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Fortunately for avid bibliophiles, Harper Lee was an inveterate pack rat. Born in rural Monroeville, Ala., in 1926, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” — whose first name is Nelle, her grandmother Ellen’s name spelled backward — spent much of her adult life in Manhattan after moving there in 1949.
First, she lived in a cold-water flat on the Upper East Side (subsisting on peanut butter sandwiches and meager bookstore and airline ticket agent salaries); then in a room in a Midtown hotel where Edith Wharton and Mark Twain once resided; a third-floor York Avenue walk-up ($20 a month for five years, where “Go Set a Watchman” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” were written); and, finally four decades at 433 E. 82nd St. There, amid “piles of her correspondence and practically every pay stub, telephone bill and canceled check ever issued to her, were notebooks and manuscripts” and eight previously unpublished early short stories and eight once-published essays and magazine articles. Those writings, discovered in her New York City apartment after she died in her Alabama hometown nine years ago, have been gathered into the welcome hybrid compendium “The Land of Sweet Forever.”
The short stories take up the first half of the collection, but it’s an unusual selection in the second half, “Essays and Miscellaneous Pieces,” that may reveal as much about the burgeoning author as the fictional juvenilia. In a contribution to “The Artists’ & Writers’ Cookbook” (1961), along with entries by Lillian Hellman, William Styron and Marianne Moore, Lee offered a one-page recipe for crackling bread, complete with the authorial observation, “some historians say by which alone fell the Confederacy.” The opening instruction is, “First, catch your pig.” After that, the ingredients (water-ground white meal, salt, baking powder, egg, milk) and directions might just as well function as an analogy for the process of writing and editing a manuscript.
In her introduction, Lee’s appointed biographer Casey Cep observes that it “takes enormous patience and unerring instincts to refine a scrap of story into something … keen and moving.” Lee admits to being “more of a rewriter than a writer.” In a 1950 letter to one of her sisters, she outlines her typical writing day, working through at least three drafts:
From around noon, work on the first draft. By dinnertime, I’ve usually put my idea down. I then stop for a sandwich or a full meal, depending on whether I’ve got to think more about the story or just finish it. After dinner, I work on a second draft, which involves sometimes tearing the story up and putting it together again in an entirely different way, or just keeping at it until everything is like I want it. Then I retype it on white paper, conforming to rules of manuscript preparation, and run out & mail it. That sounds simple, but sometimes I have worked through the night on one; usually I end up around two or three in the morning.
It’s all rather like testing, perfecting a recipe. If the product was these eight short stories, then “yes, chef” has baked a perfect loaf.
Each story illuminates Lee’s quintessential talents as the “balladeer of small-town culture” and the chronicler of city life. They display narrative skills, an acute ear for dialogue (especially the vernacular), development of fully rounded characters and vivid descriptions of settings. They also introduce subjects and significant themes — family, friendship, moral compass — that reappear in her nonfiction and novels.
Country life imposes restrictions on childhood characters in the first three stories. In “The Water Tank” anxious 12-year-old Abby Henderson, reacting to schoolyard rumors, believes she’s pregnant because she hugged a boy whose pants were unbuttoned. Anti-authoritarian first grader Dody (one of Harper’s nicknames) in “The Binoculars” is chastised for not tracing but writing her name on the blackboard. Early glimpses of “Mockingbird’s” Scout and Atticus Finch appear in the amusing “The Pinking Shears” when third grader “little Jean Louie” (without the later “s”) undermines gender rules when she whacks off a rambunctious minister’s daughter’s lengthy locks.
In New York City, where “sooner or later you meet everybody you ever knew on Fifth Avenue,” urban stress leads to a shocking monologue with an incendiary conclusion about feuding neighbors in “A Roomful of Kibble,” a frivolous kind of parlor game involving movie titles in “The Viewer and the Viewed,” and a humorous parking incident when one friend agrees to help another with lighting for a fashion show in “This Is Show Business?”
The closing title short story, “The Land of Sweet Forever,” adeptly merges locations and themes. It opens with a satirical nod to Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”: “It is a truth generally acknowledged by the citizens of Maycomb, Ala., that a single woman in possession of little else but a good knowledge of English social history must be in want of someone to talk to.” When adult Jean Louise (now with the “s”) leaves the city for home, she has a hilarious church encounter with someone she hadn’t seen since they were children, 21-year-old Talbert Wade, now with the taint of three years as an economics major at Northwestern University and a patina full of Europe, looking “suspiciously as if he had returned from a tour and had picked up a Brooks Brothers suit on the way home.” Together, they are trying to understand why the doxology, always sung “in one way and one way only” suddenly has been “pepped up” with an energetic organ accompaniment. Before it’s resolved there is an amusing anecdote about a cow obituary in verse and a concluding bow to Voltaire’s “Candide” when Jean Louise concedes that “all things happen for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds.” The story is a resounding example of Lee’s scintillating sense of wry humor.
Big themes of love, family and friendship recur in the eight previously published essays and articles (from 1961 to 2006) that appeared in Vogue, McCall’s, an American Film Institute program (about Gregory Peck), a Book of the Month Club newsletter (on the “little boy next door” Truman Capote and “In Cold Blood”), Alabama History and Heritage Festival, and O, the Oprah Magazine (a letter about the joy of learning to read). In addition to the crackling bread recipe that serves as a fingerpost to Lee’s writing process, the standout essay “Christmas to Me” details how she received a generous gift that changed her life, allowing her to become an accomplished, published writer. In 1956, best friends, lyricist-composer Michael Brown and his wife, Joy, surprised her with an envelope on the tree with a note, “You have one year off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas.” That meant $100 every month, covering more than five times her rent.
Juvenilia is tricky. It can be evanescent, exposing weaknesses or revealing strengths and talent. “The Land of Sweet Forever” reinforces Lee’s indelible voice, contributing a rewarding addition and resource to the slim canon of her literary legacy.
The recipe for crackling bread:
First, catch your pig. Then ship it to the abattoir nearest you. Bake what they send back. Remove the solid fat and throw the rest away. Fry fat, drain off liquid grease, and combine the residue (called “cracklings”) with:
1 ½ cups water-ground white meal 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 egg 1 cup milk
Bake in very hot oven until brown (about 15 minutes).
Result: one pan crackling bread serving 6. Total cost: about $250, depending upon size of pig. Some historians say by this recipe alone fell the Confederacy.
Papinchak, a former English professor, is a freelance book critic in Los Angeles. He has also contributed interviews to Bon Appetit.
On October 8, 2025, Osprey Private Wealth LLC disclosed a buy of 13,580 shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co.(JPM -0.63%), an estimated $4.04 million trade.
What happened
According to its SEC filing dated October 8, 2025, Osprey Private Wealth LLC acquired an additional 13,580 shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in the third quarter of 2025. The estimated value of the shares purchased is approximately $4.04 million, based on the average closing price for the quarter. The post-trade position stands at 48,910 shares, worth $15.43 million at quarter-end.
What else to know
The fund increased its JPMorgan Chase & Co. stake, now representing 5.6% of reportable assets.
Osprey’s top holdings after the filing:
Alphabet: $22.44 million (8.2% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
Nvidia: $21.11 million (7.7% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
JPMorgan Chase: $15.43 million (5.6% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
Meta Platforms: $14.74 million (5.4% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
Visa: $12.47 million (4.5% of AUM) as of September 30, 2025
As of October 7, 2025, shares were priced at $307.69, up 45.9% over the past year, outperforming the S&P 500 by 32.0 percentage points over the past year
Company overview
Metric
Value
Net income (TTM)
$56.2 billion
Dividend yield
1.8%
Price (as of market close October 7, 2025)
$307.69
Company snapshot
JPMorgan Chase:
offers a comprehensive suite of financial products and services, including consumer banking, investment banking, commercial banking, asset and wealth management, and payment solutions.
serves a broad client base comprising individual consumers, small businesses, corporations, institutional investors, and government entities worldwide.
operates globally with significant scale across multiple banking segments.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is one of the world’s largest and most diversified financial institutions, with significant scale across consumer, commercial, and investment banking segments. The company’s integrated business model and global reach enable it to capture a wide range of revenue streams and maintain a strong competitive position.
