week

Millions of YouTube TV customers were spared an interruption of Fox News, Fox sports and local coverage after the two entertainment companies reached a 11th-hour truce following weeks of negotiations.

The two sides agreed Wednesday to continue talks to resolve their differences over distribution deal terms, pausing the threat of a channel blackout days before the start of the college football and NFL seasons.

The announcement came minutes before the 2 p.m. Pacific deadline. Neither company wanted to let a contract squabble disrupt some of their viewers’ favorite shows.

Fox News has a popular lineup with “The Five,” “Special Report with Bret Baier” and “Hannity.” Without a deal, sports fans could have missed out on Friday night’s Auburn-Baylor football game, Saturday’s high-profile contest between Texas and Ohio State and three regional Major League Baseball games airing on Fox.

In addition, Fox’s NFL season kicks off on Sept. 7, giving the two sides added motivation to find a resolution.

“We have reached a short-term extension with Fox to prevent disruption to YouTube TV subscribers as we continue to work on a new agreement,” YouTube said in a Wednesday afternoon blog post. “We are committed to advocating on behalf of our subscribers as we work toward a fair deal and will keep you updated on our progress.”

YouTube has about 10 million customers for its television service, making it the third largest pay-TV distributor in the U.S.

This is a developing story.

The dispute hinged on programming fees YouTube TV pays for Fox News, the Fox broadcast network, Fox-owned stations, including KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles, Fox Business, FS1 and the Big 10 Network.

Rupert Murdoch’s company relies heavily on the strength of Fox News — which ranked as the nation’s top-rated linear network in July — and its broadcast network that boasts big-name sports to maintain its programming fees.

Distribution fee disputes have become increasingly common amid a shift in economics.

Programmers, including Fox, have long counted on distribution fees paid by TV distributors that sell the channel bundles to consumers. But that source of revenue is under threat as viewers migrate to Netflix, Disney+ and other streamers — shrinking the pool of pay-TV subscribers.

“Fox is asking for payments that are far higher than what partners with comparable content offerings receive,” YouTube said late Monday in a blog post when tensions ran high. “Our priority is to reach a deal that reflects the value of their content and is fair for both sides without passing on additional costs to our subscribers.”

For its part, Fox said it was “proposing a fair, comprehensive deal to continue our relationship with YouTube TV.” It accused Google of using its leverage to try to extract unfair terms.

YouTube TV has been gaining subscribers at a time when others are losing them, giving the tech company increased market muscle. YouTube’s popular bundle — it also offers the NFL Sunday Ticket package of out-of-market games — has cut into the business of legacy pay-TV providers.

Nielsen ranks YouTube, including its video service, as the largest television distributor in the U.S. by share of viewership. In a Tuesday report, Nielsen said that YouTube captured 13.4% of all TV viewing in July, the sixth consecutive month the company has claimed the top spot.

Walt Disney Co. came in second that month with 9.4% of the audience.

Last year, YouTube generated $54.2 billion in revenue, second only to Disney, according to research firm MoffettNathanson. The analysts estimated that fast-growing YouTube TV would reach 10 million subscribers this year. That slightly trails Charter, which operates the Spectrum service, and Comcast.

NPR’s “All Things Considered” is getting a new weekday voice.

Scott Detrow will become a full-time weekday host of NPR’s afternoon radio show starting Sept. 29, while maintaining his role at “Consider This,” the outlet’s daily news podcast, the public radio firm said.

“I can’t wait to bring listeners the news five days a week now. And at this moment where we are all focusing on strengthening the entire public media network and working together more closely than ever before,” Detrow said in a statement.

This news comes a week after journalist Ari Shapiro announced his departure from the news magazine show. Shapiro had been hosting the show for nearly a decade.

For the last two years, Detrow could be heard on weekend episodes of “All Things Considered.” He steered coverage of breaking news events, including the attempted assassination of President Trump in Pennsylvania, earning him the Edward R. Murrow Award for breaking news.

He initially joined NPR in 2015. From getting his start as a Fordham student at WFUV in New York to working as a statehouse reporter at WITF in Pennsylvania and at KQED in the Bay Area, he has spent his entire career in public radio.

Since becoming a part of the national nonprofit, he has helped launch segments such as “Reporter’s Notebook,” in which listeners get a behind-the-scenes look at how journalism is produced, and most recently, he anchored live coverage surrounding Pope Leo’s election. He has also co-hosted the “NPR Politics Podcast” for seven years, focusing on the White House, Congress and two presidential campaigns.

“All Things Considered” is one of NPR’s longest-running shows, first airing in 1971. The flagship program presents a mix of news, commentary, interviews and analysis on a daily basis.

In a full-circle moment, Detrow’s first job out of college was working on the local version of “All Things Considered” in central Pennsylvania.

“I’m proud that I started out as an ATC host at a NPR Member station, and now will be doing that job nationally,” he said.

How does it feel to get played by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce? Turns out the couple didn’t get engaged this week after all, according to Swift’s FFIL — future father-in-law — Ed Kelce.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end actually popped the question “not quite two weeks ago,” his dad told News 5 Cleveland on Tuesday.

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“He was going to put it off till this week. I think she was getting maybe a little antsy, but he was going to put her off till this week, to, you know, make some grand thing, to make it a big special event,” Ed Kelce said. “And I told him repeatedly, you know, you could do it on the side of the road, do it any place that makes it a special event … when you get down on one knee and ask her to marry you.”

Apparently it happened at Travis Kelce’s home in Lee’s Summit, Mo., Ed Kelce said, before the two headed out for dinner. Before they left, Travis told Taylor, “‘Let’s go out and have a glass of wine.’ … They got out there, and that’s when he asked her, and it was beautiful.” No word on whether they made it to a restaurant after all that.

Interesting that Ed Kelce described the proposal as beautiful, given that he wasn’t actually there to see it — he said he was taking in a Philadelphia Eagles preseason football practice that was open to the public. His younger son called him on FaceTime to share the news while he was watching the team that his older son Jason Kelce played with for years.

“I don’t know how much I’m supposed to say, but I don’t care!” Ed Kelce said with a happy shrug.

Travis Kelce, on the other hand, knew exactly how much tea he could spill in public without his future wife’s OK: nada. The KC Chief told his dad the announcement would happen “whenever Taylor says so.” Of course, Swift and her beau announced Tuesday, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.”

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced their engagement Tuesday.

(Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

(KillaTrav seemed equally “Excited to finally share what we’ve been cookin’ up!!” on Wednesday when he launched his new AE x Tru Kolors clothing collaboration on social media. For those who are interested, the collection looks like a preppy, a jock and a member of the “Duck Dynasty” cast got together and brainstormed. In other words, kinda like something Travis Kelce would wear to the stadium on game day.)

Meanwhile, the rest of the Kelce clan is just delighted, delighted, delighted by recent events, because, according to a People source, Swift is still the bomb.

“She goes out of her way to show the whole family how much she cares for not just Travis, but all of them, down to Jason’s kids,” the source said Tuesday. That entails “sweet, thoughtful gifts,” flowers and baked goods for everyone.

“Taylor gets along so well with the family and they’re just her biggest fan,” said the source, who apparently is “close to the newly engaged couple” and whose first name might be Brittany or Kylie — just a guess, of course, on that last part.

Passengers headed to Greece are urged to keep an eye on Jet2’s website for updates as the airline continues to monitor strike developments that could impact flights

Jet2 has alerted travellers jetting off to Greece tomorrow (Thursday August 28) about planned industrial action which “may impact Greek Air Traffic Control”.

The air carrier confirmed it was keeping a close watch on the situation and currently intends to operate all flights as scheduled. Holidaymakers are advised to check the airline’s website regularly for the latest information.

The industrial action is scheduled to run from 9.30am until 1.30pm local time. The walkout forms part of a broader 24-hour strike organised by public sector union ADEDY.

READ MORE: Furious tourist ‘offered £21 by easyJet’ after being stranded in TurkeyREAD MORE: Your compensation rights as air traffic control chaos causes ‘delays for days’

It comes in response to a proposed draft law, with fears it could negatively affect trade union, social and political activities, Travel and World Tour World reports.

In a statement on its website, Jet2 said: “We are currently monitoring a planned General Strike in Greece that is due to take place between 09:30 – 13:30 (Greek local time) on Thursday 28 August 2025 and may impact Greek Air Traffic Control.

“Flights operating to/from Greece may be affected during this strike action, however, we are planning to operate all Jet2.com flights as planned so please arrive at the airport on time.

“You don’t need to contact us or take any extra actions – we will continue to monitor this strike action and publish any updates here on our website.” In light of potential disruptions, Aegean Airlines has offered its customers the chance to alter their tickets, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The Greek airline stated on its website: “Due to the possibility of the 4-hour work suspension (09:30–13:30) of air traffic controllers, all passengers holding tickets for Thursday, August 28, 2025, are offered proactively the flexibility to change their tickets for a new travel date until September 30th 2025, without any reissue fee and fare difference or cancel their booking and receive a credit voucher for future use, should they wish to.”

The Hellenic Air Traffic Controllers’ Association called on controllers to walk out in support of a 24-hour strike by Greece’s main public sector union ADEDY over disciplinary rules set to be introduced for civil employees which are set for a parliamentary vote this week However, Greek carriers Aegean and Olympic Air said flights would go ahead as normal.

According to Greek Travel Pages, only essential flights will be allowed to operate during the work stoppage including:

• International flights crossing the Athens FIR
• Flights carrying heads of state or prime ministers
• Hellenic Air Force missions and scheduled exercises
• Aircraft in emergency situations
• Hospital flights
• Humanitarian aid flights
• Search and rescue operations

A look at two of this week’s top high school football games in the Southland:

THURSDAY

Corona Centennial (1-0) vs. Santa Margarita (0-1) at Trabuco Hills, 7:30 p.m.

