From a festival celebrating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples in El Salvador to solemn commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing in Japan and the ongoing Israel-induced starvation and malnutrition crisis in Gaza, here is a look at the week in photos.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford watched his team’s 31-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday after completing his first extensive passing workout earlier at the Rams’ Woodland Hills training facility.
Stafford, who had not practiced because of a back issue, threw more than 60 passes during the workout, coach Sean McVay said.
“It was awesome,” McVay said. “He looked good. He threw the ball really well, there was no limitations in terms of the types of throws — deep, intermediate, short. … And he felt really good.
“And so looking forward to progressing him back into practice on Monday. But it was a good step in the right direction.”
Stafford, 37, is working through an aggravated disc issue. McVay said he did not know if Stafford felt discomfort during the workout, and that the 17th-year pro would participate only in individual drills on Monday.
Earlier in the week, McVay said Stafford was not scheduled to participate in a scheduled joint practice with the Chargers on Wednesday. That practice has been canceled, McVay said, because of Chargers injuries.
“I think they’re a little bit banged up,” McVay said, adding that he had spoken with Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. “Bummer that we weren’t able to get that done, but I totally understand. And we’ll figure out a way to get great work against ourselves.”
More than 100 artists, musicians, comedians, actors and performers from L.A.’s thriving, multifaceted underground art scene are featured in a new experimental video game named “Blippo+.” Created by Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans, with music by Bechtolt and Rob Kieswetter, the trio behind the L.A.-based post-pop band YACHT (Young Americans Challenging High Technology), the game is part video art installation, part interactive theater. It was created for the newfangled gaming console Playdate, which was released in 2022 and purposefully conjures old-school devices like the Nintendo Game Boy, with a black-and-white, 1-bit display.
“This is essentially our bootleg way of making television, by skipping all the gatekeepers and going straight to a distribution platform that is still open to artist’s weird experiments, a.k.a. video games,” said Evans, in an interview Thursday in advance of the game’s exhibition party at Bob Baker Marionette Theater in Highland Park.
“Hollywood [production] has left Los Angeles, so the people that are here have to scramble to figure out what to do,” added Bechtolt. “So we moved to where there’s lots of funding, and an openness for experimentation. And that’s the video game world, indie video games, specifically.”
Playdate’s low-res format was ideal for “Blippo+,” which rolls out in a looping, 11-week cycle, with new programming — original, avant-garde soaps, sitcoms, news, weather and talk shows— arriving every Thursday at 10 a.m. PDT. Bechtolt and Evans collaborated with director JJ Stratford, a longtime video artist and music video maker, who runs the all-analog Telefantasy Studios in Glendale, dedicated to, according to its website, “bringing the strange, surreal, and speculative to life.”
“She’s a scholar of video arts, and an artist herself,” explained Bechtolt of Stratford. “When all of the TV studios in Los Angeles converted to digital, they just threw out their analog equipment. So JJ has been collecting this stuff for years and years, and now she has a full-on 1982 television studio.”
The L.A.-based post-pop trio YACHT has created a new art project / video game called “Blippo+.”
Post-production took another year, and the game was finally released on Playdate in May. Next month “Blippo+” will roll out on Steam and NintendoSwitch.
Playdate was created by the Portland-based software development and video game publishing company Panic Inc. YACHT originated in Portland and the people behind Panic were longtime fans. They approached the band almost a decade ago at a music festival in North Carolina.
“They gave us this open invitation to make something as YACHT if we ever had an idea for a video game,” said Bechtolt.
Evans added that Panic’s interest was likely fueled by the band’s reputation for creating experimental multimedia art projects that exist both on and offline, including co-founding the Triforium Project, which worked to restore and revitalize artist Joseph Young’s controversial Triforium sound-and-light sculpture in downtown Los Angeles, and resulted in a variety of live art and music performances at the site.
“Blippo+” is a natural extension of YACHT’s immersion in underground art and obsession with how analog and digital tools can collide to create new forms and functions for a post-postmodern world. It was also proudly made without the use of AI, Bechtolt and Evans noted.
I’m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, heading back underground where I belong. Here’s your weekly dose of arts news.
Best bets: On our radar this week
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Gustavo Dudamel conducts the L.A. Phil in John Williams’ score for “Jurassic Park.”
(L.A. Philharmonic)
‘Jurassic Park’ in Concert Gustavo Dudamel and L.A. Phil perform John Williams’ epic score live to picture as Steven Spielberg’s 1993 blockbuster starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum is projected on the big screen in HD. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com
The Old Globe presents “Deceived,” based on the play “Gas Light,” Saturday through Sept. 7.
(Ben Wiseman)
Deceived Playwrights Johnna Wright and Patty Jamieson’s update Patrick Hamilton’s classic 1938 stage thriller “Gas Light” (also the basis of the 1944 film “Gaslight”) about a woman who begins to doubt her seemingly perfect new husband as she is increasingly bedeviled by strange occurrences. Saturday through Sept. 7 Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego. theoldglobe.org
The Hollywood Bowl at night.
(L.A. Philharmonic)
The Russians are coming … And L.A. Phil has them for two separate programs this week at the Hollywood Bowl. Tuesday night, Elim Chan conducts the orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35” (with violinist James Ehnes), Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Op. 33A” and the 1919 version of Stravinsky’s “The Firebird.” Then on Thursday, Gemma New takes the baton for Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34,” Arutiunian’s Trumpet concerto (performed by Pacho Flores) and Tchaikovsky’s Fourth symphony. 8 p.m. Tuesday; 8 p.m. Thursday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave. https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/
Brittany Howard and Alabama Shakes play the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday.
(Amy Harris / Invision / AP)
Alabama Shakes In their first L.A. show in eight years, the soulful rockers led by singer-guitarist Brittany Howard are joined by Oakland punk quartet Shannon and the Clams. 8 p.m. Wednesday. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N Highland Ave. hollywoodbowl.com
The North American tour of “& Juliet” arrives at the Ahmanson on Aug. 13.
(Matthew Murphy)
& Juliet What if Romeo’s tragic love didn’t end it all? Find out in this jukebox musical written by David West Read (TV’s “Schitt’s Creek”) and featuring the music of Swedish pop hitmaker Max Martin and others. Wednesday–Sept. 7. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. centertheatregroup.org
Legendary L.A. jazz composer/musician Bobby Bradford, pictured in 2019, brings his tribute to baseball great Jackie Robinson to the Hammer’s JazzPOP series on Thursday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Bobby Bradford’s Stealin’ Home: A Tribute to Jackie Robinson The West Coast jazz great leads an all-star septet performing his original composition, an homage to the Dodger legend who broke baseball’s color barrier in 1947. Part of the Hammer’s 2025 JazzPOP series. 8 p.m. Thursday. UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. hammer.ucla.edu
Culture news
Vincent Van Gogh, “Tarascon Stagecoach,” 1888, oil on canvas
(Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art announced that it has been gifted its first paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Édouard Manet, in addition to four works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Alfred Sisley, Wilhelm Lehmbruck and Maurice Brazil Prendergast. The pieces come from the Pearlman Foundation, which is dividing its collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Modernist art among LACMA, New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the Brooklyn Museum.
Times Classical Music Critic Mark Swed writes an appreciation of experimental theater director and playwright Robert Wilson, who died at the end of July. Swed was in Austria when he heard the news, attending the Salzberg Festival, and watching, “the kind of uncompromisingly slow, shockingly beauteous and incomprehensibly time-and-space-bending weirdness Wilson took infinite pleasure in hosting when he made what he called operas.”
The Japanese Pavilion at the L.A. County Museum of Art in 2012.
(LACMA)
Times contributor Sam Lubell takes a deep dive into the work of Bruce Goff, who designed Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Japanese Pavilion, noting that while Goff remained largely under-the-radar throughout his life, he nonetheless inspired a host renegade of West Coast architects.
Gustavo Dudamel appeared onstage at the Hollywood Bowl on Tuesday, to the great joy of fans and the orchestra alike. This summer marks the 20th anniversary of the now legendary conductor’s U.S. debut, writes Swed in a review of Dudamel’s single homecoming week this Bowl season. “After 20 years, Dudamel clearly knows what works at the Bowl, but he also likes to push the envelope as with Tuesday’s savvy blend of Duke Ellington and jazzy Ravel,” Swed writes.
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Philanthropist Glorya Kaufman at her Beverly Hills home in 2012.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Glorya Kaufman, the philanthropist who transformed dance in Los Angeles through the establishment of an eponymous dance school at USC as well as a prominent dance series at the Music Center, among many other initiatives, has died. She was 95. Read her full obituary here.
The Tom and Ethel Bradley Residence in Leimert Park — along with the Stylesville Barbershop & Beauty Salon in Pacoima, St. Elmo Village and Jewel’s Catch One in Mid-City, the California Eagle newspaper in South L.A. and New Bethel Baptist Church in Venice—have been designated Historic-Cultural Monuments as part of a project meant to recognize Black heritage and led by the Getty in collaboration with the City of Los Angeles’ Office of Historic Resources.
When Pasadena Playhouseannounces its new seasons each year, it typically delays naming one show until a later date. That time has now come, and Producing Artistic Director Danny Feldman sets Julia Masli’s “ha ha ha ha ha ha ha,” directed by Kim Noble, as the theater’s fifth Mainstage production, running from Oct.15 to Nov. 9. The playhouse also announced some juicy casting news: Tony Award winner Jefferson Mays will star as Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s “Amadeus,” which is scheduled to open Feb. 15.
