week

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

L.A.’s Little Tokyo neighborhood was a mess on Monday. Windows were shattered in multiple locations. Graffiti seemed like it was everywhere. State Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles) had had enough.

Gonzalez, who took office in December, had already voiced outrage over the immigration raids being conducted in his downtown district. But this time, he took aim at the people he called “anti-ICE rioters,” portraying them as narcissists and urging them to stay far away from the demonstrations happening downtown.

“Causing chaos, damaging neighborhoods, and live-streaming for likes helps no one,” he said in a lengthy press release. “Our elders, small businesses, and public spaces deserve better.”

Gonzalez did not stop there. He chided demonstrators for spray-painting historic landmarks and pointing fireworks at police, telling them that “terrorizing residents is not protest.”

“If you’re out here chasing clout while our neighbors are scared and storefronts are boarded up — you’re not helping, you’re harming,” said Gonzalez, a former chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. “You’re playing right into Trump’s hands and undermining the very movement you claim to support.”

Politicians in L.A. have been reacting all week to the reports of violence, theft and vandalism that accompanied a week of anti-ICE protests. But each has had a somewhat different way of naming the perpetrators — and summing up their actions.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, whose district also includes much of downtown, was more muted in her description of the people who created mayhem this week, referring to them as “agitators” and “opportunists.”

“Look, for the most part, this has been a peaceful protest,” she said in an interview. “But there are definitely some other folks that join that are not here to support immigrants and peacefulness, but are taking this as an opportunity to do something else. And I definitely condemn that.”

Jurado has spent the last few days highlighting her efforts to secure small business loans for struggling downtown businesses, especially those that were vandalized or had merchandise stolen. She is also pushing for city leaders to find another $1 million to pay for the legal defense of immigrants who have been detained or face deportation.

At the same time, the events of the past week have put Jurado in an awkward spot. Luz Aguilar, her economic development staffer, was arrested last weekend on suspicion of assaulting a police officer at an anti-ICE protest.

Normally, an aide like Aguilar might have been tasked with helping some of the downtown businesses whose windows were smashed or wares were stolen. Instead, Jurado faced questions about Aguilar while appearing with Mayor Karen Bass at the city’s Emergency Operations Center.

The LAPD has repeatedly declined to provide specifics on the allegations against Aguilar, whose father is Chief Deputy Controller Rick Cole. The Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing rank-and-file officers, said in an email to its members that Aguilar has been accused of throwing a frozen water bottle at officers.

Neither Cole nor Jurado’s staff would confirm or refute that assertion. Jurado, in an interview, also declined to say whether she sees her staffer as one of the agitators.

“She is on unpaid leave, and we’ll see what happens,” she said.

The search for the right words has not been limited to downtown politicians.

Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson offered a lengthy soliloquy, saying police in recent days had encountered “looters coming out of stores with merchandise in their hands” who are using the ongoing protests as cover.

“Someone at midnight running around looting, even though there was a protest earlier, that person’s not a protester,” Harris-Dawson told his colleagues Tuesday. “That person’s a looter. That person’s a criminal.”

The same terms apply after Dodgers victories, Harris-Dawson said, when someone in a street celebration decides to set things on fire. “We don’t say Dodger fans burned a building. We say criminals burned a building,” he said.

Bass declared a local state of emergency in the wake of the downtown chaos, citing the violence against police, the vandalism and the “looting of businesses.” The declaration, issued Tuesday, simply refers to the perpetrators as criminals.

The mayor sounded genuinely frustrated, telling The Times on Thursday that she was “horrified” by the graffiti that covered the Japanese American National Museum, which highlights the struggle of immigrants, and other buildings in Little Tokyo.

“Anybody that is committing vandalism or violence does not give a crap about immigrants,” she told another news outlet.

Gonzalez, for his part, said he produced his anti-rioter screed after hearing from senior citizens in Little Tokyo who were terrified to leave their homes and walk into the melee on the street.

“They were literally throwing fireworks at cops’ faces at San Pedro and 3rd,” he said.

Other downtown residents sounded unfazed, telling The Times that the disruptions were “kind of the usual.” In recent years, major sports victories have been just as likely to end with illegal fireworks, graffiti and burning or vandalized vehicles downtown — even when the games aren’t played there.

Jurado said she is searching for “creative solutions” to prevent such crimes in the future, such as promoting the fact that downtown businesses are in “full support of the protests.”

“There were Little Tokyo businesses that weren’t graffitied on because they had a sign on the window that was pro-actively ‘Know your Rights,’ or against ICE,” she said. “So they didn’t get graffitied on. At least that’s from my anecdotal evidence.”

“So I think if we put that at the forefront, we can help educate our community members to keep our neighborhoods safe and beautiful,” she said.

State of play

— CITY IN CRISIS: The crisis sparked by the immigration sweeps reverberated throughout the week, with Bass urging President Trump to end the raids, ordering a curfew for downtown and Chinatown and speaking out against the tackling of U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla by federal agents. By the time the week ended, City Hall and surrounding government buildings were being guarded by scores of law enforcement officers from around the state — Hermosa Beach Police, San Fernando Police, Riverside County Sheriff, Santa Barbara County Sheriff, just to name a few. Amid the heavy police presence, Friday’s city council meeting was canceled.

— TAKING OFF THE GLOVES: For most of her time at City Hall, Bass has avoided public confrontations with other elected officials, including President Trump. But with ICE fanning out across L.A. and her city engulfed in protest, those days are over. As she navigates the crisis, Bass has also gained the opportunity for a crucial reset after the Palisades fire.

— CHAFED AT THE CHIEF: Earlier in the week, members of the City Council grilled LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell over his agency’s handling of anti-ICE protests. Harris-Dawson bristled at the idea that the LAPD would refer to federal immigration authorities as “law enforcement partners.” “If we know somebody is coming here to do warrant-less abductions of the residents of this city, those are not our partners,” he said. “I don’t care what badge they have on or whose orders they’re under. They’re not our partners.”

— PADILLA PUSHBACK: City Councilmember Imelda Padilla, in a separate line of questioning, asked if the LAPD could warn city officials when it hears from federal law enforcement that immigration raids are coming. McDonnell said such actions would amount to obstruction of justice. “That would be completely inappropriate and illegal,” he said.

— A ‘MIX OF EMOTIONS’: McDonnell has been offering support to LAPD officers who may have mixed feelings about the ongoing federal crackdown. In one message, he acknowledged that some in the majority-Latino department have been “wrestling with the personal impact” of the immigration sweeps. “You may be wearing the uniform and fulfilling your duty, but inside, you’re asked to hold a complex mix of emotions,” the chief wrote.

— WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS: Los Angeles City Councilmember John Lee broke his silence on the pivotal 2017 Las Vegas trip that later resulted in the criminal conviction of his onetime boss, Councilmember Mitchell Englander. Lee took the virtual witness stand last week in his own Ethics Commission case, repeatedly denying allegations that he accepted gifts in Vegas — food, drink, travel — in violation of city laws. At one point in his Zoom testimony, Lee said he stuffed $300 into the pocket of businessmen Andy Wang, a key witness in the proceedings, in an attempt to cover his share of the expenses at a pricey nightclub.

— RAPID RESPONDERS: Faced with an onslaught of ICE raids locally and threats from politicians nationally, L.A.’s immigrant rights groups are in the fight of their lives. Those groups have been participating in the Los Angeles Rapid Response Network, a coalition of 300 volunteers and 23 organizations formed last year to respond to ICE enforcement.

— COUNTING THE BEDS: We told you last week that City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo was the city’s star witness in its court battle with the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, which is seeking to place the city’s homelessness programs in receivership. On Wednesday, Szabo filed a declaration in federal court that pushes back on assertions that the city may have massively double counted the homeless beds it included under a pair of legal settlements. Szabo said city officials identified 12 instances of double counting in an agreement requiring 12,915 beds, and would appropriately correct the record.

— DEAL FOR MORE COPS? It seems like a lifetime ago, but last weekend Bass announced that she had struck a deal with Harris-Dawson, the council president, to find the money to restore her plan for hiring 480 police officers next year. Bass said Harris-Dawson has committed to identify the funding for those hires within three months. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who sits on the budget committee, said he is open to finding the money but was not part of any promise to do so within 90 days.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature initiative to combat homelessness did not launch operations in any new locations this week. However, the council did go behind closed doors to confer with its lawyers on the legal battle with the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights.
• On the docket for next week: The City Council is set to take up the mayor’s latest declaration of a local emergency, this one in response to “violence against first responders, vandalism of public and private property, looting of businesses, and failure to follow” LAPD dispersal orders.

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.

While new shows are set to air this week, Soccer Aid also makes comeback to ITV with a multitude of familiar faces – from Tyson Fury to Jill Scott – taking part in the challenge.

Another week of TV lies ahead, with plenty of shows to keep everybody happy – from nail-biting dramas and hard-hitting documentaries to long-awaited favourites.

Soccer Aid makes an anticipated return with Dermot O’Leary and Alex Scott set to host the charity football match on ITV. But another comeback is expected, with Noel Edmonds fronting a new show lifting the lid on his new life in New Zealand.

Over on Channel 5, Downton Abbey legend Phyllis Logan takes on a gritty role in Murder Most Puzzling, portraying the wine-guzzling crossword master Cora Felton.

For Channel 4, on the other hand, Silent Witness actress Emilia Fox leaves no stone unturned as she explores some of Britain’s unresolved cases alongside Professor David Wilson in the third series of true crime show, In The Footsteps of Killers.

READ MORE: Apple iOS 26 could convince users to upgrade – this iPhone 16 deal stands out

Underdogs

Monday, Disney+

Ryan Reynolds flips the script and pays tribute to the bottom of the food chain in this light-hearted documentary. Teaming up with National Geographic, the Deadpool star lifts the lid on the secret lives of nature’s benchwarmers, from slugs and insects to amphibians and fish.

Featuring a range of never-before-filmed scenes, each episode of this five-part series shines alight on their bizarre mating strategies, dubious parenting skills and even their most nauseating behaviours as it finally gives these overlooked superstars their well-deserved glory.

Soccer Aid for UNICEF

Sunday, ITV1

Old Trafford plays host to the world’s biggest celebrity charity match once again, as Soccer Aid for UNICEF returns for its 2025 showdown.

This year’s star-studded line-up sees the England team face off against the Soccer Aid XI FC in a match that’s as much about heart as it is about goals.

Expect football legends like Wayne Rooney, Jill Scott and Gary Neville, alongside celebrities like Tyson Fury, Vicky McClure and Tom Grennan. All in aid of one brilliant cause – helping children everywhere.

Pale Mountains

Monday, C4

This chilling new crime thriller plunges us into Bolzano, Southern Tyrol, where Italian detective Paolo (played by Matteo Martari) is forced to face his past when a serial killer he once hunted – costing him a leg and his girlfriend – resurfaces after years in hiding, targeting German-speaking victims.

Caught up in a cold case that turns into an obsession, Paolo teams up with the sharp and ambitious assistant DA Eva Kofler (Elena Radonicich) as the pair navigate cultural divides, buried trauma and grisly secrets in this stylish, slow-burn nail-biter.

My Life is Murder

Tuesday, 9pm, U&Alibi

Lucy Lawless reprises her role as PI Alexa Crowe in the fourth season of this loveable crime drama from Down Under. When a wealthy socialite dies in suspicious circumstances, leaving her entire fortune to her cat, Alexa investigates a heady world of high society gossip.

Aided by tech guru Madison (Ebony Vagulans), cafe owner Reuben (Joe Naufahu), brother Will (Martin Henderson) and detective Harry (Rawiri Jobe), Alexa also comes face to face with new potential enemies with Bill Bailey and Rodger Corser making guest appearances.

In the Footsteps of Killers

Tuesday, C4

Emilia Fox (Silent Witness) returns alongside leading criminologist Professor David Wilson for the gripping third season of In the Footsteps of Killers. Each episode sees the pair reopen Britain’s most baffling unsolved murders – cold cases left gathering dust for decades.

Armed with cutting-edge forensic science and razor-sharp criminological insight, they retrace the victim’s final moments, challenge old assumptions, and uncover fresh leads the original investigations missed. It’s real-time justice in motion.

The Buccaneers

Wednesday, Apple TV+

After invading the tightly corseted London of the 1870s, the American Buccaneers are fully settled in the second season of the eponymous show – in fact, they’re practically running the place.