Centennial is trying to go to 2-0 against Trinity League teams after a 42-14 win over Servite. Quarterback Dominick Catalano made an impressive senior debut running the offense. It will be a lot tougher against a Santa Margarita defense with an active, aggressive front seven. Look for the Eagles to try to get the ball more often to receiver Trent Mosley. The pick: Santa Margarita.

FRIDAY

Valencia (1-0) at Chaminade (1-0), 7 p.m.

Chaminade upset Oaks Christian last week, showing off its very good offensive line. Valencia has a top dual-threat quarterback in Brady Bretthauer, plus explosive running back Brian Bonner. The pick: Valencia.

MAGA loves a red cap and boasty T-shirt slogan, but not when it’s coming from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and it looks a lot like the gear they purchased from the Trump Store. So guess what the governor did over the weekend?

After weeks of mocking tweets from Newsom that mimic Trump’s usage of ALL CAPS, multiple exclamation points and memes picturing the 79-year-old as a ripped young man, the governor took the next logical step in his get-under-their-skin campaign and launched his own store for merch, the Patriot Shop.

“THE PATRIOT SHOP IS NOW OPEN!!!” he crowed. “MANY PEOPLE ARE SAYING THIS IS THE GREATEST MERCHANDISE EVER MADE. PLEASE ENJOY, AMERICA!”

But how will Newsom’s parody products compete with the president’s monetization of office, a grift that’s made millions selling Trump-themed sneakers, Christmas gift wrap, perfume, cryptocurrency and even guitars?

It starts with a red trucker cap, naturally. The governor’s reads “NEWSOM WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING.” The product’s description includes the explainer: “Humility is overrated.”

Curiously, it was just last week when the president wore a red hat that said, “Trump was right about everything!” and told reporters, “I know Gavin very well. He’s an incompetent guy with a good line of bulls—.”

Also available on Newsom’s clapback merch site is a tank top echoing Trump’s own words about a woman who will never, ever support him: Taylor Swift. “TRUMP IS NOT HOT,” it reads in bold red letters. The product description that follows: “A simple statement of fact.”

Three hours after the launch of the shop, Newsom boasted in an X post: “WOW! $50,000 IN PURCHASES ALREADY!! THANK YOU PATRIOTS!!!” By Monday, sales had doubled, according to a follow-up post.

Fox News coverage of the governor’s latest move in his troll-Trump campaign was low wattage compared with last week, when the conservative news outlet devoted days to Newsom’s “embarrassing” social media antics. How dare he refer to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by Trump’s mean nickname, “Meatball Ron.” That’s the president’s job!

Sunday it appeared Fox was determined not to show any big feelings over Newsom’s new MAGA-inspired line of merch. Will Cain delivered the news with a halting discipline and just a jab or two, calling the governor a “shadow” of their beloved leader. Newsom’s X account still ran with it, thanking Fox News for its coverage of his new cyber store. “Thank you for the promotion of our ‘FANTASTIC’ Patriot Shop, @WillCainShow !!!!!”

The Patriot Shop also lists a “Holy Bible” signed by “America’s Favorite Governor!” for $100, but it’s marked “SOLD OUT!” It harks back to when Trump marketed his own “God Bless the USA” Bible, which included the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. I guess we’ll never know what Newsom might have included in his.

The site also features “The Chosen One” T-shirt, featuring an image of Newsom being prayed over by notable Trump supporters Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock and the late Hulk Hogan. Trump in 2019 declared himself “the chosen one.”

Newsom has been both heralded and chided for turning the president’s bully tactics back on the MAGA elite, but if social media response is any indication, it appears to be one of the few moves from an establishment Democrat that’s energizing the base and gaining attention on a national level. His taste-of-their-own-medicine campaign gained his X press account more than 250,000 new followers in August alone. And Newsom’s change in tactics has been at the top of news feeds for a week.

It appears Trump has clearly been triggered by Newsom. At a recent White House Cabinet meeting, the president said, “You have an incompetent governor in California. Gavin. I know him very well. … He’s a nice guy, looks good. [Imitating Newsom] ‘Hi everybody. How you doing?’ He’s got some strange hand action going on.”

Newsom responded on X, “You really want to have the conversation about hands?”

It was bound to happen sometime. This year, the most important Hollywood movie of the key summer season didn’t start its quest for world domination in movie theaters. It came out on Netflix.

“KPop Demon Hunters,” the cartoon musical about a girl group using catchy tunes to keep evil at bay, has become a viral phenomenon since it launched on the streamer June 20. With 210 million views globally so far, it’s the most watched animated movie ever on Netflix, and is expected to soon top “Red Notice” as the company’s most popular film.

That should be no surprise at this point. Unlike many previous widely watched Netflix movies, “KPop” — produced by Culver City-based Sony Pictures Animation — has penetrated the cultural zeitgeist, leading to gushing from millennial parents’ group chats including mine, chart-topping songs and, of course, memes galore.

To keep the momentum going, Netflix took the unusual step of putting the movie in theaters weeks after its streaming debut.

“KPop Demon Hunters” sing-along screenings played in more than 1,750 locations domestically to packed houses, with more than 1,150 sold-out showings, though it did not play in AMC cineplexes. It was the No. 1 movie in theaters, scoring in the ballpark of $18 million in ticket sales, according to industry sources, enough to top the third weekend of Zach Cregger’s horror hit “Weapons.” Netflix released the sing-along version of “KPop Demon Hunters” for streaming on Monday.

Netflix, as is its typical practice, did not report actual box office grosses, so the counts for its first No. 1 box office hit aren’t official. Nonetheless, theater operators were clearly relieved to have the movie, even if for only two days. The August box office doldrums are in full swing, with little to cheer about from the traditional studios.

The summer blockbuster season is expected to end with about $3.5 billion in total revenue from the first weekend of May through Labor Day, according to analysts, which would be either roughly flat or slightly down from last year’s thin slate. More than $4 billion is considered normal or healthy by pre-pandemic standards.

The biggest hit this summer was Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” a live-action remake that collected $422 million in the U.S. and Canada and more than $1 billion globally. Last summer, two movies topped $600 million: Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” and Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” both of which were Disney titles.

Netflix has had a tense relationship with the theatrical business since it first got into making movies. The company puts movies in cinemas for limited runs as part of marketing efforts, awards campaigns and as a way to appease filmmakers who prefer the big-screen experience. Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos earlier this year called the theatrical business “outdated” for most people, citing weak box office numbers after the COVID-19 closures.

Indeed, theatrical attendance has shrunk even more than the top-line revenue figures suggest, with shortfalls partly papered over by increases in ticket prices over the years.

When Scott Stuber ran Netflix’s film business, he pushed the company to do more with theaters because auteur directors wanted it. The film side is now run by Dan Lin.

People who advocate for the multiplex keep hoping that some event will persuade Netflix that its theory is wrong — that something like the “KPop Demon Hunters” screenings or next year’s Imax rollout for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming “Narnia” project will prove that Sarandos is mistaken and theatrical windows will actually benefit Netflix beyond using them as promotional ploys.

Rivals say their movies do better on streaming services when they’re already theatrical hits, a theme repeated by the new owners of Paramount who are trying to grow their direct-to-consumer business.

But if anything, Netflix is digging in.

The company sees the success of “KPop,” along with the recent release of “Happy Gilmore 2,” as proof that movies can resonate culturally without theaters and the massive advertising budgets necessary to open a film on 4,000 domestic screens. The Adam Sandler-starring sequel scored 46.7 million views in its first three days on the service and set a Nielsen record for the most-watched streaming movie in a single week.

Netflix has long faced skepticism from Hollywood over its film business, which can put up big viewership with movies like “Red Notice” and “The Adam Project” that seem to vanish from audiences’ consciousness without a trace.

We kind of already knew that movies, particularly animated musicals aimed at kids, could find a big audience online without being a theatrical smash. “Encanto,” released in November 2021 during the pandemic and the Bob Chapek era, did paltry box office by modern Disney standards but became a phenomenon when its Lin-Manuel Miranda-penned songs took off on social media.

When kids latch onto something, they watch it repeatedly, and they don’t care if it’s been in theaters or not. If the movie is good and relevant to them, it can work regardless of the release strategy.

Would “KPop Demon Hunters” have worked if it had been released in theaters exclusively? Who knows. If it had opened to modest box office results, as animated original movies tend to do lately, it would have immediately been written off as a disappointment. Instead, it stayed on the Netflix top 10 lists for weeks and climbed the Nielsen rankings because of word of mouth.

Part of its success is that the movie feels very “now,” whereas animated films sometimes aim for timelessness. It’s culturally specific, with universal themes (friendship and young people’s need to belong) that have powered Disney blockbusters for decades. A colleague of mine aptly described it as a sort of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” meets “Frozen.” Its music is current and rides the wave of everything influenced by South Korean pop culture.

Will it have the enduring influence of the “Frozen” franchise or “Moana,” movies that started primarily as properties for girls but became touchstones for a broader audience? Perhaps not, but it does give Netflix another data point to validate its streaming movie strategy.

Stuff we wrote

Number of the week

Even $3-trillion Apple isn’t immune to streaming inflation.

Apple TV+, home of series including “The Studio” and “Ted Lasso,” is raising its subscription price by $3 to $12.99 a month, following the lead of other streamers chasing better returns.

Finally …

Read: I’m listening to the audiobook of Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus’ “Fahrenheit-182.” A must for this San Diego native.