Paging parents of teenagers! There is an organization called TeenTix that has paired with a veritable cornucopia of L.A.-area arts institutions to offer a youth pass that charges local kids between the ages of 13 and 19 $5 to attend shows, concerts and exhibits. More than 35 groups participate in the program, including Geffen Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, the Soraya, Pasadena Playhouse, Boston Court, Pasadena Symphony, the Armory, A Noise Within, the Autry Museum of the West, Heidi Duckler Dance, Skirball Cultural Center, Sierra Madre Playhouse and Actors Gang. Reservations are required, and info and passes can be found here.
— Jessica Gelt
And last but not least
There is a free plant stand in Altadena — a symbol of new life in the wake of January’s devastating Eaton fire.
It was billed as a bargain-basement deal: L.A. County would buy the Gas Company Tower for $200 million — a third of what the downtown skyscraper cost before the pandemic sent office prices plummeting.
Nine months after the sale closed, some of the supervisors say they have sticker shock.
The sore point: a looming $230-million contract for “voluntary seismic upgrades” to the newly purchased tower, soon to become the county’s new headquarters.
“I never heard that it would double the cost of the purchase,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who cast a ‘hell no’ vote against buying the building. “I’m holding out hope that smarter minds will prevail, and we can stop any more investment in this building.”
On Tuesday, Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath will introduce a motion to “immediately suspend” all seismic work.
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“Given that we are in the budget constraints that we are in, I was surprised to know that that work was still being contemplated,” said Horvath.
The county’s financial future has never looked so grim. Federal cuts will force the county to slash health services and potentially shutter a hospital, Chief Executive Officer Fesia Davenport warned the board this week. The county soon will start making payments for its historically large $4-billion sex abuse settlement. Newly negotiated raises for county employees could cost the county $2 billion.
Before the purchase, the supervisors were given ballpark figures as to just how much it would cost to bring the Gas Company Tower into tiptop shape vs. rehabbing the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, the county’s current headquarters, which is widely viewed by county employees as a death trap during the next major earthquake.
To earthquake-proof the hall — by far the riskiest of the two buildings — it could cost $700 million, according to estimates provided to the board last fall. To do the same for the newer Gas Company Tower, the county Chief Executive Office estimated it could potentially cost about $400 million. (As of now, the county is planning to spend less than that with a bid amount of $234.5 million.)
The Gas Company Tower came out looking the better deal by about a billion dollars, according to the Chief Executive Office, once it took into account other costs needed to upgrade the Hall of Administration — including more than a billion dollars in deferred maintenance and improvements.
Hahn’s not swayed.
“I think the bureaucrats had a plan and they made their numbers fit to sell this ill-conceived project,” she continued, adding she believed similar doubt was starting to creep in among her colleagues.
“I’ve heard some of them have some buyer’s remorse,” she said.
Horvath says she doesn’t regret buying the building — but she is skeptical that the county needs to pour millions more into the tower.
“I still maintain that the purchase of the building was the right thing to do,” she said. “If retrofitting is not needed, then I want to understand why we would [retrofit] at a time such as this, when we are making a very clear case about the difficult financial position we’re in.”
Lennie LaGuire, a spokesperson for the Chief Executive Office, previously told The Times that the tower is already safe and the upgrades are “proactive.”
“The County is choosing to perform this work proactively with an eye to the future, to ensure that the building performs optimally in the decades ahead,” LaGuire said.
During brutal labor negotiations over the last year, the purchase of the skyscraper became a touchy subject. Labor condemned it as an unnecessary splurge. The county insisted it was an obvious money saver.
The hard feelings haven’t gone away, with some unions saying they were kept in the dark about the tower’s true cost.
“The priority should be those facilities the public relies upon for emergencies and daily needs, like sheriff’s stations, fire stations, medical facilities, etc.” said Richard Pippin, president of the sheriff‘s deputies union. “Look, we get it — with the near doubling of the Board of Supervisors and an elected County Executive Officer, everyone wants an office with a better view, but is that what’s best for the public we serve?”
The motion Tuesday also requests a report on where the money to finance the retrofit is coming from and which departments will be moving into the tower.
“The purpose of this acquisition was to realize substantial savings for the County of Los Angeles by consolidating operations and avoiding leased spaces,” the motion states. “However, there has been little to no transparency into what progress, if any, the County has made in occupying spaces in the Gas Company Tower after eight months of ownership.”
According to the Chief Executive Office, some employees have started to move into the building, but the entire move is expected to take three years.
State of play
— OLYMPIC JITTERS: Councilmember Imelda Padilla, a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games, called President Trump’s announcement that he would head a federal Olympic task force a “real curveball” for the city and raised concerns about what a mercurial president would mean for the Olympics. “We are a little nervous to see what they’re going to ask for,” Padilla said during the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum luncheon on Thursday referring to the Trump administration’s involvement in the Olympics. She also called Trump’s assertion that Bass was not very competent “completely false.”
—TUNNEL TROUBLE: The city spent $25,800, using 10 contracted workers, to paint over graffiti in the 2nd Street Tunnel — only for taggers to immediately paint the walls again within 24 hours. “It’s infuriating that these selfish vandals are wasting tax dollars aimed at improving the city for all Angelenos,” said Steve King, president of the Board of Public Works.
— SILVER LININGS: L.A. County supervisors say they’re open to the idea of a receiver taking control of the beleaguered juvenile halls. But for it to happen, a majority on the board says the receiver will need to take on union agreements and civil service rules, which they say keep problem employees on the payroll.
—PLEA TO THE FEDS: A prominent law firm suing L.A. County over childhood sexual abuse is asking for a federal investigation into how so many children were harmed while in county custody. In a letter addressed to U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, attorney John Manly wrote that he wanted to see the U.S. attorney’s office conduct an “immediate investigation” into any federal crimes committed by staff within the county’s Probation Department.
—COOLING OFF: L.A. County will soon require landlords in unincorporated areas to provide a way for tenants to keep their rental units 82 degrees or below. The supervisors say the law is necessary to combat heat-related deaths fueled by climate change.
—A HIGH-PRICED HALF-MONTH: A law firm representing the city of Los Angeles in a high-profile homelessness case submitted a $1.8-million invoice for two weeks of work in May. The costs comes as the city faces significant financial burdens from rising legal payouts.
— VENUE VOTE: The hotel workers union turned in a ballot proposal to require that voters approve of “event centers” for the 2028 Olympics, including sports facilities and concert halls. Former City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who heads Mayor Karen Bass’ Office of Special Events, said the measure “would make vital projects essential for our city and these Games potentially impossible to complete.”
—TEMPORARY LEAVE: As of next week, Deputy Mayor Randall Winston — who also serves as a judge advocate in the U.S. Army National Guard Reserve — will be on a leave of absence from the Mayor’s office for military training. Winston was originally supposed to go on leave in January but deferred to help support wildfire response and recovery efforts. Andrea Greene, Executive Officer of the Office of Infrastructure, will be filling his role until he returns in mid-December, according to the Mayor’s office.
QUICK HITS
On the docket for next week: The county supervisors are asking the sheriff’s department to report on their use-of-force policies as they relate to journalists covering the ongoing ICE raids.
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.
I’m recently returned from two weeks in Paris for vacation (planned for the window right before so many restaurants close for a break in August), and I didn’t even pretend I intended to give myself a break from the business of dining. It’s Paris. Of course I was going all in, particularly since I hadn’t been to France in over a decade.
The research — the brooding over all the possibilities — is always part of the fun. Beyond suggestions from Parisian friends, there was much triangulating of recommendations, especially among the Paris By Mouth newsletter, Lindsey Tramuta (who writes for many English language publications and wrote the “Eater Guide to Paris” book released in April) and David Lebovitz’s very popular newsletter.
Nothing about the following list is complete, but as inspirations for your own travels I pared two weeks down to a dozen Paris suggestions, plus thoughts on a few of the city’s geekiest coffee bars.
The one Paris meal I can’t stop thinking about
Over the year and a half I traveled through our state to write the 101 Best Restaurants in California guide, I kept wishing to experience a tasting-menu restaurant that thrillingly centers vegetables on the plate. Excellent places like Kismet and RVR include intricately composed dishes on their menus that roll with the seasons. I’m thinking, though, of a kitchen with a revolutionary streak, where the emphasis on plant-based cooking not only feels unapologetic but galvanizing, rattling diners awake to the delicious, sustainable-minded possibilities of decentering meat in one of the world’s great growing climates.
That restaurant doesn’t exist yet in California. But it does in Paris.
Manon Fleury opened Datil, a 33-seat railroad-style space in the 3rd arrondissement, in September 2023. Her restaurant’s website details commitments that will sound familiar to Californian restaurant obsessives: how the staff (predominantly women) foster close relationships to producers, how the menu strictly reflects what’s coming from the meals, the low-waste approach.
Zucchini mille-feuille with skate wing, buerre blanc and sorrel sauce at Datil restaurant in Paris.
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
So maybe, in my jadedness, I was caught off-guard by the lyricism of the five-course lunch. Beautiful in its garden colors and juxtaposing crunchy and yielding textures, but not showy or pushy. The kind of food where I found myself leaning toward what I was eating, like bending closer to catch what my smartest friend was saying at a party.
To describe the heart of the meal: After crackery nibbles, and a lovely flan whose flavors brought to mind white gazpacho, came porridge made using white rice from the coastal southern region of Camargue, where the grain (including a famous red strain) has been grown since the 13th century. It was crowned with an improvisational arrangement of tomatoes and other summery fruits and vegetables, and a gloss of herb oil. It was filling and comforting and also, given all the pointy vegetals flavors, enthralling.
Manon Fleury, center, the chef and owner of Datil in Paris.
