BRUSSELS — The European Union published on Thursday a list of U.S. imports that it would target with retaliatory duties if no solution is found to end President Trump’s tariff war, which could include aircraft maker Boeing.

At the same time, the EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, said that it would begin legal action at the World Trade Organization over the “reciprocal tariffs” that Trump imposed on countries around the world a month ago.

“The EU remains fully committed to finding negotiated outcomes with the U.S.,” commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “At the same time, we continue preparing for all possibilities.”

The commission manages trade deals and disputes on behalf of the 27 EU countries.

In early April, Trump imposed a 20% levy on goods from the EU as part of his tariff onslaught against global trading partners. A week later he paused them for 90 days to give countries a chance to negotiate solutions to U.S. trade concerns.

A blanket 10% tariff still applies to EU imports.

The commission drew up countermeasures to target 20.9 billion euros ($23.6 billion) of U.S. goods, roughly the equivalent of what Trump would be hitting in Europe. But it also paused them for 90 days to give negotiations a chance.

The bloc’s top trade official has shuttled between Brussels and Washington trying to find a solution, but with little to show, the commission has made public a list of American imports for possible targeting worth 95 billion euros ($107 billion).

The list is broken down into sectors and broad categories of products rather than brand names. It contains 10.5 billion euros ($11.9 billion) worth of aircraft, 10.3 billion euros ($11.6 billion) in vehicle parts and 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) in vehicles.

Around 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in imports of U.S. wine, beer and spirits could also be hit. European wine producers have been deeply concerned that Trump’s tariffs would deal a severe blow to their sector, which relies on the U.S. as its top market.

Interested companies and parties are being given until June 10 to provide feedback, before the commission decides on the next steps. “Boeing is very welcome to make comments on this list,” a commission official said, briefing reporters on the list and the rationale for the EU’s approach.

In parallel, the commission said that it would be taking legal action at world trade’s governing body, and would soon request consultations with the United States to try to resolve the issue, which must take place within two months.

It said that this action would focus on Trump’s “universal” reciprocal tariffs, and duties on cars and car parts. “It is the unequivocal view of the EU that these tariffs blatantly violate fundamental WTO rules,” a statement said.

The commission estimates that 379 billion euros ($428 billion) of EU exports to the U.S. have been hit by new tariffs, including those on pause until mid-July, since Trump took office. It said they are already “raising costs for business, stifling growth, fueling inflation and heightening economic uncertainty.”

Cook writes for the Associated Press.

Nine shareholders make up the new consortium, including India-based Dream Sports Group, Colin Ryan, Frank Ryan, Nick Woodhouse and Shravin Mittal.

Their arrival comes after the club’s ownership began the process of courting new investment in 2024.

“The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the club, the team and its facilities,” a Salford statement said.

Beckham joined the Class of ’92 and billionaire Peter Lim in investing in the club in 2019, almost five years after the initial takeover.

Gary Neville bought fellow co-owner Lim’s stake in the club – which had previously been 50% – last summer in order to “pave the way for a new strategic partner”.

Following Thursday’s takeover, Neville said the new ownership group would “drive the club towards sustainability in the next four to five years”.

In a follow-up video posted on the club’s X account,, external he added: “Football always will be the priority. Football must come first in every single football club and I shouldn’t even have to say that.

“Success on the pitch is critical to us but we also need to make sure that our facilities, stadium and the training ground improve enormously along the way.

“We do need to become sustainable, we do need to grow revenues, while making sure that we look after our fans and making it accessible – you have my word on that.”

In a joint statement, Kelly and Lord Davies said: “Hopefully [we can] bring more success to Salford City’s wonderful fanbase, players and everyone associated with the club.”

Africa is a continent rich in natural resources with a young population. African nations in theory have the potential to transform their economies. But many of them are facing mountains of debt.

Africa’s external debt climbed to more than $650bn last year.

More than half of African countries are either in debt distress or teetering on the edge. But credit restructuring is painstakingly slow, and many governments end up spending more on servicing their debt than on healthcare or education.

The debt problem has plunged many nations into economic crisis with rising unemployment and poverty.

A documentary film has shed new light on how the administration of United States President Joe Biden responded to the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, suggesting Washington had evidence indicating her shooting death was likely intentional.

An Israeli sniper fatally shot Abu Akleh nearly three years ago while she reported from the Jenin refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on May 11, 2022.

The new film — a 40-minute investigative documentary from the Washington, DC-based media company Zeteo — was released on Thursday just ahead of the anniversary of her death.

Under the title Who Killed Shireen?, the documentary explores not only who pulled the trigger but why justice has been so elusive in Abu Akleh’s case. It also offers the clearest picture yet of the Biden administration’s political manoeuvring as public pressure mounted for accountability.

Abu Akleh was a US citizen, and during her final reporting assignment, she wore both a helmet and a blue vest clearly labelled with the word “press” to indicate her status as a journalist.

In the aftermath of her killing, the Biden administration faced pressure to investigate the circumstances of her death and whether the shooting was intentional.

But while the administration initially called for an “independent, credible investigation”, it shifted its stance as the months progressed. It walked back calls for the killer to be “prosecuted” and eventually described the shooting as “the result of tragic circumstances”.

It also eased its scrutiny of the Israeli military, calling for accountability only in the form of a review of its “rules of engagement”.

The documentary Who Killed Shireen? features interviews from former Washington insiders about why the Biden administration made such a pivot. Its most damaging testimony comes from an anonymous official, who spoke with his face and voice obscured.

In the film, the official claims the evidence available to the Biden administration indicated that Abu Akleh’s death “was an intentional killing”. He said that assessment was based on the “visual capabilities of that day” and the distance between the Israeli snipers and the journalists who were shot.

Another journalist, Ali al-Samoudi, was also wounded at the same time as Abu Akleh, though he survived his gunshot.

“Whether or not they knew it was her [Abu Akleh] or not can very well be debated, but they would have absolutely known it was a media person or a noncombatant at a minimum that [the Israeli soldier] shot and killed,” the anonymous Biden official said.

He added that it was his “belief” that the shooter would have been able to see Abu Akleh’s blue “press” jacket.

The official acknowledged the shift in the Biden administration’s position, from viewing the shooting as “an intentional killing” to describing it as “a tragic accident”. He linked that about-face to the historically close ties the US has shared with Israel.

“Ultimately, I think what it came down to was different pressure within the administration to not try to anger the government of Israel too much, by trying to force their hand at saying they intentionally killed a US citizen,” the official said.

Another former US official, Andrew Miller, also spoke to filmmakers as part of the documentary. Miller served as the deputy secretary of state for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs from 2022 to 2024, and he indicated that the Biden administration had not been forthcoming about the stonewalling it faced from the Israeli government.

He said the government of then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett refused to allow the US access to the soldier who fired the fatal shot, even for “informal” questioning.

Miller also cast doubt on Israeli claims that Abu Akleh was shot during a crossfire with Palestinian fighters. He explained that the Biden administration had information from the start that contradicted those claims.

“The fact that the official Israeli position remains that this was a case of crossfire … [that] the entire episode was a mistake — as opposed to potentially a mistake in identification or the deliberate targeting of this individual — points to, I think, a broader policy of seeking to manage the narrative,” Miller said.

The Biden administration had never publicly contradicted Israel’s assessment. Instead, when the Israeli military released its final report on the killing in September 2022, it said it “welcomed” the assessment.

That report asserted that Abu Akleh was “accidentally hit” by an Israeli bullet “during an exchange of fire in which life-risking, widespread and indiscriminate shots were fired toward” Israeli soldiers.

To date, the US government has never declassified a State Department report on the killing or confirmed media reports that the Department of Justice was conducting a separate probe.

Rights groups, press freedom organisations, and lawmakers have long called the Biden administration’s response inadequate, appealing for greater transparency and for the US to withhold aid to the military unit responsible.