MINNEAPOLIS — Ken Martin is in the fight of his life.

The low-profile political operative from Minnesota, just six months on the job as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is charged with leading his party’s formal resistance to President Trump and fixing the Democratic brand.

“I think the greatest divide right now in our party, frankly, is not ideological,” Martin told The Associated Press. “The greatest divide is those people who are standing up and fighting and those who are sitting on the sidelines.”

“We’re using every single lever of power we have to take the fight to Donald Trump,” he said of the DNC.

And yet, as hundreds of Democratic officials gather in Martin’s Minneapolis hometown on Monday for the first official DNC meeting since he became chair, there is evidence that Martin’s fight may extend well beyond the current occupant of the Oval Office.

Big Democratic donors are unhappy with the direction of their own party and not writing checks. Political factions are fragmented over issues such as the Israel-Hamas war. The party’s message is murky. Key segments of the Democratic base — working-class voters and young people, among them — have drifted away.

And there is deep frustration that the Democratic Party under Martin’s leadership is not doing enough to stop the Republican president — no matter how tough his rhetoric may be.

“There are no magic fixes,” said Jeanna Repass, the chair of the Kansas Democratic Party, who praised Martin’s performance so far. “He is trying to lead at a time where everyone wants it to be fixed right now. And it’s just not going to happen.”

At this week’s three-day summer meeting, DNC officials hope to make real progress in reversing the sense of pessimism and frustration that has consumed Democrats since Republicans seized the White House and control of Congress last fall.

It may not be so easy.

Confidence questions and money trouble

At least a couple of DNC members privately considered bringing a vote of no confidence against Martin this week in part because of the committee’s underwhelming fundraising, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation who was granted anonymity to share internal discussions. Ultimately, the no confidence vote will not move forward because Martin’s critics couldn’t get sufficient support from the party’s broader membership, which includes more than 400 elected officials from every state and several territories.

Still, the committee’s financial situation is weak compared with the opposition’s.

The most recent federal filings reveal that the DNC has $14 million in the bank at the end of July compared with the Republican National Committee’s $84 million. The Democrats’ figure represents its lowest level of cash on hand in at least the last five years.

Martin and his allies, including his predecessor Jaime Harrison, insist it’s not fair to compare the party’s current financial health with recent years, when Democratic President Joe Biden was in the White House.

Harrison pointed to 2017 as a more accurate comparison. That year, the committee struggled to raise money in the months after losing to Trump the first time. And in the 2018 midterm elections that followed, Harrison noted, Democrats overcame their fundraising problems and won the House majority and several Senate seats.

“These are just the normal pains of being a Democrat when we don’t have the White House,” Harrison said. “Ken is finding his footing.”

Martin acknowledged that big donors are burnt out after the last election, which has forced the committee to turn to smaller-dollar donors, who have responded well.

“Money will not be the ultimate determinant in this (midterm) election,” Martin said. “We’ve been making investments, record investments, in our state parties. … We have the money to operate. We’re not in a bad position.”

Gaza debate could get ugly

While Martin is broadly popular among the DNC’s rank and file, internal divisions may flare publicly this week when the committee considers competing resolutions about the Israel-Hamas war.

One proposed resolution would have the DNC encourage Democratic members of Congress to suspend military aid to Israel, establish an arms embargo and recognize Palestine as a country, according to draft language reviewed by the AP. The measure also states that the crisis in Gaza has resulted in the loss of over 60,000 lives and the displacement of 1.7 million Palestinians “at the hands of the Israeli government.”

The DNC leadership, led by Martin, introduced a competing resolution that adds more context about Israel’s challenges.

One line, for example, refers to “the suffering of both Palestinians and Israelis” and notes the number of Israelis killed in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Martin’s version calls for a two-state solution, but there is no reference to the number of Palestinians killed or displaced, nor is there a call for an end to military aid or an arms embargo.

Meanwhile, another proposed resolution would reaffirm the DNC’s commitment to “diversity, equity and inclusion.” Many Democrats, businesses and educational institutions have distanced themselves from DEI programs after Trump and other Republicans attacked them as Democrats’ “woke” policies.

Ultimately, Martin said the party needs to focus its message on the economy.

“There’s no doubt we have to get back to a message that resonates with voters,” he said. “And focusing on an economic agenda is the thing that brings all parts of our coalition and Americans into the conversation.”

“We have work to do for sure,” he added.

Presidential prospects on the agenda

The DNC is years away from deciding which states vote first on the 2028 presidential primary calendar, but that discussion will begin in earnest at the Minneapolis gathering, where at least three presidential prospects will be featured speakers: Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Martin said the DNC is open to changes from the 2024 calendar, which kicked off in South Carolina, while pushing back traditional openers Iowa and New Hampshire. In recent days, Iowa Democrats have publicly threatened to go rogue and ignore the wishes of the DNC if they are skipped over again in 2028.

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws committee this week is expected to outline what the next calendar selection process would look like, although the calendar itself likely won’t be completed until 2027.

“We’re going to make sure that the process is open, that any state that wants to make a bid to be in the early window can do so,” Martin said.

Peoples writes for the Associated Press.

Aug. 24 (UPI) — Police descended upon Pennsylvania’s Villanova University on Sunday in response to reports of an active shooter on campus, making it the second time in less than a week that a hoax attack has been reported at the private Catholic school.

The Radnor Township Police Department said officers were responding to reports of an active shooter at the university’s Austin Hall.

“Law enforcement has confirmed that call to be false,” it said in a statement published on X at about 11:40 a.m. EDT.

“Officers are working to clear the campus and restore normal operations. At this time, the investigation is ongoing.”

Monday is the start of classes for the fall semester of the 2025-26 academic year at Villanova University, where about 10,000 students, including 6,700 full-time undergraduate students, attend. Villanova is a Philadelphia suburb.

Kathleen Byrnes, vice president of student life at the school, has announced in a letter that Sunday evening’s Mass and Commissioning has been canceled “given the whirlwind of emotions over these last few days.”

“With all that has transpired on campus in recent days, we feel our first-year students are best served by an evening with time to pause before classes start tomorrow,” Byrnes said.

“For our new students: Please take this evening to relax, talk with new friends and get a good night’s sleep — all of which will help you feel prepared for your first day of college tomorrow.”

The first false call of an active shooter on campus occurred Thursday late afternoon. Students were warned at about 4:30 p.m. to shelter in place. The shooter was reported to have been at the university’s law school.

University President Peter Donohue announced the Thursday active shooter report was a “cruel hoax.”

In a letter to students Sunday following the second false report, Donohue said he wished he had more answers for them.

“I do not know why this is happening, but I assure you the authorities are working tirelessly to find out who is behind these calls,” he said.

“I know it may not seem like it after the past couple of days, but I assure you that campus is safe, and there is no evidence of a legitimate threat to our community.”

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL WEEK 1

(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)

THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE

CITY SECTION

Nonleague

Arleta at Cleveland

Bell at Marquez, 7:30 p.m.

Belmont at West Adams, 4 p.m.

Bernstein at Locke

Canoga Park at Hollywood

Chatsworth at Franklin

Chavez at San Fernando

Dorsey at Carson, 7:30 p.m.

Fremont at LA University

Gardena at South East, 4 p.m.

Granada Hills at Venice

Granada Hills Kennedy at San Pedro, 7:30 p.m.

Grant at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.

Huntington Park at Wilmington Banning

Legacy at Maywood CES

Lincoln at Legacy

LA Marshall at Sylmar

Maywood CES at Mendez

Monroe at Taft

Panorama at Manual Arts

Rancho Dominguez at Contreras, 4 p.m.

Reseda at Hawkins, 7:30 p.m.

Santee at Rivera

Sotomayor at Van Nuys

Torres at Jefferson

Washington at Westchester, 7:30 p.m.

SOUTHERN SECTION

Nonleague

Artesia at Maranatha

Calabasas at Castaic

Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Montebello

Cathedral at Beaumont, 7:30 p.m.

Charter Oak vs. Upland at SoFi Stadium, 5 p.m.

Citrus Hill at Miller, 7:30 p.m.

Compton Centennial at Compton

Corona at Bloomington, 7:30 p.m.

Corona Centennial at Santa Margarita

Covina at Baldwin Park

Garey at Pomona

Great Oak at Rancho Verde, 7:30 p.m.

Hillcrest at Corona Santiago, 7:30 p.m.

La Sierra at West Valley

Liberty at Sultana, 7:30 p.m.

Los Osos at Alta Loma

Mountain View at Workman

Norwalk at Santa Fe

Ontario at San Gorgonio, 7:30 p.m.

Pioneer at Loara, 6:30 p.m.

Rancho Alamitos at Garden Grove Santiago

Redlands at Banning

Saddleback at South El Monte

San Juan Hills at Eastvale Roosevelt

San Marino at La Salle

Santa Ana at Placentia Valencia

Serrano at Barstow, 7:30 p.m.

St. Genevieve at Antelope Valley

Troy at La Mirada

Vista del Lago at Valley View, 7:30 p.m.

West Covina at Los Altos

Westminster at Buena Park

Yorba Linda vs. Edison at Huntington Beach

INTERSECTIONAL

Bakersfield at Garfield

Bosco Tech at LA Wilson

Crenshaw at Long Beach Jordan

Culver City at King-Drew

Gardena Serra at LA Hamilton

Jackson Hole (WY) at Linfield Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Lawndale at LA Roosevelt

Long Beach Cabrillo at LA Jordan

Los Alamitos at Narbonne

Lynwood at South Gate

Monrovia at Eagle Rock

Palisades at Harvard-Westlake

Paramount at Fairfax

Vasquez at Roybal

8-MAN

CITY

New Designs University Park at Sherman Oaks CES

INTERSECTIONAL

Public Safety Academy at East Valley

Milken at Valley Oaks CES

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto at Ridgecrest Burroughs

Anaheim Canyon vs. Ayala at SoFi Stadium, 5 p.m.

