While rocketing toward the top of the league, the Lakers have been far from perfect. That’s good news to them.

“A big thing that we talk with our players about a lot is being able to learn and get better and try to correct things even when you are winning,” coach JJ Redick said.

The Lakers (11-2) have won seven consecutive games entering Sunday’s 1 p.m. PST matinee against the Suns (5-6) in Phoenix.

Using a rare multiple-day break between games to audit their performances, coaches and analytics staffers showed slide presentations to players about both offensive and defensive flaws this week. The lectures left the team with one of the best records in the league feeling as if it was one of the worst, forward Ziaire Williams joked.

Already the top-ranked offense in the league, the Lakers should strive to match that by becoming a top-10 defense, Redick implored his team. Williams is not stopping there.

“Top 10 should be at least like our standard, if not better,” the forward said. “Our half-court defense has been great. Obviously, rebounding has been one of the biggest things for us, cleaning up transition as well. But the potential’s there. We have the size, the length, the athleticism. It’s just about going out there and executing.”

The Lakers, ranked 18th in defensive efficiency, thrive on forcing turnovers and protecting the rim. Their 18.5 turnovers forced per game rank third in the league, and they average an NBA-best 11 steals per game. Center Walker Kessler’s 2.2 blocks per game rank third.

But they can’t finish the strong half-court possessions. The Lakers are ranked 28th in defensive rebounding and 25th in second-chance points given up.

The Lakers staff rewatched every offensive rebound given up this season. Lack of boxing out was the biggest fault. Then there were instances when players stood and watched.

“If I stand and watch and try and outjump someone else, I’m probably not going to get the rebound,” said forward Jake LaRavia, who has been an offensive rebounding revelation since entering the starting lineup, averaging 2.8 offensive rebounds in the last nine games. “So you have to go and be physical and hit bodies, and then just be able to dive on loose balls, finish possessions, it’s really just who’s going to work harder.”

Kessler is averaging 8.1 defensive rebounds during the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak — which is the second-longest in Redick’s coaching tenure — compared to 6.3 during the first six games.

Forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who did not play in the first four games, has made the most of his limited minutes off the bench, grabbing 7.9 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes, the second-best rate on the team among players who have played more than three minutes. Vanderbilt, averaging 3.8 rebounds per game in 11.9 minutes, had 10 rebounds in less than 14 minutes against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 8.

Transition defense also is sinking the Lakers’ defensive efforts. Opponents are scoring 20.2 points off turnovers per game, which put the Lakers 24th out of 30 teams. Redick blames some of that on the Lakers’ offensive flaws. Although they are the league’s most efficient offense, the Lakers turn the ball over 16.9 times per game, the fifth-most in the NBA.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic shoots over two Bucks during a win Wednesday in Milwaukee.

(Aaron Gash / Associated Press)

Luka Doncic, the league’s leading scorer at 38.6 points per game, also averages an NBA-worst five turnovers. Austin Reaves, who is day-to-day because of a left heel bruise suffered Wednesday against Milwaukee, averages 24.7 points and 3.4 turnovers.

Doncic is expected to play Sunday despite tweaking his right ankle late in Wednesday’s win. Reaves didn’t participate in practice Saturday but Collin Sexton was a full participant. The guard wore a thick Band-Aid over his right eyebrow and had bruising around his right eye after bumping heads with Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins but said he doesn’t expect to wear a mask. He needs only to keep the cut covered to ensure it doesn’t open up again. The rugged guard is familiar with the protocols; Sexton said this was the 11th time in his career that he’s received stitches in his face.

The short break offered an important opportunity for players to rest after a grueling three-game Eastern Conference trip. They now enter a softer stretch in the schedule. After Sunday’s game in Phoenix, the Lakers play their next four at home against three teams — Charlotte, Sacramento and Utah, twice — that have a combined six wins.

Their next game against a team with a winning record isn’t until Nov. 27 at San Antonio. The 11-2 Spurs, who have won 11 consecutive games, are the only team with an active winning streak longer than the Lakers’.

Aldo Torres is a longtime trade union leader in the electricity sector and currently serves as executive secretary of the Venezuelan Federation of Electricity Industry Workers (FETRAELEC). In this interview, he discusses the current crisis in Venezuela’s electricity system, its causes and possible solutions, as well as the impact of opening the sector to private capital.

Based on your experience in the electricity sector, what is the current assessment of the National Electricity System (SEN), and what factors are behind its crisis?

The National Electric System (SEN) has been deteriorating significantly over time. This crisis with recurrent blackouts all over the country is not a recent phenomenon. Without ignoring the impact of the blockade, the main factors, in my view, are the authorities’ incompetence, ineptitude, and lack of will to address a sector of vital importance to the life and development of the nation.

Management corruption has been a determining factor in the degradation of the electricity sector, and this has been publicly evident. In fact, many financial resources allocated for investment and improvement – at a time when there were still no economic or political sanctions – were diverted into the pockets of unscrupulous contractors.

Then, with the blockade, in addition to all its direct consequences, there was a massive exodus of professionals, technicians, and skilled workers. Faced with low wages, dangerous working conditions, and cases of political persecution, many migrated or simply left to find work elsewhere.

How did the working class respond to this deterioration you describe?

The workers constantly raised the alarm and denounced the situation. But the response was to ignore their warnings or criminalize them. For example, in 2010, [intelligence agency] SEBIN arrested 11 workers following the explosion of a turbine at the Planta Centro thermoelectric plant in Carabobo State, even though we had warned that the equipment had already reached the end of its useful life.

It is unacceptable that every time there were problems of this nature, management assumed the workers were to blame. All of this also affected the quality of the electricity service.

In short, we have been warning about the possibility of this crisis for many years. In 2008, we issued this warning to the country – and even to President Hugo Chávez – in a report that also included our proposals. After that, between 2009 and 2010, he declared an electricity emergency. 

