President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden plan this weekend to attend a fundraiser hosted by Hollywood elites that is likely to make L.A.’s notoriously bad traffic even worse — but authorities have yet to offer advanced warning to help motorists avoid the expected road closures.
The First Couple plans to address prominent donors supporting Biden’s reelection bid for 2024 at an undisclosed location on Friday. Notable hosts for the event include directors Steven Spielberg and Rob Reiner.
Biden is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles via Los Angeles International Airport on Friday for a two-day visit, departing on Sunday at an undisclosed time.
“For security reasons, there is no advance announcement to the public regarding ramp closures related to a visit by a U.S. president or vice president,” said Caltrans spokesperson Marc Bischoff. “The LAPD or other enforcement personnel make rolling closures at ramps along a motorcade route, with no advance announcement to the public.”
Bischoff recommends that motorists check traffic information, including the Caltrans website, prior to leaving for their destination.
In June, Los Angeles hosted Biden and leaders from the Western Hemisphere for the ninth Summit of the Americas, an event that also created traffic headaches for motorists for six days in downtown L.A. and near Los Angeles International Airport.
Airport officials have confirmed that Van Nuys and Burbank airports will remain open during the president’s visit but will implement temporary flight restrictions. A representative from Burbank noted that flight restrictions would be in effect Saturday and Sunday.
Although officials did not confirm whether these restrictions were in response to the president’s visit, the precautions align with his scheduled time in Los Angeles.
In an abrupt shift of plans, California’s annual holiday tree lighting at the Capitol was postponed a day and moved online, a change state officials attributed to potential protests.
The event had been planned as a public gathering Tuesday night but was rescheduled to a pre-recorded, virtual ceremony that will be streamed Wednesday evening, according to a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
“As we continue to see protests across the country impacting the safety of events of all scales — and for the safety and security of all participating members and guests including children and families — the ceremony this year will be virtual,” a spokesperson for the governor’s office said in a statement.
It wasn’t immediately clear which protests were a concern or whether there were any threats, but KCRA reported that the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights had planned a protest and march to the Capitol for California’s 92nd annual tree lighting. The group’s Instagram promoted a rally for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip during the original in-person event, calling for “no celebrations while silent on genocide.”
About 200 people protested outside the Capitol on Tuesday evening despite the cancellation of the in-person ceremony, KCRA reported.
“He has chosen to keep [the tree lighting] behind closed doors with select people only and not enjoy it with the public,” Makeez Sawez, a member of Youth for Palestine and an organizer of Tuesday’s rally, told KCRA. “Our goal was originally to come and have conversations and have the governor see us.”
Newsom has largely followed President Biden’s pro-Israel stance; in October, he visited Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Israelis who were injured in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. California sent medical aid to Israel, though Newsom said officials were also working to do so for Gaza.
Earlier this week, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted New York’s tree lighting ceremony, with some demonstrators clashing with police. Other ceremonies across the country, including in Boston and Seattle, have also seen protests, though no issues were reported in those cities.
Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, joined by honored guest 5-year-old Harley Goodpasture, will now light the 60-foot red fir tree in a streamed video shared Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Harley is the first Native American child to assist with the annual ceremony, the governor’s office said. Her presence will also continue the state’s tradition that the governor’s special guest is chosen from one of the Department of Developmental Services’ nonprofit regional centers, which provide local services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ornaments for this year’s tree were made by people with disabilities from across the state’s 21 regional centers.
Harley’s parents, Season and James Goodpasture, founded Acorns to Oak Trees, the first service provider utilized by a regional center on tribal land.
Despite the new schedule and shift to a virtual event, the ceremony will be otherwise unchanged, officials said, and will still feature the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir and the Wilton Rancheria.
“The Big Bang” is Fortnite’s first live event that’s teased to bring about a “new beginning” for the game, according to developer Epic Games.
The event is the end to Fortnite OG’s schedule of rotating maps from Chapter 1, which itself ended with a “black hole” event that introduced a new Chapter and series of major additions.
“The Big Bang” appears to be a nod to this finale, and is rumored to introduce some similarly game-changing features — all ushered in by a musical appearance by Eminem. Here’s everything we know, and what time the live event begins in your time zone.
Fortnite live event start time: When does the ‘The Big Bang’ event begin?
Update (Dec. 2, 2:10 p.m. ET): “The Big Bang” event is technically happening now (from 2 p.m. ET), but for those still queuing to enter the game, don’t fret; developer Epic Games is running two more shows today to meet demand. The timings of these are unknown, but we’d recommend waiting until you’ve gained access to the lobby, then holding tight for the performance to begin.
Well that escalated quickly. Whether you’re in the lobby or in a queue, fear not!
We’ll be adding two more showings of The Big Bang after the 2pm ET show.
Original story: Fortnite’s “The Big Bang” live event starts on Saturday, Dec. 2, at the following times:
11 a.m. PST for the West Coast of North America
2 p.m. EST for the East Coast of North America
7 p.m. GMT for the U.K.
8 p.m. CEST for west mainland Europe
4 a.m. JST in Japan (Dec. 3)
Matchmaking for modes made by Epic — including Battle Royale and Zero Build — will go offline two hours before the prior times, paving the way for the live event to take center stage.
You can join the “The Big Bang” event itself 30 minutes before it begins — at 1:30 p.m. EST, or your local equivalent — which we’d recommend doing in case capacity is limited, as has been the case with Fortnite events in the past. In other words, it’s best to arrive early to avoid disappointment!
The live event can be accessed from all versions of the game, including streamed versions via services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming, if you don’t happen to be at your console or PC at the time.
