The ad was repugnant.

You know the one I’m talking about — Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s attack on opponent Amy Acton using her clearly troubled mother, who failed to protect Acton as a child from her rapist stepfather and instead abandoned her kids to stay with the now-deceased pedophile.

Wow. Even in 2026, that’s a lot.

The ad, released last week on the internet and set for a television blitz through the election, has sparked condemnation even from Republicans. Some anyway. President Trump and Vice President JD Vance (a close friend of Ramaswamy’s) have defended it, much to the chagrin of decent people everywhere who have labeled this a make-it-or-break-it moment for the Grand Old Party.

Trump called getting Acton’s mom on camera “hitting pay dirt.”

“Why shouldn’t somebody use that?” Trump said Friday. “To me, that’s something that’s very much fair game.”

Trump’s right, in his world anyway. His faithful may not like the ad, but it’s not a deal-breaker.

The appalled, left and right, are wrong on this one — this is not a turning point for the Republican Party or the moment it realized its soul was in the frying pan.

When Ramaswamy loses — and he’s likely going to lose, if polls are right — it won’t be because Republican voters finally believe the party has sunk too low, lost its way or lacks morals. And when the postmortem happens on the right, it won’t examine whether exploiting victims of sex abuse is a smart move. (Full disclosure: One of my relatives is an advisor of Ramaswamy.)

Instead, the ad will eventually be seen as a great gift to Donald Trump for two reasons.

First, it allows Ramaswamy — his endorsed candidate — to lose without it being the president’s fault for starting a war, tanking the economy and generally being entirely unpopular with average Americans. Get ready, because if Ramaswamy goes down, Trump will spin it that Democrats and the corrupt media misrepresented the ad and lied about Ramaswamy. Not Trump’s fault, just further proof of why his battle is righteous.

Second, it allows him to test the loyalty of his MAGA acolytes ahead of 2028, and folks, I’m sorry to say it’s a test they are likely to pass with flying colors. Vance laid this out clearly in his defense, reserving his scorn for Republicans who dared to be anything but steadfast.

“Stop whining about an advertisement and go win the race in 13 days,” Vance said in response to a question about the ad. He added he was “disgusted” that his fellow Republicans were seemingly more upset about the ad “than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America.”

For all the angst about sexual abuse, even of minors, the forever Trumpers honestly don’t care as long as their candidates win and maintain power. Just ask Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. Ask E. Jean Kelly. Ask Victim A in the Matt Gaetz allegations, or Christine Blasey Ford if you can remember that far back. The list goes on.

MAGA diehards may holler and stomp about how much they hate pedophiles, but they hate Democrats more. Trump has told these voters to ignore the ad and vote Ramaswamy. I predict more of them do it than decency permits — because we’ve seen this MAGA mental split before, where they somehow set aside all of their so-called outrage when Trump tells them to do something.

These voters are clear that the Trump regime presents a real opportunity to remake the country into a conservative bastion in ways that will be hard to undo, and they will overlook even the indecency of exploiting childhood rape.

“Vivek is Great, there is no one better for Ohio. That’s a wild story,” responded one supporter on Truth Social after Trump posted a defense of the ad.

“I love how Vivek does not hesitate to call out wrongdoings,” wrote another.

Others tried to turn the topic to their conspiracies about Rep. Ilhan Omar and Michigan senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, two bogeyman of the right for their race and religion. The responses of Trumpers to his post were exactly on brand — deflecting or blaming media and disinformation for skewing the issue. (Trump and Ramaswamy are claiming that the ad isn’t about sexual abuse, but only about whether Acton is truthful.)

With that veneer of justification, it’s likely his most devout base in Ohio, led by the 20% of voters who consider themselves white evangelicals, will stick with their guy. Nearly 8 in 10 white evangelical Protestants support Trump, and they are motivated voters who have disconnected the Trump reality from the Trump promise for years.

Despite all the outrage across the country about the ad, it’s likely the final tally in Ohio will remain largely as it would have been before the kerfuffle. Ramaswamy was down in the polls before he dove into the muck of the past few days. A reliable Cook’s poll put Acton ahead 49% to 44% — one of the reasons Ramaswamy was desperate enough to try this last-ditch smear.

I’ll bet an Ohio buckeye the final count isn’t far outside that margin, with no sign of a massive drop in Republican support of Ramaswamy, despite all the posturing and hand-wringing. If he loses, it is likely more about the surging racism against Indian Americans, especially with young conservatives, than one ugly ad.

But those Republicans who denounced the ad will face the president’s punishment. The ad is not a mistake. It is an inadvertent test. By embracing the ad even as it’s disparaged nationally, the president is discovering exactly who he can, and can’t, trust as he heads into the two most difficult years of his decadelong rule — the part where he stops pretending to be anything but what he is, a corrupt and greedy man intent on maximizing power and wealth. The part where he challenges elections.

We are watching the last of the old-guard Republicans being purged thanks to the ad. Republicans who have gathered up the tattered shreds of their integrity and courage over this ad are shredding them to nothing on this moment, giving Trump insight into who might stand up to him when the protection of our democracy is on the line.

Trump has started lashing out already, making sure those potential last-round conscientious objectors are damaged.

After current Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine called for Ramaswamy to stop airing the spot, labeling it “deeply troubling,” Trump attacked him — even though DeWine said he continued to support Ramaswamy as his replacement. (DeWine is facing term limits.)

“Mike DeWine, who I unfortunately helped get elected years ago, when he was losing by 16 points prior to my doing a Rally for him was, as usual, disloyal to the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on social media.

DeWine was far from alone.

Trump’s days of conning himself into a coalition are behind him — well into his second term, is now consolidating power behind his core, public opinion be damned.

The independent voters that may indeed not vote or change votes because of the ad were just as likely to switch over gas prices or wars.

The ad was never for them, but rather just for this outrage, this push to motivate the base with just the sort of grimy bullying Trump does best — I believe him when he says he wishes he could make an ad like this. Trump will rally in Ohio this week with Ramaswamy, and it’s likely most Republicans will somehow have transmuted their outrage into support by the time he appears in person.

His base understands his support of the ad is an expression of power. His base understands the trade they are making. His base doesn’t care what happened to Acton, because she will never give them the America they want.

His base likes the ad, even if they won’t admit it.

Wilda Leidhammar scores the only goal as Birmingham secure their first win of the WSL season, beating bottom club Charlton Athletic 1-0 at St Andrews, as the away side’s wait for a first point of the season goes on.

MATCH REPORT: Birmingham 1-0 Charlton

Available to UK users only.

What began as protests over education has rapidly taken over the streets of France and turned into one of the country’s biggest waves of unrest in years.

Many mainstream media outlets have focused their coverage on the violence and looting rather than on the demands of the demonstrators. A lot of airtime has fixated on who the protesters are and what they look like, often using racist terms. That narrative has been picked up by right-wing movements abroad.

Contributors:
Cole Stangler – author, Paris Is Not Dead, and lecturer, American College of the Mediterranean
Diane de Vignemont – Paris-based journalist
Harrison Stetler – lecturer and writer
Philippe Marliere – professor of French and European politics, University College London

On our radar

Israel’s elections are just days away and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reverted to a familiar alarmist tactic to consolidate support: hyping an “imminent” threat from Iran and telling the United States that it should “finish the job”. Meenakshi Ravi looks at the messaging.

Olga Rudenko: Independent journalism is the ‘ultimate patriotic act’

More than four and a half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine remains under attack, and its journalists are forced to balance many responsibilities at once.

They are documenting a war that has become more dangerous than ever, countering Russian propaganda efforts and trying to hold their own government to account at a time when the news media have been expected to fall into line. The Kyiv Independent, an online newspaper, has been doing all three since 2021.

The Listening Post spoke with its editor-in-chief and cofounder Olga Rudenko about the pressures of reporting when your country is at war.

Featuring:
Olga Rudenko – editor-in-chief, The Kyiv Independent

The Nobel laureate’s homecoming follows national protests demanding free elections.

Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has successfully returned to the country after more than 10 months in exile.

Machado announced her arrival on social media on Sunday, writing, “I am here. With you.”

The current opposition leader, Edmundo Gonzalez, confirmed the news, writing on X that “our leader, my dear Maria Corina, is on Venezuelan soil”.

The Comando Con Venezuela political organisation shared footage of Machado arriving at a church in Lara, where she was greeted by supporters.

Machado first disappeared from public life after being briefly arrested in January 2025. She re-emerged last December in Norway, where she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to challenge Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro was abducted from Caracas by the United States military in January 2026.

Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has stood in as acting president since then, with the endorsement of US President Donald Trump, and has cooperated with his administration regarding reforms in the country, as well as a deal to grant the US control of over 65 billion barrels’ worth of Venezuela’s oil reserves.