Apple Valley at Highland

Aquinas at Glendora

Arlington at Ramona

Arroyo at South Torrance

Arroyo Grande at Newbury Park

Arroyo Valley at Nuview Bridge

Azusa at Ganesha

Bell Gardens at El Rancho

Bermuda Dunes Desert Christian at Riverside Prep

Bishop Diego vs. West Ranch at Valencia

Bishop Montgomery vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Bowl

Bolsa Grande at Ocean View

Brea Olinda at Cypress

Brentwood at Hueneme

Burbank Burroughs vs. Hart at College of the Canyons

California at Sunny Hills

Canyon Country Canyon at Buena

Carter at Don Lugo

Cerritos at Gahr

Chaffey at Fillmore

Chino vs. Summit at Miller, 7:30 p.m.

Claremont at Diamond Bar

Compton Centennial at Compton

Corona del Mar at Santa Barbara

Crescenta Valley at Knight

Damien at JSerra

Del Sol at Viewpoint

Diamond Ranch at Bonita

Downey at Orange Vista

Duarte at Glendale

Eastside at Mary Star

Eisenhower at Colton

El Modena at Dana Hills

El Monte at Alhambra

El Toro at Aliso Niguel

Esperanza at Fountain Valley

Estancia at Costa Mesa

Etiwanda at Citrus Valley

Gabrielino at Whittier

Garden Grove Pacifica vs. Garden Grove at SoFi Stadium, 8:30 p.m.

Godinez at Westminster La Quinta

Golden Valley at Crespi

Grace at Arrowhead Christian

Granite Hills at Patriot

Hacienda Heights Wilson at Rowland

Hawthorne at Firebaugh

Hemet at Salesian

Hesperia at Jurupa Hills

Huntington Beach at Trabuco Hills

Indio at Fullerton

Irvine at Portola

Jurupa Valley at Fontana

Kaiser at Heritage

King at San Jacinto

La Canada at Santa Paula

La Habra at Northview

La Palma Kennedy at Woodbridge

La Quinta at Yucca Valley

La Serna at Schurr

La Sierra at West Valley

Laguna Hills at Orange

Lakeside at Tahquitz

Lancaster at Newport Harbor

Littlerock at St. Bernard

Long Beach Wilson at Marina

Los Amigos at Silver Valley

Loyola at Millikan

Magnolia at Compton Early College

Mira Costa at St. Francis

Mission Viejo at St. Paul

Montclair at Walnut

Murrieta Mesa at Vista Murrieta

Murrieta Valley at Servite

Norco at Colony

Northwood at Sonora

Oak Hills at Bishop Amat

Palm Springs at Grand Terrace

Palmdale at Leuzinger

Paloma Valley at Moreno Valley

Paraclete at San Marcos

Pasadena Marshall at Dominguez

Quartz Hill at Rio Hondo Prep

Rancho Christian at Norte Vista

Rancho Cucamonga at Orange Lutheran

Rancho Mirage at Coachella Valley

Redlands East Valley at Perris

Redondo at El Dorado

Rim of the World at Big Bear

Rio Mesa at Camarillo

Riverside North at Riverside Poly

Rosemead at San Gabriel

Rubidoux at Pacific

San Bernardino at Cathedral City

San Dimas at Pasadena

San Jacinto Valley Academy at Desert Mirage

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Cerritos Valley Christian

Santa Clara at Century

Santa Monica at Laguna Beach

Santa Rosa Academy at California Military Institute

Saugus at Oak Park

Savanna at Glenn

Segerstrom at Santa Ana Valley

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Alemany

Sierra Canyon at Oaks Christian

Sierra Vista at Keppel

Silverado at Yucaipa

South Hills at Ontario Christian

South Pasadena at Arcadia

St. Anthony at Lakewood

St. Monica at Peninsula, 4:30 p.m.

St. Pius X-St. Matthias at Crean Lutheran

Temecula Prep at Rialto

Temecula Valley at Elsinore

Temescal Canyon at El Segundo

Temple City at La Puente

Torrance at West Torrance

Trinity Classical at Nordhoff

Tustin at Foothill

Upland at Charter Oak

Valencia at Chaminade

Ventura at Thousand Oaks

Villa Park at Western

Western Christian at Riverside Notre Dame

Westlake at Agoura

Xavier Prep at Desert Hot Springs

INTERSECTIONAL

‘Aiea (HI) at Palos Verdes, 3 p.m.

Angelou at Hoover, 5:30 p.m.

Anza Hamilton at El Cajon Foothills Christian

Beckman at Chula Vista Eastlake

Beverly Hills at Washington

Gilbert (AZ) Campo Verde at Capistrano Valley

Canyon Springs at Fallbrook

El Camino Real at Heritage Christian

El Paso (TX) Eastwood at St. John Bosco

Fresno Bullard at Mayfair

Long Beach Poly at San Diego Lincoln

Mesa (AZ) Westwood at Burbank

Moorpark at Bakersfield Centennial

Nogales at Henderson (NV) Lake Mead Academy

North Hollywood at Village Christian

Oceanside El Camino at Chino Hills

Palm Desert at El Centro Central

Riverton (UT) at San Clemente

Scripps Ranch at Warren

Shadow Hills at Palo Verde Valley

Simi Valley at Las Vegas Shadow Ridge

St. Bonaventure at Birmingham

Tesoro at North County San Marcos, 7:15 p.m.

Victor Valley at North Las Vegas (NV) Legacy

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Faith Baptist at Chadwick, 3:30 p.m.

Highland Entrepreneur at PAL Charter, 3 p.m.

Malibu at Coast Union, 6 p.m.

Lucerne Valley at Southlands Christian

Noli Indian at Calvary Baptist

INTERSECTIONAL

CSDR at Animo Jackie Robinson

Desert Christian at Laton

Frazier Mountain at Lancaster Baptist, 7:30 p.m.

Maricopa at Alpaugh

New Designs Watts at Valley Oaks Charter

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

SOUTHERN SECTION

Irvine University at Capistrano Valley Christian, 1 p.m.

Whittier Christian at Webb, 1 p.m.

8-MAN

SOUTHERN SECTION

Avalon at Santa Clarita Christian, 12:30 p.m.

California Lutheran at Hesperia Christian, 6 p.m.

Santa Ana Magnolia Science at Downey Calvary Chapel, 6 p.m.

Santa Maria Valley Christian at Cate, 1:30 p.m.

Vista Meridian at Lighthouse Christian

INTERSECTIONAL

Academy for Careers & Exploration at Lone Pine, 5 p.m.

Cuyama Valley at Bakersfield Legacy Christian Academy

Monterey Trinity Christian at San Luis Obispo Classical Academy, 2 p.m.

Orcutt Academy at Laguna Blanca, 1 p.m.

Sage Hill at Fresno Christian, 8:30 p.m.

The White House on Thursday issued a press release titled, “President Trump Is Right About the Smithsonian.” The missive arrived in inboxes the day after Trump took to Truth Social to lash out at museums across the country — and the Smithsonian Institute in particular — for being too “woke.”

The president vowed to have his attorneys deal with the Smithsonian in the same punitive and litigious way it has handled colleges and universities that don’t hew to MAGA ideals, and a rep for the White House said that Trump would start with the Smithsonian, “and then go from there.”

The idea that Trump might find some surprising legal loophole to pressure or punish museums that don’t share his appetite for revisionist history, is chilling to many critics, including the the American Alliance of Museums, which recently issued a statement warning of “growing threats of censorship against U.S. museums.”

Trump’s beef with the Smithsonian and affiliated museums is centered on his assertion that its exhibits focus on “how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future.”

The follow-up press release cataloged 22 examples of how the Smithsonian allegedly “prioritizes exhibits that undermine our values and rewrite the American story through a lens of grievance and exclusion.”

But the examples given are all about inclusion — the inclusion of voices that have often been left out of a mainstream dialogue about our nation’s history. Rather than seeming radical, the list appears straightforward and kind.

“The National Museum of the American Latino features programming highlighting ‘animated Latinos and Latinas with disabilities’ — with content from ‘a disabled, plus-sized actress’ and an ‘ambulatory wheelchair user’ who ‘educates on their identity being Latinx, LGBTQ+, and disabled,’ reads one entry.

Then there are the entries that simply rankle Trump based on his own politics of grievance.

“The National Portrait Gallery commissioned a ‘stop-motion drawing animation’ that ‘examines the career’ of Anthony Fauci,” reads another.

There are also bald attempts to censor free artistic expression based on its subject matter: “An American History Museum exhibit features a depiction of the Statue of Liberty ‘holding a tomato in her right hand instead of a torch, and a basket of tomatoes in her left hand instead of a tablet’”; and “The National Portrait Gallery was set to feature a ‘painting depicting a transgender Statue of Liberty’ before the artist withdrew it.”

A desire to exclude is apparent, as in this entry: “The American History Museum prominently displays the ‘Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag’ at its entrance, which was also flown alongside the American flag at multiple Smithsonian campuses.”

You can take a look at the full list here. Trump must find something inherently threatening in each example, which can and should be filed under the absurd.

I’m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, holding a drawing of Fauci in my right hand and a Pride flag in the other. Here’s your weekly arts news roundup.