What can we expect from Fortnite’s ‘The Big Bang’ event?
Teasers and leaks for “The Big Bang” suggests hybrid of a Fortnite seasonal finale — which feature an interactive experience which concludes the season and tees up a new storyline — and Fortnite’s concerts, which Eminem is confirmed to feature. As such, those attending the event will receive an exclusive Loading Screen for taking part to commemorate the performance:
Image: Epic Games
Beyond that, details are thin on the ground. Fortnite leakers such as ShiinaBR on Twitter / X are being respectful of spoilers and are keeping specifics to themselves, with the tease that it’s “NOT just a concert.” So what else can we expect?
People are freaking out, so here’s my first and final event leak:
This live event is NOT just a concert, not at all.
For one, the teaser image for the event features a llama, a creature that’s been a Fortnite staple since the Battle Royale mode’s debut. However, this is thought to be linked to a crafting mode in collaboration with LEGO, which has been teased on social media in the weeks leading to the event.
The microphone and guitar in the teaser image, meanwhile, is believed to be tied to a new “Festival” mode. These new modes, plus a Rocket League-inspired “Rocket Racing” mode, are suggested to be rolled out within the first week of Chapter 5, which will go live in the day or two of the live event. This also lines up with the cryptic mention of “new rules” in an official teaser:
A galaxy is a container of worlds that abide by its own set of rules. Galaxies unknown leave opportunity for new rules.
How exactly these modes will appear as part of the event is unknown, but with a huge number of eyeballs watching this season finale, it’s the perfect place to promote them.
Fortnite will release THREE new modes a few days after Chapter 5 drops!
– LEGO Fortnite: December 7 – Rocket Racing: December 8 – Fortnite Festival: December 9
Either way, when the “The Big Bang” concludes, expect a period of downtime. With these rumored new modes and possible other features on the way, we won’t be playing again until sometime on Sunday, or even Monday.
In the meantime, if you’re looking to unlock this season’s Battle Pass skins before they disappear for good, we recommend finding gnome locations for some easy bonus XP.
Billed as the “The Great Red State vs. Blue State Debate,” the event moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity averaged 4.75 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.
The number was more than double the November average for “Hannity,” which was 2.3 million viewers, as the debate pulled in people who do not typically watch his nightly diatribes against liberals and the Biden administration. The figure also accounted for 73% of the viewers watching cable news in the 9 p.m time slot.
The event faced stiff competition, up against a close, high-scoring “Thursday Night Football” contest between the Dallas Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks streaming on Amazon, and the finale of “The Golden Bachelor” on ABC, the most-watched TV program of the night.
The highly anticipated match-up staged in a suburb outside Atlanta was unusual for TV news, with DeSantis, a contender for the 2024 Republican nomination for president, facing off against a sitting governor who has repeatedly stated he is not running for national office.
Newsom, a leading surrogate for the Democratic party, was also entering an arena where the moderator, Hannity, was clearly aligned politically with DeSantis.
Despite the efforts of Hannity to keep order — he pleaded on and off the air with both participants to not talk over each other — the 90-minute event became chaotic at times, making it difficult for viewers to understand either of them.
The questions offered up by the conservative host were mostly built around unfavorable comparisons of California to Florida on issues such as crime, handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness and gasoline prices, and put Newsom on the defense for much of the evening.
But Newsom entered the showdown with nothing to lose, as he is insistent he will not be Democratic candidate for president in 2024, despite chatter in right-wing circles. He largely used his time to defend the performance of President Biden’s administration while getting exposure in front of a national audience that may not have been familiar with him.
When Hannity served up a question stating emphatically that Biden was in cognitive decline, Newsom shot back that he will “take Joe Biden at 100 versus Ron DeSantis any day of the week at any age.”
DeSantis needed the event to ignite his flagging presidential campaign, as he badly trails former President Trump in polls and has fallen behind former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley in some primary states.
DeSantis used props in his presentation, including a very brown map that depicted the volume of human fecal matter on the streets of San Francisco, where Newsom was once mayor.
Fox News used clips of the debate on its Friday opinion programs, touting it as a win for DeSantis, who up to now has failed to catch fire with the network’s audience.
“This was a victory of conservatism over liberalism,” said Kaleigh McEnany, the former Trump White House press secretary who is now a co-host of the Fox News daytime show “Outnumbered.”
But McEnany said Newsom, whom she described as “sharp,” cannot be written off as a political competitor.
“Watch out for him, because he’s coming if not in ‘24, in ‘28,” she said.
Jewish activist groups organized a rally that shut down the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue on Wednesday, a move of civil disobedience as they advocated for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Protesters gather at De Longpre Park in Los Angeles on Wednesday before marching to Hollywood.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
Hundreds attended the protest, most of them wearing black. The Los Angeles Police Department said at about 5:30 p.m. that traffic was closed around the demonstration, with protesters sitting in the intersection.
Hollywood Boulevard was shut down between Orange Drive and Las Palmas Avenue, while Highland Avenue was closed from Franklin Place to Sunset Boulevard.
The rally was co-organized by the groups IfNotNow and Jewish Voices for Peace, both of which are urging a ceasefire in Gaza. Participants at the event were holding signs reading, “Jews say no to genocide,” and chanting, “Rain or shine, Free Palestine!” amid Wednesday’s rainstorm.
The event began in De Longpre Park in Los Angeles at 2:30 p.m., with participants gathering before marching to the intersection in the heart of Hollywood.
By 7:50 p.m., the protesters had cleared the intersection, and traffic had resumed. No arrests were made as a result of the event.
“The Demonstration was peaceful and participants have cleared the scene,” LAPD posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Thank you for your patience.”