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Then came a stunning savory play on a mille-feuille formed from sinewy, perfectly salted blanched zucchini. Its layers hid flaked morsels of skate wing — the kitchen is roughly 85 percent plant-based but seafood or meat might be used sparingly — with a brunoise of zucchini, parsley and shallots. Servers swooped in with two sauces poured from metal carafes: a warm beurre blanc tensed with juiced kumquat and cider vinaigrette, and a cool sorrel sauce that clung to the butter in swirls. Another sauce made from plums already lurked underneath. So many harmonies to discern.
Lastly, some straight-up indulgence: a boozy, plush savarin, about the size of a Krispy Kreme doughnut, domed with half of a poached and lightly charred apricot.
Apricot savarin at Datil in Paris.
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
All the reasons to travel — to know a place while better seeing ourselves, and who and what we might be — came to bear in this emotionally intelligent meal. Chefs in California could, and should, be cooking like this.
Where to eat in Paris
Two fantastic bistros: Friends urged that while Le Bistrot Paul Bert has become a de-facto option for visitors over the last decade (and I have, in the past, sopped up its île flottante until I indeed floated away), I should check out Bistrot des Tournelles in the 4th for a more intimate, relaxed but still bullseye bistro dinner. They were right. Surprise hit? The gushing, textbook chicken Cordon bleu.
Harder to book but worth the effort: Chez Georges at 1 Rue du Mail. (I mention the address specifically because there other similarly named restaurants, but this is the one you want.) Jean-Gabriel de Bueil leads a suave cast of characters in a rowdy, cramped, exhilarating room. Squint at the menu written in tiny handwritten cursive and pick out salade frisée, ris de veau, cote d’agneau grillé and the must-have tarte tatin.
My favorite Lebanese meal: If you read my work, you know I’m looking out for Lebanese restaurants wherever I go in the world. Part of my time in Paris was with my Lebanese crew, and among several meals we agreed hands-down the best was Kubri, the deservedly lauded draw in the 11th run by Ingrid and Mayfrid Chehlaoui and chef Rita Higgins Akar. So, so rarely does a Lebanese kitchen find balance between the traditional dishes (many of which have simple ingredients that demand technique) and innovation (which often produces aberrations that have no relation to the original). This one nails the midpoint, with wonders like a charred wedge of cabbage rubbed in Aleppo pepper butter and pummeled with diced pickled apricot, shanklish (crumbly aged cheese) and salty-sugary peanuts modeled after a snack in Lebanon called Cri-Cri. The only restaurant to which I circled back for a second meal.
Hispi cabbage with pickled apricots and many other garnishes at Lebanese restaurant Kubri in Paris.
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Seafood for a casual lunch: Septime, the modern bastion of bistronomy, rides on its fame and is so difficult to book. Show up for lunch at its next-door seafood restaurant, Clamato, which doesn’t take reservations. I’d been warned about long waits, but we managed to walk right in on a summer weekday at 1:15 p.m. Beautiful plates of fish and shellfish from the French coast, most seasoned with restraint and a nod to Japan here and there. Loved the take on the bountiful Provençal grand aioli with a slab of pollock and big hunks of blanched fennel, carrots and zucchini. (I was continually reminded that Parisians could teach us how to blanch vegetables to just-tender, properly seasoned deliciousness.)
Seafood for a fancier night out:Restaurant Le Duc, in the 14th and around since the late 1960s, personifies midcentury Parisian elegance: rich wood paneling, career servers with sly humor, simple and impeccable seafood. A lovely crab salad, cleaned entirely of shell, segued to a gorgeous, finely textured sole meunière presented in a copper pan before filleting. Among desserts displayed on a roving cart, home in on crunching, gorgeously proportioned mille-feuille.
The three-star blowout: Plan half a year ahead to score a reservation at Plénitude, the ne-plus-ultra splurge (as in €345 per person) in the Cheval Blanc hotel, with its almost comically scenic perch at the edge of the Seine overlooking the Pont-Neuf bridge. Arnaud Donckele is a chef of the moment; Plénitude has all the global accolades. For fine-dining devotees, I say it’s worth the investment. Much has already been written about Donckele’s mastery over sauces, and I love how servers present both a side of the sauce to taste on its own — which I sometimes prized even more than with other elements on the plate — and a booklet that details the dizzying number of ingredients they contain. (So many wild vinegars!) The staff move as one, with the synchronized precision of a Rolex. As is expected during the loftiest modern tasting-menu dinners, a little fun comes into play: Diners might move location for one course, and those who opt for a cheese course rise from their chairs to make selections from a walk-in cabinet that opens at the end of one room. The whole experiences feels at once very worldly and very Parisian.
Composing a plate in the “cheese cupboard” at Plénitude in the Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris.
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Speaking of cheese: Plenty of people visit Paris for the patisseries. I’m with y’all (the apricot tart at Du Pain et Des Idées forever), but I come even more for the fromageries. A group of us signed up for a cheese tasting experience, via Paris by Mouth, with Jennifer Greco, an American who has lived in France for decades and dedicated her curiosity to all things fromage. We begin at Laurent Dubois, her favorite cheese shop in Paris, and Greco is excellent about adapting a selection to the group’s interests and knowledge levels. I like bloomy rinds (like Brie de Meaux and the runnier, funkier specimens, and she obliged — while steering us towards the sublimely nutty Comtés the shop is known for carrying. We walked a few minutes to a space where we slowly tasted through our loot, with plenty of bread and appropriate wines. What an incredible afternoon, and believe me, it counts as a meal.
France meets Japan: Japan has been a major influence on aspects of French dining for over 50 years, and chefs in Paris, more than ever it feels like, graft the two cultures and cuisines. One newer great: Maison by Sota Atsumi in the 11th, also known as Maison and Maison Sota. Atsumi earned fan as the chef at Clown Bar, and his own tasting-menu restaurant is warm and communal: Most diners sit either along the counter or at a comfortable, room-length table. The air smells of woodsmoke, a fascinating counterpoint (in a way that particular fragrance usually engenders casual and rustic) to the meticulous compositions in large ceramics that define the aesthetic. But all the foams and saucy dots and tiny flowers trick the mind after all: The flavors are shockingly soulful.
Marinated tomato with paprika, sardine broth and chervil oil at Maison Sota in Paris.
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
A standout Moroccan restaurant: Marie-Jose Mimoun waves you to a table at Le Tagine in the 11th, and for a few hours you sort of absorb into the living entity of her dining room, flowing with the pace. I was sad that, pre-vacation, she had stopped making a special lamb and peach tagine advertised on a placard, but a variation with the meat flavored with raisins, onions, honey and almonds was still among the best tagines I’ve tasted outside Morocco. Ditto the couscous, served with plenty of broth and smoky harissa full of tightly knotted spices. Great natural-leaning wine list too.
The dependable crêpe destination:Breizh Cafe has 13 locations around Paris, a chain by any standard, but it was recommended in so many publications it felt like the right recommendation for a group outing one night. We gathered at the location in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and we had the reliable experience we needed. The savory galette with ham, egg and Comté delivered lacy texture and deep buckwheat flavor (as is traditional in Brittany, where the company originates), and a sweet crêpes Suzette, flambéed with Grand Marnier, flickered with a taut dash of yuzu as well. To drink: dry pear cider.
Perfect end-of-the-trip pizza: So many friends mentioned Oobatz, a pizza restaurant by Maine native Dan Pearson in collaboration with the owners of Le Rigmarole (roundly lauded but not open during my trip). I thought that the last thing I wanted in Paris was pizza. And then, after two weeks of nonstop eating and drinking, my partner and I looked at each other the evening after a wine-soaked lunch and said, “Yeah, let’s go have pizza.” So good. Pearson uses a sourdough base for his bready crusts; they’d be well regarded anywhere in America. Bonus that the menu lists a “chef du surprise” pie; ours was a white pie dotted with meaty splotches of duck ragu.
Pizza with duck ragu at Oobatz in Paris
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
… and a few coffee notes
I recommend the list that Lindsey Trumata co-wrote for Conde Nast Traveler for a broader perspective on drinking coffee in Paris, but these three coffee bars stood out for me:
Emily Wilson of The Angel newsletter has a very trustworthy list of Paris recommendations. She directed me to Téléscope Cafe, presided over by Nicolas Clerc, regarded by many as the (still young) godfather of Paris’s fourth-wave coffee movement — by which I’ll define as bars dedicated to working with roasters (or roasting their own beans) with direct relationships to farmers and an emphasis on unusually expressive coffees. Wilson loves Clerc’s iced coffee; I admire his long list of pour over options listed by growing region and tasting notes in order of intensity. It was my first coffee stop on the trip, and the place to which I most returned. His banana bread with salted butter was, most days, the only breakfast I needed.
The most dedicated coffee nerds should plan ahead for Substance Café, a reservations-only bar run by barista Joachim Morceau and his wife Alexandrine. Joachim has showmanship, charming customers from behind the counter but he’s intensely serious about his craft. (The couple roasts their own beans.) He often encourages every person to start with one featured coffee to grasp individual tastes, and then he starts making excellent suggestions, equally compelling for pour overs or milky espresso drinks.
Joachim Morceau, who runs the reservations-only coffee bar Substance Café in Paris with his wife, Alexandrine.
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Substance is one of those places where customers compare notes on where else they’re drinking coffee in Paris, and based on those conversations I ended up at Tiba, a tiny shop that gets intensely busy on the weekends. Kevin Cerqueira, as friendly as he is passionate, mans the place by himself. He wasn’t brewing a variety of Colombian beans roasted by local company Datura, but based on my very specific predlictions in coffee (notes dried fruits and booze) I bought them from his supply … and I already have an order in for four more boxes.
