Walker

Christian Walker homered twice and the Houston Astros beat the Angels 6-1 on Saturday night, a couple of hours after getting eliminated from playoff contention.

Zach Cole and Jesús Sánchez also went deep for the Astros, who will miss the postseason for the first time since 2016.

Walker was batting in the second inning when Cleveland scored in the bottom of the ninth at Progressive Field for a 3-2 victory over Texas that clinched the final American League playoff spot for the Guardians and eliminated the Astros.

That snapped Houston’s streak of eight consecutive playoff appearances, a run that featured seven straight trips to the AL Championship Series from 2017-2023 and World Series titles in 2017 and 2022.

With Saturday night’s game rendered moot, Astros manager Joe Espada pulled his top three batters — Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes and Carlos Correa — after two innings.

Cole followed Yainer Diaz’s second-inning single with a two-run homer off Angels starter Caden Dana (0-4). Walker led off the fourth with a homer for a 3-0 lead. Cole walked and Sanchez lined a two-run homer to right field for a 5-0 lead. Walker’s solo shot — his 27th of the season — made it 6-1 in the ninth.

Houston starter AJ Blubaugh gave up one hit in four scoreless innings against the Angels (72-89), and reliever J.P. France (1-0) allowed one run and two hits in three innings, striking out five and walking one.

Dana, the Angels’ rookie right-hander, permitted five runs and five hits in seven innings.

Key moment: France gave up an RBI double to Jo Adell and walked Logan O’Hoppe to put two on with one out in the sixth, but the right-hander struck out Christian Moore and Oswald Peraza to preserve a 5-1 lead.

Key stat: Sunday’s season finale will be only the fourth game since the start of the 2015 season that the Astros (86-75) will play while out of postseason contention. The other three came at the end of 2016, when Houston was eliminated from the wild-card race on Sept. 29.

Up next: Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (2-5, 6.71 ERA) will start Sunday against Angels LHP Sam Aldegheri (0-1, 8.00).

A MAN has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries after he was crushed under a large tree.

The tree is believed to have been damaged in the recent stormy weather.

2

The horror incident unfolded on Shirehampton Road, Bristol, just before 5pm.

Emergency services rushed to assist the man who was out walking his dog when the terrifying incident occurred.

Police and fire crews were scrambled to the scene where the man was found with “serious injuries.”

He was rushed to hospital to be treated by medics.

A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset Police said: “We were called by the ambulance service shortly before 5pm to reports a man had been injured after a tree fell in Shirehampton Road in the Stoke Bishop area of Bristol.

“Emergency services attended and the man was taken to hospital for treatment of injuries described as serious.”

2

If there is one surname to strike fear into American golf it is surely “Poulter” with Ian having been at the centre of so much European success on a biennial basis.

Now it is the turn of the Ryder Cup legend’s 21-year-old son Luke to try to do something similar and thwart US hopes of retaining the Walker Cup at Cypress Point in California this weekend.

Fresh from starring in Great Britain & Ireland’s victory over Continental Europe in the St Andrews Trophy, Poulter makes his debut in the 50th Walker Cup as GB&I seek an away win for only the third time.

Who better to inspire upsetting the form book than someone with the genes of Poulter Snr, whose heroics helped Europe complete the ‘Miracle at Medinah’ when they came from 10-4 down to win the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Ian Poulter will be supporting his son over the two days of competition having shared dinner with him and his nine team-mates earlier in the week.

“Being able to talk to him about the Ryder Cup and his experiences, having the chance to ask him questions and what it means and how to play these events, how to deal with the pressure has been so important,” said Tyler Weaver, GB&I’s highest ranked player.

Team-mate Niall Shiels Donegan, who beat Luke Poulter at the recent US Amateur Championship, added: “Dinner with Ian was really special.

“Obviously he’s done a lot in team golf, and it was pretty cool to get some lessons from him.”