Calls for elections to be held

Rodriguez’s presidency has extended far beyond the 90-day period she was authorised to serve following Maduro’s removal. But she has yet to call an election despite public demand and despite her promise to do so at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The US maintains that the country is not ready yet.

Earlier this week, thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to call for elections in the first nationwide opposition protest in nearly two years.

Although the opposition is widely believed to have won Venezuela’s disputed 2024 elections, Trump has cast doubt on Machado’s abilities to lead, claiming in January that she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country”.

Machado presented Trump with her Nobel medal when visiting him in the White House weeks later, in what she said was “a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom”. The US leader has repeatedly voiced his desire to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize himself.

Machado has made previous unsuccessful attempts to enter Venezuela. In September, her team said she had made seven attempts in the space of a few weeks.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that “the conditions allowing for the safe return of Ms. Machado to Venezuela is the direct result of the U.S. supported reconciliation talks which has already seen hundreds of political prisoners freed and hundreds of political opposition figures return from exile.”

Asked to comment about Machado’s return, Trump told reporters on Sunday, “I don’t know anything about it, but I think she’s a very nice woman.”

“She gave me her Nobel Prize, so how can I say anything else? And I hope she’s safe.”

The brilliant Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong is a suffering protagonist’s best friend, exploring the buried pain in people like no other filmmaker. But he’s never been so delicately novelistic, and so accessibly human, as with his latest movie, “Possible Love,” even when Lee is spinning the enigmatic vibes he’s known for.

A marriage story weighty enough to bear two fascinatingly complex couples, it explores a web of isolation and desire knotted with the divisions and woes of society today: class, labor, media. The film fairly vibrates with ominous tension even in scenes in which seemingly nothing happens. (Which, admittedly, is a Lee staple if you remember his last film, 2018’s eerie psychological thriller “Burning.”) Astonishingly acted, intricately written, with nary a shot out of place and never insulting to its audience, “Possible Love” is a masterpiece of everyday struggle — essentially, who bears it and who doesn’t — and easily among the year’s best films.

At the funeral for a colleague who committed suicide in the wake of a disastrous labor strike, out-of-work Ho-seok (Sul Kyung-gu, of Lee’s “Peppermint Candy”) would rather brood in the car alone and let his patient, grasping-for-connection wife Mi-ok (Jeon Do-yeon, a Cannes prize-winner for her turn in Lee’s “Secret Sunshine”) be around others. With these blue collar parents’ grade-school-age son a tangibly quiet presence, a seemingly impassable unhappiness oozes from the opening scenes. The appearance inside the funeral home, however, of a documentary crew interviewing laid-off workers spurs Mi-ok to engage with the outgoing director, Ye-ji (Cho Yeo-jeong), whose reserved, well-to-do husband Sang-woo (Zo In-sung) is in tow. When Mi-ok agrees to participate in Ye-ji’s film, a friendship forms.

Is it friendship, though, or a mutually useful rapport? The women couldn’t be more unalike in terms of background and status. Mi-ok has to tell Ye-ji that her expensive clothes don’t jibe with someone championing labor issues. But they have a breezy, even jokey openness, fed by the stories Mi-ok tells on camera as well as soju-fueled double dates with their spouses. They also have in common husbands who are remote, albeit for vastly different reasons. Hedge-fund-rich Sang-woo has an air of cool privilege, while the gloomy, taciturn Ho-seok harbors unprocessed trauma about what happened during the strike, the details of which are judiciously doled out to us in flashbacks. (Lee drew the background for his scenario from a real-life labor protest met by a government crackdown that shocked the country.)

But underneath what seems promising, the beginnings of empathy and maybe healing, there’s something performative and calculated in this fast bond. There are Ye-ji’s filmic needs — “I’m trying to love these people,” she says privately to Sang-woo after he calls her behavior with them “Method acting” — and Mi-ok’s swirl of intentions, hoping to save her husband with not ignoring the allure of her new pal’s quietly confident and wealthy man. Right at the moment when more cracks materialize, Ye-ji invites this broken family for a shared weekend at Sang-woo’s vacation mansion.

You may be forgiven for anticipating a potboiler climax when a lush hideaway with a private beach is concerned, and what occurs there is indeed juicy. But that’s only because Lee, in his finest screenplay to date, has laid out precisely where his vectors of hardship, exploitation, pent-up anguish and hidden desire are going to converge. Just add more alcohol and more reminders of these couples’ experiential chasm, and Lee’s command of irony in a simmering atmosphere is in a league all its own.

The documentary angle, of course, is this great director probing the ethics in his own vocation as an intrusive force, one that shapes lives, emotions and, in this case, the weight of a genuine tragedy. In much the way he finessed a truth about art facing evil in “Poetry,” the camera here is both predatory and a tool for catharsis. In one scene, the confluence is literally breathtaking.

Best-of lists were made for performances like Jeon’s. With tear-swollen eyes and an anxious intelligence that imbues Mi-ok’s mission of repair with heartbreaking energy, she is this movie’s restless soul of want: a wife, lover, worker and mother trapped between the balm of recollecting better times and worry for the future. Alongside Sul’s deftly handled, physical characterization of a proud man swallowed by hurt he could never imagine, “Possible Love” stands as one of the more sensitively wrought depictions of a wounded marriage you’ll ever see.

And when it’s over, it somehow doesn’t feel over. Maybe no scene better embodies Lee’s exquisite communion with his characters than his last one, which supplies them with a hint of grace. “Possible Love” hovers over the moment’s sublimity like the moonlight and I haven’t stopped thinking about its elemental beauty since.

YOU’LL find this majestic manor hotel tucked away in the Hertfordshire countryside with beautiful gardens and cosy rooms.

Read on to find out more about Fanhams Hall and everything you can do there from exploring the beautiful Japanese garden to table tennis and even karaoke.

Where is Fanhams Hall?

One mile outside of the pretty town of Ware in East Hertfordshire is the sprawling Fanhams Hall which is set on a 27-acre estate.

The former manor house that dates back to the 14th century has since been built upon and as enormous as it is, if you didn’t know if it was there, you’d never stumble upon it by chance.

After driving through winding country roads you’re welcomed in with the grand driveway that leads towards the beautiful hotel.

It’s a true countryside spot with manicured grounds where you’ll see wildflowers, ducks, ornate Japanese gardens with its own tea house, a wisteria canopy, croquet lawn, and water features – along with the occasional dog walker too.

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What is the hotel like?

Fanhams Hall is a Jacobean mansion which oozes charm, history and luxury. Inside are wooden panelled walls and formal dinners take place in the elegant Drawing Room.

For drinks, there’s the grand conservatory which has its own outdoor terrace and patio.

There are some rooms reserved for events, but you can poke your head in to admire them if nobody’s there and you’ll want a glimpse of the Long Gallery.

It was formerly a picture gallery inside the main house and has oak panelling and a vaulted ceiling with impressive, sparkling chandeliers.

The hotel itself is enormous, as are the grounds, so don’t be surprised if you lose your bearings at first.

What is there to do there?

Of course exploring the gardens is a must. But on a rainy day, head upstairs where you’ll discover the Energy Zone which has a foosball table, table tennis as well as a pick n mix sweet station, soft drinks, and refillable tea and coffee.

If you’re staying in a larger group, you may want to hire out the Karaoke Klub which has disco balls, a private bar, popcorn and even a slushie machine.

Outside is a small fitness room with free weights, running and rowing machines and bikes.

Fanhams Hall is a five-minute drive away from the centre of Ware. Here, take a stroll down the high street and pop into its shops like Noire, Sparkles of Ware and The Sage Garden along with plenty of pubs and coffee shops.

In the springtime check out the local lido, or take a walk along the River Lea to see the barges, boats and swans.

Ware is also a 20-minute drive away from Hertfordshire Zoo where you can see big cats, lemurs, meerkats and reptiles.

What is there to eat and drink there?

For dining, head to the Drawing Room for an intimate setting and tasty food.

The menus change seasonally, and while we were there, we indulged in juicy steak that came with a side of salad and fries, as well as a creamy mushroom pasta with crispy pieces of parmesan cheese.

At the bar, you can choose anything from a refreshing glass of white wine, to sweet rosé, a gin and tonic and a choice of beers on draught.

In the morning, head to the pavilion for breakfast where there are both hot and cold options with all the classics like fried eggs, toast, beans, mushrooms, sausages and bacon along with croissants with jam.

For those who are a fan of tea, you’ll be thrilled that there are Teapigs which come in a choice of flavours and you get your own tea pot – there are various milks on offer too. Feel free to refill your juice, tea and coffee as often as you’d like.

A traditional afternoon tea is popular here where guests can sample a selection of sandwiches from dill and salmon to egg mayonnaise, fresh cakes and gateaux.

