By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to resign after a member of his administration accused Cook of committing mortgage fraud, the latest example of the Trump administration’s efforts to gain control over the central bank.

Bill Pulte, director of the agency that oversees mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, urged the Justice Department to investigate Cook, who was appointed to the Fed’s governing board by former president Joe Biden in 2022. She was reappointed the following year to a term that lasts until 2038, the longest remaining term among the seven governors.

Pulte, in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleged that Cook claimed two homes as her principal residences in 2021 to fraudulently obtain better mortgage lending terms. On June 18 of that year she purchased a home in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and then two weeks later bought a condo in Atlanta, Georgia, the letter said. Before joining the Fed, Cook taught at Michigan State University.

Pulte also charged that Cook has listed her condo in Atlanta, Georgia, for rent. Mortgages for homes used as principal residences typically carry lower interest rates than properties that are purchased to rent, the letter said.

The Federal Reserve declined to comment on the accusation. A Justice Department spokesperson also declined to comment.

The allegation represents another front in the Trump administration’s attack on the Fed, which has yet to cut its key interest rate as Trump has demanded. If Cook were to step down, then the White House could nominate a replacement. And Trump has said he would only appoint people who would support lower rates.

Just last month, Trump blasted Powell for the ballooning cost of the renovation of two of the Fed’s headquarters buildings, even suggesting that the run-up in costs could constitute a firing offense. He backed off his threats to fire Powell after receiving a tour of the project.

Pulte also suggested that Cook’s alleged actions could constitute a fireable offense. Fed officials are protected by law from being removed by a president, except “for cause,” which is generally seen as some kind of malfeasance or dereliction of duty.

Either way, if Trump seeks to fire Cook, it could lead to a court battle over a president’s power to remove Fed governors.

Senate Democrats, including New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, expressed support for Cook and slammed Trump’s actions.

“Trump is a liar. Lisa Cook—stand tough and don’t let Trump intimidate you,” Schumer wrote in a post on social media platform X.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a statement that Trump “has been scrambling for a pretext to intimidate or fire Chair Powell and members of the Federal Reserve Board while blaming anyone but himself for how his failed economic policies are hurting Americans.”

“The President and his administration should not weaponize the Federal government to illegally fire independent Fed Board members,” Warren added.

Trump will be able to replace Chair Jerome Powell in May 2026, when Powell’s term expires. Yet 12 members of the Fed’s interest-rate setting committee have a vote on whether to raise or lower interest rates, so even replacing the Chair doesn’t guarantee that Fed policy will shift the way Trump wants.

But the more members of the Fed’s governing board that Trump can appoint, the more control he will be able to assert over the Fed, which has long been considered independent from day-to-day politics.

All seven members of the Fed’s governing board are able to vote on rate decisions. The other five voters include the president of the Fed’s New York branch and a rotating group of four of the presidents of the Fed’s other 11 regional branches.

Trump appointed two members of the Fed’s board in his first term, Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman. Both dissented July 30 from the central bank’s decision to keep its rate unchanged, in favor of a rate cut.

Another Fed governor, Adriana Kugler, stepped down unexpectedly Aug. 1, and Trump has nominated one of his economic advisers, Stephen Miran, to fill out the remainder of her term until January.

If Trump is able to replace Cook, the first Black woman to serve on the Fed’s board, as well as Kugler, that would give him a clear majority on the board of governors. If Powell leaves the board when his term as chair ends next May, then Trump will be able to fill a fifth spot. However, Powell could stay on the board until early 2028 after finishing his term as chair.

The presidents of the regional Federal Reserve banks are selected by the boards of directors of those banks, but are subject to the approval of the Fed’s board of governors. The terms of all 12 of the regional Fed presidents end next February.

Trump has for months demanded that the Federal Reserve reduce the short-term interest rate it controls, which currently stands at about 4.3%. He has also repeatedly insulted Powell, who has said that the Fed would like to see more evidence of how the economy evolves in response to Trump’s sweeping tariffs before making any moves. Powell has also said the duties threaten to raise inflation and slow growth.

Trump says that a lower rate would reduce the government’s borrowing costs on $37 trillion in debt and boost the housing market by reducing mortgage rates. Yet mortgage borrowing costs and other interest rates, including many of the ones the government pays, do not always follow the Fed’s rate decisions.

The Trump administration has made similar claims of mortgage fraud against Democrats that Trump has attacked, including California Sen. Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

By JANIE HAR, Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration and halted for now a lower court’s order that had kept in place temporary protections for 60,000 migrants from Central America and Nepal.

This means that the Republican administration can move toward removing an estimated 7,000 people from Nepal whose Temporary Protected Status designations expired Aug. 5. The TPS designations and legal status of 51,000 Hondurans and 3,000 Nicaraguans are set to expire Sept. 8, at which point they will become eligible for removal.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco granted the emergency stay pending an appeal as immigrants rights advocates allege that the administration acted unlawfully in ending Temporary Protected Status designations for people from Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal.

“The district court’s order granting plaintiffs’ motion to postpone, entered July 31, 2025, is stayed pending further order of this court,” wrote the judges, who are appointees of Democrat Bill Clinton and Republicans George W. Bush and Donald Trump.

Temporary Protected Status is a designation that can be granted by the Homeland Security secretary, preventing migrants from being deported and allowing them to work. The Trump administration has aggressively sought to remove the protection, thus making more people eligible for removal. It’s part of a wider effort by the administration to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.

Secretary Kristi Noem can extend Temporary Protected Status to immigrants in the U.S. if conditions in their homelands are deemed unsafe for return due to a natural disaster, political instability or other dangerous conditions.

Immigrants rights advocates say TPS holders from Nepal have lived in the U.S. for more than a decade while people from Honduras and Nicaragua have lived in the country for 26 years, after Hurricane Mitch in 1998 devastated both countries.

“The Trump administration is systematically de-documenting immigrants who have lived lawfully in this country for decades, raising U.S.-citizen children, starting businesses, and contributing to their communities,” said Jessica Bansal, attorney at the National Day Laborer Organization, in a statement.

Noem ended the programs after determining that conditions no longer warranted protections.

In a sharply written July 31 order, U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson in San Francisco kept the protections in place while the case proceeds. The next hearing is Nov. 18.

She said the administration ended the migrant status protections without an “objective review of the country conditions,” such as political violence in Honduras and the impact of recent hurricanes and storms in Nicaragua.

In response, Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary at DHS, said, “TPS was never meant to be a de facto asylum system, yet that is how previous administrations have used it for decades.”

The Trump administration has already terminated TPS designations for about 350,000 Venezuelans, 500,000 Haitians, more than 160,000 Ukrainians and thousands of people from Afghanistan and Cameroon. Some have pending lawsuits in federal courts.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that Noem’s decisions are unlawful because they were predetermined by President Donald Trump’s campaign promises and motivated by racial animus.

But Drew Ensign, a U.S. deputy assistant attorney general, said at a hearing Tuesday that the government suffers an ongoing irreparable harm from its “inability to carry out the programs that it has determined are warranted.”

In May, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to end TPS designations for Venezuelans. The justices provided no rationale, which is common in emergency appeals, and did not rule on the underlying claims.

By MIKE STOBBE, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — At least 600 employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are receiving permanent termination notices in the wake of a recent court decision that protected some CDC employees from layoffs but not others.

The notices went out this week and many people have not yet received them, according to the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents more than 2,000 dues-paying members at CDC.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

AFGE officials said they are aware of at least 600 employees being cut.

But “due to a staggering lack of transparency from HHS,” the union hasn’t received formal notices of who is being laid off,” the federation said in a statement on Wednesday.

The permanent cuts include about 100 people who worked in violence prevention. Some employees noted those cuts come less than two weeks after a man fired at least 180 bullets into the CDC’s campus and killed a police officer.

“The irony is devastating: The very experts trained to understand, interrupt and prevent this kind of violence were among those whose jobs were eliminated,” some of the affected employees wrote in a blog post last week.

On April 1, the HHS officials sent layoff notices to thousands of employees at the CDC and other federal health agencies, part of a sweeping overhaul designed to vastly shrink the agencies responsible for protecting and promoting Americans’ health.

Many have been on administrative leave since then — paid but not allowed to work — as lawsuits played out.

A federal judge in Rhode Island last week issued a preliminary ruling that protected employees in several parts of the CDC, including groups dealing with smoking, reproductive health, environmental health, workplace safety, birth defects and sexually transmitted diseases.