Foolish take
While Osprey’s addition of $4 million to its JPMorgan Chase position purchase may seem encouraging to investors, it may not be as big a deal as it looks.
Despite this hefty purchase, Osprey’s portfolio allocation to JPMorgan Chase actually dipped from 5.7% to 5.6%. This decline stems from the fact that the firm added to almost all of the investments it holds.
Ultimately, Osprey mostly holds niche-leading stocks that may prove hard to disrupt, so its 5.6% in JP Morgan Chase — making it the largest bank in the United States — fits this billing nicely.
Despite being the largest bank here in the states, JPMorgan Chase has grown its net income and dividend payments by 13% and 9% annually over the last decade.
This growth, paired with the company’s solid return on equity of 16%, reasonable price-to-earnings ratio of 16, and top-quality leadership, makes JPMorgan Chase a great steady-Eddie investment to consider — and why it looks like an excellent stock for Osprey to add to.
Glossary
AUM: Assets under management – The total market value of investments managed by a fund or firm.
Reportable AUM: The portion of a fund’s assets required to be disclosed in regulatory filings.
Stake: The ownership interest or amount of shares held in a particular company or asset.
Holding: A specific security or asset owned within an investment portfolio.
Outperforming: Achieving a higher return than a relevant benchmark or index over a given period.
Dividend yield: Annual dividends per share divided by the share price, expressed as a percentage.
Quarter-end: The last day of a fiscal quarter, used as a reference point for financial data.
Integrated business model: A company structure combining multiple business lines or services to create operational efficiencies.
Institutional investors: Organizations such as pension funds, insurance companies, or endowments that invest large sums of money.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Josh Kohn-Lindquist has positions in Alphabet, Nvidia, and Visa. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, JPMorgan Chase, Meta Platforms, Nvidia, and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Southwest Airlines announced Thursday that it has added Anchorage, Alaska, to its routes. File Photo by Larry W. Smith/EPA
Oct. 2 (UPI) — Southwest air announced Thursday it’s adding Alaska’s Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to its list of destinations beginning in early 2026.
It’s the fifth new destination Southwest has added this year. The company will fly to 122 airports next year.
“We’re adding destinations that once seemed inconceivable for Southwest in order to build a route network that creates new experiences and more possibilities than ever before,” said Andrew Watterson, chief operating officer at Southwest Airlines, in a statement. “We look forward to connecting our customers to the rich history and culture of Anchorage and connecting the 49th state to our vast domestic network.”
The addition could be a boost to Alaska tourism.
“Air travel is a lifeline in Alaska, and Southwest’s arrival in Anchorage is a major win for our communities,” said Ryan Anderson, commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, in a statement. “This service will provide more affordable, reliable connections for Alaskans and help share our great state with more visitors than ever before.”
Southwest is also redesigning its cabins. It will sell assigned and premium seating and is launching free WiFi for rewards members. It will also have in-seat power on all of its Boeing 737-8 aircraft.
“This will be a big economic boost for Anchorage and all of south-central Alaska,” said Suzanne LaFrance, mayor of Anchorage, in a statement. “We are excited to share our rich cultural heritage, magnificent landscapes, and diverse community with a larger group of travelers.”
Southwest announced in March it would start charging for checked bags. But A-List loyalty program members and those in business class won’t have to pay.
The airline and package holiday provider is offering citybreaks to 11 destinations across Europe this winter
Sophie Buchan and Liv Clarke
13:09, 18 Sep 2025Updated 13:12, 18 Sep 2025
Christmas markets at home or abroad – which one do you prefer?(Image: Getty)
Believe it or not, Christmas is now just around the corner with fewer than 100 days to go until the big day. To help travellers get into the festive spirit early, Jet2 has rolled out what it said was its most extensive Christmas Markets programme ever, complete with a new destination and departures from airports across Scotland, Ireland and England.
Jet2.com and Jet2CityBreaks are giving holidaymakers the opportunity to discover the magic of Europe’s most festive cities with 11 enchanting Christmas market destinations to choose from. For winter 2025 and 2026, more than 250,000 seats are available across their UK departure points – marking its biggest festive programme to date, reports the MEN.
The airline and package holiday provider is offering city breaks to the likes of:
Berlin
Cologne
Gdansk
Budapest
Krakow
Prague
Vienna
Bratislava
Malmo
Copenhagen
Would you visit Copenhagen this winter?
This year, Jet2 is expanding its lineup with a new destination – Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. In winter, Tallinn’s historic Old Town is transformed into a magical scene straight from a fairytale, with its rich heritage, vibrant culture, festive shopping, and buzzing nightlife.
Travellers can choose between a flight-only option with Jet2.com or a full ATOL-protected city break with Jet2CityBreaks. These are both bookable with just a £60 per person deposit.
Jet2CityBreaks packages include return Jet2.com flights, 22kg of checked baggage, 10kg of hand luggage and a carefully selected range of 2 to 5-star hotels in central locations – perfect for exploring one of Europe’s most enchanting Christmas market destinations.
Christmas is less than 100 days away(Image: Mareen Fischinger via Getty Images)
The Christmas Market programme runs from the following airports:
MORRISVILLE, Pa. — Trying to quilt together a patchwork of states that would give him the White House, Mitt Romney ricocheted around the country Sunday, arguing that he represented true change and that reelecting the president would mean a continuation of the status quo: chronic unemployment, high energy prices and increased dependence on government.
Romney said Obama had promised much but had fallen “so very short.”
“Talk is cheap, but a record is real and it’s measured in achievements,” the Republican nominee said, bundled against the cold at his rally in a farm field.
“The president thinks big government is the answer,” Romney added. “No, Mr. President, more good jobs, that’s the answer.”
At that, tens of thousands of people who had gathered for the rally began chanting, “Send him home!”
The Romney appearance in the suburb of Philadelphia was his first in Pennsylvania since September, when he visited a military college. His wife, Ann, and his running mate, Rep. Paul D. Ryan, have appeared here more recently, with Ryan visiting on Saturday.
Campaign officials clearly hoped that Romney’s appearance, and Republicans’ recent ad spending, would turn a state that Obama handily won in 2008.
Aside from one poll that shows the race tied, all other recent surveys show Obama comfortably holding onto Pennsylvania. But a win for Romney would offset a loss in Ohio — where Obama has held onto a steady, if extremely narrow, lead in polls — or losses in a collection of less-populated states such as Wisconsin, Nevada and Iowa.
Though Romney has largely ignored Pennsylvania in recent months, his spokesman argued that his visit less than 48 hours before election day was perfectly timed because the state did not have early voting.
“It’s a remarkable juxtaposition here that Mitt Romney will be in the suburbs of Philadelphia today and, you know, four years ago, Barack Obama was in Indiana,” senior advisor Ed Gillespie said on ABC’s “This Week”, referring to the Republican-dominated state that Obama ultimately won in 2008. “When you look at where this map has gone, it reflects the change and the direction and the momentum toward Gov. Romney…. The map has expanded.”
Democrats countered that the appearance in Pennsylvania, which has gone Democratic for two decades, was one of desperation as Romney grasped for a path to the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
“They understand they are in deep trouble,” Obama senior strategist David Axelrod said on “Fox News Sunday.” “They’re looking for somewhere, desperately looking for somewhere to try to dislodge some electoral votes to win this election, and I can tell you, that’s not going to happen.”