Luke, who won three-and-a-half points out of four at the St Andrews Trophy, says he will try to use his father’s exploits in the Ryder Cup – 15 wins from 25 matches between 2004 and 2021- as a motivating force.

“He never played a Walker Cup but he obviously has Ryder Cup knowledge, which is pretty similar to this,” said the younger Poulter, who had a hole-in-one at Cypress Point’s par-three third in Thursday practice.

“It’s amazing to see (his achievements). It gives me inspiration to try and follow in his footsteps.”

Having climbed to 27th in the amateur world rankings, the University of Florida student has already demonstrated many of his father’s golfing traits. It is also clear they share the same “never say die” attitude.

“I just like that head-to-head battle because it’s just you and the opponent on the golf course,” he told the R&A website. “You don’t have to think about anything, you just go hole by hole and try and beat them.

“And then with the team stuff, it’s just really cool. I just love when everyone’s supporting you and everyone’s pulling for you.”

GB&I lost a tight contest at St Andrews two years ago and the Walker Cup will again be staged at an iconic venue this weekend. Cypress Point was designed by Alister Mackenzie, the architect who laid out the Augusta National, home of the Masters.

For Shiels Donegan there is a degree of familiarity. The son of Scottish parents grew up near San Francisco and received vociferous local support during his run to the US Amateur semi-finals at the city’s Olympic Club.

“I’m fortunate to have grown up not too far from here, a few hours north, so I hope that they’ll come out in force again and have some more fun,” he said.

“Having grown up on the poa greens, it does give me a little bit of extra feel, but of course they’re going to be running firm and fast for everyone.

“You’re going to have to adapt to the conditions as you see them, and yeah, just do your best that you can.”

GB&I’s most recent win came at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2015. Their last away victory was at Sea Island in Georgia 24 years ago.

So the Americans are firm favourites to retain the trophy, but their captain Nathan Smith is taking nothing for granted. “I think this is one of their best teams that I’ve seen in a while,” he said.

“I think the matches are always close, and it’s going to be a big test for us this week.”

Smith’s team is stacked with talent. It includes the top six in the amateur world rankings; Jackson Koivan, Ben James, Ethan Fang, Jase Summy, Preston Stout and Tommy Morrison.

GB&I captain Dean Robertson has been taking a measured approach to the week, pacing his players’ preparations. He will be encouraged by the recent form of Scot Cameron Adam, who finished in the top 20 at the recent British Masters.

Robertson knows this weekend has to be a collective effort with an astute game plan. “The key messages we’ve had have been strategy number one,” the Scottish skipper revealed.

“Approach play, short iron approach play and specific distances where you need to position the ball under hole high have been things that we’ve been working on for a good number of weeks.

“Also, through developing the relationship and understanding of these players and the respect of them, we’ve really managed to bring them together, and there’s a real unity there.

“I’m really thrilled to be their captain, really proud, and I’m really excited for the match itself.”

There are 22 points up for grabs with GB&I needing 11½ points to regain the title, while the US need 11 to retain.

The contest will be made up of four foursome matches on each morning, with eight singles games on Saturday afternoon and 10 singles after lunch on Sunday.

The BBC has confirmed that Annika, starring Nicola Walker, has been cancelled after two series, but fans of the actress have been told to watch another of her dramas.

An “outstanding” legal drama ought to be top of the viewing list for Nicola Walker enthusiasts following confirmation of Annika’s cancellation.

The BBC has revealed the cherished detective programme will not return for a third instalment, despite concluding with an unresolved storyline.

Nicola, 55, had brought DI Annika Strandhed to life for two seasons, leading the fictional Glasgow-based Marine Homicide Unit, however, fans will be gutted to know she won’t be back.

A spokesperson previously stated to RadioTimes: “We are incredibly proud of the success of Annika on U+Alibi, but there are no current plans for a third series.”