But the ruling did not protect other CDC employees, and layoffs are being finalized across other parts of the agency, including in the freedom of information office. The terminations were effective as of Monday, employees were told.

Affected projects included work to prevent rape, child abuse and teen dating violence. The laid-off staff included people who have helped other countries to track violence against children — an effort that helped give rise to an international conference in November at which countries talked about setting violence-reduction goals.

“There are nationally and internationally recognized experts that will be impossible to replace,” said Tom Simon, the retired senior director for scientific programs at the CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention.

---

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

By AAMER MADHANI, ERIC TUCKER and ALI SWENSON, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Office of the Director of National Intelligence will dramatically reduce its workforce and cut its budget by more than $700 million annually, the Trump administration announced Wednesday.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said in a statement, “Over the last 20 years, ODNI has become bloated and inefficient, and the intelligence community is rife with abuse of power, unauthorized leaks of classified intelligence, and politicized weaponization of intelligence.”

She said the intelligence community “must make serious changes to fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the U.S. Constitution by focusing on our core mission: find the truth and provide objective, unbiased, timely intelligence to the President and policymakers.”

The reorganization is part of a broader administration effort to rethink its evaluation of foreign threats to American elections, a topic that has become politically loaded given President Donald Trump’s long-running resistance to the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election.

In February, for instance, Attorney General Pam Bondi disbanded an FBI task force focused on investigating foreign influence operations, including those that target U.S. elections. The Trump administration also has made sweeping cuts at the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which oversees the nation’s critical infrastructure, including election systems.

Gabbard’s efforts to downsize the agency she leads is in keeping with the cost-cutting mandate the administration has employed since its earliest days, when Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency oversaw mass layoffs of the federal workforce.

It’s the latest headline-making move by a key official who just a few months ago had seemed out of favor with Trump over her analysis of Iran’s nuclear capabilities but who in recent weeks has emerged as a key loyalist.

She’s released a series of documents meant to call into question the legitimacy of the intelligence community’s findings on Russian election interference in 2016, and this week, at Trump’s direction, revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former government officials.

The ODNI in the past has joined forces with other federal agencies to debunk and alert the public to foreign disinformation intended to influence U.S. voters.

For example, it was involved in an effort to raise awareness about a Russian video that falsely depicted mail-in ballots being destroyed in Pennsylvania that circulated widely on social media in the weeks before the 2024 presidential election.

Notably, Gabbard said she would be refocusing the priorities of the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which her office says on its website is “focused on mitigating threats to democracy and U.S. national interests from foreign malign influence.”

It wasn’t clear from Gabbard’s release or fact sheet exactly what the changes would entail, but Gabbard noted its “hyper-focus” on work tied to elections and said the center was “used by the previous administration to justify the suppression of free speech and to censor political opposition.”

The Biden administration created the Foreign Malign Influence Center in 2022, responding to what the U.S. intelligence community had assessed as attempts by Russia and other adversaries to interfere with American elections.

Its role, ODNI said when it announced the center’s creation, was to coordinate and integrate intelligence pertaining to malign influence.

In a briefing given to reporters in 2024, ODNI officials said they only notified candidates, political organizations and local election offices of disinformation operations when they could be attributed to foreign sources. They said they worked to avoid any appearance of policing Americans’ speech.

Sen. Tom Cotton, the Republican chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, hailed the decision to broadly revamp ODNI, saying it would make it a “stronger and more effective national security tool for President Trump.”

An Oakland County deputy executive, Sean Carlson, launched a state senate campaign for the District 13 seat currently held by Sen. Rosemary Bayer, a West Bloomfield Democrat.

Bayer, in her final term of office, published a farewell letter to constituents on Aug. 12. She endorsed Carlson for the seat this week.

District 13’s new boundary goes into effect in 2026 and includes all of Commerce Township, Keego Harbor, Lyon Township, Milford Township, Orchard Lake Village, South Lyon, Sylvan Lake, Walled Lake, West Bloomfield Township, Wixom and parts of Novi and Waterford townships.

Carlson, 55, has been a deputy county executive since 2019 and is responsible for information technology and economic development.

He worked for Michigan’s Department of Management & Budget from 2003 to 2006 and was the Michigan Defense Center’s executive director. His state jobs were under former Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat. He is considered a key architect of Michigan’s “Protect & Grow” strategy to retain, grow and attract aerospace and defense industries to the state. He is a former vice president of international trade at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Carlson left the MEDC to be an Oakland County deputy executive, where he earns more than $215,853 a year. State senators are paid nearly $72,000 a year with an expense allowance just under $11,000 a year.

“I’ve been given a great opportunity with all the state, county and school positions to really understand and make a difference,” he said. “It’s never been about the money for me, it’s always been about the service.”

This is not Carlson’s first foray into politics. In 2001 he ran for the 15th District senate seat.

He was elected to Huron Valley school board in 2008 and re-elected three times; he was the board’s president for more than four years.

His campaign treasurer is White Lake resident and certified public accountant Tom Wiseman, a current Huron Valley school board member.

Carlson left his Upper Peninsula hometown at 17 for the U.S. Army, switched to the U.S. Air Force and later to the Air National Guard. He retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel after 20 years of service.

A man who reportedly attacked staff at a Planet Fitness in West Bloomfield on Wednesday morning, attempted to run over a police officer who responded to the scene, crashed into several patrol cars and then led police on a high-speed chase was eventually taken into custody, officials said.

The police officer and suspect appeared to have suffered minor injuries during the incident and were transported to an area hospital, officials said.

According to the West Bloomfield Township Police Department, detectives continue to investigate the alleged rampage which reportedly unfolded at around 9:30 a.m. when a 911 call reported a man was punching staff at the fitness facility, located at 6433 Orchard Lake Rd. While officers were enroute, they learned the man was charging at staff with a metal object, then exited the facility and got into a vehicle in the parking lot, where he was met by officers including one on foot who the man allegedly tried to run over.

The man then drove away — striking several police vehicles — leading officers on a high-speed pursuit which continued on a main roadway and into a residential subdivision, police said. After crashing into more patrol cars, the man’s vehicle was forced to a stop by officers and he was arrested, police said.

The Oakland Press reached out to the West Bloomfield Police Department for information on the suspect’s age and hometown, but neither are being released yet.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has more information on it is asked to contact Detective Michael Kozemchak of the West Bloomfield Police Department at 248-975-8999.

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors in the nation’s capital will no longer bring felony charges against people for possessing rifles or shotguns in the District of Columbia, according to a new policy adopted by the leader of the nation’s largest U.S. attorney’s office.

That office will continue to pursue charges when someone is accused of using a shotgun or rifle in a violent crime or has a criminal record that makes it illegal to have a firearm. Local authorities in Washington can prosecute people for illegally possessing unregistered rifles and shotguns.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement that the change is based on guidance from the Justice Department and the Office of Solicitor General and conforms with two Supreme Court decisions on gun rights.

Pirro, a former Fox News host, has been a vocal critic of local officials’ crime-fighting efforts since Republican President Donald Trump installed her in office in May. Her policy shift means federal prosecutors will not purse charges under the D.C. law that made it illegal to carry rifles or shotguns, except in limited cases involving permit holders.

The change also overlaps with Trump’s declaration of a crime emergency in the city, flooding the streets of Washington with patrols of hundreds of federal agents and National Guard members. The White House says 76 firearms have been seized since the crackdown started this month.

The new policy also coves large-capacity magazines, but it does not apply to handguns.

“We will continue to seize all illegal and unlicensed firearms, and to vigorously prosecute all crimes connected with them,” Pirro said, adding that she and Trump “are committed to prosecuting gun crime.”

Pirro said a blanket ban on possessing shotguns and rifles violates the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2022 that struck down a New York gun law and held that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. She also pointed to the high court’s 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller striking down the city’s ban on handguns in the home.

By MEG KINNARD, Associated Press

Former President Barack Obama has waded into states’ efforts at rare mid-decade redistricting efforts, saying he agrees with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s response to alter his state’s congressional maps, in the way of Texas redistricting efforts promoted by President Donald Trump aimed at shoring up Republicans’ position in next year’s elections.

“I believe that Gov. Newsom’s approach is a responsible approach. He said this is going to be responsible. We’re not going to try to completely maximize it,” Obama said at a Tuesday fundraiser on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, according to excerpts obtained by The Associated Press. “We’re only going to do it if and when Texas and/or other Republican states begin to pull these maneuvers. Otherwise, this doesn’t go into effect.”