The scene in Pennsylvania reflected the drama at the end of the hard-fought presidential contest. Two cranes hoisted massive American flags; fireworks closed the rally.
“This audience and your voices are being heard all over the nation. You’re being heard in my heart,” Romney said. “People of America understand, we’re taking back the White House because we’re going to win Pennsylvania.”
Romney also made what has become a familiar pitch from both candidates as election day nears.
“Now let’s make sure every single person we know gets out and votes on Tuesday,” he said. “What makes this rally and all your work so inspiring is because you’re here because you care about America. This is a campaign about our country and the future we’re going to leave to our children. We thank you and we ask you to stay at it all the way till victory on Tuesday night.”
Romney also campaigned Sunday in front of large crowds in Iowa and Ohio, where polling shows Obama holds a slim edge. And he held a late-night rally in Virginia, where the race appears to be even.
A Des Moines Register poll released Saturday showed the president ahead by 5 percentage points in Iowa. But Republicans noted that the same poll four years ago overstated Obama’s support in the state, which he won by nearly 10 percentage points.
In addition to six electoral votes, Iowa holds symbolic significance for both candidates: Its first-in-the-nation caucuses launched Obama’s bid in 2008 and proved difficult for Romney in 2008 and this year.
Republican Gov. Terry Branstad said while introducing the GOP nominee in Des Moines that the state that made Obama would take him down.
“Iowans feel betrayed. Almost a sense of — not only disappointed, but almost a sense of betrayal that our principles of sound budgeting and responsible government have been ignored by this administration for four straight years,” Branstad said, adding: “It’s time for a change. It’s time for you to go back to Chicago.”
Romney, speaking at the Hy-Vee Hall, urged his supporters to reach out to disenchanted backers of the president and persuade them that a change in direction was vital for the nation’s future.
“I need your vote; I need your work; I need your help. Walk with me. We’ll walk together. Let’s begin anew. I need Iowa,” he said.
Walmart will soon expand its streaming offerings to its subscription members, with the retail giant announcing a new partnership with NBCUniversal’s Peacock on Monday.
Starting Sept. 15, Walmart+ subscribers can choose to receive ad-supported versions of Peacock Premium or Paramount+ as part of their membership. Every 90 days, Walmart+ members can switch between the two services.
“The additional option of Peacock Premium adds even more value and more choice to our membership, without raising the price,” said Deepak Maini, senior vice president of Walmart+, in a statement. “This is just one of the many ways we’re evolving Walmart+ to meet the needs and wants of today’s consumer.”
The move could appeal to consumers who feel overwhelmed by the different streaming choices and give them a chance to sample what each platform offers without dealing with additional cost.
Walmart+, which charges $98 for an annual plan, includes free shipping, free same-day delivery on groceries and prescriptions, gas discounts and other benefits. Adding more streaming content could help Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart compete with Amazon Prime, though Walmart does not invest in original content, unlike the Seattle e-commerce behemoth.
Walmart declined to say how many people subscribe to Walmart+.
In 2020, Walmart launched Walmart+, which competes with Amazon’s $139 annual Prime membership. Prime offers perks such as free shipping and streaming series such as “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “Reacher,” action movie “The Pickup” and NFL football games.
Last week, Amazon announced that Peacock Premium Plus, the streaming service’s ad-free version, would be available on Prime Video for an additional fee, along with 100 other subscription options in the U.S. Amazon also said it had a multiyear deal for the Peacock app to be available on its Fire TV in the U.S.
Walmart has had a spotty track record on its own streaming efforts and currently does not have its own streaming service or produce its own originals. In 2010, Walmart purchased video-on-demand service Vudu and in 2018 partnered with MGM to create original programming for the platform. The retailer later sold Vudu to Fandango in 2020.
Before that, Walmart launched a web store to sell movie and TV show downloads but shut it down in less than a year after its partner, Hewlett-Packard Co., discontinued the technology for the site after it underperformed.
Upcoming spin-off Y: Marshals has added three stars from the original drama to the cast
Yellowstone’s forthcoming spin-off, focusing on Kayce Dutton (played by Luke Grimes), is set to feature at least three more big names from the original series.
Y: Marshals will follow the son of ranch owner John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in the aftermath of his father’s death as he leaves the ranch to combat crime across Montana.
Deadline has now revealed that Yellowstone veterans Gil Birmingham, Brecken Merrill and Mo Brings Plenty will be reprising their roles from the main show.
Birmingham played Chief Thomas Rainwater, who had a feud with the Duttons over disputed land, while Brings Plenty played Rainwater’s driver and right-hand man, Mo.
Meanwhile, Merrill played Kayce’s son Tate alongside Kelsey Asbille as wife and mother Monica Dutton.
Thomas Rainwater and his right-hand man Mo will both return(Image: PARAMOUNT)
It’s not yet known if Asbille will be returning, though Deadline suggests her absence may be explained within the series.
In addition to these three Yellowstone favourites, Y: Marshals has confirmed four more cast members joining Grimes and the previously announced Logan Marshall-Green.
Arielle Kebbel (Rescue: HI-Surf), Ash Santos (Pulse) and Tatanka Means (Reservation Dogs) are on board as series regulars.
They’ll be playing members of the US Marshals Belle, Andrea and Miles, respectively. Finally, The West Wing and Lost star Brett Cullen will take on a recurring role as Montana’s head of US Marshals, Harry Gifford, reports the Express.
The exact storyline for the upcoming Yellowstone spin-off is being kept under wraps, but a series synopsis has given fans a taste of what’s to come.
Brecken Merrill is back as Tate – but Kelsey Asbille’s Monica may not return(Image: PARAMOUNT)
Paramount+ half price sale
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Paramount+ is offering 50% off its Standard and Premium subscriptions until July 10.
According to Deadline, it states: “In Y: Marshals, with the Yellowstone Ranch behind him, Kayce Dutton (Grimes) joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring range justice to Montana, where he and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence.”
In other news, Oscar-nominated actress Annette Bening has been confirmed to join another Yellowstone spin-off.
She’ll be taking on the role of Beulah Jackson, the boss of a competing ranch, in the tentatively named The Dutton Ranch, which will carry on the tale of Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).
Y: Marshals will premiere in late 2025 – early 2026 on CBS. Yellowstone is available to stream on Paramount+.
Motorists are flocking to Amazon to get their hands on a smart bit of car kit that’s seen a dramatic tumble in price.
The gadget is the second-generation Echo Auto, and it’s been picking up some proper rave reviews from blokes and lasses who have snapped it up.
1
The Echo Auto will introduce hands-free Alexa control to your car
Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen), £19.99 (was £59.99)
Originally fetching a hefty £59.99, the nifty Echo Auto is currently on sale for just £19.99 on Amazon.
That’s a cracking deal and a perfect time for anyone looking to introduce some smart tech into their motor – and crucially, without splashing out a fortune.
This little gizmo is designed to be your co-pilot, letting you command Alexa while you’re busy at the wheel.
Hands-free control: You can talk to Alexa to play music, make calls, or set reminders without ever touching your phone.
Navigation: Get directions from apps like Google Maps just by asking Alexa where you want to go.
Play music: Listen to your favourite songs and podcasts from services like Spotify or Amazon Music.
Smart home control: You can ask Alexa to turn on your house lights or adjust the heat while you are driving home.
Hear your voice: It has special microphones that can hear you clearly over car noise, like the radio or air conditioner.
The 2nd-gen Echo Auto is a small and discreet piece of kit that slots right into your car.
It hooks up to your phone and your car’s speakers to bring a whole new level of voice control to your ride.