Advocates said the latest revelations underscore a continued cycle of impunity.

“The US government has acted as an accomplice to Israeli war crimes, not only against Palestinians but Americans, too, trumping loyalty to its own laws and citizens,” said Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at the human rights organisation Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), in a statement responding to the documentary.

A new documentary on C5 – The Real Adolescence – looks at the rise in murder convictions for 12-17 year olds in the UK. We spoke to the mother of one young knife victim wanting to save lives

Nearly two years on from losing her son Mikey Roynon, mum Hayley Ryall is still in shock. Her beloved boy was just 16 when he went to a birthday party at a house in Bath, Somerset and didn’t come home.

For on June 10, 2023, the much-loved teenager was stabbed with a zombie-style knife and died from a single wound to his neck. Upwards of 70 kids had travelled to the party and Shane Cunningham, 16, was later detained for life for Mikey’s murder with his two friends, Leo Knight and Cartel Bushnell, also 16, jailed for manslaughter.

Mikey didn’t know the trio, who were pictured in court travelling from Wiltshire to Bath with what appeared to be sharp objects visible underneath their clothing. “I miss everything about him,” said Hayley. “I miss doing his washing, I even miss telling him off for being late.

READ MORE: Netflix’s Adolescence creators to turn ‘scariest film ever made’ into TV drama

“I miss the mess, I miss cooking for him, I miss that terribly. I miss the noise in the house. I miss Christmas because we don’t have that anymore, I miss birthdays, I miss everything.”

Hayley was working in Birmingham at the time of her son’s death and remembers looking at her phone to see 37 missed calls before one of Mikey’s friends got through to her – and her world changed forever. “Every day I wake up in the morning and I still feel in shock,” she said.

“People say time heals but it doesn’t get easier. I have a big wall up where I feel like if I talk about Mikey and go into his bedroom, I can feel him around me and he’s still here.”

Hayley described her son as “completely fearless” and “a lot of fun”. “He liked playing lots of jokes on me,” she smiled. “He was always excited, he was happy. He told me he loved me about 30 times a day. That was the last thing he said to me: ‘Love you Mum’.”

A district manager for Slimming World, the bereaved mother is appearing in tonight’s C5 documentary The Real Adolescence: Our Killer Kids, which explores the rise in murder convictions for 12-17 year olds in the UK, focusing on the experiences of families affected by these crimes. The hit Netflix four-part series that inspired the show’s name, Adolescence, recently attracted more than 24 million viewers.

“I thought it was very very good, i just felt like there could have been more towards the victim’s family,” said Hayley of the drama, which stars Stephen Graham as the father of a teenager accused of murder. “It was all about the boy that did it and his family but it didn’t show the devastation that causes to the community around that.”

The real life statistics are harrowing, with the number of children convicted of murder between 2016 and 2024 rising by more than 300 per cent. Information published by the Office for National Statistics earlier this year found teenage homicide victims in England and Wales were far more likely to have been stabbed to death than any other group – 83 per cent were killed with a sharp instrument.

Zombie-style knives and machetes, including the one that was used to kill Mikey, are defined as weapons with blades over eight inches in length, normally with a serrated cutting edge. Last year, they were banned in England and Wales.

Mum Hayley had thought knife crime was “something that happened in London, in big major cities, not where we live” before it affected her own family in devastating fashion. “I didn’t think you could go to a 16th birthday and have this happen,” she said. “The reason I’m speaking in the documentary is because I wish I’d known more two years ago – if speaking out saves one person’s life it’s worth it.

“If it gets the message out to stop one young person carrying a knife, it’s worth it. We need to stop the epidemic of knife crime.”

“We have to change how the next generation – it can’t keep getting worse,” Hayley added. “It is important because kids are killing kids.”

The TV show Adolescence explores how technology, particularly social media, influences the lives of young people. It explores toxic masculinity and online abuse and takes a wider look at the intense pressures faced by boys in Britain today.

“These kids have to deal with at such a young age with technology – it’s not the real world,” said Hayley. “We need to be checking in and asking ‘are you ok?’.”

In May last year, Mikey’s murderer Cunningham was ordered to serve a life sentence, with a minimum of 16 years behind bars, at Bristol Crown Court. His friend Bushnell was detained for nine years and Knight for nine years and six months.

“The court case was horrific to go through, to have to sit with those boys in a room,” said Hayley. “We were not even allowed to look at them. Getting justice for Mikey, it made a tiny difference but it won’t change the fact that it ruined our lives.”

Hayley and her partner Scott, a 48-year-old insurance manager, now run the charity Mikey’s World, which has teamed up with their local police force and ambulance service to install specialist ‘bleed’ kits around Mikey’s hometown. The charity is also partnering with a technology company to offer virtual reality headsets which allow people to step into the shoes of young victims of gang-related crime.

Produced by ITN Productions, The Real Adolescence: Our Killer Kids is available to view or stream tonight on 5, from 10pm

WASHINGTON — A trade deal with the United Kingdom announced by the White House on Thursday marked the first of its kind since President Trump launched sweeping global tariffs last month, offering a glimpse into the Trump administration’s negotiating strategy as it seeks to reset terms with trading partners around the world.

The agreement, hailed by Trump and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer as “historic,” kept the U.S. baseline tariff rate on U.K. imports at 10%, while eliminating duties on British aluminum and steel and significantly lowering tariffs on a limited number of U.K. car exports.

In exchange, the White House said that London had agreed to lower barriers on U.S. farmers and ranchers seeking access to the U.K. market for exports like ethanol and beef, and to increase access for U.S. aerospace companies to critical British-made components.

While the White House called the agreement a “milestone” in its trade policy, U.S. officials also described the deal as merely the “end of the beginning” of talks to come over their trade relationship.

Starmer, describing the announcement as the “basis” of a deal, said he intended to continue negotiating with the administration to bring down its 10% baseline rate. “We would like to go further,” he said from a manufacturing plant in the West Midlands.

“But please do not underestimate the significance of the tariff reductions today, because these are measured in thousands of good-paying jobs across the country,” Starmer said.

Asked by a reporter whether Britain was better off in its trade relationship with America than it was a year ago, Starmer replied, “The question you should be asking is, is it better than where we were yesterday?”

The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 500 points on news of the deal, as Wall Street investors look for signs of progress in trade negotiations over five weeks out since Trump announced tariff increases on global trading partners, “friend and foe alike.”

Of the 10 largest U.S. trading partners, only the United Kingdom has a trade deficit with the United States. But the agreement will mean more to the British economy than it will to U.S. households. While the U.K. ranks eighth overall among U.S. trading partners, the United States is Britain’s largest, followed by the European Union.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in an English car factory, holds a call with President Trump to announce a trade deal.

(Alberto Pezzali / WPA Pool / Getty Images)

Americans buy exponentially more goods from the United States’ three biggest trading partners — in Canada, Mexico and China — than from Britain, and there are few signs that U.S. talks with those three countries are closing in on trade deals.

And with goods from China still facing tariffs of 145%, U.S. importers and retailers are warning that price increases for American consumers will become visible within a matter of days.

From the White House, where he phoned Starmer to announce the deal to the press, Trump described the U.S.-U.K. agreement as “a great deal for both parties.”

“It opens up a tremendous market for us, and it works out very well. Very well,” Trump said. “The deal includes billions of dollars of increased market access for American exports, especially in agriculture, dramatically increasing access for American beef, ethanol, and virtually all of the products produced by our great farmers.”

“It’s very conclusive, and it’s a great deal, and it’s a very big deal, actually,” he added.

Trump underscored the potential for the export of up to $250 million in U.S. agricultural products to a market that had long been restricted to U.S. goods. But Starmer said that the U.K. government had drawn “red lines on standards” with regard to agricultural imports, raising questions over what exact products would be eligible.