Nevertheless, admirers of the Unforgotten and The Last Tango in Halifax performer now have the opportunity to immerse themselves in The Split alternatively, reports Wales Online.

The Spooks veteran portrayed Hannah alongside Stephen Mangan’s Nathan in Abi Morgan’s courtroom drama.

The programme initially broadcast in 2018 and ran for three series, concluding in 2022 before a two-part special shot in Barcelona last Christmas.

It chronicled the Defoe dynasty and their legal practice, as they navigated romance, bereavement, infidelity, domestic upheaval, and the challenges of contemporary matrimony.

The Split cultivated a devoted fanbase, achieving an remarkable 90% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

One devotee praised the programme as “outstanding”, adding: “Nicola Walker is simply incredible. I did not know about her until seeing this show, I raced to watch other shows she has been in also because she is THAT GOOD.”

One viewer expressed: “This show is such an incredible, refreshing take on family, love, marriage, and the trials / rewards of life. There isn’t a villain and no character is without their flaws. By the end of episode one, you’re invested and it’s a slow, emotional progression with smiles and a few tears throughout.”

“Am addicted to this show,” a third confessed, while someone else wrote: “This show absolutely captivated me. Even when I wasn’t watching it, I was thinking about it. It involved family drama, lovers drama, and work drama. It was absolutely brilliant.”

Nicola previously spoke of The Split’s success in an interview with Metro, revealing the moment she knew it was a hit.

She revealed: “I realised they were enjoying it when I started getting people in the supermarket and on the tube coming up to me and saying, these are quotes, it happens quite a lot: ‘I wish you’d have done my divorce,’ and then telling me about their divorces.’

“I occasionally had to say, ‘I actually don’t know that much about family law, I’d be a terrible family lawyer’.

“And then people saying whether or not they were team Christie or team Nathan, that started happening quite a lot. And I thought, ‘oh, people are enjoying this as much as we enjoy filming it’.”

Although The Split concluded with a two-part Christmas special, fans can look forward to a spin-off following a brief halt in production.

The Split Up is set to commence production this year, and is a six-part drama that will showcase “the high-stakes world of Manchester’s divorce law circuit, where one family of lawyers, the Kishans, reigns supreme,” the release previously teased.

It continues: “Kishan Law is a British-Asian high net worth family law firm in Manchester, noted for its clientele and its reputation.

“They are the ‘go to firm’ for Manchester’s elite who come to them for their excellence, integrity, and discretion.

“But the future and legacy of Kishan Law hangs in the balance when a family secret from the past comes to light, throwing their professional and personal lives into turmoil.”

The Split is available to watch on BBC iPlayer

Burnley have signed defender Kyle Walker from Manchester City on a two-year contract.

The right-back completed his medical on Friday and will work again with head coach Scott Parker, who he played alongside at Tottenham Hotspur for two seasons.

The 35-year-old made 15 appearances in the first half of last season for City before joining AC Milan on loan in January, but the Italian club decided not to make his move permanent.

Walker won 17 trophies during his time at Etihad Stadium and was part of the squad that won the Treble in 2023.

He signed for City in the summer of 2017 and made 319 appearances for the club.

Burnley were promoted back to the Premier League last season following their relegation in 2024.

Walker is their fifth signing of the summer, following the arrival of defender Axel Tuanzebe, left-back Quilindschy Hartman, goalkeeper Max Weiss and French winger Loum Tchaouna.

More to follow.

Strictly Come Dancing star, Dan Walker, has broken his silence after leaving viewers concerned following his lengthy absence from Channel 5 News and Classic FM

Presenter, Dan Walker, has assured fans there is nothing to worry about after taking leave from his Channel 5 News and Classic FM shows. The former Football Focus host, 48, is one of the nation’s most recognisable presenters and is usually on our screens weeknights on Channel 5 and on the radio on Sunday for Classic FM.