2011 marked a critical turning point. At that time, workers in the sector, organized in federations such as FETRAELEC, and [state electricity company] CORPOELEC technicians formally warned of an imminent technical and financial collapse of the industry. But after President Nicolás Maduro appointed Jesse Chacón in 2013 and later Luis Motta Domínguez to take charge of the Ministry of Electricity and CORPOELEC, the electricity problem only worsened, leading to the disaster we face today. This crisis has been negatively affecting the lives of millions of Venezuelans on all fronts. Without electricity, water supply, transportation, industries, hospitals, and more come to a standstill.

What might be the possible solutions to the crisis we are facing?

Since January 3, following the US military attack on Venezuela and the tutelage regime imposed afterward, rationing and power outages have increased. Previously, there were 3- or 4-hour blackout periods, sometimes every other day. Now they last 6 or 8 hours, or even longer, every day, with Caracas being the exception.

This worsening situation is directly linked to the increase in oil production. There’s a saying that’s becoming popular: for every barrel of oil extracted, a household is left in the dark. Independent electricity generation for the oil industry would provide some relief from the power rationing that has left Venezuelans overwhelmed and anguished, but it is not the definitive solution to the national electricity crisis.

We, as organized workers, proposed a project for “reactive power compensation” in the electricity grid. This would essentially reduce transmission losses and stabilize the voltage along the lines. It would allow for an immediate increase in the electrical power available to meet demand by optimizing the efficiency of the grid, without requiring an increase in electricity generation. This proposal would apply to high-voltage lines of 765, 400, 230, 138, and 115 kV, and, according to our estimates, we would recover approximately 2,000 MVAr of reactive power that is currently lost due to the grid’s inefficiency. In addition to this, we would be saving hundreds of millions of liters of diesel annually that are used in power plants or independent generators, a significant expense in the national budget. In fact, in 2011, this project was approved in its entirety by CORPOELEC, beginning with Caracas, and a national study was conducted to gradually expand it throughout the country, establishing an order of priority. However, due to administrative changes, it was not carried out.

Workers in the electricity sector have demanded that the sector’s collective bargaining agreement be honored and that the persecution cease. Could you explain these labor demands in more detail? What is the situation for retirees?

As is the case throughout Venezuela, collective bargaining agreements in the public sector have been paralyzed since the government issued and approved the illegal and unconstitutional Memorandum 2792 on October 11, 2018. This memorandum authorized employers to review, modify, or suspend clauses in collective bargaining agreements that they considered “burdensome” or that “jeopardized jobs.” That is why all workers are now facing precarious conditions, and the situation is even more dire for retirees and pensioners.

Furthermore, the imposed guidelines used the minimum wage as the basis for calculating pay scales, eliminating or reducing multiplier factors, professionalization bonuses, seniority pay, and other socioeconomic benefits that were hard-won through working-class struggles. And now the minimum wage is practically zero. Our main demand is that the rule of law be respected, that negotiations on our collective bargaining agreement be restored, and that our basic labor rights be upheld. This is a struggle for the entire Venezuelan working class; it is not limited to the electricity sector, of course.

How do workers view the current opening of the electricity sector to transnational private capital? What will this reform mean for service quality and access, especially for working families?

We have been debating the opening of the electricity sector to private capital in union meetings and open forums. Unfortunately, this is nothing new in the country. This was the case even before Hugo Chávez came to power and the sector was subsequently managed by military personnel who were anything but qualified to do so.

We also face a very difficult situation regarding national sovereignty, stemming from the Trump administration’s effective control over Venezuelan affairs. That is why, now, under these terrible conditions, US capital will come with its respective corporations to take over our natural resources and strategic sectors. It is absolutely outrageous.

The historical precedents of privatized electricity show us that it leads to a profound inequality in access. And the argument of corruption and poor public administration may once again be used to justify privatization. In the 1970s, the Compañía Anónima de Administración y Fomento Eléctrico (CADAFE) and its subsidiaries were victims of severe meddling and sabotage by economic groups and traditional political parties, which turned the company into the poster child of corruption and inefficiency. Then, in the 1990s, they used this as a pretext to carry out a restructuring aimed at privatizing CADAFE. This had a devastating impact on workers, whose ranks were reduced from 3,500 to fewer than 900. With this new opening to private capital, all these risks are repeating themselves.

Six more women have spoken out against Russell Brand, accusing the British actor and recently convicted rapist of sexual misconduct amid the ongoing fallout of his rape and sexual assault trial in the U.K.

Brand’s alleged predatory behavior and forceful sexual interactions with the women spanned from the aughts to 2015, as detailed by a new investigation published Thursday by the Times of London and Sunday Times. The investigation cites interviews with the accusers, their friends who were made aware of the incidents and archive material including text messages and photographs. The accusers are identified only by their first names. One woman’s name was changed for the article.

The investigation supports U.K. prosecutors’ allegations that 51-year-old Brand, who was a BBC radio host before he was a Hollywood star and religious influencer in recent years, leveraged his fame to have sexual encounters with numerous women. A majority of the women in the newest investigation alleged they met Brand during or after his shows, including one who said she interacted with the comedian while he was performing at a venue in San Francisco. Two women accused Brand of engaging in sex without their consent in separate incidents: One alleged Brand did not wear a condom while he raped her and the other woman alleged he left her in pain after proceeding with sex, despite her multiple refusals.

The Los Angeles Times has not independently corroborated the allegations. Legal representatives for the British actor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Times of London published its latest investigation into Brand three years after its initial exposé with Britain’s Channel 4 in September 2023 paved the way for criminal prosecution against the comedian and actor. Brand, the once in-demand star of comedies “Get Him to the Greek” and “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” was sentenced Monday to more than a decade in prison for rape and sexual assault.

A jury found Brand guilty last week on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. He was acquitted on two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. He stood trial for three weeks in October.

In the Times article, a woman described as an employee and named Alex said she met Brand in her 30s and engaged in an on-and-off relationship with the actor during the aughts. She detailed his alleged “controlling behavior” over her eating and drinking habits and alleged Brand initiated sex without a condom after she refused his advances. Brand apologized for his behavior in person and over text, she alleged.