Somber protesters in black gather Wednesday at De Longpre Park. Jewish activist groups organized the rally demanding a cease-fire in Gaza.
(Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
Although the Hollywood protest proceeded without incident, a similar protest advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza that was happening concurrently outside the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., did not. The Washington rally erupted into violence Wednesday night, with Capitol police tussling with and arresting participants. Members of both IfNotNow and Jewish Voices for Peace were reported to be among those in attendance.
Crouching at the entrance of San Francisco City Hall, Jason Jacobs brushed gold paint onto the ornate doorway of the Beaux-Arts building.
“Whether I paint the gates or not, they’re gonna get their breath taken away,” said Jacobs, a San Francisco native who often marvels at the stunning architecture.
Fresh paint. Street cleanings. Homeless sweeps. Colorful art. Workers like Jacobs beautified the city, days before politicians, executives and journalists from around the world descend on San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference. From Saturday to Nov. 17, the international event is expected to bring more than 20,000 people to the city and attract thousands of protesters.
APEC is made up of 21 member economies, including the U.S., China, Japan, Russia and Canada. The members account for nearly 50% of global trade and 40% of the global population, giving the U.S. a big platform to promote policies that advance free and open trade in the Asia-Pacific region.
A highly anticipated meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the summit could also help ease tensions between the two countries.
The stakes are high for the U.S. but also for San Francisco, which is hosting the APEC summit for the first time. It’s the biggest gathering of world leaders in San Francisco since 1945, when representatives from 50 nations signed a charter that established the United Nations.
The global spotlight will shine on a city filled with stark contrasts — home to billion-dollar tech companies and streets lined with homeless encampments.
“You can go to the deepest, darkest parts of the Tenderloin or you can go to the top of the Hyatt Regency,” said Jacobs, a painter at City Hall.
Blocks away from the Moscone Center, where the summit’s main events will be held, Christie Palominos sorted through her belongings. Palominos said she’s trying to figure out what she wants to keep before she moves into permanent housing. Piles of clothing, a shopping cart, bags, coloring books and a variety of objects surround her.
Christie Palominos, 47, sorts through her belongings blocks away from the Moscone Center, where main events for the APEC summit are scheduled to be held.
(Queenie Wong/Los Angeles Times)
Palominos, 47, didn’t know world leaders would be in town, but she said one of her homeless friends has been asked by the same police officer to move multiple times.
“They’re clearing out the homeless people because they don’t want them to see this,” she said.
Grappling with family issues, drug addiction and mental health problems, Palominos said she’s been hopping among San Francisco homeless shelters for more than a year. It’s not easy for homeless people to find a spot in a shelter.
“Usually I stay as long as I can, but it’s kind of hard because there are certain people who pick on you. They think they’re better than you,” said Palominos, who has a bruise under her eye and a bandage wrapped around a bloody finger.
On the streets, Palominos said she’s seen traumatic acts of violence like a shooting and stabbing. Struggling with addiction to crystal meth, Palominos said she’s been clean for five days.
“Walk a day in my shoes,” she said. “I guarantee that some of these rich people who walk around in these high-rises wouldn’t survive.”
Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition for Homelessness, said her organization has been hearing about more homeless encampment sweeps ahead of the international conference. With shelters seeing spaces already filling up or limiting openings, Friedenbach said it’s “really frustrating” because the city is just displacing groups of homeless people when they’re moved around. Instead, advocacy groups were hoping for more temporary housing for the homeless during the conference.
“They want to clean up the city’s image and use this conference as a way to draw back tourism,” she said. “These efforts never work because folks don’t have disappearing power. People are out there because there’s not enough housing. There’s not enough shelter.”
In 2022, 7,754 people experienced homelessness in San Francisco. About 43% or 3,357 were staying in shelters, according to city data.
Homelessness has been a contentious issue in San Francisco. In December, a federal judge temporarily blocked the city from clearing certain homeless encampments without offering shelter. The court order stemmed from a 2022 lawsuit the Coalition on Homelessness filed against San Francisco, alleging that city workers are trying to drive homeless people out of town and are seizing and destroying their property “with the express purpose of removing visible signs of homelessness from San Francisco’s street.” The city is still allowed to clear streets for emergencies, health and safety reasons and to temporarily clean.
Emily Cohen, deputy director for communications and legislative affairs at the San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, said in an email the city isn’t expanding shelter capacity just for the summit but did set aside funding to add roughly 300 shelter beds as winter approaches.
The Interfaith Winter Shelter, which has a site at Natoma and 8th streets, is scheduled to be open during the summit and the city is expanding shelter capacity at three adult congregate shelters, she said.
“When our community hosts events, like APEC, we want to put our best foot forward,” she said.
That hasn’t stopped Republicans from holding up San Francisco as an example for what happens when Democratic politicians are in charge. In June, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, shot a campaign ad that portrayed San Francisco as city that has “collapsed because of leftist policies.”
“We came in here, and we saw people defecating on the street,” said DeSantis, standing next to a graffiti-sprayed buildings. “We saw people using heroin. We saw people smoking crack cocaine, and you look around, the city is not vibrant anymore. It’s really collapsed because of leftist policies.”
The city has been struggling to recover from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, when San Francisco grappled with office and business closures partly due to government-mandated shutdowns that affected a vibrant downtown filled with retailers, restaurants and bars.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said in a press conference Thursday that the tattered urban images people see on social media about San Francisco capture a snapshot in time in certain neighborhoods, ignoring the rest of the picturesque city.
“I see a lot of beauty all over San Francisco…,” she said. “My hope is that people will have the opportunity to experience San Francisco for themselves and tell the whole story.”