However, Dan has recently been absent from both programmes, prompting viewers to express their concern. Revealing the real reason for his mysterious disappearance, he took to Instagram, saying the “answer is twofold”. Explaining that he’d been on a family holiday as well as filming a new show for Channel 5, he said, sitting in his car: “Hello, I’ve been asked by quite a few people if I’ve left Channel 5 and why I’ve disappeared from Classic FM. The answer is twofold.”

READ MORE: Coronation Street rejects Matt Lucas after Little Britain star asks for role on soap

Dan continued: “First is, I’m on holiday with the family for a couple of weeks and the second is that I’m filming a new series for Channel 5, which you should be able to see I think in September, which I can’t tell you too much about but it’s going to be great fun.

“So that’s why I’ve not been on the telly. The radio I’ll be back on Monday and I’ll be back on 5 News in a couple of weeks time once I’ve finished filming the series.

“There you go, that’s the answer, it looks like the lovely weather is over, the rain has returned, have a great day.”

BBC Breakfast viewers were stunned when Dan jumped shipped and headed over to Channel 5 in 2022. Dan had been at the helm on the red sofa at the Beeb since 2016, but decided it was time for a change – as well as a lie-in.

Speaking on This Morning, he admitted he used to “cry in the toilets” while at the BBC as he opened up about his tough schedule. Talking to hosts Dermot O’Leary and Josie Gibson, he said: “When I used to do BBC Breakfast, you know what it’s like. If that alarm goes off at three that’s far too early, that’s flight to Spain time isn’t it.

“I get up now about 5.30am/ 5.45am, which is essentially a lie in and I feel great, I feel refreshed and I really enjoy the job I do.”

He continued: “By Wednesday I was, like, full zombie mode. And also you get really emotional. By Wednesday I was like, end of the show, you are like, in the toilets just crying.

“Anything sets you off. Someone says something nice about your trousers and you are like [fake cries]. Not everyday, but I think you just get a little bit emotional when you are sleep-deprived.”

Dan went on to bag a reported £1.5million deal with Channel 5 to host it’s nightly news programme in 2022.

He made the announcement posting a short video on Twitter, now X, with the caption: “Here we go. See you next Monday at 5, on 5.

“It’s great to be joining Channel 5, but news is never about who sits in the chair. It’s the stories that matter most from a team you can trust.”

READ MORE: Argos shoppers can get a free 40-inch Hisense TV by doing one thing

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Thread

Walker Buehler owned our city. When the Dodgers ran out of arms last fall, he instantly reimagined himself as a closer and slayed the mighty New York Yankees in the final inning of the World Series. In the championship parade, he donned the jersey of fellow Fall Classic hero Orel Hershiser. He and catcher Will Smith auctioned the ball used for the final out and donated the $414,000 in proceeds toward wildfire relief.

From the day he arrived at Dodger Stadium as a rookie in 2017, Buehler exuded confidence. Tommy Lasorda had to goad Hershiser into becoming a bulldog. Buehler always had been one.

That made it shocking, frankly, to hear Buehler talk after the Angels dazed him in a five-run first inning Monday at Angel Stadium. They beat him, he beat himself, whatever.

But among the words uttered by the one-time Dodgers ace with the supreme confidence were these: “I think I can still pitch in the major leagues.”

Buehler’s earned-run average is 6.29, the highest of any American League pitcher with at least 60 innings.

That leaves the Red Sox with this unsettling dilemma: They are a game and a half out of an American League wild card — and only a game ahead of the Angels — so can they afford to keep Buehler in their starting rotation?

“We’ll talk about it,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Walker Buehler tosses his glove and cap into the dugout as he leaves the field after giving up five runs in the first inning of a 9-5 loss to the Angels at Angel Stadium on Monday.

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)

Buehler does not shy from accountability, or from the question of whether he worries that the Red Sox might move him to the bullpen, at least for a spell.

“Yeah, I think you have to,” he said. “At some point, there are 26 guys that are going to help this team hopefully make the playoffs.

