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What’s different in the World Series this year? The New York Yankees are not here, and the Toronto Blue Jays are.

For Major League Baseball, that represents an opportunity.

On the eve of the World Baseball Classic, as the league attempts to grow its popularity around the world and considers sending its star players to the 2028 Olympics, the World Series ratings are encouraging.

For the first two games of the World Series, the average viewership in Japan was almost as high as in the United States, despite a population one-third that of the U.S., and the average viewership in Canada was 10 times greater than it was last year.

The average in the three countries, through two games: 30.5 million, MLB said Tuesday. The average for the World Series last year: 28.6 million.

The Game 1 audience for those three countries: 32.6 million, the highest for an MLB game in the U.S., Canada and Japan combined since Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Guardians.

When the Dodgers and Yankees played in last year’s World Series — a clash of the two biggest markets in the United States — the average game attracted 15.8 million viewers in the U.S. For the first two games of this year’s World Series, the average game attracted 12.5 million viewers on Fox platforms, so Canadian markets are not included.

However, even without a U.S. team to oppose the Dodgers, Fox said this year’s ratings are better than any other World Series since the pandemic, besides last year’s.

This year’s NBA Finals — a small-market matchup between Oklahoma City and Indiana — attracted a U.S. average of 10.3 million viewers.

This year’s World Series features Japan’s team — the team of Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki — against Canada’s lone major league team. The average viewership in Japan: 10.7 million, despite the games starting there at 9 a.m.

The average viewership of last year’s World Series in Canada: 720,000. That number through two games this year: 7.2 million. The U.S. population is 10 times greater than that of Canada.

You’d be forgiven for not remembering the trade.

On June 2 this year, the Dodgers were in need of pitching help. At the time, their rotation had been ravaged by injuries, and their bullpen was overworked and running low on depth. Thus, the morning after their relievers had been further taxed following a short start from Yoshinobu Yamamoto against the New York Yankees, the Dodgers went out and added a little-known pitcher in a deal with the Seattle Mariners.

Will Klein’s origin story had quietly begun.

Almost five months before becoming a World Series hero for the Dodgers, pitching four miraculously scoreless innings in their 18-inning Game 3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night, Klein joined the organization as a largely anonymous face, acquired in exchange for fellow reliever Joe Jacques in the kind of depth transaction the Dodgers make dozens of over the course of each season.

At that point, even Klein couldn’t have foreseen the star turn in his future.

He had a career ERA over 5.00 in the minor leagues. He had struggled in limited big-league action in 2024, battling poor command while giving up nine runs in eight outings. He had already changed organizations three times, and been designated for assignment by the Mariners the day before.

“I woke up to a 9 a.m. missed phone call and a text,” Klein recalled Tuesday. “Found out I was DFA’d. Really low then.”

Now, in the kind of serendipitous turn only October can create, Klein has etched his name into World Series lore.

“I don’t think that will set in for a long time,” he said.

As the last man standing in the Dodgers’ bullpen in Game 3, Klein pitched more than he ever has as a professional, tossing 72 pitches to save the team from putting a position player on the mound.

Afterward, he was mobbed by his teammates following Freddie Freeman’s walk-off home run, then greeted in the clubhouse with a handshake and an accomplished “good job” from Dodgers pitching icon Sandy Koufax.

He had 500 missed messages on his phone when the game ended. He got 500 more as he tried responding to everyone Tuesday morning. His middle school in Indiana, he said, had even hung a picture of him up in a hallway.

“I woke up this morning still not feeling like last night had happened,” he said in a pre-Game 4 news conference. “It was an out-of-body experience.”

A thickly bearded 25-year-old right-hander originally from Bloomington, Ind., Klein’s path to Monday’s extra-inning marathon could hardly have been more circuitous.

In high school, he was primarily a catcher, until a broken thumb prompted him to focus on pitching. When he was recruited to Eastern Illinois for college, his ACT scores (he got a 34) helped almost as much as his natural arm talent.

Dodgers pitcher Will Klein also pitched in the eighth inning of Game 1 in Toronto, allowing no runs.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“I’m big into academics,” Eastern Illinois coach Jason Anderson said by phone Tuesday. “If you can figure out science class, you can figure out how to throw a slider.”

Anderson wasn’t wrong. Though Klein was initially raw on the mound, posting a 5.74 ERA in his first two collegiate seasons, he worked tirelessly on improving his velocity, learning how to leverage the power he generated with his long-limbed, 6-foot-5 frame.

As his fastball crept toward triple digits, he started garnering the attention of MLB scouts. Though Klein’s junior season in 2020 was cut short after four outings by the COVID-19 pandemic, he’d shown enough promise in collegiate summer leagues beforehand to get drafted in that year’s fifth and final round by the Kansas City Royals.

Klein’s rise to the major leagues from there was not linear. His poor command (he averaged nearly seven walks per nine innings in his first three minor-league years) hampered him even as he climbed the Royals’ organizational ladder.

Klein reached the big leagues last year, but made only four appearances before being included in a trade deadline deal to the Oakland Athletics. This past winter, after finishing the 2024 campaign with an 11.05 ERA, he was dealt again to the Mariners.

The return in that package? “Other considerations,” according to MLB’s transaction log.

“His whole career has been [full of] challenges,” Anderson said. “He really just needed some time and somebody to believe in him.”

With the Dodgers, that’s exactly what he found.

Long before his arrival, Klein had admirers in the organization. The club’s director of pitching, Rob Hill, was immediately struck by his high-riding heater and mid-80s mph curveball when he first saw Klein pitch in minor-league back-field games during spring training in 2021 and 2022.

“I vividly remember his outings against us in spring training,” Hill said. “I was walking around, asking people, ‘Who is this guy?’ That was my first introduction to him.”

After being traded to the Dodgers, Klein was optioned to triple-A Oklahoma City to work under the tutelage of minor-league pitching coaches Ryan Dennick and David Anderson. There, he started to refine his approach and trust his high-octane arsenal in the zone more. In 22 ⅔ innings, he struck out a whopping 44 batters.

“[He was] never short for stuff,” Anderson told OKC’s team broadcaster at the end of the season. “It was just accessing the zone and forcing action.”

During four stints on the MLB roster over the second half of the year — during which he posted a 2.35 ERA in 14 outings — Klein also worked with big-league pitching coaches Mark Prior and Connor McGuiness on developing a sweeper to give him an all-important third pitch.

“I think our coaches have done a fantastic job of cleaning up the delivery, challenging him to be in the hitting zone, working on a slider,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s a great young man. And it’s one of those things that you don’t really know until you throw somebody in the fire.”

The Dodgers didn’t do that initially this October, sending Klein to so-called “stay hot” camp in Arizona for the first three rounds of the playoffs.

But while Klein was there, Hill said it “was very notable how locked in he was” during bi-weekly sessions of live batting practice, with the pitcher “consistently asking for feedback and trying to continue to make sure his stuff was ready.”

During the team’s off week before the World Series, Klein was sent to Los Angeles to throw more live at-bats against their big-league hitters. He promptly impressed once again, helping thrust himself further into Fall Classic roster consideration as the team contemplated ways to shuffle the bullpen.

Still, when Klein learned he would actually be active for the World Series, he acknowledged it came as a surprise.

“I’m just going to go out there,” he told himself, “and do what I can to help all these guys that have worked their butts off.”

After holding his own in a scoreless inning of mop-duty in a Game 1 blowout loss to the Blue Jays, Klein started sensing another opportunity coming as Monday’s game stretched deep into the night.

“I realized that, when I looked around in the bullpen and my name was the only one still there, I was just going to [keep pitching] until I couldn’t,” he laughed.

Every time he returned to the dugout between innings, he told the coaching staff he was good to keep going.

“No one else is going to care that my legs are tired right now,” he said. “Just finding it in me to throw one more pitch, and then throw another one after that.”

Back in Illinois, Anderson was like everyone else from Klein’s past. Awed by how deep he managed to dig on the mound. Moved by a moment they, just like him, could have never foreseen or possibly imagined.

“Everything about him — his mentality, his work ethic, his obstacles, his path — it was like he was destined to be on that field at that time,” Anderson said. “That’s one of the greatest baseball games in history.”

And, against all odds, it was Klein who left perhaps its most heroic mark.

Chris Evans might need some new superhero gear for his next gig. Perhaps a supercharged stroller?

The Marvel alum, 44, and his wife, Portuguese actor Alba Baptista, 28, on Friday welcomed their first child together in Evans’ home state of Massachusetts, People reported Tuesday. The couple named their newborn daughter Alma Grace Baptista Evans, according to the outlet.

Representatives for Evans and Baptista did not reply immediately Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.

Evans and Baptista, who began dating around 2021, wed in 2023 in a pair of ceremonies in Cape Cod and Portugal, Evans explained amid much fanfare during a panel that year at New York Comic Con. The couple’s East Coast nuptials were attended by Evans’ fellow Marvel legends Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) and Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Page Six reported at the time.

During the Comic Con panel, Evans called the festivities “wonderful and beautiful,” but said that he and his belle were happy to be winding down after the whole ordeal.

“Planning a wedding, it’s a lot,” he said. “For those of you who are married, you know, it takes a lot out of you, but now that we’re through that, we’ve just kinda been enjoying life and gearing up for autumn, my favorite season. It’s like the best time of year right now. … Now we’re just relaxing and enjoying life and reflecting.”

Evans last year confided about his aspirations toward fatherhood to “Access Hollywood,” saying he “absolutely” hoped to be a “superhero dad” like his “Red One” co-star Dwayne Johnson.

“The title of ‘dad’ is an exciting one,” the actor said.

Since passing Captain America’s shield to Anthony Mackie in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” Evans has flexed his creative muscles with high(er) brow indies including Celine Song’s buzzy romance “Materialists” and Ethan Coen’s dark detective comedy “Honey Don’t.”

But despite intel from the source himself, Marvel die-hards aren’t buying that Evans’ time with the franchise has come to a close. They’ll know once and for all come December, when “Avengers: Doomsday” hits theaters.

Baptista for her part has tacked several film credits onto to her resume since Netflix canceled her cult-favorite series “Warrior Nun” in 2022. She is notably slated to appear in A24’s upcoming film “Mother Mary,” which will feature original songs by Charli XCX and Jack Antonoff and an ensemble cast including FKA Twigs and Hunter Schafer of “Euphoria” fame.

Dodgers fans Aiden Mashaka and his dad, Akida Mashaka.

(Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times)

How long have you been a Dodgers fan?

Akida: What are you talking about? Kirk Gibson! I’m Tommy Lasorda, baby!

How much did you pay for your ticket?

Akida: $900. We bought our tickets from a third party. I’ve been asking my brother-in-law how much I owe him, but he’s such an amazing human being. He’s like “Don’t worry. I got this!”

Was it worth it?

Akida: Of course it’s worth it. We’re seeing the Dodgers World Series. The flight costs more than $900. If you have it, it’s worth it. If you don’t have it, it’s not worth it — you can watch it on TV. If I was still in school, I would be watching on TV. But I am a 53-year-old man, after many years of life, so I can spend $900 to watch the Dodgers.

Aiden: This is maybe my second or third game that I’ve been to for the Dodgers. Being at the World Series, like the grand finale, I feel like it’s a great time to be here. I’m really proud of my dad, my auntie and my uncle for bringing me here. I want to thank them.

Akida: Can we get a crying emoji?

NEW YORK — When Lindsey Vonn retired from Alpine skiing in 2019, she walked away from the sport as one of the most successful skiers in history. Six years later she’s coming back, with her sights set on competing in a fifth Winter Olympics in February in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

But regardless of how that comeback ends, Vonn isn’t worried about it detracting from what she’s already accomplished.

“This is different because I had nothing to prove,” said Vonn, 41, who climbed a World Cup podium for the first time since 2019 when she finished second at the super-G season finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, last March.