The skyline of downtown San Francisco with the Golden Gate bridge.
(Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Later in the day, Breed and Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new plant nursery and education center in the Soma neighborhood.
Newsom, who met China’s president last month, said before a big event like the APEC summit everything’s got to “get dialed up” just like when people clean up their house before they have visitors.
“This place is beloved and its best days are in front of it, not behind it,” he said. “And all those doomsdayers. All those negative folks. You know what? They haven’t offered anything.”
Still, business closings have also heightened fears about the future of downtown San Francisco. Major retailers including Nordstrom, T-Mobile, Whole Foods and Anthropologie have left amid concerns about less foot traffic, sluggish sales and safety. The pandemic also fueled more online shopping, which meant people didn’t feel the need to visit stores as often. Still, businesses such as Ikea, are also opening new stores in San Francisco and artificial-intelligence startups have been flocking to the city.
San Francisco Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rodney Fong said cities are re-imagining what their urban centers feel like as technology changes the way people work. With APEC expected to generate $53 million for the local economy, according to the San Francisco Travel Assn., businesses throughout the city also have an opportunity to rope in more sales.
“This is a really important moment for San Francisco and we’re really looking forward to showcasing all the innovations,” Fong said.
Ahead of the conference, the Webster Street pedestrian bridge, which was once light gray, is now freshly painted red in Japantown. Two new decorative crosswalks were being installed in Chinatown and North Beach. The green grime that once covered the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, located near the conference, is gone.
On a sunny day before the summit, workers washed the streets and placed new grass at the Yerba Buena Gardens because of heavy use over the summer. A green fence, scheduled to be removed Tuesday, wrapped around the park with a sign that read “Improvements in Progress.”
At the Moscone Center, some of the city’s most picturesque spots are on signs about the event. The Palace of Fine Arts. City Hall. The Golden Gate Bridge, next to blue water and a sandy beach. “APEC is going to be EPIC,” one sign reads.
Longtime San Francisco natives like Jacobs can’t envision living anywhere else.
Pokémon Go is hosting its yearly Día de Muertos event, bringing out Pokémon wearing special cempasúchil crowns on Nov. 1 and 2.
Throughout the event, candy obtained from catching Pokémon will be doubled and both Incense and lures will last for 90 minutes instead of 30 minutes. Cubone wearing a cempasúchil crown will also be available for the first time. (And yes, both costumed Cubone and Duskull can be shiny.)
You can see all the perks of the Pokémon Go Día de Muertos 2023 event below.
Pokémon Go Día de Muertos 2023 event Field Research and rewards
Spinning PokéStops during the event period may net you one of the following Field Research Tasks:
Make a great throw (Sunkern encounter)
Make a nice curveball throw (Drifloon encounter)
Make 3 great curveball throws in a row (Cubone [Cempasúchil Crown] encounter)
Win a gym battle (Alolan Marowak encounter)
Pokémon Go Día de Muertos 2023 event boosted spawns
The following Pokémon will spawn more frequently during the event:
Cubone (Cempasúchil Crown)
Sunkern
Sableye
Roselia
Duskull (Cempasúchil Crown)
Drifloon
Yamask
Litwick
Phantump
Image: Niantic
Pokémon Go Día de Muertos 2023 event boosted Incense spawns
Using Incense will net you the Pokémon below more frequently:
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s trip to China was many things: A test of his skill in climate diplomacy. An opportunity to burnish his political image on the world stage. A demonstration of the risks of the indulgent photo op.
That danger played out during a visit to a school in Beijing on Friday where Newsom knocked a child down after stumbling while shooting hoops. They both fell to the ground and quickly sat up. Newsom patted the boy on the back several times before giving him a hug and asking if he was OK.
It was a cringey moment for the Democratic governor but didn’t cause injuries. Newsom, in dress shoes, a white shirt and slacks, proceeded to play with the 9- and 10-year-old children for several more minutes, spinning the basketball on his fingertip and swishing a few times.
Then the governor’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, stepped onto the court and took a few shots herself. The Newsoms handed out California-themed pins to the kids and moved on to visit a painting class and a school garden.
The school visit was meant to highlight Siebel Newsom’s interest in farm-to-school programs. In California, she works to get more fresh food into school meals through partnerships with local farms. The visit to the Beijing school was one stop on a jam-packed agenda in which Newsom visited five cities in seven days and met with President Xi Jinping.
Many of his events were formulaic meetings with government officials to discuss economic development and clean energy — important work toward his goal of advancing partnerships to thwart climate change, but not particularly photogenic. Other events were clearly designed as visual spectacles meant to enhance Newsom’s image as a leader.
In one case, Newsom’s office sent out a picture of him standing on the Great Wall wearing aviator-style sunglasses and a pensive expression as he looks toward the sun. The glamour shot quickly set the internet aflame with memes of Newsom in the same pensive pose with various fake backdrops. Among them: the Oval Office and a homeless encampment.
Newsom’s penchant for splashy photos emerged early in his political career when, as mayor of San Francisco in 2004, he and his then-wife Kimberly Guilfoyle posed for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. Newsom’s arms were wrapped around Guilfoyle as they lay on an opulent rug in the home of the wealthy Getty family. The image has endured over the years as a visual punchline for Newsom’s critics.
A very different photo from Newsom’s days as mayor re-emerged this week while he was in China. The mayor of Shanghai began a meeting with Newsom by presenting him with a framed photo of his visit to Shanghai in the early 2000s. Newsom was in a schoolyard, shooting hoops with local students.