While noting that “political gerrymandering” is not his “preference,” Obama said that, if Democrats “don’t respond effectively, then this White House and Republican-controlled state governments all across the country, they will not stop, because they do not appear to believe in this idea of an inclusive, expansive democracy.”

According to organizers, the event raised $2 million for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and its affiliates, one of which has filed and supported litigation in several states over GOP-drawn districts. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Eric Holder, who served as Obama’s attorney general and heads up the group, also appeared.

The former president’s comments come as Texas lawmakers return to Austin this week, renewing a heated debate over a new congressional map creating five new potential GOP seats. The plan is the result of prodding by President Donald Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat that would deprive his party of control of the House of Representatives. Texas Democratic lawmakers delayed a vote for 15 days by leaving the state in protest, depriving the House of enough members to do business.

Spurred on by the Texas situation, Democratic governors including Newsom have pondered ways to possibly strengthen their party’s position by way of redrawing U.S. House district lines, five years out from the Census count that typically leads into such procedures.

In California — where voters in 2010 gave the power to draw congressional maps to an independent commission, with the goal of making the process less partisan — Democrats have unveiled a proposal that could give that state’s dominant political party an additional five U.S. House seats in a bid to win the fight to control of Congress next year. If approved by voters in November, the blueprint could nearly erase Republican House members in the nation’s most populous state, with Democrats intending to win the party 48 of its 52 U.S. House seats, up from 43.

A hearing over that measure devolved into a shouting match Tuesday as a Republican lawmaker clashed with Democrats, and a committee voted along party lines to advance the new congressional map. California Democrats do not need any Republican votes to move ahead, and legislators are expected to approve a proposed congressional map and declare a Nov. 4 special election by Thursday to get required voter approval.

Newsom and Democratic leaders say they’ll ask voters to approve their new maps only for the next few elections, returning map-drawing power to the commission following the 2030 census — and only if a Republican state moves forward with new maps. Obama applauded that temporary timeline.

“And we’re going to do it in a temporary basis because we’re keeping our eye on where we want to be long term,” Obama said, referencing Newsom’s take on the California plan. “I think that approach is a smart, measured approach, designed to address a very particular problem in a very particular moment in time.”

A long-time and well-known member of the Michigan golf-media scene has had his credential revoked by LIV Golf ahead of this week’s team championship at The Cardinal at Saint John’s Resort in Plymouth Township.

Bill Hobson, host of the syndicated television show “Michigan Golf Live” and a podcast personality, was initially approved for a credential for the tournament, set for Friday through Sunday. But after he recorded an interview with former LIV Golf player and current broadcaster Pat Perez, and then published the podcast, LIV Golf informed him Tuesday afternoon that he was no longer getting access to media-designated areas during the championship.

Hobson said LIV Golf was not happy with two of the questions he asked Perez during the 20-plus-minute podcast, including about the controversy behind the 4-year-old tour’s funding ― which comes from the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, a nation notorious for human rights violations and, notably, a history of disdain for a free press. Hobson also asked Perez about the tumultuous tenure of original LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, the World Golf Hall-of-Famer who was replaced earlier this year.

Perez engaged on both topics, which made up a small percentage of the entire podcast, which focused mostly on Perez’s experience with LIV Golf, and its maiden voyage into Michigan this week.

“It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, talking about the lack of freedom ― talking about the lack of tolerance, all of the things that regime is known for plays a factor in what just took place,” Hobson told The Detroit News in an interview Tuesday. “And it’s super unnecessary. You talk about unforced errors, goodness gracious.

“In 26 years, I’d like to think that I’ve developed a reputation for being very fair. I’m probably overly bland more than I am controversial. … I had no desire whatsoever to have anything come out of this except for a fun conversation with a guy I find interesting, and that’s what I thought we had.

“When I do screw up, I’m pretty quick to say, ‘Hey man, I’m sorry.’ That didn’t happen here.”

LIV Golf did confirm that Hobson, 57, a broadcaster since his teen-age years who lives in the Saginaw area, did have his media credentials revoked. LIV Golf and Hobson confirmed that LIV Golf offered him free grounds passes for the week ― LIV Golf termed it “revising” Hobson’s access, he said ― but those passes would essentially be fan tickets with no media access to ask questions of tour officials or players, like Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka. Hobson declined those passes; he won’t be attending the tournament.

LIV Golf, which has revoked media credentials in the past, declined to say who in the organization decided to pull Hobson’s credentials. Media access begins Wednesday, and top players will speak to the media Thursday.

When asked about Hobson’s credential being revoked, LIV Golf did provide a statement to The News:

“LIV Golf values open and honest dialogue with media partners and has welcomed a wide range of perspectives since our inception. We are committed to working with journalists who approach interviews with fairness, integrity, and respect for the players and the sport.”

Sent a follow-up question from The News, Ilana Finley, chief communications officer for LIV Golf, responded: “We’ve shared all that we plan on providing on this topic.”

The issues between Hobson and LIV Golf seemed to stem from early June, when LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neill addressed the Detroit Economic Club at The Cardinal. LIV Golf made O’Neill available for a short interview with Hobson, who was hosting a radio show for WJR 760-AM. Hobson asked O’Neill multiple questions, including one about the controversy surrounding LIV Golf’s funding.

Still, LIV Golf approved a credential for Hobson to cover the team championship, arguably its crown-jewel event.

Then, last week, Hobson secured an interview with Perez, known as a funny and affable personality, through a request with Outlyr, a public-relations firm contracted by LIV Golf to help with the team championship media obligations. Hobson has long known the Outlyr rep, who also works LPGA tournaments in Grand Rapids and Midland.

Perez did the interview Friday, over the phone from Indianapolis, site of last week’s LIV Golf tournament. A short while later, Hobson said, the rep from Outlyr called, concerned with some of the topics Perez talked about. Hobson edited the interview slightly, to remove some profanity by Perez, but posted the podcast Sunday morning to his “Fore Golfers Network” platform.

Hobson said he then began fielding a flurry of texts and calls from Outlyr and LIV Golf officials, who asked him to edit out those questions. He refused. They then, Hobson said, offered to get him another guest if he pulled down the podcast. He refused. They then, Hobson said, demanded the podcast come down, and suggested credentials could be revoked if he didn’t. Again, Hobson declined. His credentials were officially revoked Tuesday. Denying media credentials is not uncommon; revoking them after they are granted is much more rare.

“LIV (Golf) has a history of contentious dealings with journalists that don’t often make sense in terms of the bigger picture of access to the golfers and the tour,” said Joanne Gerstner, a professor of sports journalism at Michigan State who worked at The Detroit News for 10 years and has written for PGA Magazine. “Obviously, (LIV Golf is) a private entity. They can credential who they want.

“But they don’t have a right to go back and demand journalists remove content or tailor content to the way the tour wants. That’s not journalism. That’s public relations.”

Hobson has a unique job, in that it’s part journalism and part not. For his “Michigan Golf Live” TV show, which is in its 26th year and features course reviews from throughout the state and airs on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit, Chicago Sports Net and on YouTube, he does receive payment from the courses. Earlier this year, he did an episode from The Cardinal, with Saint John’s paying him for the exposure.

Hobson’s other work, including the podcast, is considered to be more journalism, as he regularly talks to newsmakers in the industry. He was not paid by LIV Golf to do the Perez podcast, nor would he have accepted payment had they offered, he said. Asked what he considers himself, Hobson said “media member,” not journalist.

Still, he has covered more than 100 professional golf events throughout the state and country, and this is the first time he’s ever had a credential revoked, he said.

Hobson said he was given some suggestions on topics to talk about with Perez, and he hit on all of those, he said. But Hobson said he never agreed on a pre-approved list of questions. (A sampling of questions from media members to PR reps isn’t uncommon; agreeing to stick to said topics is considered a no-no for the media.) Hobson said there was nothing off-topic.

Hobson even texted with Perez after LIV Golf began asking for the podcast to be turned down. Perez responded in a text, before Hobson’s credential was revoked: “It’ll be fine. I don’t think you were antagonizing in any way. You are entitled to your opinions and thoughts.”