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Above I mentioned RVR, the reincarnation of Travis Lett’s California izakaya in Venice. This week I have a long-in-coming review of the restaurant. If you haven’t been to RVR since it opened last fall, two things: Summer is peak vegetables (which is where the kitchen truly excels), and it might be time to return for brunch (which launched in the last few months) on the rooftop patio.
Lauren Ng reports on Mid East Eats, a fast-casual destination for homestyle Palestinian cuisine that’s also the first legally permitted home kitchen in Watts.
Daniel Miller has a story on how local culinary students seem undeterred by the ongoing challenges of L.A.’s restaurant industry: Los Angeles Trade-Technical College’s saw enrollment in its culinary program grow by 13% last academic year, and it is up nearly 30% since 2019.
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The falls guy – Harry Leach is moved by a humbling adventure in an unforgettable African land when he experiences the intoxicating, chaotic charm of Ghana
Harry was blown away by his adventure in Ghana
Thousands of fruit bats whirled in a tornado, spiralling 300ft above as Ghana’s tallest waterfall crashed in a thunderous beat beside me – its mist cooling the heat on my skin.
We had hiked through a sweaty tropical forest to get here – ducking under vines, stepping over startled reptiles, brushing off bold insects, crossing nine clanging bridges. Each footstep sank into rich, red earth as the path narrowed underfoot and the sound of falling water grew louder.
Then, suddenly, the trees parted and there it was – Ghana’s famous Wli Waterfalls, the tallest in West Africa. Wild and beautiful. The bats squeaked as the 262ft-high fall poured down a jagged cliff into a pool over which butterflies scattered, their wings glowing in flecks of sunlight.
The noise was deafening, and yet the moment seemed utterly still.
If this were Europe, a sea of phones would block the view. But here, deep in Ghana’s Volta Region, it was just us and nature – raw and unspoilt. The fall’s soft waves didn’t just cool my body, they stripped back life’s pressures. This wasn’t just a trip; it was unfiltered adventure.
I was travelling to West Africa with Intrepid Travel, a firm that threads you into the fabric of Ghana as well as taking you way off the beaten track. That was evident that very morning when we broke bread with a family living in Liati Wote – a beautiful, remote village hugging the Ghana-Togo border. Our hosts welcomed us with open arms in the way I quickly learned all Ghanaians do: with a warmth and effortless generosity that is rare to find wherever you go in the world.
As goats wandered past, and the sun beat down, we chatted about sport, family, our passions, as mighty Mount Afadjato leaned over us. “Everything is focused on each other,” said 16-year-old Elizabeth, while her sister Precious served omelettes fresh from the pan.
She spoke of her yearning to explore Accra, Ghana’s capital, but her love for her village was deep, palpable. I understood why. In this community of just 600, everyone plays a part. Later we met Charles, tending his farm. Together we planted corn and watched him work his charcoal ovens – delicate, smoky earth mounds that collapse if oxygen sneaks in.
Elsewhere, Emmanuel, the village’s chief farmer and palm wine-maker since 1991, tapped sap from a fallen palm tree. I drank it sharp and fresh, then again later when it was fermented, sweet and dizzying. That night, we rejoined our hosts to dine in their home. We shared plates of jollof (rice, vegetables and/or meat), akple (fermented dough balls), watermelon, and grilled drumsticks.
Unfermented palm wine can be drank straight from the tree
It was the kind of hospitality that makes you feel like you have slipped into someone else’s life… just for a moment.
As we laughed and sang together, including a slightly off-key rendition of Wonderwall, conversation paused when the beat of drums began to creep through an open window.
We broke away from the table, unable to ignore it any longer. Outside, a group of 30 was rehearsing an Ewe drumming performance. The ensemble had packed up to leave for a funeral, but then graciously unpacked to play once more, just for us.
We jived under stars to their captivating tempo because, in Ghana, when the beat calls, you don’t just listen – you follow it. The next morning, I danced again, this time with a machete in my hand at the village of Tafi Atome. I was taught the “hunter’s dance” by the Akpi performers, as they pounded drums behind a statue with a lit cigarette hanging from its stone lips.
“They’re showing their strength in the forest with this performance,” said Isaac, our endlessly insightful guide and native Ghanaian who knows his country inside out. Behind us, monkeys stirred. “They live together with the people,” he explained.
Intrepid driver Eric took the group through Volta village
After spicy snails and grilled fish at Afrikiko River Front Resort, we cruised down the shimmering Volta River – part of Lake Volta, the largest artificial reservoir in the world at 3,283 square miles – completely relaxed. Then we moved on to the lively town of Elmina, where we checked into charming hilltop cabins at Golden Hill Parker Hotel, above Ghana’s largest fish market.
After sunrise, we ventured through its heart. Women balancing bowls of fish on their heads encouraged us to dance with them, smiling ear-to-ear, as traders in every direction shouted prices over crates of squid and the bleeding sharks on the wet concrete.
It was loud, chaotic, intoxicating: Ghana at its most tactile and authentic. But nothing felt more real than our visit to Cape Coast Castle. Inside the silent dungeons, history closed in from every side. No light or airflow. Just thick stone walls and the memory of thousands of slaves held captive before being trafficked as human cargo.
Our guide Kojo spoke with the gravity of someone who had told this story too many times, yet aware it must never stop being told. “It cannot be repeated,” he said simply, standing by the plaque that now marks the “Door of No Return” –once the last threshold before Africans were forced onto ships in the dark days of the transatlantic slave trade.
My final days in Ghana unfolded in the busy and electric capital Accra. One minute you’re weaving through the packed Osu night market, eating smoked fish and waakye (rice and beans), next you’re standing in a workshop staring at a coffin shaped like a Nokia mobile phone. That was Eric’s creation – a master craftsman of fantasy coffins. From sneakers to Club beer bottles, he carves caskets that reflect lives once lived.
In Ghana, death isn’t feared, it is a “celebration”, said Eric. Funerals honour those lost with colour, music and flair. What struck me most about this country wasn’t any one place. It wasn’t even the food – although I’d fly back in a heartbeat for palm nut soup or “red red”.
It was the way people let us in; their smiles; how they embraced us into their world and homes. It was truly humbling.
On my final day, I stood in the impoverished Jamestown, watching children play basketball near a beautiful lighthouse. A battered speaker played Afrobeats as we moved through tiny streets, when a barefoot girl spun and waved with a grin so infectious, it made me smile too.
This is why you travel. Not for the Instagram pictures, but for the people who turn the unfamiliar into something unforgettable. “Kwame is your Ghanaian name,” Isaac said after finding out I was born on a Saturday. “Take this with you.”
Busta Rhymes is rejecting claims leveled against him in a lawsuit filed this week by a former assistant, calling it an “attempted shake-down.”
Dashiel Gables, who filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, is accusing Rhymes — real name Trevor Smith Jr. — of wage and hour violations as well as assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
“I have been made aware of the claims made by Dashiel Gables, and I completely and categorically deny these allegations,” Rhymes said in a statement to The Times. “For a very brief period, Dashiel assisted me, but it did not work out. Apparently, Dashiel has decided to respond to being let go by manufacturing claims against me in an attempt to attack and damage my reputation.”
Rhymes, 53, said he is preparing a countersuit and is “confident [it] will expose this for what it is — an attempted shake-down by a disgruntled former assistant.”
In the lawsuit, which was reviewed by The Times, Gables alleges that Rhymes repeatedly called him a slur related to sexuality and mocked his poor hearing by telling him to “get a hearing aid.” He also says he was improperly categorized as a salaried employee and wasn’t paid overtime despite allegedly being required to work 15-, 16- and 18-hour shifts regularly for a flat $200 a day.
The lawsuit says he was required to perform “menial tasks,” including fetching cigars for the rapper.
The suit says Gables, 44, accompanied Rhymes on tour from early July to early September of last year, seven days a week, without being paid travel time or overtime, then worked for him from 2 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. daily without pay over his day rate from Sept. 3, 2024, until Jan. 10.
On that last day, the lawsuit alleges, Rhymes “constructively terminated” Gables’ employment “by repeatedly punching him in the face” after first raging at his assistant for not promptly bringing a “catering-size” pan of chicken in from the rapper’s car, then chewing Gables out for sending a text to his minor daughter during work hours.
Gables “tolerated a great deal of abuse while working for Busta Rhymes, he could not tolerate the repeated physical assault and was unable to return to work,” the complaint says, adding that Gables went to the hospital for treatment of bruising and swelling and filed a police report regarding the alleged assault. He did not return to work.
After Gables filed the police report he was “frozen out of the hip-hop music industry,” the complaint alleges. He is seeking back pay as well as compensatory and punitive damages and is asking for a jury trial.
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who channels Wednesday Addams’ contemptuous energy every day of the week.
After a nearly three-year absence, everyone’s favorite unamused teenager is back. “Wednesday,” Netflix’s spinoff of “The Addams Family” franchise that stars Jenna Ortega, became a megahit when it debuted — spawning memes and a dance craze that took TikTok by storm. Revolving around Wednesday’s adventures at Nevermore Academy, the boarding school for outcasts she’s forced to attend, the supernatural comedy returned this week with the first half of its eight-episode second season. (The rest will drop in September. And a third season has already been ordered.) Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who created the series, stopped by Guest Spot to talk about the new episodes, including the unforgettable way Steve Buscemi, who plays the new school principal, made early-morning shoots more bearable.
Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations are a bit off the beaten path: TV critic Robert Lloyd encourages you to dive into the oeuvre of Australian-based internet humorist Natalie Tran, and film critic Amy Nicholson tells you about a different body-swapping film if the new “Freaky Friday” sequel isn’t your thing.