Thousands of people waving the black, green, red and white Palestinian flag and chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” gathered at Pershing Square on Saturday afternoon to protest Israel’s escalating air and ground war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The event began with a series of speakers who decried the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Israeli bombing attacks since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched their bloody incursion into Israel, and called for an end to what they termed an Israeli occupation of the densely populated enclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
The crowd then began marching slowly down the middle of 6th Street, attracting hundreds more people who had arrived to show their support by joining the event led by groups that included the Palestinian Youth Movement, an independent, grassroots organization of Palestinian and Arab youths.
Demonstrators carry a gigantic black, green, red and white Palestinian flag in showing their support for Palestinians at Pershing Square in downtown L.A. on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Among them was Salah Odeh, of Pasadena, who said he was supposed to have joined his University of La Verne teammates in a game on Saturday but decided that the situation in his home country is “bigger than football.”
He said it’s imperative that the people of Gaza be given humanitarian aid and that Palestinian fighters receive military assistance in the face of Israel’s bombing campaign in recent weeks.
“People are offering their prayers, and that’s good — but we need physical help. We need military assistance,” said Odeh, who wore a black-and-white keffiyeh on his head, a Palestinian flag around his neck like a cape, and a pro-Palestine shirt and necklaces.
Gaza, he added, “is an open-air prison where everyone has been given the death penalty simply because they are Palestinian.”
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march down 6th Street in downtown L.A. on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Many of the demonstrators were heartened by the size of Saturday’s protest, which they view as an indication that younger generations are rejecting media narratives that they say unfairly seem to portray all Palestinian people as terrorists.
Negar Mizani, of Los Angeles, was accompanied by her husband and 3-year-old daughter in their third street demonstration since the war erupted on Oct. 7 with an attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
She shared an impassioned plea. “We would like for the Israeli apartheid to end — and a cease-fire,” she said. “It’s about recognition of the humanity of the people of Gaza.”
Nearby, Roy Nashef, of Los Angeles, held up a sign calling on the media to differentiate between Hamas and the residents of Gaza. “I’m just here to grieve with everyone else,” he said.
The war has led protesters on both sides to take to the streets across California and around the world.
A week ago, thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles, then began marching down Hill Street chanting and carrying signs denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “war criminal.”
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered two weeks earlier near the Israeli Consulate in West L.A. to condemn the bombardment of Gaza.
The next day, thousands marched to the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance in solidarity with Israel. Los Angeles is home to the second-largest Jewish community in America, with more than 500,000 members, and while views on the conflict run the gamut, many have found themselves reeling by the events that have unfolded in recent weeks.
The latest bloodshed began Oct. 7 when Hamas launched its incursion into Israel, killing more than 1,400 people — mostly civilians — and taking more than 200 hostages. Since then, Israel has launched a barrage of airstrikes across Gaza that have destroyed neighborhoods as Hamas militants fire rockets into Israel.
On Saturday, Palestinian officials published the names of 6,747 Palestinians killed and pleaded for help in a humanitarian crisis, with more than 1 million people displaced.
Israeli officials said 230 hostages are still being held in Gaza by Hamas. On Saturday night, Netanyahu said that the military had opened a “second stage” in the war by expanding the bombardment and sending ground troops into Gaza.
Times staff writer Louis Sahagun contributed to this report.
An $18,500 stipend to help pay for graduate school. Student loan forgiveness. Free on-the-job training. All license fees paid. And the chance to serve the under-served — “with dignity.”
“Do Worthwhile Work,” the new marketing campaign of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, highlights these perks on its website in the hope that job candidates will see the benefits of public sector mental health work, and apply.
“Your work can change lives,” the campaign reads. “Leave today better than you found it, LA County DMH has a place for you.”
Many places, in fact: As of mid-September, the agency had a vacancy rate of 28%, with 1,890 vacant positions and just over 4,800 employees, according to county data.
For decades, the department didn’t need marketing campaigns or too many perks to get people to apply for jobs. But in recent years, the largest county mental health department in America has seen a decline in applicants.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for mental health practitioners was already exceeding the supply. Many in California were retiring, and master’s programs and medical schools were not turning out enough therapists, psychologists or psychiatrists to replace retirees, or meet the growing demand, according to recent research on the state’s behavioral health workforce.
If workforce trends continue, California is projected to experience a shortage of 5,000 mental health practitioners by 2026, according to research by consulting firm Mercer.
Cristina Rodriguez, a psychiatric social worker, counsels a client on a video call at the East San Gabriel Valley Mental Health Center.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Demand has only grown as more Americans than ever, struck by the uncertainty and misery brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, sign up for therapy. New therapists who would have traditionally started out in the public sector are being recruited by private companies that offer bonuses, flexible schedules and remote work — and patients who, while still struggling, aren’t unhoused or suffering from acute psychosis made worse by years of life outside.
Internally, the Department of Mental Health still hasn’t recovered from the 18-month countywide hiring freeze, implemented by the Board of Supervisors at the start of the pandemic to save money amid disaster. That left many important administrative positions unfilled. And it can still take months to get hired at the county because of civil service rules that dictate how hiring must be carried out.
Of the 103 people the department hired in August , it took an average of 227 days from the time the candidate submitted an application to when they started their job.
The department’s vacancies have stymied progress in addressing L.A. County’s homelessness crisis as pressure mounts from an impatient public. A lack of workers has meant longer response times from teams who respond to mental health crises called in on the 988 hotline. It has delayed care — in 2021, it took an average of 27 days to see a county psychiatrist in clinic. It has also led to burnout among existing staff, who work longer hours to make up for the lack of new talent, a point supervisors discussed at a recent meeting.