Hobson has been a long-time critic of LIV Golf, mostly because of the funding source ― players who defected from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf for huge paydays have been loudly criticized, given Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who controls the purse strings for the PIF, is widely believed to have ordered the assassination of Washington Post journalist and Saudi Arabia government critic Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Hobson said he felt it was a responsibility to make his stance clear to Perez during the podcast, for fear of being labeled hypocritical by anyone who already knew his admitted negative stance on the rival golf league. Hobson also told Perez he was looking forward to seeing LIV Golf in person, because that’s the only way to fairly assess the league’s merits, Hobson said. Now, he’s not going.

“I’m kind of the most harmless guy with a microphone in the business, I think,” said Hobson, whose podcast on average gets a few hundred views, with the most popular creeping into the thousands ― modest figures for sure, he acknowledged. “Now, on a podcast that normally is heard by not very many, they are treating it like it’s Joe Rogan or Adam Carolla. It goes to the overall paranoia to the whole thing.

“I encouraged people to go to the tournament and see for themselves what it’s like, and this is how they react.

“I have no interest in being another PR arm for the LIV tour.”

Instead, Hobson now plans to take his grandson to the zoo this weekend.

“Which will be slightly less wild,” said Hobson, “than what’s happening this week (at The Cardinal).”

On page 2 of its four-page media accreditation policy, LIV Golf states: “Editorial Independence: For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in the present terms and conditions (or in any other document referred to herein) is intended to be, or shall be interpreted as, undermining or in any way restricting the editorial independence of Credential Holders or the party or parties on behalf of whom they are covering LIV Golf League events, or restricting or preventing the exercise of normal journalistic activities in respect of those events, including expressions of views or comments.”

Sure, the idea that Taylor Swift could perform at the Super Bowl in February 2026 mostly exists as speculation being pushed by her most ardent fans.

But this theory still received some serious consideration from entertainment industry experts Monday. During Monday’s episode of the industry podcast “The Town,” host Matthew Belloni and Bloomberg entertainment editor Lucas Shaw explained why it’s plausible that the pop mega-star could perform for the Halftime Show at Super Bowl LX, which takes place Feb. 8, 2026 at the San Francisco 49ers Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

“I just feel like, if you’re her and you’re coming off the biggest (world) tour ever, the only way to top that is do the Super Bowl, which is the biggest stage in the world,” Shaw said. While there’s “buzz” that Swift could soon announce that she’s doing a Las Vegas residency, specifically at The Sphere, Shaw said he could see her more likely doing the Super Bowl.

“The Sphere would make a little bit of sense because if you’re coming off this big tour, like it’s hard to top it,” Shaw said. However, he also said: “I just feel like the Super Bowl is a little more in line with where her life is at the moment than The Sphere.”

And, where is Swift’s life at right now? Well, she’s dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. And, for her first ever podcast appearance, she chose to appear on his football-themed “New Heights” podcast, which he co-hosts with brother Jason Kelce. During the show, she talked about quickly becoming an NFL fan as soon as she began dating Kelce ahead of the 2023 season.

“Oh my god, I fell in love with it,” Swift said. “I became obsessed with it.”

For the most part, the NFL has become enamored of her — except for a segment of male NFL fans who resent so much attention being paid to her.

Her relationship with Kelce is associated with the “Taylor Swift effect”: a documented surge in sponsorships, ratings and female viewership across all demographics on the days she has attended games. Ahead of Super Bowl in 2024, when Kelce’s Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell agreed that Swift’s interest in the NFL had encouraged young women to watch the sport. “I think that’s great for us.”

With that, it’s easy to see why the NFL would be eager to sign up Swift for a halftime performance — ahead of Metallica. The San Francisco-band would be very excited to perform at the Super Bowl in 2026, according to drummer Lars Ulrich. He recently told Howard Stern that doing the show in the Bay Area would be “a dream come true” and a “right fit.” However, Ulrich admitted: “We haven’t been approached” and “ultimately it’s not our decision.”

It’s not known when the NFL will announce its next halftime performer; the league announced Kendrick Lamar for the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show last September, People reported. 

Some Swift fans seem to believe that Super Bowl LX is a done deal, according to the theory they concocted after listening to the hints — or “Easter eggs” — they believe she dropped on “New Heights,” according to Shaw.

“All of the craziest Swifties out there have noted two things,” Shaw began. “One is that the 49ers mascot is Sourdough Sam and, two, that this is the 60th Super Bowl.”

But how did Sourdough Sam, an 1840s gold miner figure, even come up out of what Swift said on “New Heights?”

After the superstar announced her 12th studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” she revealed that she had developed a new “obsession” since ending her Eras Tour at the end of 2024. She said she had started baking bread and that sourdough has “taken over my life in a huge way.” She admitted to thinking about bread “60% of the time now.”

Fans have suggested that her mention of “60%” could be a nod to Super Bowl LX, the 60th such NFL event, according to People. They also observed that her New Heights appearance began with her thanking Jason Kelce for “screaming for, like, 47 seconds,” as he enthusiastically listed her accomplishments to welcome her to the show.

Swifties have since wondered if the number 47 “could be a connection” to the singer’s 47th stop on her Eras Tour. That stop in July 2023 was at Levi’s Stadium, according to People.

On “The Town” podcast, producer Craig Horlbeck said that a Swift Halftime Show in 2026 makes sense because this could be Kelce’s last year playing professional football before he retires.

But Belloni asked: “What if he’s not there?” Belloni was referring to the possibility that the Chiefs won’t make it to the Super Bowl in 2026 (they were handily defeated 40-22 in the 2025 Super Bowl).  “Really, you’re prepared to make the prediction (that the Chiefs will be there)?” Belloni asked.

Horlback replied: “I mean, me saying the Chiefs are going to make the Super Bowl is not the craziest prediction.” But Belloni laughed: “Like, that’s a lot to bet on. You got to decide these things early on. And if they have a crushing loss in the AFC championship, what does she, cancel?”

A Royal Oak man accused of fatally shooting a maintenance worker at the Devon Park apartment complex will be evaluated for competency, a judge has ruled.

Nathaniel Rockwell, 32, was referred for the psychiatric evaluation during a recent court hearing before 44th District Judge Derek Meinecke. Rockwell is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of felonious assault and three counts of felony firearm in connection with the July 31 death of Gregory Hill of Southfield.

According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, prior to the shooting, Rockwell — a tenant at the complex — had received an eviction notice due to multiple incidents with firearms. He allegedly confronted building management and another tenant who had reported him, got into an argument and then retrieved a gun from his vehicle and began firing at Hill. Hill was shot approximately 11 times at close range, the prosecutor’s office said.

Hill was working at the time of the shooting, the prosecutor’s office said.

Rockwell is held in the Oakland County Jail, denied bond. The judge set an Oct. 17 hearing to review results of the competency evaluation.

By BARRY HATTON and KATIE MARIE DAVIES, Associated Press

The second Oval Office meeting in six months between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy went off smoothly Monday, in sharp contrast to their disastrous encounter in February.

European leaders joined the discussions in a show of transatlantic unity, and both they and Zelenskyy repeatedly thanked Trump for his efforts to end Russia’s three-year war on Ukraine.

“I don’t want to hide the fact that I wasn’t sure it would go this way,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Washington. “But my expectations were not just met, they were exceeded.”

Zelenskyy said Tuesday: “We have taken an important step towards ending this war and ensuring security for Ukraine and all of Europe.”

But despite the guarded optimism and friendly banter among the leaders, there was little concrete progress on the main obstacles to ending the war — and that deadlock likely favors Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose forces continue to make steady, if slow progress on the ground in Ukraine.

“Putin cannot get enough champagne or whatever he’s drinking,” Gabrielius Landsbergis, a former foreign minister of Lithuania, said of Monday’s meeting.

As NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told The Ingraham Angle on Fox News: “All the details have to be hammered out.”

Here is a look at the issues that must be resolved:

Security guarantees for Ukraine

To agree to a peace deal with Russia, Ukraine wants assurances that it can deter any future attacks by the Kremlin’s forces.

That means, Zelenskyy says, a strong Ukrainian army that is provided with weapons and training by Western partners.

It could potentially also mean offering Ukraine a guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate, which sees an attack on one member of the alliance as an attack on all. How that would work is not clear.

Additionally, Kyiv’s European allies are looking to set up a force that could backstop any peace agreement in Ukraine.

A coalition of 30 countries, including European nations, Japan and Australia, have signed up to support the initiative, although the role that the U.S. might play in such a force is unclear.

European leaders, fearing Moscow’s territorial ambitions won’t stop in Ukraine, are keen to lock America’s military might into the plan.