Another woman, identified as Vicky, said she was 19 when she met Brand during a meet-and-greet in 2007 and that getting his attention at the time felt like a “fairytale.” Vicky noted Brand’s more forceful sexual behavior in a pair of separate incidents. During one encounter, she felt he was “rougher” in bed after she refused his request that she bring along a friend. In her final encounter with Brand at his rental, she alleges he engaged in sex without foreplay, leaving her in pain. She urged him to stop twice but he continued. Vicky said she was moaning in pain and that Brand told her “I want you to be louder so [another woman at the rental] can hear.” Vicky recalled another woman came out of a bedroom and began performing a sex act on Brand while she was still present. Brand allegedly also said, “tonight was consensual, nobody did anything they didn’t want to do.”

The woman who said she met Brand in San Francisco accused the actor of grabbing her breasts at a bar. Brand allegedly also shoved his hands down her pants and digitally penetrated her in a hotel after his comedy show. A fourth woman said she met Brand at a music festival in 2005 but didn’t have sex with the star until a “low day” when Brand alleged tried to “stick [his] penis” down her throat, nearly making her sick. They continued seeing each other for months but the woman — who also recalled Brand’s proclivity for asking women to brush his teeth during encounters — said she felt Brand was “playing with Barbies” and saw women as disposable after he got what he wanted.

A fifth woman said she was in her late 20s when she met Brand in 2006. She had won BBC 6 Music Competition and was invited to the show as a guest. Brand allegedly proposed an “arrangement” and they had sex in a disabled lavatory. They saw each other on-and-off for the next year but during their last meeting at the actor’s home, Brand seemed “pissed off and angry” and allegedly requested the woman to lick a toilet after they had sex. The sixth woman said she worked at London venue that Brand had frequented and accused the actor of physical violence. Brand, whom she described as a “disgusting, pervy comic,” tried to pull her into a disabled bathroom to have sex, the woman alleged. She said Brand grabbed her hand hard when she went to the bathroom to bring him toilet paper and that one of his staffers prevented her from leaving.

“I felt like a piece of meat,” the sixth woman recalled to the Times of London.

According to the investigation, the women who spoke out did not feel comfortable pursuing criminal cases against Brand but were empowered by the recent trial to share their stories. Earlier this week Brand’s ex-girlfriend producer Jemima Goldsmith accused Brand of “violence, coercive control and abuse” during their relationship. She said that she had police remove Brand from her home in 2014 “during a violent incident.”

Brand, the ex-husband of pop star Katy Perry, is married to author Laura Brand and they share three children. She testified on his behalf, describing him as a devoted father. She also recalled in court that she met Brand after one of his comedy shows in 2006 — she was 19 and he was 31.

Though Brand will soon be behind bars, accusations against the actor remain in the spotlight. British police confirmed to the Times earlier this week it is further investigating of criminal allegations against the actor. Brand and the allegations against him are also the subject of Netflix’s true-crime documentary “Russell Brand: Open Secret,” which premiered Friday.

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins on Saturday said that a “steady, gradual path seems appropriate” of modest interest rate hikes is the best way forward for monetary policy and the economy.

Speaking Saturday morning at a conference

With the busiest travel days of the year just ahead, U.S. airports and federal officials today scrambled to restore flights for tens of thousands of travelers grounded by Friday’s historic suspension of air traffic.

“We are back at full operations,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy at a Washington D.C. news conference Saturday morning. However, he said, “Games may not happen on time today. People may not get to a wedding. They may not get to a birthday party.”

At LAX at 2:20 p.m., travel website FlightAware reported 85 canceled departures and 110 canceled arrivals, along with 189 delayed departures and 196 delayed arrivals. At Hollywood Burbank Airport, the figures were 12 canceled departures, 11 canceled arrivals, 22 delayed departures and 22 delayed arrivals.

“It’s just going to take some time for things to get back to normal. I don’t have an estimate on that,” said an LAX spokesperson Saturday morning. “The only thing we’re able to recommend is that people check with their airlines before they travel.”

John DiScala, who runs the travel advice website JohnnyJet.com and has a pre-Thanksgiving flight from LAX coming up on Wednesday, said he plans to follow his usual pre-flight routine, which includes having the airline’s app on his phone, having the airline’s number on his phone (in case he needs to rebook in a hurry), checking his seat assignment, showing up at the airport two hours ahead of departure and consulting flighty.com, which tracks airlines, airports and plane locations.

That said, in the absence of another FAA hiccup, “I don’t think there are going to be any problems. The only problems will be if there’s bad weather,” DiScala said. Still, he said, “Be extra kind to TSA, to gate agents and to flight attendants. This is not their mess. They’re just dealing with it like you, and they’re not getting paid any more. That’s why we bring chocolates.”

Nationwide, as of Saturday afternoon, FlightAware reported 5,577 canceled flights within, into or out of the U.S., along with 6,915 delayed flights. Though about 10% of LAX’s departures were canceled Saturday, the airport appeared to be recovering faster than some others. Airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, New York and San Francisco were among those with cancellation rates of 17% or higher.

That slowdown follows several hours of grounded flights Friday, when federal officials said more than 9,000 commercial flights were canceled, forcing tens of thousands of travelers into long waits or overnight stays in major airports across the country. Apart from 9/11, the FAA’s only “nationwide ground stop” order — banning takeoffs until further notice — came in 2023. That order, prompted by problems with the FAA’s Notice to Air Missions system, was lifted after about 90 minutes, but affected thousands of flights.

“BAD NEWS: I’m at the airport. GOOD NEWS: I’m in the bar,” Chicago-based poet Patricia Smith wrote on Facebook.

“We’ve landed at LAX. We can’t get a gate because there are no free gates,” said actor Johnny Cannizzaro in an Instagram post. “We’ve got a plane full of cranky passengers…. We have a few crying babies. We have a bit of a nightmare situation going on here.”