Starmer said he hoped that the Trump administration would lower barriers on British pharmaceutical products in future talks, and also said the two governments were already discussing Trump’s proposed tariffs on foreign film production.

“There aren’t any tariffs in place on film at the moment,” Starmer said of the potential film tariffs, “and of course, we’re discussing it with the president’s team.”

Joel Quenneville is returning to the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks for his first head coaching job since the second-winningest coach in league history resigned and was banned for his handling of a sexual assault scandal.

The 66-year-old Quenneville was hired by Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek on Thursday for his first coaching job since his resignation from the Florida Panthers 3 1/2 years ago in the wake of his handling of the sexual assault scandal during his tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Quenneville and Blackhawks executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac were banned from the NHL for nearly three years after an independent investigation concluded that the team mishandled allegations raised by former player Kyle Beach against video coach Brad Aldrich during the team’s Stanley Cup run in 2010. The trio was reinstated last July, and Bowman became the Edmonton Oilers’ general manager three weeks later.

Before his departure, Quenneville spent parts of 25 NHL seasons behind the benches of St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago and Florida, establishing himself as his era’s most consistent winning coach.

He led the Blackhawks to Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. His 969 career victories are the second-most in NHL history, trailing only Scotty Bowman’s 1,244.

Quenneville’s reputation and career were badly damaged by his role in the Blackhawks’ handling of the accusations against Aldrich. After four seasons out of the sport, the 13-year NHL defenseman is getting another chance behind the bench — this time with a franchise in the middle of a lengthy rebuilding process.

Quenneville takes over a team that has missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, the third-longest active absence in the NHL. Anaheim finished sixth in the Pacific Division this season at 35-37-10 after being in the bottom two for the previous four consecutive years.

He replaces Greg Cronin, who was surprisingly fired by Verbeek at the conclusion of his second season in charge. Cronin led the Ducks to a 21-point improvement in his second season, but Verbeek changed course for reasons he declined to reveal when he announced the firing.

While announcing the change, Verbeek said he expects the Ducks to make the playoffs next season. That’s a pronouncement that the first-time GM had never made during his 3 1/2 years in charge of owner Henry Samueli’s franchise.

And Quenneville has plenty of experience in getting teams to the postseason. His teams have made 20 Stanley Cup playoff appearances, reaching the postseason in all but two of the 22 seasons he finished.

Quenneville inherits a team with an ample stock of young talent. The roster includes No. 2 overall pick Leo Carlsson, No. 3 overall picks Mason McTavish and Beckett Sennecke, promising forward Cutter Gauthier, rising defensemen Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, and several veteran forwards, including two-time All-Star Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras.

Beacham writes for the Associated Press.

It’s a crisp, clear Southern California day, and I’m at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park with Austin Nicassio. He’s ripping up a steep dirt trail covered in rocks and roots in what looks, at first blush, like a miniature bulldozer. Until this moment, I wouldn’t have considered this particular hike to be accessible to those in wheelchairs, but with Nicassio’s all-terrain rig, it’s a possibility.

Inspired by organizations across the U.S. that are advocating for public access to trails for those with disablities, Nicassio launched the nonprofit Accessible Off-Road in October. His plan is to expand free access to off-road wheelchairs for Los Angeles County residents with mobility disabilities to use at popular trails across the region. The chair he’s using, he said, is the first of many.

Austin Nicassio launched Accessible Off-Road in 2024.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

“I was thinking so small-minded — I was like, ‘One or two chairs is going to be so life-changing for thousands of people,’” Nicassio said. “I’m talking to all these superintendents, I’m talking to rangers, everyone is excited, they started crafting an agreement … and [officials at California State Parks] say, ‘This is great, I think we’re going to gauge interest across our 280 park units.’”

That’s the dream, but it would require Nicassio’s organization to raise millions of dollars in funds.

To start, Accessible Off-Road is fundraising for $45,000 to launch a pilot program with two chairs at two parks, and then use lessons learned through the pilot program to add more chairs to other parks across Southern California. He’s talking with officials at L.A. County Parks and Recreation, California State Parks and the National Park Service (although the current funding crisis has delayed those conversations).

Austin Nicassio hikes a steep path in Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

“At [Bonelli Park] or Griffith Park or Crystal Cove, these destinations with hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, one chair can create unforgettable memories for a person every single day, and the cost-benefit to that to me is so obvious,” Nicassio said. “That’s 365 individuals [a day] who’ve lost access like myself or have never had access to something like this … [making] unforgettable days for yourself and your family.”

Nicassio, an astronautical engineer at Boeing, was not born with a mobility disability. In 2022, he had a mild case of COVID-19. That’s when everything changed. He developed muscle weakness, fatigue, body soreness and brain fog. He was also sleeping more and more, eventually up to 20 hours a day. He had to stop working and was bedbound for a year.

He was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which affects his blood flow as his body struggles to maintain steady blood pressure, especially between sitting and standing. He also developed chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis.

He felt trapped in his body and his mind, unable to blow off steam like he used to through mountain biking, running or hiking.

The off-road wheelchair that Accessible Off-Road acquired can take trails with up to a 25% grade.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

“For the first 28 years of my life, I was able-bodied, never thought twice about it, took it for granted,” he said.

Once he was well enough, Nicassio bought an electric trike and started mountain biking with his family and friends. But in the trike, he was in a static position, and it would trigger the symptoms of his blood flow disorder, causing him to feel exhausted and ill.

Nicassio started researching off-road mobility devices and discovered a legacy of nonprofits providing over 100 off-road wheelchairs free to rent across the U.S. at public spaces. There wasn’t an organization like that in Southern California.

“Being able to spend $1,000 on an electric trike is not in reach for a lot of people when you’re trying to cover your basics — your medications, your appointments,” he said.

The off-road wheelchairs are even more cost-prohibitive and rarely, if ever, covered by health insurance carriers. The chairs are typically about $20,000, although Nicassio has struck a deal with the larger manufacturers to buy them at a discount through his nonprofit.

Austin Nicassio and his father Joe hiked and mountain biked together often before Nicassio developed a mobility disability. Nicassio said he wants the off-road chairs at popular trails so that people with mobility disabilities can make great memories with their families outdoors.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Nicassio can walk short distances, like around his house, to the bathroom or to take a shower, but extended standing and walking is challenging, and can even be dangerous given he could pass out. The first time he took the off-road chair out, he felt like he’d regained a freedom he didn’t think would return.

Similar to how a tank moves, the off-road chairs use two rubber tracks to guide the user along. It provides substantial traction over a wheelchair. The controls are similar to that of an electric wheelchair, with settings that allow the user to move their center of gravity as they navigate over rocks and branches and up and down steep hills.

The chairs that Nicassio’s group will buy can tackle grades up to 25% and go through up to 8 inches of water. They do well on sand and beaches too.

Austin Nicassio at Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

Accessible Off-Road will develop a checkout system with parks. Initially, it’ll be a fairly simple process where users provide a driver’s license, sign a waiver and receive a quick orientation of the chair, especially if they aren’t using wheelchairs often in their day-to-day lives. Eventually, Nicassio hopes to develop a mobile and web checkout system.

The organization will identify the best trails for users to hike in the chair to ensure folks remain safe. And users will be required to hike with a friend or family member in case of emergency. The chair has a lithium battery and can go an average of 14 miles.

The chairs come with a control panel on the back, so if someone doesn’t have use of their hands, their friend or family member could control the chair as they take the path.

As an outdoors reporter, I am often asked what the difference between walking and hiking is. I often explain that hiking requires a level of thinking and technicality that walking does not. I posed the same question to Nicassio.

Austin Nicassio demonstrates the way an off-road wheelchair navigates trails during a hike in Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park in San Dimas.