Getting it all set up is a doddle too. You just plug it into a spare USB slot, link it to your phone’s Alexa app, and you’re sorted.
This brilliant bit of kit has an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon, with thousands of happy drivers raving about how it’s transformed their motors.
One buzzing punter, who slapped a 5-star rating on it, wrote: “Highly recommend this. Works in my 23-year-old Nissan Micra.
“Voice activated, can listen to a music playlist or podcasts, can make hands-free calls, listen to LBC, etc. Works brilliantly.”
Another shopper commented: “Works seamlessly… very useful as just a Bluetooth pass through to car speakers.”
Another chuffed buyer said: “Great piece of tech, [I] love Alexa at home.
“Now she comes on the road with us and, unlike my phone, she hears very well and plays whatever I want. Terrific.”
A proper ringing endorsement came from a verified customer who simply put: “This is an amazing piece of kit, highly recommend.”
Whether you want to listen to tunes, get directions, or just stay connected on the go, the Auto is a simple and cheap way to do it.
At that sale price, it’s a bit of a no-brainer.
Amazon Echo Auto (2nd gen), £19.99 (was £59.99)
For more savings on other smart gadgets, head to our Amazon device deals round-up.
When looking at a majestic residence like the 1908 Gamble House — a Craftsman crown jewel of Pasadena — its easy to romanticize the lives of its owners. Luxury and wealth radiate from its graceful, low-slung eaves, sloping lawns and wide porches. But the idea of class is baked into its architecture, with a series of rooms built to be occupied by the domestic servants who toiled day and night to keep the house running for its privileged inhabitants, the heirs to the Proctor & Gamble fortune.
Through Aug. 17, those rooms are open for tours with the addition of a compelling art installation by Karen Schwenkmeyer and Lisa Mann titled “Dirty Laundry,” which examines the heartache, disappointments and perseverance of domestic laborers in the early 20th century by printing their words on tea towels and sheets hung in the Gamble House’s drying yard, and stitching them into a pillowcase in one of the small staff bedrooms.
“What I mind is the awful loneliness,” reads the pillowcase on austere wooden twin bed. “Many times, many nights I went to bed and cried myself sick.”
A sculpture constructed of Ivory soap, mops and scrub brushes takes up residence in the staff bathroom. The soap, one of Procter & Gamble’s bestselling products, was marketed as 99.44% pure, and the sculpture is a meditation on “who is pure and who is not,” explained Mann during an opening reception for the installation, adding that she and Schwenkmeyer approached the lavatory as “a place of resistance and empowerment.”
The goal of the installation, say Schwenkmeyer and Mann, was to bring to light the “emotional and psychological toll of being on-call every day of the week.”
A tea towel blowing in the warm Southern California air puts it more plainly: “I hope someday will come when I don’t have to work so hard … I do hate to get up in the morning. I am so tired.”
Artists Karen Schwenkmeyer and Lisa Mann stand with their installation “Dirty Laundry” at the Gamble House in Pasadena.
(Paul Takizawa)
Domestic staff in many of the country’s most rarefied households was made up of immigrants who came to America looking for a better life only to find themselves stuck in the same classist , low-wage systems they had fled in the first place, the artists explan.
“Servants in the United States ‘were haunted by a confused and imperfect phantom of equality,’ which promised perfect parity at one moment but then suddenly shouted a reminder that some people are more equal than others,” reads a bedsheet quoting from a book about Americans and their servants by Daniel E. Sutherland, which greets visitors upon entrance to the yard.
Thinking of these words and imagining the lives of the many men, women and children who devoted their lives to caring for wealthy people is a potent way to walk through the beautiful rooms inside the Gamble House. We may not call domestic laborers servants anymore, but the way we choose to treat those who tend to our many needs — to see them and respect them, or not — speaks volumes of who we are as a society.
I’m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, rethinking all my assumptions about a bar of soap. Here’s this weeks art news.
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The Broadway cast of the musical comedy “Some Like it Hot” in 2022. The national tour is now playing at the Hollywood Pantages.
(Courtesy of Marc J. Franklin)
Some Like It Hot This musical adaptation of Billy Wilder’s 1959 film comedy about two musicians who go on the run disguised as women after witnessing a mob hit in prohibition-era Chicago brings a contemporary sensibility to the 1930s shenanigans. The Broadway production won four Tony Awards in 2023. Through Aug. 17. Hollywood Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. broadwayinhollywood.com
Keith Carradine and Shelly Duvall in Robert Altman’s “Nashville.”
(Paramount Pictures)
Robert Altman’s America: A Centennial Review UCLA Film and Television Archive celebrates the late filmmaker’s 100th birthday with a 13-film series that kicks off with 1976’s “Nashville,” which melds politics with country music and features a large ensemble including Ned Beatty, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Shelley Duvall, Barbara Harris, Lily Tomlin and dozens more. 7:30 p.m. Friday; series continues through Sept. 26. Billy Wilder Theater, UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. cinema.ucla.edu
Musician Adrian Quesada performs a free concert, co-hosted by De Los, on Saturday.
(James Carbone/For De Los)
Adrian Quesada De Los, The Times’ platform for all things Latinidad, co-hosts a free concert by the Grammy-winning musician and Oscar-nominated songwriter. Best known for his work in the bands Grupo Fantasma and Black Pumas, Quesada’s latest album, “Boleros Psicodélicos II,” is “a 12-track sonic field trip through Quesada’s Latin American influences — and a testament to teamwork,” wrote Carlos De Loera in a recent De Los profile. 6 p.m. Saturday. Grand Performances, 350 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. grandperformances.org
The Actors’ Gang’s performance of “Roswell That Ends Well.”
(Bob Turton Photography)
Roswell That Ends Well The Actors’ Gang turns the Bard on his ear in this year’s Shakespeare in the Park production, an adaptation of “All’s Well That Ends Well” where outer space meets the Wild West in the form of a determined cowgirl with big dreams and a four-armed alien king. 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, through Aug. 24. Admission is free, reservations highly suggested. Media Park, 9070 W. Venice Blvd., Culver City. theactorsgang.com
Chow Yun-Fat in John Woo’s “A Better Tomorrow.”
(Shout! Studios)
Hong Kong Cinema Classics The American Cinematheque and Beyond Fest, in partnership with Shout! Studios and GKIDS, present a retrospective of seminal films, many of which are rarely screened. Genre master John Woo will appear with his films “Hard Boiled” (7 p.m. Saturday), a triple feature of the “A Better Tomorrow” trilogy (11 a.m. Sunday) and “The Killer” (7 p.m. Sunday). The monthlong series also includes films by stalwart action directors Tsui Hark, Ringo Lam and Ching Siu-tung. 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. Sunday; 7 p.m. Sunday. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd. americancinematheque.com
Karl Benjamin, #13, 1970. Oil on canvas, 68” x 68”
(Gerard Vuilleumier)
Complications in Color A new exhibition marks the 100th birthday of Claremont artist Karl Benjamin (1925-2012), a painter and leader in the 1950s hard-edge abstraction painting movement. In his review of the 2007 survey of the painter’s work, Times art critic Christopher Knight wrote, “Benjamin emerges as a colorist of great wit and inventiveness.” The current exhibition also features the work of fellow abstractionists Florence Arnold, June Harwood, Rachel Lachowicz and Terry O’Shea. Noon-4 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays; noon-7 p.m. Fridays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 16. Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, 200 W. First St., Claremont. clmoa.org
Gustavo Dudamel is back at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday and Thursday.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Gustavo Dudamel returns The maestro is back at the Bowl next week and makes the most of it. On Tuesday, he conducts the L.A. Phil as Ravel meets Ellington with a little help from star Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho. Two nights later, Dudamel’s back leading the orchestra in works by Korngold (Featuring violinist Vilde Frang) and Mahler. Dudamel completes this brief concert run Aug. 8-9, conducting John Williams’ crowd-favorite “Jurassic Park” score over a live screening of the summer blockbuster. Ellington and Ravel. 8 p.m. Tuesday; Mahler and Korgold, 8 p.m. Thursday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com
Culture news
Wallis Annenberg, who died Monday at 86, photographed in 2022.