“I’ve been stranded at the airport for hours,” author Reyna Grande wrote on Facebook from LAX on Friday. “I may or may not make it out of here tonight for the Texas Book festival tomorrow.” (Two hours later, Grande said she’d miss the festival on Saturday, but was still hoping to be there Sunday.)

Desi Barlett, who lives in Hawaii, was due to fly there from San Diego on Friday, but learned in the “chaotic” San Diego airport that her flight was scrubbed. “It’s a little scary-slash-weird,” she said on Instagram. During the wait, she did exercises and found a massage chair. Later, texting from a Hawaii-bound flight on Saturday, she said, “the whole thing was a mess…Today was much more relaxed.”

For Santa Rosa-based author and cartoonist Stephan Pastis, the mess developed in stages. He was due to fly Alaska Airlines to Spokane for a book-tour event, saw that his flight was canceled and booked an alternative. Then that was canceled, and another.

“They don’t cancel them altogether,” Pastis said via text, still en route to Spokane. “So you have to stay up all night waiting for the alert that your new flight has ALSO been canceled. Nutters.”

Pastis’s event in Spokane was delayed to give him more time to arrive. But the author’s travel challenges are far from over, because he’ll be in transit almost constantly between now and Thanksgiving.

“I have no choice but to endure it,” Pastis said. Nine tour stops in nine days.”

Air travel expert Brian Kelly, also known as The Points Guy, has warned that “it’s going to be a rough weekend at airports. Speaking on Instagram, Kelly said that “it will take days before things are back to ‘normal.’ I highly recommend tracking your flight and opt-in for updates in your airline app.”

One of many events affected by the grounding is Camp Flog Gnaw, a sold-out Saturday-Sunday music festival at Dodger Stadium expected to draw about 50,000 people per day with more than two dozen acts. The gates were set to open at noon Saturday.

“I unfortunately am going to miss the festival because all flights are either canceled or have the longest standbys imaginable,” wrote one Reddit user. “I’m hoping AXS” — the event’s official ticket vendor— “can give some refund back.”

The incident comes as the holiday travel season intensifies. On a typical travel day in mid-November, TSA agents screen roughly 2-2.5 million passengers nationwide. Last year, that figure reached 2.7 million passengers on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and 3.1 million on the Sunday after. As of 9:30 a.m., Friday’s total hadn’t been posted.

At Saturday morning’s news conference in Washington, federal officials said they did not believe cyber-crime or artificial intelligence played any role in Friday’s trouble. Instead, Duffy blamed lagging federal air-traffic technology and pointed to government contractor L3Harris, which owns and operates a communications network crucial to air traffic control. After some communications and radar became unreliable on Friday afternoon, Duffy said, officials traced the trouble to a recently updated communications router.

So far, Duffy said, it’s unclear whether the root problem was human error or a faulty router. Officials said that router was in a “remote” location, but didn’t say where.

When Nan Lehnert of Los Angeles boarded her flight from Burbank to Oakland Saturday morning, “everyone gave a big cheer and applause for the pilots,” she said by text.

Nathan Banks of Portland, who works for TriMet, that city’s public transportation agency, was in San Diego for a conference on transportation scheduling software. When word reached him of the canceled flights, he imagined the transportation professionals trying to sort it out.

“It must be a nightmare,” Banks said.

But for Banks and his wife, Lisa Smillie, it wasn’t so bad. Instead of going to the airport for their scheduled Friday afternoon flight, they rebooked for Saturday on Alaska Airlines, had dinner at a restaurant on Shelter Island and spent the night in a hotel on the water. As of midday, their Saturday afternoon flight was listed as on time.

Aryna Sabalenka has apologised and denied claims that she insulted opponent Elina Svitolina after a viral clip showed her swearing during her WTA Finals defeat by the Ukrainian.

A video of world number two Sabalenka angrily gesturing and swearing in Russian during her 6-3 3-6 6-1 defeat by Ukraine’s Svitolina was posted on social media on Saturday.

Some commentators interpreted Belarusian Sabalenka’s comments as an insult towards Svitolina or Ukrainians in general.

Sabalenka later wrote on social media that “my comment was not directed at Elina” but she lost her temper because of the behaviour of some fans.

“I was frustrated with a small group of spectators who were aggressively cheering my mistakes, and I reacted emotionally in the moment,” the 28-year-old wrote.

“That said, I should have handled my frustration differently, and I apologise to anyone offended.”

Sabalenka said Svitolina had played a great match, adding that she wished her “all the best for the rest of the tournament”.

Ukrainian players have a long-standing policy of not shaking hands with Russian or Belarusian players because of the ongoing invasion of their country.

They also do not take pre-match photographs with each other.

Rasmus Hojlund stars with brace as Denmark close in on a spot in the Nations League quarterfinals.

Portugal have been hammered 1-4 by Denmark, an embarrassing Nations League defeat in their first match without Cristiano Ronaldo, following the superstar forward’s retirement from international football.

Rasmus Hojlund starred with a superb brace on Saturday as second place Denmark close in on a spot in the quarterfinals with a brilliant display in Braga.

The Danes are on nine points from five fixtures, three behind Portugal, who were already sure of qualification for the last eight having won all four of their previous group fixtures.

A draw against third-placed Norway on Tuesday, 3-1 winners over Wales earlier, will see Denmark through.

Ahead of kickoff, Portugal paid tribute to Ronaldo, who announced his exit from the international game last week, with the team and mascots walking out wearing Ronaldo’s number seven and his name on their jerseys.

Fans held up a huge banner that read “Thank you, captain” as the teams entered the field, while applause rolled around the stadium once the match clock hit seven.

Ronaldo made his debut for Portugal in 2003 and went on to establish world records for goals and appearances in international football, netting 146 times in 234 matches.

The highlight of his international career was winning Euro 2016, but it ended badly when the 41-year-old fell out with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus over not being selected for a Nations League fixture in September.

That row led to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner being handed a 30-day suspension by the Portuguese football federation and his subsequent retirement, and Portugal, in a dismal display, looked like they needed prime Ronaldo.

Denmark were the better team from the first minute, and it was no surprise when the away team went in at the break thanks to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s spot-kick in the 43rd minute.