“If you’re not one of them, I don’t really think it matters what you’ve done in years past.”

In his previous start, Cora noted before the game, Buehler had failed to retire eight batters with two-strike counts.

In this game, after the Red Sox handed him a 3-0 lead, Zach Neto hit Buehler’s first pitch over the center-field fence. The Angels scored the remaining four runs with two outs. In all, the Angels scored five runs on two hits, two hit batters and four walks.

Buehler hit the Angels’ No. 7 batter with two strikes, walked the No. 8 batter with two strikes, and walked the No. 9 batter with two strikes. Then he hit Neto to force home a run.

“It’s embarrassing,” Buehler said. “It’s just not who I want to be as a baseball player. Obviously, I’d rather get whacked around than do that.

“Somehow, this year, I’ve managed to do all the negative things you can. I’ll keep working. It’s just tough to let down our team, especially with the first inning that we had.”

The Dodgers signed Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to replace Buehler and Jack Flaherty in their rotation. Snell and Sasaki are on the injured list. Flaherty has a 4.83 ERA and an AL-high eight losses for the team with the best record in the majors, the Detroit Tigers.

Buehler has started 13 games, more than anyone on the Red Sox except Garrett Crochet and more than anyone on the Dodgers except Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dustin May. Buehler’s ERA in seven games since returning from an injured list stint for what the Red Sox called shoulder bursitis: 8.59.

Cora insists that Buehler’s stuff and velocity are fine, and that mechanics and execution are the issues. Buehler walked a career-high seven in his four innings on Monday, more than he walked in 15 innings in the 2024 postseason. Opposing batters have an OPS over 1.000 against his four-seam fastball.

“Honestly, his stuff is good. It’s really good,” Cora said before the game. “The one thing we always talk about is the misses. If you look at his four-seamer, when he goes up, it’s actually a non-competitive pitch.

“If we can tighten that up — and that’s with more repetitions, of course — he’s going to be OK. Hopefully, it starts soon.”

After the game, Cora said he is “100%” sure Buehler is not pitching hurt. Buehler, asked if he is pitching through anything, said: “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Buehler is in his first full season after his second Tommy John surgery. The track record for pitchers returning to their previous performance level after a second such surgery is not encouraging. Shohei Ohtani is trying the same thing this season.

For the Dodgers last October, after returning for an abbreviated season, Buehler threw 10 shutout innings in the league championship series and the World Series. I asked him whether the comeback might be harder over the course of a full season. That was the context for volunteering his remark about his ability to pitch in the majors.

“I think, in all honesty, it’s a lot easier to stay good than to get good,” he said. “The guys on the other side of the field from me drive nice cars, get paid a lot of money to be really good at what they do. Outside of a couple swings, I think largely I beat myself, which is just not something that you can do here.

“I think it’s in there. I think my arm still moves good. I think I can still make the ball move. I think I can still pitch in the major leagues.

“At some point, the belief, it gets hard to keep tricking yourself. At some point, I have got to put some results up there, for myself, but also for this organization.”

Walker Buehler sits in the dugout after being pulled in the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners on June 17.

(John Froschauer / Associated Press)

That is the reality, and the reason for the talk about whether the Red Sox might remove him from their rotation.

“I’m a guy open to doing whatever needs to be done,” he said.

“I’m a starting pitcher. I’ve been a starting pitcher my whole life. I don’t necessarily think that changing that is going to somehow magically fix everything.”

Something’s gotta give. Could be his results, could be his role. Whatever the case, he’ll always have last October.

Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker agrees to join Everton, Brentford striker Bryan Mbeumo favours Manchester United over Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United open talks with Brighton over Joao Pedro.