“I don’t think anyone remembers Michael Jordan’s comeback. I don’t think that’s part of his legacy at all,” she continued. “I’ve already succeeded. I’ve already won. I was on the podium. I have the record for the oldest medalist in World Cup by seven years [she set the previous record in 2019]. I feel like this journey has been incredible.”

American Lindsey Vonn poses in 2019 with medals she has won throughout her career in the finish area at the alpine ski world championships in Are, Sweden.

(Marco Trovati / Associated Press)

Vonn has three Olympic medals, but she won her only gold 15 years ago. She’s won eight World Championship medals, but just one since 2017; her last gold came in 2009. But the comeback isn’t so much about rekindling that past as it is about shoring up the present.

“I closed my career, and I definitely would like to close that chapter in maybe a better way than I did in 2019,” said Vonn, who was speaking Tuesday at the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Media Summit in Manhattan. “I feel like I am happy, free. I’m doing it because I love it. I’m not doing to prove anything to anyone.”

Vonn missed the 2014 Winter Games with a right knee injury, an injury that led to her retirement in 2019. But after partial knee-replacement surgery last year, she decided she wasn’t done with skiing yet.

“After the replacement, I knew things were really different,” she said. “My body felt so good, and I just kind of kept pushing myself further and further to see what I was capable of. Skiing and racing seemed like the logical next step.”

American Lindsey Vonn skis during a women’s super-G run at the World Cup finals on March 23 in Sun Valley, Idaho.

(Robert F. Bukaty / Associated Press)

She’s a different skiier than she was when first started competing internationally two decades ago, she said.

“I have a lot more perspective now, having been away from the sport for six years,” she said. “That just allows me to compete in a different way and I think that gives me an advantage actually.

“Downhill skiing has a lot to do with with accumulated knowledge. And I’ve obviously accumulated a lot of knowledge, because I’ve raced for a very long time.”

Vonn, whose comeback landed her on the cover of this week’s Time magazine, said she’s in the best shape of her career. But she still must earn enough points on this winter’s World Cup circuit to qualify for the Olympics.

She said she probably wouldn’t have considered racing at a top level again if next February’s Games weren’t schedule for Cortina, where’s won a record 12 career World Cup races. She also recorded her first of 138 World Cup podiums in Cortina in 2004.

“My goal has always been Cortina again. It’s such a special place for me,” she said.

American Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski women’s World Cup downhill race in Kvitfjell, Norway, on Feb. 28.

(Gabriele Facciotti / Associated Press)

“I didn’t want to set that as a goal, because I didn’t know if I would even be able to compete, let alone qualify or finish the season. Once I trained more and I got in better shape, I said to myself that this is an attainable goal. I can do this.”

And if she can’t, that won’t detract from the fact that she tried. Or from what she’s already accomplished.

“I’m at peace with where I am in my life,” she said. “I don’t need to be ski racing, but I definitely love to ski race and have nothing to prove. So I don’t feel like I have a lot of pressure, even though my dad says it’s the most pressure I’ve ever had in my whole life.”

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. That was an incredible game.

Game 3 thoughts:

—Brad Paisley sang the U.S. national anthem. JP Saxe sang the Canadian national anthem. Apparently Bruce Springsteen and Paul Shaffer were unavailable.

—Hideo Nomo threw out the first pitch. If Lance Rautzhan was still alive, I’m sure it would have been him.

First inning

—Tyler Glasnow has to limit walks. Runners can steal on him and things could get out of hand in a hurry.

—I really could have lived without seeing highlights of George Springer in the 2017 World Series.

—Eight pitches to get out of the top of the first. That’s great.

—Leadoff double for Shohei Ohtani, which is a good sign. If he starts hitting again…..

—Now if only Freddie Freeman could get going.

Second inning

—Dodgers got a break there. A verrrrry slooooow strike call and Bo Bichette thought it was ball four and got picked off first. You have to wait for the call. Of course, we’d all be a lot more irate if it happened to the Dodgers.

—Two hits and a walk, and no runs scored.

—This is why you leave Teoscar Hernández alone. Yes, he looks terrible with four strikeouts in one game, but the next game he homers in his first at-bat.

Third inning

—Mookie Betts has become one of the best fielding shortstops in baseball. It’s so amazing to watch. To move to shortstop later in your career and excel is virtually unheard of.

—It may be time to give Alex Call a shot in the lineup in place of Andy Pages.

—Ohtani is back. He doesn’t get cheated on his home runs.

—Middle infielders need to learn to keep the tag on the runner in case his foot bounces off the bag. A few outs seem to be missed that way. Freeman’s foot bounced off the bag on his steal and he would have been out if Bichette maintained the tag.

—Dino Ebel gambles a lot at third base. There’s no way Freeman was going to score on a hard hit ball to Addison Barger, who has one of the best arms in the game. Keep him at third, and run up Max Scherzer‘s pitch count. This could be important later.

Fourth inning

—Tommy Edman‘s error was the first error of the series for either team.

—And it proved costly.

—You can’t give good teams extra outs, especially in the postseason.

—And then in the bottom half, the Dodgers go down quietly. This all stemmed from Freeman being thrown out at home. Ebel never should have sent him.

Fifth inning

—It seemed to be a struggle all night for Glasnow. He has erratic control, and that’s deadly against a team like Toronto. Now we go to the porous Dodger bullpen. Can they hold Toronto? If so, the Dodgers can come back. If not, this game could get ugly quickly.

—Anthony Banda is first man up. And he did fine to end the inning.

—I love the ad with Ken Griffey Jr. playing the organ. I mean, it no Limu Emu (and Doug) but it’s very good.

—Bringing in a left-hander to face Ohtani. Can he respond?

—He does. And that’s why he’s the best player in baseball.

—Freeman comes through too. Blue Jays manager John Schneider brought in Mason Fluharty to get Ohtani and Freeman, hoping he could also get Mookie Betts. Instead, he gets Betts, but can’t retire Ohtani or Freeman. Sometimes you can push all the right buttons and it doesn’t work.

—I wonder if Blue Jays fans are yelling at Schneider right now.

—I’m just glad Schneider was able to find work again after “Smallville” was canceled.

—Wait, I’m being told that’s a different John Schneider. No wonder Tom Welling isn’t one of his coaches.

Sixth inning

—Justin Wrobleski in to pitch now. Another left-hander. Why not stick with Banda? Playing three games in three days may have something to do with it.

—Maybe they can count on Wrobleski now too.

—Inning ends on another nice play by Betts.

—I also like the Bateman, not Batman, commercials. I’ve liked Jason Bateman ever since one of his first roles in the sitcom “It’s Your Move.”

—Great play by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base throwing Teoscar out at third. But some bad baserunning. No need to take that chance with two out. That’s twice the Dodgers have run themselves out of an inning. What would have happened in those inning otherwise? We’ll never know.

Seventh inning

—George Springer hurt himself on a swing. Don’t like Springer, but I don’t want anyone to be injured. People cheering when he was taken off should be embarrassed.

—Hey, Blake Treinen came in and let the Blue Jays get ahead. Who would have guessed.

—I guess Dave Roberts is never going to give up on Treinen. I know they don’t have a lot of right-handed options, buy what about Will Klein. I mean, we KNOW what Treinen is going to do at this point. Maybe we can find another budding star. And if he can’t do it, you get him out quickly just like you did Treinen.

—This Ohtani guy is pretty good.

—My wife: “Why is he always up with the bases empty. Drop him down in the lineup.”

—Here’s a great thing about Ohtani. People told him “You can’t hit and pitch, you have to pick one.” And he refused to listen. Not to get over saccharin here, but you can apply that to your life, and it’s a great lesson for kids. If you have a dream, don’t let people tell you the many reason you can’t do it. You never know unless you try,

Most home runs in one postseason:

2020 Randy Arozarena, 10
2025 Shohei Ohtani, 8
2023 Adolis Garcia, 8
2020 Corey Seager, 8
2011 Nelson Cruz, 8
2004 Carlos Beltrán, 8
2002 Barry Bonds, 8

Eighth inning

—Jack Dreyer, last seen when Don Mattingly was the manager, now pitching.

—And just like that, Dreyer gives up two hits and is done. We’ll see him again in 10 years.

—It’s nice, and sad, to see the Dodgers wearing a No. 51 on their caps to show support for Alex Vesia.

—Roki Sasaki always looks scared. He’s not, he just has that look.

—A bobble by Max Muncy stops a possible double play. That could be important.

—Sasaki gets out of it. The Dodgers are now out of reliable relievers. They better score in the bottom of the eighth.

—That Amazon commercial where the teenage daughter walks in on her dad exercising in shorts that don’t fit right is a little creepy.

—Samuel L. Jackson is great in everything.

—Chris Bassitt pitching for the Blue Jays.

—The Dodgers go down meekly.

—The heart of the Blue Jays lineup bats in the ninth. Big inning. If the Dodgers get out of it, I think they will win.

Ninth inning

—Sasaki gets Guerrero, then pitches to Isiah Kiner-Falefa like he’s Babe Ruth and walks him.

—Great, great play by Tommy Edman, redeeming his earlier error.

—Great at-bat by Andy Pages with a poor ending.

—Intentionally walking Ohtani with the bases empty. Wow.

—And that’s why you hold the tag. And that’s why analytics hates stolen bases.

—We go to the tenth. The two best teams in baseball, battling it out in extra innings. This is fun, folks.

Tenth inning

—Emmet Sheehan in the game. He has been terrible this postseason. Can he told things around.

—More bad baserunning, this time by the Blue Jays. Davis Schneider had no chance to score on that, and Guerrero was on deck.

—Sheehan got hit hard. Does he come back out in the 11th if there is an 11th?

—Dodgers strand runners on first and second. We go to the 11th. And I can’t find my asthma inhaler.

Eleventh inning

—What a great game.

—Sheehan looked like the old Emmet Sheehan there.

—Braydon Fisher now pitching for the Blue Jays. The Dodgers traded Fisher to the Blue Jays on June 12, 2024 for the immortal Cavan Biggio, who is now with the Angels. Biggio played in 30 games for the Dodgers, hitting .192 and getting himself a World Series ring.

—Kiké Hernández has been very quiet this World Series.

—They walk Ohtani again with the bases loaded. This is against the spirit of the game. They should make a new rule: Walk a batter with the bases empty and he automatically gets placed on second.

—Ohtani has reached base every at bat. You have to wonder if this will be a problem tomorrow when he pitches.

—The Dodgers have wasted a lot of scoring opportunities.

—Where is my asthma inhaler?

Twelfth inning

—Sheehan is in there again. Clayton Kershaw is warming up. Are the baseball gods conspiring to get Kershaw into one more World Series game?

—The Dodgers walk the No. 9 hitter. You don’t see that often. Will they regret it? Giménez hit worse that Schneider during the season.

—And here comes Kershaw. Bases loaded, two out. Twelfth inning. No pressure at all.

—The baseball gods have set this up for Kershaw to get one more World Series win. Now the Dodgers need to score in the bottom half.

—Ellen Kershaw‘s reaction had more emotion than most two-hour movies.

—If Kershaw never pitches again, that was a great moment to go out on.

—Will Smith tried to win it for Kershaw with a couple of home run swings.

—Another left-hander comes in, Eric Lauer, who was a starter until Shane Bieber (the Game 4 starter) came off the IL.

—And the Dodgers go down quietly.

—Seriously, I think the dog took my asthma inhaler.

Thirteenth inning

—Edgardo Henriquez, who has not retired a batter this postseason and has an ERA of infinity, is now pitching.

—The Dodger Stadium crowd is very quiet and sounds tired. Must be thinking about that hour wait in the parking lot while trying to go home.

—Leadoff double is just what the Dodgers needed.

—And look at Miguel Rojas. Hasn’t played all series and lays down a perfect bunt.