Hojlund lashed home a brilliant volley four minutes after the restart, and seven minutes later left the home crowd shell-shocked with a strike of which Ronaldo would have been proud – the Napoli striker skipped past Ruben Dias before crashing home a powerful shot from the edge of the area.

Boos and whistles began to ring out at Estadio Municipal when Joachim Andersen headed in the fourth, and Bernardo Silva’s late consolation effort barely dampened the discontent.

Earlier on Saturday, Antonio Nusa opened the scoring for Norway just before the hour mark in Oslo with a fine low strike, before Andreas Schjelderup tapped home a perfect low cross from Erling Haaland, who rounded off the scoring from the penalty spot two minutes from time.

Wales briefly had hope of getting a result when David Brooks’s chipped finish halved the deficit in the 79th minute, but Craig Bellamy’s team will finish bottom of the group and risk being relegated to League B.

On Friday, about 800 schoolchildren gathered for the grand opening of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center to marvel at the Endeavour spaceship and explore new exhibits featuring space capsules, Mars rovers, and spacesuits, including one from the Apollo era. They were greeted by astronauts in blue space suits, eager to recount their time in space.

Among them was astronaut-turned-U.S. senator Mark Kelly, for whom Endeavour holds sentimental significance. A veteran of four spaceflights, Kelly flew aboard the spacecraft twice. His first mission came just months after the September 11 attacks.

“We launched in December, right after this horrible tragedy. The spaceship was actually born out of a tragedy: Challenger. This is the replacement for Challenger,” the Arizona Democrat said in an interview.

His second flight aboard Endeavour was equally memorable. While Kelly was in space, his wife, then- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, was recovering in the hospital after surviving an assassination attempt. “She was still in the hospital when I was in space,” Kelly recalled. He commanded Endeavour’s final mission. In his Senate office, his spacesuit is on proud display.

The space shuttle Endeavour in its launch position is the centerpiece of the newly-opened Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center in Los Angeles CA.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Kelly hopes the spacecraft will inspire children for generations to come. He describes Endeavour as “the most complicated thing humans have ever built,” hoping to spark interest in math and engineering. “A little kid is gonna say, ‘Wow! People built that, and it went into space. Boy, if people could do that, maybe I can do anything,’ ” Kelly said. “It’s going to motivate children from all over our country to do some hard stuff. So you can’t really put a price tag on this.”

Bringing the gift of Endeavour to L.A. also served as inspiration to Lynda Oschin. When she first saw the 200-foot-tall spacecraft standing upright in its launch position, she was moved to tears. “I just couldn’t believe it,” said Oschin, the wife of the late Samuel Oschin, for whom the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is named.

When Endeavour was transported from Houston to California, Oschin requested that a photograph of her husband be placed in the commander’s seat. Former NASA head Charles Bolden honored her request. The photograph remains in the cockpit. “It’s there, and it’s framed now, and it’s in there forever,” Oschin said.

For Oschin, the spacecraft represents the memory of her late husband — a devoted patron of math, science and exploration. Today, Endeavour, in launch configuration at the Oschin space center, gives hundreds of children a glimpse of what is possible, Oschin said.

The grand opening and Endeavour reveal began with speeches by Sen. Alex Padilla of California and as well as Sen. Kelly, along with other champions of the exhibit.

“Today is about dreams,” said Jeffrey N. Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center. “Now, Endeavour is in its permanent home.”

Students gather at the entrance to the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center during the ribbon cutting by dignitaries to officially open the museum on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Oschin also took the stage. “This is an incredibly special day,” she said. “It’s all about the children, future, curiosity and knowledge.”

In her speech, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Los Angeles) echoed that message, thanking “all the dreamers, believers, scientists, engineers, scholars, astronauts who had a vision about going to space, and then finding a way to actualize it right here in South Los Angeles.”

She also recalled the extraordinary effort required to bring Endeavour to the museum that began 14 years ago, including the night the spacecraft became stuck on Crenshaw Boulevard during its journey through Los Angeles.

“It was like a party in the streets,” Kamalager-Dove said. “People came from the Valley, Watts, Wilmington, Long Beach — from all over to see this majestic, magical thing that had parked in the middle of a street.”

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, hundreds of schoolchildren were greeted by astronauts offering high-fives. The children shrieked with excitement as they entered the museum, where the spacecraft awaited them.

Endeavour astronauts high-five and greet students on opening day of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Among the smiling astronauts present was Tom Marshburn, who has spent 330 days in space over the course of his career, including a mission aboard Endeavour. “It’s life-changing. At times, I can’t believe I was there,” Marshburn said of his space travel.

Despite the inherent romance of space travel, the experience is incredibly demanding. “It’s very intense because you’re so busy with so much work to do,” Marshburn said. Still, he found moments to appreciate the experience. “We’re both trying to enjoy the zero gravity, the Earth, the real world. Being there with other people is the most important thing.”

The astronaut hopes Endeavour will continue to inspire children for years to come. “I hope they get a feeling of what human beings can achieve,” he said. “This is the most complex thing ever built by humans, and it has been in space and has come back 25 times.”

Astronaut Julie Payette, who flew aboard Endeavour on her second mission, believes the spacecraft’s influence extends far beyond aspiring astronauts and space enthusiasts.

“We encourage young kids to dare to dream. The dream doesn’t need to be the same as mine or yours,” she said. “This particular exhibit is a testimony to what you can achieve in this field. But it is inspiring for everybody. Everybody loves space.”

She said the most rewarding aspect of being an astronaut is the camaraderie. Born in Canada, Payette has spent her life in Houston at the NASA headquarters. “We don’t actually see the differences in skin color, nationality or the language you spoke when you were a kid,” she said. “We all work together; our survival depends on us working as a team.”

The Endeavour, hovering above hundreds of students, left a memorable impression. Areli Castillo, a 10-year-old who attends Grove Center, said the exhibit has encouraged her to learn more about astronauts. “The spaceship is my favorite part.”