(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)
Philanthropist Wallis Annenberg — whose name became synonymous with arts and culture in Los Angeles — died earlier this week of complications from lung cancer at the age of 86. The wealthy patron was memorialized in tributes for her commitment to making art accessible to people from all walks of life, as well as for her friendship and love of animals. Annenberg was the daughter of publishing magnate Walter Annenberg, who made his fortune, in part, by selling TV Guide, among other publications, to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. For the last 16 years of her life, Wallis served as chairwoman of the board, president and chief executive of her family’s Annenberg Foundation.
Only July 23, Congressman Bob Onder introduced the Make Entertainment Great Again Act, which proposed that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts be renamed the Donald J. Trump Center for Performing Arts. NPR reported that the bill is likely a long shot.
The SoCal Scene
Adam Lambert performs during a rehearsal of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on July 26 at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
“Jesus Christ Superstar,” starring Cynthia Erivo as Jesus and Adam Lambert as Judas , opens tonight at the Hollywood Bowl for a sold-out, three-night run. I spent last Saturday at a rehearsal dishing with Josh Gad on the sidelines while watching Lambert strut his stuff and tearing up over Phillipa Soo’s performance of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” Read my behind-the-scenes story of how the musical came together and why the casting is so important in this era of political turmoil and change. (Gad, who was to play King Herod, had to drop out of the show Wednesday, after contracting COVID.)
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The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a variety of special programs and events. In August, the museum is holding a Saturday afternoon film series titled, “Cinematic Touchstones 1975,” which features four movies that made a lasting impact on the culture 50 years ago. The stellar lineup consists of “Mahogany,” “Escape to Witch Mountain,” “Grey Gardens” and “Barry Lyndon.” Admission to the theater is free with general admission to the museum. For schedule and additional details, click here.
The Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center opened in May in the tiny Santa Barbara County town on 3.5 acres of land planted with native blooms, trees, grasses and shrubs. Times staff writer Jeanette Marantos paid a recent visit and reported back on the high-tech interactive displays that bring the past to life and highlight the continuing importance of the tribe and its lasting impact on the area.
The nonprofit organization Tierra Del Sol, which champions professional development through arts education for people with disabilities, will stage its inaugural fashion show in West Hollywood on Sept. 27. The show will showcase hand-crafted designs from eight developmentally disabled artists working out of the organization’s Sunland and Upland studios. After the runway show, the creations will remain at Tierra del Sol’s Gallery, located at 7414 Santa Monica Blvd., for a six-week exhibition, ending Nov. 1.
— Jessica Gelt
And last but not least
There is nothing as soul-soothing as a hot bowl of pho — and that’s pho sure! The Times Food section has created a list of 11 great spots to eat your fill.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — If you want someone for your next celebrity roast, Ichiro Suzuki could be your guy.
Mixing sneaky humor with heartfelt messages, the first Japanese-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame stole the show Sunday in Cooperstown.
Morning showers and gloomy skies delayed the ceremonies by an hour, but the moisture gave way to bright skies and warm temperatures. The sun seemed its brightest during Suzuki’s acceptance speech.
The outfielder was joined by pitcher CC Sabathia, also elected in his first year of eligibility, and closer Billy Wagner, who made it in his final try on the writers’ ballot. Suzuki fell one vote shy of being a unanimous selection and he took a jab at the unidentified sports writer who didn’t vote for him.
“Three thousand hits or 262 hits in one season are two achievements recognized by the writers. Well, all but one,” Suzuki said to roaring laughter.
“By the way, the offer for the writer to have dinner at my home has now expired,” he added, with emphasis on “expired” for good measure.
A pair of Era Committee selections rounded out the Class of 2025: Dave Parker, who earned the nickname Cobra during 20 big league seasons, and slugger Dick Allen. Parker died June 28, just a month before he was to be inducted.
An estimated 30,000 fans crowded onto the field adjacent to the Clark Sports Center, sun umbrellas and Japanese flags sprinkled around. Suzuki’s No. 51 was seemingly everywhere as fans, thousands of them Seattle Mariners boosters who made the trek from the Pacific Northwest, chanted “Ichiro” several times throughout the day. A sign that read “Thank You Ichiro! Forever a Legend” in English and Japanese summed up the admiration for Suzuki on his special day.
With 52 returning Hall of Famers on hand, Suzuki paid homage to his new baseball home in Cooperstown and his adoring fans by delivering his 18-minute speech in English. His humor, a surprise to many, delighted the crowd.
He threw shade at the Miami Marlins, the last stop of his professional career.
“Honestly, when you guys offered me a contract in 2015, I had never heard of your team,” Suzuki joked.
He kidded that he showed up at spring training every year with his arm “already in shape” just to hear Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs scream, “‘Holy smokes! Another laser-beam throw from Ichiro!’”
He even took a moment for some tongue-in-cheek modesty.
“People often measure me by my records. Three thousand hits. Ten Gold Gloves. Ten seasons of 200 hits.
“Not bad, huh?” Suzuki said to more laughs.
He thanked his late agent Tony Anastasio for “getting me to America and for teaching me to love wine.”
But he also took time to get to the root of what made him extraordinary.
“Baseball is much more than just hitting, throwing and running. Baseball taught me to make valued decisions about what is important. It helped shape my view of life and the world. … The older I got, I realized the only way I could get to play the game I loved to the age of 45 at the highest level was to dedicate myself to it completely,” he said. “When fans use their precious time to see you play, you have a responsibility to perform for them whether you are winning by 10 or losing by 10.
“Baseball taught me what it means to be a professional and I believe that is the main reason I am here today. I could not have achieved the numbers without paying attention to the small details every single day consistently for all 19 seasons.”
Now he’s reached the pinnacle, overcoming doubters, one of whom said to him: “‘Don’t embarrass the nation.’” He’s made his homeland proud.
“Going into America’s Baseball Hall of Fame was never my goal. I didn’t even know there was one. I visited Cooperstown for the first time in 2001, but being here today sure feels like a fantastic dream.”
Sabathia thanked “the great players sitting behind me, even Ichiro who stole my Rookie of the Year award (in 2001).” He paid homage to Parker and spoke about Black culture in today’s game.
“It’s an extra honor to be a part of Dave’s Hall of Fame class. He was a father figure for a generation of Black stars. In the ’80s and early ‘90s when I first started watching baseball and Dave Parker was crushing homers, the number of Black players in the major leagues was at its highest, about 18%. Me and my friends played the game because we saw those guys on TV and there was always somebody who looked like me in a baseball uniform.
“Baseball has always been a great game for Black athletes, but baseball culture has not always been great to Black people. I hope we’re starting to turn that around. I don’t want to be the final member of the Black aces, a Black pitcher to win 20 games. And I don’t want to be the final Black pitcher giving a Hall of Fame speech.”
Wagner urged young players to treat obstacles not as “roadblocks, but steppingstones.”
“I wasn’t the biggest player. I wasn’t supposed to be here. There were only seven full-time relievers in the Hall of Fame. Now, there are eight because I refused to give up or give in,” he said.
Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes (99.7%) from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia was picked on 342 ballots (86.8%) and Wagner on 325 (82.5%), which was 29 votes more than the 296 needed for the required 75%.
After arriving in the majors in 2001, Suzuki joined Fred Lynn (1975) as the only players to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.