—Now Alex Call, who rarely plays. Can he be the hero?

—Man on third, one out. You have to score here.

—And of course they are going to walk Ohtani.

—And they walk Betts intentionally too. Wow. Pitching to Freeman with the bases loaded.

—And the Dodgers fail to cash in. Freeman is not having a good series.

—I think maybe my grandson hid my inhaler.

Fourteenth inning

—Rojas and Call stay in the game. Henriquez back on the mound. Will Klein is the only reliever left.

—Henriquez has looked good, but how long can he pitch?

—That foul ball by Giménez hit both of his legs. Baseball players must have tons of bruises at the end of the season. And it’s amazing that catchers can even walk.

—Someone on the Dodgers just needs to hit a home run and end this.

—And Will Smith came close.

—You know what Fox should do? Go around before the game and find some normal, average people at the game. Ask them their name and where they are from. Then, instead of showing the celebrities, “Justin Bieber is here. Sean Hayes is here,” say “Henry Blake from Lancaster is here with his wife Lorraine.” “Sherman Potter is here from Carson with his wife Mildred.”

—And Muncy came close before walking.

—Dieter Ruehle‘s fingers must be cramping by now.

—Tommy Edman has not been Tommy Tanks so far this postseason.

—And we go to the fifteenth. I believe a UFO flew down and teleported my inhaler away.

Fifteenth inning

—Will Klein now pitching for the Dodgers, who are now out of relievers. The Blue Jays are out of position players.

—The terrible Dodgers bullpen has been incredible tonight. 10.1 innings, 10 hits, four walks, eight strikeouts, one run. Now I’ve probably jinxed them, so they better score now.

—If Call reaches first, would they walk Ohtani intentionally?

—We won’t find out. He grounded to second.

—And they walked Ohtani again. He has reached base all eight of his plate appearances.

—Betts and Freeman need to cash this in.

—They do not. We go to the 16th. The record for longest World Series game is 18 by the Dodgers and Red Sox in 2018.

—We go to the 16th. I’ve given up on finding my asthma inhaler. I’ll just go ahead and pass out.

Sixteenth inning

—A lot of people are going to call out sick to work tomorrow.

—This has reminded me why I don’t obsess over every Dodger win or loss during the season. I get paid to watch and write about it. Truly a blessed life.

—Klein looks like a guy who should be higher on the Dave Roberts trust tree.

—According to the Fox telecast, the Dodgers will bring in a position player after Klein pitches the next inning. That would be very sad to see.

—Sixteen innings, and Hyeseong Kim still can’t get in a game.

—Dodgers are going down very quietly every inning.

Seventeenth inning

—You can’t say enough about this performance by Klein. Three innings, one hit, four strikeouts.

—If it’s true the Dodgers are bringing in a position player to pitch the next inning, then they really need to score now.

—Yoshinobu Yamamoto has volunteered to pitch the next inning. Will they need him?

—Brendon Little now pitching for the Blue Jays. He is their last reliever.

—Call singles. Will they walk Ohtani?

—They basically walked him. Didn’t give him anything to hit. Pitched around him.

—Again, the Dodgers can’t cash in. Who pitches the 18th?

—I need to shave again.

Eighteenth inning

—Klein’s arm must be about to fall off. His fastball is a couple miles per hour slower this inning. If the Dodgers win it all, he certainly earned his World Series ring.

—Kiner-Falefa was out at first.

—You’d think with all the power on these teams, someone would have hit one out. Must be a marine layer at the game.

—Klein’s career high in pitches is 36. He made 72 tonight.

—Max Muncy bats third this inning. He won the last, and previously the only 18-inning game with a home run in the bottom half of … Game 3 … against Boston in 2018.

—But we don’t need to wait for him. Freeman comes up big once again. He has cemented his Hall of Fame status the last two seasons.

—What an incredible game. Incredible. With the best ending, unless you are a Toronto fan. Two great teams. It seemed every player had a moment. Two bad bullpens were dominant.

—They get to do it again in a few hours.

—For those keeping track of this (and I appreciate the emails from those who are), Hannah and Mason were not in their assigned spots for the game, but came home in the 14th inning, and then the Dodgers won.

—My prediction remains, Dodgers in five.

—More importantly, we wish Alex Vesia and his wife the best as they go through a trying time.

In case you missed it

Freddie Freeman’s walk-off homer lifts Dodgers to 18-inning win in World Series Game 3

What are your superstitions and lucky items to help the Dodgers win the World Series?

Mookie Betts on winning the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award

Shaikin: What are the motives behind Frank McCourt’s Dodger Stadium gondola plan?

Hernández: Don Mattingly reveals why his Dodgers managerial career ended a decade ago

Dodgers keep Andy Pages in Game 3 starting lineup; Shohei Ohtani laughs off Toronto chants

And finally

Freddie Freeman walks it off for the Dodgers, again. 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]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

It’s been a rough few years for Santa Monica.

Businesses have abandoned its once-thriving downtown. Its retail and office vacancy rates are among the highest in Los Angeles County. The crowds that previously packed the area surrounding the city’s famous pier have dwindled.

Homelessness has risen. City officials acknowledge crime incidents had become more visible and volatile.

The breadth and depth of the issues became apparent just last month when the city was forced to declare itself in fiscal distress after paying $229 million in settlements related to alleged sexual abuse by Eric Uller, a former city dispatcher.

Now, Santa Monica is trying to plot a new path forward. A significant first step could come Tuesday.

That’s when the City Council is set to consider a plan to reverse its fortunes.

A shuttered business on Broadway in Santa Monica.

(David Butow/For The Times)

The plan includes significantly increasing police patrols and enforcing misdemeanor ordinances, investing in infrastructure and new community events, and taking a more business-friendly brush to permits and fees. Officials also plan to be more aggressive in making sure property owners maintain unused properties.

The blueprint tackles many “quality of life” issues that critics say have contributed to lower foot traffic in the city’s tourist districts since the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s far from clear the tactics will work. But given the city’s current trajectory, officials say bold action is necessary.

“We’re trying to usher in a rebirth — a renaissance of the city — by investing in ourselves,” Councilmember Dan Hall said.

Hall, 38, is part of a relatively youthful City Council majority that swept into office in recent years as voters opted for new leadership and a fresh approach. Five of the seven council members are millennials, and six members first joined the council in either 2022 or 2024.

Also new on the scene is City Manager Oliver Chi, who five months ago was hired away from the same position in Irvine.

“The city is in a period of distress, for sure,” said Chi, 45. “We’re not in a moment where the city is broke. The city still has resources. … But right now, if we do nothing, the city’s general fund operating budget is projected to run a structural deficit of nearly $30 million a year, and that’s because we’ve seen big drops” in revenues, such as from hotel taxes, sales tax and parking.

“But part of that is the private sector hasn’t been investing in the city. And we haven’t had people traveling to the city,” Chi said.

Santa Monica is far from the only city — in California or nationwide — to face the pain of a downtown in decline. Brick-and-mortar retailers have long bled business to online offerings, and the pandemic upended the cadence of daily life that was the lifeblood of commercial districts, with many people continuing to work from home at least part of the week.

Birds fly over and people walk on the Santa Monica Pier.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

But the hope is through concerted, planned investment that Santa Monica can shine once again and modernize to be competitive in the postpandemic era.

The City Council had already decided to set aside $60 million from its cash reserves to spend over the next four or five years to cover any operating deficits. But with Tuesday’s vote, Santa Monica would instead use those dollars as an investment in hopes of getting the city back on track.

“Those things really are issues related to public safety, disorder in town, the disrepair that we’ve seen in our infrastructure,” Chi said. “All of those things are preventing, I think, confidence in the local economy.”

In downtown, the city’s plan would include doubling the number of police officers assigned to a specialized unit to at least eight to 10 a day, deploying an additional five patrol officers daily, creating a new police substation, adding two workers daily to address homelessness issues, and hiring eight public safety employees to provide a more constant presence across the city’s main commercial district, parks and parking garages.

Staff in the city attorney’s office would also be augmented to boost the ability to prosecute misdemeanor cases.

An unhoused man naps on a bench in Palisades Park.

(David Butow / For The Times)

Also on the agenda: moving the city’s homeless shelter out of downtown; making a one-time $3.5-million investment to address fraying sidewalks and streets and freshen up trees and trash cans; funding monthly events at the Third Street Promenade to attract crowds; creating a large-scale “Santa Monica Music Festival” next year; upgrading restrooms near the pier and Muscle Beach; and increasing operating days for libraries.

Another proposal would require the owners of vacant properties to register with the city, in hopes of addressing lots that remain in disrepair.

The city is also looking to be more business friendly. It’s seeking to upgrade the current permit process, utilizing artificial intelligence to get nearly instantaneous permit reviews for single-family homes and accessory dwelling units, as well as reduce permit fees for restaurants with outdoor dining.

The plan also outlines strategies to boost revenue. Santa Monica is poised to end its contract with a private ambulance operator, McCormick Ambulance, in February and move those operations in house.

“It’s going to cost roughly $2.8 million a year to stand that operation up. But the reality is, once we start running it, it’ll generate about $7 million a year in new ongoing revenues,” Chi said.

“That’s part of what we’re thinking through: How do we invest now in order to grow our revenue base moving ahead?” he said.

Parking rates are also going up, which city officials estimate should generate $8 million to $9 million in additional annual revenue — though officials say they still charge a lower rate than those of nearby cities.

The city also plans more traffic safety enforcement and will cut the current 90 minutes of free parking in downtown parking structures to 30 minutes.

There’s also been talk of a new city parcel tax, though no decision has yet been made to pursue that. A parcel tax would need voter approval.

Another priority is building back the city’s cash reserves, which have dwindled over the years, largely on account of legal payments. Eight years ago, Santa Monica had $436 million in cash reserves; today, there’s only $158 million in nonrestricted reserves.

The planned $60 million in spending would further reduce the city’s unobligated cash down to $98 million.

Santa Monica’s annual general fund operating budget is nearly $800 million a year.

Beachgoers enjoying the scene near the Santa Monica Pier.

(David Butow/For The Times)

The city is also looking to redevelop some of its underutilized properties, including a 2.57-acre parcel bounded by Arizona Avenue and 4th and 5th streets, which includes branches of Bank of America and Chase bank, the leases of which are expected to expire in a few years. Also being eyed are a 1.09-acre kiss-and-ride lot southeast of the Santa Monica light rail station; the city’s seismically vulnerable Parking Structure 1 on 4th Street, which sits on 0.75 of an acre; and the old Fire Station No. 1, which sits on 0.34 of an acre and is being used for storage.

No firm plans are in place just yet. The parcels could be sold, leased long term or redeveloped as part of a joint venture. One likely possibility is that the developments would include new housing.

“When you look at any revitalization effort of any vibrant downtown core that’s eroded, there’s always been an element of repopulating the area with people,” Chi said. A smart redevelopment plan for those properties will not only “hopefully help bring back vibrancy to the downtown, but also help replenish the city’s cash reserves.”

The seeds of downtown Santa Monica’s decline actually started before the pandemic. But COVID hit the city hard, and commercial vacancies rose significantly, Councilmember Caroline Torosis, 39, said.

Santa Monica also sustained damage in 2020 from rioters who swarmed the downtown area in what appeared to be an organized attack amid a protest meant to decry the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Tourists never came back in the numbers they had before the pandemic.

Torosis said the new council majority was elected on a promise to boost economic activity in the city.

“We need to absolutely ensure that people feel safe, welcome, invited and included in our city,” said Torosis, who serves as mayor pro tem.

Hall called the plan a bold bet.

“What we’re trying to do here is move us away from a scarcity mind-set, where we’re nickel-and-diming businesses trying to stay open, restaurants trying to open a parklet, residents trying to build an ADU,” Hall said.