Trump said he’ll help provide protection but stopped short of committing American troops to the effort, instead promising U.S. “coordination.”

Russia has repeatedly rejected the idea of such a force, saying that it will not accept NATO troops in Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron co-chaired an online meeting Tuesday of the coalition countries.

Once officials have discussed proposals in more detail, Rutte said, a virtual meeting will take place with Trump and European leaders.

Agreeing on a ceasefire

Ukraine and its European supporters have repeatedly called for a ceasefire while peace talks are held.

Putin has balked at that prospect. With his forces inching forward in Ukraine, he has little incentive to freeze their movement.

Ahead of his meeting with the Russian leader last week, Trump threatened Russia with “severe consequences” if it didn’t accept a ceasefire. Afterward, he dropped that demand and said it was best to focus on a comprehensive peace deal — as Putin has pushed for.

Trump said in Monday’s Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy that a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine was “unnecessary.” But after his closed-door meeting with European leaders and Zelenskyy, Trump told reporters that “all of us would obviously prefer the immediate ceasefire while we work on a lasting peace.”

Where Trump ultimately falls on that issue is important because it could affect how much Ukrainian land Russia has seized by the time the two sides get around to hammering out how much it could keep.

Occupied Ukrainian territory

Zelenskyy and European leaders said that Putin has demanded that Ukraine give up the Donbas, an industrial region in eastern Ukraine that has seen some of the most intense fighting but that Russian forces have failed to capture completely.

Moscow’s forces also hold Crimea as well as parts of six other regions — all adding up to about one-fifth of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy has long noted the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits breaking up his country. He has also suggested the demand for territory would serve as a springboard for future invasion.

Rutte said the possibility of Ukraine ceding occupied territory to Russia in return for peace wasn’t discussed in Monday’s talks. That is an issue for Zelenskyy and Putin to consider together, he said to Fox News.

A Putin-Zelenskyy meeting

Zelenskyy has repeatedly suggested sitting down with Putin, even challenging the Russian leader to meet him as part of direct peace talks between the two sides in Turkey in May. Putin snubbed that offer, saying that significant progress on an agreement would have to be made before the pair met in person.

On Monday, Trump appeared to back Zelenskyy’s plan. “I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,” Trump said in a social media post.

He said he would join the two leaders afterward.

But when discussing a phone call held after the meeting between Trump and the Russian leader, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov gave no indication that either a bilateral or a trilateral meeting with Ukraine had been agreed.

European leaders know that Putin doesn’t want to meet Zelenskyy and that he won’t allow Western troops in Ukraine — but they’re expressing optimism that these things could happen in the hopes of forcing Putin to be the one to say no to Trump, according to Janis Kluge of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

“Europeans hype up expectations to create a reality in which Putin disappoints,” he wrote on X.

Associated Press writers Sam McNeil in Brussels and Emma Burrows in London contributed.

By Noreen Kompanik, TravelPulse

It is widely believed that Mark Twain said “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

There’s just something special about sailing. The open water, sunshine on your face, the wind in your hair and a total sense of freedom, relaxation and centering, a perfect antidote to the stresses of living in today’s modern world.

Whether you decide to be part of a crew manning the sails or just along for the ride, we are so fortunate to have so many incredible destinations here in the U.S. to sail, whether it be a tranquil lake or riding the ocean waves.

Newport, R.I.

Often referred to as the “sailing capital of the world,” Newport offers a deep maritime history, ideal sailing conditions and an important role in international competitive sailing. The coastal town hosted the America’s Cup from 1930 to 1983 and continues to attract sailors from around the globe to its annual sailing events.

Newport has been a longtime training hub for Olympic and professional sailors, and there’s nothing like moving under the impressive Newport Bridge, the longest suspension span in New England.

Chesapeake Bay, Annapolis, Md.

Sailing in Annapolis is a major part of the city’s identity, other than being the location of the United States Naval Academy, where future naval officers are trained in the art. Located where the Severn River meets the Chesapeake Bay, the area offers easy access to both open water and protected coves, making it a sailor’s haven.

The bay’s deep navigable waters make it ideal for recreational and competitive sailing, and the destination hosts numerous sailing and regatta events and boat shows throughout the year.

Charleston, S.C.

This southern belle consistently ranks as one of the top places in the U.S. for sailing, offering incredibly picturesque views. With its historic charm, great sailing conditions and a vibrant maritime culture, it’s only natural that sailors want to be out on the water.

Charleston has some top-notch marinas and yacht clubs, sailing schools and charters, and the College of Charleston sailing team is nationally ranked. My favorite time to sail is at day’s end with an impressive combination of historic skyline, calm harbor waters and glowing sunsets over the Charleston Peninsula, creating an unforgettable experience.

Florida Keys, Fla.

The Florida Keys are home to the only barrier coral reef in North America and the third largest in the world, and sailing here is a tropical dream. The Keys’ multihued waters, warm trade winds and laid-back island culture make for a paradise without having to venture further into the Caribbean with a passport.

Stretching over 129 miles from Key Largo to Key West, the island chain with more than 800 keys offers countless places to sail, anchor, dock and explore. Constant trade winds, shallow warm waters (especially on the Gulf side) and easy access to snorkeling, diving and fishing right off the boat make the Florida Keys a popular sailing destination.

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Known for its mild weather, rich maritime history, picturesque coastline and vibrant sailing community, Santa Barbara is a haven for sailors of all levels. Affectionately known as “The American Riviera,” this jewel of the California coast’s mild winds, calm seas and near-constant sunshine makes for picture-perfect sailing conditions.

Those into competitive sailing can join in the adventure on Wet Wednesday races at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club, a beloved tradition in the sailing community. The region also hosts several regattas and sailing festivals throughout the year.

Finger Lakes, N.Y.

This region consists of 11 glacial lakes and one Great Lake (Ontario), making it a superb destination for the sailing fan. Visitors can choose from a number of sailing companies or use private charters such as Sail True Love out of Watkins Glen and Sail Seneca from Geneva.

The lakes are long and narrow, creating consistent and moderate wind channels that funnel down the length of the lake, making for reliable sailing conditions. Many of the Finger Lakes are deep and clear, good for keelboats, helping to avoid hazards like submerged rocks or sudden shoals. And it’s hard to beat the views, with waters surrounded by hills, vineyards and charming small towns.

San Diego, Calif.

America’s finest city, as it’s often called, is home to almost year-round picture-perfect weather, reliable winds and a stunningly picturesque and protected sheltered bay with easy access to the open Pacific.

San Diego has a long naval and maritime history, which means sailors will not only get great views of the city, Embarcadero and Coronado Island from the water, but also a myriad of U.S. Navy ships. It’s also a great chance to view gray whales, blue whales, dolphins and a slew of various seabirds.

With its vibrant racing and cruising community and notable yacht clubs, this Southern California gem is a true sailor’s city.

San Juan Islands, Wash.

Located in the Pacific Northwest, the San Juan Islands, with more than 170 islands and reefs, are a hidden gem for sailors seeking peaceful tranquility while surrounded by stunning landscapes and quiet coves. Yet they are still considered one of the top sailing destinations in the region.

Situated in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, the islands offer calmer seas, less wind and rain than the outer coast, ensuring smoother, safer sailing. Sailors regularly spot seals, sea lions, porpoises, bald eagles and orcas, especially around San Juan Island.

San Francisco, Calif.

An individual sail might be a challenge here unless you’re a skilled sailor or racer, due to the bay’s strong winds and currents. However, there are plenty of opportunities to get out on the water by a guided catamaran.

Seeing the City by the Bay skyline via water is a rewarding experience, as is sailing beneath one of the world’s most recognizable bridges and past the haunting site of the abandoned Alcatraz Island. You’ll encounter calm waters turning gusty, choppy and tide-driven, but it’s all part of the fun. The city hosts world-class regattas including the America’s Cup and SailGP events.

U.S. Virgin Islands

Sailing the cerulean waters of the U.S. Virgin Islands provides an exhilarating, authentic Caribbean experience without needing a passport. It’s best to hire a boat captain for the day or take a catamaran sail, as you would need a passport to enter British Virgin Island waters.

The three islands making up the U.S. Virgin Island chain are only a few miles apart, making for easy navigation and line-of-sight sailing. Warm water temperatures and steady trade winds make for nearly perfect sail conditions, and the crystalline waters with their colorful, stunning coral reefs and tropical fish make for amazing snorkeling or diving conditions.

