said, “Do I think I’ll ever steal 104 bases again? No, I can’t believe I did it now. I don’t see how I can ever come close again. The physical beating I took is more than I want to endure.”

Wills died on Sept. 19, 2022, surrounded by family. He was 89.

A year before he died, Wills answered question from readers of this newsletter. You can read that here. Wills finished 11th in the “all-time greatest Dodgers” voting. You can read that here.

3. Bill Russell (1969-86, .263/.310/.338, 31.3 WAR, 83 OPS+, 3-time All Star)

Russell was an outfielder his first three seasons before moving to short to replace Wills. Russell was the shortstop on four Dodgers World Series teams, winning one (1981). He played more games than anyone in L.A. history and, though Russell was often criticized for his fielding, Tommy John said Russell was the best shortstop he ever played with.

Russell wasn’t flashy and seldom drew headlines. He was considered one of the best clutch hitters on the team, a reputation cemented during the 1978 postseason, when he hit .412 in the NLCS, including the walk-off hit in the pennant-clinching game against the Phillies (you can watch that here) and .423 in the World Series.

4. Corey Seager (2015-21, .297/.367/.504, 20.9 WAR, 131 OPS+, Rookie of the Year, 2-time All Star)

Russell beats out Seager because of his longevity with the Dodgers, but if you want to move Seager up to third, you could. He was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft and made the Dodgers in September 2015. He hit .337 in 27 games and was the starting shortstop in the postseason, winning the job from Jimmy Rollins. In 2016, he was named Rookie of the Year and finished third in MVP voting. He had another solid year in 2017, which was also the last time he made the All-Star team as a Dodger. He missed almost all of the 2018 season after having Tommy John surgery (yes, sometimes non-pitchers need it). He led the NL in doubles in 2019 with 44. 2020 was a great year, as he hit .307/.358/.585 in the COVID-shortened season, then was named MVP of the NLCS and World Series. He left the Dodgers as a free agent after 2021, rejecting the Dodgers’ eight-year, $250-million offer for a 10-year, $325-million offer from Texas.

5. Rafael Furcal (2006-11, .283/.351/.406, 15.7 WAR, 100 OPS+, 1-time All Star)

Furcal was signed as a free agent before the 2006 season and helped the Dodgers improve from 71-91 in 2005 to 88-74 and a postseason berth in 2006, finishing 14th in MVP voting. He was a significant upgrade offensively from César Izturis, who remained as his backup. He had a serious back injury that sidelined him for most of the 2008 season, but returned for the postseason. He may have regretted that after setting a dubious record: most errors in one inning in an NLCS game, in the fifth inning of Game 5. He had an off season in 2009, but hit .300 and made the All-Star team in 2010 before injuries limited him to 37 games in 2011. He left as a free agent after that season.

6. Bill Dahlen (1900-03, 1910-11, .266/.354/.357, 20.6 WAR, 123 OPS+)

The further back you go, the harder it is to judge players. But Dahlen belongs in the top 10 somewhere, and I’m placing him sixth.

William Frederick Dahlen was born in Nelliston, N.Y. on Jan. 5, 1870. He played for the National League’s Chicago Colts from 1891-98, where he became one of the best players of the fledgling league, but was also known for his temper. He was ejected from 10 games in 1898 and was arrested in the offseason for killing a mule that belonged to a farmer. That was enough for the Colts, who traded him to Baltimore, which also owned the team in Brooklyn. He was transferred from Baltimore to Brooklyn, as the ownership group wanted to congregate their best players on one team (one of the reasons you can’t own more than one team now).