School children reach for switches and buttons on a mockup of the space shuttle Endeavour cockpit during the opening of the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Emmanuel Montenegro, a 17-year-old who attends Covina High School, also admired the spaceship. “It’s just so intricately designed and so beautiful,” he said. The student joked that he initially thought the museum visit would simply be a fun excuse to miss class. Instead, he left with a newfound appreciation for astronomy. “Now I want to come here again,” he said. “It interests me.”

Later, television producer Chuck Lorre and “Young Sheldon” star Iain Armitage made the first descent on the shuttle descent slide — a 45-foot drop that represents the shuttle’s descent and landing. Armitage’s appearance sparked a wave of excitement among the crowd, with students cheering and lining up for selfies with the young actor.

At the bottom of the slide, Lorre explained his awe of the spacecraft. “It’s something that’s going to change lives,” he said, gazing upward. “You don’t get happier than getting to be part of this.”

United States Sen. Mark Kelly takes a ride down the Shuttle Descent Slide that simulates the path of the vehicle returning to Earth as a glider.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Armitage was similarly dazzled by the exhibit, explaining that his father was a fan of science fiction films. “Growing up, we would talk about the stars and planets. I’ve always wanted to go, so it’s so cool to get close to that dream by being somewhere like this.”

“The emotional experience you have getting to see the Endeavour in person is insane,” he said. “It’s such a culmination of all these incredible, brilliant minds thinking so technically that it comes together. It makes things so beautiful and so human.”

Times staff writer Laura Zornosa contributed to this report.

Eddie Jones aired a complaint about Twickenham’s in-stadium experience when he appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live this week.

“Being a spectator and being told when to make noise is a bit funny,” said the Japan boss, objecting to a big-screen request for an increase in volume.

Jones sat stony-faced in the coaching box as the message appeared again in the midst of his team’s 78-15 thrashing at England’s hands on Saturday.

There was little for him to enjoy on his return to Twickenham, where he was head coach for seven years.

But, for the rest of a capacity crowd, it was a fun one.

With junior tickets on sale at £15, there was a different atmosphere from usual. The decibels were higher, the demographic was younger, the spirits a little lighter.

And England brought plenty of entertainment to the party. Thirteen tries in total, with Will Joseph’s five putting him in the centre of the chorus line.

The 24-year-old won his only previous England cap under Jones. Back in the summer of 2022, he was a teenage apprentice taken on tour to Australia and thrust into the second Test as a last-minute replacement.

His promise has taken some time to be fulfilled. He struggled for game time and fitness at Harlequins after London Irish’s bankruptcy forced him to move on from his boyhood club.

An auto-immune condition that cost him the hearing in his left ear was one setback at the Stoop.

But, as part of a rat pack of exciting young English-qualified backs at Gloucester this season, he has been superb: a swerving, offloading, game-breaking threat either on the wing or in midfield.

England deployed him out wide, to bring some of the razzle-dazzle that they lost as Immanuel Feyi-Waboso limped out of their autumn campaign.

Reports from Pennyhill Park during the week had suggested Joseph was doing a fine job of replicating Feyi-Waboso’s explosive elusiveness.

He certainly did on Twickenham’s main stage, finishing chances with the same pace and power.

“He is pretty similar to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in the way he plays his game,” said former England wing Chris Ashton on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He is just so fast. He doesn’t look too fast in the first two steps and then he is just gone. He gets away from people.”

Joseph’s cartwheeling plant of the ball over the line for his fourth summed up his exuberance.

In the aftermath of that score, Japan flanker Ben Gunter put a consoling arm around full-back Kazuma Ueda, who had been comprehensively burned in a race to the corner.

Japan couldn’t get near Joseph, whose first try came after just 60 seconds and his hat-trick score in the 19th minute.

“It has been a challenging four years, but I have enjoyed the journey to get back here and I am happy all that hard work I have put in has paid off,” he said.

“I have had a taste for it now and I can’t wait to do it again.”

The head of the government’s main ethics watchdog has stepped back after it emerged he was investigated in a previous job over alleged sexual misconduct involving female colleagues, and had, in one case, been sanctioned.

Stuart Sterling was appointed as the first chief executive of the newly formed Ethics and Integrity Commission in October 2025.

The existence of the allegations against Sterling, and the investigations into them, were first reported by the Sunday Times.

Following the report, a government spokesperson said: “These are serious allegations. Stuart Sterling has stepped back from his role while we swiftly establish the facts.”

The Labour Party promised in its 2024 manifesto to create the commission to “ensure probity in government” in response to scandals during the Covid pandemic.

As its head, Sterling’s role included advising the prime minister on tackling misconduct in public life.

The Sunday Times reported that, in 2003, Sterling had been subject to a “full misconduct hearing” when he was a junior officer with Northamptonshire Police in what was treated as a case “of sexual harassment”.

The paper said he had been accused of inappropriately touching the breasts of a female colleague in a police station, and a male colleague who allegedly witnessed the event had reported him to his superiors. It reported that he had been suspended on full pay.

A representative for Mr Sterling said: “Stuart states that a full disciplinary process was held regarding the complaint in 2002. He complied with this fully. It resulted in a sanction.”

The Sunday Times reported that he was given a financial penalty of two weeks’ pay. It said that, at the time, that was the maximum sanction possible short of forced resignation. He then received two police commendations and was promoted to be a detective sergeant.

The Sunday Times said that by 2008 Mr Sterling had been reported to the force again after another allegation of sexual misconduct against a female colleague, this time at a social gathering outside work.

Mr Sterling’s representative said: “He denies that the alleged incident in 2008 ever took place. He was never subject to any criminal investigation, but the allegation was examined by professional standards”.

The representative added: “He was not required to resign from the force. He left voluntarily”.

Northamptonshire Police has confirmed that it holds a digital record of a misconduct process from 2002.

It did not comment on the later allegation.

In 2009, Sterling joined the Cabinet Office. It is not clear what vetting process he underwent. He has since served in a variety of senior roles and in 2019 was seconded to the National Police Chiefs’ Council. In 2023 he received an OBE for helping to plan the funeral of Queen Elizabeth.