Kristine Froseth, Josie Totah, Alisha Boe, Aubri Ibrag and Imogen Waterhouse all reprise their roles as the fun-loving American girls alongside Matthew Broome, Christina Hendricks and Guy Remmers.

Nan now has to navigate influence and power, while Jinny is thrown into the spotlight when she’s wanted for the kidnap of her unborn child. The girls wrestle everything from romance, jealousy and even death as they fight to be heard.

Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace

Wednesday, ITV

Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell return for the deeply moving seventh series of Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace. Across three captivating episodes, the team helps individuals who were abandoned as babies discover their biological roots using advanced DNA testing and archival detective work.

With the steady hand of social worker Ariel Bruce, stories unfold that span continents and decades. Heartbreaking yet hopeful, this series remains a tribute to resilience, identity and the enduring human need to belong.

Outrageous

Thursday, 9pm, U&Drama

Scandal and ideology explode in Outrageous, a darkly-elegant period drama based on the real-life Mitford sisters. At the centre is Susan (Bessie Carter), a whip-smart journalist whose literary voice clashes with the rising fascism of 1930s Britain.

Meanwhile, her sisters fall under the spell of dangerous men: Diana (Joanna Vanderham) is seduced by Oswald Mosley while Unity (Shannon Watson) becomes shockingly smitten with Adolf Hitler. As the world teeters on war, family bonds are pushed to their limits in this gripping tale of loyalty, betrayal and legacy.

Prost

Thursday, BBC4

Four-time World Champion, winner of 51 Grands Prix and F1 legend Alain Prost looks back on his lifelong career, spanning throughout more than four decades in this enlightening six-part series.

From his childhood passion for karting and the ranks to Formula 3 to his triumphs and losses, this show also delves deep into Alain’s iconic rivalry with teammate Ayrton Senna – who eventually became an unexpected friend.

Murder Most Puzzling

Thursday, C5

Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan swaps stately homes for sleuthing in this charming new six-part crime drama. As Cora Felton, a sassy, wine-loving crossword columnist with a sharp tongue and even sharper mind, she’s unexpectedly drawn into a murder investigation when a teenage girl is found dead – and a bizarre crossword clue is left by the body.

Teaming up with the reluctant DCI Hooper (Adam Best), Cora becomes the police’s wildcard, solving puzzles and crossing lines in equal measure. Think Miss Marple and Ludwig – but with extra sass.

Corsica: Jewel of the Med

Friday, 5

With 600 miles of stunning coastline, Corsica is known as the island of beauty. Now, for 5, this show delves deep into the nation’s lush green forests and majestic mountains and its rich history blending both Italian and French heritage.

The journey takes viewers from Bastia, a foodie paradise on the northeast coast of the island, to its capital, Ajaccio, among the west coast’s thriving hillsides – the birthplace of one of the world’s most famous military leaders, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Isle of Wight Festival

Friday, Sky

The party kicks off at Seaclose Park with an access-all-areas backstage pass to the summer’s hottest ticket, The Isle of Wight festival 2025.

From the incomparable Sting to the legendary Stereophonics, household names take to the main stage – but that’s not all viewers can expect.

More incredible sets from favourites like Faithless, The Script, Busted, Razorlight, Jess Glynne, Clean Bandit, Supergrass and Olly Murs are all on the bill for another unforgettable evening of classic tunes.

Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure

Friday, ITV

From Deal or No Deal to rural New Zealand, Noel Edmonds has made the ultimate career pivot – and now, he’s inviting viewers along for the ride.

Having ditched UK fame for a new life in the remote village of Ngatimoti, Noel’s now embarking on a bold eco-project: creating the country’s first ever energy garden.

But with unrelenting weather, cultural clashes and a community slow to warm up, it’s no easy ride. Can he make his Kiwi dream grow – or will it wilt?

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Lunging men are perceived as dangerous.

In an America that has long weaponized descriptions of how men of color look and move to justify use of force, that is especially true of dark men lunging at white women.

So when Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said after Sen. Alex Padilla interrupted her news conference Thursday that “people need to identify themselves before they start lunging” — it’s hard to believe it wasn’t meant to be an intentionally loaded word, with loaded results.

For those of you who don’t watch Fox and other right-wing media, I’ll fill you in on how Noem’s description played out. Padilla, the Trumpian version of the story now goes, got what he deserved: He busted into a press conference uninvited, they say, pushed his way toward the stage and failed to identify himself.

Just ask my inbox.

“Here is what your article should have said,” wrote one fan of my column about the incident. “‘DEI appointee Senator Alex Padilla, dressed like a truck driver and acting like a potential attacker or mental case, burst into a press conference being conducted by a high ranking member of the Cabinet and started shouting and interrupting her.’”

Another reader put that dog-whistle racism more succinctly.

“No Juan above the law,” the reader quipped.

We’ll get to whether Padilla lunged or not and just how dangerous a lunge really is. But the larger issue is the alternate reality the Trump administration is building to cultivate fear and build support for a military crackdown. The ask isn’t that we believe Padilla was a threat, but that we believe that America has devolved into a immigrant-induced chaos that only the military can quell, and that Trump needs the powers of a king to lead the military to our salvation.

So the question isn’t really whether Padilla lunged or not — since, as the video shows, it’s clear he was nowhere close to Noem and had no intent to harm — but rather why Noem chose to call it a lunge.

“It was very disingenuous of Kristi Noem to make the claim that he lunged at her,” Joan Donovan told me. She’s an expert on disinformation and an assistant professor of journalism at Boston University.

“The Trump administration is salivating over a major contestation that would allow them to roll the military out into any old town,” she said. “They are making it seem as if without this kind of major intervention and excessive force, that these people are ungovernable.”

Padilla, the son of Mexican immigrants, is known to be a level-headed guy. My colleague Gustavo Arellano describes him as a “goody-two-shoes.”

But these aren’t level-headed days. Padilla said that he was in the federal building on Thursday for a briefing with a general, because for weeks he’s been trying unsuccessfully to get answers about how deportations are being handled.

That briefing was delayed by Noem’s news conference, and so — escorted by federal authorities who knew exactly who they were escorting, Padilla said — he went to listen to Noem in the hopes of getting some information.

Padilla said he got fed up listening to her remarks about criminals and invasions and tried to ask a question, while moving forward past the wall of television cameras. In the videos I’ve watched, multiple federal agents — seemingly some from Homeland Security and the FBI — block his way then begin pushing him back. Padilla seems to continue to push forward, but is overpowered and forced into the hallway. It’s here where he’s taken to the ground and cuffed.

It’s hard to see a lunge in there. And if there was one, it was from at least a good 10 feet away from Noem, at a minimum. Use-of-force expert Ed Obayashi told me that in situations such as this, law enforcement officers are expected to use their judgment on what is a danger.

“They were trying to keep him from approaching,” Obayashi said, pointing out it was the officers’ job to protect Noem. “They were trying to do what they could under the circumstances to prevent him from getting closer.”

But, he added, from what we can see in the videos, it doesn’t look like Padilla showed “intent” to cause harm and he was really far away. Distance makes a difference when judging whether a lunge is a threat.

“It doesn’t seem like he was going to rush up,” Obayashi said.

So, to be fair to officers who may or may not have at first realized they were manhandling a U.S. senator, they had a job to do and were doing it, even if a bit zealously.

But Noem knows better. It’s hard to imagine she didn’t recognize Padilla, who served on her confirmation committee and is the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship and Border Safety.

And if she didn’t, her confidant and close advisor Corey Lewandowski certainly did. Padilla told the New York Times that he was being detained in the hallway “when of all people, Corey Lewandowski … comes running down the hall and he starts yelling, ‘Let him go! Let him go!’”

And of course, Padilla was yelling that he was a senator, and forcefully denies any lunge.

“I wasn’t lunging at her or anybody, and yes, I identified myself,” he said on CNN.

Noem, of course, could have said something in the moment to defuse the situation. She could have asked Padilla back into the room to answer his question. Padilla said the two met after the news conference and spoke for about 15 minutes, which means Noem knew his intentions when she later accused him of “lunging.”

So what could have been handled as an unfortunate encounter was instead purposely upgraded for propaganda purposes. Shortly after Noem’s statement, the White House press secretary posted on X that Padilla “recklessly lunged toward the podium,” cementing that narrative into right-wing conscientiousness.

For weeks, the Trump administration has been ramping up its war on dissent. Weeks before Padilla was handcuffed, U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.) was indicted by a grand jury for “forcibly impeding and interfering” with federal law enforcement after a scuffle outside of a New Jersey ICE detention center. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was arrested during the same incident, but charges were later dropped.

In April, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested inside her own courthouse after being accused of helping an immigrant appearing in her court to evade ICE officers by allowing him to exit through a public door.

And just before the Padilla incident, Noem claimed that federal agents would remain in Los Angeles despite protests, where hundreds have been cited or arrested. By Friday, Marines had been deployed in Los Angeles, with little clarity on whether their guns contained live rounds and under what circumstances they were authorized to fire.

“We are staying here to liberate the city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into the city,” Noem said, right before Padilla interrupted.

Liberate an American city. With troops.

Quash dissent. With fear.

A survey last fall by PRRI found that 26% of Republicans say that “it is necessary for the progress of this country that the president has the power to limit the influence of opposing parties and groups.”

It also found that there is a “strong overlap among Americans who hold Christian nationalist and authoritarian views.”

“If it is the case that Trump and Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth are going to continue arresting Democratic representatives, then that is authoritarianism,” Donovan said. “Those are the people whose job it is to represent the common man, and if they can’t do that because they’re so bogged down with false charges or trumped-up charges, then we don’t live in a democracy.”

Padilla may have lost his trademark cool during that press conference, but Noem did not.

She knew exactly what she was saying, and why. A Padilla asking questions is a threat to Trump.

A Padilla lunging becomes a threat to society, one that only Trump can stop.

The Rams made a move in their secondary, but it was not an addition.

Cornerback Derion Kendrick, sidelined last season after sustaining a torn anterior cruciate ligament during training camp, was waived, the team announced Friday.

Kendrick, a sixth-round draft pick in 2022, participated in the Rams’ offseason program and organized team activities. He was scheduled to earn $3.4 million this season, according to Overthecap.com.

The secondary is something of a question mark for a Rams team that is regarded as a potential Super Bowl contender.

After finishing 10-7 and advancing to the NFC divisional round last season, the Rams neither signed a cornerback during free agency nor drafted one.

Veterans Darious Williams, 32, and Ahkello Witherspoon, 32, are the projected starting cornerbacks. Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Josh Wallace are among others expected to play.

When asked, coach Sean McVay has not ruled out the possibility of trading for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. But Ramsey is due to earn $24.2 million this season and will have a salary-cap number of at least $25 million in the following three seasons, according to Overthecap.com. McVay has repeatedly pointed to “a lot of layers” that would have to be addressed for a reunion with Ramsey to take place.

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander was recently released by the Green Bay Packers.

“Nothing but respect for the player but I don’t know if that’s a direction we would go,” McVay said this week about Alexander.

Kendrick played in 32 games for the Rams. He started six games as a rookie and 12 in 2023. He intercepted one pass.

When U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, it was almost as if Donald Trump’s most well-worn talking point came to life:

A bad hombre tried to go after a white American.

All Padilla did was identify himself and try to question Noem about the immigration raids across Southern California that have led to protests and terror. Instead, federal agents pushed the senator into a hallway, forced him to the ground and handcuffed him before he was released. He and Noem talked privately afterward, yet she claimed to reporters that Padilla “lung[ed]” at her despite them being far apart and video showing no evidence to back up her laughable assertion.

(The claim was in keeping with Noem’s pronouncements this week. On Tuesday, she accused Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum of encouraging violent protests in L.A. when the president actually called for calm.)

The manhandling of Padilla on Thursday and his subsequent depiction by conservatives as a modern-day Pancho Villa isn’t surprising one bit. Trashing people of Mexican heritage has been one of Trump’s most successful electoral planks — don’t forget that he kicked off his 2016 presidential campaigns by proclaiming Mexican immigrants to be “rapists” and drug smugglers — because he knows it works. You could be a newcomer from Jalisco, you could be someone whose ancestors put down roots before the Mayflower, it doesn’t matter: For centuries, the default stance in this country is to look at anyone with family ties to our neighbor to the south with skepticism, if not outright hate.