Suzuki was a two-time AL batting champion and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with Seattle, the New York Yankees and Miami.
He is perhaps the best contact hitter ever, with 1,278 hits in Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB, including a season-record 262 in 2004. His combined total of 4,367 exceeds Pete Rose’s major league record of 4,256.
Sabathia, second to Suzuki in 2001 AL Rookie of the Year voting, was a six-time All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and a World Series title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland, Milwaukee and the New York Yankees.
A seven-time All-Star, Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves for Houston, Philadelphia, the New York Mets, Boston and Atlanta.
Tom Hamilton and Tom Boswell were also honored during Hall of Fame weekend. Hamilton has been the primary radio broadcaster for the Cleveland Guardians franchise for 35 seasons and received the Ford C. Frick Award. Boswell, a retired sports columnist who spent his entire career with The Washington Post, was honored with the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.
New routes include East Midlands Airport to Antalya in Turkey, meaning another winter-sun destination has opened up for those in the Midlands, as well as East Midlands to Sharm El Sheikh and Cardiff Airport to Hurghada, resulting in year-round flying from Wales to Egypt
(Image: DAILY MIRROR)
Bookings have opened for TUI’s latest holiday destinations.
The German package giant has announced it will be adding capacity to locations in the Canary Islands and Egypt, as demand for sizzling getaways continues to be strong—despite the roasting hot May and June that the UK has just experienced.
New routes include East Midlands Airport to Antalya in Turkey, meaning another winter-sun destination has opened up for those in the Midlands, as well as East Midlands to Sharm El Sheikh and Cardiff Airport to Hurghada, resulting in year-round flying from Wales to Egypt.
Once its 2026/27 winter programme begins, TUI will connect British holidaymakers with more than 2,000 hotels across 50 destinations. New places to stay this year include three new concept hotels: the TUI BLUE Yaramar in Costa del Sol, the TUI MAGIC LIFE Redsina in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and the stunning HOLIDAY VILLAGE Skanes Resort in Tunisia.
TUI will also be flying holidaymakers out to Phuket in Thailand and Montego Bay in Jamaica, with an additional weekly flight from London Gatwick.
Couples looking for somewhere sunny to tie the knot may be tempted by a TUI wedding in Thailand. The travel firm is adding the South Asian country to its wedding destination list for the first time, bringing the total number to 15, with over 125 venues to choose from.
TUI has also added Arctic Lakeland to the programme, with direct flights from Manchester to Kajaani twice a week. Keen to tap into the trend, TUI said the addition would meet demand for traditional Lapland holidays, which “consistently sell out year after year.”
Chris Logan, commercial director at TUI UK, said: “Our Winter 2026 programme is designed with great value at its core. We understand that Brits are looking for both affordability and exceptional experiences, which is why we’ve expanded our range of destinations and included some great-value getaways to choose from. We’re making winter getaways more accessible than ever before. Whether it’s a week of winter sun in the Canaries or a dream holiday to the Caribbean, there really is something for everyone.”
Bookings for the Winter 2026 programme are available starting today through TUI’s website, app, and retail stores across the UK.
New holidays on offer include:
Thailand Escape A 14-night holiday to Khao Lak, Thailand, staying at the 3T+ The Briza Beach Resort Khao Lak on a bed and breakfast basis from £1,595 per person. Price is based on two adults sharing an Annexe Deluxe double room with pool view and balcony, departing from London Gatwick on 2 December 2026, with 20kg hold luggage per adult and transfers included.
East Midlands to Antalya Getaway A seven-night holiday to Antalya, Turkey, staying at the 5T TUI Palm Garden on an all-inclusive basis from £975 per person. Price is based on two adults sharing a double room with balcony, departing from East Midlands on 30 March 2027, with 25kg hold luggage per adult and transfers.
TUI MAGIC LIFE Redsina, Egypt A seven-night holiday to Sharm El Sheikh, staying at the 5T TUI MAGIC LIFE Redsina on an all-inclusive basis from £896 per person. Price is based on two adults and two children sharing a family area deluxe double room with garden view and balcony, departing from London Gatwick on 26 November 2026, with 20kg hold luggage per adult and transfers.
It first aired in 2019 and ran for four seasons before being cancelled.
Roswell, New Mexico stars Jeanine Mason(Image: ITVX)
ITV has subtly added all four series of a beloved mystery drama to its streaming platform. Roswell, New Mexico, originally broadcast on The CW from 2019 to 2002.
The show is a reboot of the 1999 version, inspired by the Roswell High book series penned by Melinda Metz.
Featuring Jeanine Mason, Nathan Dean and Michael Vlamis, the plot centres around Liz, the daughter of undocumented immigrants, who returns to her hometown of Roswell in New Mexico a decade after her older sister’s death, only to uncover a startling secret about her teenage sweetheart, Max.
It transpires that he is an alien who has been concealing his supernatural abilities and true identity for years.
As Liz and Max rekindle their relationship, she strives to safeguard his secret. However, when a violent incident suggests there are more aliens on Earth, his concealed identity becomes jeopardised, reports Devon Live.
“The politics of fear and hatred that run rampant in Roswell threaten to expose Max and his family and could endanger his deepening romance with Liz…as well as their lives,” the synopsis hints.
Roswell, New Mexico ran from 2019 for four seasons(Image: ITVX)
In addition to Grey’s Anatomy star Jeanine and General Hospital actor Nathan, the cast boasts Lily Cowles, Tyler Blackburn, Heather Hemmens and Michael Trevino.
Fans have been singing the praises of the series since its initial airing.
A viewer was effusive in their praise, saying: “This tv series is worth your time no matter who you are. Roswell New Mexico is my ultimate favourite tv show without doubt. From the excellent direction to captivating storyline. This tv series deserves more appreciation. its authenticity makes it even more enticing to watch.”
The series reveals a man’s secret identity as an alien(Image: ITVX)
Another confessed their adoration for the show, remarking: “I love this show! Modern, smart, great at dodging some of the more cliché tropes-also has some really great acting.”
In a spirited review, a third fan declared: “This generates the adrenaline.. It felt like I had permanent goosebumps the entire show! I just love how every character has a role and has a part to play and is important.. This series has a good unpredictable plot. This show is VERY UNDERRATED.”
While Roswell, New Mexico got the chop from The CW, the finale gave fans closure, serving as a dignified farewell not originally planned.
Fans have been gushing over the series since it first aired in 2019(Image: ITVX)
Showrunner Chris Hollier shared with EW the ambitions laid to rest due to the cancellation: “This [finale] was intended to help launch us to a nice wrap-up of season five. More craziness would’ve followed.”
He discussed what might have been, including time leaps towards a “legacy ending”: “What does it mean when you start to find the people that you want to be with? How do you actually go and generate your own happy ever after? I loved where we were going to take those characters.”
Hollier revealed tantalising glimpses into a future that will never be aired: “We were talking about setting the ending multiple years in the future. It would’ve been another wrap-up with where all of our couples were.”
Roswell, New Mexico is available to watch on ITVX.
Three years after USC and UCLA triggered a mass exodus by bolting for the Big Ten, the Pac-12 has extended an invitation to Texas State to give the conference eight football-playing members.
Texas State, currently part of the Sun Belt Conference, is expected to accept the offer Monday, according to several media outlets. The school would join the Pac-12 in July 2026.
USC and UCLA transformed the college sports landscape by leaving the Pac-12 on June 30, 2022, citing the Big Ten’s $8-billion media-rights deal as the primary motivation. Ten Pac-12 teams eventually departed, leaving only Washington State and Oregon State as members.
The Pac-12 contemplated folding, but instead added five state schools from the Mountain West Conference and Gonzaga, a private, non-football playing school from the West Coast Conference.