©2025 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Karla Marie Sanford, Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES — The Cortez family piled out of their car and stretched their legs. Finally, after an hour and a half drive from their Long Beach home, they had made it to Little Tokyo — specifically, to One Piece Cafe.

“I was just sitting in the car like, ‘I’m going to be at the One Piece Cafe,’” said Cammy Cortez, who was introduced to the popular manga and anime franchise by her older brother and now runs a “One Piece” fan account on X. “It’s going to be a good day.”

Timed to the Los Angeles Anime Convention, the largest exposition dedicated to Japanese pop culture in North America, the new permanent restaurant is the second official location of One Piece Cafe, in collaboration with Toei Animation, from Andy Nguyen, a serial entrepreneur behind several themed restaurants. The first One Piece Cafe opened in Las Vegas in May 2024.

“One Piece” follows the adventures of protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of becoming the Pirate King, and his band of Straw Hat Pirates as they seek the “One Piece” treasure. Fans of the anime have flocked to the Little Tokyo storefront, eager to try Japanese dishes inspired by “One Piece” characters like Sanji’s “Diable Jambe” Chicken Katsu Sando, with 24-hour brined chicken served on sweet honey milk bread, and Zoro’s Onigiri, in honor of the character’s love of rice and a nod to his precision as a swordsman.

The interior dons a nautical theme, with walls that mimic the wooden deck of a pirate ship and characters depicted inside portholes. Branded merchandise includes Luffy’s signature straw hat, themed key chains and even a “Wanted” license plate. Drinks, ranging from slushies to matcha horchata, come in collectible cups.

“It’s not [like] just they slapped the name ‘One Piece’ onto a random restaurant,” said customer Imelda Cardenas. “They really did it justice with the interior and the menu, and the merch they sell inside is really great too.”

Initially premiering in 1999, the “One Piece” anime has 1,136 episodes and counting, with ardent fans deeply immersed in the lore. The manga, by creator Eiichiro Oda, is the bestselling manga of all time. New audiences were also introduced to the franchise in 2023, when Netflix released a massively successful live-action rendition of the anime.

“If you’re a fan of ‘One Piece,’ then you think it’s the best anime of all time,” explained Karime Benmbarek, who came with his older brother Yassine from Northridge to experience the Little Tokyo restaurant. “Even if you’re just a chill fan, you still feel the love through the community.”

Restaurants themed around Japanese pop culture have recently gained footholds in L.A., with Gudetama Cafe and Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe — both within the Sanrio universe — opening in 2024. Local excitement for “One Piece,” however, seems to be approaching the mainstream. In June, the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted a One Piece Night, featuring a limited edition “One Piece” card drawn by Oda. The Los Angeles Lakers collaborated with “One Piece” for their February matchup against the Clippers; exclusive merch from the match now resells for up to $250.

“‘One Piece’ has a pretty big community, and especially with the Lakers and Dodgers collaborating with One Piece, L.A. is bringing anime into their culture as well,” said Yassine, who immediately alerted his younger brother after seeing a TikTok about the restaurant opening. The brothers bond over watching the show and, lured by the chicken katsu sandwich in particular, quickly made a plan to visit in person.

Karime, who tried the chicken katsu sandwich and curry, said, “I’d definitely come back — if my brother can take me.”

As anime, manga and other elements of Japanese pop culture have become mainstream, the understanding of Little Tokyo as a place where people can engage in those interests has also skyrocketed, said Kristin Fukushima, the executive director of Little Tokyo Community Council. This interest in Japanese subcultures — evidenced in the virality of One Piece Cafe — can have a positive impact on other small businesses in Little Tokyo.

After the Benmbarek brothers finished their meal, they planned to make a day of wandering through Little Tokyo. Another group of friends planned to hunt down a collectible in the nearby shops after visiting the restaurant.

“If you become more into anime and manga, that means you’re seeing depictions of not just culture, but also food,” Fukushima said. “So you have more people knowing what real ramen is versus the Maruchan instant ramen, or people who want real sushi and not just California rolls that they can buy in Ralphs.”

“I think it’s just a growing familiarity with what Little Tokyo has to offer,” she said. “Like, how do I further participate in this?”

The timing of One Piece Cafe’s opening comes as Little Tokyo is emerging from June’s ICE protests. Located minutes from City Hall and the Metropolitan Detention Center, Fukushima said many small business owners found themselves in a “lose-lose situation,” with images from the local news keeping people away from downtown out of fear.

Fans of “One Piece,” with its themes of friendship and freedom, are primed to be attuned to these tensions.

“I really like how ‘One Piece’ has a lot of nuanced messages about government powers and how oppressed people can come together,” said Daniel Orozco, who first learned about the restaurant at Anime Expo. “It’s really cool and especially relevant right now with everything going on politically.”

Cardenas started watching “One Piece” during the pandemic and quickly caught up by watching 12 episodes a day. Describing that time, she said, “Everything was really scary and uncertain, and people just wanted answers and a distraction.”

“There’s a message of hope in ‘One Piece’ because the protagonist Luffy wants to be the Pirate King, but underneath it all he’s just fighting for justice,” she said. “There’s a lot of symbolism that can be taken into the real world.”

One Piece Cafe is located at 241 S. San Pedro Street and open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By BRIAN MELLEY, Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wasn’t going to risk being accused of being ungrateful this time.

With peace talks on the table and a chance to rebound from his disastrous White House scolding six months ago, Zelenskyy made sure to show his gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump during Monday’s meeting in the Oval Office.

In fact, he said thanks nine times to Trump and others in the first minute of their brief public meeting that preceded a short news conference.

“Thanks so much, Mr. President,” he said. “First of all, thank you for the invitation and thank you very much for your efforts, personal efforts to stop killings and stop this war. Thank you.”

In February, Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump quickly spiraled into a public relations disaster when Vice President JD Vance berated him for not being sufficiently thankful.

“You should be thanking the President for trying to bring an end to this conflict,” Vance said in a moment that caught Zelenskyy off guard. “Have you said thank you once? In this entire meeting? No, in this entire meeting, have you said thank you?”

Zelenskyy tried to defend himself, saying he had always expressed his appreciation to the U.S. for the military and financial support it provided after Russia invaded it in 2022. But the damage was done.

World leaders took their cue and learned that flattery is the way to winning over the unpredictable Trump.

With a chance to make a second impression in the same setting, gratitude diplomacy was front and center for Zelenskyy and his peers.

In addition to thanking the president six times, Zelenskyy extended gratitude to Melania Trump for personally writing to Russian President Vladimir Putin to think about the Ukrainian children and urge peace.

And he twice thanked his European allies who had arrived as reinforcements in Washington to present a unified front to push for a ceasefire and security guarantees if there is a peace deal with Russia.

In a second meeting with top leaders from Europe, Zelenskyy expressed his thanks at least seven times, including two mentions of a map Trump had presented him.

“Thank you for the map, by the way,” he said.

He was not alone.

Trump himself used the T-word about a dozen times in the later meeting and heaped praise on his fellow leaders from Europe.

He called Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a great leader with a long career ahead, said he liked French President Emmanuel Macron even more since he’s gotten to know him — something he noted was unusual for him — and he complimented German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s tan.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer thanked the president four times, noting that after three years of fighting, nobody else had been able to bring the conflict as close to a possible end.

“So I thank you for that,” Starmer said.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who addressed Trump as “dear Donald” during the meeting, later called the president “amazing.”

Maybe you’ve noticed an edgy new trend at the bookstore.

Stroll through the fantasy, romance or YA sections, look at some of the more popular titles, and you’ll start to see it: Novels not only featuring eye-catching cover illustrations – but also colorful images and richly printed designs running along the outer edges of the book’s pages.

You’ll find this treatment on editions of Brigid Kemmerer’s “Warrior, Princess, Assassin”; I.V. Marie’s “Immortal Consequences”; Michelle Jabès Corpora’s “His Face Is the Sun (Throne of Khetara, 1)” and Julia and Brad Riew’s “The Last Tiger” – and even Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling “Remarkably Bright Creatures.”

“It’s huge in the YA space,” says Maureen Palacios, the owner of Once Upon a Time Bookstore, about the trend on a recent Saturday at the Montrose bookshop. “But it has to be a certain kind of book; it has to be worthy of the treatment.”

As Palacios pulls out examples, she says that while it’s more typical on fantasy and YA books, there are exceptions.