And it’s made implementing changes coming down from Sacramento challenging. On Dec. 1, L.A. County will launch Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court. If they don’t have enough staff hired, they’ll pull people from existing programs until hiring is complete, according to department documents.
“There is no doubt we have two crises — the immense mental health crisis in our communities and the challenge in our own Department of Mental Health to hire enough people to respond to it,” Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn said in a statement. “My vision is that we will have enough mental health professionals to not only be in encampments working with people suffering from mental illness on our streets, but also enough to respond immediately to emergency mental health calls, and hiring has held us back.”
These challenges have forced the Department of Mental Health to get creative.
It has started holding hiring fairs where applicants get offers on the same day they interview. These events have especially targeted hard-to-fill positions — and are showing results.
In the last five months, Hahn said, the mental health department hired 272 people at fairs, including 37 to join its homeless outreach teams and 30 who will respond to emergency mental health calls, which have seen a recent improvement in response times.
These hiring events are like a speed-dating session between employers and applicants. On a recent Thursday at the department’s headquarters in Koreatown, dozens of recent master’s of social work graduates filed into a meeting room to hear elevator pitches from almost 20 mental health clinics.
Each hiring manager briefly explained the benefits of working at their location.
“We’re one of the busiest clinics” in our service area in Willowbrook, one manager said. “What helps in our work is to have purpose and meaning, and you can find it there,” a manager from a Compton clinic said.
A supervisor from a San Pedro clinic said it has “one of the strongest housing programs” in its area. “We like to celebrate,” a manager from a Long Beach clinic said, describing its many potlucks and nacho dinners. “We try to support one another.”
The energy among participants was jovial, a mix of nerves and polite laughter — until a social worker in the audience asked about caseloads.
The supervisor from a Skid Row clinic shot straight. If hired there, she said, they’ll have about 150 clients, which will include patients who come in twice a year for check-ups of their medicine regimen as well as clients in crisis who come in frequently.
“Many of these other clinics have that many [on their caseloads] too,” she added, to polite laughter around the room.
Marina Barrios, a substance abuse counselor, meets with a client at L.A. County’s East San Gabriel Valley Mental Health Center. The county is trying to fill hundreds of mental health positions.
(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Nicole Pyles sat nearby, reminding herself to start breathing again. Pyles, a recent graduate of the USC School of Social Work, had ranked that Skid Row clinic as her No. 1 choice before the event started.
“I thought, ‘Pssh, I got this, I’m not worried about it, I’ve had caseloads as high as 30 people,’ ” said Pyles, 47. “When she said 150 people, I think my heart jumped out of my mouth and was somewhere on the floor.”
Pyles previously worked as a substance abuse counselor, which doesn’t require a master’s degree to get certified and see clients.
But Pyles knew that for many of her clients, their addiction was much more complicated than brain chemicals making them crave a substance. She wanted to get to the root of the problem, namely the trauma fueling their addiction. Such work requires a master’s degree.
Pyles was happy enough, though, working in her last job with pregnant and postpartum clients struggling with substance use disorders.
That was until a client who’d diligently worked with the program for a few months asked for help. The client’s court date to keep custody over her newborn baby had been moved from Monterey Park to the Antelope Valley, and she needed a ride.
Pyles thought she could help with that. Her supervisor, though, told Pyles she was “enabling” this woman and declined the request.
In that moment, Pyles realized she wanted the power to help in a bigger and more meaningful way.
“A friend of mine told me, ‘If you want to make those calls, and you want to be able to make the decisions, you’ve got to get your education,’ ” Pyles said. “And that’s exactly what I did.”
After finishing her master’s at USC, she agreed to work at the downtown Skid Row clinic — committing to the county for a year after accepting an $18,500 stipend. “My goal is to remain at DMH, and move up to leadership,” she said.
These are the kinds of practitioners that Lisa H. Wong, director of the Department of Mental Health, said her department has started to attract.
The department and its contract agencies did take a hit early in the pandemic, when workers across the country reassessed the type of work they wanted.
Wong said when she worked as a clinical supervisor at a facility in Skid Row 15 years ago, she held recruitment events that brought in dozens of candidates who wanted to work there, even though “admittedly [it] is not for everyone.”
Comparatively, about a year and a half ago, when she held a recruitment effort for adult mental health positions across the county, she got just 13 applicants.
But in recent months, Wong said the department has noticed another shift.
“I know I’ve been accused of being an optimist at times, I do think the tide is turning,” Wong said, noting that hiring and promotions have increased 200% this year. “What we’re seeing now is sort of the blessing in disguise of the nationwide staffing shortage — who we’re getting now are those people who are the true believers, the urban missionaries.”
Beyond the hiring fairs, the department is also renewing academic affiliations with graduate programs, which will lead to more internships there, and for the first time, will start recruiting at conferences and campuses out of state.
The department went to recruit at the American Psychological Assn. conference in Washington, D.C., where LGBTQ+ clinicians told county staff they really wanted to move to California because they didn’t feel safe in their home states.
“But alongside that, we had a lot of people say, ‘I would love to move to California, I would love to live in L.A., but I don’t think I can afford it,’ ” Wong said.
Wong said they will focus much of their attention on recruiting at historically Black colleges and universities, bringing current county staff who are alumni to talk about working at the department.
“We need more clinicians who look like our community,” Wong said. “I would love for an African American little boy to be able to meet with a Black psychologist, and know that not only can they open up and have some cultural understanding but also this is somebody he can aspire to be as well.”
Dozens of protesters physically blocked the entrance to the San Fernando Library this week to stop a scheduled drag storytime reading event from taking place.