The week ahead: A curated calendar

FRIDAY

Tom Wilkinson, left, and George Clooney in the Oscar-winning 2007 drama “Michael Clayton,” screening Monday at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.

(Myles Aronowitz / Warner Bros. Pictures)

Friends of the Fest
The American Cinematheque’s third Podcast Film Festival pairs local podcasters with memorable movies, including “Michael Clayton,” “Mississippi Masala,” “Mahogany,” “Carnival of Souls,” “Bottoms” and more.
Through Wednesday. Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave.; Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave. Santa Monica. americancinematheque.com

The Hollywood Bowl’s annual tribute to John Williams returns this weekend.

(Timothy Norris / Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Maestro of the Movies: Celebrating the Music of John Williams
David Newman conducts the L.A. Phil in blockbuster scores from “Jaws,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Superman” and “Star Wars,” as well as dramatic epics including “Far and Away,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and more.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com

‘Protest’
Fountain Theatre hosts Bricolage Production Company’s revival of Václav Havel’s 1978 two-person, one-act drama set in Communist Czechoslovakia. Jeffrey Carpenter directs actors Steven Schub and Robert Anthony Peters in this limited three-performance run.
8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday. Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave. fountaintheatre.com

SATURDAY
Our Lady’s Dowry: Marian Music from Tudor England
Director Bryan Roach and Musica Transalpina demonstrate the evolution of sacred music in England following the Reformation with “Missa O bone Jhesu” by Robert Fayrfax, as well as works by Christopher Tye and William Byrd.
7:30 p.m. Saturday. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. sierramadreplayhouse.org

Carlo Maghirang’s art installation “ANITO” is on display Aug. 23–Sept. 7 at Los Angeles State Historic Park.

(Carlo Maghirang)

Carlo Maghirang: ANITO
The artist explores ancestral veneration through queer self-portraiture and the repetitive making of “taotao” figurines, reimagined as a collection of modular forms in a triptych installation at the River Station Roundhouse turntable. There will also be performances by dancer and choreographer Jobel Medina, Saturday at 1 p.m., and artist, musician and healer Anna Luisa Petrisko, Aug. 30, 1 p.m.
8 a.m. to sunset. Saturday through Sept. 7. Los Angeles State Historic Park, 245 N. Spring St. welcometolace.org

Lula Washington Dance Theatre: 45th Anniversary Celebration
The distinctly L.A. contemporary dance troupe presents two North American premieres: “The Master Plan,” a tribute to the late saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, and Tamica Washington-Miller’s “And We Can Fly,” inspired by an the African American folktale. The evening also includes a revival of Donald McKayle’s “Songs of the Disinherited,” two Martha Graham solos — “Deep Song” and “Satyric Festival Song” —and Talley Beatty’s “Mourner’s Bench.”
8 p.m. Saturday. The Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East. theford.com

Youssef Nabil’s ‘I Saved My Belly Dancer’
The artist’s surreal 2015 video short, inspired by his movie-fueled childhood in Cairo, stars Tahar Rahim and Salma Hayek. The exhibition also features related photographs and contemporaneous Egyptian movie posters.
Through Jan. 11. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Resnick Pavilion, 5905 Wilshire Blvd. lacma.org

SUNDAY

Elizabeth Taylor on the set of the film “Boom,” which screens Sunday as part of a triple bill.

(Express Newspapers / Getty Images)

Summer camp with Elizabeth Taylor
A trio of films starring one of Hollywood’s greatest stars leans into the sometimes garish glamour and kitschy melodrama of “Secret Ceremony,” co-starring Mia Farrow and Robert Mitchum, “Boom!,” with Taylor’s on-again, off-again husband Richard Burton — both 1968 releases directed by Joseph Losey — and Brian G. Hutton’s 1972 marital skirmish, “X, Y & Zee,” featuring Michael Caine and Susannah York.
2:30 Sunday. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

TUESDAY
Beethoven Under the Stars
The L.A. Phil, conducted by Giedrė Šlekytė, is joined by Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, “Nobu” to his fans, for an evening entirely devoted to the great German composer’s work.
8 p.m. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com

WEDNESDAY

Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs, from left, Glynn Turman and Corin Rogers in the 1975 movie “Cooley High,” screening Wednesday at the Academy Museum.

(American International Pictures)

Cooley High
The Academy Museum presents a 35 mm screening of the influential 1975 coming-of-age drama about two best friends in 1964 Chicago with in-person guests director Michael Schultz, actors Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs and Glynn Turman, and filmmaker Ava DuVernay.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Academy Museum, 6067 Wilshire Blvd. academymuseum.org

THURSDAY

Yo-Yo Ma and Angélique Kidjo perform Thursday at the Hollywood Bowl.

(L.A. Phil)

Sarabande Africaine
Singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo and cellist Yo-Yo Ma continue their collaborative creative musical conversation exploring the many centuries of interaction between African musical idioms and Western classical music. They’ll be joined by multi-instrumentalist Thierry Vaton, Grammy-winning producer David Donatien and genre-blending musician Sinkane.
8 p.m. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com

Culture news

A cast of immigrants and the children of immigrants are set to stage a live reading of the cult comedy “Superbad” on Sunday. Participating actors include comedian Hasan Minhaj, Cobie Smulders, Melissa Fumero and Harvey Guillén. The event is free, and it will be livestreamed on the website for Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a social justice law firm that has been working with Southern California’s Latino residents threatened by ongoing ICE raids. De Los’ Andrea Flores has the full story.

Giovanni Guida and his grattage on canvas, “Apotheosis.”

(Daniela Matarazzo)

The uncle of an Italian artist named Giovanni Guida recently wrote me an email to alert me to the inclusion of his nephew in the Getty Vocabularies’ union list of visual artists. What is notable about Guida, his uncle told me, is that he is one of the youngest painters recognized in the resource for his use of the grattage painting technique pioneered by surrealist artist Max Ernst. Grattage is made by placing a painted canvas over a textured object and rubbing the paint off with often unexpected results. Since grattage has now been in use for about 100 years, today seemed like a nice day to highlight it, and to say congratulations to Guida.

The SoCal scene

The North American tour of “& Juliet” at the Ahmanson.

(Matthew Murphy)

Swedish hitmaker Max Martin showed up at the Ahmanson Theatre Friday for the opening of the jukebox musical “& Juliet,” which features dozens of Martin’s chart-topping collaborations with the likes of Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. A few days earlier, I interviewed Martin and the show’s writer, David West Read, who won an Emmy for his work on the comedy “Schitt’s Creek.” The pair happily broke down the genesis of the musical, which was more than a decade in the making. The most important part of development, said Martin, was that the songs not be shoehorned into a subpar plot.

That didn’t happen, writes Times theater critic Charles McNulty in his review. As an example, McNulty cited a song by the Backstreet Boys called “I Want it That Way,” which was “redeployed in a way that has little bearing on the lyrics but somehow feels coherent with the original emotion.” Overall, McNulty concludes that the show, which reimagines what would happen if Juliet decided not to kill herself after she finds Romeo dead, “establishes just the right party atmosphere.”

Gustavo Dudamel is an extremely difficult act to follow, writes Times classical music critic Mark Swed. The beloved Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor was scheduled to perform two weeks at the Hollywood Bowl this summer but had to cancel his second week with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra due to the Trump administration’s new travel restrictions. The orchestra filled the second week with “two talented conductors who were Dudamel fellows and are now enjoying prospering careers, Elim Chan and Gemma New,” writes Swed in a review that examines the high and low points of the substitutions. “These concerts give hope and reaffirm that life goes on. All acts, no matter the challenge, must be followed,” Swed writes.

Tami Outterbridge, daughter of artist John Outterbridge, takes a break from sifting through the ashes of her father’s home in Altadena.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Writer Lynell George pens a thoughtful first-person piece about her experiences with the circle of artists in the orbit of famed artist John Outterbridge in Southern California’s Black Arts Movement. Outterbridge died in 2020, and his home and studio in Altadena were both destroyed in January’s devastating Eaton fire. His daughter Tami soon developed a plan to gather friends to sift through the ashes in search of art — metal, shards of ceramics and glass, the same kinds of materials Outterbridge used in his own potent assemblages.

Exterior of the Eames House, Case Study House #8, in a eucalyptus grove.

(Buyenlarge / Getty Images)

The Eames House reopened late last month after a five-month closure necessitated by smoke damage from January’s Palisades fire. Now that the property has been cleaned and restored, the Eames family has unveiled its adjacent creative studio to the public — making it a space for exhibitions, lectures, podcasts and more. It also launched a new and expanded Charles & Ray Eames Foundation with the goal of building on the Eames design legacy globally. In addition, admission will now be free to first responders as well as residents of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

— Jessica Gelt

And last but not least

The X account for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office has gone full Trump parody with often hilarious results.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has fired a general whose agency’s initial intelligence assessment of U.S. damage to Iranian nuclear sites angered President Trump, according to two people familiar with the decision and a White House official.

Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse will no longer serve as head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, according to the people, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.

Hegseth also fired Vice Adm. Nancy Lacore, chief of the Navy Reserve, and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, a Navy SEAL officer who oversees Naval Special Warfare Command, another U.S. official said.

No reasons were given for their firings, the latest in a series of steps targeting military leaders, intelligence officials and other perceived critics of Trump, who has demanded loyalty across the government. The administration also stripped security clearances this week from additional current and former national security officials.

Taken together, the moves could chill dissent and send a signal against reaching conclusions at odds with Trump’s interests.