It is understood the Cabinet Office will now examine whether appropriate and correct disclosures of information were made.

KATIE Price’s estranged conman hubby Lee Andrews claims to have his wife’s name tattooed on his todger.

He flashed his new willy inking — said to spell out “Katie P” in italics — to pals in Dubai.

It comes despite former model Katie, 48, saying she wants a divorce from the self-styled millionaire businessman, who was exposed as a swindler.

A source told The Sun On Sunday: “The tattoo is absolutely mad. It may be an attempt to show her how much he loves her and his way of winning her over, but it might just be a real turn-off.

“He’s got to be committed to her, because if he isn’t, the next person he gets with will see it.

“Who knows how she’ll respond to it.”

Andrews, 43, already has “Owned by Katie” daubed across his back, and “Katie” scrawled on his hand and stomach.

The mother of five married him in January, days after they met online.

The Sun later exposed him as a crook who had swindled women out of hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Andrews was arrested over a civil matter in the UAE in May and detained in jail for four weeks.

A three-month prison stint followed in July, before we revealed that Katie had dumped him by WhatsApp in September.

However last week she revealed she planned to meet him in Dubai while having more cosmetic work.

She said: “I am having some bum filler, I am having some face stuff done and I’ll see Lee.”

Andrews said yesterday: “Yes, you could write the alphabet on my d***, plus Katie’s name.”

JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska voters have elected a Democrat for governor for the first time since 1998, part of a national midterm election wave that gave the party sweeping wins in state governments across the country.

Former state lawmaker Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins defeated three Republicans, including one endorsed by President Trump. His victory means Democrats will control the governor’s office in 30 states, including several they flipped after years of Republican control in places such as Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas. The Associated Press declared him the winner Friday night, with 50.8% of the vote.

Kreiss-Tomkins, often referred to as JKT, completed a political comeback three years after leaving the state House. He traveled throughout Alaska to build his coalition and focused on affordability, advocated for full funding of public schools and called for all oil and gas producers to pay corporate income tax. He also sought a moratorium on new data centers until state lawmakers pass regulations for their development.

He said Alaska had become “broken” under eight years of outgoing Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and needed a change. He cited among other issues a state ferry system that he said has been left in shambles, with routes to many communities cut drastically. The ferry is a key mode of transportation for southeast Alaska communities not connected by roads, some of which also have limited air service.

Kreiss-Tomkins, 37, emphasized a willingness to work across party lines and said he wanted a Cabinet with Republicans, Democrats and independents.

“If they’re competent, if they’re service-minded, if they’re entrepreneurial, if they’re problem-solvers, you’re on the team. Game on,” he said during a candidates forum last month. “Let’s go, and let’s get Alaska back on track.”

Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has at times been at odds with her party, including Trump, endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins a week before the election. She said Kreiss-Tomkins “understands that governing requires listening to people with different perspectives and finding common ground to solve the problems all of us face.”

Three former governors including Democrat Tony Knowles, independent Bill Walker and Republican Frank Murkowski, the senator’s father, also endorsed him.

In a statement declaring victory earlier Friday, Kreiss-Tomkins said voters wanted change and “a government that works across party lines to move Alaska forward. Our administration will not waste a single day getting to work to solve problems for Alaska.” He said his campaign had more than 10,000 donors.

His campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the AP called the race.

He defeated Republicans Bernadette Wilson, Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor. Trump had endorsed Wilson, a business owner, and criticized the other Republican candidates for staying in the race. Bronson is a former mayor of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, while Taylor was a state attorney general under Dunleavy.

Bronson congratulated Kreiss-Tomkins on social media and wished him success. A message seeking comment from Wilson’s campaign was not immediately returned.

Many Republicans saw ranked voting as their party’s best shot of retaining the governor’s seat. It was a message that conflicted with that of Trump, who has consistently complained about Alaska’s voting method, including during a rally in Alaska in October.

Kreiss-Tomkins finished first in August’s open primary, followed by a second Democrat, Tom Begich, who withdrew from the race. Begich’s campaign at the time said it had concluded that the “strongest path to victory is to bring Democratic voters, donors and resources together behind one candidate.” Wilson finished third in the primary.

Kreiss-Tomkins said that compromise “is a virtue, not a dirty word,” and said he saw the mission of the new governor as working with lawmakers to resolve long-standing problems in the state.

The state’s last Democratic governor, Knowles, left office in 2002 after serving back-to-back terms. Walker served from 2014 to 2018.

Kreiss-Tomkins will be sworn in Dec. 7. His lieutenant governor is Zac Johnson, an independent.

Bohrer writes for the Associated Press.

Luis de la Fuente has dismissed concerns over racism in Spanish football before the national team’s Uefa Nations League meeting with England in Madrid on Sunday.

Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel had earlier confirmed he would remind his players of Uefa’s anti-racism protocol before the fixture, which will determine who finishes top of League A Group 3.

While he has stressed he didn’t expect there to be any incidents, the visit will be England’s first to the Spanish capital since a notorious 2004 encounter at the Bernabeu was overshadowed by racist chanting directed at their players.

Spain head coach De la Fuente was asked whether Tuchel’s message to his players showed there was still work needed to tackle racism in Spain.

But he responded: “What I’d tell you, and you can tell Thomas, is that in Spain, there’s no racism.

“Just like that, crystal clear. Just like in England, there’s no racism in Spain. We aren’t racist, any of us.”

The Spanish Football Federation was fined last month and ordered to partially close a stadium after supporters directed Islamophobic and xenophobic chants towards Muslims during a match against Egypt in Barcelona.

In the domestic game, Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr has been a vocal anti-racism campaigner after frequently being on the end of racist chanting – and worse. In 2024 three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison for abusing him at a match.

Uefa operates a three-step protocol, allowing referees to stop matches, take players off the pitch temporarily and, ultimately, abandon a game if discriminatory behaviour continues.