It was the driving force behind the Mexican-American War and subsequent robbing of land from the Mexicans who decided to stay in the conquered territory. It was the basis for the legal segregation of Mexicans across the American Southwest in the first half of the 20th century and continues to fuel stereotypes of oversexed women and criminal men that still live on mainstream and social media.

These anti-Mexican sentiments are why California voters passed a slew of xenophobic local and state measures in the 1980s and 1990s when the state’s demographics began to dramatically change. Conservative politicians and pundits alike claimed Mexico was trying to reclaim the American Southwest and called the conspiracy the “Reconquista,” after the centuries-long push by Spaniards to take back the Iberian Peninsula from the Moors during the Middle Ages.

A man holds a Mexican flag at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

The echoes of that era continue to reverberate in MAGAland. It’s why Trump went on social media to describe L.A. as a city besieged by a “Migrant Invasion” when people began to rally against all the immigration raids that kicked off last week and led to his draconian deployment of the National Guard and Marines to L.A. as if we were Fallouja in the Iraq war. It’s what led the White House’s Instagram account Wednesday to share the image of a stern-looking Uncle Sam putting up a poster stating “Help your country … and yourself” above the slogan “Report All Foreign Invaders” and a telephone number for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

It’s what led U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli to post a photo on his official social media account of SEIU California President David Huerta roughed up and in handcuffs after he was arrested for allegedly blocking the path of ICE agents trying to serve a search warrant on a factory in the Garment District. It’s why Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called in the National Guard before planned protests in San Antonio, one of the cradles of Latino political power in the United States and the home of the Alamo. It’s why there are reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to rename a naval ship honoring Chicano legend Cesar Chavez and has announced that the only U.S. military base named after a Latino, Ft. Cavazos in Texas, will drop its name.

And it’s what’s driving all the rabid responses to activists waving the Mexican flag. Vice President JD Vance described protesters as “insurrectionists carrying foreign flags” on social media. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller — Trump’s longtime anti-immigrant Iago — described L.A. as “occupied territory.” The president slimed protesters as “animals” and “foreign enemies.” In an address to Army soldiers prescreened for looks and loyalty at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina this week, he vowed, “The only flag that will wave triumphant over the city of Los Angeles is the American flag.”

The undue obsession with a piece of red, green and white cloth betrays this deep-rooted fear by Americans that we Mexicans are fundamentally invaders.

And to some, that idea sure seems to be true. Latinos are now the largest minority group in the U.S., a plurality in California and nearly a majority in L.A. and L.A. County — and Mexicans make up the largest segment of all those populations by far.

The truth of this demographic Reconquista, as I’ve been writing for a quarter of a century, is far more mundane.

Lupe Padilla, mother of then-Los Angeles City Councilman and current U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, wipes a tear away as they watch a video presentation of his career during his last City Council meeting in 2006.

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)

The so-called invading force of my generation assimilated to the point where our kids are named Brandon and Ashley in all sorts of spellings. The young adults and teenagers on the street wrapping themselves in the Mexican flag right now are chanting against ICE in English and blasting “They Not Like Us.” More than a few of the National Guard troops, police officers and Homeland Security officers those young Latino activists were heckling have Latino surnames on their uniforms, when they show any identification at all. Hell, enough Mexican Americans voted for Trump that they arguably swung the election to him.

Mexicans assimilate into the United States, a fact too many Americans will never believe no matter how many American flags we may wave. The best personification of this reality is Sen. Padilla.

This son of Mexican immigrants grew up in working class Pacoima and went to MIT before returning home to help found a political machine that gave a voice to Latinos in the San Fernando Valley that they never had. He was the first Latino president of the L.A. City Council, served in both chambers of the state Legislature and also as California’s secretary of state before becoming California’s first Latino U.S. senator.

When I met Padilla for lunch last year at my wife’s store in Santa Ana — in Calle Cuatro, the city’s historic Latino district, where now we can see the National Guard down the street blocking off a part of it — he struck me as the goody- two-shoes those who have worked with him have always portrayed him to be. In fact, that was always a progressive critique of him: He was too nice to properly stand up to the Trump administration.

That’s what makes Padilla’s ejection especially outrageous. He’s California’s senior California U.S. senator, someone with enough of a security clearance to be was in the same federal building where Noem was holding her press conference because he had a previous meeting with US Northern Command’s General Gregory Guillot. Tall, brown and deep-voiced, Padilla is immediately recognizable on Capitol Hill as one of a handful of Latino U.S. senators. He fought Noem’s nomination to became Homeland Security chief, so it makes no sense that she didn’t immediately recognize him.

Then again, Noem probably thought Padilla was just another Mexican.

Not anymore. If anything, conservatives should be more afraid of Mexicans now than ever. Because if a nice Mexican such as Alex Padilla could be fed up with hate against us enough to get tossed around by the feds in the name of preserving democracy, anyone can.

May we all be bad hombres now.

JUST 18 months ago she was flashing her diamond engagement ring on a sun-soaked holiday in Mauritius, toasting a future with the man she called her ‘King’.

But today Lioness Millie Bright is sporting a very different ring on her finger, with her life having seemingly been upended in the space of a week.

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It began with her shock withdrawal from the Euro 2025 squad due to not being able to “give 100 per cent mentally or physically” – a decision she admitted was “one of the hardest I’ve ever had to make”.

Physically, defender Millie is recovering from knee surgery which saw her miss a date with Prince William yesterday to collect her OBE from Windsor Castle.

On a personal level, this week it emerged she’s split from husband-to-be Levi Crew and fallen for married personal trainer and dad-of-seven, Dave Zetolofsky, 39.

She’s also been spotted with a new diamond ring on her little finger – though there’s no suggestion it’s an engagement ring. 

Meanwhile all mentions of Levi have been swiftly deleted from Chelsea captain Millie’s social media accounts, including that Christmas Day engagement post.

But people who know Millie, 31, are not remotely surprised by this single-minded determination to do what’s right for her. 

“Millie is not the type of woman to be troubled by self doubt or regret,” said a source, adding that she makes tough decisions, and sticks to them.

An onlooker said: “Millie’s had a chaotic few weeks with news of her split and pulling out of the England squad. But she’s as tough in real life as she is on the pitch.”

It’s arguably this ruthless, resilient mentality that has got Millie so far in life – going from earning £25 a week in a Yorkshire pit village to a historic victory in the 2022 Euros, leading the women’s national team to the 2023 World Cup final, winning 19 trophies with Chelsea and living in a Surrey mansion worthy of glossy magazine spreads.

Up until recently she shared this immaculate home with Levi, whom she was so devoted to that she proudly displayed a tattoo of his eye on her left arm, along with a tiger because “he gave her core strength through thick and thin”.

She raved about her “perfect kitchen” after it was fitted by high end designers Howdens to include a bespoke pet space under the breakfast bar for her beloved French bulldogs Zeus and Hera, named after Greek gods.

And the garden boasts an Explore ice bath which she uses for her post game ritual.

Millie is thought to have met heavily inked former pro kickboxer and martial arts enthusiast Dave in February.

She joined 21st Century Combat, the gym he co-owns with his wife Katie close to her Surrey mansion, and signed up to his gruelling exercise classes.

There is no suggestion that Millie or Dave cheated on their partners.

Eyes on the prize

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From an early age, Millie always had her eyes firmly fixed on the prize. 

Growing up among the Derbyshire collieries, little Millie’s childhood was quite idyllic. 

She first sat on a horse when she was one, and was riding by the age of three – insisting that horses were her “life rather than a hobby”.

Determined and dedicated, Millie would rise early and be out working in her family’s stable yard by 6am most mornings before school, rain or shine.

She competed every weekend, and the owl Millie has tattooed on her arm is a likeness of the one that flew back to her parents barn every year. 

But suddenly, at the age of nine, she decided to sacrifice it all after stumbling across football by accident.

Millie’s had a chaotic few weeks with news of her split and pulling out of the England squad. But she’s as tough in real life as she is on the pitch

Source

Bored while watching a friend train one morning at her local club, Killamarsh Dynamos, she decided to join in the session.

That was the moment everything changed, and from then on Millie’s life revolved around the Dynamos. 

Millie was such a key player that the club would later name their pitches after her.

Inevitably she outgrew the Dynamos and a few years later – dressed as one of the mustachioed runners from the 118 118 directory enquiries service for a charity run – she seized the opportunity to introduce herself to Paul Green, then manager of Doncaster Belles. 

He recalled that her handshake was so strong that day it took him aback.

Unable to refuse her, her contract was quickly a done deal.

‘Diamond in the rough’

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Another former Doncaster manager, John Buckley, remembers Millie as a diamond in the rough.

“From the minute she came in she was totally involved, a cracking girl,” he said.

Back then women’s football was not the big business it is today, and her wages were just £25 a week. 

Undeterred, Millie juggled two part time jobs – working as a fitness instructor and a horse groom at Esberger’s Yard in Todwick – to supplement her meagre income. 

In 2019 she recalled in an interview with the BBC how an ankle injury at that time not only robbed her of her earnings from football, but left her claiming benefits because she could not work her two other jobs either. 

From the minute she came in she was totally involved, a cracking girl

John BuckleyDoncaster manager

Ever supportive, her parents Nicola and Steve forked out for private surgery and the club paid for her rehabilitation.

“She was always so driven and eventually, she knew what she wanted to do – which was to play professional football,” said Sheila Edmunds, the president of the Doncaster Rovers Belles.

A family friend added: “It was always blood, sweat and tears with Millie, she would play until her entire body hurt.”

As her football career grew more demanding in her teens, Millie was forced to make another tough choice.

She had to abandon the stables for good – and now Millie is barred from horse riding at all by her insurers.

After that of course Millie soared to greater heights and spells in midfield meant she was a direct opponent of England legend Jill Scott, then at Everton. 

In one press conference Scott said: “The girl I played against tonight, that young girl – she’s the most aggressive player I’ve ever played against.” 

Millie’s mum and dad were in the stands at every game, along with her no-nonsense grandparents Margaret and Arthur.

Arthur Bramall, a tough former coal miner who spent his career at the Rossington colliery in Doncaster, is the person Millie relies on the most for honest feedback about her performance on the pitch.

Bitter blow

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Her decision to withdraw from the Euro 2025 squad as they began preparations for the tournament in Switzerland next month was a bitter blow for fans.

Millie admitted: “The demands of it are incredibly high and I would see it as a little bit selfish to take up an opportunity in a position from somebody else when I’m not 100 per cent there.

“It wasn’t an easy decision. I gave it a lot of thought. 

“But ultimately, I thought this was the best decision for the team, but also for myself and using this summer to really just zone into mentally, physically, getting myself back in tip-top condition and just happy again, all round, just feeling like myself. It’s obviously hard.”

Fans have rallied to support Millie on social media, as have her teammates, with Arsenal striker Chloe Kelly writing: “Proud of you always”.

Aston Villa‘s Rachel Daly posted: “Couldn’t be more proud. With you through everything my girl,” and a message on the official Lionesses account read: “We’re all with you, Millie.”

England manager Sarina Wiegman said: “She has to take care of herself. We will stay in contact and I hope she feels better soon.”

While she’ll no doubt find it difficult watching her team play on without her, Millie’s new love certainly provides a big shoulder to cry on.

While publicly chastising groups protesting immigration raids, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell has offered support to officers in his Latino-majority department who may have mixed feelings about the Trump administration‘s crackdown.

In a department-wide missive sent out earlier this week as protests ramped up, McDonnell acknowledged some officers were “facing criticism from the community or wrestling with the personal impact,” of recent events and needed support.

“When federal immigration enforcement actions take place in communities that may reflect your own heritage, neighborhoods, or even your family’s story, it can create a deep and painful conflict,” he wrote. “You may be wearing the uniform and fulfilling your duty, but inside, you’re asked to hold a complex mix of emotions.”

It was an unusual display of solidarity for a chief who has rarely waded into the contentious immigration debate. McDonnell has bristled over criticism about his relationship with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement while serving as Los Angeles County Sheriff during Trump’s first term.

In interviews and public comments since becoming chief McDonnell has sought to distance himself from a policy as sheriff that allowed federal immigration authorities to operate freely, targeting people for deportation in the nation’s largest jail system.

Both McDonnell and current L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna have stressed that their departments do not cooperate with federal authorities solely for immigration purposes — polices adopted long ago to help build trust within the city’s diverse communities.