ICYMI
Must-read stories you might have missed
After years working a propane job in Saudi Arabia to earn their retirement nest egg, Peggy and Hank Hill return to a changed Arlen, Texas. Meanwhile, Bobby, center, is living his dream as a chef in Dallas, enjoying his 20s.
A thousand thanks to whatever algorithm brought Natalie Tran, a brilliant Australian internet humorist, back into my feed. In a typical video essay, Tran will notice an odd or annoying thing about modern life or take a random idea that’s crept into her head and create a speculative playlet in which she takes on all the parts. The great library of this work, which posted pretty regularly from 2006 to 2016, and irregularly since, resides on Tran’s YouTube-based communitychannel (1.77 million subscribers), but it is timeless, smart and funny across years, generations, continents and hemispheres. She might take on matters as mundane as a lost phone on silent, the types of friends you shouldn’t see movies with, or her inability to keep house plants alive; or as left-field as imagining monsters dressing up as humans on Halloween, a school for flies, or the person whose job it is to measure the height of celebrities. Nowadays she posts at communitychannel on Facebook and natalie.tran on Instagram, and co-hosts “The Great Australian Bake Off,” the down-under franchise of the British original, whose current season you can also find online, officially or not. — Robert Lloyd
“Dating the Enemy” (Tubi, Prime Video)
Wanna get freakier than this week’s “Freaky Friday” sequel? This edgy 1996 body swap rom-com stars Claudia Karvan and a pre-fame Guy Pearce as estranged exes Tash and Brett — she’s a nerdy science journalist, he’s an egomaniac veejay — who are horrified to wake up in each other’s skin. Both are workaholics, yet neither respects the other’s career goals. (“What’s Pearl Jam?” Tash asks.) Australian writer-director Megan Simpson Huberman’s inspired idea is that the girl is the geek, and the man is the sex symbol. “I have got a great ass!” Pearce’s Brett gloats. The future Oscar nominee has a gas peering down his undershorts to understand his new mechanics. While the former lovers’ mutual hostility leads to several funny bits of vengeance, Huberman smartly notes the tiny differences in how each one is treated as they stumble through the world — and their moments of reconnection, while incredulous, are incredibly sweet. — Amy Nicholson
Guest spot
A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they’re working on — and what they’re watching
Joonas Suotamo as Lurch, left, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley and Luis Guzmán as Gomez in “Wednesday.”
(Helen Sloan / Netflix)
“Wednesday” makes its big return this week with its morose titular character (Jenna Ortega) now navigating life as a local celebrity. But even after saving Nevermore Academy, the school for supernatural misfits that she attends, from destruction, things are hardly sunshine and rainbows — a relief, really, because she’d hate that. There’s a new mystery and looming threat to keep her psychic powers occupied. And this time, her family — namely, her mother Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and father Gomez (Luis Guzmán) — figure more prominently in the spooky and morbid tension. The season is broken up into two parts — the first four episodes were released this week; the rest will be released Sept. 3. Creators and showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar stopped by Guest Spot to discuss why they wanted to make the new season a more familial experience and the standout guest star moments. — Yvonne Villarreal
Wednesday Addams has often been described as “emotionless,” “antisocial” and “morbid.” How would you describe her? And how did you want to push against that perception of her in Season 2?
Millar: While Wednesday would certainly self-identify with all three, I would argue she is, in fact, deeply emotional. She is a character who struggles to express herself, often engaging in a silent internal war when she breaks her own personal code. She’s boxed herself into an identity and considers any emotional response as a kind of failure.
Gough: Our goal is to consistently place her in situations that challenge this rigid self-perception. We think of her emotional development in terms of micro-progressions. For most protagonists, a “hug” might be a throwaway gesture — for Wednesday it’s seismic. Her internalized struggle with vulnerability is something she’ll carry into adulthood. She may never feel fully at peace with the world, but hopefully she will discover a way to co-exist with it — on her own terms.
The season brings Wednesday’s family more into focus. What is most appealing about delving into their dynamic?
Millar: In Season 1, we focused on Wednesday carving out a life away from her family for the first time — we didn’t want the show to feel like a retread of a traditional Addams Family movie. Now that audiences are grounded into the world of Nevermore, it felt like the right moment to see more of the iconic members of the Addams family.
Gough: We loved the idea of her family literally living next door — its a delicious complication for a character like Wednesday. She can’t escape them, especially her mother. The Morticia-Wednesday dynamic is a central thread this season, and their mother-daughter tension felt very real — even when it culminates in something as heightened as a sword fight in the woods.
You have a number of prominent names, including Steve Buscemi, Christopher Lloyd and Lady Gaga, joining the ranks this season. What’s been the biggest “pinch me” moment so far?
Millar: There were so many “pinch me” moments. One that stands out for me: Joanna Lumley, who plays Grandmama Frump, sipping a Bloody Mary in the middle of a vast Irish graveyard. Surreal doesn’t begin to cover it.
Gough: An unforgettable moment for me was watching Steve Buscemi dad-dance to Bruce Springsteen at 3 a.m. We were shooting the scene in the middle of July, but it was bone chillingly cold as only an Irish summer can be. Still, Steve would come out dancing with the same off-the-wall energy every single take. He was the only reason the extras made it through the night. It was weird and wonderful — and very, very “Wednesday.”
What have you watched recently that you are recommending to everyone you know?
Millar: “Dark Winds” on AMC. It’s led by the phenomenal Zahn McClarnon, and it’s a show I had heard buzz about but never had a chance to watch until recently. The premise isn’t flashy — a ’70s set police procedural on a Navajo reservation — but the acting and storytelling are exceptional. I binged all three seasons in a week. Despite its limited budget, the series manages to capture the haunting beauty of the Southwestern landscapes. It deserves a lot more critical and audience attention.
Gough: A show I am genuinely going to miss is “The Handmaid’s Tale” [Hulu]. It’s been remarkably consistent across its run. Miles tapped out midway through Season 2 as it veered into “torture porn territory,” but I stuck with it and am glad I did. The storytelling is razor-sharp, and is written with deft craft and humanity. Cinematography is sumptuous and the performances are universally excellent. It’s definitely not comfort TV — it challenges you — but it rewards your attention. It’s a show I always recommend.
What’s your go-to “comfort watch,” the movie or TV show you go back to again and again?
Millar: Generally, I don’t rewatch TV shows. There is simply too much out there to keep up with. But movies? That’s a another story. I have a particular weakness for movies set in Los Angeles — “Heat” [The Criterion Channel, Prime Video], “Drive” [VOD], “Blade Runner” [VOD]. And anything by Spielberg, honestly — from “AI” [VOD] to “Jaws” [Netflix] to “Lincoln” [VOD] — his visual storytelling is so masterful, it feels like a free film school in every frame.
Gough: Having collaborated with Tim for over 5 years now, I have a soft spot for his work, especially “Edward Scissorhands” [Disney+] and “Ed Wood” [VOD]. If “Ed Wood” were released today, I am convinced it would win best picture. It remains one of the greatest love letters to filmmaking ever made.
A high-profile law firm representing the city of Los Angeles in a sweeping homelessness case submitted an $1.8-million invoice for two weeks of work in May, according to records reviewed by The Times.
The invoice from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP comes as the city is already under serious financial pressure, caused in part by rapidly growing legal payouts.
With at least 15 of Gibson Dunn’s lawyers billing at nearly $1,300 per hour, the price tag so far equates to just under $140,000 per day over a 13-day period.
Los Angeles officials retained the law firm in May, roughly a week before a seven-day evidentiary hearing to determine whether control over the city’s homelessness programs should be taken away from Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council and turned over to a third-party receiver.
A month later, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter issued a scathing ruling, saying the city failed to adhere to the terms of a three-year-old settlement agreement with the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which calls for the creation of 12,915 homeless beds or other housing opportunities by June 2027.
Still, Carter also concluded that “this is not the time” to hand control of the city’s roughly $1 billion in homelessness programs to a third party.
Matthew Umhofer, an attorney representing the Alliance, said the city paid big money to Gibson Dunn in a failed attempt to wriggle out of its legal obligations.
“The city should be spending this money on complying with the agreement, and/or providing services to the people who need them,” he said. “Instead, they are paying a law firm to fight tooth and nail against obligations that are clear in the settlement agreement — and that a judge has affirmed they are in violation of.”
The invoice, which The Times obtained from the city attorney’s office, lists a billing period from May 19 to May 31, covering a week of preparations for the high-stakes federal hearing, as well as four of the seven trial days — each of which typically lasted eight or more hours.
Theane Evangelis, head of the Gibson Dunn team representing the city, referred questions about the invoice to the city attorney’s office.
Karen Richardson, a spokesperson for City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto, said in a statement that Gibson Dunn “did an outstanding job of stepping into a crucial matter that had been in litigation for nearly 5 years before they were hired,” compressing “what would normally be years worth of work into a very short time period.”
“We are grateful for their service and are in the process of reviewing the expenditures … to ensure that we go back to Council with a complete picture of what was done and charged,” she said in a statement.
The city retained Gibson Dunn just as council members were signing off on hundreds of employee layoffs, part of a larger strategy for closing a nearly $1-billion budget shortfall. The first batch of layoff notices was scheduled to go out this week.
The City Council initially appropriated $900,000 for Gibson Dunn, for a period not exceeding three years, according to the firm’s contract. Going over $900,000 required prior written approval from the city attorney, according to the contract.
The law firm quickly surpassed that threshold, eventually billing double the specified amount.