Videos posted on social media showed a group of about 70 people — some of whom had previously attended similar demonstrations in North Hollywood, Glendale and elsewhere — wearing black-and-white shirts reading, “Leave our kids alone.” They chanted the same slogan through bullhorns while hurling verbal abuse and slurs at the guest reader.
Story hours, during which drag queens read to children at venues such as libraries, schools and bookstores, have drawn fury and condemnation from conservatives and right-wing extremists across the country. Some events have been the subject of anti-LGBTQ+ threats and at times violent confrontations.
Wednesday’s scheduled 30-minute event, which organizers said was intended to promote youth literacy, never took place.
“What was meant to be a celebration of love and inclusion turned into the opposite,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, the event’s host, said in a statement Thursday.
“Protesters claimed they want to keep children safe while pounding on walls, shouting obscenities and slurs toward my staff and library staff, and using strollers to blockade moving vehicles. The hypocrisy is astounding,” Horvath said.
Horvath’s staff said in an email that the supervisor, who was inside the library, did not officially cancel the event. But it did not proceed because demonstrators “blockaded” entrances — denying entry to both library patrons and drag queen Pickle, the guest reader.
Pickle, Los Angeles chapter president of the nonprofit Drag Story Hour, said she parked blocks away from the library “for safety reasons,” anticipating some hostility.
Video footage showed that San Fernando police officers encircled Pickle near the rear entrance. The phalanx moved toward a metal gate but stopped short as some protesters screamed “pervert,” “pedophile” and “disgusting freak” at Pickle.
About six to eight protesters refused to leave the entrance even after police issued a dispersal order, according to Pickle. The San Fernando Police Department did not confirm or deny whether such an order had been given.
The drag performer said she and the police then attempted to move to the front entrance. As they walked, protesters blared car horns, refused to move and positioned nearby tables to block the front entryway, she said.
“At this point, the police weren’t making arrests, they weren’t stopping the mob and they were allowing an unelected group of people to determine who could and who could not access a public building,” Pickle said. “Shame on the San Fernando police.”
Pickle received a text from Horvath’s staff telling her to leave since she was unable to enter the building. After receiving a police escort back to her car, she did so.
“They canceled the event and I can’t believe how they handled the situation,” Pickle said, referring to staff from the library and Horvath’s office. “This goes beyond hurt feelings. This is about civil rights and they shouldn’t have invited me down if they weren’t going to stand up for them.”
Questions emailed to L.A. County Library personnel, who oversee the San Fernando Library, were not immediately answered Thursday.
Pickle said she has attended about 50 drag story hour events, but this was the first canceled in person.
A story hour she was scheduled to appear at in Glendale last spring was canceled ahead of time, and protesters also disrupted another of her storybook hours in Sherman Oaks in April.
San Fernando Police Lt. Pete Aguirre said 10 officers were deployed to the library.
Aguirre said no arrests were made and no assaults or property damage were reported.
Aguirre said protesters began arriving at 10:30 a.m., with most staying until the event was terminated at noon. Others didn’t leave for another hour and engaged with a “small contingent of counter protesters.”
“We weren’t able to get to the venue, but we ensured that the performer was not assaulted in any way and that they were able to leave the venue unharmed,” Aguirre said.
Explore the Telvanni Peninsula and Apocrypha zones to earn bonus rewards during the Secrets of the Telvanni in-game event! Complete the event-specific daily quest, “Turn the Page,” to progress the meter. At the event’s end you’ll unlock additional rewards for you and every other Necrom Chapter owner. Adventure awaits, good luck!
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., September 25, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Get ready for an unforgettable LEGO experience as BrickUniverse, the ultimate LEGO fan event, is coming to the Von Braun Center in Huntsville on November 18th and 19th, 2023. This event promises to be a thrilling adventure for LEGO enthusiasts of all ages.
BrickUniverse is known for its limited number of tickets, and this year is no exception. With the event just around the corner, tickets are currently available for purchase online at Eventbrite for $14.99.
Event Highlights:
Building Zones: Attendees will have the opportunity to let their creativity run wild in dedicated building zones where they can construct the LEGO creations of their dreams. From towering skyscrapers to intricate vehicles, there are no limits to what you can build.
Brick Market: Explore a bustling brick market, where you’ll find an impressive array of LEGO sets, accessories, and collectibles. Whether you’re a seasoned builder or just starting out, there’s something for everyone at the Brick Market.
Professional Artists: Be inspired by the incredible talent of professional LEGO artists from around the country as they showcase their awe-inspiring creations. These artists will demonstrate the endless possibilities of LEGO as an art form.
Event organizer York Beights shared his excitement about bringing BrickUniverse to Huntsville: “We are thrilled to bring BrickUniverse to Huntsville for the first time. LEGO has a special place in the hearts of people of all ages, and this event is a celebration of that passion. It’s not just an event; it’s an opportunity for families and fans to come together, get creative, and be inspired by the endless possibilities of LEGO.”
Event Details:
Date: November 18-19, 2023
Location: Von Braun Center, Huntsville, AL
Show Hours:
Saturday, November 18, 2023
VIP Admission: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM (Last few VIP tickets available!)
General Admission: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM or 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, November 19, 2023
VIP Admission: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
General Admission: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM or 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Don’t miss out on this incredible LEGO adventure. Get your tickets at Eventbrite and be part of the BrickUniverse experience in Huntsville. This is an event you won’t want to miss!
Microsoft, through its Africa Transformation Office (ATO), has announced Xbox Game Studios Game Camp Africa, a two-day conference to recognize and celebrate all game creators across more than 50 diverse countries and regions. The conference will run this year on July 15th and 16th and is open for applications now.