In his own message to his department this week, Luna thanked deputies for their “professionalism, resolve, and unwavering dedication” — but only briefly alluded to the immigration debate.

“Despite the complexity of this situation — made even more challenging by the heightened political environment — I trust and fully expect that you will continue to demonstrate the same level of excellence, thoughtfulness, and integrity that have brought us this far,” Luna said.

Critics of local law enforcement actions in recent days note that racial bias also remains a contentious issue, with LAPD officers pulling over and shooting Latino Angelenos at a higher rate than their share of the overall population.

Jim McDonnell was introduced by Mayor Karen Bass to serve as the new Chief LAPD during a press conference at City Hall on Oct. 4, 2024.

(Ringo Chiu/For The Times)

When asked about how he is working to keep the city’s immigrant population safe, McDonnell often cites Special Order 40, the landmark policy adopted in 1979 that forbids LAPD officers from stopping people to inquire about their citizenship status.

But Trump’s actions have put the chief and other local leaders in the awkward position of having to defend federal officers and property — while also trying to communicate that they are not on the side of immigration agents.

In his recent message to department employees, McDonnell said he recognized they “may feel loyalty, frustration, fear, or sometimes even shame as the community mistakenly views you as part of something that you are not.” The public may not “see the nuance,” of the LAPD’s postion, he said, because “simply being present can make it seem like you support an action you may not agree with, or that you’re complicit in pain affecting your own community.”

Publicly, though, the chief has struck a different, sometimes defensive tone, often focusing his remarks on destruction caused by some protesters.

At a City Council hearing Tuesday, he sparred with city leaders who challenged the department’s relationship with federal authorities.

In one exchange, City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson said he disagreed with the chief on referring to agencies such as ICE as “law enforcement partners.”

“I don’t care what badge they have on or whose orders they’re under. They’re not our partners,” Harris-Dawson said.

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who sits on the Council’s public safety committee and represents an Echo Park-to-Hollywood district, said in a statement to The Times that he wasn’t surprised that Latino police officers may be feeling conflicted.

“Families are being ripped apart, and I’d bet nearly every one of them has a parent or relative who’s undocumented, or were even undocumented themselves at some point,” said Soto-Martinez.

Art Placencia, a retired LAPD detective, recalled being a young cop on the job in the years when cops would arrest Latinos simply because they believed that they might be in the country illegally and deliver them into federal custody.

The LAPD of today is vastly different than when he was on the job, he said. Prodded by lawsuits and consent decrees, the once-mostly white department has grown to become more than half Latino, which more or less mirrors the city’s demographics. And while Latino officials are under-represented in the LAPD’s upper echelons, they wield more political clout than ever, Placencia said.

Placencia, the former president of an prominent association for Latino officers that once sued the LAPD for discrimination in promotion decisions, said McDonnell is caught in a bind of having to navigate the city’s left-leaning politics while also backing up his rank-and-file officers on the front lines against hostile crowds.

“He’s gotta show that he’s concerned about the officers and their feelings,” said Placencia. “They’re the ones that are out there, they’re the ones that are getting rocks thrown at them.”

In past interviews, McDonnell has spoken proudly about his immigrant upbringing — both of his parents moved to Boston from Ireland a year before he was born — saying that he understands the struggle of trying to make a better life in America. But as sheriff he also came under fire by breaking ranks with many other area politicians by opposing a “sanctuary state” bill that sought to prevent federal immigration agents from taking custody of people being released from California jails.

The selection of McDonnell last November came as a disappointment among some within the department, who had hoped Bass would pick Robert Arcos, a third-generation Mexican American, who had the backing of some powerful Latino civic leaders and would have been the first Latino chief of a city that is more than 50% Latino.

Ruben Lopez, a retired LAPD SWAT lieutenant, said he appreciated that McDonnell decided to address the internal moral dilemma that some officers face.

Lopez remembers wrestling with similar feelings when, as a young cop, he was on the front lines of a massive protest over Proposition 187, a controversial law — later struck down by a federal court — that barred undocumented immigrants from receiving public school educations and a range of other state- and county-funded benefits.

“I remember some of the command staff wanted to be more aggressive, and I felt these were just families and kids wanting to exercise their right to protest,” he said. “Because if we don’t have that trust in the community, including immigrant communities then we’re not going to get that collaborative approach to police a city of this size.”

Times staff writer Connor Sheets contributed reporting.

Chatter of 100x gains is amplifying as Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER) cruises past the $1 million raised mark in its opening week of presale.

The project is building a Bitcoin layer 2 network. It’s poised to take the market-leading cryptocurrency to new heights, offering deep scalability, multichain interoperability, and smart contract support. It’s built on the Solana Virtual Machine, which means it’s interconnecting Bitcoin with the most vibrant blockchain ecosystem in the world.

Currently, investors can buy $HYPER at $0.01185, but this price will rise throughout the campaign. The next increase will occur in just over one day, leaving those yet to buy with limited time to get involved.

Presale investors also have the added advantage of increased staking rewards. Currently, there’s a 689% staking APY on offer, but this will decrease as the staking pool grows. In multiple ways, the earliest adopters of Bitcoin Hyper are rewarded the most.

A crypto whale invests $56,000 in the $HYPER presale

We can already see the project generating smart money interest – one whale invested $56,000 into the presale on Monday.

Obviously, people with this kind of wealth don’t just gamble it away; they make calculated bets when they believe there’s an undervalued opportunity.

Investing in Bitcoin Hyper at a $1 million raise, when it could unlock billions or trillions of dollars in value in the years ahead, certainly could prove to be one of those lucrative opportunities.

Bringing low-cost transactions to Bitcoin

At its core, Bitcoin Hyper aims to address Bitcoin’s speed problem. Ever since its inception, users have had high hopes that Bitcoin would achieve “mass adoption.” This means different things to different people, but to many, it signifies that Bitcoin is utilized as a global payment network.

Think, buying coffee with Bitcoin, or settling your Netflix monthly account with it.

But capable of just seven transactions per second, Bitcoin isn’t remotely close to achieving that yet.

For Bitcoin to support global payments, or more, it needs massively enhanced scalability, and that’s what Bitcoin Hyper offers. The network delivers sub-second transaction finality and charges minimal fees, making it ideal for high-frequency transacting.

The prospect of blistering-fast Bitcoin transactions has experts excited. For instance, Crypto Boy told his 61K followers in a recent video that Bitcoin Hyper is the best crypto to buy now and that it has 100x potential.

Bitcoin as a settlement layer for digital transactions

Beyond scalability, Bitcoin Hyper brings something else that could change Bitcoin forever: smart contract functionality.

It’s built on the Solana Virtual Machine, which not only unlocks heightened speeds but also introduces smart contract functionality.

Now, developers can launch apps using Solana code, and transactions will settle on the Bitcoin L1. Imagine Solana-grade buildability and scalability, blended with the robust security of Bitcoin. That’s Bitcoin Hyper.

Payments. Meme Coins. dApps. It’s all possible on the Bitcoin Hyper network. We could even see a Bitcoin Hyper version of Pump.fun, allowing everyday degens to launch meme coins and tap into Bitcoin’s $2 trillion market.

That could prove the biggest wealth creation event in meme coin history.

Just one day left to buy $HYPER at $0.01185

Prospective buyers can get involved by visiting the Bitcoin Hyper website, connecting their wallet, selecting the cryptocurrency they wish to pay with, and specifying the amount of tokens they want to buy.

The presale accepts both crypto and bank card payment methods.

Follow Bitcoin Hyper on X or join its Telegram for updates. Alternatively, visit its website to buy and stake tokens.

Visit Bitcoin Hyper Presale

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

SHOPPERS can pick up top value presents for Dad in Lidl ahead of Father’s Day.

The discount supermarket offers time-limited deals in its ‘middle aisles’ which are shelves where stock changes each week.

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And in celebration of father figures of all types, shoppers can this week get food and drink presents starting from just £1.49.

This drop of Middle Aisle buys will be available in stores from June 12 ahead of Father’s Day falling on June 15.

If you spot something you like, it’s a good idea to move quickly because once items are gone, they won’t be restocked.

Here are all the deals you can get…

Ben Bracken Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70cl – £15.99

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If the father figure in your life enjoys whisky, you can get some great value options from the retailer.

Stock his drinks cupboard with this Ben Bracken single malt.

It was a gold winner at the world whiskies awards so sure to go down a storm with the top man in your life.

Western Gold Gold Bourbon Whiskey 70cl – £14.99

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This Western Gold is another spirit that Dad should appreciate if he likes a bourbon.

It costs £16.99 but users of the Lidl Plus app can get an extra £2 off to take the price down to £14.99.

Birchwood XXL Ribeye Steak – £18.99

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If you fancy showing your dad some appreciation by whipping up a showstopping meal, this pack of four ribeye steaks ought to do the trick.

Just add some chips and a nice sauce and gather the family to enjoy a delicious meal to recognise the special man.

J.D. Gross Seashell Chocolates 250g – £3.19

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These seashell chocs are a fab alternative to the pricier Guylian.

And if your dad has a sweet tooth, he’ll love them.

The price comes in at £3.49 but if you join the Lidl Plus app, you can get a pack for £3.19.

Belgian Ales 6 x 330ml – £15.99

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A selection of ales is a great gift for anyone who thinks of themselves as a bit of a beer connoisseur.

There are six in the pack and each one is different so that Dad can find his favourite.

Try Piraat, Bornem and Golden Draak.

Perlenbacher Beer Keg 5L – £14.99

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This beer keg is a bit of a novelty present.

But could be great if he’s planning on having some pals around for drinks or a barbecue.

The five litres of beer should keep everyone topped up for quite a while.

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was met with sharp questions and criticism Tuesday by lawmakers who demanded details on his move to deploy troops to Los Angeles, and they expressed bipartisan frustration that Congress has not yet received a full defense budget from the Trump administration.

“Your tenure as secretary has been marked by endless chaos,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) told Hegseth. Others, including Republican leaders, warned that massive spending projects such as President Trump’s desire for a $175-billion space-based “Golden Dome” missile defense system will get broad congressional scrutiny.

The troop deployment triggered several fiery exchanges that at times devolved into shouting matches as committee members and Hegseth yelled over one another.

After persistent questioning about the cost of sending National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles, Hegseth turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who said it would cost $134 million. Hegseth defended Trump’s decision to send the troops, saying they are needed to protect federal agents as they do their jobs.

And he suggested that the use of troops in the United States will continue to expand.

“I think we’re entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and Reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland,” he said.

The House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing was the first time lawmakers have been able to challenge Trump’s defense chief since he was confirmed. It is the first of three congressional hearings he will face this week.

Lawmakers take aim at Pentagon’s planned spending

Lawmakers complained widely that Congress hasn’t yet received details of the administration’s first proposed defense budget, which Trump has said would total $1 trillion, a significant increase over the current spending level of more than $800 billion. And they said they are unhappy with the administration’s efforts to go around Congress to push through changes.

Key spending issues that have raised questions in recent weeks include plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on security upgrades to turn a Qatari jet into Air Force One and to pour as much as $45 million into a parade recently added to the Army’s 250th birthday bash, which coincides with Trump’s birthday Saturday.

Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) quizzed Hegseth on deploying about 700 Marines to assist more than 4,100 National Guard troops in protecting federal buildings and personnel during immigration raid protests in Los Angeles.

She engaged in a testy back-and-forth with him over the costs of the operation. He evaded the questions but later turned to MacDonnell, who provided the estimate and said it covers the costs of travel, housing and food.

Hegseth said the 60-day deployment of troops is needed “because we want to ensure that those rioters, looters and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we’re not going anywhere.”

Under the Posse Comitatus Act, troops are prohibited from policing U.S. citizens on American soil. Invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows troops to do that, is incredibly rare, and it’s not clear if Trump plans to do it.

The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, told lawmakers at a separate budget hearing Tuesday that the Marines who have arrived in Los Angeles have not yet been called on to respond. He said they have no arrest authority and are there only to protect federal property and federal personnel.

When asked by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, whether a possible use of lethal force by the Marines could result in injuries and deaths, Smith said, “I have great faith in my Marines and their junior leaders and their more senior leaders to execute the lawful tasks that they are given.”

Pentagon learns from Ukraine but will cut funding

Committee members pressed Hegseth on Ukraine’s surprise drone attack in early June that destroyed a large number of Russian bomber aircraft. And they questioned the administration’s future funding for Kyiv.