During the seven-day hearing, Gibson Dunn took a highly aggressive posture, voicing numerous objections to questions from attorneys representing the Alliance, as well as two organizations that intervened in the case.
Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who serves on the council’s homelessness committee, said the city attorney’s office did not advise him that Gibson Dunn’s legal costs had reached $1.8 million in such a short period. Blumenfield, who represents part of the San Fernando Valley, said he is “not happy” but is reserving further comment until he receives more specifics.
Three months ago, Blumenfield co-authored a motion with Councilmember Tim McOsker seeking regular updates on the Alliance litigation — both from Gibson Dunn and the city attorney’s office.
McOsker, who serves on the budget committee and spent several years running the city attorney’s office, also did not receive notification of the Gibson Dunn $1.8-million invoice from the city’s legal team, according to Sophie Gilchrist, his spokesperson.
Gilchrist said her boss had asked for regular updates to “prevent any surprises in billing” related to the Alliance case.
“That’s why the Councilmember is requesting that this matter be brought to City Council immediately, so the City Attorney can provide a full accounting and discuss all invoices related to the case,” she said.
Gibson Dunn has filed a notice of the city’s intent to appeal at least portions of Carter’s ruling, which ordered a third-party monitor to review and verify the data being produced by the city on its housing and encampment goals.
Carter signaled that he probably would order the city to pay the legal fees of the Alliance and homeless advocacy groups that have intervened in the case. So far, the Alliance has sought $1.3 million from the city to cover its legal expenses incurred since April 2024.
In a statement to The Times earlier this week, Evangelis, the Gibson Dunn lawyer, cited the judge’s “suggestion that the Alliance may recover attorneys’ fees” as one reason for the appeal.
“The City believes that its resources should be spent providing services to those in need, not redirected to the Alliance’s lawyers — particularly when the district court has rejected most of their arguments,” she said.
A British tourist has slammed holidaymakers as “selfish” after capturing crowds of people sprinting to reserve sunbeds at a Spanish hotel – and she never got to use one herself
Milo Boyd Digital Travel Reporter and Lottie von Henning)
10:39, 08 Aug 2025
Adele Gough has spoken out against the sunbed wars
A British holidaymaker claims the sunbed scramble at her Spanish resort was so ruthless she didn’t manage to nab a lounger during her entire week-long break.
Adele Gough, 35, watched in amazement as fellow guests gathered by the pool gates at 9am before sprinting forward and flinging towels onto sunbeds. She watched the frantic scenes at the four-star GHT Oasis Park Hotel in Lloret de Mar, Spain, last week,
Adele, a hotel cleaner from Great Shefford, Berkshire, found the behaviour so “selfish” she refused to take part – and didn’t manage to secure a lounger throughout her entire getaway. She said: “At first I found it all pretty funny and typical of holiday-goers. It was entertaining to watch. But I do think it’s a bit selfish, as most of the sunbeds just sat there with a towel on them all day.” Adele is speaking out after a couple watched a hotel worker come close to being trampled.
Have you been swept up in a sunbed battle? We’d love to hear your war stories. Email [email protected]
Adele, who was marking her birthday on the trip, said there weren’t any obvious regulations about bagging sunbeds, which she reckons sparked the frantic dash each morning.
Rather than waste her mornings queuing and sprinting, Adele opted to avoid the sunbed battle altogether. She said: “There weren’t any signs or rules posted anywhere around the hotel so all people could do was wait until the lifeguards opened the gates and then rush in. I decided not to bother so I didn’t end up using the sunbeds at all this holiday.”
Adele is not the only sunseeker who has found herself swept up in the sunbed wars.
Mark Hunter was shocked to see the chaos unfold from his hotel balcony. The 38-year-old watched on as determined holiday-goers raced for a lounger with their towels in tow as the pool gates opened.
Mark, a corporate manager from Ireland, filmed the clip at Hotel Playas de Torrevieja at around 9.54am on Friday (2 Aug), while on holiday with his wife Tara and their son Jake.
“I was shocked to see grown adults reduced to scrambling for sun beds,” he told Luxury Travel Daily. “It is exactly the same every morning — there are grown adults pushing past children to get a sun bed by the pool.”
After watching the chaos unfold, Mark’s 12-year-old son asked if he could take part the next morning. He added: “My little boy did want to be involved in the chaos the next morning as he thought it looked fun. We did let him queue and he was the fastest to a sunbed!”
Mark shared the clip on TikTok, where it has left viewers stunned with over 2,400 likes so far.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has been sidelined because of a back issue, will work out for the first time Saturday before the Rams play the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium, coach Sean McVay said Thursday.
Stafford, 37, is dealing with an aggravated disc, and recently received an epidural for the condition, McVay said, confirming what was first reported by NFL Media.
“Part of getting the epidural was part of the plan,” set up by spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins, McVay said, adding that Saturday’s workout was “on par with the schedule that we always had.”
McVay said Stafford would practice next week, though he will not participate in a joint practice with the Chargers.
“And then you’ll just continue to see his workload increase as long as he’s feeling good,” McVay said. “If this was in-season he would be playing right now.”
Etc.
Edge rusher Jared Verse left the field assisted by trainers after what McVay said was an incident in which he bumped knees with lineman Braden Fiske.
However, in the family photo from their holiday fans were quick to point out that Harry wasn’t on the trip.
Stacey posted slew of sweet snaps of her and Joe with their other five kids and wrote: “Time to make some memories my whole world 🥹 can’t wait for some special time with my babies.
“Got one picture of us all the second one is every photo ever happy summer everyone from pickle cottage to our second home at this point.”
But while most followers pointed out what a lovely photos they were, some took to the comments to cruelly mum-shame Stacey over this.
One fan wrote: “Lovely family pic. Wish Joe eldest son was included more.”
Stacey Solomon clashes with husband Joe Swash as they reveal relationship struggles in therapy
While another added: “Why is Joe’s eldest son never with them.”
This person said: “I agree would be nice for them to acknowledge they’re missing one!”
It comes after “tension” between the popular couple has recently been captured on TV.
Stacey Solomon’s career so far
Stacey Solomon has been a familiar face on viewers’ screens for over a decade. Let’s take a look back at her career.
The X Factor (2009): Stacey competed in series six of long-running ITV singing competition The X Factor. During her time in the show, she was mentored by Danni Minogue in the ‘Girls’ category. The star finished in third place, behind Joe McElderry and Olly Murs.
I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (2010); In late 2010, Stacey headed to the infamous I’m A Celeb Aussie jungle. After 21 days, she triumphed to win the tenth series. It was through I’m A Celeb that she met future husband Joe Swash – who’d won two years earlier and was hosting the ITV2 spinoff.
Celebrity Juice (2011―2013, 2016―2019): The star appeared as a panellist on 21 episodes of the comedy panel game show hosted by Keith Lemon. Stacey was a regular in the 21st series, broadcast in 2019.
Loose Women (2016 – present): Stacey has been a permanent panel member of the daytime show since 2016. She previously made guest appearances in 2011 and 2012.
Sort Your Life Out (2022 -present): This BBC show sees Stacey, with the help of an expert team, transform participants’ living spaces after removing clutter.
However, according to a source, the couple have vowed to take time out to remember why they’re so good for each other.
During their BBC reality show, the pair shared a close-up look into the ups and downs of life at Pickle Cottage and their relationship.
The source told New Magazine: “There’s tension in the air and there is a bit of bickering. But it puts a strain on any relationship.
“You look at those on reality shows, such as the wives in The Real Housewives, with cameras in their houses 24/7, and a lot of their relationships crack under the pressure.“
Despite this, the source maintained that a break away from the cameras, however small, is just what Stacey and Joe need.
The source added: “They’re worried that if they don’t have a break from the cameras and the limelight, it could affect what makes their relationship special.
“They’re still very much in love and are really trying to focus on each other amid the silly bickering and moments of tension, and remember why they got together in the first place – and why they’re actually so perfect together.
“They have vowed to carve out some quality time this summer to do that.”
Catherine Tyldesley is set to reprise her role as blonde bombshell Eva Price on Coronation Street, and has gone back to her character’s signature colour in time for filming
15:46, 05 Aug 2025Updated 15:50, 05 Aug 2025
Catherine Tyldesley is said to be making a return to Coronation Street and has gone back to blonde ahead of filming(Image: ITV)
Catherine Tyldesley has dyed her hair in time for her return to Coronation Street. The actress, 41, is set to be make a major comeback onto the ITV soap as she returns to her signature role of Eva Price, seven years on from her initial exit.
During her initial stint on the cobbles, Eva sported platinum blonde locks but after she quit the soap, Catherine quickly went back to her natural brunette colour as she competed on Strictly Come Dancing. She kept the darker look as she took on roles in shows such as Scarborough and Viewpoint but an Instagram post on Tuesday revealed that she is a blonde once again.
The actress shared two snaps of herself posing with friends as she headed out for dinner, in Manchester and The Sun reports that the outing comes just days before she is supposed to making a return to the set at MediaCityUK to begin filming. Catherine, who was a brunette when she took on her first big role in the BBC drama Lilies prior to joining Coronation Street, previously explained that bosses just felt that it was right that barmaid Eva would have blonde hair. It comes after reports of all the celebrities rumoured to be joining BBC Strictly Come Dancing 2025.
Catherine showed off her freshly-dyed locks as she went out for dinner with friends close to where the ITV soap is filmed(Image: auntiecath17/instagram)
In 2019, she explained during an interview on Lorraine: “When I first started Corrie I’d done a sketch show and was blonde. They felt Eva was blonde and so did I. I keep walking past windows and mirror and think ‘Oh!’ and forget I’ve done it. A lady came up to me and said I think you should be blonde.”