Don’t forget the scones which come in flavours like vanilla and lavender and enjoy a cup of tea on the side- this starts from £40 per adult.

What are the rooms like?

There are rooms and suites both in the main building and in the courtyard of the hotel.

Each vary in size and design from the smaller Shoebox room aimed at solo travellers to the large Chestnut Suite which has a four-poster bed. 

I stayed in the luxurious Bonsai Room which has cosy mustard accents, a comfy king-size bed. Its two windows make it light, airy and provide sweeping views across the lawn.

There’s also a mini SMEG kettle and fridge with a few complimentary cans, there was also a coffee machine, snacks and the room has free WiFi and air con too.

The most lavish part was the ensuite where that you can watch TV from the bath, then there’s the huge shower which has side jets and Molton Brown toiletries.

For those who want to bring their furry friends, you can. There is a £40 per stay extra charge, which includes room access and a special welcome pack for dogs.

Room rates start from £126. See https://www.exclusive.co.uk/fanhams-hall/ for more.

Is Fanhams Hall family-friendly?

Yes. The Family Rooms come with two double beds and sleep two adults and two children – making them an ideal choice if you’re travelling with the kids.

The rooms are in the main mansion house and have a large bathroom too, some have a shower, some come with both a shower and bath.

Is there access for guests with disabilities?

Some parts of the courtyard building are accessible, with one fully accessible room which has been adapted with a wet room and handrails.

You can request this room when making your booking and for more information, call the hotel directly.

The lift inside the main building is a lift next to the Conservatory Bar – from there guests can reach the Energy Zone and some third-floor bedrooms.

Oct. 25, 2026 10:03 AM PT

ANCHORAGE — A little more than one week before the midterm elections, the leading candidates in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race are trying to rally support from Alaska Native voters, a key constituency.

Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic former Rep. Mary Peltola both spoke at last week’s Alaska Federation of Natives conference in Anchorage.

The organization previously endorsed Peltola, who is Yup’ik, during her House races in 2022 and 2024, but it did not issue endorsements this year.

Both candidates have highlighted support from Native organizations and leaders ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Sealaska Corp., a regional Native corporation in southeast Alaska, has endorsed both of them, calling it a way to “honor their contributions and commitment to our communities, and to honor the diverse positions of our shareholders.”

The race is among the most closely watched nationally, with control of the Senate at stake. On Friday, President Trump — who held a rally in support of Sullivan earlier this month — said he told the Department of Justice to sue to block certification of the race if the incumbent loses. The lawsuit cites potential confusion with another candidate who is listed on the ranked-choice ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.

Sen. Sullivan is listed as a Republican and the incumbent, while Sullivan Jr. is listed without a party designation. U.S. Atty. Gen. Todd Blanche wrote on social media that the lawsuit is necessary to make sure officials “have the information necessary to make a determination as to whether Alaskan voters were confused or [misled].”

Many voting rights advocates and Democrats have pointed the lawsuit as an improper political use of the Justice Department and an example of Trump’s interference in the upcoming election, following up on his threats to assert federal control over the vote.

Alaskan Natives represent about one-fifth of the state’s population, but they can face challenges to voting in remote communities. Advocates have raised concerns in recent years with polling locations in some villages opening late or ballots not arriving on time to be fully counted due to mail delays.

There’s also cynicism about whether participating in elections will make a difference.

“There’s legitimate hesitations about whether whoever they vote for is actually going to impact them,” said actor and activist Dallas Goldtooth, who is Bdewakantunwan Dakota and Dine and came to Alaska to encourage conference attendees to vote. “And our job is to say, hey, whether that matters or not, there’s an opportunity for you to make sure that your voice is counted. And I want to encourage people just to take the opportunity as much as possible.”

Sheri Buretta, who chairs the board of Chugach Alaska Corp., an Alaska Native corporation, introduced Sullivan to the conference Thursday as “one of our strongest champions.”

Sullivan, speaking as part of a congressional delegation update, said he’s learned important lessons from Native leaders. He cited work he’s done on issues such as pushing to ensure that Alaska Native Vietnam War-era veterans have access to land allotments.

Peltola, during a candidate forum Friday, became emotional speaking about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people and said additional law enforcement resources are needed. She also expressed support for fisheries. Subsistence fishing is critical in many Native communities.

“I will always fight to restore our fisheries. I feel like working on fish issues is my life’s work,” she said.

Energy is also a crucial issue in Alaska, including within Native communities.

Peltola recently said Alaskan Native people were being “absolutely crushed” by high costs from the ongoing war with Iran, which Sullivan has supported. Many rural communities rely on diesel for electricity and to heat their homes.

Sullivan has argued the war against Iran is temporary and that the “forever war is the Democrats’ war against Alaskan energy.”

Many Native leaders on Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope see oil drilling as crucial to their region’s economy, and they believed their voices weren’t heard while President Biden was in office. His administration sought to restrict drilling in places like the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, but Trump and the Republican-led Congress have rolled those efforts back.

Peltola has said she supports expanded oil and gas drilling and would work with Trump to accomplish that. But Sullivan and his allies have tried to align her with what they refer to as “Lower 48 liberals” who oppose more drilling.

Bohrer and Daley write for the Associated Press. Bohrer reported from Juneau.

A look at the top 25 high school football teams in the Southland after Week 9:

Rk. School (record) result; Next game; last week’s ranking

1. SANTA MARGARITA (9-0) def. JSerra, 36-12; vs. Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College, Friday; 1

2. SIERRA CANYON (9-0) def. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 63-6; vs. Bishop Amat, Friday; 2

3. ST. JOHN BOSCO (7-2) def. Servite, 54-7; vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium, Friday; 3

4. CORONA CENTENNIAL (6-3) def. Chaparral, 41-27; at Murrieta Mesa, Thursday; 4

5. MATER DEI (7–2) def. Orange Lutheran, 52-38; vs. St. John Bosco, Friday; 5

6. MISSION VIEJO (7-1) def. Los Alamitos, 58-7; vs. San Juan Hills, Friday; 6

7. ORANGE LUTHERAN (5-4) lost to Mater Dei, 52-38; vs. Santa Margarita, Friday; 7

8. BISHOP AMAT (8-1) def. Loyola, 7-0; at Sierra Canyon, Friday; 10

9. SAN JUAN HILLS (8-1) def. San Clemente, 16-0; at Mission Viejo, Friday; 24

10. SAN CLEMENTE (7-1) lost to San Juan Hills, 16-0; vs. Huntington Beach Edison, Friday; 8

11. JSERRA (4-5) lost to Santa Margarita, 36-12; vs. Servite, Friday; 9

12. CREAN LUTHERAN (6-2) def. Corona del Mar, 31-17; vs. Villa Park, Friday; 13

13. LA SERNA (8-1) def. Mayfair, 42-14; at Downey, Friday; 12

14. INGLEWOOD (9-1) def. Leuzinger, 41-0; Southern Section playoffs; 14

15. SERVITE (3-6) lost to St. John Bosco, 54-7; at JSerra, Friday; 11

16. PALOS VERDES (8-1) def. Redondo Union, 28-7; vs. Leuzinger, Friday; 15

17. CARSON (8-1) def. San Pedro, 35-0; vs. Mary Star of the Sea, Friday; 17

18. CHAPARRAL (5-4) lost to Corona Centennial 41-27; at Vista Murrieta, Friday; NR

19. CORONA DEL MAR (7-2) lost to Crean Lutheran, 31-17; at La Habra, Friday; 16

20. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME (7-2) lost to Sierra Canyon, 63-6; vs. Gardena Serra, Friday; 18

21. CHAMINADE (6-3) def. Gardena Serra, 21-7; at Loyola, Friday; 19

22. CAPISTRANO VALLEY (8-1) def. Villa Park, 30-18; at Tustin, Thursday; 25

23. HUNTINGTON BEACH (9-0) def. Troy, 37-22; vs. Laguna Beach, Friday; 20

24. ORANGE (9-0) def. Irvine, 55-17; at El Toro, Friday; 23

25. GARDENA SERRA (4-5) lost to Chaminade, 21-7; at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Friday; 22

Prince Ali bin Hussein said nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media at the AFC Congress.

The head of Jordan’s Football Association (JFA), Prince Ali bin Hussein, has accused FIFA President Gianni Infantino of hijacking the Asian Football Confederation Congress for political purposes ahead of his re-election bid for a fourth term.

At the AFC’s extraordinary congress in Tokyo on Friday, its president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa endorsed Infantino’s bid for re-election as FIFA president.

Months after the confederation accused Infantino of a “fundamental breach of trust” over the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal, Sheikh Salman told the congress that Asia was now united behind Infantino.

But JFA’s Prince Ali, who has been a vocal critic of FIFA’s leadership, painted a starkly different picture of events in Tokyo.