Agency’s assessment contradicted Trump

Kruse’s firing comes two months after details of a preliminary assessment of U.S. airstrikes against Iran leaked to the media. It found that Iran’s nuclear program had been set back only a few months by the military bombardment, contradicting assertions from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The president, who had pronounced the Iranian program “completely and fully obliterated,” rejected the report. His oft-repeated criticism of the DIA analysis built on his long-running distrust of intelligence assessments, including one published in 2017 that said Russia interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence — which is responsible for coordinating the work of 18 intelligence agencies, including the DIA — has been declassifying years-old documents meant to cast doubt on those previous findings, which have been endorsed by bipartisan congressional committees.

After the June strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, Hegseth lambasted the press for focusing on the preliminary assessment but did not offer any direct evidence of the destruction of the facilities.

“You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated — choose your word. This was a historically successful attack,” Hegseth said at a news conference at the time.

Democrats raise concerns

While the Pentagon has offered no details on the firings, Democrats in Congress have raised alarm over the precedent that Kruse’s ouster sets for the intelligence community.

“The firing of yet another senior national security official underscores the Trump administration’s dangerous habit of treating intelligence as a loyalty test rather than a safeguard for our country,” said Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, called on the administration to show why Kruse was fired, or “otherwise, we can only assume that this is another politically motivated decision intended to create an atmosphere of fear” within the intelligence community.

Trump has a history of removing government officials whose data and analysis he disagrees with. Earlier this month, after a lousy jobs report, he fired the official in charge of the data. His administration also has stopped posting reports on climate change, canceled studies on vaccine access and removed data on gender identity from government sites.

Other military and intelligence changes

The new firings culminate a week of broad Trump administration changes to the intelligence community and new shake-ups to military leadership.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced this week that it would slash its staff and budget and revoked more security clearances, a tactic the administration uses against those it sees as foes. The Pentagon also said the Air Force’s top uniformed officer, Gen. David Allvin, planned to retire two years early.

Hegseth and Trump have been aggressive in dismissing top military officials, often without formal explanation.

The administration has fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the Navy’s top officer, the Air Force’s second-highest-ranking officer and the top lawyers for three military service branches.

In April, Hegseth dismissed Gen. Tim Haugh as head of the National Security Agency and Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, who was a senior official at NATO.

No public explanations have been offered by the Pentagon for any of the firings, though some of the officers were believed by the administration to endorse diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Trump has demanded government agencies purge DEI efforts.

The ousters of Kruse, Lacore and Sands were reported earlier by the Washington Post.

Toropin, Jalonick and Price write for the Associated Press.

As with all of Los Angeles, one word or phrase can’t characterize the San Fernando Valley, or its 1.8 million residents. When it comes to dining within its 250-plus-square miles, the golden rule germane throughout Southern California very much applies here: Look past the visual ubiquity of strip malls and chock-o-block businesses to find the beauty — the cultural specificity — just inside the sun-bleached storefronts.

Our guide to dining in the Valley

There’s an overwhelming amount of good eating filling the vastness between Burbank and Canoga Park, which the Food team confirmed over the last several months. This week we published our extensive guide to the Valley, featuring 65 freshly researched restaurant suggestions, plus another 24 recommendations for standout bars, tea stops and coffee shops.

I remember my first meal in the Valley. It was at Brent’s Deli in Northridge in 1997. I was visiting Los Angeles, and as we settled into one of the booths spaced in neat rows the friend who lived in the area talked about the 1994 earthquake, how it felt to her like yesterday and already the distant past. I think she took me to Brent’s because I was a vegetarian at the time.

The menu had many meatless, filling choices: cinnamon-laced noodle kugel, latkes I layered with sour cream and apple sauce, kasha varnishkes with lots of caramelized onions but with no brown gravy for me, since it contained roast beef drippings.

My second meal in the Valley was nearly 20 years and about three lifetimes later, in the middle of my run as Eater’s national critic before I moved to L.A. in 2018. The meal, at Kobee Factory in Van Nuys, also carries a memory of cinnamon, one of the sweet spices infused in the broth in which rice-stuffed lamb intestines are served.

I was far from my vegetarian days, and the delicate, boudin blanc-like qualities of the innards complemented whirls of hummus, crackling fried kibbeh and a grilled, soft-crisp variation of kibbeh favored in Syria, where owner Waha Ghreir grew up.

Dishes at Kobee Factory in Van Nuys.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Both of these culinary tentpoles show up in our guide.

So does plenty of sushi, certainly along the “Sushi Row” stretch of Ventura Boulevard in Studio City but also far beyond. Stephanie Breijo has an essay in the package on Tetsuya Nakao, the silver-coiffed 62-year-old Asanebo sushi chef who has brought a new angle of fame to the restaurant with viral social media videos. Breijo observes Nakao filming on a recent Sunday: “He dusts so much edible gold over the top it looks like the [crispy-rice] ‘pizza’ passed through the glitter aisle at a craft store, a dish truly made for the eye of the algorithm.”

Thai restaurants have been shaping the Valley’s culinary landscape since the 1980s. We name four of our very favorites, including Anajak Thai, the meteor that has my vote for the Valley’s absolute best restaurant.

Breijo has another story tracing Anajak’s recent two-month closure for a summer renovation. The space will have an additional dining room, an open kitchen with new equipment (including a refurbished wok station long manned by chef-owner Justin Pichetrungsi’s father Ricky) and art made by Justin’s grandfather. It reopens this weekend; report coming soon.

Sketches of dishes, and some that came to fruition, at Anajak Thai

(Stephanie Breijo and Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

What else made the cut? Our top choices from among the area’s smattering of Indonesian and Sri Lankan restaurants. Pork belly adobo, from among a menu of Filipino and Mexican dishes, served in a Northridge building that also houses a car wash. An Italian deli in Burbank steeped in red sauce and nostalgia. Extraordinary lamb barbacoa. Classics for breakfast burritos, hot dogs, burgers and soft serve.

A Chicago dog, top, with a signature Cupid dog with chili, mustard and onions at Cupid’s Hot Dogs in Winnetka.

(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)

Among dive bars and tiki haunts, in an expanse where breweries perfect West Coast IPAs and one shop brews Arabic coffee in blazing-hot sand, it feels especially cheering to settle in again at the Sherman Oaks destination Augustine Wine Bar, which reopened last year after a devastating fire in 2021.

The vintage by-the-glass list at Augustine Wine Bar.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

One final bonus: Vanessa Anderson (a.k.a. the Grocery Goblin) reports on Iranian spices, and other treasures of the cuisine, sold at Q Market & Produce in Lake Balboa.

And did I mention, during a heat wave, the cooling cherry soup that begins a Hungarian meal in Encino?

Mark the dates

The Times’ Food Bowl Night Market, this year presented by Square, is taking place Oct. 10 and 11 at City Market Social House downtown. Among the participating restaurants announced so far are Holbox, Baroo, the Brothers Sushi, Oy Bar, Heritage Barbecue, Crudo e Nudo, Hummingbird Ceviche House, Rossoblu, Perilla LA, Evil Cooks and Holy Basil. VIP tickets that allow early entry always go fast. Check lafoodbowl.com for tickets and info.

Also …

• One last bit of news from the Valley: Stephanie Breijo reports on the hidden weekend-only bar and tasting menu at Jeff Strauss’ Oy Bar in Studio City.
• Daniel Miller writes an obituary for Dan Tana, the founder of eponymous entertainment industry hangout Dan Tana’s in West Hollywood. He died on Aug. 17 at 90.

Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s Rebecca Ellis, with an assist from Julia Wick, giving you the latest on city and county government.

L.A. County officials have been given a task: make sure the embarrassing blunder that led voters to accidentally wipe out a popular ballot measure never happens again.

The board is expected to soon review a policy to ensure “county charter is promptly updated” following the accidental repeal of Measure J — a 2020 ballot measure that promised hundreds of millions of dollars for services that keep people out of jail.

The mistake is complicated, but the root cause is simple: The county never added the measure to its charter, akin to the county constitution.

The county’s top lawyer, Dawyn Harrison, blames the failure squarely on the executive office, which supports the five politicians with the administrative parts of the job — including, apparently, keeping the county code fresh.

But Robert Bonner, the recently forced-out head of the sheriff’s oversight commission, said the county’s top lawyers learned long ago that parts of the code were outdated.

“I always thought it was weird that it would take so long for the county apparatus to get something in the code that the voters said was the law,” Bonner said.

Bonner said it took the county four years to incorporate a March 2020 ballot measure, known as Measure R, which gave his commission the power to investigate misconduct with subpoenas. For years, he said, the commission resorted to citing ballotpedia, an online encyclopedia with information about local measures, in its legal filings. The Times reviewed one such filing from November 2022 as the commission tried to force former Sheriff Alex Villanueva to obey deputy gang subpoenas.

County attorneys said they first discovered the issue in October 2023 and it was fixed by August 2024. It is not clear why it took ten months.

“This underscores the need to reform the system with clear safeguards and accountability,” county counsel said in a statement. “This breakdown made clear that our office must also be systematically included in the administrative process.”

“Fortunately, in our case, it didn’t lead to disaster,” Bonner said of the outdated code.

A few months later, it would.

In summer of 2024, county counsel got its marching orders: To create a ballot measure, known as Measure G, that would overhaul the county government, expand the five-person board of elected supervisors to nine and bring on a new elected executive who would act almost as a mayor of the county.

The office came up with a ballot measure that would repeal most of a section of the charter — called Article III — in 2028. That section details the powers of the board — and, most consequentially, includes the requirement from Measure J that the board funnel hundreds of millions toward anti-incarceration services.

County lawyers rewrote that chunk of the charter with the changes the board wanted in the county’s form of government — but left out the anti-incarceration funding. So when voters approved Measure G, they unwittingly repealed Measure J.