Reports surrounding the return of Leanne Battersby’s sister emerged earlier this year, but then nothing was announced. Fresh reports just last week claimed the planned plot was now approaching.
A source told The Sun: “Corrie bosses were never going to take EastEnders shrewd decision to reinstate Kat and Alfie at the Vic lying down. So they took their time looking for the perfect actor to play her husband to Eva as she makes her return to Corrie as the new boss of the Rovers.”
Catherine is naturally brunette and went back to her original look shortly after she quit Coronation Street in 2018(Image: PA)
The insider added that Corrie bosses knew they had found the ‘perfect’ actor as soon as the Irish-born star walked into the room. They added of his character: “Aaron’s character is also someone not to be messed with, and the locals are going to be in for a shock if they think they can take advantage of his good nature and that cheeky Irish charm.
“It’s the start of an exciting new chapter in the pub’s history.” Aaron is also known for his role as Jamie Maguire in Shameless, whilst Catherine has starred in The Good Ship Murder and earlier this year appeared opposite Siobhan Finneran in an episode of the ITV drama Protection.
She was also set to star in a cancelled touring production of Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical last year and went viral over a social media scandal known as Cakegate in late 2023. The actress first appeared on Coronation Street in 2011 as the daughter of Stella Price (Michelle Collins), who had arrived to take over the pub herself and also reveal herself as the long-lost mother of Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson).
Over the course of seven years, Catherine saw her alter-ego through numerous relationships with the likes of Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas), Rob Donovan (Marc Baylis) and Nick Tilsey (Ben Price). Her most notable relationship was with Aidan Connor (Shayne Ward), but that started to go awry when he began an affair with Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon).
Instead of confronting Aidan head-on about his infidelity, she took revenge by putting a bright pink Range Rover on his credit card and then decided to fake a pregnancy. Maria discovered Eva’s lies and exposed them all at the wedding but Eva later discovered that she was in fact pregnant with Aidan’s baby.
In order to go through with the birth in secret, she went off to a remote cottage and had planned to give baby Susie away to Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor). However, Aidan later took his own life and Eva began to grow close to her daughter, eventually opting to leave in the back of a taxi with her for good.
If Eva does return and take over the Rovers, she will be following in the footsteps of former characters such as Annie Walker (Doris Speed), Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) and Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard), all of whom have helmed the nation’s most famous pub over the course of the show’s history. One such landlady is Jenny Connor, who is confirmed to be leaving the ITV soap.
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Betrayal, heartbreak and even a proposal are on the cards next week in soapland, with police intervening once again in Emmerdale after another explosive row. Get the lowdown.
07:00, 05 Aug 2025Updated 07:30, 05 Aug 2025
Ruby and Manpreet go head to head next week
Tension is at an all-time high in soapland next week, from the Yorkshire Dales to The Summer Bay.
In Emmerdale, Ruby and Manpreet go head to head after the village GP was exposed for her fling with Ross (played by Michael Parr), while Vinny continues to mask his concerns over his sexuality.
On ITV’s Coronation Street, Abi is keeping a secret of her own – her affair with brother-in-law Carl. But with fellow mechanic Tyrone around, their illicit romance could be blown out in the open. In happier news, one loved-up Corrie legend decides to give marriage another chance.
Meanwhile in EastEnders, Eve grows increasingly concerned for Avani and urges Suki to tell the rest of her family the truth. But how will Eve react when her best pal Stacey is caught up by her SecretCam past? Here’s what you need to know about all your favourite soaps – including Neighbours, Hollyoaks and Home and Away.
Newcomer Mike is bad news for Vinny – but what are his real intentions?
Emmerdale
Ruby (Beth Cordingly) offers to cover the Depot for Caleb (Will Ash). But after a heated confrontation with Ruby, Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker) turns up to have it out with her. Ruby brushes Manpreet off, prompting the latter to hijack a forklift and she refuses to get off until Ruby speaks to her.
Ruby stays unbothered but when Manpreet mentions Steph, Ruby attacks her. Meanwhile at The Woolpack, Caleb is convinced the Depot is in safe hands. Later, the police make an arrest.
Vinny (Bradley Johnson) chats to Mike (Macaulay Cooper) and appreciates his friendliness as their bond grows stronger. When Mike asks Vinny if he’s gay, his confusion is clear but Vinny is grateful when Mike stays supportive.
Later, Vinny’s conflicted when he arranged to meet with Mike again. The following day, Gabby (Rosie Bentham) tells Vinny she’s spending the night at a spa and Vinny receives an urgent message from Mike, who later reveals his partner has kicked him out.
But Mike quickly turns on Vinny. Elsewhere, Charles (Kevin Mathurin) is concerned about Gabby who wants his help with something she’s keeping a secret from Vinny.
Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) persuades Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) to get on dating apps and, grabbing her phone, Nicola swipes right on Kammy’s dating profile.
Vic (Isabelle Hodgins) persuades Robert (Ryan Hawley) to spend time with Harry but John decides to meddle. Meanwhile, April’s (Amelia Flanagan) 16th birthday doesn’t go as planned.
Theo struggles to cope without his children next week
Coronation Street
Theo (James Cartwright) is devastated when Todd (Gareth Pierce) shows him a photo of Theo’s family on a leaflet promoting “traditional family values.” In a fit of rage, Theo stands Todd up and trashes the builder’s yard – only for Gary (Mikey North) to catch him in the act.
Later, Theo begs Gary to stay away from Noah (Richard Winsor) as Theo doesn’t want anything to jeopardise his access to his children. But will Gary be deterred?
Carla (Alison King) and Lisa (Vicky Myers) attend a life drawing class together but their evening goes awry when Betsy (Sydney Martin) faces another crisis.
At the factory, Betsy shows Carla what she’s been working on. Later, Carla confides in Ryan that she’s going to propose to Lisa. Will she accept?
Meanwhile, Steve (Simon Gregson) calls at the flower shop with Cassie (Claire Sweeney) and reveals his solicitor has received a copy of the Preston Petals valuation and he wants what’s rightfully his – but Tracy’s (Kate Ford) fuming.
Later, Steve settles himself down in front of the TV and promises to keep an eye on Dorin. But the toddler vanishes, making everyone panic.
Elsewhere, Abi (Sally Carman) receives a text from Carl (Jonathan Howard) and feigns a migraine, telling Kevin she needs to go home. But at No.13, guilt gets the best of her and Carl suggests a drive. In the precinct, Tyrone (Alan Halsall) spots Carl in his car – but has he seen Abi?
Suki Panesar is desperate to raise Avani’s baby but Eve could still stand in her way(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Later, Avani feels self-conscious at Amy’s hot tub party and reaches for a drink but a row ensues when Suki and Eve arrive to check on her. Avani rushes off and is followed by Eve and, after a conversation, Eve agrees to support the teen.
Meanwhile, Stacey (Lacey Turner) prepares for Lily’s return but her happiness is short-lived when Jean (Gillian Wright) and Freddie (Bobby Brazier) tell her someone has leaked her SecretCam pictures and videos online.
Stacey is convinced Joel (Max Murray) is the culprit and confronts him but Ross rushes him home. Later, Stacey gets the police involved.
Harry (Elijah Holloway) finds out that Okie (Aayan Ibikunle Shoderu) and Ravi are using Kojo’s (Dayo Koleosho) flat for their illegal activities and tries to secretly intervene. But Ravi insists they need to up their game.
George (Colin Salmon) is equally concerned when Okie offers Kojo an expensive watch. But he’s grateful when Elaine (Harriet Thorpe) offers to investigate. Later, however, both Elaine and Cindy (Michelle Collins) realise there’s a new woman in George’s life.
Patrick (Rudolph Walker) returns home from hospital but he struggles with anxiety following his attack and Howie (Delroy Atkinson) feels awful when he realises how scared Patrick really is. Elsewhere, Honey (Emma Barton) prepares to apply for Mr Lister’s job and later gets bombshell news.
Rex returns to Hollyoaks next week and initiates a conversation with Ste – but how will he react?
Hollyoaks
Sienna returns home to her family and Cleo but she locks herself in the bathroom when she learns her father Jez is gone. When he arrives, Jez faces Sienna and asks her to meet in the allotment for the truth.
Mercedes finds out Bobby’s cause of death while Tony prepares for a barbecue at The Hutch – and Ste encourages him to postpone the event. Meanwhile, Rex returns but lingers in the shadows. When alone, he approaches Ste – but how will Ste react?
Andrew’s marriage with Wendy has been on shaky ground for weeks
Neighbours
Torn between two women, Andrew must reckon with his decision but when Holly is at the centre of a scandal, his moral compass later starts to stray – is his marriage in danger?
Krista and Paul butt heads under pressure but Paul later makes an effort to fix his mistake. Elsewhere, Remi faces a huge career setback while Nell is overwhelmed. And a new crisis is unfolding at the Lassiters Complex.
Home and Away
Cohen calls off his football game with Cash early, sad his mother hasn’t received his letters. But he soon gets an unexpected response. Bree frantically looks for Remy and calls the hospital.
Meanwhile, Remi wakes up next to Avalon. Dana wants to arrange a girl’s night out but Irene shuts her down – Dana then unpacks her concerns with John.
Lacey finds out the funds in the board shop accounts are empty and bankruptcy is only weeks away. Elsewhere, Jo comes clean to Tane – and he later drops a bombshell.
The coming week could bring an important moment in the war between Russia and Ukraine, as President Trump’s deadline for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal approaches — or it could simply melt away.
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected in Moscow in the middle of this week, just before Trump’s Friday deadline for the Kremlin to stop the killing or face potentially severe economic penalties from Washington.