What he did for the then-Brooklyn Superbas was make them consistent winners. They had a winning record each season he was with the team, the first time they had a winning record for four seasons in a row. He was a big RBI man, probably would have won four Gold Gloves and stole bases. But, he continued to get thrown out of games and broke curfew constantly. Team owner Charles Ebbets had enough and traded him to the New York Giants. “In the first place, Dahlen, while a great player, never was an observer of discipline. He looked upon rules from the standpoint that they were made only to be broken, and while this has in no way affected his playing ability, still the injury to the team in a disciplinary way has been great.” That was his pattern as a player. The team owners and managers recognized his greatness on the field, but didn’t care for him much off the field. He died in Brooklyn in 1950 and lies in an unmarked grave in Brooklyn’s Cemetery of the Evergreens. He fell one vote shy of making the Hall of Fame in a Veterans Committee vote in 2013, and hasn’t come close since. You can read more about Dahlen here.

7. Hanley Ramirez (2012-14, .299/.368/.506, 9.7 WAR, 144 OPS+)

Ramirez was the best pure hitter the Dodgers have had at short.

The Dodgers acquired Ramirez from Miami on July 25, 2012 for Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough. He tripled in his first at bat. He had double-digit homers each season with the team and in 2013 hit .345/.402/.638 with 20 homers in 86 games. Which points to his big drawback: injuries. He played in the World Baseball Classic before the 2013 season and tore a ligament in his thumb diving for a ball. He started playing for the Dodgers on April 29, and three days later strained a hamstring while running. He came off the IL on June 4, and, probably not coincidentally, the Dodgers went on a 46-10 run and ended up winning the division. He finished eighth in MVP voting despite playing in barely half the games.

Then came the pitch many Dodgers fans won’t forget. The Dodgers were one of the favorites to win the 2013 World Series, and defeated Atlanta in four games in the NLDS. In Game 1 of the NLCS, Ramirez was drilled in the ribs with a fastball thrown by….. future fan favorite Joe Kelly. Two ribs were broken. Ramirez wore a protective vest the rest of the series and went two for 15 as the Dodgers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in six games. Did Kelly throw at Ramirez on purpose? In an interview for this newsletter, Kelly said “Hanley Ramirez probably should have gotten out of the way or turned inside a little more.”

More injuries hampered Ramirez in 2014 and he became more of a defensive liability at short. He left as a free agent, signing with Boston, which moved him to left field.

8. Ivy Olson (1915-24, .261/.295/.325. 4/5 WAR, 74 OPS+)

Why is Olson on the list? Brooklyn made the World Series its first two times with Olson at short, and he was a big reason why.

Ivan Massie Olson was born Oct. 14, 1885, in Kansas City, Mo. He went to the same school as Casey Stengel, who described Olson in Robert Creamer’s book “Stengel,” as a bully in school. His toughness was a big reason he made it to the majors, as he hit only .225 in the minors, but the game was much different then. Players slid into second with their spikes high (and sometimes even sharpened). You needed a middle infielder who could retaliate, and word quickly spread that if you slid in spikes high on Olson, he’d tag you hard, with the ball, right on your nose.

Or, as the New York Times wrote in a game recap (as recounted on SABR.org): Rabbit Maranville tried to knock the ball out of Olson’s glove in a play at third, but Olson resented this, and promptly began to bang Maranville on the shins with the ball. This was the signal for the real fun, Maranville’s punch for the head missing its mark but striking Ivan on the knee. Then Ivan’s return sweep whizzed past the Rabbit’s head. Umpire Cy Rigler, who had followed the play to third, then jumped after Olson, grabbing him about the neck and pulling him away, while half a dozen ball players made a circle around Maranville. Both men wanted to continue, but Rigler evidently figured out that the gate was too small and that the 800 fans had had enough for their money.”

He played for Cleveland, then the Reds, who released him in the 1915 season. He was picked up by the Dodgers and hit .077 in 18 games.

The Robins made the World Series for the first time in 1916, and manager Wilbert Robinson gave much of the credit to Olson, saying he brought much-needed toughness and togetherness to the team. They made the World Series again in 2020. He was the Kirk Gibson of his day. One hundred years from now, someone writing the Dodgers newsletter will look at Gibson’s numbers in 1988 and wonder how he won MVP. Occasionally, there are players who transcend their numbers. For the Brooklyn Robins, Ivy Olson was that player. You can read more about Olson here.