And it turns out, it’s not easy to get back a ballot measure after voters accidentally wipe it out.

The supervisors hoped they could just get a judge to tell them that, actually, Measure J was just fine. After all, voters had no idea they were repealing it — nobody did.

But the supervisors were recently told by their lawyers that getting relief from a judge — considered the easiest, cheapest option — would be legally tricky terrain. One month after the mistake came to light, they’ve yet to go to a judge.

Maybe the state could help by passing legislation that would make a correction to the county’s charter, officials hoped. Not so, according to a memo from Harrison and Chief Executive Fesia Davenport. For the state to help, it would need to pass legislation that mimicked the budget requirements of Measure J — potentially a bigger ask than a charter tweak.

“A court would likely strike down as unconstitutional any changes to the County Charter that were not approved by voters,” read the July 25 memo.

And then there’s the option of last resort: putting Measure J back on the ballot.

It’s high-stakes. It is, after all, no longer November 2020, when Measure J passed handily, buoyed by a wave of support for racial justice and disgust over police brutality after the killing of George Floyd. Voters have leaned in recently to tough-on-crime measures such as Proposition 36, which stiffened the penalties for some nonviolent crimes.

If the county needed proof the atmosphere has changed, the sheriff deputy union, which fought hard against Measure J, has plenty.

The union paid for a poll of 1,000 voters that suggests the measure wouldn’t pass if it were put up for a vote again. Only 43% of respondents said they would vote for the measure if it went back on the ballot, while 44% said they’d vote no. The measure passed in 2020 with 57% of the vote.

Voters weren’t big fans of the politicians in charge either. Almost half viewed the board unfavorably.

The union fought hard against Measure J, spending more than $3.5 million on advertising to fight it and following up with a court battle. It’s not not hankering for another go at it.

“Residents are clearly fed up with the shenanigans around Measure G and J,” said union President Richard Pippin. “The fix is to focus on investing in safe communities instead of half-baked ideas.”

The poll was conducted by David Binder Research, a San Francisco-based pollster frequently used by Democratic candidates, from Aug. 5 to Aug. 12, with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The Times was only sent a summary of the poll and did not view the original.

Some advocates argue that if anything goes on the ballot, it should be the measure that contained the poison pill.

“Why aren’t they considering [Measure] G?” asked Gabriela Vazquez, who campaigned for the anti-incarceration measure as a member of the nonprofit La Defensa. “Imagine all the fundraising folks would have to do to defend J if it was put back on the ballot.”

“The defect was in G not in J,” said former Duarte City Councilmember John Fasana, who voted against both measures and first noticed the county’s flub. “You’re overturning an election.”

But the overhaul of county government Take Two would also face an uphill battle, the poll suggests. The measure narrowly passed last November with 51% of the vote.

This time, only 45% of voters like the idea, while 40% said they’d vote no, according to the poll.

The Times asked all five supervisors what they wanted to do.

Supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger did not respond. The other three appeared undecided.

Supervisor Holly Mitchell, a vocal supporter of Measure J and opponent of Measure G, said she wants to “explore all solutions” to keep the anti-incarceration measure in good standing. Supervisor Hilda Solis said she wanted to correct the error, but did not say how. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, the force behind the government overhaul, said she’s not ruling out getting help from a judge and is moving forward with an ordinance that would mirror Measure J. Unlike a ballot measure, an ordinance could be undone by a future board.

She says going to the ballot is the last resort.

“My commitment to fixing this mess hasn’t changed. I’m open to every viable path, and we might need to pursue more than one,” Horvath said in a statement. “Before considering the ballot, we must exhaust every option before us.”

State of play

— A POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE: Come November, California voters will partake in a special election to potentially waive the state’s independent redistricting process and approve new partisan congressional maps that favor Democrats. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s high-stakes fight to counter President Trump’s scramble for GOP control is already sending shockwaves around the state.

—HILDA’S PLANS: The proposed maps would create a new congressional district in southeast L.A. County. Supervisor Hilda Solis has yet to publicly announce her candidacy, but she’s made her intention to run for the redrawn 38th District clear within the close-knit world of California politics.

—THE RICK OF IT ALL: Former L.A. mayoral candidate Rick Caruso was initially quiet about Newsom’s redistricting proposal. But after the Legislature sent the measure to the ballot Thursday, Caruso made his support clear, telling us that “California has to push back” against the Texas redistricting scheme. He plans to financially support the ballot measure, he said. One topic he remained vague on was whether he’ll run for mayor or governor in 2026, saying he was still seriously considering both options.

—AUTHOR, AUTHOR: Brentwood resident and former Vice President Kamala Harris announced a 15-city book tour for her upcoming election memoir “107 Days.” The lineup includes a September event at the Wiltern theater in partnership with Book Soup.

—FIRE JUSTICE: Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson was at the Stentorians office Friday morning to show his support for a package of state bills focused on incarcerated firefighters. He appeared alongside Assemblymembers Sade Elhawary, Celeste Rodriguez and Josh Lowenthal and Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas.

— END IN SIGHT?: Councilmember Tim McOsker’s motion to “strategically and competently” work to wind down the mayor’s declaration of emergency on homelessness narrowly failed Wednesday. The motion called for the legislative body to come back in 60 days, with reports from city offices, to advise on an implementation plan to end the declaration of emergency. McOsker’s goal was to terminate the state of emergency, which has been in effect for more than two years, as soon as possible. His motion failed to pass in a 7-7 vote. The council instead continued to support the mayor’s declaration of emergency and will take up the issue again in 90 days.

—”SLUSH FUND” QUESTIONS: An election technology firm allegedly overbilled Los Angeles County for voting machines used during the 2020 election and funneled the extra cash into a “slush fund” for bribing government officials, federal prosecutors say in a criminal case against three company executives. Prosecutors do not indicate who benefited from the alleged pot of Los Angeles County taxpayer money.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? Staff from the mayor’s signature homelessness program visited the council district of Hugo Soto-Martínez, moving an estimated 23 people indoors, according to the mayor’s office. Her Shine LA initiative, which aims to clean up city streets and sidewalks, was postponed to September because of the extreme heat.
• On the docket for next week: The City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to approve the mayor’s appointment of Domenika Lynch to be the new general manager of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, which includes Olvera Street. She would be the first Latina head of the department.

Stay in touch

That’s it for this week! Send your questions, comments and gossip to [email protected]. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Saturday morning.

Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s an off-topic thread.

The caption to this week’s top shot reads:

GREAT FALLS, MONTANA, 2014 – Missile combat crew member 1st Lt. Katie Grimley slides a large floppy disk into a 60’s era communication module inside the launch control center of a missile alert facility at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The U.S. govt. is embarking on a $400 billion modernization to its nuclear weapons arsenal. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Also, a reminder:

Prime Directives!

• If you want to talk politics, do so respectfully and know that there’s always somebody that isn’t going to agree with you. 
• If you have political differences, hash it out respectfully, stick to the facts, and no childish name-calling or personal attacks of any kind. If you can’t handle yourself in that manner, then please, discuss virtually anything else.
• No drive-by garbage political memes. No conspiracy theory rants. Links to crackpot sites will be axed, too. Trolling and shitposting will not be tolerated. No obsessive behavior about other users. Just don’t interact with folks you don’t like. 
• Do not be a sucker and feed trolls! That’s as much on you as on them. Use the mute button if you don’t like what you see.  
• So unless you have something of quality to say, know how to treat people with respect, understand that everyone isn’t going to subscribe to your exact same worldview, and have come to terms with the reality that there is no perfect solution when it comes to moderation of a community like this, it’s probably best to just move on. 
• Finally, as always, report offenders, please. This doesn’t mean reporting people who don’t share your political views, but we really need your help in this regard.

The Bunker is open!

In a span of a week, global politics had gotten some big headlines. Last Friday, Putin and Trump met in Alaska. The anticipated summit was the talk of the world for quite a while. Speculations to determination, the summit was an icebreaking summit for US and Russian relations. Especially the way President Donald Trump was dealing with Putin with threats and showing a little turn towards a hard line against Putin; however, that hard line again turned into “Brozone” in a three-hour meeting. Initially, it was meant to happen for seven hours. The meeting happened to end the war in Ukraine. After the meeting, nevertheless, there was no peace deal and no commitment. Trump deliberately passed the ball into Ukraine and Europe’s court.

Fast forward to Monday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, with his European counterparts, arrived at the White House. Five European leaders and the secretary general of NATO, along with European Commission leaders, were the participants in this summit. What was the result this time? Well, unlike the last time, when Trump hosted Zelensky in the White House back in February, this time, Zelensky wasn’t bashed for any reason. The meeting was held with all the big names without any disruption, and European leaders knew just the weapon to use against Trump to keep Trump on their side: the art of diplomacy through “flattery.” Still, there was no peace deal or anything. The European leaders thought this time they might sway Trump to go harsh against Putin, which ultimately failed.

Trump, from the very beginning, was determined about some parts in the deal. Ukraine won’t be taken into NATO, and Ukraine must forget about Crimea, which he sees as a fault of the Obama administration. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s appointed special envoy in the Middle East, who basically arrives in every conflicting part of the world as a peace-bringer as Trump’s ambassador, mentioned a part that’s now a cornerstone of the security agenda. Witkoff mentioned “something like NATO’s Article 5.” NATO Article 5 states that an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all members, obligating each ally to take necessary action, including armed force, to assist the attacked party and restore security. It’s a profound part of NATO and what makes this military alliance different from every other alliance that’s out there. In the Alaska summit, Putin has agreed on some kind of “robust security arrangements” to secure the peace deal. So basically, Ukraine might secure its security by not joining NATO; however, there’s a catch. When Witkoff said something like “Article 5,” does it necessarily mean they are going to implement Article 5?