Hegseth said the strikes caught the U.S. off guard and represented significant advances in drone warfare. The attack has the Pentagon rethinking drone defenses “so we are not vulnerable to a threat and an attack like that,” he said, adding that the department is learning from Ukraine and is focused on how to better defend its own military airfields.

He acknowledged, however, that funding for Ukraine military assistance, which has been robust for the past two years, will be reduced in the upcoming defense budget. That cut means that Kyiv will receive fewer of the weapons systems that have been key to countering Russia’s onslaught.

“This administration takes a very different view of that conflict,” he said. “We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation’s interests.”

The U.S. to date has provided Ukraine more than $66 billion in military aid since Russia invaded in February 2022.

What Hegseth has focused on so far

The panel zeroed in on funding issues, with only a few mentions of other entanglements that have marked Hegseth’s early months. They touched only briefly on his moves to fire key military leaders and purge diversity programs. And there was no discussion of his use of the Signal messaging app to discuss operational details of strikes in Yemen.

Hegseth has spent vast amounts of time during his first five months in office promoting the social changes he’s making at the Pentagon. He’s been far less visible in the administration’s more critical international security crises and negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Iran.

Hegseth has posted numerous videos of his morning workouts with troops or of himself signing directives to purge diversity and equity programs and online content from the military. He has boasted of removing transgender service members from the force and firing so-called woke generals, many of whom were women.

He was on the international stage about a week ago, addressing an annual national security conference in Asia about threats from China. But a trip to NATO headquarters last week was quick and quiet, and he deliberately skipped a gathering of about 50 allies and partners where they discussed support for Ukraine.

Baldor and Copp write for the Associated Press. Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., contributed reporting.

Meredith Hayden, a New York-based social media influencer and cookbook author, didn’t start out wanting to create comforting content.

But that’s exactly what resonated with audiences.

She went viral a few years ago by posting about her “day in the life” as a private chef in the Hamptons. Now she has a large following on YouTube for her Wishbone Kitchen brand and her “Dinner With Friends” video series, where she shows herself setting up relaxing dinner parties, making French-style hot chocolate and re-creating a cozy coffee shop at home.

You might see her online wearing pajamas or in bed with her dog while talking to the camera. She doesn’t edit out the parts where she messes up the recipe, saying her fans appreciate the flubs. Hayden, who recently completed a tour for “The Wishbone Kitchen Cookbook,” said she isn’t necessarily going for a vibe, at least not intentionally, despite the clear Ina Garten influence.

“This is really just how I live my life,” Hayden, 29, said by phone. “I am glad it comes across as comforting, because I’m definitely someone who gravitates more towards ‘comfort content’ myself.”

“I’m not planning on watching ‘Severance,’” she added, saying she gravitates toward more wholesome, grounded content, such as home makeover shows of the non-competitive variety.

That personal preference aligns with a broader trend among young adult viewers, according to recent data from United Talent Agency, the Beverly Hills representation firm. The company’s data and insights group, UTA IQ, compiled stats suggesting that many younger consumers are leaning toward material that soothes the nerves and acts as a warm blanket, rather than ratcheting up the anxiety.

“Comfort content” is like popping a Lorazepam (though not in the excessive dose Parker Posey’s character takes in “The White Lotus”) or CBD gummy at the end of the day. The trend is playing out across TV, streaming, literature and social media, said UTA IQ executive Abby Bailey.

She sees it in the rise of #CleanTok videos (totaling 49 billion views last year), in which people do mundane household chores, as well as robust streaming viewership of nostalgic low-intensity sitcoms including “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and the successful February debut of a new CBS soap opera, “Beyond the Gates.”

“Somber themes, intellectual depth, cultural satires — those have always defined prestige entertainment, and it’s left many to discount the value and the viewership of this more lighthearted, comforting programming,” Bailey told The Times. “But as audiences are prioritizing their well-being and taking brain-breaks from the weight of the world, the definition of what’s capital ‘I’ important in entertainment is shifting.”

The changing attitudes are particularly noticeable in the young adult entertainment space, which several years ago was dominated by postapocalyptic teen dramas such as “The Hunger Games” and the “Divergent” series.

More than half (58%) of U.S. adults ages 18 to 30 say TV shows and movies depicting young adults have become too dark and heavy, according to UTA IQ’s April poll of more than 1,000 people. More than 70% said they want to see lighter and more joyful TV shows with young people.

That’s not to say that the upcoming season of the dark and sexually explicit “Euphoria” won’t be successful or that the next “Hunger Games” film won’t work at the box office. That type of content still has its place, even as tastes evolve. But studios and streamers appear to be noticing the audience’s shifting habits.

Examples are popping up in the young adult space on streaming services, including Tubi’s 2024 sports romance movie “Sidelined: The QB & Me,” which is getting a sequel. The Netflix teen drama “My Life With the Walter Boys” was recently renewed for a third season, ahead of its Season 2 premiere.

There are plenty of other opportunities now for young people to take mental breaks on the couch, from the rise of “cozy gaming” to the crossover appeal of “healing fiction,” a genre of whimsical books from Japan and Korea that have taken off elsewhere. Olympic diver Tom Daley, who went viral when he was photographed knitting between his events in Tokyo, created a competition show called “Game of Wool” that will debut on Channel 4 in the U.K.

Some millennial parents have turned to gentler, less overstimulating TV shows from decades ago — think “Arthur” and “Clifford the Big Red Dog” — to co-view with their young children.

Comfort content is certainly nothing new. The term brings to mind the idyllic autumnal walkways of Stars Hollow, the fictional small town from “Gilmore Girls,” as well as just about anything on the Hallmark Channel, which has enough of a following to justify its own $8-a-month subscription streaming service.

But there may be a reason the category is finding renewed purchase in trying times. Bailey hears that theme from consumers who just aren’t in the mood for any more nail-biters. “Time and time again, I get people saying, ‘I just can’t bring myself to watch anything serious,’” Bailey said. “‘Like, all I want to do is watch Bravo.’”

Stuff we wrote

Studio splitsville

As expected, Warner Bros. Discovery will split into two companies, separating its streaming and studios businesses from the struggling television networks business, the New York-based media giant said Monday.

The Streaming & Studios company will consist of the film and TV studios as well as HBO and HBO Max. The Global Networks company (which is taking on much of the debt) will have CNN, Discovery and other channels.

The divorce is aimed to be completed by mid-2026. Afterward, Warner Bros. Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav will be CEO of the streaming and studios group, while Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels will run the networks.

The firm previously foreshadowed this move by restructuring its operations along similar lines.

Warner Bros. Discovery thus joins Comcast’s NBCUniversal, which is sweeping basic cable networks, including MSNBC and USA, into a new separate entity called Versant. It’s widely speculated that Paramount Global — if and when the Skydance deal happens — will also eventually unload declining legacy networks.

The breakups reflect an ongoing reality — linear television is in big trouble. The struggles of the cable bundle have continued to weigh on studio finances, with customers moving rapidly to on-demand services.

Indeed, if anyone thought the entertainment business’ bloodletting was over after last year’s series of layoffs, Walt Disney Co. and Warner Bros. Discovery disabused them of that notion in recent days.

Disney slashed several hundred employees on June 2. An actual number was not disclosed, but the cuts are significant, coming after Bob Iger embarked on a plan to reduce staff by 8,000 two years ago following his return as chief executive.

The latest layoffs hit film and television marketing teams, television publicity, casting and development as well as corporate financial operations. The cuts happen to land as the company is celebrating huge box office results from “Lilo & Stitch.”

The new downsizing comes amid Disney’s efforts to pare down its production pipeline after binge-spending during the streaming wars. The reduction corresponds to Disney’s efforts to focus on quality over quantity while also cutting costs.

A couple days after Disney’s layoffs, Warner Bros. Discovery cut staff from its cable television channels business. Those Warner Bros. Discovery reductions were smaller in scale (eliminating fewer than 100 roles), but the message to the industry couldn’t be clearer. Comcast’s NBCUniversal has also undergone layoffs.

The question is: What comes next? Many expect the cast-off Warner and NBCUniversal networks to merge at some point, with Paramount channels perhaps joining them one day.

Finally …

Listen: Turnstile’s new album “Never Enough” is out. Also, The Beths have a new tune. Sabrina Carpenter’s latest has already been declared the “song of the summer.”

It’s set to be a jam packed week in EastEnders next week – as Joel Marshall’s storyline takes a dark turn – with Kat and Alfie left fearing for their son Tommy

Fans can prepare for yet another jam packed week in EastEnders next week – as teen Joel Marshall‘s storyline takes it’s darkest turn yet.

Ever since Joel Marshall arrived on the Square earlier this year, it’s been bad news. His secrets were slowly revealed, but it became evident he hadn’t changed his ways after secretly filming his intimate moment with Avani Nandra-Hart. Now, things are set to take a criminal turn.

In recent weeks, Joel has been seen trying to get Kat and Alfie’s son Tommy involved in his wrongdoings, and next week, he leaves him horrified with his actions when he assaults a stranger on the tube.

The duo are set to travel on the tube home, when Joel asks Tommy to film him. With no ideas of his intentions, Tommy is left is horrified when he witnesses Joel pretending to fall on fellow passenger, Isla, who he touches inappropriately.

Isla then reports Joel to staff, as he’s immediately apprehended – leaving Ross and Vicki horrified. With Ross demanding answers, Vicki is supportive of Isla’s decision to report Joel. However, later on, she meets up with Isla and offers her money to drop the complaint.

Kat is also left distressed about Joel’s influence on Tommy – and things get worse when she gets no support from Alfie. Kat doesn’t feel like she’s getting anywhere with her partner – and things go from bad to worse when he tells her that he needs to go to visit Spencer in Australia as he’s in turmoil. With Alfie away, how will Kat cope with Tommy?

It’s thought that Alfie’s ‘exit’ coincides with Shane Richie‘s recent break from the soap, in which he starred in variety show The Prat Pack alongside Bradley Walsh, former co-star Brian Conley and Joe Pasquale.

It’s not Kat’s only problem, as Jean is left furious furious about the press coverage of Kat, Alfie and Harvey’s wedding business as it suggests Kathy is Mrs Monroe. Visibly upset, she takes action to sabotage the limo business until Alfie manages to talk her down.

Away from the Slater and Moon’s, we’re set to see Phil and Linda’s friendship on screen once again, as Phil notices how much Linda is struggling with doing to bar alone so ends up helping her out.

It may also be bad news for those hoping for a Priya and Ravi reunion, as a tipsy Elaine offers to book Priya a singles cruise. Will a new love interest be on the cards? Linda is left horrified however, when she sees £5k leave the business account.

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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SAN DIEGO — Rivalries in baseball can sometimes be difficult to define.

There are the obvious ones. Like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Cardinals and Cubs. And for the Dodgers, going back to their founding in New York, a generations-old hatred for the Giants.

“By definition, you can’t just decide to choose your rivalry because one team gets good,” veteran third baseman Max Muncy said. “And for the Dodgers, that’ll always be the Giants.”

But periodically, there are other emotionally charged, highly competitive, and simmering clashes; often taking root between simultaneous contenders, bad-blooded division foes or closely situated fan bases sharing a mutual dislike.

Over the last half-decade, that’s what has slowly been built between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

And in their first renewal of the season on Monday night at Petco Park, an 8-7 extra-innings win for the Dodgers, the two clubs lived up to the matchup’s ever-growing hype.

“Both teams are good. The fan bases are very adamant. Both environments have been hostile over the last several years,” Muncy said. “It brings everything that a rivalry should bring.”

A traditional rivalry, it’s still not quite. The Dodgers have as many World Series titles as the Padres do playoff appearances (eight each). Since the Padres last won the National League West in 2006, the Dodgers have done it 13 times.

But after three playoff meetings in the last five years, and a seemingly tight division race on tap this season, Dodgers-Padres is now a full-blown, certifiably legitimate rivalry — at least in the eyes of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

“I think it’s become a rivalry,” Roberts said, “because the stakes have been higher.”

That was certainly the case last October, when the Dodgers outlasted the Padres in a memorable five-game National League Division Series.

But even entering Monday, the importance of this week’s three-game series at Petco Park — plus a four-game rematch between the teams next week at Dodger Stadium — had been magnified, the Dodgers leading the Padres by just one game in the National League West standings in their pursuit to defend last year’s World Series title.

“It’s going to be an intense series,” Roberts said. “It probably will feel like a playoff game tonight.”