The council’s relative youth, he said, is a plus for a city trying to write a bright new chapter.

“I think that that’s something that millennials are finding themselves needing to do as we take ownership of society, and we see a world where past generations have been afraid to make mistakes or afraid to make decisions,” he said.

Exactly a year after the Eaton fire broke out, musicians are banding together once more for an upcoming benefit show, called A Concert for Altadena.

As a way to both raise funds and bring the community together, the night is set to include performances from musicians like Jackson Browne, Dawes & Friends, Aloe Blacc, Jenny Lewis, Everclear, Stephen Stills, Mandy Moore, Judith Hill, Brad Paisley, Ozomatli, Brandon Flowers of the Killers and more.

Many of the featured acts have ties to Los Angeles and Altadena specifically, like Dawes, an indie band from Altadena who notably sang a lively rendition of “I Love L.A.” at this year’s Grammys ceremony. Moore, who is also performing, similarly lost their homes in the fire.

“I’ve seen firsthand how music can mobilize people for good. This concert brings together artists, fans, and neighbors for something bigger than all of us — recovery, hope, and rebuilding lives,” said Grammy winner Eric Krasno. The guitarist, who also lived in Altadena, helped organize the event and is set to perform.

Even behind the scenes, people like Kevin Lyman, who founded the Vans Warped Tour and is a longtime Altadena resident, is working as the event’s lead producer.

“Music has always been a force for community. With this event, we’re not just putting on a show — we’re helping Altadena rebuild homes, restore businesses, and heal hearts. This night is about unity and purpose,” said Lyman.

All of the proceeds from the show will go to the Pasadena Community Foundation’s Eaton Fire Relief & Recovery Fund, which helps provide resources to families impacted, and the Altadena Builds Back Foundation, which focuses on the long-term recovery of housing in the neighborhood.

The Eaton fire is the second most destructive wildfire in California’s history, destroying more than 9,000 structures in an area of nearly 22 square miles. It is also one of the state’s deadliest fires, with 19 people killed. Since the January fire, rebuilding efforts have proved to be slow-moving in the face of bureaucracy and high overhead costs.

The benefit show will take place Jan. 7 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Tickets go sale Nov. 7.

When Charlie Sheen needed his then-13-year-old daughter taken to a hair appointment because he was too drunk to drive, he turned to his sober friend, Tony Todd.

When Sheen wanted to meet Carlos Estévez because the major league pitcher shared Sheen’s given name, he turned to his connected friend, Tony Todd.

When Sheen was in the throes of a crack addiction, fired from his starring role on “Two and a Half Men” and in need of an unwavering voice of encouragement, he turned to his non-judgmental friend Tony Todd.

“There are so many fake friends in Charlie’s life,” Todd said. “I’ve been there for him since we were little kids. The cool thing is, we’ve never had an argument.”

Thanks to the recent Netflix documentary “aka Charlie Sheen” and publication of “The Book of Sheen” memoir, Todd’s 50-year friendship with the mercurial actor has been revealed to the world. Todd’s social media accounts have since been flooded with praise from viewers far and wide.

“I had to reach out immediately to say you were and remain an angel from heaven.”

“You are the friend we would all like to have man, greetings from Spain!”

“Dear Tony, If you ever visit Istanbul, it would be our honor to host you in our hotel…. You are not only a great actor but also a true friend.”

“You … are a stellar human being [heart emoji].”

Todd and Sheen have been pals since they bonded through baseball, first on Little League fields in Malibu, then on the Santa Monica High School team, then while taking batting practice in Sheen’s posh indoor batting cage, then while putting on power-hitting displays at local high school fields and even Dodger Stadium.

And their friendship spread into their private lives, with Todd serving as best man at the first two of Sheen’s three marriages and serving as a drug-free wingman even when Sheen descended into a chaotic, self-destructive morass of cocaine, alcohol and reckless sex.

“There’s never been a call he hasn’t answered, there’s never been a crisis he didn’t help solve,” Sheen said in a phone interview. “Tony Todd has always been a friend, and a true one.”

The documentary “aka Charlie Sheen” is a first-person tell-all, with the narrative helped along by Sheen’s oldest brother, Ramon, childhood neighbor Sean Penn, “Two and a Half Men” co-star Jon Cryer and executive producer Chuck Lorre, drug dealer Marco Abeyta and ex-wives Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller.

And, of course, Todd. He laughs. He cries. He exudes honesty and empathy.

“He’s just one of my favorite people to have around in any situation,” Sheen said.

All of it certainly has made Todd — not to be confused with the actor of the same name who starred in “Candyman” and died a year ago — fame-adjacent.

Although he has enjoyed a career that includes acting/stuntman roles in both “Black Panther” movies and acting roles in the movie “Little Big League,” the TV show “Anger Management” and more than two dozen national commercials, Todd is best known in Santa Monica as the dude who can’t say no to volunteer fundraisers and sports a vanity license plate that reads “NVR KWT.”

Just this summer he helped raise $10,000 for Santa Monica Little League by hosting an outdoor screening of “Little Big League” and tapping into his vast contact list of pro athletes and A-list entertainers to attract silent-auction items.

And Todd was hailed as a “real hero” by authorities after he gave $700 to a family of five who had been robbed of their rent money in Lancaster in 2018. He was “so moved by the family’s story” that he jumped in his car and drove from Santa Monica to the high desert to hand-deliver the money.

His friendship with Sheen resonates with many, in part because Todd professes never to have taken a drug or a drink. Sheen, of course, was the poster man-child of substance abuse until becoming sober in December 2017, the day he relinquished his car keys to Todd to drive his daughter Sami to a hair salon appointment in Moorpark.

When Sheen was addicted to crack, Todd moved into his friend’s Mulholland Estates house in Beverly Hills. Even then, Sheen wouldn’t smoke the drug in Todd’s presence, and they often would end evenings watching MLB Network or ESPN’s “Sports Center.”

“I didn’t do hard stuff in front of him, just out of respect,” Sheen said.

Todd wept in “aka Charlie Sheen” when he explained why he continued to live with his friend knowing the actor was often smoking crack in the next room.

“I just can’t leave him to die,” he said.

Happier times occurred when they would head to a ball field to hit. Years earlier, after suffering a shoulder injury, Sheen had learned to bat left-handed, taking a hundred or so swings a day off an Iron Mike pitching machine in his indoor batting cage.

While filming a DirecTV commercial at Dodger Stadium in 2007, Sheen stepped into the batter’s box during a lunch break and crushed a pitch over the right-field wall. Todd whooped and hollered, in no small part because he had bet a Dodgers employee that his buddy would go deep.

“I knew it was going to happen because of all the [batting practice] we’d been taking,” Todd said.

Sheen also increased his strength by taking massive doses of testosterone, which he mentions in the documentary and alluded to in a 2015 interview when he said his HIV-positive diagnosis wasn’t the reason for his epic meltdown in 2011 after he was fired from “Two and a Half Men.”

“I wish I could blame it on that, but that was more of a ’roid rage,” said Sheen, who earlier had admitted he took steroids ahead of filming the 1989 hit movie “Major League,” in which he played pitcher Ricky (Wild Thing) Vaughn.

Todd had a video shot of batting sessions at Oak Park and Santa Clarita Hart high schools around 2008. Sheen hit a home run Todd estimated traveled 445 feet at Oak Park and hit a barrage of homers at Hart in the presence of Hall of Fame slugger Eddie Murray and the Hart High team.

Todd followed Sheen’s power display at Hart with a home run of his own. Todd was a talented-enough baseball and football player to earn a double scholarship to USC, although a serious injury his senior year in high school cost him the free ride.

His baseball ability landed him the role of Mickey Scales in “Little Big League” and his astonishing speed delighted Sheen even into their 40s. During one of their batting sessions at Oak Park High, Todd was challenged to a race around the bases by an onlooker.

Sheen told the man to start the race at second base while Todd started at home plate.

“By the time they rounded third, Tony had passed him, and after touching the plate he grabbed a glove and pretended to tag the guy when he reached the plate,” Sheen said, laughing.

Todd served as a baseball coach at Santa Monica High for several years, and in 2013 he lobbied for the school to award Sheen his diploma — the actor had been 1½ credits short 30 years earlier and hadn’t graduated.

Todd reached out to his friend Ross Mark, who handled bookings for “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” and they concocted a plan to have Sheen on as a guest and for Leno to surprise him with the diploma.

Todd walked on stage with the diploma and Sheen — who had quickly donned a cap and gown — gave him a hug, his lifelong friend having effectively smoothed over one more rough patch in his life.

When Gigi Perez took to the stage at the Austin City Limits Festival earlier this month, it felt like the universe was holding up a mirror, reflecting back all the growth she’d done in the four years since her last performance there.

Back in 2021, the Cuban American singer-songwriter had a newly-minted record deal and a handful of viral SoundCloud singles — the wistful acoustic guitar track “Sometimes (Backwood)” and the devastatingly raw “Celene.” The 2021 edition of ACL was the first festival she ever performed, and though her early afternoon slot at one of the smaller stages attracted a few dozen audience members, Perez had spent so many years dreaming of the opportunity that it didn’t matter. She was happy just to be there.

This month, Perez returned to Austin no longer an emerging artist, but as a rising star. Her mega-viral single, the lovesick folk ballad from 2024, “Sailor Song,” had topped the U.K. singles chart and earned more than 1 billion streams on Spotify. On the back of its success, she spent the first half of this year opening for Hozier in support of her 2025 debut LP, “At the Beach, in Every Life.”

So when she took the stage at ACL in October, this time it was for a coveted golden hour set, with a sea of people stretched out before her — and a chorus of voices singing along to her every word.

“It was magical,” Perez told De Los. “There were people there who were actually at my first set in 2021, standing in the front. It meant a lot to me. I think that there’s a shock that I still experience with people coming to my set at a festival.”

At 25 years old, Perez has lived more life than most. Born in New Jersey and raised in West Palm Beach, Fla., the singer grew up in a devoutly Christian Cuban household, the middle child of three sisters.

As a teenager, the religious values she’d been steeped in were beginning to clash with her own realizations about her sexuality — and music provided a lifeline. The queer artists she listened to, like Hayley Kiyoko and Troye Sivan, tapped into feelings she hadn’t been able to articulate, and inspired her to write music that would allow her to express them in her own words.

At 18, just as she was preparing to head to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, her grandmother and uncle passed away, just weeks apart from each other. These dual losses set off a wave of grief and sparked difficult questions about her faith. She was struggling to regain her footing over the next year when, just months into the pandemic, her family experienced the sudden loss of her older sister Celene.

Perez felt unmoored. Her whole life, Celene had been a north star, a guiding light who inspired her to take up music, and who wanted to be a singer herself. Perez did what she knew how: wove her pain and anger and devastation into music, writing the soul-stirring tribute, “Celene.”

“The other day, I thought of something funny, but no one would’ve laughed but you,” she sings. “And mom and dad are always crying. And I wish I knew what to do.”

(Cat Cardenas / For De Los)

Her first original songs gained traction on TikTok, getting the attention of Interscope Records. From there, her career began to take off. She opened for Coldplay and Noah Cyrus, releasing her first EP, “How to Catch a Falling Knife,” in April 2023. Then, just months into a string of performances scheduled in London that summer, the label released her from her contract.

“I remember just being dumbfounded,” she said. “It was this immediate, very deep sense of fear and failure.”

But the funny thing about grief — that all-consuming force that had dragged her out to sea multiple times over the last several years — was that as suffocating as it could be, it was also surprising and unpredictable. So despite the depth of complicated emotions washing over her, Perez was acutely aware that this news was nothing compared to the loss of her sister. “So many things that happen in my life don’t affect me in that same profound way,” she said. “That was one of the things that made me. I don’t know, it’s hard to find the words even now.”