9. César Izturis (2002-06, .260/.296/.336, 3.7 WAR, 65 OPS+, 1 Gold Glove, 1-time All Star)

The best fielding Dodger shortstop, by far, since Maury Wills. Izturis was acquired along with pitcher Paul Quantrill from Toronto for Luke Prokopec and Chad Ricketts before the 2002 season. Izturis’ big problem was he couldn’t hit, drew almost no walks and had little power. But his glove made up for a lot of that. His best season was easily 2004, when he hit .288 with 32 doubles, 62 RBIs and 25 steals, He also won the Gold Glove award that year, the last Dodger shortstop to win a Gold Glove.

He got off to a hot start in 2005, hitting .348 through the end of May and remained hot enough to earn his only All-Star berth. But he injured his elbow and had season-ending Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers acquired Rafael Furcal in the offseason, and when Izturis returned in 2006, he was a backup. He was traded July 31, 2006 to the Chicago Cubs for Greg Maddux. He remained in the majors until 2013, almost entirely because he was such a great fielder.

If you saw Izturis play at Dodger Stadium, he seemed to make at least one play every game that was superhuman. Going deep into the hole and throwing a missile to first. A diving stop behind second. He was always positioned perfectly. He was a wonder to watch.

Izturis is currently the bench coach for the Tijuana Toros in the Mexican League. His son, Cesar Daniel Izturis, was in the Seattle organization for a while and currently plays for Durango in the Mexican League.

10. Don Zimmer (1954-59, 1963, .228/.286/.366, -0.1 WAR, 69 OPS+)

Really, once you get past Nos. 5 or 6 on this list, the rankings become interchangeable. There are a few guys I considered for the final spot, but settled on Zimmer, a member of the 1955 and 1959 World Series champion Dodgers.

Zimmer became much more famous as a manager and as the guy Pedro Martinez tossed to the ground during a Yankees-Red Sox on-field melee.

Zimmer was signed for $2,500 out of Cincinnati’s Western Hills High in 1949. He slowly moved up the minors before his career, and life, almost came to an end on July 7, 1953. Playing for triple-A St. Paul at Columbus, he was hit in the head by a fastball thrown by Jim Kirk. His skull was fractured and he laid unconscious in a hospital for 10 days. Three holes were drilled in his skull to reduce the pressure on his brain (those holes were later filled with titanium plugs). He recovered and returned home after spending a month in the hospital. He returned to St. Paul for the start of the 1954 season, as his path to the majors was blocked by Pee Wee Reese. He hit .291 with 17 homers at St. Paul and was called up to the Dodgers when Reese was injured in July. He played OK for a couple of weeks and, when Reese returned, was given the option of riding the bench in Brooklyn or returning to St. Paul. He chose Brooklyn, but rarely played the rest of the season.

Zimmer remained the backup to Reese during the 1955 season after having a great spring training. Manager Walter Alston wanted to find a way to keep Zimmer’s bat in the lineup, so he asked if he had any experience playing second base. Zimmer, who had never played second base before, said “Yes.” So Zimmer became the backup at short and second, playing enough to hit 15 homers with 50 RBIs in 88 games. He appeared in four of the seven World Series games as the Dodgers won the title for the first time.

In 1956, Zimmer was again Reese’s backup, with his season ending when he suffered a broken cheekbone when hit in the face with a pitch by Hal Jeffcoat.

It took until 1958, the year the Dodgers started playing in L.A., for Zimmer to win the starting shortstop job. Reese, who had aged out of the shortstop role, moved to third base. Zimmer had his best season, hitting .262 with 17 homers and 60 RBIs.

But it was just one season of glory, as he lost the job to a newcomer named Maury Wills in 1959. Zimmer hit .169 in the season and appeared in only one World Series game as the Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox.

Zimmer was traded to the Chicago Cubs before the 1960 season for Johnny Goryl, Lee Handley and Ron Perranoski.

He eventually made his way to the Reds, who traded him on Jan. 24, 1963 to the Dodgers in order to make room for a promising rookie to make the team: Pete Rose. He spent a few weeks with the Dodgers before he was traded to the Washington Senators.