“Having come back from Tokyo where the AFC Congress took place, the first two days were about football, which we all serve. The last day was pure politics at the behest of Gianni Infantino,” Prince Ali wrote on X.

“There were reports that Asia has a united position when it comes to electing the next FIFA President. In fact, nobody was allowed to speak, question, debate or talk with the media.

“Lack of transparency leads to lack of accountability. No amount of coercion, threats or bribes should be allowed.”

Prince Ali did not elaborate on his statement.

Al Jazeera reached out to FIFA and the AFC for a comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.

Infantino also addressed the AFC Congress, giving Sheikh Salman his backing for another term.

In August, Prince Ali launched a public attack on Infantino, accusing him of “blackmail” and saying FIFA had offered to help solve the kingdom’s problems in exchange for his endorsement.

Two days later, Prince Ali confirmed Jordan’s players and staff had received outstanding reward money for their participation in the 2025 Arab Cup.

The association had been waiting since December for prize money for reaching the Arab Cup final in Qatar.

On Saturday, Infantino laughed off questions about whether he had considered resigning in the wake of the failed FFE proposal, pointing to what he described as overwhelming support from member associations around the globe.

The Swiss-Italian administrator’s re-election prospects were strengthened significantly after the AFC endorsement, leaving Europe increasingly isolated and exposing the lack of a challenger.

Manchester United’s 0-3 home loss to Bournemouth has left the 20-time champions winless in eight Premier League games.

Amid increasing pressure on his team and a growing threat to his own position as manager, Michael Carrick says he will do what is best for Manchester United after a 3-0 demolition by Bournemouth plunged his future into doubt.

Winless in eight games in all competitions, the 20-time English champions slipped to within one point of the relegation zone after a damaging defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday.

“It’s a tough situation,” Carrick told British broadcaster Sky Sports. “What is next? I don’t know.

“I’ll always do what’s best for this football club. I’ve said it all along; I don’t change that now. I love what I do. I love the responsibility, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

Asked in a post-match news conference if he expects to be sacked in the coming days, Carrick replied: “I totally understand the situation. I’m not expecting anything in particular, to be honest. I’m carrying on as normal. I love this place.”

Despite a dismal run of results, the United fans largely supported the former midfielder as he made his way off the field at full-time before they turned on the club’s players.

“I have mixed emotions to have that connection with the supporters in the moment we’re in. I need time to digest that,” added Carrick.

“I appreciate their support but the situation is where it’s at. We haven’t been good enough.”

Carrick’s decision to drop captain Bruno Fernandes to the bench and not even introduce the Portuguese international as a substitute backfired.

Fernandes, last season’s Premier League player of the year, had criticised Carrick’s tactics after the 4-1 thrashing by Como on Wednesday.

Carrick said before the game that his call was a “pure football” decision, but it was hard to believe Fernandes was not being punished as he was left on the bench for the entire match.

“There’s always times in games when you are trying to change the course of the game and to make a difference,” said Carrick as he swerved questions on Fernandes’s absence. “Those were the decisions we made today.”

Carrick was appointed on a two-year deal only in May after a successful caretaker spell in charge led United to third place in the Premier League last season.

However, he has been unable to arrest the club’s steep decline since his former boss Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.

United were outspent by many of their rivals in the transfer market as they added just three midfielders – Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba.

But Carrick said a lack of investment did not justify such a decline in results.

“Last season to finish third was a really good achievement in the circumstances,” added Carrick.

“We understood where that left us, what was next, what needed to be done and how we needed to improve, and where we were at as a team and as a group at that stage.

“I definitely knew that we hadn’t cracked it and there was a lot of work to be done, but that doesn’t mean to say that it should have gone this way.”

On the same week that a court filing showed that construction on President Trump’s hotly contested triumphal arch could begin as soon as Nov. 5, another less reported development pointed to the possibility that the government might be misrepresenting its plans for Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park.

On Monday, the National Park Service held a meeting about a proposed redesign to the park, which is part of the National Mall and also where Trump wants to put his Garden of Heroes featuring more than 250 statues ranging from Humphrey Bogart to Kobe Bryant to Benjamin Franklin. Trump first proposed the idea in 2020, but it wasn’t until his second term — when he began a crusade to remake much of Washington, D.C.’s historic core according to his own predilections — that the plan looked as if it might manifest. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act even appropriated $40 million for the project.

The Garden of Heroes has remained largely in the background while preservationists focused on the demolition of the White House East Wing and the construction of a massive ballroom in its place, as well as the botched painting of the Reflecting Pool, and, of course, the gigantic triumphal arch.

But Monday’s NPS meeting about plans for West Potomac Park rang alarm bells for some when Judy Chesser, chair of the nonprofit conservation and preservation group the Committee of 100 on the Federal City, asked, “How does this relate to the Garden of Heroes that is being discussed in West Potomac?” to which the NPS spokesperson replied, “This is just an update to the tidal basin master plan we started before. This is not the Garden of Heroes.”

However, the Washington, D.C.-based education and advocacy organization Cultural Landscape Foundation noted that the rendering in NPS’ presentation and the illustrated “Pledge Agreement” from the National Garden of American Heroes Foundation contain similarities that “go way beyond coincidental.”

“Each includes a great lawn, a giant oval/circle, an amphitheater, a fountain, and a staircase to the Potomac River,” Charles A. Birnbaum, founding president and chief executive of the foundation, wrote in an email.

“In addition, the new design shown Monday amputates part of the FDR Memorial to accommodate the Oval. This is intentional. Clearly the Oval is meant to host something else or it would be re-scaled so as not to interfere with the FDR Memorial,” the email continued.

If this is the case, the strategy of downplaying or downright denying an intention to work on a Trump-backed project is eerily reminiscent of the strategy government lawyers used in a recent, highly publicized court battle over the removal of dozens of trees from a golf course that Trump is trying to transform into a premiere golfing destination.

In that instance lawyers repeatedly said there were no plans to renovate the golf course (thus preventing U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes from issuing an injunction against said renovations), only to chop down hundreds of trees on the course with no notice over a holiday weekend. Reyes was irate and sources familiar with the feud say that the judge expects the case to go all the way to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, as of 2 p.m. PDT, Thursday, opponents of Trump’s arch have filed a motion for an injunction on the possible Nov. 5 construction, arguing that Congress needs to approve any plan moving forward. This head-snapping whirlwind of motions and counter motions is expected by critics to continue to be the norm as Trump tries to push through as many of his D.C.-based renovations as possible before a new Congress is seated in January.

“What better way to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary than to shut down the legally required review process, ignore some 100,000 negative public comments, and fast track the construction of a bloated and deeply unpopular monument that the president claims is for him,” wrote the Landscape Foundation’s Birnbaum in a statement about the arch.

I’m Arts editor Jessica Gelt pitching preservationists for my personal garden of heroes. This is your arts and culture news for the week.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY

American Sound Takes Flight
MUSE/IQUE explores the nation’s music from Aaron Copland to Paul Simon in a concert setting infused with storytelling and cultural context. Featuring Brandon Victor Dixon, Liv Redpath and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra, led by Artistic and Music Director Rachael Worby.
7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org

Bach to Broadway
The 31st annual concert, featuring Pueri Cantores SGV, the St. Andrew School Choir, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and members of the L.A. Opera and L.A. Master Chorale benefits the restoration of historic St. Andrew Church.
7:30 p.m. St. Andrew Church, 311 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena. saintandrewpasadena.org

Ballet Festival: Jerome Robbins at the Ahmanson Theatre

(Steven Pisano / The Joyce Theater Foundation)

Ballet Festival: Jerome Robbins
Three programs of the choreographer’s masterworks, curated by New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck, with dancers from New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and other major companies performing to live chamber music
7:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. musiccenter.org

Andrew Bird
The acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter joins with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to mark the 20th anniversary of his album, “The Mysterious Production of Eggs,” with orchestral arrangements, plus popular songs from his catalog.
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

Aymeric Hainaux and François Chaignaud
The musician and choreographer team up for “Mirlitons,” a marathon vocal and dance duet.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The Nimoy, 1262 Westwood Blvd. cap.ucla.edu

Museum on Haunted Hill: A Celebration of Vincent Price
The institution pays homage to its original patron, the noted actor, art collector, advocate and historian, with an evening of after-hours access to exhibitions, casual screenings of classic Price films, drinks and snacks, music, a photo booth and haunted decor.
5-8 p.m. Vincent Price Art Museum, East Los Angeles College, 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Monterey Park. vpam.org

PLAY: A Play
EmIly Mast’s unscripted conceptual performance features six players, guided by a coach, working against a clock and an evolving set of rules to examine “the invisible systems that govern power, behavior and care.” With Hugo Armstrong, Gregory Barnett, Chu-Hsuan Chang, Jessica Emmanuel, Jessica Hemingway, Aramazd Stepanian and Maxwell Transue.
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., Little Tokyo. moca.org