It certainly played out that way.

Will Smith is showered in sunflower seeds thrown by Teoscar Hernández after hitting a two-run home run in the third inning against the Padres on Monday night.

(Orlando Ramirez / Associated Press)

Both teams scored twice in the first inning. The lead then changed hands three times between the second, when the Padres scored on a Will Smith throwing error; and the third, when Smith answered with a two-run homer to punctuate a three-run rally, only for the Padres to score three on a bases-loaded triple from Tyler Wade that got past a diving Teoscar Hernández in right center.

The Dodgers (40-27) got the game tied again in the fifth, with Hyeseong Kim doubling home Muncy in a rare opportunity against a left-handed pitcher (he is three-for-three in such situations this season).

The Padres (37-28) skirted even more trouble along the way. In the fourth, the Dodgers couldn’t take advantage of an infield pop-up that dropped between three Padres fielders. In the eighth, San Diego reliever Adrian Morejon misfired on the most routine of throws to first base with two outs, letting Shohei Ohtani reach second, but then struck out Freddie Freeman to escape unscathed.

But once the game reached the 10th, the Dodgers surged ahead. Andy Pages led off with a line-drive RBI double that outfielder Brandon Lockridge badly misread in left. Tommy Edman followed with an RBI single that ricocheted off the second base bag. And though closer Tanner Scott gave up an RBI double to Jackson Merrill — one at-bat after Manny Machado was rung up on a controversial called third strike — the former Padres left-hander limited the damage there.

Round 1 of Dodgers-Padres this year went to the defending champions. More heavyweight fights figure to follow.

The Getty announced a $420,000 grant to the L.A. Conservancy for a cultural asset mapping project that will help track, chronicle and maintain Altadena’s cultural, historic and architectural heritage in the wake of January’s devastating Eaton fire.

Community participation will be crucial to the effort as the conservancy works to document buildings and sites, as well as more ephemeral heritage such as local traditions, oral histories and cultural practices. There is also interest in cataloging longtime businesses that contributed to the social fabric of Altadena’s various neighborhoods. The results of this work will be used in collaboration with the L.A. County Department of Regional Planning to ensure that policy discussions and decisions take Altadena heritage into account when it comes to building back what was lost.

Rebuilding efforts in Altadena — an unincorporated section of Los Angeles County — have been complicated by the lack of concrete cultural mapping, including sites of historic interest. By contrast, Pacific Palisades, another area that was brutalized by fire, had already established an official record of its cultural heritage via SurveyLA, a historic resources survey conducted by the city.

“Tackling this incomplete record of Altadena’s cultural resources, both built and intangible, is critical for the community as it contemplates rebuilding,” Joan Weinstein, director of the Getty Foundation, said in a news release. “L.A. Conservancy is an excellent partner to lead an alliance of community-based organizations and preservation professionals who are working to ensure that Altadena’s vibrant cultural history is not lost in redevelopment efforts.”

L.A. Conservancy has a special interest in historic preservation and the grant will allow for a complete inventory of Altadena’s heritage sites — to be made available in an online map.

Related to this effort is the news that Artists at Work, which provides artists with employment, benefits and a steady salary for 18 month terms, has released its list of 2025-26 participants. Four Los Angeles artists are among them, including Altadena resident Alma Cielo, who is set to collaborate with L.A. Conservancy during her term. Cielo, a ceramicist, lost her home in the Eaton fire and plans to focus on post-fire recovery.

I’m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt marveling at the resilience of Altadena residents in the face of their losses, and firmly invested in supporting them as they rebuild. Here’s this week’s arts and culture news.

Best bets: On our radar this week

“Self-Portrait as a Female Martyr,” about 1613-14, by Artemisia Gentileschi (Italian, 1593-1654). Oil on panel. 12 1/2 by 9 3/4 inches. Private collection, United States.

(Bridgeman Images)

Artemisia’s Strong Women: Rescuing a Masterpiece
Five years ago, a massive explosion ripped through the port of Beirut, killing more than 200 people and injuring thousands more. The aftermath of the tragedy revealed a previously unknown painting by the great 17th century Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi amid the rubble. “Hercules and Omphale,” an oil-on-canvas work that manifests Gentileschi’s penchant for classical subjects, was severely damaged and sent to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles for restoration. That painstaking conservation process is now at the center of an installation featuring four other paintings by the artist, who has become a modern feminist icon. In 2022, when the Getty acquired another painting, “Lucretia,” that is part of the new exhibition, Times art critic Christopher Knight wrote of Gentileschi, “Happily, in the last two decades, the study of her paintings has been widening in productive and exciting ways, giving us a fuller understanding of her challenging involvement with social, political, literary and intellectual currents of her day. There’s a long way to go, and more discoveries are inevitable.”
Through Sept. 14 . J. Paul Getty Museum, 1200 Getty Center Drive, L.A. getty.edu

Mumford & Sons performing at a Kamala Harris rally in October 2024.

(Morry Gash / Associated Press)

Mumford & Sons
It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 17 years since Mumford & Sons made their local debut at the Hotel Cafe. Since then, the British folk-rock band — Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane and Ben Lovett — have toured the world several times over, crafted hit songs such as “Little Lion Man,” “The Cave” and “I Will Wait,” and won a best album Grammy for 2012’s “Babel.” This week, the group is back in L.A. (minus longtime member Winston Marshall, who left in 2021 following controversial social media posts) and playing the Hollywood Bowl in support of their latest album, “RUSHMERE.” The English indie rock duo Good Neighbours — Oli Fox and Scott Verrill — will open the show.
7:30 p.m. Thursdays. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. hollywoodbowl.com

Culture news

“Purpose” actor Glenn Davis, left, who commissioned the play for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins accept the award for best play during the 78th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

(Charles Sykes / Charles Sykes/invision/ap)

The 2025 Tony Awards honored Broadway’s best and brightest last night at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The surprise hit “Maybe Happy Ending” won best musical and led all productions with six wins, while the musical “Buena Vista Social Club,” inspired by the legendary Cuban ensemble, earned four. Earlier in the week, Times theater critic Charles McNulty made a prescient arument for why Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Purpose” deserved to win the Tony for best play over Cole Escola’s, “Oh, Mary!” The campy melodrama had a wave of giddy popularity at its back, but “Purpose” is the more complex piece of writing and could more readily benefit from the prestige of a Tony win when it comes to rallying support for future productions, wrote McNulty. “There was a time not so long ago when the future of the Broadway play was in serious doubt. The threat hasn’t gone away, and Tony voters shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to honor true playwriting excellence.” Escola did not go home empty-handed, however, winning the Tony for best lead actor in a play and drawing what may have been the largest applause of the night.

The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

(Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

The business outlook is not good for the Kennedy Center in the wake of President Trump’s takeover. The Washington Post recently reported that subscriptions were down by about $1.6 million, or 36%, from the previous year — with the hardest hit coming in theater subscriptions, which are down 82%. “At this time in last year’s subscription campaign, the center had generated $1,226,344 in revenue from selling 1,771 subscriptions. This year it has sold 371 subscriptions, totaling $224,059, a difference of more than $1 million,” the Post reported. The numbers were leaked to the paper by former Kennedy Center employees and confirmed by a current staff member, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution.

Journalist Stephanie Elizondo Griest has a new book coming out this month through Beacon Press titled “Art Above Everything,” which chronicles the lives — and countless sacrifices — made by more than 100 female artists around the world in service of their vocations. At the core of Griest’s explorations in Rwanda, Romania, Qatar, Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, Cuba and the U.S., is the question: What is the pursuit of art worth?

The SoCal scene

Quinn Kelsey as Rigoletto in Los Angeles Opera’s new production of Verdi’s opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

(Corey Weaver / L.A. Opera)

”L.A. Opera unveiled a violent, politically disquieting production in which a tortured jester faces mob rule,” Times classical music critic Mark Swed writes in his review of the company’s season closer, Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” L.A. Opera has tackled the show before, usually to lackluster effect, Swed notes. This show, however, is different. Thanks to outgoing music director James Conlon’s deft approach to Verdi, this production — featuring a truly terrifying clown suit — sizzles with visceral energy. “After 32 years of failed attempts, L.A. Opera has finally moved the ‘Rigoletto’ needle in the right direction,” Swed says.

Cynthia Erivo poses for a portrait October 28, 2024, in New York.

(Victoria Will/For The Times)

Once you’ve read Times music critic Mikael Wood’s recent interview with Cynthia Erivo about her new album “I Will Forgive You” and what she’s doing during her break from “Wicked,” be sure to check out the talented multiplatform artist’s lengthy June 2 profile in Billboard. Erivo discusses the world’s reaction to her being queer. For the most part, she says, she didn’t experience much difficulty in the wake of her decision to come out. But there was a major exception, she told Billboard: a massive conservative backlash earlier this year after the Hollywood Bowl announced that Erivo would play Jesus in its summer production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.” “You can’t please everyone. It is legitimately a three-day performance at the Hollywood Bowl where I get to sing my face off. So hopefully they will come and realize, ‘Oh, it’s a musical, the gayest place on Earth,’ ” Erivo says in the article.

— Jessica Gelt

And last but not least

There are 600 L.A. landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places, and lifelong Angeleno Etan Rosenbloom is determined to visit them all. Thankfully, for us, Rosenbloom has highlighted his picks for the top 10 in a handy map.

Since coming to Westwood, Roch Cholowsky has had Omaha on his mind.

The Big Ten Player of the Year — a projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft by some analysts — turned Charles Schwab Field in Omaha into a playground during the Big Ten tournament, winning player of the tournament honors despite UCLA not claiming the championship.

So far, in the NCAA tournament, Cholowsky had been uncharacteristically quiet for his standards. He still made hard plays look easy as a “premium shortstop” — as UCLA coach John Savage glowed about his defensive skills — but his bat wasn’t making its usual noise.

Lagging behind for Cholowsky isn’t the same for the rest of Division I baseball. The Arizona-raised team captain was still hitting .333 through the regionals and super regionals entering Sunday. A big swing, however, had yet to come — Cholowsky flying out to the deep outfield on numerous occasions across the last two weeks.

“He’s just trying to do too much, probably,” Savage reasoned after Game 1 of the Los Angeles super regional on Saturday. “All he cares about is winning. That’s all what these guys all care about. We like an average Roch. Average Roch is pretty good.”

Cholowsky finally had his moment Sunday. He did a little too much, as Savage said, trying to catch Texas San Antonio’s defense sleeping and got picked off at third base in the fifth. But his big swing finally arrived — a swing that helped deliver the Bruins to Omaha.

“I ran out and told [starting pitcher Conor Myles] not to throw a strike to Roch,” said Pat Hallmark, Texas San Antonio coach. “He threw him a strike.”

Cholowsky’s RBI single off that strike in the fifth, a part of his two-for-five day, clinched UCLA’s spot in the Men’s College World Series with a 7-0 victory over Texas San Antonio . The two-game sweep of the Roadrunners gave the Bruins their sixth berth to Omaha and first since 2013, when they won it all.

UCLA players celebrate after defeating Texas San Antonio to win the L.A. Super Regional on Sunday to advance to the Men’s College World Series.

(Ross Turteltaub / UCLA Athletics)

“It’s not easy, but I think we have the right cast of characters in terms of just people, great people on this team, people that want to represent UCLA,” Savage said.

Cholowsky, whose trip to Omaha as a high school senior convinced him of going to UCLA rather than becoming a likely first-round MLB draft selection, will now get his wish. The shortstop fell to the ground as Phoenix Call caught the final out in shallow right field, holding his head to the dirt. Cholowsky then leapt up, his teammates already celebrating at the center of the diamond. He joined them, jumping in glee; his dreams, realized.

“This is surreal to me,” Cholowsky said. “It’s just something that I’ve dreamed of for as long as I can remember, and then just getting back there and getting to go experience that a couple years ago just added that much more fire to the dream. I haven’t wrapped my head around it.”

Savage said UCLA being able to live a full week in Omaha during the Big Ten tournament last month gave the Bruins an idea of what the College World Series environment will be like.

“I think it’s huge for us,” Cholowsky said. “Using that next week I feel like going to help us. Same ballpark, same everything.”

Whereas Cholowsky may be one of the most well-known Bruins baseball players in recent memory, it was a little-playing junior who broke a scoreless game. Outfielder Toussaint Bythewood, a Harvard-Westlake alumnus, dunk a soft line drive into right field for a two-out RBI single against Myles.