When it accepts the invitation, Texas State will be the next addition. The school made its first bowl appearance in the program’s 121-year history in 2023, defeating Rice in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The Bobcats won the same bowl in 2024, this time against North Texas.
Texas State will give the Pac-12 eight football-playing teams, the minimum number of members to continue as an NCAA conference. Although long in the shadow of Texas, Southern Methodist, Texas Christian, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas Tech, Texas State is a growing university located in San Marcos, a booming suburb located on Interstate 35 about halfway between Austin and San Antonio.
The Bobcats also bring a reasonably strong portfolio of non-revenue sports, having won an award as the top-performing school in the Sun Belt across all sports in three of the last four years.
The Pac-12 had courted Memphis as the eighth football-playing school, but Memphis athletic director Ed Scott told the Memphis Commercial Appeal a week ago that the school was working to join a Power 4 conference — a nonofficial term for the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC, four conferences that operate with relative autonomy.
“I know [Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould is] worried about finding her eighth full member,” Scott said. “I’m worried about trying to get us into a Power 4 conference. That is our first goal, unequivocally. That’s always been our goal.”
The Pac-12 has long lagged in media exposure, especially on television, but on Monday announced a multimedia deal with CBS as the anchor partner from 2026 to 2031. Texas State was encouraged by the TV deal, and the Pac-12 was under pressure to add the Bobcats before July 1, when their exit fee from the Sun Belt would double from $5 million to $10 million.
Under the deal, CBS will broadcast a minimum of four football and men’s basketball games per season on its main network and provide a cable and streaming presence. All Washington State and Oregon State games will be broadcast on The CW, CBS or ESPN this fall. The new deal with CBS and other media partners would begin in 2026 when Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Gonzaga join the Pac-12 along with Texas State.
Texas State’s move would trigger a domino effect, with the Sun Belt looking toward Conference USA for a replacement. Louisiana Tech, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee have been mentioned as possibilities.
The new Pac-12 is expected to be strongest in men’s basketball because of the inclusion of Gonzaga and San Diego State, but the conference could be solid in football as well. Boise State made the College Football Playoff last season, one of five schools joining the Pac-12 that played in a bowl.
BALTIMORE — A federal lawsuit could open a new chapter in an escalating legal battle in Maryland, where officials are struggling to address an unexpected onslaught of claims alleging child sexual abuse in state-run juvenile detention facilities.
With thousands of similar claims already pending in state court, the litigation has raised questions about how Maryland will handle the potential financial liability.
The new federal suit, filed Wednesday on behalf of three plaintiffs, seeks $300 million in damages — an amount that far exceeds caps imposed on claims filed in state court. It alleges Maryland juvenile justice leaders knew about a culture of abuse inside youth detention facilities and failed to address it, violating the plaintiffs’ civil rights.
A message seeking comment was left Thursday with the state’s Department of Juvenile Services. The department generally doesn’t comment on pending litigation. The Maryland Office of the Attorney General declined to comment.
An estimated 11,000 plaintiffs have sued in state court, according to the attorneys involved. Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said Wednesday that he believes negotiations for a potential settlement are ongoing between attorneys for the plaintiffs and the attorney general’s office. Officials have said the state is facing a potential liability between $3 billion and $4 billion.
Lawsuits started pouring in after a state law passed in 2023 eliminated the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims in Maryland. The change came in the immediate aftermath of a scathing investigative report that revealed widespread abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore. It prompted the archdiocese to file for bankruptcy to protect its assets.
But Maryland leaders didn’t anticipate they’d be facing similar budgetary concerns because of claims against the state’s juvenile justice system.
Facing a potentially enormous payout, lawmakers recently passed an amendment to limit future liabilities. The new law reduces caps on settlements from $890,000 to $400,000 for cases filed after May 31 against state institutions, and from $1.5 million to $700,000 for private institutions. It allows each claimant to receive only one payment, instead of being able to collect for each act of abuse.
Suing in federal court allows plaintiffs to sidestep those limits.
“Despite Maryland’s recent unconstitutional legislative efforts to insulate itself from liability for the horrific sexual brutalization of children in its custody, Maryland cannot run from liability under Federal law,” plaintiffs’ attorney Corey Stern said in a statement. “The United States Constitution was created for all of us, knowing that some would need protection from the tyranny of their political leaders.”
The three plaintiffs in the federal case allege they were sexually abused by staff at two juvenile detention centers. While other lawsuits have mainly presented allegations of abuse occurring decades ago, the federal complaint focuses on events alleged to have happened in 2019 and 2020. The plaintiffs were 14 and 15 years old.
The victims feared their sentences would be extended if they spoke out, according to the complaint. They accuse state officials of turning a blind eye to a “culture of sexual brutalization and abuse.”
Stern said he anticipates more federal claims will be forthcoming.
The Norwegian Refugee Council says the ‘deliberate denial of energy access’ undermines human needs in Gaza.
The lack of reliable energy sources is a key threat to survival in war-torn Gaza, an NGO has warned.
The “deliberate denial of energy access”, like electricity and fuel, “undermines fundamental human needs” in the war-torn enclave, a report published on Monday by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) cautioned. The alert is just the latest regarding the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which is driven by Israel’s blockade amid its war against Hamas.
Israel halted the entry of food, water and fuel in March, putting the Palestinian territory’s population at risk of famine.
Electricity supply has also been limited. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 2.1 million people in Gaza have no access to power.
“In Gaza, energy is not about convenience – it’s about survival,” Benedicte Giaever, executive director of NORCAP, which is part of NRC, said.
“When families can’t cook, when hospitals go dark and when water pumps stop running, the consequences are immediate and devastating. The international community must prioritise energy in all humanitarian efforts,” she added.
NRC’s report noted that without power, healthcare facilities in Gaza have been adversely impacted, with emergency surgeries having to be delayed, and ventilators, incubators and dialysis machines unable to function.
Lack of electricity has also impacted Gaza’s desalination facilities, leaving 70 percent of households without access to clean water and forcing households to burn plastic or debris to cook, NRC said.
The humanitarian organisation also highlighted how the lack of power has increased the risks of gender-based violence after dark.
“For too long, the people of Gaza have endured cycles of conflict, blockade, and deprivation. But the current crisis represents a new depth of despair, threatening their immediate survival and their long-term prospects for recovery and development,” NRC’s Secretary General Jan Egeland said, urging the international community to ensure the people in Gaza gain access to energy.
Amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, hundreds of people have been killed by the Israeli military as they have sought food and other vital supplies from aid stations set up by the controversial Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
In its latest daily update released on Monday, the Health Ministry in Gaza said the bodies of at least 39 people had been brought to hospitals over the previous 24 hours. At least 317 people were wounded, it added.
Since Israel eased its total blockade last month, more than 400 people are reported to have died trying to reach food distribution points.
The UN’s top humanitarian official in the occupied Palestinian territory issued a stark warning on Sunday over the deepening crisis.
“We see a chilling pattern of Israeli forces opening fire on crowds gathering to get food,” said Jonathan Whittall, who heads OCHA in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
“The attempt to survive is being met with a death sentence.”
LONDON — Music streaming service Deezer said Friday that it will start flagging albums with AI-generated songs, part of its fight against streaming fraudsters.
Deezer, based in Paris, is grappling with a surge in music on its platform created using artificial intelligence tools it says are being wielded to earn royalties fraudulently.
The app will display an on-screen label warning about “AI-generated content” and notify listeners that some tracks on an album were created with song generators.
Deezer is a small player in music streaming, which is dominated by Spotify, Amazon and Apple, but the company said AI-generated music is an “industry-wide issue.”
It’s committed to “safeguarding the rights of artists and songwriters at a time where copyright law is being put into question in favor of training AI models,” CEO Alexis Lanternier said in a press release.