Zimmer died on June 4, 2014 in Dunedin, Fla. He was 83.

Honorable mention: Dave Anderson, Mariano Duncan, Leo Durocher, Lonny Frey, Alfredo Griffin, Miguel Rojas, Trea Turner, Glenn Wright.

Note: Players will be listed at the position where they played the most games.

The readers’ results

The results from the top 10 shortstops lists that you sent in. I assigned points based on where a person was ranked. First place got 12 points, second place nine, all the way down to one point for 10th place. There were 572 ballots.

1. Pee Wee Reese, 423 first-place votes, 5,982 points

2. Maury Wills, 115 first-place votes, 4,857 points

3. Bill Russell, 3,670 points

4. Corey Seager, 33 first-place votes, 3,579 points

5. Rafael Furcal, 1,901 points

6. Hanley Ramirez, 767 points

7. Trea Turner, 1 first-place vote, 713 points

8. César Izturis, 689 points

9. Bill Dahlen, 674 points

10. Alfredo Griffin, 571 points.

In all, 30 players received votes, not counting votes given to players who didn’t play short, such as Ron Fairly and Ron Cey.

Top 10 catchers

Up next: Catcher. Who are your top 10 Dodgers catcher of all time (including Brooklyn)? Email your list [email protected] and let me know. and l will compile the results to be revealed soon.

Up next

Friday: Dodgers (TBD) at St. Louis (Sonny Gray, 6-1, 3.65 ERA), 5:15 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Saturday: Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 6-4, 2.39 ERA) at St. Louis (Erick Fedde, 3-5, 3.82 ERA), 11:15 a.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Sunday: Dodgers (Dustin May, 3-4, 4.09 ERA) at St. Louis (TBD), 11:15 a.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-hander

In case you missed it

Will Dodgers’ pitchers ever get healthy? How the team is tackling its biggest problem

Shohei Ohtani thought he was ‘in trouble’ before Dave Roberts gifted him a toy Porsche

Hernández: Can Clayton Kershaw contribute to Dodgers’ title chase? ‘I’m gonna bet on him’

Shigeo Nagashima, Japanese baseball legend with ties to the Dodgers, dies at 89

Dodgers star Freddie Freeman’s family appreciated kind gesture from slain Baldwin Park officer

‘It’s costing us.’ Tanner Scott’s brutal season continues in Dodgers’ loss to Mets

Dodgers reviewing stadium safety after hunk of concrete reportedly falls on Yankees fan

Dodgers injuries: Mookie Betts nears return, but Tyler Glasnow’s body ‘not responding’

And finally

A look back at the 1981 World Series champion Dodgers. Watch and listen here.

Until next time…

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Cara was hoping to get a break in New York, but it won’t take her quite as long to get to her holiday ‘resort’

A student was left gutted after buying a Wowcher mystery holiday and discovering she’s paid to go to Edinburgh – the city where she lives. Cara Piper splashed out £129 on it and had high hopes for a weekend away in New York.

The 23-year-old opened an email from Wowcher and discovered the trip was to Edinburgh, the city where she’s lived for the past four years. “I saw the Wowcher master holiday on social media and impulsively decided to do it for a cheap holiday,” said Cara.

“I was honestly happy with anywhere as long as it wasn’t the UK. I opened it in Edinburgh because that’s where I’ve been living for the past four years.”

Cara, originally of Derry, Northern Ireland, filmed herself revealing where she was going to jet off to. In the clip, Cara shouts “no” as she discovers that she’s paid to go to the city where she goes to Queen Margaret University and studies education.

She said: “Me and Ethan decided last night to book a Wowcher mystery holiday. It’s £129 each if we want to go during the summer months. We want to go in July I think and we’re redeeming it right now.

“The only problem is, we have to travel from Belfast. We’re limited on where we can go. We don’t think it’s going to be New York or anything like that. We’re happy with anywhere. I’m nervous.”