UCLA sophomore infielder Roman Martin follows through on a hit against Texas San Antonio on Sunday.

(Ross Turteltaub / UCLA Athletics)

Bythewood, who had started twice all season and taken just 12 at bats entering the game, provided the Bruins with their winning swing. UCLA added two insurance runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to build enough distance for its arms to pitch a little more comfortably as the Roadrunners ran out of outs.

“Toussaint’s been really consistent in practice,” Savage said. “He should have had more opportunities at the end of the day. He was ready for that opportunity — hadn’t come up with a huge hit. So happy for Toussaint.”

A UTSA offense that was dominant in an Austin Regional sweep a week ago, exited with a whimper, rallying just four hits against UCLA’s pitching staff. Starting pitcher Landon Stump couldn’t get through the fifth, but the Bruins’ relief pitchers carried the brunt of the battle to shut out the Roadrunners.

Left-hander Chris Grothues tied a career high with 2 ⅔ scoreless innings, striking out two and making a nifty play to catch a popped-up bunt to end the sixth. Righties Cal Randall and August Souza bridged the gap to the ninth, where freshman closer Easton Hawk shut the door.

“They pounded a zone pretty good,” Savage said. “We walked two guys in two games, and it just seemed like we were very competitive. … Today, just a lot of contributions from a lot of different guys.”

Across the final five innings, the Bruins’ bullpen no-hit the Roadrunners.

Savage, who is in the 12th and final year of the contract extension that UCLA rewarded him with after winning the 2013 national championship, will get his long-awaited chance to revisit old memories and create new ones as the Bruins attempt to win their second national championship beginning next weekend in Omaha.

“It just tells you one thing — how difficult it is to get there,” Savage said about finally returning to Omaha after 12 years. “It’s great to be back and looking forward to the challenge.”

What advice does Savage have for his team at the Men’s College World Series?

“Enjoy the moment, enjoy the process, enjoy the journey,” he said.

Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It’s David Zahniser, with an assist from Noah Goldberg and Laura Nelson, giving you the latest on city and county government.

If Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass manages to hold on to her power to oversee the city’s homelessness programs, she may well have one person to thank: City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo.

Szabo, a fixture in the administrations of the past three mayors, was effectively the city’s star witness in its legal battle against the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, the nonprofit group that sued the city in 2020 over its handling of the homelessness crisis.

During a seven-day hearing that concluded Wednesday, the alliance pressed U.S. Dist. Judge David O. Carter to take authority over homeless services away from Bass and the City Council and give it to a to-be-determined third party overseen by the court.

On four of those seven days, Szabo sat in the witness chair, defending the city’s decisions and occasionally offering cutting remarks about the city’s critics. Above all, he insisted the city would meet its obligation to provide 12,915 additional homeless beds by June 2027, as required under a settlement agreement with the alliance.

Szabo, who reports to both Bass and the council, is well known within City Hall for his work preparing the city budget, negotiating with city unions and providing policy recommendations on homelessness and other issues. During his time in Carter’s courtroom, he was also a human shield, taking the brunt of the hostile questions and helping to ensure that Bass and others would not be called to testify.

Throughout the proceedings, the city’s lawyers lodged hundreds of objections to the alliance’s questions, sometimes before they had been fully asked. Carter cautioned them that the rapid-fire interruptions could make things difficult for inexperienced witnesses.

He also made clear that the group did not include Szabo.

“Mr. Szabo,” the judge said, “certainly is used to the stress.”

The alliance had placed not just Bass but also Councilmembers Monica Rodriguez and Traci Park on its witness list, saying all three had made public statements criticizing the response system. Bass herself called the system “broken” during her State of the City address in April, a fact highlighted by Matthew Umhofer, an attorney for the alliance.

Those statements, Umhofer said, only reinforce the alliance’s argument that the city’s homelessness programs are beyond repair and must be placed into receivership.

“The city is not fixing that broken system,” he said during closing arguments. “It’s simply doubling down on that broken system.”

Bass spokesperson Zach Seidl, asked to explain the mayor’s use of the word “broken,” said she was referring to a number of obstacles, including “an urge from many to return to the old way of doing things that allowed homelessness to explode.”

“But change is happening,” he said. “Under the Mayor’s leadership, we are moving forward.”

The city’s newly hired legal team from Gibson Dunn, the law firm that persuaded the Supreme Court to uphold laws barring homeless encampments on public property, sought to amplify that message. They also claimed the mayor and council members were shielded by the “apex doctrine,” which bars high-level, or apex, government officials from testifying except in extraordinary circumstances.

The city’s lawyers offered up just two witnesses of their own: Szabo and Etsemaye Agonafer, Bass’ deputy mayor for homelessness programs, saying they were the most familiar with the issues. The alliance initially sought 15.

Agonafer testified for about four hours, highlighting progress made by the mayor’s Inside Safe program, which moves people out of encampments and into hotels and motels.

Umhofer ultimately withdrew his subpoenas targeting Bass and the others, saying he didn’t want to incur additional delays. But he called Bass cowardly for failing to show up. By then, he said, his team had enough evidence to show that the city’s elected officials should no longer control homeless programs.

“We have quite literally put the homelessness response system in Los Angeles on trial,” said Elizabeth Mitchell, another alliance attorney, on the final day of proceedings.

The alliance used much of the questioning to highlight problems at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, also known as LAHSA. That agency, overseen by a board of appointees from the city and county, has been criticized repeatedly in audits dating back to 2001 — documents highlighted by the alliance during the proceedings.

Szabo acknowledged that LAHSA has faced issues with data collection. But he insisted that the city is closely tracking the beds required under its settlement with the alliance. “We have taken steps to ensure that the data we are reporting is accurate,” he told the court.

Carter, who has yet to rule in the case, did not sound as confident in the city’s attention to detail. On Wednesday, he demanded that the city turn over records regarding its compliance with another agreement in the case — this one known as the “roadmap.” The roadmap agreement, which expires June 30, required the city to produce 6,700 beds.

In his order, Carter raised questions about whether city officials had double counted “time-limited subsidies” — money used to help homeless people move into apartments and pay their rent — by applying them both to the roadmap requirements and to the obligations within the alliance settlement agreement.

Szabo said city officials are collecting the records for the judge.

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, whose district includes Hollywood, voiced confidence in Szabo. He also praised Bass for taking on the issue of homelessness, pointing out that LAHSA reported that the city had made progress last year.

“We’re doing things that are showing results,” said Soto-Martínez, whose office has participated in 23 Inside Safe encampment operations. “Is it perfect? No. But we’re working through it.”

State of play

— ICE RAID OUTRAGE: L.A.’s elected officials voiced their anger on Friday over a series of federal immigration sweeps in Westlake, Cypress Park and other parts of the city. L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said the individuals detained were “hardworking Angelenos who contribute to our local economy and labor force every day.”

Bass issued her own statement, saying: “We will not stand for this.”

“As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place,” she said. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city.”

— WELCOME, AECOM: Nearly five months after a firestorm laid waste to a wide swath of Pacific Palisades, Bass announced that the city has hired the global infrastructure firm AECOM to develop a plan for rebuilding the area and reconstructing utilities and other infrastructure. The firm will work alongside both the city and Hagerty Consulting, which Bass tapped as a recovery contractor in February, according to the mayor’s office.

— SWITCHING HORSES? Businessman and gubernatorial candidate Stephen J. Cloobeck offered praise for L.A.’s mayor last year, commending her for her work addressing homelessness. He even said he had donated $1 million to LA4LA, an initiative promoted by Bass during her 2024 State of the City address, an event he attended. But last weekend, while making the rounds at the California Democratic Convention, he told The Times he wasn’t so keen on Bass’ leadership. “I would support Rick Caruso in a heartbeat over Mayor Karen Bass, and that’s a quote,” he said.

— MISSED MESSAGES: Bass has come under heavy scrutiny for deleting text messages she sent during the January firestorms. But she wasn’t the only one. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area devastated by the Eaton fire, has an iPhone that “auto deletes” messages every 30 days, her spokesperson said.

— ENGINE TROUBLE: Earlier this year, then-Fire Chief Kristin Crowley cited disabled engines, and a lack of mechanics, as one reason why fire officials did not dispatch more personnel to Pacific Palisades before the Jan. 7 fire. But a Times analysis found that many of the broken engines highlighted by department officials had been out of service for many months or even years — and not necessarily for a lack of mechanics. What’s more, the LAFD had dozens of other engines that could have been staffed and deployed in advance of the fire.

— SAYONARA, CEQA: State lawmakers are on the verge of overhauling the California Environmental Quality Act, which has been used for decades to fight real estate development and public works projects in L.A. and elsewhere. One proposal would wipe away the law for most urban housing developments.

— PADRINOS PAYOUT: L.A. County has agreed to pay nearly $2.7 million to a teenager whose violent beating at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall launched a sprawling criminal investigation into so-called “gladiator fights” inside the troubled facility. Video of the December 2023 beating, captured on CCTV, showed Jose Rivas Barillas, then 16, being pummeled by six juveniles as probation officers stood idly by.

— EVADING EVICTION: A 70-year-old homeless man who illegally moved into a state-owned house in the path of the now-canceled 710 Freeway extension is fighting his eviction. Benito Flores, who seized a vacant residence in El Sereno several years ago, recently holed up in a tree house he built in the backyard — and so far has warded off attempts by sheriff’s deputies to lock him out.

— AIRPORT AHEAD: The long-awaited LAX/Metro transit center at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street finally opened on Friday, bringing commuters tantalizingly close to Los Angeles International Airport. For now, free shuttle buses will run every 10 minutes along the 2.5-mile route between the transit center and LAX.

— BREAKING BARRIERS: The first transgender captain in the Los Angeles Fire Department died last month at age 80. Michele Kaemmerer joined the LAFD in 1969, retiring in 2003. She transitioned in 1991 and later led Engine 63 in Marina del Rey. In a 1999 interview with PBS, Kaemmerer said that some firefighters who knew her before she transitioned refused to work with her. Despite those hardships, she “always had a good attitude,” said her widow, Janis Walworth.

QUICK HITS

• Where is Inside Safe? The mayor’s signature program to combat homelessness did not launch any operations at new locations this week.
• On the docket for next week: The city’s newly formed Charter Reform Commission holds its first meeting on Tuesday, discussing the process that will be used to select its remaining members.

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Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who was pretending they didn’t care about the “Love Island USA” delay on Peacock so it would load faster.

This week’s Season 7 premiere of the reality TV dating show arrived over 40 minutes past its scheduled launch time, causing eager fans who planned their dinners accordingly to crash out on social media about the delay — but, hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? (Speaking of absences, Yulissa Escobar is already gone.) “Vanderpump Rules” alum Ariana Madix, who returns as host, stopped by Guest Spot to talk about the series that brings together a group of single people (known as islanders) into one villa for a messy and drama-filled chance at love (and money).

Also in this week’s Screen Gab, our streaming recommendations include a PBS documentary about a Harvard dropout who, over half a century ago, revolutionized the way people instantly chronicle their lives with his invention of the Polaroid camera, and a British competition series that’s become a bit of a phenomenon by having comedians competing against each other in bizarre challenges.

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Director Celine Song, left, and actor Dakota Johnson of the film “Materialists.”

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Dakota Johnson and director Celine Song rethink the rom-com with ‘Materialists’: The duo explore contemporary, clear-eyed attitudes toward relationships in their new film, Song’s follow-up to “Past Lives.”

Mark Hamill starred in the ultimate battle of good and evil. Now he just wants to make America normal again: After nearly five decades as Luke Skywalker, the actor opens up about finding new purpose in Mike Flanagan’s “The Life of Chuck,” speaking out against Trump and rebuilding after the Malibu wildfires.

‘Phineas and Ferb’ returns after 10 years with a new season and more musical moments: The popular Disney animated series is back after a decade with its main voice cast, more musical numbers and guest stars including Alan Cumming, Michael Bublé and Megan Rapinoe.

‘The biggest mistake of my life’: 6 actors on typecasting, comedy idols and more: Nathan Lane recalls the Friars Club Roast from hell, Kate Hudson opens up about needing to fight for roles beyond the rom-com and more tales from The Envelope Comedy Roundtable.

Turn on

Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times

Edwin Land, left, holding a Polavision camera with Bill McCune in “Mr. Polaroid.”