Deezer’s move underscores the disruption caused by generative AI systems, which are trained on the contents of the internet including text, images and audio available online. AI companies are facing a slew of lawsuits challenging their practice of scraping the web for such training data without paying for it.
According to an AI song detection tool that Deezer rolled out this year, 18% of songs uploaded to its platform each day, or about 20,000 tracks, are now completely AI generated. Just three months earlier, that number was 10%, Lanternier said in a recent interview.
AI has many benefits but it also “creates a lot of questions” for the music industry, Lanternier told The Associated Press. Using AI to make music is fine as long as there’s an artist behind it but the problem arises when anyone, or even a bot, can use it to make music, he said.
Music fraudsters “create tons of songs. They upload, they try to get on playlists or recommendations, and as a result they gather royalties,” he said.
Musicians can’t upload music directly to Deezer or rival platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. Music labels or digital distribution platforms can do it for artists they have contracts with, while anyone else can use a “self service” distribution company.
Fully AI-generated music still accounts for only about 0.5% of total streams on Deezer. But the company said it’s “evident” that fraud is “the primary purpose” for these songs because it suspects that as many as seven in 10 listens of an AI song are done by streaming “farms” or bots, instead of humans.
Any AI songs used for “stream manipulation” will be cut off from royalty payments, Deezer said.
AI has been a hot topic in the music industry, with debates swirling around its creative possibilities as well as concerns about its legality.
Two of the most popular AI song generators, Suno and Udio, are being sued by record companies for copyright infringement, and face allegations they exploited recorded works of artists from Chuck Berry to Mariah Carey.
Gema, a German royalty-collection group, is suing Suno in a similar case filed in Munich, accusing the service of generating songs that are “confusingly similar” to original versions by artists it represents, including “Forever Young” by Alphaville, “Daddy Cool” by Boney M and Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5.”
Major record labels are reportedly negotiating with Suno and Udio for compensation, according to news reports earlier this month.
To detect songs for tagging, Lanternier says Deezer uses the same generators used to create songs to analyze their output.
“We identify patterns because the song creates such a complex signal. There is lots of information in the song,” Lanternier said.
The AI music generators seem to be unable to produce songs without subtle but recognizable patterns, which change constantly.
“So you have to update your tool every day,” Lanternier said. “So we keep generating songs to learn, to teach our algorithm. So we’re fighting AI with AI.”
Fraudsters can earn big money through streaming. Lanternier pointed to a criminal case last year in the U.S., which authorities said was the first ever involving artificially inflated music streaming. Prosecutors charged a man with wire fraud conspiracy, accusing him of generating hundreds of thousands of AI songs and using bots to automatically stream them billions of times, earning at least $10 million.
The high-speed La Jefa is described as a ‘towering centrepiece’ for families to ‘slip, slide and splash’ across the water at the aqua par
The aqua park offers hours of watery fun (Image: St Andrews Lakes)
An aqua park known for its gleaming turquoise lake, is upping the ante with its latest addition described as the “ultimate summer slide experience”.
The new high-speed attraction, La Jefa, stands as a monumental feature at St Andrews Lakes in Halling, beckoning families to “slip, slide and splash” in the sun.
St Andrews boasts a pristine 70-acre lake filled with spring water and is continuously expanding with various floating play areas, slides, jump points and splash zones, in scenes that wouldn’t be out of place on the Med.
La Jefa, translating to ‘the female boss’ in Spanish, is the latest thrilling complement to the park’s highly popular 20ft slide, El Jefe – ‘the male boss’.
The fantastic new slide adds a new thrill(Image: St Andrews Lakes)
St Andrews Lakes’ operations director Stuart Bishop said: “La Jefa is the perfect next step for our Aqua Park. Guests already loved El Jefe, but we wanted to bring something new, something a bit different and something just as fun. We can’t wait to see families and friends tackle it this summer,”
In addition to the aquatic thrills, the attraction close to Rochester also features a private sandy beach area, paddleboarding, kayaking, zip wiring, and axe throwing activities, reports Kent Live.
Not to mention wall climbing, archery, sailing courses, paddleboard classes and children’s activity days throughout the school holidays.
The old quarry has been turned into a stunning blue lake reserve, offering fun for everyone on water and land. And if you want to relax, the wellness space boasts wood-fired lakeside saunas, steaming hot tubs and even a cold plunge lagoon, not to mention a chill-out zone with snug chairs and a fireside to cosy up to.
This is the biggest aqua park in Kent and it’s in a shimmering, clear water 70 acres lake – and there’s a thrilling new slide(Image: St Andrews Lakes)
Aqua park tickets are £25 person for a 50-minute session and family deals and concessions are available. Your ticket covers buoyancy aids, vigilant lifeguards and an essential safety rundown before making waves.
Information on bookings, activities needing inductions and session timings is available on the website. There are also all-day charges for the beach.
Nestled in Halling, a quaint village perched in the Medway area snug between Cuxton and Snodland and within a stone’s throw from Rochester, St Andrews Lakes is where you’ll find the paradise pit. The lake gets its clear blue hue from the suspended chalk particles that reflect the light.
St Andrew’s says the lake’s waters gush from a spring, making them “incredibly clean”.
Netflix Inc. will add live television channels and shows from French broadcaster TF1, expanding the streaming platform’s live offer for customers in the country.
French customers will be be able to watch live feeds, including sports, from TF1’s channels, and stream the broadcaster’s shows on demand from next summer, Netflix said in a statement on Wednesday. Netflix will dedicate a portion of the app to TF1 content as part of the distribution agreement.
Netflix is expanding the content it offers customers and has invested in live events such as National Football League games and wrestling matches. The French partnership goes a step further, offering traditional live broadcast content such as dramas and reality television.
June 10 (UPI) — Sports betting service FanDuel has added a 50-cent surcharge to all wagers laid in Illinois to offset the state’s per-wager tax of up to 50 cents per bet.
The surcharge transfers the tax to FanDuel’s customers and remains in effect for as long as Illinois continues to levy the per-wager tax.
“Should the state reverse its decision at any point in the future, FanDuel will immediately remove the $0.50 transaction fee,” officials at FanDuel-owner Flutter Entertainment said in a press release.
The Illinois tax will disproportionately affect bettors who lay small wagers, Flutter Chief Executive Officer Peter Jackson said in a prepared statement.
“There is an optimal level for gaming tax rates that enables operators to provide the best experience for customers, maximize market growth and maximize revenue for states over time,” Jackson said.
“We are disappointed that the Illinois Transaction Fee will disproportionately impact lower wagering recreational customers while also punishing those operators who have invested the most to grow the online regulated market in the state,” he added.
Instead of paying a 50-cent surcharge on a $5 wager, Flutter said many customers will switch to offshore betting sites that aren’t subject to the Illinois tax.
DraftKings is another popular sports betting site that is considering charging its Illinois customers to offset the state tax.
“DraftKings anticipates taking action and expects to share more information soon,” a DraftKings spokesperson told CNBC.
About three-fourths of Illinois sports betting wagers are made through FanDuel and DraftKings.
Illinois sports books paid about $276 million in state taxes in 2024, according to an LSR analysis.
FanDuel paid $74 million and DraftKings $67.9 million in state taxes on their combined total of more than 150 million bets.
Illinois’ new per-wager tax charges 25 cents per bet on the first 20 million wagers each online sports book accepts, followed by 50 cents per wager on additional bets.
The transactional tax could cost FanDuel $86 million and DraftKings $79 million in 2026, Citizens gaming analyst Jordan Bender told CNBC.
The per-bet tax is in addition to Illinois levying between 20% and 40% on sports book profits after raising the tax from 15% last year.