Cara is on the phone with a friend as she anxiously opens the email from Wowcher. She said: “No, no, no, no. We got Edinburgh. I’m in Edinburgh right now. We did not just pay £130 each to go where I go to uni for the past four years.

“For f*cks sake. We can ring up and change, I think. I literally live here. I actually can’t believe that.

“I was saying if we got somewhere in the UK I’d be fuming. I’m going to see if I can change it.”

Cara shared the video on TikTok where it racked up more than 126,000 views. Morgan Mcsherry said: “I’m not joking, as soon as you said Wowcher I was like ‘they’re either getting Belfast or Edinburgh’“.

VIDEO CONTAINS LANGUAGE SOME MAY FIND OFFENSIVE

Claire Ferguson added: “I honestly would have ended it right at that minute. Devastated for you.”

Keisha Deane said: “This is heartbreaking.”

Another viewer added: “No, literally, out of everything I would be fuming. Bless you.”

A fifth person said: “Oh my God, I’d be raging.”

Anna MacAuley added: “I’m dying. What are the chances.”

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Prep Rally. Whether you’ve been paying attention or not, high school football is changing. Let’s discuss.

Dealing with changes

Corona Centennial football coach Matt Logan.

(Jeremiah Soifer )

Rolling your eyes has been the theme if you follow college football and high school football. Changes keep happening because rules are in flux regarding name, image and likeness. Transfer numbers keep growing. Agents are picking up clients who are teenagers. Parents are examining options. Coaches are adjusting on the fly.

It’s the best of times and the worst of times. Many believe things will settle when court cases are finalized. Others believe amateur football has been changed forever.

Here’s a look at some of the issues, good and bad, that are affecting the high school football world.

Baseball

El Camino Real pitcher Devin Gonor celebrates after completing three-hit shutout over Venice on Saturday in a 2-0 win in the City Section Open Division final at Dodger Stadium.

(Craig Weston)

Devin Gonor of El Camino Real proved Saturday at Dodger Stadium that trusting the process still works. He played on the freshman team, then the junior varsity team for two years. He waited his turn, made his varsity debut last season as a junior and this season is 11-1 and pitched a three-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over Venice to give El Camino Real its 10th City Section Open Division title. Here’s a look at how the Royals did it.

Carson players celebrate after a 3-1 win over Banning in the City Section Division I final at Dodger Stadium.

(Craig Weston)

Carson won its first ever City Section title in baseball by taking the Division I crown with a 3-1 comeback win over rival Banning at Dodger Stadium. Here’s the report.

Crespi players launch a victory celebration in the ninth inning of a 3-2 win over Mira Costa.

(Craig Weston)

The final week of the Southern Section season begins Tuesday with semifinals in Division 1 featuring Corona at St. John Bosco and Crespi at Santa Margarita. Here’s a report on the quarterfinals that saw four close games.

Seth Hernandez of Corona celebrates after hitting the first of his two three-run home runs.

(Nick Koza)

It also was the week Seth Hernandez of Corona hit two three-run home runs and struck out 10 in an impressive playoff performance. He’ll pitch Tuesday. Here’s a report. And Venice’s Canon King went five for five in a semifinal win over Sylmar. Here’s the report.

Here’s the complete Tuesday schedule.

Softball

El Modena players greet Kaitlyn Galasso after her first-inning home run against Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

(Craig Weston)

It will be El Modena playing Norco for the Southern Section Division 1 softball championship this weekend in Irvine.

El Modena came through earlier in the week with a comeback semifinal win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame. Here’s the report.

On Saturday, Norco defeated Ayala and El Modena knocked off Temescal Canyon to reach the final in a season where hitters have had the advantage over pitchers. Here’s the report.

The City Section has its semifinals Wednesday with Granada Hills hosting Venice and San Pedro hosting Carson. The championship game will be played Saturday at Cal State Northridge.

Track

Birmingham’s Antrell Harris (center) runs stride for stride with Granada Hills’ Justin Hart, left, in the boys 200-meter final at the City Section Track and Field Championships.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Birmingham football standout Antrell Harris was one of the stars at the City Section track and field championships, winning the 100 and 200. He’s headed this weekend to compete in the state championships at Buchanan High in Clovis. The weather report is for temperatures in the triple digits.