“Very occasionally, if it goes with the story,” she says, showing off a stunning middle-grade novel, Grace Lin’s “The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon.” “Grace Lin, that’s such a pretty, pretty cover.”

Interested to learn more about the trend, I reached out to some experts …

Dreams from the edge 

Alvina Ling, the vice president and editor-in-chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, edited and worked on Grace Lin’s best-seller “The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon,” including the deluxe limited-edition version stocked at Once Upon a Time.

Ling, who grew up in Diamond Bar, where her parents still live, explained some of the technical terms during a phone call this week.

“’Sprayed edges’ are usually just one color. If you have ‘gilded edges,’ that’s when it’s like a gold or silver metallic. And then ‘stenciled edges’ are when you can put a design on,” says Ling. Since this was Lin’s first fantasy novel in nearly a decade, Ling says they had been planning to create “a really beautiful package” with full-color interiors and foil on the covers.

“It was actually someone in our sales department who suggested adding the sprayed edges. Grace was really excited; I think it was one of her dreams,” says Ling. “Grace designed the edges herself.”

While the stenciled edge is a new addition to the design of her books, Lin, who is the subject of a career retrospective exhibit at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, has long been interested in the quality of her books, says Ling.

“Starting with [2009’s Newbery Honored] ‘Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,’ she really had the vision of making her books a beautiful object,” says Ling, who says the author and artist Lin wanted to produce the kind of books she felt had not always been available to her as a child, especially books with Asian content.

That’s a goal she and Lin share.

“When I got into publishing, one of my initiatives was to publish books that reflected the way our world is. Because when I was a child, I never saw Asian American characters in the books I was reading,” says Ling, who arrived at Little, Brown in 1999. “That’s something that I think has changed.”

And here’s the fun part: The editor and the author-artist not only have a long professional relationship, but they have also been close friends since they were 10 years old. And they’ve been cohosting a kidlit podcast together since 2019: Book Friends Forever, or B.F.F. 

So when Ling is asked to talk about some highlights from the many popular and honored books she’s worked on with authors such as Peter Brown, Holly Black, Jewell Parker Rhodes and Chris Colfer, she does something unexpected.

She tells me her favorite out of all of them: Grace Lin’s debut novel, “The Year of the Dog.”

“Most editors say, ‘I can’t pick one. It’s like picking your favorite children,’” says Ling. “I feel like, well, I’m allowed.”

Why? “Her first novel, ‘The Year of the Dog,’ was inspired by our childhood friendship,” says Ling.

“It was surreal. It was also really delightful because, of course, that is the exact book I wish existed when I was that age. So for me it was gratifying working on that book and seeing it go out into the world,” she says. “My friends’ kids are starting to read it in their classrooms. It’s been really great to see.”

The origins of the stenciled edge trend

When asked about this hot new publishing trend, Allie Alvis, curator of Special Collections at the Winterthur Library in Delaware, provided some perspective.

First, it’s not exactly a recent innovation.

“The first book I ever encountered with a decorated edge was a medieval manuscript I was researching, so the urge to make book edges pretty is definitely not a new phenomenon,” said Alvis via email, explaining that books were originally shelved in libraries with their edges, not spines, facing out. “They really only started being shelved spine-out in the 17th century or so.”

Compared to medieval and early modern books, the utilitarian book form we expect today could seem a little dull, according to Alvis, who is also active on social media as Book Historia, where they share cool book stuff including a terrific piece on fore-edge paintings ranging from the 1580 work of Titian’s cousin to decorate a series of books with images of Cicero, Thomas Aquinas, and Erasmus to a 2008 book by artist Ed Ruscha.

“Some sport bright red, blue, or yellow edges, edges painted with patterns or coats of arms, or speckled edges made by strategically flinging paint at them. As time marches on, we begin to see marbled edges – made by suspending paint on a bath of viscous fluid and dipping the book’s edges into it – and shining gilt edges,” said Alvis of the evolution of the design.

Because we appreciated art and beauty more back then, right? Well, there were other reasons, too.

“All of these techniques were decorative, yes, but they served another purpose: to disguise how grungy a book’s edges could get! In the days of fireplaces and oil lamps, the soot and gunk in the air tended to settle on the tops of books. As that became less of an issue, the decoration remained, in part because that’s just how people expected books to look.”

Alvis says hidden fore-edge painting emerged in the late 18th century as a novelty and became popular in the 19th century. In fact, artists are still creating them, and Alvis suspects artisans of the past would want to get in on the action.

“The difference in historic decorated edges and those of today boils down to aesthetics and technology. I think if you handed a 17th-century bookbinder an airbrush, they would’ve been psyched! They may not have created the incredibly detailed and realistic designs we see on modern sprayed edges, but they would’ve gone hog wild with acanthus leaves and heraldry.

“It’s exciting to me the sheer variety of sprayed edge decorations that are out there, and I love how well they thematically fit with the books they adorn. Many 19th-century hidden fore-edge paintings are bucolic scenes that have little to do with the plot of the book, aside from maybe their geographic location, so it’s awesome to see dragons and swords and moon phases that harken back to the plot.”

And as for the future, Alvis thinks the current wave of edge work may just be the beginning – or a rebooting – of tried-and-true bookmaking efforts.

“I think the next frontier of modern book edge decoration is bringing back hidden fore-edge paintings,” they said.

“Sprayed edges are cool, but who can resist the delight of revealing a secret hidden in plain sight?”

The section of Orion Road washed out by heavy rain and flooding on July 16 has been repaired. The road reopened late Monday, according to county road commission officials.

The July 16 storm dumped more than five inches of rain on parts of northeast Oakland County, and washed away part of Orion Road at Dutton Road, on the Rochester Hills/Oakland Township border.

The road commission fixed the road by Aug. 4, including repairing an underground culvert. But Consumers Energy repairs were more complicated, according to road commission officials.

The repaired road has been repaved; a new guardrail installed and new pavement markings were added.

“We appreciate the public’s patience as we worked to make emergency repairs to this road following the unexpected flooding,” said Dennis Kolar, the road commission’s managing director. “We know this was an inconvenience and we and the utility companies did everything we could to get the work done as quickly as possible.”

Picture modern beer, and you likely imagine a brew that’s beautifully bright and clear, shimmering in the sunshine through a pint glass. Then came the hazy IPA and hazy pale ale. Today, a sizeable percentage of craft beer is no longer see-through, with hazies continuing to dominate beer-bar tap handles.

They’re joined, of course, by dark beers, porters, stouts, doppelbocks and others that have remained impenetrably opaque, plus several styles of beer that are usually unfiltered, such as kellerbiers, gose, Belgian wits, saisons and others. But they still represent a minority.

Historically, clear, filtered beers arrived on the scene around the time that transparent glassware rose to prominence. Though glass drinking vessels had been around since the Roman era, it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution made glassware affordable for everyone that they came into wide use.

At the same time, advances in brewing technology created filtering systems and other methods to efficiently make beer crystal-clear. This combination of innovations created the pilsner experience, which quickly became the most popular beer in the world after it debuted in 1842.

With yeast: the hefeweizen

One key exception to modern, clear beer is the hefeweizen. A style that originated in Germany, the word “hefe” means yeast, and so the hefeweizen is an unfiltered wheat (“weizen”) beer in which the yeast remains visible in the beer, giving it a cloudy appearance.

You may have heard about the Reinheitsgebot, a Bavarian law from 1516 that made it illegal to brew beer with anything other than water, barley and hops (they didn’t count yeast at that point). One reason for this law was to reserve wheat and rye for making bread and to keep loaves affordable.

Eventually the law was relaxed, and brewers were free to include wheat, though usually no more than half. By the early 1870s, brewers like Schneider Weisse — still making wheat beers today — pioneered the first modern hefeweizens.

The wheat gives the beer a silky-smooth mouth-feel and makes it very easy to drink, ideal for a hot August day, while the yeast gives the beer its distinctive notes of cloves and banana, often with a slight bubble-gum undertone. Hefeweizens are also fairly complex, and many will impart hints of nutmeg, vanilla or a whiff of light smokiness. It’s a combination that doesn’t sound like it should taste good, but it really works.

So hefeweizens are wheat beers, but not all wheat beers are hefeweizens. And it’s that banana and clove character that makes them unique. Germans also make a clear, filtered version of a hefeweizen, known as a kristallweizen, though they’re often hard to find. Filtering out the yeast to make the beer clear also strips the beer of a lot of its flavor, so most people seem to prefer the original hazy version.