(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)

“It starts with how I define going for a walk with my dog. Before, it really had to mean walking with legs, standing up on your own two feet. But nowadays, I have another chair that’s not 400 pounds, doesn’t need a sprinter van to transport, I break that puppy out, and we go for our walks, and it feels like a walk. I get all the benefits of a walk. My dog gets exercise. I feel like that chair becomes an extension of me, and it’s walking. So, if that’s walking, this is hiking.”

3 things to do

Black mustard is an invasive weed that grows across parks and forests in Southern California.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

1. Yank mustard in Ascot Hills
The Ascot Hills Park Green Team needs volunteers from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday to yank out invasive black mustard, a major contributor to explosive wildfires. Volunteers will pull weeds on Wildflower Hill, around the parking area and along trails, to protect native plants that the group has installed over the past few months. Waivers are required for new volunteers and all minors. Learn more at the group’s Instagram page.

2. Explore a new natural preserve in Fullerton
Friends of Coyote Hills will host a four-mile naturalist-guided nature walk from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday through Robert E. Ward Nature Preserve in Fullerton. Visitors will learn about the area’s biodiversity and efforts to protect the region from development. This segment of Coyote Hills features coastal sage habitat and is home to the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher. Guests should wear comfy shoes, a hat and sunglasses, and bring water, snacks and sun protection. Binoculars will also be helpful to spot birds and other wildlife. Most of the walk will be on wide dirt trails. There are no benches on the path. Register at eventbrite.com.

3. Restore habitat at Debs Park
Volunteers are needed from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday to remove invasive species, water plants and more at Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in L.A. Volunteers should bring a water bottle and wear closed-toe shoes and clothing they don’t mind getting dirty. The group will meet at the center courtyard at Audubon Center at Debs Park. Register at debspark.audubon.org.

The must-read

The Trump administration has recommended massive budget cuts to National Park Service’s next budget. The agency has already seen significant staffing cuts this year.

(Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

The National Park Service would lose 40% of its annual funding and hundreds of parks to state control if Congress approves President Trump’s discretionary budget request, Outside magazine reports. Trump’s recommendation is to chop more than $1 billion to the park service’s budget, including about $900 million that’s used to operate national parks. This is the largest proposed cut to the park service in its 109-year history, according to National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit advocacy group. Why the cuts? Per the budget document, the park service has too many sites that are “not ‘national parks’ in the traditionally understood sense,” and are visited essentially only by locals. As such, these sites should be managed by states, not the federal government, the administration argues. “The Budget would continue supporting many national treasures, but there is an urgent need to streamline staffing and transfer certain properties to State-level management,” according to the document (page 28). The full list of parks that would lose their federal funding under Trump’s proposal hasn’t been released, but the National Parks Conservation Association estimates the cuts could close at least 350 national park units across the U.S. “Silence is complicity,” Theresa Pierno, the association’s president and chief executive, said in a statement. “Congress must get off the sidelines and act now.”

Happy adventuring,

P.S.

Reservations are now available for peak summer hours at Yosemite National Park. It costs $2, is non-refundable and doesn’t apply to the $35-per-car park entrance fee. Reservations are required for those planning to enter Yosemite between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. They aren’t required for every day this summer, but instead during popular times, like the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, and between June 15 and August 15. Learn more at nps.gov.

For more insider tips on Southern California’s beaches, trails and parks, check out past editions of The Wild. And to view this newsletter in your browser, click here.

May 8 (UPI) — A Virginia man has been sentenced spend more than 30 years in prison for a crypto scheme that poured thousands of dollars into the hands of ISIS.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa of Springfield, Va., was convicted of one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, and four counts of providing and attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

He received a sentence Wednesday of 364 months behind bars for “his efforts to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and [ISIS].”

Chhipa was found guilty of having sent money to female ISIS members located in Syria, which was partially used to support ISIS fighters and to help female ISIS members escape from prison camps.

Chhipa used social media to raise funds online, then both receive the money electronically or by hand, and then convert the cash into cryptocurrency and send it to Turkey, where it would be further smuggled to ISIS in Syria.

From approximately October of 2019 through October of 2022, Chhipa sent more than $185,000 to ISIS.

“This defendant directly financed ISIS in its efforts to commit vile terrorist atrocities against innocent citizens in America and abroad,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a press release Thursday. “This severe sentence illustrates that if you fund terrorism, we will prosecute you and put you behind bars for decades.”

U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia said that “Chhipa knowingly and persistently collected and provided a considerable amount of money to fund the violence of an organization bent on forcing their extremist ideology on others.”

James Vince, Chris Jordan, Tom Curran, David Willey, Sam Billings, Luke Wood and Tom Kohler-Cadmore are the English players involved in the PSL, while there are also English coaches at various franchises.

Thursday’s match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings, due to be held in Rawalpindi, was postponed after Pakistan’s military said Indian drones were destroyed in various Pakistan cities.

A Pakistan Cricket Board official told BBC Sport one drone misfired and led to an explosion in the street behind the stadium in Rawalpindi. The BBC has been unable to verify these claims.

PSL organisers remain keen for the tournament, which has eight fixtures outstanding, to be completed, but the safety of players remains their priority.

A senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official told BBC Sport: “If Rawalpindi is not safe, Lahore and Karachi are not safe because drones also attacked there. Any city of Pakistan is not safe because the drones have targeted smaller cities of Pakistan.”

The seven English players have held separate discussions over whether to return to the UK, with a split in opinion over whether to remain.

They held talks with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) on Wednesday to discuss the situation. It is understood feelings among those in Pakistan were mixed.

Other leading overseas names in the PSL include Australian David Warner (Karachi Kings) and former West Indies captain Jason Holder (Islamabad United).

The UK foreign office currently advises against all but essential travel within five miles of the international border between Pakistan and India.

The Indian Premier League match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals began as planned in Dharamsala on Thursday, but was called off after 10.1 overs after the floodlights went out.

Sunday’s match between the Kings and Mumbai Indians has been moved from Dharamsala to Ahmedabad.

Dharamsala is in the state of Himachal Pradesh, which borders Kashmir, and flights were cancelled to its airport on Wednesday, making it difficult for Mumbai Indians to travel.

“The venue change has been necessitated due to logistical challenges,” India’s cricket board (BCCI) said in a statement.

Twenty-six civilians were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir last month and India has accused Pakistan of supporting militants behind the attack – an allegation the neighbouring country has rejected.

The situation escalated on Tuesday evening when India launched a series of strikes in a move named “Operation Sindoor”.

DICKIES is back with another collection for fashion fans to upgrade their summer fits.

The iconic workwear brand has unveiled its latest collection in a special collaboration with another iconic American name: Harley-Davidson.

Dickies X Harley-Davidson

From the workshop to the weekend, the Dickies x Harley-Davidson “Born to Be Alive” collection combines US heritage fits with fire designs.

Created with summer in mind, this season’s Dickies fits take cues from vintage workshop wear, which includes bold signage graphics, oversized silhouettes, and of course, relaxed cuts.

Both brands have been inspiring fashion for decades, so the collection feels synonymous with the American experience.

Standout styles include garment-washed denim jackets and pants, reimagined, along with heritage embroidery and the unmistakable Hickory stripe.

Made to move through the seasons, the Dickies x Harley-Davidson range boasts transitional staples and washes that get better with wear.

Prices range from £40 for a tank to £145 for the jacket styles in the collection.

Below we’ve selected some of our favourite pieces worth snapping up.

Dickies X Harley-Davidson Short-Sleeve Work Shirt, £80

Available in a bold orange or classic black colourway, this workwear-inspired shirt is made from durable, recycled poly-cotton twill.

It features twin chest pockets with hidden snap closures, offering sleek utility, while a special collaboration patch sits on the left chest, paying homage to the two iconic American legends.

Dickies X Harley-Davidson Cropped Moto T-Shirt, £50

The cropped moto T-shirt is a nod to Harley’s rebellious roots and is made from soft, breathable cotton for all-day comfort.