Sinners: Sounds That Summon
This exhibition examines the standout Club Juke scene in Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning 2025 film focusing on the guitar played by the character Sammie Moore (Miles Caton), costumes, objects and archival material.
Through March 14, 2027. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. caamuseum.org

SATURDAY

Grand Ave Arts: All Access
Tenth annual celebration of L.A. downtown cultural corridor with free exhibitions, tours, performances, family-friendly activities and more from participating organizations including the Broad, Center Theatre Group, Colburn School, Classical California, Dataland, Gloria Molina Grand Park, Grand Performances, L.A. Opera, L.A. Phil, Los Angeles Central Library, Metro Art, MOCA, the Music Center and REDCAT.
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Grand Ave., between Temple and 6th Streets, downtown L.A. grandavearts.org

Kabuki in Motion: The Lion Returns
U.S. Kabuki Ken Kyu Kai presents this program of kabuki dance, Nihon buyō (Japanese classical dance), and live koto and shamisen music featuring artists from Japan and California.
4:30 p.m. The Huntington, Rothenberg Hall, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. huntington.org

Picasso Ceramics From the Rosenbaum Collection
The exhibition presents 63 original prints and limited-edition ceramics, including vessels, plates, pitchers and sculptural forms created by the artist after 1947.
Through Feb. 28, 2027. Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. bowers.org

SUNDAY

Lucile Dollat
The French organist performs music from the 16th century to the present.
7:30 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

TUESDAY

Jason Moran Presents Duke Ellington: My Heart Sings
The pianist and composer performs with members of the Pacific Symphony to engage with Ellington’s work through a contemporary frame.
8 p.m. Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. scfta.org

The Music Man
Meredith Willson’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy brings smooth-talking con man Harold Hill to River City, where his schemes are curtailed when he falls for Marian, the local librarian.
Through Nov. 8. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. centertheatregroup.org

Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal with Rafael Payare
The Canadian ensemble and its charismatic Venezuelan conductor (who also leads the San Diego Symphony) perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93,” plus Felix Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64” with Leonidas Kavakos.
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

The 39 Steps
Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 spy thriller (itself an adaptation of a novel by John Buchan) about an ordinary man entangled in international intrigue. Directed by Hunter Foster.
Through Nov. 22. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. lagunaplayhouse.com

The Who’s Tommy
The band’s 1969 rock opera featuring “I’m Free,” “See Me, Feel Me,” “Sensation” and, of course, “Pinball Wizard,” is transformed into a Broadway musical by composer Pete Townshend and original director Des McAnuff.
Through Nov. 15. Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. broadwayinhollywood.com

WEDNESDAY

Nedra Ryan Taylor and Sarah Scott Davis in the play “Confederates.”

(Davis Northern)

Confederates
Institutional racism, as experienced in two different eras by Black women, is the subject of Dominique Morisseau’s 2022 dramatic comedy. Best known for her three-play cycle “The Detroit Project” as well as the book for the musical about the Temptations “Ain’t Too Proud,” Morisseau juxtaposes the plight of an enslaved rebel and Union spy during the Civil War with that of a contemporary political science professor facing a threatening work environment. Fountain Artistic Director Raymond O. Caldwell directs this sharp-eyed satire examining an unbroken thread of racial and gender bias in American history. (Charles McNulty)
Previews, 8 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, play runs through Dec. 13. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. fountaintheatre.com

THURSDAY

Seasons of America With Teddy Abrams & Ray Chen
The world premiere of Abrams’ L.A. Phil commission, written especially for violinist Chen, along with Julia Perry’s “A Short Piece for Orchestra.” Charles Ives’ “Three Places in New England, S. 7” and George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”
8 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. laphil.com

Sasha Velour: Travesty
The Season 9 winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” performs a new solo work that spans queer history through lip-sync performances embodying various personas including a witch burned in a field, a clown who builds a theater and patrons of an underground gay bar.
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Oct. 30. The Wallis, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. thewallis.org

The SoCal scene

Katie Folger gets ready at her home before her performance of “Getting in Bed With the Pizza Man” at the Elysian Theater.

(Carlin Stiehl / For The Times)

ICYMI, the best of this week’s L.A. Times arts coverage:

Katie Folger moved to L.A. hoping to make it for the third time in nine years. She created a one-woman show and sold it out. Will the TV pilot sell next?

Former Times arts columnist Carolina A. Miranda wrote a fantastic profile of Todd Gray as he opens a new solo show at the Brick.

The Broad announced that it’s shipping 164 works to Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris for its most extensive exhibition ever mounted outside Los Angeles, timed to coincide with the most extensive phase of construction on its expansion.

Reggie Burrows Hodges, “Blackness in the Looking Glass and the Images of Currency: Carriage,” 2022.

(Reggie Burrows Hodges / Karma)

Artist Reggie Burrows Hodges has three concurrent shows in L.A. at the Getty, Art + Practice and California African American Museum. He prefers a low profile, but contributor Tara Anne Dalbow penned this lovely profile.

Latino Theater Company’s production of “Yamel Cucuy” is the story of a 13-year-old girl, ICE and Mexican folkloric monsters.

Times theater critic Charles McNulty headed to New York to review Billy Crystal’s “tremendously moving new Broadway show” “860.”

Culture News

Ahmanson Theatre.

(Ryan Miller / Capture Imaging)

Center Theatre Group and the YMCA of Los Angeles this week announced a new partnership called “Every Age. Every Stage,” with the aim of making live theater more accessible to a larger swath of city residents. The program includes free ticket offers for Y members as well as theater workshops and career mentorship.

A marble torso sculpted during the early Roman Empire set a new world record for ancient classical sculpture at auction earlier this week when it sold at Sotheby’s New York for $34.3 million. That was almost three times more than its pre-sale estimate of between $8 million and $12 million.

— Jessica Gelt

And last but not least

California has an adults-only train car featuring stiff drinks and great views of the redwoods.

Many of us were running errands, working out, or having breakfast when, in true 2026 Venezuelan fashion, one event we expected happened: María Corina Machado came back to her country.

She reappeared in the middle of a Sunday mass at the Santa Rosa basilica, a church near the city of Barquisimeto, home to the most popular Virgin Mary cult: la Divina Pastora. 

Surrounded by churchgoers and members of her party, Vente Venezuela, Machado joined the mass and embraced people, in a public demonstration of prayer, faith, and hope, in line with her religious persona that made her massively popular in 2023 and 2024, when she crossed the country meeting the communities more affected by mass migration and economic collapse. 

Now, many questions arise. 

How did Machado come back? For the region where she is now, in western Venezuela, we can speculate she took a private plane or a boat from the Dutch islands near the Falcon coast, on a route similar to the one she made during her clandestine trip to Oslo to collect her Nobel Peace Prize in December 2025.  

What will the chavista regime, and their Washington sponsors, do? As we described many times in our Political Risk Report, the chavista regime was preparing for this for months, speaking as if it wasn’t their fault that Machado wasn’t there, as if they would not have persecuted her and charged her with several crimes. Donald Trump just said that she is nice because she gifted him the Nobel Prize, so he hopes she is right. 

What can happen now? Machado will organize pressure to accelerate the complicated roadmap towards rebuilding the institutions and hold elections, including a presidential one where she is finally allowed to compete. At the same time, we expect Machado to channel the public ire about blackouts and inflation, and lead a more coherent and productive campaign towards a true democratic -not only economic- transition. With the appointment of the committee that will choose new justices for the Supreme Court, while the repressive apparatus led by Diosdado Cabello continues to show muscle by harassing activists, we must expect more street action and political negotiation. This is a challenge to both Machado and Delcy Rodríguez, and a shock to the dead calm chavismo was trying to settle. 

More to come. But Venezuela will get frenzied, and be interesting to global media, again. 

WEEK 10 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

SOUTHERN SECTION

Sigma League

Saddleback at Costa Mesa, 3:30 p.m.