Growing up, Celene had her sights set on Broadway. She introduced Gigi to several musicals, from a bootleg version of “Legally Blonde,” to her first live theater experience in “Wicked,” to the cast album of Lin–Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights.” They played one song from the soundtrack, “Breathe,” on repeat. It’s sung by the character Nina, the daughter of immigrants in Washington Heights, who returns home in shame after having to drop out of Stanford University.

“That’s how I was feeling at the time,” Perez professed.

In London, she listened to the song on repeat. Then, she started writing. From the beginning, her style has always been instinctual; a freeform jam session where she sits at the piano or with her guitar and just lets her ideas flow out. The title came to her first — “At the Beach, in Every Life” — and the song poured out of her, nearly word for word.

“I remember the first time I played those chords on the piano, I had no idea what was going to happen,” she said. “I just knew something was opening up inside me, but I had no idea how deep the well was going to be, or that I was going to be an artist who gets to travel the world. I just had these desires, these visions, but to really live it is something else.”

After finishing out her commitments in the U.K., she moved back home to Florida. From her childhood bedroom, she began to rebuild. She taught herself music production and kept writing more songs. Without intending to, the puzzle pieces of the last few years of her life began to fall into place, and the grief that had consumed so much of her story finally had an outlet.

“At the Beach, In Every Life” details a breaking down of Perez’s walls. Her sadness and regret washes over tracks like “Sugar Water” and “Crown,” building into fiery passion on “Chemistry” and “Sailor Song,” before cresting into the haunting resolution of the title track that closes it out. It’s a portrait of loss and yearning, made up of vivid recollections from her childhood, her family, and her previous relationships. In short, it’s the album she wishes she could’ve listened to five years ago when her pain seemed insurmountable.

“I had just been operating blind for so long,” she said. “Being able to share my experience of loss in this specific way, it’s something that my 20-year-old self would be in disbelief of. At the time, it was like being without air, the isolation was so suffocating.”

Not long ago, Perez’s sadness could sometimes make her self-conscious. She wanted to share what she was going through, but she also didn’t want to be defined by it. “I didn’t want to be that girl who was always talking about her sister, but there was this very genuine desire to cry out for help, or acknowledge her,” she said. “Everyone is different, but for me, I needed to acknowledge her in order to be well.”

Fans of Gigi Perez at the barricade during her performance at this year’s Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, Texas.

(Cat Cardenas / For De Los)

Now, not even five years later, it feels like she’s finally turned the page and started a new chapter. “I’ve been able to build a life around my grief, and honor the loss of my sister in a way that’s helped me,” she said. “I don’t know exactly what healing should look like, but her death affected me and continues to affect me in these very profound ways. This is the best case scenario for me, because I get to share it with others — that’s one of the things that makes it so difficult to navigate: the feeling that no one understands you.”

“Knowing that we’re not alone has really saved my life,” she said. “I used to be the person thinking, ‘What’s the point of being alive?’ But knowing there are other people with the same question, I know now that we can hold each other’s hands through that. That’s given me a purpose and that helps me continue to move through it.”

In the process of writing the album, Perez found ways to bring both of her sisters along for the ride. There are voice memos from Celene, along with a snippet of her singing on “Survivor’s Guilt.” But there’s also “Sugar Water,” a track she co-wrote with her younger sister, Bella, who joins her onstage to perform the song on tour. “Anyone who has two sisters knows the chaos and intensity that can bring,” she said. “But we loved each other, and we still do. My relationship to what it means to be a woman was shaped by having sisters, and Celene and Bella are the closest reflection that I have of myself.”

Amid this wild, almost unbelievable year, Perez has been grounded by her family’s presence. Her mom is part of her management team, and her dad has joined them on the road.

“There’s something to be said about being in it so much that it’s almost hard to physically feel it on the level you want to,” Perez said. But over the last few weeks, as she’s gotten the opportunity to revisit the places where she first found her footing as a performer, she’s had the opportunity to reflect on just how much she’s grown since then.

For now, she plans on heading back home to Florida once her tour is over to spend time reflecting on everything. “I think that’s when I’ll start to see the confetti fall,” she said. “Life is uncertain, and we never know what it’s going to throw our way, but this was a year that I prayed for. And I think it was a year that a lot of people who love me prayed for too. So for that, I’m very grateful.”

For the first time in seven years, Lily Allen is back with a new album. It’s intimate, raw and autofictional.

Last week, the “Smile” singer shared a 14-track breakup record, “West End Girl.” Amid her split with “Stranger Things” actor David Harbour, Allen provides an in-depth look into a broken relationship where the line between being open and being unfaithful is thin, where dating apps are on the table and where heartbreak seems inevitable.

The album, which was written in 10 days last December, begins with Allen’s move to New York. The singer relocated to the East Coast in 2020 with her two daughters and then-husband, following the couple’s whirlwind wedding in Las Vegas. When Allen started dating Harbour in 2019, she had just finalized her divorce from Sam Cooper, with whom she shares her children.

On “West End Girl’s” opening track, she sings about receiving an offer to be in a West End production in London. In 2021, Allen made her debut in the supernatural play “2:22 — A Ghost Story.” From that moment on, tensions and distance only continued to build between the pair. Toward the end of the title track, Allen includes her end of a call where her partner is seemingly asking to open up the marriage.

As the pop melodies continue to ebb and flow, Allen reveals accusations of infidelity, the complications of being in an open marriage and mentions a pseudonym for a mistress on a track named “Madeline.” She doesn’t stray away from details, especially when it comes to finding boxes of sex toys, love letters from other women and calling her partner a “sex addict” on “P— Palace.”

By the end of the record, she makes it clear that the relationship is irreparable. The pair announced their separation last February after four years of marriage. Since the project’s release last Friday, critics have been quick to fawn over Allen’s return to music and Allen has been sure to let the press know the album is not fully based in fact.

In an interview with The Times, the U.K.’s oldest national daily newspaper, she says, “I don’t think I could say it’s all true — I have artistic license. … But yes, there are definitely things I experienced within my relationship that have ended up on this album.”

She similarly told Perfect Magazine that the work can be considered “autofiction” and that an “alter ego” is singing. When sitting down with British Vogue, she clarified that the album is inspired by what went on in the relationship between, but “that’s not to say that it’s all gospel,”

Harbour has yet to directly speak out about their relationship and has strayed away from the public eye, disabling comments on his Instagram page.

In an interview with GQ in April, he said, “There’s no use in that form of engaging [with tabloid news] because it’s all based on hysterical hyperbole.”

The highly anticipated final season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” where Harbour plays the role of police chief Jim Hopper, will be released Nov. 27.

WASHINGTON — The first caller on a telephone town hall with Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, leader of the House’s conservative Freedom Caucus, came ready with a question about the Affordable Care Act. Her cousin’s disabled son is at risk of losing the insurance he gained under that law, the caller said.

“Now she’s looking at two or three times the premium that she’s been paying for the insurance,” said the woman, identified as Lisa from Harford County, Md. “I’d love for you to elucidate what the Republicans’ plan is for health insurance?”

Harris, a seven-term Republican, didn’t have a clear answer. “We think the solution is to try to do something to make sure all the premiums go down,” he said, predicting Congress would “probably negotiate some off-ramp” later.

His uncertainty reflected a familiar Republican dilemma: Fifteen years after the Affordable Care Act was enacted, the party remains united in criticizing the law but divided on how to move forward. That tension has come into sharp focus during the government shutdown as Democrats seize on rising premiums to pressure Republicans into extending expiring subsidies for the law, often referred to as Obamacare.

President Trump and GOP leaders say they’ll consider extending the enhanced tax credits that otherwise expire at year’s end — but only after Democrats vote to reopen the government. In the meantime, people enrolled in the plans are already being notified of hefty premium increases for 2026.

As town halls fill with frustrated voters and no clear Republican plan emerges, the issue appears to be gaining political strength heading into next year’s midterm elections.

“Premiums are going up whether it gets extended or not,” said GOP Sen. Rick Scott. “Premiums are going up because healthcare costs are going up. Because Obamacare is a disaster.”

‘Concepts of a plan’

At the center of the shutdown — now in its fourth week with no end in sight — is a Democratic demand that Affordable Care Act subsidies passed in 2021 be extended.

Trump has long promised an alternative. “The cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Healthcare,” he wrote on Truth Social in November 2023. “I’m seriously looking at alternatives.”

Pressed on healthcare during a September 2024 presidential debate, Trump said he had “concepts of a plan.”

But nearly 10 months into his presidency, that plan has yet to come. Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told NBC on Wednesday, “I fully believe the president has a plan,” but didn’t go into details.

Republicans say they want a broader overhaul of the healthcare system, though such a plan would be difficult to advance before next year. Party leaders have not outlined how they’ll handle the expiring tax credits, insisting they won’t negotiate on the issue until Democrats agree to end the shutdown.

A September analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that permanently extending the tax credits would increase the deficit by $350 billion from 2026 to 2035. The number of people with health insurance would rise by 3.8 million in 2035 if the credits are kept, CBO projected.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told a news conference Monday that the tax credits are “subsidizing bad policy.” Republicans “have a long list of ideas” to address healthcare costs, he said, and are “grabbing the best ideas that we’ve had for years to put it on paper and make it work.”

“We believe in the private sector and the free market and individual providers,” he added.

A growing political issue

With notices of premium spikes landing in mailboxes now and the open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act health plans beginning Nov. 1, the political pressure has been evident in Republican town halls.

In Idaho, Rep. Russ Fulcher told concerned callers that “government-provided healthcare is the wrong path” and that “private healthcare is the right path.” In Texas, freshman Rep. Brandon Gill responded to a caller facing a sharp premium increase by saying Republicans are focused on cutting waste, fraud and abuse.

Harris echoed a message shared by many in his party during his Maryland town hall, saying costs are “just going back to what it was like before COVID.”

But the number of people who rely on Affordable Care Act health insurance has increased markedly since before the pandemic. More than 24 million people were enrolled in the marketplace plans in 2025, up from about 11 million in 2020, according to an analysis from the health care research nonprofit KFF.

Sara from Middleville, Mich., told Rep. John Moolenaar during his town hall that if health insurance premiums go up by as much as 75%, most people will probably go without healthcare. “So how do you address that?” she asked.

Moolenaar, who represents a district he handily won last year, responded: “We have time to negotiate, figure out a plan going forward and I think that’s something that could occur.”

Some Republicans have shown urgent concern. In a letter sent to Johnson, a group of 13 battleground House Republicans wrote that the party must “immediately turn our focus to the growing crisis of health care affordability” once the shutdown ends.

“While we did not create this crisis, we now have both the responsibility and the opportunity to address it,” the lawmakers wrote.

Some Republicans dismiss projections that ACA premiums will more than double without the subsidies, calling them exaggerated and arguing the law has fueled fraud and abuse that must be curbed.

Many Democrats credited their ability to flip the House in 2018 during Trump’s first term to the GOP’s attempt at repealing Obamacare, and they’re forecasting a similar outcome this time.

About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they trust the Democrats to do a better job handling healthcare, compared with about one-quarter who trust the Republicans more, a recent AP-NORC poll found. About one-quarter trust neither party, and about 1 in 10 trust both equally, according to the poll.

A looming internal GOP fight

Even as GOP leaders pledge to discuss ending the subsidies when the government opens, it’s clear that many Republican lawmakers are adamantly opposed to an extension.

“At least among Republicans, there’s a growing sense that just maintaining the status quo is very destructive,” said Brian Blase, the president of Paragon Health Institute and a former health policy advisor to Trump during his first term.

Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, said he’s working with multiple congressional offices on alternatives that would let the subsidies end. For example, he wants to expand the Affordable Care Act exemption given to U.S. territories to all 50 states and reintroduce a first-term Trump policy that gave Americans access to short-term health insurance plans outside the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Cannon declined to name the lawmakers he’s working with, but said he hopes they act on his ideas “sooner than later.”