It boasts a boxy fit and cropped silhouette that adds a modern edge, while ribbed detailing at the neck keeps things classic.

The standout moto graphic on the back brings serious attitude and the perfect balance of comfort and cool.

Dickies X Harley-Davidson Carpenter Trousers, £95

These carpenter trousers are made with a relaxed fit and rugged construction, perfect as a daily staple during the transitional spring months.

The trousers feature plenty of utility-driven details, such as a hidden wallet pocket inside the front scoop, a spacious utility pocket on the left leg, and a dual-entry zipped pocket at the back.

Shop the full Dickies x Harley-Davidson now at www.dickieslife.com.

The United States has announced a ‘breakthrough deal’ with the United Kingdom that would create an aluminium and steel trading zone and secure the pharmaceutical supply chain.

The deal affirms that “reciprocity and fairness is a vital principle of international trade” and increases access for US agricultural products, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday, though he added that the final details were still being written up.

“The final details are being written up,” Trump told reporters. “In the coming weeks, we’ll have it all very conclusive.”

The deal, the first one struck by the US since Trump imposed his far-reaching tariffs, is also said to strip back paperwork for British companies looking to export to the US.

The president said that the agreement would lead to more beef and ethanol exports to the UK, which would also streamline the processing of US goods through customs.

The White House said that the deal will bring in $6bn in external revenue from its 10-percent tariffs, which will stay in place, but that it would also bring in $5bn in new export opportunities. The UK agreed to lower its tariffs to 1.8 percent from 5.1 percent and provide greater access to US goods.

The US already runs a trade surplus with the UK, making it a bit easier to find common ground, as Trump has staked his tariffs on specifically eliminating the annual trade deficits with multiple nations that he says have taken advantage of the US.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined the president in the announcement over the phone. Starmer said the deal would boost trade and create jobs.

Thursday’s announced agreement is the first agreement since the Trump administration started a global trade war with universal levies of 10 percent. The US has also imposed 25-percent tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium, 25-percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and 145-percent tariffs on China. US and Chinese officials are due to hold talks in Switzerland on Saturday.

British implications

Starmer has struck up a warm relationship with Trump since his centre-left Labour Party was elected in July.

Starmer’s government has been seeking to build new trading relationships post-Brexit with the US, China and the EU without moving so far towards one bloc that it angers the others.

Economists and one chief executive of an FTSE 100 company — the highest capitalised blue chip companies on the London stock exchange—said the immediate economic impact of a tariff deal was likely to be limited but that trade agreements in general would help long-term growth. The UK struck a free trade agreement with India this week.

The US and the UK have been aiming to strike a bilateral trade agreement since the British people voted in 2016 to leave the EU, allowing the country to negotiate independently of the rest of the continent. Then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson touted a future deal with the US as an incentive for Brexit.

The US ran a $11.9bn trade surplus in goods with the UK last year, according to the Census Bureau. The $68bn in goods that the US imported from the UK accounted for just 2 percent of all goods imported into the country.

Markets respond

The US has been under pressure from investors to strike deals to de-escalate its tariff war after Trump’s often chaotic policymaking upended global trade with friends and foes alike, threatening to stoke inflation and start a recession.

Top US officials have engaged in a flurry of meetings with trading partners since the president on April 2 imposed a 10-percent tariff on most countries, along with higher rates for many trading partners that were then suspended for 90 days.

On Wall Street, US markets were responding to the news amid hopes that this could be enough to ward off a recession.

As of 11:30am ET in the US (15:30 GMT), the S&P 500 was up 0.97 percent and on track for an 11th gain in the last 13 days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was 1.02 percent higher and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite was 1.17 percent higher than market open.

Stocks have been swinging for weeks with hopes that Trump could reach deals with other countries that would lower his tariffs, which many investors believe would cause a recession if left unchecked.

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is invoking the “state secrets privilege ” in an apparent attempt to avoid answering a judge’s questions about its mistaken deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis disclosed the government’s position in a two-page order on Wednesday. She set a Monday deadline for attorneys to file briefs on the issue and how it could affect Abrego Garcia’s case. Xinis also scheduled a May 16 hearing in Greenbelt, Md., to address the matter.

The Republican administration previously invoked the same legal authority to cut off a judge’s inquiry into whether it defied an order to turn around planes deporting Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador.

Abrego Garcia, 29, has been imprisoned in his native El Salvador for nearly two months. His mistaken deportation has become a flash point for President Trump’s immigration policies and his increasing friction with the U.S. courts.

Trump has said he could call El Salvador’s president and have Abrego Garcia, who was living in Maryland, returned to the United States. Instead, Trump has doubled down on his claims that Abrego Garcia is a member of the MS-13 gang.

Police in Maryland had identified Abrego Garcia as an MS-13 gang member in 2019 based off his tattoos, Chicago Bulls hoodie and the word of a criminal informant. But Abrego Garcia was never charged. His lawyers say the informant claimed Abrego Garcia was in an MS-13 chapter in New York, where Abrego Garcia has never lived.

The administration has balked at telling Xinis what, if anything, it has done to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. The judge ruled that his lawyers can question several Trump administration officials under oath about the government’s response to her orders.

In a court filing Wednesday, his lawyers said they already have conducted depositions of three officials and are “still in the dark” about the government’s efforts to free Abrego Garcia. They are asking for permission to depose more officials, possibly including one from the White House.

The 23-year-old – who will bid for a fifth title in six years at the French Open later this month – has reached at least the quarter-finals of her previous eight tournaments, but is yet to win a trophy this season.

Japan’s Naomi Osaka continued her fine run of form on clay with a 2-6 7-5 6-1 win over Swiss lucky loser Viktorija Golubic.

The 27-year-old has traditionally struggled on clay, failing to make it past the French Open third round, but has now won seven successive matches on the surface.

Her victory at last week’s L’Open 35 de Saint-Malo was her first clay-court title – and first WTA title on any surface since becoming a mother in July 2023.

Osaka had been due to play ninth seed Paula Badosa, but the Spaniard was replaced by Golubic because of injury.

The four-time Grand Slam champion will play Brazilian 18th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia or Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic next.

Italian Jasmine Paolini is also through to the third round after she defeated New Zealander Lulu Sun in straight sets 6-4 6-3.

Sixth seed Paolini will play Tunisian Ons Jabeur, who advanced via a walkover because Czech Petra Kvitova was forced to withdraw from their second-round tie through injury.

The French Open begins at Roland Garros on 25 May.

May 8 (UPI) — Thousands in Vatican Square cheered as white smoke billowed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, signaling that a new pope has been chosen.

Bells rang out, as well, according to sources. All of this took place after black smoke had come out earlier, indicating that a papel conclave sequestered inside had been unable to elect a new pope.

But in the afternoon sunshine, crowds grew in St. Peter’s Square as people eagerly awaited the traditional proclamation of “Habemus papam” — Latin for “We have a pope” — as bands began to play before the official announcement.

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.

From earlier coverage:

The Vatican said in a news release that the second ballot of 133 members of the College of Cardinals on the first full day of the conclave, and the third since it got underway late Wednesday afternoon, was “inconclusive.”

Nominees must gain the backing of two-thirds of cardinals with a vote, 89, to be elected as the pontiff, but the first round of voting on Wednesday and a second first thing Thursday all failed to deliver a result.

Around 15,000 people were gathered outside in St. Peter’s Square with their eyes glued to giant screens showing a camera feed of the chimney in anticipation of the emission of white smoke, indicating the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics have a new pope.

The next round of voting is expected to begin at about 4 p.m. local time, after breaking for lunch. If that round also proves inconclusive, a fourth vote will take place this evening.

Three of the past five conclaves reached a decision by the end of day 2, but a record number of cardinals voting could slow the process down.

In past centuries, the process could be very lengthy. Choosing Pope Gregory X took more than a thousand days, beginning in December 1268 and not reaching a decision until Sept. 1, 1271.