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Marine League

Wilmington Banning at Gardena

Valley Mission League

Canoga Park at San Fernando

SOUTHERN SECTION

Baseline League

Chino Hills at Upland

Damien at Rancho Cucamonga

Big West League

Chaparral at Vista Murrieta

Corona Centennial at Murrieta Mesa

Norco at Murrieta Valley

Riverside King at Corona Santiago

Bravo League

Capistrano Valley at Tustin

Camino Real League

St. Genevieve at Bosco Tech

Citrus Belt League

Cajon at Redlands

Citrus Valley at Beaumont

Yucaipa at Redlands East Valley

Conference 12 League

El Monte Arroyo at Mountain View

Delta League

Western at El Modena

Desert Sky League

Adelanto at Barstow

Foxtrot League

Irvine at El Dorado

Golden League

Eastside at Antelope Valley

Hacienda League

Baldwin Park at South Hills

Iota League

Laguna Hills at Garden Grove Pacifica

Ivy League

Vista del Lago at Rancho Christian

Kappa League

Esperanza at Portola

Manzanita League

Nuview Bridge at California Military Institute

San Jacinto Valley Academy at Anza Hamilton

Miramonte League

Bassett at Ganesha

Garey at Workman

Mission Valley League

Arroyo at Mountain View

Sierra League

Ayala at Colony

Charter Oak at Northview

Glendora at Bonita

Sunbelt League

Moreno Valley at Paloma Valley

Valley View at Hillcrest

Sun Valley League

Cathedral City at Desert Mirage

Tango League

Century at Santa Ana Valley

Garden Grove Santiago at Loara, 6:30 p.m.

Godinez at Magnolia

Valle Vista League

Diamond Ranch at Chino

Nonleague

Compton Centennial at Dominguez

Hemet at Heritage

Riverside Prep at Riverside Notre Dame

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

City League

Stella at New Designs Watts

Valley League

Valley Oaks CES at South LA College Prep, 3 p.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION

Majestic League

Cornerstone Christian at Calvary Baptist

Public Safety Academy at United Christian Academy

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Central League

Maywood CES at Hollywood

Mendez at Contreras

Roybal at Bernstein

Coliseum League

Crenshaw at Washington Prep

King/Drew at Dorsey

Eastern League

Garfield vs. L.A. Roosevelt at East L.A. College, 7:30 p.m.

Legacy at South East

South Gate at Huntington Park

East Valley League

Arleta at Sun Valley Poly

Fulton at North Hollywood

Monroe at Arroyo

Verdugo Hills at Grant

Exposition League

Fremont at Santee

Marine League

Narbonne at San Pedro

Metro League

Dymally at Hawkins

Rancho Dominguez at L.A. Jordan

Northern League

Eagle Rock at L.A. Marshall, 3:30 p.m.

Franklin at L.A. Wilson

Southern League

Diego Rivera at West Adams, 4 p.m.

Valley Mission League

Panorama at Sylmar

Reseda at Granada Hills Kennedy

Western League

L.A. Hamilton at Fairfax

L.A. University at Venice

Westchester at Palisades

West Valley League

Birmingham at El Camino Real

Chatsworth at Cleveland

Taft at Granada Hills

Nonleague

Locke at Lincoln

Los Angeles at Belmont

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alliance League

Alhambra at Montebello

San Gabriel at South El Monte

Alpha League

Edison at San Clemente

San Juan Hills at Mission Viejo

Yorba Linda at Los Alamitos

Angelus League

Bishop Montgomery at St. Paul

Cathedral at St. Pius X-St, Matthias Academy

Paraclete at St. Francis

Arroyo League

Crescenta Valley at La Canada

Bay League

Leuzinger at Palos Verdes, 3 p.m.

Redondo Union at Mira Costa

Big West League

Corona at Great Oak

Boulder League

South Pasadena at San Marino

Bravo League

Corona del Mar at La Habra

Villa Park at Crean Lutheran

Camino Real League

St. Monica at St. Bernard

Channel League

Moorpark at Westlake

Oak Park at Oxnard

Rio Mesa at Ventura

Santa Barbara at Thousand Oaks

Citrus Coast League

Carpinteria at Nordhoff

Channel Islands at Grace

Santa Clara at Del Sol

Coastal 101 League

Agoura at Calabasas

Buena at Camarillo

Oak Park at Oxnard

Conference 12 League

Keppel at Rosemead

Cottonwood League

Arrowhead Christian at Vasquez

Riverside Prep at Riverside Notre Dame

Webb at Whittier Christian

Crest League

Hoover at Glendale

Del Rey League

Alemany at La Salle

Crespi at Salesian

Harvard-Westlake at St. Anthony

Del Rio League

California at Santa Fe

Delta League

Dana Hills at Troy

Laguna Beach at Huntington Beach

Desert Empire League

Palm Desert at La Quinta

Palm Springs at Rancho Mirage

Shadow Hills at Xavier Prep

Desert Sky League

Silverado at Granite Hills

Desert Valley League

Banning at Coachella Valley

Desert Hot Springs at Yucca Valley

Epsilon League

Aliso Niguel at Santa Ana Foothill

Tesoro at Brea Ollinda

Trabuco Hills at Newport Harbor

Foothill League

Saugus at Castaic

Valencia vs. Hart at College of the Canyons

West Ranch vs. Golden valley at Canyon Country Canyon

Foxtrot League

Beckman at Segerstrom

Orange at El Toro

Gano League

Chaffey at Don Lugo

Nogales at Rowland

Walnut at Montclair

Gateway League

La Mirada at Mayfair

La Serna at Downey

Warren at Cerritos

Gold Coast League

Brentwood at Viewpoint

Golden League

Knight at Littlerock

Palmdale at Highland

Quartz Hill at Lancaster

Hacienda League

Covina at West Covina

Diamond Bar at Los Altos

Hub City League

Dominguez at Compton Centennial

Long Beach Cabrillo at Compton Early College

Inland Valley League

Arlington at Canyon Springs

Citrus Hill at Lakeside

Iota League

Cypress at Northwood

Marina at La Palma Kennedy

Ivy League

Liberty at Riverside Poly

Orange Vista at Rancho Verde

Ironwood League

Aquinas at Capistrano Valley Christian

Heritage Christian at Cerritos Valley Christian

Village Christian at Western Christian

Kappa League

Fullerton at St. Margaret’s

Sunny Hills at Anaheim Canyon

Lambda League

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Fountain Valley

Sonora at Placentia Valencia

Woodbridge at Westminster

Manzanita League

Desert Chapel at Silver Valley

San Jacinto Valley at Anza Hamilton

Marmonte League

Bishop Diego at Oaks Christian

Newbury Park at St. Bonaventure

Simi Valley at Oxnard Pacifica

Mesquite League

Linfield Christian at Maranatha

Santa Rosa Academy at Ontario Christian

Metro League

El Monte at El Rancho

Schurr at Bell Gardens

Mid-Cities League

Gahr at Bellflower

Paramount at Norwalk

Mission League

Bishop Amat at Sierra Canyon

Chaminade at Loyola

Gardena Serra at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame

Mojave River League

Apple Valley at Sultana

Hesperia at Oak Hills

Serrano at Ridgecrest Burroughs

Montview League

Duarte at La Puente

Ontario at Hacienda Heights Wilson

Sierra Vista at Azusa

Moore League

Millikan at Long Beach Wilson

Mountain Pass League

Tahquitz at Elsinore

West Valley at San Jacinto

Mountain Valley League

Rubidoux at La Sierra

San Bernardino at Jurupa Valley

Ocean League

Lawndale at Hawthorne

South Torrance at Peninsula

Omicron League

Buena Park at Garden Grove

Los Amigos at Irvine University

Santa Ana at Estancia

Pioneer League

El Segundo at West Torrance

Santa Monica at Culver City

Torrance at North Torrance

Rio Vista League

Glenn at Pioneer

Lynwood at Artesia

Whittier at Firebaugh

River Valley League

Miller at Pacific

Norte Vista at Ramona

Patriot at Big Bear

San Andreas League

Colton at Kaiser

Rialto at Rim of the World

Sigma League

Anaheim at Saddleback

Costa Mesa at Katella

Rancho Alamitos at Ocean View

605 League

Glenn at Pioneer

Skyline League

Carter at Fontana

Indian Springs at Bloomington

San Gorgonio at Arroyo Valley

Sunbelt League

Riverside North at Perris

Sunkist League

Eisenhower at Grand Terrace

Jurupa Hills at Summit

Sun Valley League

Cathedral City at Desert Mirage

Indio at Twentynine Palms

Tango league

Bolsa Grande at Westminster La Quinta

Tri-County League

Royal at Hueneme

San Marcos at Dos Pueblos

Santa Paula at Fillmore

Trinity League

Santa Margarita vs. Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College

Servite at JSerra

St. John Bosco vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium

Valle Vista League

Claremont at Alta Loma

Los Osos at San Dimas

Nonleague

Burbank at Burbank Burroughs

Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Verbum Dei

Crescenta Valley at La Canada

Monrovia at Arcadia

Pasadena at Muir

Rio Hondo Prep at Desert Christian Academy

Temple City at Gabrielino

INTERSECTIONAL

Mary Star of the Sea at Carson, 7:30 p.m.

Victory Christian Academy at St. Jeanne de Lestonnac, 7:30 p.m.