David McIntosh, president of the influential conservative group Club For Growth, told reporters Thursday that the group has “urged the Republicans not to extend those COVID-era subsidies.”

“We have a big spending problem,” McIntosh said.

“I think most people are going to say, OK, I had a great deal during COVID,” he said. “But now it’s back to business as usual, and I should be paying for healthcare.”

Cappelletti and Swenson write for the Associated Press. Swenson reported from New York.

John Dickerson, co-anchor of “CBS Evening News,” said Monday he will exit the network at the end of the year.

Dickerson will be the first major talent departure since the arrival of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News last month.

The veteran political journalist who joined CBS News in 2009 gave no reason for leaving in an Instagram post announcing his decision.

“I am extremely grateful for all that CBS News gave me – the work, the audience’s attention and the honor of being a part of the network’s history – and I am grateful for my dear colleagues who’ve made me a better journalist and a better human being and I will miss you,” Dickerson wrote.

Dickerson became co-anchor of “CBS Evening News” in January alongside Maurice DuBois, succeeding Norah O’Donnell. The duo were part of a revamp of the program, which put an emphasis on more in-depth stories.

The format change failed to attract new viewers as it remains in third place behind “ABC World News Tonight with David Muir” and “NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas.”

There had been talk of significant changes coming to the newscast before Weiss signed on for a senior role at the division.

Weiss has reportedly expressed interest in bringing Fox News anchor Bret Baier to CBS, but his current employer has him under contract through 2028. Baier anchors “Special Report,” a nightly newscast that like many Fox News programs is closely followed by President Trump.

Anderson Cooper, whose contract will soon be up at CNN, has also been mentioned internally as an evening news anchor candidate.

“CBS Evening News” co-anchors Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson.

(Gail Schulman/CBS News)

The changes to “CBS Evening News” were initiated by former “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens, who was pushed out of the company amid the controversy over a 2024 interview with former vice president Kamala Harris.

Trump sued the network over the interview which he said was deceptively edited to help her presidential campaign. Although the case labeled as frivolous by 1st Amendment experts, Paramount settled the suit for $16 million to clear the regulatory path for its merger with Skydance Media.

A former writer for Time magazine, Dickerson came to CBS News as a contributor before taking on a variety of roles in the division. He was anchor of the Washington-based public affairs program “Face the Nation.” He moved to New York to join “CBS This Morning” after the network fired Charlie Rose over sexual harassment allegations in 2017.

Dickerson anchored a nightly prime time newscast on CBS News Streaming before being tapped for “CBS Evening News.” He could not be immediately reached for comment.

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. I must be dreaming, because I am almost positive I watched someone pitch a complete game.

Game 2 thoughts:

—Alessia Cara performed the Canadian anthem, and Bebe Rexha performed the U.S. anthem before the game. Apparently, Bryan Adams was unavailable.

—Don’t get mad and call me un-American, but the Canadian national anthem is beautiful.

—Joe Carter threw out the first pitch. Apparently Dave Stieb was unavailable.

—I was concerned after the first inning. It was a repeat of Game 1. Dodgers score, but Blue Jays threatened before being retired without a run scoring. Just like Game 1.

—This time however, Yoshinobu Yamamoto settled into a groove and was dominant. If someone told me after that inning, where Yamamoto threw 23 pitches, that he would pitch a complete game, I would have laughed.

—Nice to see Will Smith hit a home run. It was his first extra-base hit of this postseason. It seemed to fire the team up. It certainly fired Smith up.

—Blue Jays fans were mad at manager John Schneider for not removing Kevin Gausman sooner. Complaining about a manager and how he handles pitchers? Sounds familiar.

—I’m just glad Schneider was finally able to find steady work so many years after “The Dukes of Hazzard” was canceled.

—Wait, I’m now being told that is a different John Schneider. I guess that explains why Tom Wopat isn’t one of his coaches.

—Teoscar Hernández is three for his last 22 with nine strikeouts and struck out in all four of his at-bats in Game 2. He is going through one of those phases where he chases pitches well out of the zone. Hopefully he snaps out of it.

—Justin Dean made a very nice play in center field in the ninth inning, showing why the Dodgers have him on the roster. The jump he got on the fly ball was incredible. He has now been in 11 of the 12 postseason games without coming to the plate, though he did score a run as a pinch-runner.

—You have to wonder what Hyeseong Kim thinks. He’s been on the roster for every round of the postseason, but has only played in one game, as a pinch-runner.

—Many of you don’t like John Smoltz because he talks too much. And I agree, he needs to cut down a bit, but what he says is usually very good. Plus, he’s very vocal in pushing back against the ridiculous pitch-count theory, that 100 pitches is the limit. I appreciate him for that.

—Yamamoto was in a zone. It was like he saw nothing else except Smith behind the plate. The Toronto crowd is loud, and it didn’t seem to bother him at all.

—Some numbers about Yamamoto:

He’s the fourth pitcher to retire the last 20 or more batters of a postseason game, joining Don Larsen of the Yankees, who retired all 27 batters in his perfect game against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series. St. Louis’ Grover Cleveland Alexander, who retired 21 Yankees in a row in Game 2 of the 1926 World Series and Boston’s Dutch Leonard, who retired 20 Phillies in a row in Game 3 of the 1915 World Series.

No Dodger had ever retired 20 batters in a row in a postseason game. The previous high was 19 by Carl Erskine in Game 5 of the 1952 World Series.

It was only the eighth time a Dodger pitched consecutive complete games in the postseason, joining Orel Hershiser (three consecutive in 1988), Sandy Koufax in 1963 and 1965 World Series, Sal Maglie (1956), Johnny Podres (1955), Whit Wyatt (1941) and Sherry Smith (1920).

—But more importantly, it was a wonderful throwback to the way baseball used to be. A pitcher going deep into the game, dominating an opponent even though he may be tiring. Getting big congrats from teammates for a job well done. That’s how legends are made.

—And the best part, in both his complete games, is the little smile Yamamoto gives after he gets the last out.

—The Blue Jays turn to Max Scherzer and Shane Bieber in Games 3 and 4.

—The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series five years ago today.

—My prediction remains, Dodgers in five.

—More importantly, we wish Alex Vesia and his wife the best as they go through a trying time.

Postseason stats

How the Dodgers and Blue Jays have done this postseason:

Batting

Alex Call, .750/.857/.750, 3 for 4, 2 walks

Ben Rortvedt, .429/.500/.571, 3 for 7, 1 double, 1 RBI, 3 K’s

Miguel Rojas, .375/.444/.375, 3 for 8, 1 RBI

Will Smith, .314/.400/.400, 11 for 35, 1 homer, 6 RBIs, 4 walks, 10 K’s

Kiké Hernández, .273/.333/.364, 12 for 44, 4 doubles, 5 RBIs, 4 walks, 13 K’s

Mookie Betts, .271/.364/.396, 13 for 48, 4 doubles, 1 triple, 6 RBIs, 6 walks, 6 K’s

Tommy Edman, .262/.295/.429, 11 for 42, 1 double, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 2 walks, 14 K’s

Teoscar Hernández, .229/.275/.500, 1 double, 4 homers, 11 RBIs, 3 walks, 16 K’s

Max Muncy, .229/.386/.429, 6 for 28, 1 double, 2 homers, 2 RBIs, 8 walks, 9 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, .224/.333/.633, 11 for 49, 1 triple, 6 homers, 11 RBIs, 8 walks, 19 K’s

Freddie Freeman, .222/.340/.400, 10 for 45, 5 doubles, 1 homer, 1 RBI, 7 walks, 11 K’s

Andy Pages, .093/.133/.116, 4 for 43, 1 double, 1 RBI, 11 K’s

Dalton Rushing, 0 for 1, 1 K

Team, .244/.331/.416, 18 doubles, 2 triples, 16 homers, 44 walks, 113 K’s, 4.58 runs per game

Blue Jays

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., .431/.500/.843, 22 for 51, 3 doubles, 6 homers, 12 RBIs, 7 walks, 4 K’s

Ernie Clement, .429/.442/.592, 21 for 49, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 8 RBIs, 1 walk, 2 K’s

Bo Bichette, .333/500/.333, 1 for 3, 1 walk

Nathan Lukes, .318/.375/.386, 14 for 44, 3 doubles, 8 RBIs, 4 walks, 7 K’s

Addison Barger, .300/.378/.575, 12 for 40, 2 doubles, 3 homers, 8 RBIs, 5 walks, 8 K’s

George Springer, .259/.349/. 593, 14 for 54, 6 doubles, 4 homers, 9 RBIs, 5 walks, 12 K’s

Alejandro Kirk, .255/.316/.529, 13 for 51, 2 doubles, 4 homers, 10 RBIs, 5 walks, 8 K’s

Daulton Varsho, .255/.296/.510, 13 for 51, 4 doubles, 3 homers, 10 RBIs, 2 walks, 13 K’s

Andrés Giménez, .244/.292/.400, 11 for 45, 1 double, 2 homers, 9 RBIs, 2 walks, 5 K’s

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, .200/.200/.280, 5 for 25, 2 doubles, 1 RBI, 1 K

Anthony Santander, .200/.250/.200, 3 for 15, 2 RBIs, 1 walk, 5 K’s

Myles Straw, .182/.250/.182, 2 for 11, 1 RBI, 1 walk, 3 K’s

David Schneider, .154/.313/.251, 2 for 13, 1 double, 3 walks, 5 K’s

Joey Loperfido, 0 for 1

Team, .294/.352/.510, 27 doubles, 1 triple, 23 homers, 37 walks, 76 K’s, 6.38 runs per game

Pitching

Jack Dreyer, 0.00 ERA, 1.2 IP, 2 walks, 1 K

Justin Wrobloeski, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP

Will Klein, 0.00 ERA, 1 IP, 1 hit

Tyler Glasnow, 0.68 ERA, 13.1 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 8 walks, 18 K’s

Roki Sasaki, 1.13 ERA, 3 saves, 8 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 2 walks, 6 K’s

Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 3-1, 1.57 ERA, 28.2 IP, 17 hits, 5 ER, 4 walks, 26 K’s

Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 2.25 ERA, 12 IP, 5 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 19 K’s

Blake Snell, 3-1, 2.42 ERA, 26 IP, 14 hits, 7 ER, 8 walks, 32 K’s

Alex Vesia, 2-0, 3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 3 walks, 4 K’s

Blake Treinen, 7.36 ERA, 1 save, 3.2 IP, 5 hits 3 ER, 2 walks, 5 K’s

Anthony Banda, 8.10 ERA, 3.1 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 1 walk, 3 K’s

Emmet Sheehan, 17.18 ERA, 3.2 IP, 8 hits, 7 ER, 3 walks, 2 K’s

Clayton Kershaw, 18.00 ERA, 2 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 3 walks

Edgardo Henriquez, infinity, 0 IP, 1 hit, 1 ER, 2 walks

Team, 10-2, 3.06 ERA. 4 saves, 109 IP, 74 hits, 37 ER, 42 walks, 116 K’s

Blue Jays

Chris Bassitt, 0.00 ERA, 3.2 IP, 1 hit, 5 K’s

Jeff Hoffman, 1.13 ERA, 2 saves, 8 IP, 3 hits, 1 ER, 3 walks, 13 K’s

Kevin Gausman, 2-2, 2.55 ERA, 24.2 IP, 14 hits, 7 ER, 9 walks, 18 K’s

Max Scherzer, 1-0, 3.18 ERA, 5.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, 4 walks, 5 K’s