Here’s a report from the City championships.

The Southern Section held its Masters Meet, and RJ Sermons of Rancho Cucamonga was the top qualifier in the 200 and has one more week of high school competition left before he heads off to play football at USC. Here’s the report.

Golf

Joseph Wong of Granada Hills won the City Section individual golf title.

(Steve Galluzzo)

Joseph Wong of Granada Hills won the City Section golf championship. Here’s the report.

Grant Leary of Crespi won the Southern Section individual golf championship with a 66 for a one-stroke victory. Here’s a roundup of Southern Section team champions. Here’s a look at Leary.

Volleyball

Mira Costa has qualified from Southern California to compete in the first state championship in boys volleyball Saturday at Fresno City College. The Mustangs will face Archbishop Mitty from San Jose.

Here’s the compete schedule of state championship matchups and results from regional finals.

Notes . . .

Catcher Trent Grindlinger of Huntington Beach has changed his commitment from Mississippi State to Tennessee. . . .

Former Bishop Amat football coach Steve Hagerty will become athletic director at West Covina. . . .

Ethan Damato is leaving Laguna Beach to become girls water polo coach at JSerra. . . .

Connor Ohl, a junior at Newport Harbor, has committed to Stanford for water polo. . . .

Oliver Muller is the new boys soccer coach at Oaks Christian. . . .

YULA and Shalhevet, two schools that pulled out of the Southern Section baseball playoffs to participate in a Jewish tournament in Ohio, have been placed on probation and banned from next year’s playoffs for violating Southern Section rules about outside participation during the season. Here’s an opinion piece on how the decision by the two schools will hurt coaches and athletes. . . .

Former Chatsworth football coach Marvin Street has accepted a teaching position at El Camino Real and will become the junior varsity head coach. . . .

Loyola running back Sean Morris has committed to Northwestern. . . .

Kevin Reynolds, the basketball coach at Villa Park for 30 years, died Friday morning, the school announced. He was 59. He had been diagnosed with cancer. His teams won 634 games in his coaching career. . . .

John Quick, who was a longtime basketball coach in the South Bay, has died. . . .

Loyola’s James Dell’Amico has committed to Pepperdine baseball. . . .

Former Tesoro football coach Matt Poston is the new athletic director at San Clemente. . . .

The CIF state championships in tennis will be held Saturday in Fresno. Irvine University has qualified. …

Darius Spates is the new athletic director at Verbum Dei. He’s a 2012 graduate.

From the archives: Pete Crow-Armstrong

Drew Bowser (left) won the home run derby and MVP honors at the Perfect Game All-American Classic and Harvard-Westlake teammate Pete Crow-Armstrong also played in the game.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Harvard-Westlake has produced some outstanding pitchers who went on to the major leagues, but Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs is the Wolverines’ first breakthrough every day player. As a center fielder with electric speed, he has come into his own this season to become an All-Star candidate.

He used to be a teammate of Drew Bowser, who went to Stanford instead of signing out of high school and is now working his way up in the minors.

Crow-Armstrong entered last week hitting .290 with 12 home runs. He hit a two-run home run Friday against former Sherman Oaks Notre Dame pitcher Hunter Greene of the Reds.

His senior year got cut short in 2020 because of the pandemic. Here’s an interview with Crow-Armtrong from that year and how he kept his focus on the future.

Here’s a story from 2019 on how he had become a hitting machine.

Recommendations

From the Washington Post, a story on what a rowing coxswain does.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on UC Irvine baseball coach Ben Orloff, a Simi Valley High graduate.

From the Los Angeles Times, a story on the new Compton High campus opening this fall with fantastic athletic facilities.

Tweets you might have missed

Until next time….

Have a question, comment or something you’d like to see in a future Prep Rally newsletter? Email me at [email protected], and follow me on Twitter at @latsondheimer.

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