8-MAN

CITY SECTION

Valley League

SOCES at East Valley

City League

USC Hybrid at Animo Robinson

Nonleague

TEACH Tech at Sotomayor

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agape League

Hesperia Christian at PAL Academy, 3:30 p.m.

Lucerne Valley at Academy of Careers & Exploration

Coast Valley league

Cuyama Valley at Maricopa

San Luis Obispo Classical Academy at Coastal Christian, 6 p.m.

Express League

Vista Meridian at Legacy College Prep

Freelance League

Laguna Blanca at Villanova Prep, 4 p.m.

Tri-Valley League

Sage Hill at Flintridge Prep

Nonleague

California Lutheran at California School for the Deaf Riverside

Thousand Oaks Hillcrest Christian at Malibu, 6 p.m.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Express League

Southlands Christian at Downey Calvary Chapel, 12 p.m.

Heritage League

Faith Baptist at Desert Christian, 6 p.m.

Lancaster Baptist at Santa Clarita Christian

Tri-Valley League

Chadwick at Pasadena Poly, 11 a.m.

Nonleague

Avalon at Trinity Classical Academy, 12 p.m.

Thacher at Cate, 2 p.m.

In late August, United States President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on certain beef tariffs, making beef cheaper to import, particularly from Brazil.

That decision was framed as a way to bring down prices for consumers, but it landed as a betrayal for many US ranchers, who were getting ready to take their cattle to market.

It is too soon to tell how the decision will ultimately affect grocery prices, but the impact on ranchers was immediate: prices at cattle auctions plummeted, temporarily lowering ranchers’ profits. The United States Cattlemen’s Association, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Farm Bureau, all member organisations that represent ranchers, opposed the decision.

Rural Republican members of Congress also distanced themselves, but it is not yet clear how ranchers will vote in the midterms — or whether those votes will decide races.

Chad Basinger, a rancher in Pretty Prairie, Kansas, is sceptical that the imports will have a significant impact.

“I know there’s people that have said, ‘Well I’m just gonna vote for the other party’ or ‘I’m not gonna vote’ or ‘This administration’s really let me down’. So yes, there will be people that swing the other way in the midterms. But overall I don’t think it’ll be that much,” Basinger said.

Ranchers will also be weighing the administration’s other actions, Basinger said, such as the $8bn in farm relief announced in Kansas on October 19.

Basinger’s House of Representatives district in Kansas is expected to remain safely Republican in the midterms. But Kansas faces an unexpectedly tight Senate race and ranchers in House districts elsewhere may find themselves closer to the political fray: potential swing districts in Montana, Iowa, Texas and Colorado are all in cattle country.

Still, it is unlikely that ranchers alone will decide elections: ranchers — along with farmers more broadly — represent a shrinking percentage of rural voters and a smaller voting bloc in practice than in the public imagination.

America’s cattle herd is near its smallest size since 1951 and the number of ranchers has declined alongside the number of livestock. Observers worry that ongoing uncertainty fuelled by tariffs, fuel prices and drought may cause the ranching population to shrink further.

David Anderson, an agricultural economist at Texas A&M University who advises ranchers, said that high prices this year should have given ranchers the confidence to invest in the future and expand their herds. Making imports cheaper, however, may have helped nudge ranchers in the opposite direction.

“It really works against the market signal to expand and produce more domestically,” Anderson said. “That got a lot of people pretty angry.”

Tariff changes add volatility

This is not the first time that Trump’s tariffs have impacted cattle supplies. Last year, the president added a 50 percent tariff on Brazil, a key trade partner for beef, raising the cost of importing Brazilian lean beef, which is often mixed with fatty US beef to make hamburger patties, a staple in most homes.

In February, Trump allowed more tariff-free beef imports from Argentina. In August, he did the same for Brazil and Paraguay.

Both tariff changes led to swift price swings in cattle futures markets, which are often volatile in response to the news cycle.

Cattle prices also moved this year in response to more fundamental drivers of supply and demand: plant closures by meatpackers, labour shortages late last month related to ICE actions at Kansas packing plants, the second-largest in the country, and the reopening of the southern border after a closure due to New World screwworm disease.

Big picture, the shrinking US cattle herd has less to do with short-term price changes and more to do with drought cycles, which are growing more intense as warming temperatures increase evaporation.

Still, tariff changes add uncertainty. “This has been a hot topic for the last six weeks,” said Anderson. “It just adds a little more uncertainty or volatility — or worries or stress.”

This year, extra price volatility as many ranchers prepared to sell meant ranchers faced lower profits and more risk.

Basinger says that for many established ranchers, the tariff announcement was frustrating, but not existential.

“People are upset. They have a right to be upset. But they’re not going to change their strategy,” he said. For most ranchers, Basinger said, the imports would not be the biggest factor shaping decisions about their herds this year.

Where price volatility may matter more, Basinger said, is for the next generation. Most of today’s ranchers are eyeing retirement. Their heirs must decide whether to make a go of ranching or sell their family’s land. Other aspiring ranchers are also watching the industry.

“If you’re seeing your dad not make money, or somebody else not make money…it’s not easy work!” Basinger said. “It has to be very enticing for somebody to want to jump in and be like, ‘I’m gonna be a rancher and go break ice in the middle of winter when it’s cold and I could be inside’.”

Record revenue and record costs

This year, low US cattle supplies meant that ranchers commanded record-high cattle prices, despite added imports and other market shifts.

But high revenue doesn’t always mean huge profits: Many ranchers operate at a loss for years in a row. Then, they rely on a few good years to pay down debts or expand their herds.

This year, profits were lower than hoped, because ranchers also faced high costs.

Interest rates on loans are high and the war with Iran meant ranchers paid extra for fuel and fertiliser. A drought across much of America’s ranchland meant they paid more for feed.

In states such as Kansas and Nebraska, ranchers also faced destructive wildfires and aid groups like Farm Rescue coordinated hay donations.

Still, Basinger said, ranchers who raise cows and calves generally did well this year. In Kansas, he is seeing ranchers use profits to make repairs and upgrades. He said this year’s high cattle prices have been helping. “But it needs to help for a little longer to give them more of an edge,” he said.

More of an edge might mean, for example, enough money for bigger purchases, like buying land from a neighbouring ranch to make room for a growing herd.

Rangeland, however, is increasingly expensive. When it is up for sale, outside investors can often pay more than ranchers, which can mean less land for cattle. That’s just one more pressure shrinking the US herd decade after decade.

Ranchers had hoped that 2026 would be a turnaround year. So far, however, “we really don’t have much evidence of herd expansion,” Anderson said.

MOLLY-MAE Hague shared an emotional video about ‘blocking out’ the first months after daughter Bambi’s birth.

The former Love Islander, 27, became a mum for the first time when she gave birth to her baby girl on January 23 2023.

Molly-Mae and fiance Tommy, also 27, welcomed their second child, son Midas, into the world back in June.

The new mum has been very honest with fans and shared the ups and downs of motherhood on social media over the years.

The Maebe owner has previously admitted she felt like her ‘life was over’ after giving birth to Bambi and opened up about the ‘really low lows’.

Molly-Mae recently took to her TikTok account to open up about different her two postpartum experiences have been.

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The video started with star giving Midas a kiss on the cheek, followed by a clip of a younger Molly-Mae bottle feeding Bambi on the sofa in her pyjamas.

Molly-Mae told fans: “For the mums who need to know that no two postpartums have to look the same.

“I didn’t realised how much of my first postpartum I’d blocked out until having Midas and realising I could barely answer questions about it.”

Fans rushed to the comments section to share the love.

One said: “You’re doing absolutely amazing.”

Another wrote: “The best mummy.”

“This makes me cry, well done mama,” a third chimed in.

A fourth added: “The difference is unbelievable, you should be so proud of yourself Molly. You’re a true inspiration.”

A fifth said: “I love that you’re showing the raw and real side of becoming a mummy.”

Molly and fiance Tommy shot to fame on Love Island in 2019.

The pair placed second on the series and moved in together after returning to the UK.

Then in September 2022, they announced that they were expecting their first child together and she gave birth the following January.

The happy couple got engaged in June 2023.

Then in August 2024, they announced that they had split, but in May 2025, they were back together.

Molly-Mae and Tommy later revealed that they were expecting their second child, and gave birth to Midas in June this year.

McALLEN, Texas — The Ford Expedition rumbled to a stop and Cindy Banda’s bedazzled flip-flops landed on the asphalt of the Houston cancer center’s vast parking lot. She threaded through the rows of cars, a tally of patients who gather here to sit with chemotherapy needles or lie on radiation machines.

The elevator dinged open. A year ago in this building, surgeons removed Banda’s right breast, and she still didn’t know whether treatment had expunged the cancer from her body. Doctors had told her it would be tough to beat.