Another feature of hefeweizens is their big, pillowy heads, often accentuated by being served in a very tall Weizen glass, which is narrow at the bottom and wider at the top to promote generous froth.

Hefeweizens also pair with a variety of lighter dishes, like salads and seafood, but also stand up to spicier food well, too. They’re also great with goat cheese, chicken or pork, and even pretzels.

American hefeweizen

Naturally, early American craft brewers came up with their own version of hefeweizens. To differentiate themselves, brothers Rob and Kurt Widmer decided to make German-style beers since almost everybody else in 1984 was focusing on English ales.

Their first beer was another obscure German beer called Alt (and older local beer lovers may remember the popular St. Stan’s Amber Alt), but it was their third beer that put them on the map.

Since they only had one kind of yeast in the brewery, they used that to make their Widmer Hefeweizen, and in the process created the American hefeweizen as a separate style. It’s cloudy, like its German cousin, but does not have the signature clove and banana notes. So it remains as refreshing as a typical hefeweizen with a more neutral palate. That’s also why it’s often served with a slice of lemon, to add some additional flavor complexity.

Many craft breweries brew a hefeweizen these days, often as their lightest offering, in both the Bavarian or American style. It’s an excellent choice if you’re looking for something easy-drinking and thirst-quenching. They’re also full-flavored without being too full-bodied.

That makes them the original hazy and the perfect beer to enjoy over the summer.

By Daniel Chang and Sam Whitehead, Kaiser Health News

MIAMI — GOP lawmakers in the 10 states that refused the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion for over a decade have argued their conservative approach to growing government programs would pay off in the long run.

Instead, the Republican-passed budget law that includes many of President Donald Trump’s priorities will pose at least as big a burden on patients and hospitals in the expansion holdout states as in the 40 states that have extended Medicaid coverage to more low-income adults, hospital executives and other officials warn.

For instance, Georgia, with a population of just over 11 million, will see as many people lose insurance coverage sold through ACA marketplaces as will California, with more than triple the population, according to estimates by KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.

The new law imposes additional paperwork requirements on Obamacare enrollees, slashes the time they have each year to sign up, and cuts funding for navigators who help them shop for plans. Those changes, all of which will erode enrollment, are expected to have far more impact in states like Florida and Texas than in California because a higher proportion of residents in non-expansion states are enrolled in ACA plans.

The budget law, which Republicans called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” will cause sweeping changes to health care across the country as it trims federal spending on Medicaid by more than $1 trillion over the next decade. The program covers more than 71 million people with low incomes and disabilities. Ten million people will lose coverage over the next decade due to the law, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

Many of its provisions are focused on the 40 states that expanded Medicaid under the ACA, which added millions more low-income adults to the rolls. But the consequences are not confined to those states. A proposal from conservatives to cut more generous federal payments for people added to Medicaid by the ACA expansion didn’t make it into the law.

“Politicians in non-expansion states should be furious about that,” said Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

The number of people losing coverage could accelerate in non-expansion states if enhanced federal subsidies for Obamacare plans expire at the end of the year, driving up premiums as early as January and adding to the rolls of uninsured. KFF estimates as many as 2.2 million people could become uninsured just in Florida, a state where lawmakers refused to expand Medicaid and, partly as a result, now leads the nation in ACA enrollment.

For people like Francoise Cham of Miami, who has Obamacare coverage, the Republican policy changes could be life-altering.

Before she had insurance, the 62-year-old single mom said she would donate blood just to get her cholesterol checked. Once a year, she’d splurge for a wellness exam at Planned Parenthood. She expects to make about $28,000 this year and currently pays about $100 a month for an ACA plan to cover herself and her daughter, and even that strains her budget.

Cham choked up describing the “safety net” that health insurance has afforded her — and at the prospect of being unable to afford coverage if premiums spike at the end of the year.

“Obamacare has been my lifesaver,” she said.

If the enhanced ACA subsidies aren’t extended, “everyone will be hit hard,” said Cindy Mann, a health policy expert with Manatt Health, a consulting and legal firm, and a former deputy administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“But a state that hasn’t expanded Medicaid will have marketplace people enrolling at lower income levels,” she said. “So, a greater share of residents are reliant on the marketplace.”

Though GOP lawmakers may try to cut Medicaid even more this year, for now the states that expanded Medicaid largely appear to have made a smart decision, while states that haven’t are facing similar financial pressures without any upside, said health policy experts and hospital industry observers.

KFF Health News reached out to the governors of the 10 states that have not fully expanded Medicaid to see if the budget legislation made them regret that decision or made them more open to expansion. Spokespeople for Republican Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia did not indicate whether their states are considering Medicaid expansion.

Brandon Charochak, a spokesperson for McMaster’s office, said South Carolina’s Medicaid program focuses on “low-income children and families and disabled individuals,” adding, “The state’s Medicaid program does not anticipate a large impact on the agency’s Medicaid population.”

Enrollment in ACA marketplace plans nationwide has more than doubled since 2020 to 24.3 million. If enhanced subsidies expire, premiums for Obamacare coverage would rise by more than 75% on average, according to an analysis by KFF. Some insurers are already signaling they plan to charge more.

The CBO estimates that allowing enhanced subsidies to expire will increase the number of people without health insurance by 4.2 million by 2034, compared with a permanent extension. That would come on top of the coverage losses caused by Trump’s budget law.

“That is problematic and scary for us,” said Eric Boley, president of the Wyoming Hospital Association.

He said his state, which did not expand Medicaid, has a relatively small population and hasn’t been the most attractive for insurance providers — few companies currently offer plans on the ACA exchange — and he worried any increase in the uninsured rate would “collapse the insurance market.”

As the uninsured rate rises in non-expansion states and the budget law’s Medicaid cuts loom, lawmakers say state funds will not backfill the loss of federal dollars, including in states that have refused to expand Medicaid.

Those states got slightly favorable treatment under the law, but it’s not enough, said Grace Hoge, press secretary for Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat who favors Medicaid expansion but who has been rebuffed by GOP state legislators.

“Kansans’ ability to access affordable health care will be harmed,” Hoge said in an email. “Kansas, nor our rural hospitals, will not be able to make up for these cuts.”

For hospital leaders in other states that have refused full Medicaid expansion, the budget law poses another test by limiting financing arrangements states leveraged to make higher Medicaid payments to doctors and hospitals.

Beginning in 2028, the law will reduce those payments by 10 percentage points each year until they are closer to what Medicare pays.

Richard Roberson, president of the Mississippi Hospital Association, said the state’s use of what’s called directed payments in 2023 helped raise its Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals and other health institutions from $500 million a year to $1.5 billion a year. He said higher rates helped Mississippi’s rural hospitals stay open.

“That payment program has just been a lifeline,” Roberson said.

The budget law includes a $50 billion fund intended to insulate rural hospitals and clinics from its changes to Medicaid and the ACA. But a KFF analysis found it would offset only about one-third of the cuts to Medicaid in rural areas.

Trump encouraged Florida, Tennessee and Texas to continue refusing Medicaid expansion in his first term, when his administration gave them an unusual 10-year extension for financing programs known as uncompensated care pools, which generate billions of dollars to pay hospitals for treating the uninsured, said Allison Orris, director of Medicaid policy for the left-leaning think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

“Those were very clearly a decision from the first Trump administration to say, ‘You get a lot of money for an uncompensated care pool instead of expanding Medicaid,’” she said.

Those funds are not affected by Trump’s new tax-and-spending law. But they do not help patients the way insurance coverage would, Orris said. “This is paying hospitals, but it’s not giving people health care,” she said. “It’s not giving people prevention.”

States such as Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi have not only turned down the additional federal funding that Medicaid expansion brings, but most of the remaining non-expansion states spend less than the national average per Medicaid enrollee, provide fewer or less generous benefits, and cover fewer categories of low-income Americans.

Mary Mayhew, president of the Florida Hospital Association, said the state’s Medicaid program does not adequately cover children, older people and people with disabilities because reimbursement rates are too low.

“Children don’t have timely access to dentists,” she said. “Expectant moms don’t have access nearby to an OB-GYN. We’ve had labor and delivery units close in Florida.”

She said the law will cost states more in the long run.

“The health care outcomes for the individuals we serve will deteriorate,” Mayhew said. “That’s going to lead to higher cost, more spending, more dependency on the emergency department.”

---

(KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.)

©2025 Kaiser Health News. Visit khn.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.