Here the debate comes. Something like Article 5 and implementing Article 5 don’t mean the same thing. And Witkoff wants European contribution to this security to play a bigger role. As Trump mostly follows a “unilateralist policy,” he doesn’t want to be the firsthand guarantor in the security arrangements. Whereas, the European leaders want to see Donald Trump playing a bigger role in this context. The EU already took a big initiative to spend on a military budget higher than ever, reaching 5% of the whole budget for every country before 2031. Back in March, the EU proposed “Sky Shield” for Ukraine. The European Sky Shield for Ukraine is a proposed European-led air protection strategy designed to defend western and central Ukraine from Russian missile and drone attacks during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “Sky Shield” aims to protect critical infrastructure, including Ukraine’s operational nuclear power plants, major cities like Kyiv, Lviv, and Odessa, and vital economic corridors. The plan would not include operations in the eastern parts of Ukraine; however, it hasn’t materialized yet.

Trump saw the Russia-Ukraine war as Biden’s war, which he never wanted to drag on in the first place. Before being elected, he boasted about ending the war in Ukraine. Though, he couldn’t stop the war after seven months. This is quite a stigma on his “Peacemaker” appearance. Trump was seen to have fallen out with Putin, even tariffing a major ally, India, for buying Russian crude oil. From almost falling out, the Alaska summit again showed Trump’s humility with Vladimir Putin.

European leaders couldn’t budge Trump from his unwillingness to get involved in the Russia and Ukraine war. There was a motion to send a peacekeeping force to Ukraine from the UK and France. But they couldn’t find their other allies beside them. Germany, Italy, and even Poland rejected the idea of sending their troops to Ukraine, not even as peacekeepers. The US isn’t backing up Ukraine with military and financial aid, likewise the Biden era. Europe has already surpassed the US’s financial aid to Ukraine and is soon going to surpass it in the military sector. In any of the scenarios, there is no sign of a security deal or any comprehensive peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine. And every week, Russia is taking up more land in the Donbass region. It already occupies 20% of the land in Ukraine, and there is no sign that they want to give the land back to Ukraine. Experts are rigid in the idea that Putin won’t give the lands back it occupied. Neither will Ukraine accept a Russian-compelling peace treaty. So the stalemate is firm.

Trump has announced there will be a trilateral summit with the Ukrainian president and Russian president. As the security guarantee fades away and the Russian army occupies more lands every week, the war looks far away from ending. A treaty like the 1994 “Budapest Memorandum” won’t be accepted by the Ukrainian side; likewise, the Minsk agreement won’t be accepted by Ukraine and the EU. The demand is something solid and binding. Some are talking about a “Reassurance Force” that will secure Ukraine and Europe too, or an “Ironclad” agreement like the US-Japan and the US-South Korea security mechanisms. Till the next summit, the world awaits to see a peace deal being activated at the border of Europe.

Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who likes to plan ahead.

Schools are (mostly) back in session, and the threat of pumpkin spice has already made the marketing rounds — it’s still summer, but the fall scaries have crept in. As some of us try to process how we’re basically a sneeze away from 2026, there’s at least comfort in knowing there’s a promising slate of new films and TV shows to keep us entertained as we hurtle through time. For our special Fall Preview issue, The Times staff gathered to share our picks for the most anticipated movies and TV shows to watch this fall: from a Bruce Springsteen biopic to the movie version of Stephen King’s “The Running Man” and the “Wicked” sequel, here’s our list of 21 films to be excited about; meanwhile, the Jude Law-Jason Bateman-led “Black Rabbit,” the docuseries “Mr. Scorsese” and broadcast comedy “DMV” are among the 16 intriguing shows in our TV roundup.

(Sian Roper / For The Times)

But, hey, we get it if you’d rather not think about the future just yet. In fact, the theme of this week’s Screen Gab is all about traveling back in time. Our streaming recommendations include a documentary exploring the quirky style and misunderstood message of art-rock band Devo, and a reminder of 2003 HBO drama “Carnivale,” which starred Amy Madigan long before she was creeping us out with her chilling performance in “Weapons.” Plus, Matthew B. Roberts, the showrunner behind Starz’s expanding “Outlander” universe, discusses the new prequel series and the art of making love letters swoon-worthy.

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

The members of Devo in director Chris Smith’s documentary about the band.

(Barry Schultz)

“Devo” (Netflix)

They are Devo, and this is a film about them. A pseudoscientific theme — “de-evolution” — taken from an old book — led to a band that led to a career. (And looking around, it’s hard to argue that civilization isn’t racing rapidly backward.) Chris Smith’s breezy film neatly recaps the group’s career, from their earliest performances, when they had long hair and were still in college — Kent State, where in 1970 the National Guard opened fire on student protesters, killing four — to MTV fame, to their finally running out of gas. Founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale offer good-humored, incisive commentary on the rise and fall of their satirical art project whose social criticism paled in the glare of big pop success — “Whip It,” you remember” — and the usual major-label misadventures. Smith floats his narrative on a river of ephemeral films that echo the spirit of the group’s own aesthetic. Brian Eno, David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Neil Young, who put them in his movie “Human Highway,” make anecdotal appearances. (The band has since gotten off the couch — they’ll be at the Hollywood Bowl Oct. 18-19 with the B-52’s as part of a “Cosmic De-Evolution” tour.) — Robert Lloyd

Clancy Brown and Amy Madigan in “Carnivale.”

(Doug Hyun / HBO)

“Carnivale” (HBO Max)

The huge success of the horror film “Weapons” has put a fresh spotlight on star Amy Madigan. Her sinister portrayal of the eccentric Aunt Gladys, a witch whose spells wreak havoc on the children and adults of a small community, is already sparking early awards buzz and is the latest in a gallery of distinctive performances in films such as “Field of Dreams,” “Streets of Fire” and “Places in the Heart,” to name a few. Madigan also was featured in “Carnivale,” which premiered in 2003 and ran for two seasons on HBO. In the eerie drama about a struggling carnival of freaks and outcasts that traveled around the Dust Bowl during the Depression, Madigan played Iris Crowe, the soft-spoken sister of the demonic Brother Justin Crowe (Clancy Brown). — Greg Braxton

Guest spot

A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching

A still from “Outlander: Blood of my Blood,” the prequel to the popular period drama, that features Jamie Roy as Brian Fraser and Harriet Slater as Ellen MacKenzie, the future parents of Jamie Fraser.

(Sanne Gault / Starz)

“Outlander” meets “How I Met Your Mother”? Not quite. But “Outlander: Blood of My Blood” is a prequel to Starz’s romance epic that focuses on the parents of both protagonists from the original series, Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp. The series alternates between WWI-era Scotland and the Scottish Highlands of the 18th century, often intertwining, as it chronicles the courtship and obstacles faced by Jamie’s parents — Brian Fraser (Jamie Roy) and Ellen MacKenzie (Harriet Slater) — and Claire’s — Julia (Hermione Corfield) and Henry Beauchamp (Jeremy Irvine). Here, showrunner Matthew B. Roberts discusses the inspiration for the show’s swoon-worthy love letters and reveals which TV drama he recently watched that echoes themes explored in “Outlander” through a modern lens. — Yvonne Villarreal

What do you find intriguing about each couple’s story and what it telegraphs about Claire and Jamie’s connection and their attitudes on love?

With Brian and Ellen, it’s the rush of first love — all passion, risk and discovery, which foreshadows Jamie’s all-in devotion to Claire. With Henry and Julia, it’s the strength of a tested love — the daily choice to stay together. Both show that true love requires surrender and courage, the same foundation that Claire and Jamie build their lives on.

The original series has delved into the complexities of PTSD. How did what you’ve explored there, particularly as it relates to Claire and her experiences as a combat nurse, inform how you shaped Henry Beauchamp’s journey? Are there connections you wanted to draw between father and daughter?

War scars everyone differently. Henry’s wounds are visible, Claire’s more contained — but both live with that same survival instinct. Even though Henry leaves when she’s young, Claire inherits his resilience. That ability to keep going when the world tries to break you is in her DNA.

Love letters are a hallmark of the “Outlander” universe. And the correspondence between Claire’s parents, Henry and Julia, are a key narrative element in their quest to be reunited — the declarations within have to be top tier. Any interesting references or sources of inspiration?

The inspiration came from my father, who fell in love with someone online before ever seeing her face. He said, “It doesn’t matter, I already love her.” He did meet her, they married, and they stayed together until his passing. That experience taught me how love can bloom through words alone. That’s what we aim for with Henry and Julia’s letters — each one has to feel like a real step deeper into their hearts. Everyone in the room weighs in, but the test for me is always the same: Does it feel authentic, does it honor the magic of falling in love?

What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?

I really don’t recommend shows or movies. Everyone has their own tastes. But I did recently watch “The Better Sister” [Prime Video]. It’s a sharp look at family — love, betrayal, loyalty — all the same themes we explore, but in a modern world with cellphones and social media. The technology changes, but the struggles don’t. Families still compete, hide secrets and fight for trust. [It has] some great acting.

What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?

When “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” [VOD] or “Fargo” [Tubi, MGM+] come on, I’m in — they just never get old. “Butch Cassidy” has that perfect mix of charm and tragedy; and “Fargo” is dark, funny and somehow still feels authentically real. For TV, my go-tos are “The Sopranos” [HBO Max] and “Seinfeld” [Netflix] — totally different, but both perfect at what they do. And true-crime shows are always in the mix. They are research. It’s the human condition on full display.