“I’m more of a positive person myself,” Banda said, now sitting with a white wristband in a dim waiting room. But the bills are harder to dismiss, and the single mother with six children in her care repeated something like a mantra. “Keep the house. Keep the cars. And just keep the kids stable.”

That’s true for many Americans, as rising healthcare costs leave more families with a sinking feeling after seeing the bill for surgery or medication. Heading into the Nov. 3 midterm elections, about half of registered voters said healthcare costs are a major problem for them and their families, up from a little more than one-third four years ago, according to a Fox News poll from September.

With party control of Congress at stake, registered voters are nearly twice as likely to say they trust Democrats over Republicans to handle healthcare, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll from the same month. Those frustrations, combined with broader concerns over rising prices, have sapped support for President Trump and his Republican Party.

Banda knows how that feels. She backed Trump in each of his three campaigns, motivated by her opposition to abortion. But when cancer came, the ensuing scramble to make ends meet was painful enough to rearrange her priorities, and she started to think about voting Democratic for the first time.

The 46-year-old was ushered into a sterile room for her appointment, her phone lighted up with a text. “Please contact TD Auto Finance.”

“This one’s $1,300,” she said of the car payment bill. “I have to go back to work.”

She had been on sick leave for a year from her job selling internet service, and she needed the income to support her three children and three more she had taken in after her sister’s death.

The doctor said her reconstruction surgery could be scheduled early next year. “I was hoping for maybe December,” Banda said, “only because I’ve met my deductibles.” Come January, she would have to pay down the $7,500 again. Earlier may be possible, the doctor replied, if the skin around her surgical scar loosens.

The evening had cooled slightly by the time she walked back through the rows of parked cars, their ebb and flow marking the tide of sickness, survival and death in a small corner of a colossal healthcare industry that saves lives while taking in over $5 trillion every year.

Banda paid $8 for parking as she left.

Confronting death and debt

Two weeks later, Banda was back at work, making door-to-door rounds to sell Spectrum’s Wi-Fi in McAllen, her city along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley. Banda, holding blue fliers, walked along a row of storefronts, some that closed since she last was in the area.

She hadn’t had a sale and commission since October of last year, after the biopsy and diagnosis.

The doctor who gave her the news had hugged Banda, and she sobbed even though, she says, she never really sobs in front of other people. During chemo, her children took turns buzzing off her wispy hair. When her 9-year-old daughter’s hand quivered, a teenage cousin helped guide the clipper over her mother’s scalp.

Banda’s first impulse was to maintain normality, stability, for the children.

But that requires roughly $7,000 a month for utilities, mortgage, car payments and groceries, along with the two water leaks. Then, even with insurance through her job, the surgeries, chemo and radiation added up to over $25,000 that she’s been paying off, making Banda one of tens of millions of other people in the United States in medical debt.

Banda tries not to dwell on death and debt.

“It’ll consume you,” she says. She smothers those thoughts beneath her bubbly demeanor and avoids being alone. But that truce, between her insistence on positivity and the fears that it covers, is brittle.

Certain thoughts still arrive uninvited. Banda’s late sister, Melissa, didn’t have life insurance. Banda makes sure it’s a payment she never misses.

“Sometimes I think, and I shouldn’t think like this, but I’m worth more gone than here,” she said one day. “Obviously, the goal is not that, the goal is to beat it,” she continued, “to keep the house and keep the cars.”

So far she has, with the help of others.

On top of child support, the father of Banda’s 9-year-old often pays $400 a week for a nanny to help with the kids. Banda’s own father sent her $700 before for her recent Houston appointment, one of his many cash infusions. Her high school classmates, whom she hadn’t been in close touch with in decades, fundraised by selling grilled chicken, rice and beans from a roadside tent. Two GoFundMe fundraisers collected nearly $30,000, and Banda rented her late sister’s house while putting her own in forbearance.

But months of insecurity takes its own, sleepless toll. She needed to sell some internet services to catch up.

After sticking the Spectrum Wi-Fi fliers onto empty storefronts, she drove to pick up her kids from school. The following day she had a morning meeting at a barbershop for what would be her first sale back at work.

Turning on Trump

A lifelong Christian, Banda had voted her antiabortion stance in past elections. When her sister was kidnapped and murdered by her ex-husband in 2020, Banda retreated from religion. The cancer brought her back to church with an apology to God, but it also made her rethink her politics.

She voted for Trump in 2016, and his first four years seemed steady, she said, so she voted for him again in 2020. President Biden’s tenure, including a global pandemic and related inflation, felt like bedlam, so she voted for Trump to return to the White House in 2024.

But two years later and fighting an expensive disease, she had found no respite from high prices.

So when James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminary student running for U.S. Senate as a Democrat, visited one of Banda’s fundraisers — speaking about his diabetes and his work in the Texas Statehouse to lower the price of insulin — it moved her. “Imagine if he can do that for the cancer,” she said.

Talarico and his Republican opponent, state Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, have different approaches to healthcare. Talarico wants all Americans to be able to join Medicare; Paxton proposed a $25,000 tax deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Talarico also supports a law guaranteeing abortion access nationwide, which Banda has voted against for years. But after she slid into debt to stay alive, after her grocery bills mounted and the high school had to comp the kids’ soccer gear she couldn’t afford, Banda’s antiabortion concerns have been superseded by worry about costs.

“Because it’s what I’m living,” she said. “I’m living it.”

Banda cast an early ballot for Talarico. “Never voted Democrat before today!!” she wrote in a text with blue heart emoji.

Awaiting news

Banda had just started a new cancer-targeting medication that cost $16,000 a month, reduced to $500 by insurance. By the afternoon, she was nauseated and fatigued, unable to eat. The malaise would keep her home the next day. She would miss the meeting with the barbershop to close her first deal since getting sick, though she felt confident it was in the bag.

But Banda pushed through the discomfort one evening to join her family as they replaced the flowers at her sister’s tomb.

She drove past the headstones and oak trees in the evening’s slanting light, and the family gathered around Melissa Banda’s tomb in an open-air mausoleum. There was no speech. Their eulogy was her father, Fidel Banda, methodically clipping and arranging the flowers for his daughter.

Banda walked along the wall of tombs. She will find out on election day whether the cancer is in remission or whether it’s spread to her organs.

“This one’s for me,” she said, pointing to a blank tomb next to her sister’s.

“Mom!” said her daughter with the huffiness of a 9-year-old. “Why would you say that?”

Banda smiled and added, “in a hundred years.”

Bedayn writes for the Associated Press.

When it comes to top individual performances from Friday night football, few can challenge Santa Barbara High’s secret weapon, Cade Mault, a junior soccer player committed to Cal Poly who taught himself how to kick and punt.

Against Westlake, Mault accounted for all of Santa Barbara’s points in a 13-10 win over Westlake. He had an 85-yard touchdown reception. He made field goals from 49 and 43 yards. He made the PAT. He even picked up a first down on a fake punt.

“We believe in him,” coach Nathan Mendoza said.

He’s four for four on field goals this season, has not missed a PAT, is booming punts and still plays club soccer on weekends while practicing soccer four times a week from 6 to 9 p.m.

Soccer is his sport, but he’s progressing so well in football, options could be opening up for someone who insists no one taught him how to kick or punt.

His family is all about competing in sports. He has an older brother, Kai, who was an All-Southern Section receiver for Santa Barbara and now plays baseball for UC Davis. A younger brothers plays football and lacrosse.

He has a 3.9 grade-point average, so all options are open. Mendoza hopes he keeps playing football for at least one more year.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

RHIAN Sugden looked utterly sensational in her latest Instagram snaps, combining sexiness and sequins.

The former glamour model, 40, stripped down to a barely-there set of purple lingerie and posed up a storm for the camera.

Rhian looked over her shoulder in the set, which featured hot pink straps and a thong-style panty.

Her brunette hair fell beautifully down her back in soft waves, with her face framing pieces drawing attention to her pink pout.

The star finished the look off with a sparkly silver sequin bolero shrugged off down to her elbows.

Fans of Rhian’s gushed all about her beauty in the post’s comments section.

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One user said in utter awe: “Just wow”.

A second shared: “Absolutely gorgeous.”

Meanwhile a third added: “What a stunner.”

The post comes shortly after Rhian opened up about her marriage being under strain, admitting that she sleeps in a separate bed to her husband.

Speaking on the Private Parts podcast, Rhian explained: “The thing that’s changed our marriage is having [a] child.

“Like, we’re like strangers at the minute. It’s hard. Even when we go on holiday, we’re not really getting much time alone.

“George just didn’t sleep as a baby, and I was like, I can’t do this. Just get him in bed.

“So we’ve just bought him a double bed and now I’m in George’s bedroom.”

Rhian and Oliver began dating in 2013 and tied the knot in Turkey in 2018.

They welcomed their son George together back in 2024 after a five-year long journey with IVF.