Manchester City and England defender Kyle Walker, 35, has agreed to join Everton on a one-year deal. (Sun), external

Brentford and Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo, 25, is leaning towards a move to Manchester United over Tottenham Hotspur, despite his former manager Thomas Frank joining the latter. (Sky Sports News), external

Newcastle have opened talks with Brighton over the signing of Brazil forward Joao Pedro, 22, and are also interested in Sporting Lisbon and Ivory Coast centre-back Ousmane Diomande, 21. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Juventus have offered Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres an £11m-a-year contract as they try to beat Arsenal and Manchester United to a deal for the 27-year-old Sweden international. (Mirror), external

Tottenham are set to open talks with Rennes over French striker Arnaud Kalimuendo, 23. (L’Equipe – in French), external

Manchester United have held initial talks with Eintracht Frankfurt over the signing of France striker Hugo Ekitike, 22, but no formal bid has been made yet. (Sky Sports, external)

Napoli are aiming to sign either Manchester United and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, or Manchester City and England midfielder Jack Grealish, 29, but the Italian champions are only willing to spend £45m. (Sun), external

Atletico Madrid will target Aston Villa and France full-back Lucas Digne, 31, if they do not sign Scotland and Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson, 31. (Times – subscription required, external)

Chelsea have opened talks with Lyon over Belgian winger Malik Fofana, 20. Nottingham Forest have also shown interest. (L’Equipe – in French) , external

Barcelona and Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 33, has turned down an offer from Turkish champions Galatasaray. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Athletic Bilbao, Marseille, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Inter Milan, and Napoli have all shown interest in Al Nassr and Spain defender Aymeric Laporte, 31, formerly of Manchester City. (AS – in Spanish), external

Liverpool have joined Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle in the race for Southampton and England U21s winger Tyler Dibling, 19. (CaughtOffside), external

Real Betis want to enter into a joint-ownership agreement with Manchester United for Brazil winger Antony, 25, that would see the Spanish club buy increasing percentages of his playing rights from next summer. (ABC – in Spanish), external

KYLE WALKER angered Manchester City fans after admitting he would sacrifice one of his Premier League medals to have been part of Tottenham’s Europa League triumph.

The Etihad club captain left Pep Guardiola stunned when he asked for a move away in January — when City were right in the middle of a crisis.

3

3

3

He joined AC Milan on loan but the Italians turned down the option to sign him permanently.

And boss Pep left the 35-year-old right-back out of his Club World Cup squad, meaning he is free to find a new club.

But City fans were angry when Walker revealed on his BBC podcast he would have loved to have been with former club Spurs as they ended their 17-year trophy drought.

Walker has won six Premier League titles at City and was part of their Treble-winning side in 2022-23.

He said: “I’d probably give up one Premier League title, not the first, to have won that Europa League with Tottenham because I know what it means.

“Probably my second — although that was the ‘Four-midables’ [when they won all four domestic trophies].

“It’s hard to give one away but for what that moment meant, to say I was in that Spurs squad that won a trophy.”

City fans slammed Walker, with one saying: “Just ban this guy from the Etihad and get it over and done with. He’s already freely hating us, why protect whatever is left of his relationship with the club.”

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS

Another added: “Mental. I could never ever imagine John Stones, Nathan Ake, Samir Nasri, Carlos Tevez ever coming out and saying they would give up even a Community Shield to win a trophy at a former club.”

Tottenham supporters were delighted to see that he still loves the club, as one commented: “Great to hear you say ‘we’ when referring to Spurs.”

A second said: “As a Spurs fan, it was really heartwarming to hear Kyle’s words and his feelings connected to the Europa League final. I was gutted when he left for Man City, but I’ve always been happy seeing him win trophy after trophy.”

Walker — who spent eight years on Tottenham’s books — admitted he was a bag of nerves watching his old club beat Manchester United 1-0 last month.

He added: “It was the first time in a long time I’ve been nervous — and I wasn’t even playing.

“I was there with my iPad and I couldn’t sit and watch it. I was walking up and down my room.