Cardinals in the conclave are not permitted to communicate with anyone except fellow conclave members, use their phones or access TV, radio or newspapers, but before they were locked away in the Sistine Chapel four names were circulating as the front-runners to become the 267th pontiff.

They are Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Hungary’s Peter Erdo, Jean-Marc Aveline of France and the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

Also in the running are Archbishop of Bologna, Matteo Zuppi, Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines and Peter Turkson of Ghana and around nine other candidates.

The names of U.S. Cardinals Robert Prevost and Joseph Tobin, Titular Bishop of Rome’s Albano Diocese and the Archbishop of Newark, N.J., respectively, and have been touted as possible candidates to become the first American-born pope.

Bitcoin just broke back above $99,000 as the crypto market reacts to some pretty big geopolitical news. After Trump teased a “major trade deal” with a “highly respected” country, traders took it as a sign that global tensions might ease up.

That’s been a weight on risk assets for weeks, so this shift could spike demand. If you’re looking for the best crypto to buy while momentum builds, a few altcoins are looking primed to take off.

Is Bitcoin Heading for $100K as Trade Deal Buzz Lifts Markets?

Bitcoin is now sitting at $99,500, its highest point since the late-January squeeze, and things look bullish. Spot volumes have exploded by 51% overnight, and futures open interest has sailed back above $30 billion, telling us there’s real capital – not just retail trader FOMO – behind the move.

The catalyst is simple enough: tariff-relief hopes. As mentioned above, when President Trump jumped on Truth Social and promised a major trade deal, traders instantly re-priced the risk spectrum. Less tariff heat means fewer supply-chain issues, a weaker dollar and, in theory, larger corporate margins.

These are conditions that push investors out of safe-haven assets and into high-beta plays like crypto. The opposite happened last month. Trump’s tariffs on China caused Bitcoin to drop from $88,000 to $74,000 in a few days. Tariffs create uncertainty – and uncertainty is bad for crypto.

Now that things are flipping, sentiment is changing fast. That’s what we’re seeing with Bitcoin: a 3% jump in 24 hours and a 25% rally over the past month as traders get excited about easing global trade tensions.

And this could also be great news for the rest of the crypto market. When Bitcoin rallies, liquidity inevitably spills into smaller-cap coins. So if Bitcoin breaks above $100,000 on the back of this news, the same optimism could prompt outsized moves in altcoins that haven’t yet capitalized.

Overall, conditions are looking bullish for crypto. We could be on the verge of another Bitcoin-led bull run if momentum keeps building.

What Are the Best Cryptos to Buy if Bitcoin Breaks $100K?

1. Solaxy (SOLX)

Solaxy (SOLX) might be one of the best cryptos to buy if Bitcoin keeps rising. The project’s presale has raised $33.6 million, making it the largest Solana-based ICO to date – and it isn’t slowing down. But why all the excitement?

It’s because Solaxy is building the first Solana Layer-2 using rollup tech, promising speeds up to 10,000 transactions per second (TPS) while still using Solana’s base layer for security. That’s faster than Solana itself, and way faster than Ethereum’s Layer-2s like Base or Arbitrum.

Solaxy basically offers security and scalability without compromising on utility. Its testnet has already processed over a million transactions since going live. There are also plans to create a cross-chain bridge to Ethereum – something crypto analyst ClayBro is hyped about.

If Bitcoin’s surge continues to bring fresh capital to the crypto market, early-stage altcoins like Solaxy could be first in line to explode.

2. Bitcoin Cash (BCH)

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) has a habit of trailing just behind Bitcoin – then suddenly taking off when Bitcoin experiences a bull run. As Bitcoin heads toward $100,000, BCH is already seeing a boost thanks to its tight correlation and shared infrastructure.

It’s cheaper, faster, and easier to spend than Bitcoin, making it an easy target for traders rotating profits or chasing altcoins that haven’t yet pumped. Plus, given its familiar name, Bitcoin Cash often attracts retail interest during BTC breakouts – especially from beginner investors.

As liquidity floods the market again, legacy forks like BCH tend to benefit. If Bitcoin keeps rising, BCH could move fast, just like it has many times in the past.

3. Balance (EPT)

Balance (EPT) could be one of the best cryptos to buy if you have a high risk tolerance. It’s a low-cap altcoin – ranked outside the top 700 – with a tiny price tag and wild swings. But that’s exactly the kind of setup that can lead to big profits during a crypto rally.

When Bitcoin runs, money tends to spill into low-cap altcoins as traders seek larger returns, and EPT’s small price tag makes it an appealing option. Plus, with only 24% of the supply in circulation, there’s room for price movement if demand ramps up.

Of course, Balance isn’t without its risks. The team is anonymous, and no detailed roadmap or whitepaper exists. But that doesn’t always matter in a hot market – making EPT another hidden gem to consider buying.

4. Stacks (STX)

Stacks (STX) is built to expand what Bitcoin can already do. As a Bitcoin Layer-2, Stacks lets developers build smart contracts, DeFi, and NFTs that settle back to the Bitcoin blockchain, giving BTC some serious utility beyond just “digital gold.”

STX has already jumped 9% in the past 24 hours and, with daily volume above $180 million, it’s gaining traction. Its unique “Stacking” system also rewards holders in Bitcoin, which becomes a much more attractive feature as Bitcoin approaches $100,000.

Add in the recent Nakamoto upgrade – bringing faster transactions and sBTC integration – and you’ve got a project that’s tightly linked to Bitcoin’s success. It’s another exciting crypto to consider buying if you’re looking for outsized growth.

Conclusion

Stacks looks solid, Bitcoin Cash is gaining attention, and Solaxy’s record-breaking presale is one to keep an eye on for those seeking even higher potential returns. As always, do your own research and only invest what you’re willing to lose.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not provide financial advice. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile, and the market can be unpredictable. Always perform thorough research before making any cryptocurrency-related decisions.

I’m at peace with the idea that I won’t be visiting space in my lifetime. The cost of space tourism is out of reach for me and the vast majority of Americans. Yet on a recent Saturday afternoon, thanks to a mix of virtual reality and old-fashioned theatrics, I am on the moon.

Looking to my left, I see strange, abstractly blue lights emerging from the gray, rocky moon landscape. Ducking down, I can spot the stars and piece together various constellations. Ahead, I watch the vehicle I’m standing in — technically a shipping container — move through craters on a monorail.

This is “The Lunar Light: Discovery,” part VR experience, part mini-escape room, part science experiment and part one-act play. Currently running through mid-May in Santa Monica, “Lunar Light” uses a small cast of actors to bring the dream of visiting the moon alive. The VR helps, of course, as our goggles hide any facets of the shipping container from view, but it’s the performances that set the tone and sell the illusion. Throughout, we’ll be tasked with minor actions — mining moon rocks in VR, for instance — and the actors will lead, guide and offer moon tidbits, all with a bit of improv-inspired campiness.

Part of “Lunar Light: Discovery” is in virtual reality, when guests can look out digital windows to see views of space. Above, a screenshot from inside the headset.

(Courtesy of Lunar Light: Discovery)

“Lunar Light” is set in the year 2055, when humanity has established a small community on the moon. A mysterious blue-hued mineral has landed on Earth’s natural satellite, and it’s causing strange reactions — people’s emotions are comically off-centered, and power and lighting seem unpredictable. Even a tiny robot — DG-33, sort of cutesy spin on a trash compactor — has developed some quirks, namely a sassy Southern accent.

And yet “Lunar Light” has an underlying mission. The project, which mixes in actual science, is spearheaded by Danielle Roosa, an actor-writer turned space advocate. Roosa’s interest in the cosmos is in her blood, as she is the granddaughter of late Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa. And one of her early gigs was interning at NASA’s Washington, D.C., offices, where she worked in the news and multimedia room.