Previous Trump promises, threats and cajoling have failed to yield results., and the stubborn diplomatic stalemate will be hard to clear away. Meanwhile, Ukraine is losing more territory on the front line, although there is no sign of a looming collapse of its defenses.
Trump envoy expected at Kremlin
Witkoff was expected to land in the Russian capital on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Trump, following his trip to Israel and Gaza.
“They would like to see” Witkoff, Trump said Sunday of the Russians. “They’ve asked that he meet so we’ll see what happens.”
Trump, exasperated that Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn’t heeded his calls to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, a week ago moved up his ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia as well as introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil, including China and India.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday that officials are happy to meet with Trump’s envoy. “We are always glad to see Mr. Witkoff in Moscow,” he said. “We consider [talks with Witkoff] important, substantive and very useful.”
Trump not sure sanctions will work
Trump said Sunday that Russia has proved to be “pretty good at avoiding sanctions.”
“They’re wily characters,” he said of the Russians.
The Kremlin has insisted that international sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have had a limited impact.
Ukraine insists the sanctions are taking their toll on Moscow’s war machine and wants Western allies to ramp them up. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday urged the United States, Europe and other nations to impose stronger secondary sanctions on Moscow’s energy, trade and banking sectors.
Trump’s comments appeared to signal he doesn’t have much hope that sanctions will force Putin’s hand.
The secondary sanctions also complicate Washington’s relations with China and India, who stand accused of helping finance Russia’s war effort by buying its oil.
Since taking office in January, Trump has found that stopping the war is harder than he perhaps imagined.
Senior American officials have warned that the U.S. could walk away from the conflict if peace efforts make no progress.
Putin shows no signs of concessions
The diplomatic atmosphere has become more heated as Trump’s deadline approaches.
Putin announced last Friday that Russia’s new hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, has entered service.
The Russian leader has hailed its capabilities, saying its multiple warheads that plunge to a target at speeds of up to Mach 10 cannot be intercepted. They are so powerful, he said, that the use of several of them in one conventional strike could be as devastating as a nuclear attack.
Also, one of Putin’s top lieutenants warned that the Ukraine war could nudge Russia and the U.S. into armed conflict.
Trump responded to what he called the “highly provocative statements” by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev by ordering the repositioning of two U.S. nuclear submarines.
Putin has repeated the same message throughout the war: He will only accept a settlement on his terms and will keep fighting until they’re met.
Thousands of troops, civilians have died
Russia’s relentless pounding of urban areas behind the front line have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. It has pushed on with that tactic despite Trump’s public calls for it to stop over the past three months.
On the 620-mile front line, Russia’s bigger army has made slow and costly progress. It is carrying out a sustained operation to take the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a key logistical hub whose fall could open the way for a deeper drive into Ukraine.
Ukraine has developed technology that has allowed it to launch long-range drone attacks deep inside Russia. In its latest strike it hit an oil depot near Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi, starting a major fire.
Witkoff will discuss Russia’s war on Ukraine as Trump says again that he wants a ‘deal where people stop getting killed’.
United States President Donald Trump said his special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Russia next week to continue talks on the war in Ukraine.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said Witkoff would visit, “I think next week, Wednesday or Thursday.”
Responding to questions from reporters on what Russia could do to avoid looming sanctions, the US president replied: “Yeah, get a deal where people stop getting killed.”
Trump also said that two nuclear submarines he deployed following an online row with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev were now “in the region.”
Trump has not said whether he meant nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. He also did not elaborate on the exact deployment locations, which are kept secret by the US military.
Trump’s latest comments come after he recently described Russia’s actions in its war on Ukraine as “disgusting“, after a Russian attack on an apartment block in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, killed 31 people on Thursday.
Ukraine is looking forward to receiving a US-made Patriot surface-to-air missile system, which Trump has promised will be delivered, albeit with funding from Ukraine’s European allies, not the Trump administration.
Ukraine has also continued to launch its own attacks on Russia, with its most recent attacks on Sunday killing three people across the country and causing a major fire at an oil refinery.
A Ukrainian drone attack on Monday morning sparked a fire at a railway station in Russia’s Volgograd region, the regional administration said on Telegram.
As fighting has continued, Russian and Ukrainian officials have held several meetings in recent months in Istanbul, Turkiye.
The latest meeting secured an agreement to exchange 1,200 prisoners, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Sunday.
Russia has yet to comment.
Witkoff, a real estate magnate and Trump golf partner, has already met with Russian President Vladimir Putin multiple times in Moscow in his role as a White House special envoy.
As a special envoy to the Middle East, he is also Trump’s representative in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which saw him visit Tel Aviv, Israel, on Saturday, where he met with the families of captives held in Gaza.
Loose Women has had one off specials before and this week there will be another change to their panel amid ITV cost cutting exercises
How the Loose Doctors panel will line up on Wednesday(Image: ITV)
Loose Women will change up their panel for the first-ever Loose Doctors special on Wednesday.
Dr Amir Khan, Dr Zoe Williams, Dr Hilary Jones and Dr Nighat Arif will examine the health issues that matter most to viewers and explain how we can all improve our own wellbeing.
Ahead of the episode, Dr Amir, who often works on Good Morning Britain, said: “This is the first time four of ITV’s Daytime doctors will be on the panel together to look at the health issues that affect us all.
“We’ll be sharing our expert medical advice and having some very candid conversations about the things that our patients are often too embarrassed to talk about, but shouldn’t be, and hopefully giving them the confidence to make the most of their appointments. I’m really looking forward to the episode and hope that viewers will enjoy it, as well as learning some important and potentially life saving tips too.”
This Morning star Dr Nighat added: “I couldn’t be happier sharing a panel with some dear colleagues and friends for this special episode. We will be opening up on some of our own heartfelt health stories and having a number of important conversations about how viewers can look after themselves, as well as sharing our top self-examination tips.
“As doctors, we are also humans and hope that by sharing a little part of our own lives, our patients and viewers know that they’re not alone and sometimes, we’re going through similar things to them.”
The special follows on from other one-off versions of the programme including Loose Men panels on International Men’s Day.
Dr Zoe said: “I’m so excited for this episode of Loose Doctors. While the four of us know each other well, we’ll be sharing some of our own stories and experiences, just as our patients bravely share theirs with us. We hope this offers viewers the chance to get to know us better and helps people feel more comfortable opening up. We’re going to be tackling some of the taboo topics people might not always want to discuss, to empower you to feel confident in understanding and checking your own body, and knowing when to seek help.”
And Dr Hilary, well known for working with Lorraine Kelly on screen, said: “I think viewers are going to love the first-ever Loose Doctors episode.
“You’ll see four of ITV’s Daytime doctors open up about their personal journeys whilst offering some of our tips to look after you and your family. I hope that viewers will learn a lot and be entertained at the same time as we open the Loose Doctors doors for the first time.”
Loose Women has been on ITV since 1999 and normally sees a rotating panel comprised of women discussing issues from a their perspectives, from politics and current affairs to all the latest gossip.
It is one of a number of daytime shows at ITV facing cuts and the daytime panel show will be down to 30 weeks a year in 2026.
It means some of the panelists are likely to lose their jobs.
* Loose Doctors airs on Wednesday 6th August, from 12:30pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
Matthew Stafford will apparently remain an observer for a while.
The Rams star quarterback, who has not practiced during training camp because of a back issue, will “probably not” practice Sunday in the final workout at Loyola Marymount, will not participate in Tuesday’s joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys, and his availability for a joint practice with the Chargers the following week will be determined, coach Sean McVay said.
Stafford, 37, saw back specialist Dr. Steven Watkins again on Saturday, McVay said.
McVay reiterated that Stafford was “week to week.”
“What I don’t want to do is set a timeline,” McVay said. “I know he’s making good progress. He saw Dr. Watkins again. … Everything is in good shape.”
Good shape?
McVay does not play starters in preseason games, so joint practices are regarded by the ninth-year coach as instrumental for evaluating young players and progress by the offense, defense and special teams.
Stafford, entering his 17th season, worked with new receiver Davante Adams during offseason workouts. But he has yet to work on timing with the three-time All-Pro during a full-speed, padded practice.
Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo continues to take first-team reps in Stafford’s place, and Stetson Bennett is directing the second-unit offense as the Rams prepare for their Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans at SoFi Stadium.
“Can’t wait to be able to get Matthew back out here leading the way,” McVay said, adding that Stafford felt the same way. “But in the meantime, Stetson and Jimmy are doing a really good job of continuing to get better and using these reps for their benefit.”
Stafford was one of several players who did not practice Saturday.
Rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson (groin) and defensive lineman Kobie Turner (back) sat out. Linebacker Nate Landman (calf) left practice as a precautionary measure, McVay said.
But Stafford’s continued absence from on-field drills continues to be the dominant storyline for a team that will be regarded as a legitimate Super Bowl contender if he is physically sound. And a question mark — at least on offense — if he is not.
After practicing with the Cowboys in Oxnard, the Rams and Cowboys will play Saturday at SoFi Stadium. The Rams play the Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 16, and they conclude the preseason on Aug. 23 against the Browns in Cleveland.
The Rams then have two weeks to prepare for the Texans.
Etc.
Safety Quentin Lake intercepted another tipped pass. Safety Jaylen McCollough also intercepted a pass. … Tight end Colby Parkinson made a one-handed touchdown catch. … Bennett connected with rookie receiver Konata Mumpfield on several impressive pass plays. “He’s a mature rookie,” McVay said of Mumpfield. “He’s a guy that is wired to be able to separate. … He continues to be able to just answer the bell with the opportunities that he’s gotten.” … Former Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald attended practice.