Seranthony Dominguez, 2-0, 3.38 ERA, 8 IP, 3 hits, 3 ER, 5 walks, 7 K’s

Trey Yesavage, 2-1, 4.26 ERA, 19 IP, 14 hits, 9 ER, 10 walks, 27 K’s

Shane Bieber, 1-0, 4.38 ERA, 12.1 IP, 16 hits, 6 ER, 3 walks, 15 K’s

Louis Varland, 0-1, 4.63 ERA, 11.2 IP, 10 hits, 6 ER, 2 walks, 13 K’s

Mason Fluharty, 5.40 ERA, 5 IP, 6 hits, 3 ER, 2 walks, 8 K’s

Eric Lauer, 6.75 ERA, 4 IP, 4 hits, 3 ER, 2 walks, 6 K’s

Braydon Fisher, 7.94 ERA, 5.2 IP, 8 hits, 5 ER, 3 walks, 8 K’s

Yariel Rodríguez, 10.13 ERA, 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 3 ER, 4 walks, 1 K

Brendon Little, 0-1, 12.00 ERA, 3 IP, 5 hits, 4 ER, 4 walks, 2 K’s

Tommy Nance, 13.50 ERA, 1.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 1 walk

Justin Bruihl, 54.00 ERA, 0.1 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER

Team, 8-5, 4.38 ERA, 2 saves, 115 IP, 96 hits, 56 ER, 53 walks, 128 K’s

In case you missed it

World Series: George Springer says he will focus on game, not boos, at Dodger Stadium

Shaikin: No more dead-arm nightmares for Dodgers and their uncomplicated pitching strategy

Hernández: What Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete games reveal about the Dodgers’ star pitcher

Healthy and energized, Will Smith’s resurgence coming at a perfect time for Dodgers

Plaschke: As tied World Series returns to Dodger Stadium, George Springer and Max Scherzer beware

Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete-game repeat a brilliant oddity ripped from a bygone era

Arellano: He’s just happy to root for the Dodgers again after almost dying during the last World Series

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitches a masterclass, Dodgers win World Series Game 2 | Dodgers Debate

Max Muncy talks World Series Game 2 win, Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s performance

What it’s like to experience a World Series game at Cosm Los Angeles

And finally

Highlights from Game 2 of the World Series. 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]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Where can I host a big birthday party on a restaurant patio or rent out a bar during the day? That’s not outrageously expensive? — Kristen Silva

Here’s what we suggest:

First and foremost, I respect — and deeply relate to — your desire to celebrate your birthday on a budget. It’s tough right now. The good news, though, is that L.A. is brimming with delicious restaurants and aesthetic bars that go easy on the pockets — both for you and your guests. And some even allow you to bring your own birthday cake.

For a laid-back spot where you and your friends can sit at picnic tables and enjoy juicy pastrami sandwiches, loaded French fries and refreshing cocktails, check out Johnny’s in West Adams. Senior food editor Danielle Dorsey recommends the spot in a guide to West Adams, calling the umbrella-dotted parking lot patio “the perfect al fresco setting.” Because Johnny’s has a walk-up service counter, its easy for your guests to come and go as they please. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the headache of trying to split the bill at the end of the night. Reservations are only necessary if you’re looking to rent out the space, but there is a $35 cake fee.

If you don’t mind being indoors, my colleague Deborah Vankin suggests Far Bar in Little Tokyo, where she celebrated her birthday on the mezzanine with about 50 friends. “It was a cozy, but still roomy space that felt festive and provided the best people watching below,” she says. “The price was beyond reasonable and, afterwards, a group of us walked down the street for dessert and karaoke.” If you’re open to hosting your party on a slower night (not Friday or Saturday), a manager told me you can avoid rental fees. (FYI: There’s also a narrow outdoor seating area here, but Vankin says it’s not great for parties.)

Music lovers will appreciate Zizou, a vibey French-Moroccan restaurant nestled in Lincoln Heights. Owned by two lifelong friends from France, Zizou features a stunning vintage sound system, where DJs can be found spinning jazz, French hip-hop, South African rhythms and other global sounds on the weekends. My friend Tori Johnson hosted her birthday party on the starlit patio earlier this year. “We were able to invite friends post-dinner to come and have wine with us until the restaurant closed,” she tells me. “It felt intimate and just what I was looking for for my 31st birthday.” For parties of eight or more, there’s a $75 minimum per person for seated dining, but no minimum if you’re planning to just chill at the bar or near the sound system. You can either bring your own cake at no additional cost or order Zizou’s house-made French apple tart for dessert. And don’t worry, the servers won’t look at you with disdain if you ask for separate checks — at least from my experience.

Another worthy option is Everson Royce, which deputy food editor Betty Hallock calls “one of the best bars in the city (with great food),” and I can’t agree more. This spot is popular because of its happy hour and its breezy outdoor patio. “It’s like being in a friend’s backyard, with picnic tables, string lights and a vine-wrapped tree, except you’re in the middle of downtown,” Hallock reports in a guide to the most picturesque restaurant patios in L.A. An Everson Royce staffer told me that you can book a normal reservation for up to 100 people — yes, you read that correctly — and that the restaurant doesn’t charge extra fees or require any deposits. Staff will even split the checks for each of your guests.

In the mood for dancing? Start your night with focaccia-style pan pizzas at De La Nonna, then head next door to the Let’s Go! Disco & Cocktail Club. I DJed a wedding here last year and it was a seamless transition, sweating out the delectable pizza at the Italian-inspired nightclub where 1970s disco hits (and related genres) are the soundscape. Reservations are highly recommended. For 20 guests, De La Nonna requires its prix fixe menu with optional drink packages, but 30 or more guests are considered a “partial buyout,” so both are required. There’s also a room fee. If you’re still in the mood for partying once the cocktail den closes at 1 a.m., then walk across the street to EightyTwo, an arcade bar with dozens of pinball machines and classic video games. (Note: De La Nonna charges a $20 cake fee.)

If these spots don’t satisfy your needs, some of my food colleagues also suggested Le Great Outdoor in Santa Monica, Mr. T in Hollywood, Good Neighbor Bar in Altadena and Benny Boy Brewing in Lincoln Heights — all of which have a patio.

As you can see, there are loads of options depending on what type of food, vibe and part of L.A. you prefer. Wherever you end up, I hope you have a wonderful time and, most importantly, that you have a great birthday and year ahead.

Nick Mangold’s long, blond hair and bushy beard made him instantly recognizable. His gritty, outstanding performance on the field for the New York Jets made him one of the franchise’s greatest players.

Mangold, a two-time All-Pro center who helped lead the Jets to the AFC championship game twice, has died, the team announced Sunday. He was 41.

The Jets said in a statement that Mangold died Saturday night from complications of kidney disease. His death came less than two weeks after the two-time All-Pro selection announced on social media that he had kidney disease and needed a transplant. He said he didn’t have relatives who were able to donate, so he went public with the request for a donor with type O blood.

“I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time,” he wrote in an Oct. 14 message directed to the Jets and Ohio State communities.

“While this has been a tough stretch, I’m staying positive and focused on the path ahead. I’m looking forward to better days and getting back to full strength soon. I’ll see you all at MetLife Stadium & The Shoe very soon.”

Mangold said he was diagnosed with a genetic defect in 2006 that led to chronic kidney disease. He was on dialysis while waiting for a transplant.

“Nick was more than a legendary center,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “He was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football. Off the field, Nick’s wit, warmth, and unwavering loyalty made him a cherished member of our extended Jets family.”

The Jets announced Mangold’s death about an hour before they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 39-38 for their first win of the season. A moment of silence was held in the press box before the game. Mangold grew up in Centerville, Ohio — about 45 miles north of Cincinnati — but remained in New Jersey, close to the Jets’ facility, after his playing career ended.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn was a scout for the franchise during Mangold’s playing career.

“A true Jet, through and through. … He was the heart and soul of this team,” Glenn said.

Mangold was a first-round draft pick of the Jets in 2006 out of Ohio State and was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times. He helped lead New York within one win of the Super Bowl during both the 2009 and 2010 seasons and was enshrined in the Jets’ ring of honor in 2022. Mangold was among 52 modern-era players who advanced earlier this week in the voting process for next year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

Mangold was the anchor of New York’s offensive line his entire playing career, spending all 11 seasons with the Jets.

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to lace them up with you every Sunday,” Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, Mangold’s teammate for eight years, wrote on X. “I will miss you and forever cherish our moments in the locker room. Love you buddy.”

Mangold started every game during his first five seasons and missed only four games in his first 10 years before an ankle injury limited him to eight games in 2016, his final season.

“It’s brutal,” former Jets coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan said during “Sunday NFL Countdown” while fighting through tears. “Such a great young man. I had the pleasure of coaching him for all six years with the Jets (from 2009-14). I remember it was obvious I was getting fired, my last game, Mangold’s injured — like, injured — and he comes to me and says, ‘I’m playing this game.’ And he wanted to play for me.

“That’s what I remember about this kid. He was awesome. And it’s just way too young. I feel so bad for his wife and family. (This is) rough.”

Mangold was released by the team in 2017 and didn’t play that season. The following year, he signed a one-day contract with the Jets to officially retire as a member of the team.

“Rest in peace to my brother & teammate Nick Mangold,” tweeted former running back Thomas Jones, who played three years with Mangold. “I keep seeing your smiling face in the huddle bro. One of the kindest people I’ve ever met. One of the greatest interior linemen to ever play the game. This one hurts. Surreal.”

Several other former teammates mourned the loss of Mangold.

“Absolutely gutted,” former wide receiver David Nelson, who played with Mangold for two seasons, wrote on X. “One of the best guys I’ve ever met — true legend on and off the field.”

Former kicker Jay Feely, Mangold’s teammate for two seasons, tweeted: “Heartbreaking news this morning. Nick and I played together with the Jets and loved to banter about the Michigan/Ohio St rivalry. He was a natural leader, a great player, thoughtful, kind, & larger than life.”

Mangold’s No. 74 jersey remained a popular one for fans to wear at games, even nine years after playing his final NFL game. He was active with charitable events and often dressed as Santa Claus for the team’s holiday celebrations for children.

“Nick was the embodiment of consistency, strength, and leadership,” Jets vice chairman Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “For over a decade, he anchored our offensive line with unmatched skill and determination, earning the respect of teammates, opponents and fans alike. His contributions on the field were extraordinary — but it was his character, humility, and humor off the field that made him unforgettable.”

Mangold is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and their children Matthew, Eloise, Thomas and Charlotte. Nick Mangold’s sister, Holley, was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team and competed in the super heavyweight division of the weightlifting competition.

Waszak writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Jay Cohen and freelance reporter Jeff Wallner contributed to this report.

Dodgers catcher Ben Rortvedt connects for a double against the Cincinnati Reds during Game 2 of the National League Wildcard Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 1.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Neither Alex Call nor Ben Rortvedt had appeared in a playoff game until this season. And though neither Dodger reserve got off the bench in the first two games of the World Series, they’re a lot closer to the action then they expected to be before the July trades that brought them to Los Angeles.

“It’s really cool. I’m just soaking it all in,” said Call, who came over from the Washington Nationals at the deadline.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” added Rortvedt, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, then spent most of the summer in triple A before being called up when Will Smith got hurt in early September. “I’ve been taking it more day by day, so it hasn’t kind of struck me as much as people think it would. Definitely when this is done I’m really going to reflect and kind of realize how crazy it has been to kind of be on this team and be where we are now.”

Call, 31, who also played with the Cleveland Guardians in a five-year big-league career, appeared in one game in each of the Dodgers’ first three playoff series, going three for four with two walks, getting hit by a pitch and scoring a run.

“It’s kind of crazy because it feels like it should have been harder,” Call said of reaching the World Series. “With the Nats, it’s like we were going to have to grind our way all the way to the top. And then you get to come over the Dodgers and you’re the favorites, World Series champs. You’ve got probably the best roster ever assembled, with amazing stars up and down the lineup, and then they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we want Alex Call on our team.’

“That’s kind of an amazing compliment.”