“We reached a lot of finals but against better teams who knew how to win.

“They’ve always been a club that nearly got over the line but not quite. I’m buzzing for them.”

Walker joined City from Spurs in July 2017 and has a year left on his deal.

Turkish giants Fenerbahce are the latest to show an interest in him.

The president and two other top officers of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s labor union were suspended from their posts Monday after an investigation by the union’s parent organization found $800,000 in credit card purchases that were not properly accounted for.

The International Assn. of Fire Fighters, which oversees the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City and other local firefighter unions across the country, suspended President Freddy Escobar and the two others over diverse financial improprieties, including “serious problems” with missing receipts, according to a letter by IAFF General President Edward Kelly to UFLAC members.

The IAFF appointed a conservator to take over the labor union to “restore responsible financial stewardship and guarantee the fulfillment of UFLAC’s legitimate objectives,” Kelly wrote.

“The leadership of UFLAC has abdicated its fiduciary responsibilities and placed Local 112 in ill repute. The financial malpractice by the leadership of UFLAC has dealt serious harm to the membership,” Kelly added.

The dramatic move came after a wide-ranging audit of UFLAC’s finances revealed different kinds of financial improprieties.

The audit found that from July 2018 through November 2024, Escobar initiated 1,957 transactions on his UFLAC credit card, totaling $311,497.58, the letter said. More than 70% of those transactions — amounting to $230,466 — have no supporting documentation.

“The auditors could not ascertain the purpose of these transactions,” Kelly wrote in the letter. He added that an additional 157 transactions — amounting to $35,397 — were only partially supported with required documentation.

“This means there is no way to determine whether $265,862.34 in dues money spent by President Escobar without documentation was for legitimate union expenditures,” the letter said.

Escobar did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The audit found that two others — former Secretary Adam Walker and former treasurer Domingo Albarran Jr. — together had more than $530,000 in credit card transactions with either no receipts or that were only partially documented. Walker did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Albarran declined to comment.

Vice Presidents Chuong Ho and Doug Coates were also suspended and accused of breaching their fiduciary duties in “failing to enforce UFLAC policy.” Neither immediately responded to a request for comment.

“Protecting the dues money that members contribute to their Local union is one of the highest priorities for all Local union officers,” Kelly wrote. “In fact, Local union officers have a legal responsibility, called a fiduciary duty, to ensure that your dues are spent in your best interests and in a manner you can track. This is so you know exactly how your dues money is being spent.”

The investigation began last October when the new treasurer of the union, Jason Powell, raised concerns to the IAFF about alleged improper record-keeping and use of union funds.

The Times first reported on the audit, along with the suspension of Walker, who had been accused of improperly depositing more than $75,000 of funds from the union’s charity for injured firefighters into his personal accounts from December 2022 to January 2024.

Walker previously told The Times that the allegations are false. He said the account he drew from was not for the charity, the UFLAC Fire Foundation, but was set up for two golf tournaments to raise money for a disabled former firefighter. All of the deposits were reimbursements for his legitimate out-of-pocket expenses for the tournaments, Walker said.

The IAFF investigation, however, found that immediately after moving large sums of money out of the charity’s account into his personal accounts, Walker paid his mortgage and RV loan payments, and made cash ATM withdrawals at casinos, the letter said.

The announcement also comes on the heels of a Times investigation that found Escobar and other top union officers for years have been padding their paychecks with overtime while also collecting five- to six-figure union stipends.

Escobar made about $540,000 in 2022, the most recent year for which records of both his city and union earnings are available. He more than doubled his base salary of $184,034 with overtime payouts that year, earning a total of more than $424,500 from the city in pay and benefits, payroll data show.

He collected an additional $115,962 stipend from the union, according to its most recent federal tax filing. He reported working 48 hours a week on union and related duties, while records provided by the city for that year show he picked up an average of roughly 30 hours of overtime a week — a total of about 78 hours of work each week.