Tuchel said on Friday: “Maybe we take our five minutes to inform the players about the protocol if there is a precedent [in Madrid]. And then, yeah, we will give our answers if stuff like this happens. Best answers are on the pitch.”

However, when asked again about his views at a pre-match news conference on Saturday, Tuchel added: “I never talk about racism in Spain.

“I answered politely a question about what happens, I never expect racism. I got asked, ‘what will happen if and if and if?’. And I said, ‘if it happens, there’s a protocol in place’. That’s it.

“But my trust is that we have a friendly atmosphere, that we have an atmosphere who is clearly in favour of the Spanish team, and that football does what it does best: brings people together and not divide people.”

Midfielder Declan Rice said: “In the past, I’ve experienced that in Montenegro and Bulgaria and there was a protocol in place that we followed – we came off the pitch. We know exactly where we are as a group on that.

“The times we are in now, 2026, there should never be racism in football. It’s shocking we still have it in the game today.

“I don’t want to think about if one of our players or their players is racially abused because that would be a horrible mark on football.”

RUSSELL Brand has been accused of raping a 16-year-old girl when he was 30 with the victim alleging he nicknamed her “the child” to his entourage.

The disgraced star, 51, was this week sentenced to ten-and-a-half years behind bars after he was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting multiple women.

Brand was found guilty of raping a woman in 2009, as well as sexually assaulting female TV and radio workers between 2004 and 2009.

He preyed on women and used his growing fame – from presenting Big Brother’s Big Mouth and Hollywood movies – to target the victims in a range of locations.

The shamed star has previously denied allegations of wrongdoing and maintained his relationships were consensual.

But following the bombshell trial, one brave woman has now come forward alleging that she had a relationship with Brand while she was just 16 and the star was 30.

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Mia Latter, 37, has waived her right to lifelong anonymity – afforded to all victims of alleged sexual offences in the UK – to speak out about her alleged relationship.

Mia claims that her life was derailed by an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship with Brand, The Times reports.

She told outlet: “I felt so much shame and embarrassment around the whole thing, that I let this stupid thing ruin my prospects.

“My attendance was at 30 per cent. I was missing school to sneak off and see him [Brand] and I was diagnosed with depression.”

As their relationship developed, Brand told her to keep it secret from her school friends, but she claims his entourage knew, according to the Times.

He even referred to Mia as “the child” in front of them and on the phone to his manager, John Noel, the outlet reported.

Until now, Mia had only been known publicly as “Alice” — the pseudonym The Sunday Times gave her in its 2023 investigation, conducted alongside The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.

Towards the end of the relationship, Mia alleges Brand orally raped her.

Speaking to The Times, she alleged: “He ended up forcing me against the headboard [of the bed] and I couldn’t move, and he orally raped me — and I was choking and crying.

“I was trying to push him off, so he knew that I didn’t want him to be doing that, and so then I ended up having to hit him in the stomach to get him off.”

Brand then allegedly pinned her down, held her mouth open and dribbled in it, before forcing her to swallow, she claims.

When he appeared on Megyn Kelly’s channel, Brand admitted that his relationship with Mia had been “exploitative” and that he had “manipulated” consent, which Latter describes as “laughable”. 

She told The Times: “He wasn’t living at home [or] some schoolboy who was lost. He was a very successful man who had a lot of power and sway in the industry.

“Whereas I was a 16-year-old with no life experience, no sexual experience and no prior relationships. What was my level of maturity meant to be?” 

The relationship lasted three months until a breakup Mia describes as “a farce”, according to The Times.

She told the outlet that she turned up at Brand’s flat, and said she would put her bag in the bedroom but he blocked the doorway.

When Mia entered the bedroom, she found another woman there so went outside to wait for a cab, as a third woman pulled up in a car. 

Mia is now calling for the introduction of a “staggered” age of consent that would prohibit relationships between 16 and 17-year-olds and adults.

She said that “if you’re in your thirties, forties and fifties and you’re trying to have a relationship with someone under the age of 18” it should be a criminal offence.

It comes after it was revealed six more women have accused Brand of sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour.

The allegations include the star having sex with a woman without her consent before apologising afterwards.

To avoid prejudicing Brand’s criminal trial, the allegations could not be made public until after it had come to a conclusion.

JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska voters have rejected the latest attempt to repeal the state’s system of open primaries and ranked-choice voting in general elections.

The ballot measure, decided as part of the Nov. 3 election, marked the second time in two years that voters have rejected attempts to overturn the system and revert to partisan primaries and to general elections in which just one candidate can be selected. The measure also would have repealed some campaign disclosure rules. The Associated Press called the vote on Measure 2 on Friday night, with “no” receiving 53.5%.

Voters in 2020 narrowly adopted the new system, which was used for the first time in 2022. Supporters of open primaries and ranked voting say it gives voters more choices and forces candidates to build a broader coalition of support. They also say it’s had a moderating effect on the state Legislature, which has been governed under bipartisan coalitions in recent years.

Opponents, including President Trump, say it’s confusing. He has railed against the system for years. Elon Musk was among the donors endorsing the repeal effort.

Ruth Hall, deputy campaign manager for the No on 2 campaign, said in a statement that the win was decisive.

“When Alaskans say we want the freedom to choose the best person for the job, regardless of party affiliation, and the right to know who is spending in our elections, we mean it,” Hall said.

A message seeking comment was left for a leader of the repeal effort.

Under open primaries, all candidates in a race appear together on the ballot, and the top four vote-getters, regardless of party, advance to the ranked-vote general election.

The major political parties and campaigns have sometimes put pressure on candidates who placed lower during the primary to drop out of the general election in hopes of clearing a better path for the candidates with the highest profiles.

Alaska’s undecided race for U.S. Senate, in which Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, may be decided by ranked choice if neither candidate receives at least 50% of the vote.

After a new tranche of votes tallied Friday heavily favored Peltola, she increased her share to 49.8%, extending her lead over Sullivan to more than 10,000 votes. Ballots cast by election day will continue to be accepted through Wednesday.

Bohrer writes for the Associated Press.