Rortvedt, 28, who also played with the Yankees and Minnesota Twins in four seasons, started the first four games of the postseason and hit .429.

“If I pinch myself, it’s kind of like I’m not sure [I’m here,]” he said. “I just try to be as prepared as I can, understand the magnitude of things, and just try to be prepared and try to slow everything down and do my best.”

In a sign of California’s rising status as a major hub of Democratic politics, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday he’s considering a run for president in 2028 — just a day after former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made the same pronouncement.

Newsom, a Democrat who has won national prominence this year pitching himself a leader of the resistance to President Trump, admitted for the first time publicly that he is seriously weighing a 2028 presidential run.

In an interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning,” Newsom was asked whether he would give “serious thought” after the 2026 midterms to a White House bid.

“Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” Newsom replied. “I’d just be lying. And I’m not — I can’t do that.”

Harris said this weekend in an interview with the BBC that she expects a woman will be president in the coming year. “Possibly,” she said, it could be her.

“I am not done,” she said. “I have lived my entire career as a life of service and it’s in my bones.”

It’s still more than three years until the November 2028 election, and entirely possible only one or neither of the two California politicians could throw their hat in the race.

But the early willingness of Newsom and Harris to publicly consider a White House bid shows that the Golden State is still a major hub of Democratic politics. It also sets up a potential 2028 political showdown between two of California’s weightiest political figureheads.

For years, Newsom has denied presidential ambitions. But since Trump defeated Harris in the November 2024 election, the California governor has emerged as a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s agenda.

Under Newsom’s leadership, California has filed dozens of lawsuits against Trump — most noticeably against the Trump administration’ deployment of National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles. The governor has also become more aggressive on social media, taking to X to taunt and troll Trump.

Still, Newsom, whose term ends in January 2027 and who cannot run again for governor because of term limits, cautioned that he is not rushing into a 2028 presidential campaign.

“I have no idea,” Newsom said Sunday of whether he will actually decide to run.

After Trump defeated Harris in November, Harris was viewed as a possible candidate for California governor. But in July she announced that, after “serious thought” she would not run for the top California office.

“For now, my leadership — and public service — will not be in elected office,” Harris said in a statement. “I look forward to getting back out and listening to the American people, helping elect Democrats across the nation who will fight fearlessly, and sharing more details in the months ahead about my own plans.”

Newsom’s interest in the White House raises the stakes for passing Proposition 50, a California ballot measure he has pushed — in response to a similar initiative in Texas — that would allow state Democrats to temporarily change the boundaries of U.S. House maps so that they are more favorable to Democrats. California voters will vote on Prop 50 in a special election next week.

Newsom has cast his effort as a response to Trump’s push to redraw maps in Republican-controlled states to make them more favorable to the GOP.

“I think it’s about our democracy,” Newsom said in the CBS interview. “It’s about the future of this republic. I think it’s about, you know, what the founding fathers lived and died for, this notion of the rule of law, and not the rule of Don.”

If Newsom is successful and Proposition 50 passes, the move could potentially help future Democratic candidates for the White House.

But either way, both Newsom and Harris would face high hurdles in battleground states if they ran for president.

Just being a Californian is a liability, some argue, at a time when Republicans depict the state as a bastion of woke ideas, high taxes and crime.

While California boasts the world’s fifth-largest economy and is home to the massive tech powerhouse of Silicon Valley and the cultural epicenter of Hollywood, it has struggled in recent years with high housing costs and massive income inequality. In September, a study found California tied with Louisiana for the nation’s highest poverty rate.

Newsom, 58, a former San Francisco mayor who was born to a wealthy and well-connected San Francisco family, suggested in the CBS interview that he had already surmounted significant obstacles. Early on, Newsom struggled in school and suffered from dyslexia.

“The idea that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, that still struggles to read scripts, that was always in the back of the classroom, the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, extraordinary,” Newsom said. “Who the hell knows? I’m looking forward to who presents themselves in 2028 and who meets that moment. And that’s the question for the American people.”

Harris, 61, who served as a U.S. senator and California attorney general before she became vice president in 2020 and then the Democratic Party’s nominee in the 2024 presidential election, received criticism last year after losing to Trump by more than 2.3 million votes, about 1.5% of the popular vote. Some Democrats accused her of being an elite, out of touch candidate who failed to connect with voters in battleground states who have struggled economically in recent years.

But speaking in Los Angeles last month as she promoted her new memoir, “107 Days,” Harris appeared to take little responsibility for her 2024 loss.

“I wrote the book for many reasons, but primarily to remind us how unprecedented that election was,” Harris said.

“Think about it. A sitting president of the United States is running for reelection and three and a half months before the election decides not to run, and then a sitting vice president takes up the mantle to run against a former president of the United States who has been running for 10 years, with 107 days to go.”

Newsom has already raised eyebrows this year by traveling to critical battleground election states.

In July, Newsom traveled more than 2,000 miles to South Carolina, a state that traditionally hosts the South’s first presidential primary. He said he was working to help the party win back the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. But at the time there were a dozen competitive House districts in California. South Carolina, a staunchly conservative state, did not have a single competitive race.

After Newsom spoke in South Carolina, Rep. James Clyburn, the highest-ranking Black member of Congress and renowned Democratic kingmaker who rescued former President Biden’s 2020 campaign, told The Times that Newsom would be “a hell of a candidate.”

“He’s demonstrated that over and over again,” Clyburn said, stopping short of endorsing him. “I feel good about his chances.”

But other leading South Carolina Democrats voiced doubts that Newsom could win over working class and swing voters in battleground states.

Richard Harpootlian, a South Carolina attorney, former state senator and former chairman of the state Democratic Party, called Newsom “a handsome man with great hair.”

“But the party is searching for a left-of-moderate candidate who can articulate blue-collar hopes and desires,” Harpootlian told The Times.

“If he had a track record of solving huge problems like homelessness, or the social safety net, he’d be a more palatable candidate,” he added. “I just think he’s going to have a tough time explaining why there’s so many failures in California.”

TORONTO — Who would have guessed?

Who would have guessed that in a starting rotation of giants and alphas, the most important pitcher would be the diminutive 27 year old with the mischievous smile who plays the role of everyone’s little brother?

From a distance, Yoshinobu Yamamoto doesn’t look like someone who figures to contend in the coming years to be the best pitcher in the world.

He stands only 5-foot-10. He’s not mean in the way frontline starters sometimes are. He’s extremely considerate of others, even people who offer minimal, if any, transactional value — or more precisely, his focus and confidence in his work don’t blind him to their sensitivities.

Beneath the mask of normality, however, there is something in Yamamoto capable of fueling the kind of complete-game performance he delivered in the Dodgers’ 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the World Series.

Yamamoto wants to be great. Or perhaps he has to be.

Look, and you will see it. Listen, and you will hear it.

Yamamoto has often shared his admiration of Clayton Kershaw, but it’s clear he doesn’t see him as just a mentor. He sees him as a benchmark by which should measure himself.

When Kershaw announced his retirement last month, Yamamoto spoke of how grateful he was to play alongside him for two years. He talked about how much he learned from him. What was particularly interesting was what he said after.

“I think from my heart that I want to be an ace pitcher like Kershaw,” Yamamoto said in Japanese, “and I want to do my best to one day surpass my great senior.”

Kershaw has 223 career victories. He won a most valuable player award. He won three Cy Young Awards.

Not only does Yamamoto want to be better than Kershaw, he’s bold enough to state that ambition publicly.

Yamamoto did something Kershaw never did against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series by pitching a complete game in the postseason.

Eleven days later, he did it again, this time against the Blue Jays in the World Series.

The last pitcher to throw a complete game in a World Series was Johnny Cueto, and he did it 10 years ago. The last pitcher to throw consecutive complete games in the postseason was Curt Schilling, and he did it 24 years ago.

Yamamoto was the Dodgers’ most dependable starter in the regular season. As a second-year major leaguer, he made a team-high 30 starts, posting a 12-8 record with a 2.49 earned-run average.

Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto reacts to recording a strikeout to close out the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

His game has reached another level in the postseason, and in doing so, he might have saved the Dodgers, who were in trouble after Blake Snell’s implosion resulted in a loss in the opening game of this World Series

“I felt we had to win today no matter what,” Yamamoto said.

With his 105-pitch masterpiece, Yamamoto spared manager Dave Roberts the unpleasant duty of opening the gates to hell — pardon me, the bullpen — and tied the series at one game apiece. The next three games will be played at Dodger Stadium.

The historic performance by Yamamoto had an ominous start, as George Springer led off in the first inning with a double and advanced to third base on a single by Nathan Lukes.

Yamamoto escaped the jam by retiring Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho in order, but his pitch count was already at 23.

“I didn’t think I could get to the end,” Yamamoto said.

The ever-optimistic Roberts was hopeful Yamamoto could complete six innings, which would task the bullpen with covering the last three. Roberts never had to prepare the smoke and mirrors required to navigate the final third of the game. Yamamoto gave up a run in the third inning but retired the last 20 batters he faced.

How he pitched reflected the reality of the Dodgers’ bullpen situation — essentially, that converted starter Roki Sasaki was the only reliever who could be trusted. Midway through the game, Yamamoto started throwing cutters, which induced contact and limited his pitch count.

“Fundamentally, my pitching style is to throw as much as I can in the strike zone,” Yamamoto said. “It’s a style in which I aim in the strike zone and throw with as much effort as I can.”

Before this postseason, the last time Yamamoto pitched a complete game was in 2023, for the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese league.

So when Yamamoto recorded the final out of his start against the Brewers, he forgot his custom of embracing the catcher.

“It had been so long, I didn’t know where to go,” he said.

On Saturday, he knew, walking toward home plate and clasping hands with Will Smith. The guess here is that he won’t forget again. If he doesn’t pitch another complete game in these playoffs, he figures to pitch a few of them over the next handful of seasons.

He wants more.

As the trial about whether the Angels should be held at least partially liable for the death of Tyler Skaggs enters its third week, major league officials are closely monitoring the proceedings.

The trial is scheduled to last several more weeks, and it would be premature for the league to determine what action it might take against the Angels — if any — until all evidence is revealed in court and a verdict or a settlement is reached.

However, it is considered highly unlikely that the league would compel Angels owner Arte Moreno to sell the team.

Consideration of any action probably would be deferred until the league could conduct its own investigation and until a jury verdict, if there is one, is fully reviewed by an appeals court.

The Skaggs family is seeking $785 million in damages, as first reported by the Athletic, based on the allegation the Angels knew or should have known that former staffer Eric Kay was using illegal drugs, including the pills he provided to Skaggs on the night the pitcher died in 2019. The Angels deny the allegations.

The jury would not have to decide whether to award all of that money or none of it. The jury first would have to determine who was liable: the Angels, Kay, Skaggs and any other parties. Then the jury would decide what percentage of liability each of those parties should assume and what the financial compensation should be.

As an example, a jury could decide the damages should be $210 million — the amount the family listed as a minimum in a court filing — and the Angels should be held one-third responsible. Under that example, they would be assessed $70 million.

In 1943, Philadelphia Phillies owner William Cox was banned for life for betting on baseball.

If history is any indication, if the league believes an owner merits discipline, an owner would be more likely to be suspended than banned. In 1993, Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott was suspended one year for racist and insensitive comments.

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was suspended three times: two years for illegal contributions to President Nixon’s 1972 campaign; one week after publicly criticizing umpires; and two years and five months for paying a gambler to dig up disparaging information on All-Star outfielder Dave Winfield. That last suspension originally was announced as a lifetime ban; Steinbrenner was later reinstated.

Kay, who provided Skaggs with counterfeit oxycodone pills that were laced with fentanyl, is serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison. Skaggs died in his hotel room in Texas of asphyxiation, according to an autopsy, choking on his own vomit while under the influence of oxycodone, fentanyl and alcohol.