(PBS / Library of Congress)

“Mr. Polaroid” (pbs.org)

The story of inventor Edwin Land — scrap metal dealer’s son, Harvard dropout — and the transformative social power of his famous instant camera is told in this “American Experience” documentary. You may remember the Swinger, a ’60s mass market youth accessory, or even the older models that needed a fixative rub, but certainly you have experienced the full-color perfection of the classic SX-70. “Mr. Polaroid” captures the magic of the analog image developing in your hand as opposed to the mundanity of digital pictures in thousands on your cell phone — a thing to gather around, put in an album, stick on a refrigerator — and the vision (and myopia) of an obsessive leader whose invention he hoped “you would use as often as your pencil or your eyeglasses,” and would somehow draw humanity closer together. (“Polaroid is on its way to lead the world,” he declared in a letter to his troops, “perhaps even to save it.”) Land hired women in important research positions when that was rarely done and, after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., resolved to bring more Black employees into Polaroid, but he would also work with the CIA and license (then retract) technology to apartheid South Africa — so, a complicated person. But using his cameras was simplicity itself. — Robert Lloyd

Stevie Martin and Jason Mantzoukas in Season 19 of “Taskmaster.”

(Rob Parfitt / Channel 4)

“Taskmaster” (YouTube, Pluto TV)

Imagine “The Great British Bake Off” with fangs. That’s the appeal of “Taskmaster,” a truly singular British comedy competition series in which pompous tyrant Greg Davies and his fastidious minion Alex Horne (who is also the show’s creator) sit in gilded thrones and order five comedians to do the impossible, the ingenious and the hilariously annoying. The first episode of Season 1 kicked off with the challenges: paint a horse while riding a horse, empty a bathtub without pulling the plug or tipping it over, and eat as much watermelon as possible. Expect giggling and protestations as the frustrated comics have the best worst time of their lives. Now in Season 19, for the first time an American performer — Jason Mantzoukas — has flown across the Atlantic to be publicly roasted. Challenged to bring in his snootiest item, Mantzoukas admitted that “in America, snootiness is not really a thing.” So he hired a fake butler. He’s making us Yanks proud. — Amy Nicholson

Guest spot

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

Ariana Madix returns to host “Love Island USA” for its seventh season.

(Ben Symons / Peacock)

“Love Island USA” kicked off its seventh season this week on Peacock, which can only mean one thing: A summer of diabolical choices sure to take over timelines six nights a week has officially begun. A spinoff of the U.K. reality dating series, the U.S. iteration is set on the island of Fiji and brings together 10 singles in a villa under constant video surveillance with a goal of coupling up. Over the course of the series, in between competing in kooky challenges and going on dates, new islanders are brought in and contestants may re-couple at their discretion — those not paired up are in danger of elimination. The last-standing couple leaves with a $100,000 cash prize. It’s not exactly the storybook backdrop for forming long-lasting relationships, but the realities of modern dating are hardly any better. After making her hosting debut last season, Ariana Madix, the “Vanderpump Rules” alum and Scandoval survivor who has spun her reality TV stardom into a booming career beyond the Bravo universe, is back to oversee the shenanigans. Madix stopped by Guest Spot to tell us which contestant she’s watching out for this season and which workplace comedies she finds comfort in. —Yvonne Villarreal

As someone who has had the highs and lows of a relationship documented on a reality show, what’s your best advice for someone looking for love on TV today?

I’ve never been on a television program to find love, [or] make a romantic connection, so I’m not sure I’m the best to give advice … but my advice for anyone entering the world of reality television regardless of the reason is to enter with authenticity and vulnerability. Let yourself be open to the opportunities that the circumstances bring.

Is hosting the level of involvement you want to have with reality TV at this point in your life and career or could you see yourself letting cameras document your life again?

I think for me to be on reality television in the sort of role where I am putting myself out there, I would want to be in charge. I would want to be executive producer and I would probably fight for that in any capacity to be back in that space.

Which islanders do you think will do well this year?

I have a great feeling about Olandria [Carthen]. She’s stunning, sexy, full of personality and knows exactly what she wants.

What have you watched recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?

For a while I was telling everyone I knew about “Sweet Home” [Netflix]. It had me on the edge of my seat and I became so connected to the characters. I cried so hard at the end and I never would have expected to be crying over a show about monsters.

What’s your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again?

“The Office” or “Parks and Rec” [both on Peacock]. I can put them on to fall asleep and whenever I wake up, I can jump back in and have a laugh with my favorite TV characters. There are no bad seasons.

Another summer of love begins, with Maya Jama reprising the helm of Love Island on ITV2 this week. Over on the BBC, however, another fan-favourite show is set for its own comeback.

From gripping dramas and explosive rows to enlightening and thought-provoking shows, this week of TV is sure to pander to everyone.

Presenter Maya Jama is returning to screens this Monday, June 9, as she reprises hosting duties on ITV2‘s Love Island. Expect bombshells and surprises pairings ahead.

Meanwhile, the BBC is treating viewers to another round of The Gold, with Hugh Bonneville and Charlotte Spencer, and Not Going Out, starring Sally Bretton and Lee Mack. But on Channel 4, Jamie Oliver advocates for more inclusive schools to help neurodivergent children.

Streaming platforms also have plenty of choices this week, including Sir David Attenborough‘s love letter to the sea and Netflix‘s deep dive in Astroworld – the festival that spiralled out of control in 2021, triggering backlash against rap star Travis Scott.

READ MORE: Luxury hotel offering Elemis spa treatment with a free £101 beauty gift

The Gold

Sunday 8th, BBC1

Hugh Bonneville and Charlotte Spencer team up as DCS Brian Boyce and DI Nicki Jennings for The Gold’s second season as their characters deal with the aftermath of the Brink’s-Mat robbery, in which £26 million worth of gold bullion, diamonds and cash were stolen from a warehouse.

Though some of the thieves were convicted, Brian and Nicki realise the criminals only had half of the stolen goods. The discovery triggers a high-stakes journey into organised crime and international money laundering as the police embark on a string of desperate manhunts to finally close the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the Metropolitan Police.

Our Yorkshire Shop: A Victorian Restoration

Sunday, C4

This series takes viewers to the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, in the picturesque village of Masham – where a determined group of locals take on the ambitious challenge of restoring their village shop to its former Victorian glory.

With no previous experience in building restoration, villagers roll up their sleeves and learn on the job – from line plastering to fending off animal infestations.

Motivated by 94-year-old Elsie, their emotional anchor, the group are guided both in spirit and style, delivering a heartwarming celebration of local heritage.

Ocean with David Attenborough

Sunday, Disney +

At the age of 99, Sir David Attenborough presents Ocean, a powerful documentary highlighting the critical state of the world’s oceans.

Through stunning visuals and groundbreaking underwater footage, this film exposes destructive practices like bottom trawling and emphasises the urgent need for marine conservation.

Released ahead of the UN Ocean Conference, Ocean serves as a wake-up call and David’s most personal message yet. And it’s already become the highest-grossing film in the UK and Irish box-office, earning £570,000 on its opening weekend in cinemas.

Jamie’s Dyslexia Revolution

Monday, C4

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver shares his personal journey with dyslexia in this compelling documentary as he takes a stand for neurodivergent children.

Highlighting the challenges faced by thousands of children with dyslexia in the UK, Jamie fiercely advocates for a more inclusive and supportive education system.

Through interviews with experts, educators, families and even familiar celebrity faces, the film sheds light on systemic issues affecting dyslexic children and calls for meaningful change to help them thrive academically and beyond.

Beth

Monday, C4

Written and directed by photographer and budding filmmaker Uzo Oleh, this tense three-part science-fiction thriller is Channel 4’s first-ever digital original drama.

Nicholas Pinnock and Abbey Lee star as Joe and Molly – a couple whose lives are upended when their newborn daughter, Imogen, bears no resemblance to her father.

What begins as a domestic drama spirals into paranoia, identity crises and eerie revelations as Joe’s world starts to unravel. Through their story, this hard-hitting show explores mistrust, modern parenthood and the fear that something has gone horribly wrong.

Love Island

Monday, ITV

Maya Jama returns to host the twelfth season of the iconic ITV2 dating show, promising more drama, more bombshells, plenty of break-ups and even more make-ups in celebration of its tenth anniversary on screens.

Set at the iconic sun-soaked Mallorca villa, a fresh batch of singletons embark on a quest for love and a jaw-dropping £50k cash prize. Expect twists, turns, unexpected pairings and shock dumpings, cryptic Love Island lingo and more Casa Amor turmoil. Which couple will tackle the journey hand-in-hand? And who will call it quits?

Shardlake

Monday, ITV

C.J. Samsom’s Tudor mystery novels come alive in this gripping four-part series. Arthur Hughes (The Innocents, The Archers) stars as brilliant barrister Matthew Shardlake, dispatched by Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean) to investigate a murder at a remote monastery.

As secrets unravel, Matthew and his companion Jack Barak (Anthony Boyle) navigate an intricate web of lies and political intrigue – but can Matthew really trust his companion? With atmospheric settings and compelling performances, this period drama offers a fresh take on historical crime storytelling.

The Yorkshire Vet: At Home With the Greens

Tuesday, Channel 5

Yorkshire Vet star Peter Wright offers a heartwarming new glimpse into the lives of fan favourites Steve and Jean Green, known as Britain’s longest-standing farmers.

This spin-off series invites viewers beyond the surgery and into the farm, where the couple balance rural life with their passion for animals.

Expect tender moments, behind-the-scenes insights and the same down-to-earth charm that made the original series a staple for animal lovers across the UK.

Trainwreck: The Astroworld tragedy

Tuesday, Netflix

This harrowing documentary revisits the 2021 Astroworld Festival disaster, where a crowd surge led to ten deaths and numerous injuries during a Texas-based festival launched by US rap star Travis Scott.

Through exclusive interviews with survivors, paramedics and festival staff, the film examines the events leading up to the tragedy and its aftermath. It delves into questions of accountability, safety protocols and the impact on the victims’ families, providing a sobering look at one of the most devastating concert incidents in recent history.

Speed Cameras: Out to Get Us?

Wednesday, C5

This investigative documentary explores the proliferation of speed cameras across the UK. Traveling from Nottinghamshire to Wales, it examines whether these devices are genuine safety tools or revenue-generating machines.

Featuring insights from traffic officers, drivers and the pioneer who introduced speed cameras to Britain’s roads in 1990, the programme questions their effectiveness and future. It’s a wild ride through Britain – but with less potholes.

Flight 149: Hostage of War

Wednesday, Sky Documentaries & NOW

This gripping documentary uncovers the shocking truth behind British Airways Flight 149, which landed in Kuwait mere hours before Iraq’s 1990 invasion. What really happened to the passengers and crew held hostage by Saddam Hussein’s forces?

With first-hand testimonies, classified documents and a decades-long silence finally broken, this film lays bare a chilling and unflinching tale of government secrets, human endurance and political betrayal. It’s a must-watch for fans of true stories where the stakes are life and death – and the answers still sting.

DNA Journey with Ancestry

Thursday, ITV

The hit ITV series, DNA Journey returns for a gripping fifth season. This time round, new celebrity duos set off on an emotional journey across history, uncovering jaw-dropping family secrets and unexpected connections.

Jo Brand and Julian Clary, Fay Ripley and Hermione Norris and Sam Thompson and Marvin Humes are taking on the challenge. With laughter, tears and twists in every episode, DNA Journey continues to prove that our past holds the key to who we really are.

Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection

Thursday, ITV2

In this immersive documentary series, Love Island alum Olivia Attwood investigates the lengths individuals go to achieve physical perfection in today’s image-obsessed society.

Drawing from her own experiences with cosmetic procedures, Olivia explores the booming beauty industry, meeting people who have undergone extreme transformations and embedding herself with patients and practitioners to try some of them out herself – including salmon sperm injections.

The series delves into the true psychological and physical costs of chasing perfection, offering a candid look at the intense pressures stemming from modern beauty standards.

Not Going Out

Friday, BBC1

Lee Mack’s long-running sitcom returns for its 14th series, continuing to deliver laughs with witty dialogue and relatable scenarios. The show follows the misadventures of Lee and his wife Lucy (Sally Bretton) as they navigate the challenges of family life.

With a time jump moving the story six years ahead, the couple adjust to a new home in the countryside while their children are away at university. The series remains a staple of British comedy, combining sharp humour with heartwarming moments.

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