“I do think that space unites people,” says Danielle Roosa, who led the creation of “The Lunar Light: Discovery.”

(Catherine Dzilenski / For The Times)

“I realized a lot of my [college] classmates had no idea what NASA was even doing,” says Roosa, 32. “One person said, ‘I thought NASA was out of business.’ The seed was really planted there.”

Or awakened, rather.

“There’s always this conversation, ‘Why space exploration?’” Roosa says. “I think that understanding our place in the solar system helps us protect our home better. It helps us understand what could happen, maybe different ways of living life, going out there and finding different habits. All of those are for a better Earth. Even when my grandfather went to the moon, people were like, ‘Why are we doing this?’ I wasn’t there, but people also say that was the last time America was truly united. ‘Yes, we have to do this. We’re going to land on the moon.’ I do think that space unites people.”

“Lunar Light” is the first major project from Roosa’s firm Back to Space. She has grand ambitions — opening a large-scale immersive facility to house “Lunar Light” and other programs, and taking the experience on the road to various museums. She honed her business acumen after a chance meeting on an airplane with Jim Keyes, a former 7-Eleven and Blockbuster executive, who became a mentor and investor.

The Santa Monica installation is “Lunar Light’s” second pop-up, having had a run in Dallas in 2024. She considers it a proof of concept, the first step in her ultimate goal of building a “10,000-square-foot experience that’s like the Disneyland of space exploration.” Investors were interested but encouraged her to, at least at first, downsize her vision.

“OK, fine,” Roosa says, recalling those conversations. “So we built it out of shipping containers.”

“The Lunar Light: Discovery” builds to a mini escape room-like puzzle.

(Catherine Dzilenski / For The Times)

The Santa Monica experience, a little longer than an hour, is only in VR for a fraction of that period. After a short jaunt on the moon and a small gamelike activity in which we mine for virtual minerals, we find ourselves in a lab where we’ll play with various crystals. There’s a Tesla coil, and we will test out various electrical energy reactions. The mood, however, isn’t that of a classroom, as the actor manning the lab plays the scene for laughs — all that electrical energy is wreaking havoc on her mind.

Roosa, whose father was a military pilot, moved often throughout her childhood, and she says she escaped via improv shows like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” That informed “Lunar Light‘s” lighthearted vibe, and after experiencing various actor-driven immersive theater shows, such as one inspired by Netflix series “Bridgerton,” she knew she didn’t want her space exploration experience to rely solely on technology.

“I think human-to-human contact is the only thing that’s going to save us in the world,” Roosa says. “Obviously I like VR, but I think the human connection is what makes the experience.”

“Lunar Light” attempts to use VR to facilitate connection. While in the headsets, we can see our fellow participants. At times, we‘re asked to high-five them.

“Let’s say there’s three different groups,” Roosa says, describing how strangers might be brought together for the experience. “They’re all timid. ‘I don’t know you.’ You put the VR headset on, and all of a sudden they’re high-fiving each other and jumping up and down. It’s almost like an equalizer. By the end of it, they feel like one big group.”

The puzzles in “The Lunar Light: Discovery” are designed with collaboration in mind.

(Catherine Dzilenski / For The Times)

Ultimately, “Lunar Light” builds to a mini escape room puzzle. But don’t expect anything too difficult. Those lightly familiar with escape room challenges should be able to complete it without too much of a fuss. Roosa didn’t want participants to get stuck, as her ultimate goal is creating excitement around space by demystifying it.

Roosa says that many space experiences are “very serious.” She then briefly adopts an exaggerated, deeply male voice. “It is, ‘We are men of science.’ And I’ve always noticed, there is room for some fun. There is room for some comedy. I want people to feel a part of the space conversation.”

Danielle Roosa, second from left, back row, and Georgia Warner, Adam Kitchen, Derek Stusynski and Landon Gorton with guests: Soren McVay, Max Cazier, Leanna Turner, Hannah May Howard, James Cerini, and Eteka Huckaby during “The Lunar Light: Discovery.”

(Catherine Dzilenski / For The Times)

The story of how Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr., the stars of Netflix’s “Forever,” first met is like a perfectly scripted meet-cute that was fated to fuel a tender portrait of young love.

Cooper was on a flight bound for Los Angeles from Atlanta for an audition, stressed because his car had been stolen three hours earlier. But he heeded his agent’s advice to worry about it later (“He’s like, ‘Just go! If you book this, you can buy another car,’” Cooper recalls). Simone was his seatmate, en route to audition for the same TV series. Not that they had any clue then — they didn’t speak to each other on the flight. And they didn’t encounter each other in that first round. It wasn’t until they both got a callback for the chemistry read that it clicked.

Now, they’re poised to become the next teen obsession as the latest couple to go from book to screen in the newly released “Forever,” Mara Brock Akil’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s 1975 coming-of-age novel.

Both are relative newcomers — Simone, 26, has several TV credits to her name, including “Greenleaf” and “Manhunt,” while Cooper, 23, has a handful of shorts and film credits. They were cast last year to play the leads, Keisha Clark and Justin Edwards. “Forever” captures the intensity of first love and the powerful imprint it leaves as its teenage participants fumble through emotions and insecurities.

Set in Los Angeles in 2018, the series follows the romance between Keisha and Justin, two high school students who live on opposite ends of the social and economic spectrum. Keisha is a smart and confident track star whose circumstances pushed her to mature early and set big goals for life after high school, while Justin is a shy, music-loving guy who struggles with schoolwork despite his best efforts and pushing by his successful parents.

They first meet in grade school but reconnect as teens at a New Year’s Eve house party and quickly fall for each other, leading to a whirlwind romance filled with puppy eyes, miscommunication and deep longing. Their story, tracked over the course of a year, is punctuated by a sex video making the rounds at school, disruptive parental expectations and ample use of the cellphone block function (which leads to many unanswered texts).

Lovie Simone as Keisha Clark and Michael Cooper Jr. as Justin Edwards in “Forever.”

(Elizabeth Morris / Netflix)

“That first love — it changes people,” Simone says. “It changes your view on boundaries and connections and how you want to connect. It shapes you because it’s all of these ‘firsts’ and processing them and feeling them so intensely. Not in a traumatic way but in a life way.”

“Vulnerability is so tricky,” adds Cooper. “A lot of us tend to suppress emotionality versus run to it. Your first love exploits it in a complete way that you’re not accustomed to.”

The pair are in town again, this time seated in a plush, mauve-colored booth at Netflix’s offices on Vine Street on a recent day in April. If “Forever” rides the current teenage romance wave just right, it has the potential to serve as a defining breakthrough for both. But that’s not what has them laughing and growing bashful. In this moment, they’re reflecting on the lessons, growth and cringe moments that come with being young and down bad for someone.

Cooper talks about planning dates weeks in advance because of his nerves and wanting to get things right with his first girlfriend. “It was this palpable love that you can’t shake,” he says. “I was like, ‘I want to take her to the beach! I want to take her hiking! I want to have a picnic!’ It sticks with you and shapes your idea of how you see the world. And it made me put someone else before myself.”

Simone’s first boyfriend, she says, was a secret. “I’m from the Bronx, so we would sneak away to Times Square in Manhattan and link up and go on dates to the movies and stuff. I remember he got me a Swarovski bracelet and I had to hide it.”

“Hold up — he got you a Swarovski bracelet?” Cooper interjects. “What?”

“Yeah!” Simone says. “I was 15 or 16. He was a year older. When it ended, I was just so distraught for, like, two years. Just a mess. But it makes you put yourself first, eventually.”

Cooper credits Akil for grounding “Forever” in that beauty of discovery in adolescence.

Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone at Hachioji Ramen in Little Tokyo, a pivotal location in the series.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

It’s a passion project decades in the making, even if Akil didn’t realize it.

The writer and producer is known for a TV catalog that explores the joys and complexities of Black women, with shows like “Girlfriends,” “Being Mary Jane” and “The Game.” Akil was first introduced to Blume’s oeuvre with “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret,” reading it in less than two days. It set her on a search for more of the author’s work, known for depicting the confusing experience of growing up. She was 12 when “Forever” started getting passed among her friends.

“Pages were falling out because the book had been passed around so much,” she says on a recent day at her production office in L.A.’s West Adams neighborhood. Akil, who makes a point to stress her love for sleep, recalls fighting off slumber to read it.

“I remember my mom turning off the light, and she made me leave my door open because I would close it so I could stay up late to read. But she left the hall light on and I would read the book like this,” she says as she mimics holding a book, stretching her arms as if trying to get a sliver of light on a page. “I think I still have this ‘Forever’ crook in my neck.”

It was a seminal text for her adolescent mind, she says, because she was curious about how one goes from liking and kissing someone to knowing when they’re ready to engage in sex. What is that like? How do you do it? Where do you do it? Does it hurt? How do you talk about it? “Connect the dots for me,” she says. “Forever” offered some insight.

“There’s a passage in the book that explores that — how they are making this decision and how are they doing this. I thought it was really honest and well done,” she says. “Even the first time around, it didn’t go so well. Nothing bad happens. But it wasn’t this idyllic, romantic moment. It was awkward. And I appreciated that.”

Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone in “Forever,” which was shot in Los Angeles and features recognizable locations and landmarks.

(Elizabeth Morris / Netflix)

Not everyone feels the same — it has been on the American Library Assn.’s list of most frequently challenged books since the ’90s. Just last March, Florida’s Martin County School District banned it from its schools.

If you ask Akil, it speaks to the power of Blume’s pen and what has made her one of the most celebrated young-adult authors: “She treated our humanity as seriously as we took ourselves and really captured the psyche of being young. That roller coaster of joy to ‘Oh, my God, life is over’ for the smallest thing.”

Akil didn’t give the book much thought since those formative years. It wasn’t until she landed an overall deal with Netflix in 2020 and became aware that some of Blume’s work was available to adapt that Akil was determined to find a way to translate it for a new generation. However, at the time, “Forever” was not available to be optioned.

That didn’t deter Akil. She reread the book and requested a meeting with Blume, who had written it for her daughter around the time when the birth control pill became available to unmarried women. On a Zoom call, where they both wore blue-framed glasses, Akil made her pitch. Now, “Forever” marks her debut series with Netflix.

Tapping into the need for more inclusive depictions of young love, Akil’s take isn’t a straight adaptation. For one, it centers on two Black teens, and the characters’ names have been changed to Keisha and Justin. And while the emotions the teenage characters display are universal, they are also informed by reality.

Akil decided to set the show in 2018 and have the characters attend predominantly white private schools to grapple with the experience of being young Black people navigating such institutions as they aspired for the best opportunities for their future. The inspiration stemmed from the widespread conversations about microaggressions and systemic racism prompted by George Floyd’s murder in 2020.

Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr., stars of “Forever.” “A lot of us tend to suppress emotionality versus run to it,” Cooper says. “Your first love exploits it in a complete way that you’re not accustomed to.” (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Blume’s “Forever” centered Katherine, framing her as the more vulnerable protagonist because of her gender and the time period, but Akil’s adaptation explores how both Keisha and Justin are equally vulnerable. Keisha is trying not to let a scandal define her personhood. “I love that you can see what Keisha’s going through as a young Black woman with a lot of pressure on her — that anxiety, that weight the world places on you, that feeling that there’s no room for mistakes,” Simone says. “And she pushes through.”

Similarly, Justin, as a Black teen boy, is just as vulnerable when it comes to his future and the exploration of sexuality.

“I don’t see Justin in the canon that often. I don’t see the awkward but cool love interest, Black leading man in a story,” Akil says.

The experiences of her eldest son, Yasin, helped shape her vision for Justin, Akil says. (Yasin also created the music that Justin works on throughout the series.)

“I was nervous to step into the role,” Cooper says. “But there was one particular line that Mara wrote that said something like, ‘[Justin] has one foot in insecurity and the other foot in confidence’ and it hit; I was like, ‘I can connect to this.’ Even though he is different than who I am … there is something so real and raw about it. Mara wrote such a full-figured person.”

Akil also wanted Los Angeles to play a role in their love story. The production filmed in real neighborhoods — Keisha’s family lives in Crenshaw, and Justin’s family lives in the affluent View Park-Windsor Hills neighborhood. As the season unfolds, the pair visit places like the Fairfax District, the Santa Monica Pier and Little Tokyo.

“Something unique about living in Los Angeles, some of our vernacular here we say, ‘Above the 10, below the 10’ — I wanted to bring the beauty of both sides into it,” she says, referencing the interstate that cuts the city in half. “And how challenging that would be for young people who either don’t have access to a car or haven’t learned how to drive yet. What are the challenges it would be to see each other? It adds to the drama of it all, the connection.”

Akil’s vision earned Blume’s seal of approval.

“I was never going to do an adaptation of ‘Forever,’ but this was different. It was to be her take on ‘Forever,’ inspired by my book,” says Blume, 87, in a statement to The Times. “Now that I’ve watched all the episodes, some of them more than once, I think Mara has done a fine job reimagining the characters and story of my book. I hope audiences both new and old will come away satisfied, as I did.”

Akil, who came up as a writer on UPN’s coming-of-age sitcom “Moesha,” says she needed actors who could make you want to root for their characters, whether together or apart, and could delve into the wellsprings of the search for identity that is crucial to this story. Simone and Cooper embodied that apart, she says, but together, they brought something else out in each other, though Akil struggles to define it.

“But you can just see it. Something shifted,” she says. “I think Michael was unpredictable to Lovie and that brought something out in her that was just really beautiful. And that is what love is — it’s unpredictable.”

Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone are poised to become the next teen obsession thanks to “Forever.” Judy Blume has given her stamp of approval: “I hope audiences both new and old will come away satisfied, as I did.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Palpable chemistry between leads is, of course, crucial to young-adult romance adaptations — it’s what made streaming series like “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Normal People” successful. The night before their chemistry read, Cooper ran into Simone outside their hotel while she was waiting for an Uber Eats delivery from Wendy’s. They ended up reviewing scenes together.

“That was the first time that we had ever processed or done anything together at all,” Simone says. “It was fun. It was like, OK, now that we’ve done this in this room with the Wendy’s, we have to go out there and get it.”

Regina King, who directed the pilot and is an executive producer of the series, says she encouraged the actors to use their auditions as a touchpoint.

“I would often remind them about the first time they auditioned together and how their hearts were beating fast; the nerves may have been just because you wanted to get the role, but it’s also that, ‘Oh, what is this actor going to be like?’ What was that first feeling when you guys sat there in front of that camera, in front of us?”

Now, a few hours after our initial sit-down, Simone and Cooper are huddled inside Hachioji Ramen in Little Tokyo for a photo shoot; Simone is filling Cooper in on the horror film she’s been busy shooting. The location is significant — it’s where their characters meet for a final date of sorts, having broken up and preparing to navigate life after graduation. Choosing not to attend Northwestern like his parents did, Justin is pursuing his music instead. Keisha, meanwhile, is bound for Howard University.

“The development of these characters, for them to come to that level of communication and maturity, is good for young people to see,” Cooper says. “Justin is just stepping into himself, he’s growing up. Keisha is too; She’s at peace with letting go.”

“I love that you get to see some form of closure,” Simone adds. “Because a lot of times with breakups, there’s not much conversation around the ending. Endings can be beautiful. Endings can be beginnings. I do see Keisha and Justin reconnecting. I don’t know when or for what. They need to be themselves separately. That’s important to see too, that you can grow outside of each other.”

Akil hopes to continue exploring their story beyond one season. Maybe not forever, but at least for a while.