Xbox Game Studios Game Camp is an initiative that unifies various Xbox initiatives under one umbrella where talent is celebrated, and game developers are empowered to pursue their dreams. While the camp, including presentations, panels, and workshops, is available online for all registered campers, Game Camp will also host two walk-in locations for campers during the three days in Microsoft Cairo and Johannesburg. These sites will offer viewing parties, on-site panel sessions and opportunities to meet with Microsoft and Xbox personnel. Furthermore, teams or individuals with games to pitch are encouraged to do so.
Now in its second year and fifth event, the Xbox Game Studios Game Camp program aims to empower creators across the world to realize their potential in the gaming industry through unique learning experiences from industry leaders.
“At Xbox, we’re on a mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to the world’s 3 billion gamers and we recognize that Africa is home to the largest population of youth in the world, many who love to play. In 2019, I attended the opening of our Africa Development Centre and met with tech leaders, educators, and developers from across the region to understand their vision for the future of game creation. Through the inaugural Xbox Game Studios Game Camp Africa, in collaboration with Microsoft’s Africa Transformation Office, we have an opportunity to continue to deepen our relationships with talented developers in region and help African games studios realize their vision and role in the global gaming industry,” said Phil Spencer, CEO, Gaming at Microsoft.
To participate, individuals must be of legal age, reside in any country on the African continent and be studying or working part or full-time in the field of software development, visual arts, 3D, music and audio, web design, narrative design, or professional project management. For the complete list of participation requirements, visit the official site.
“At Microsoft, we are excited to enable African game developers and creators to build faster through access to tools and resources, and to help their games be discovered by players in Africa and around the world. We want to grow strong roots in this significant market for gaming and game development. The ATO and Xbox personnel will also combine efforts to identify game studios to invest in through our Startups acceleration program and venture capital investment partners. I’m looking forward to seeing what innovative concepts this Game Camp produces,” says Wael Elkabbany, Strategic Initiatives Lead for Microsoft CEMA.
Throughout Xbox Game Studios Game Camp Africa on July 15th and 16th this year, participants will join remotely via Microsoft Teams or take part in person at four open-house locations in Cairo, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Nairobi. Xbox personnel and external program partners will facilitate workshops on various game development topics throughout the training. The two full days are themed “The Journey of a Game” and will offer multiple perspectives on the many times complex craft of game development. In addition, there will be significant online learning components to the camp, which will allow participants to engage with focused training modules on topics that align closely with their skills and interests, before and after the event.
The open house provided an opportunity for Tanzanite Support Organization (TSO) to showcase its current projects and engage with members of the community.
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, April 29, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Tanzania, Dar es Salaam -Tanzanite Support Organization (TSO) hosted their first open house event on 25.April.2023, welcoming members of the community to learn more about the organization’s mission and current projects. The event was a huge success, with 57 attendees in attendance.
The open house provided an opportunity for Tanzanite Support Organization (TSO) to showcase its current projects and engage with members of the community. Attendees were able to learn more about the organization’s mission and goals, as well as hear from staff, volunteers and beneficiaries about the impact that Tanzanite Support Organization (TSO) has had on the community.
“We were thrilled to see so many members of the community come out and learn more about Tanzanite Support Organization (TSO),” said Tanzanite Support Organization (TSO) Executive Director, Bahati Chando. “Our goal for this event was to raise awareness about our mission and the work we do, and we’re grateful to everyone who came out to support us.”
Attendees were able to explore the organization’s offices and see firsthand the work being done to support the community. They were also able to speak with staff, volunteers and beneficiaries and ask…
As one of Austin Subaru’s 2023 “pillar partners,” APA! has the opportunity to attend several events hosted or sponsored by the philanthropic company throughout the year!
Ready, Set, Rally was the first of these events, which took place on February 4th. Austin Subaru recently welcomed a “dealership dog” and used this event to welcome Rally to the team!
Taking place just days after one of Austin’s historic winter weather events, this event was welcomed with the warmth of the sunshine and the event hosted 250+ people who were, no doubt, excited to meet Rally and enjoy the sun after several days of navigating ice covering the city.
APA!, along with Austin Subaru’s six other 2023 pillar partners, took the opportunity to connect with event-goers to share more about our organization and how we serve this community. In addition, we hosted a pet adoption!
Several dogs, including Elastigirl and Mr. Bane came out with their fosters to enjoy the event. One of our puppers even found their loving home! Getting to show off our foster dogs is always a ton of fun, but even better when they find their adoptive homes!
We’re looking forward to a full year of partnering with our friends at Austin Subaru and are grateful to be one of their pillar partners!
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., February 9, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Luminaire is pleased to announce the launch of Wentz, the eponymous brand founded by Brazilian designer Guilherme Wentz. To celebrate the partnership, Luminaire is hosting an opening reception and exhibition on February 15 in the Los Angeles showroom entitled “Terra Brasilis,” which explores the inspirations, nuances, and technicalities in the designer’s work. Guilherme Wentz will be present to further discuss his work with those in attendance. In addition to the Los Angeles launch, all Luminaire design experience centers will represent pieces from the Wentz collection.
With a simple and contemporary perspective, Wentz balances the casual and complex in his designs by contrasting the familiar with the imaginative. With his brand, he further explores the notion of his distinctive Brazilian culture to create transformative environments composed of products rooted in nature and the spirit of place.
The alluring collection features a strong sense of materiality. In the upholstered pieces, technical research into fabric development has led to bespoke solutions tailored to the designs using their We-Knit textile. This particular fabric, woven from virgin polyester and recycled ocean plastic, is created using a computerized 3D-weaving technique. Developed by the clothing industry, it allows an entire slipcover to be created in one continuous piece, pre-shaped to match the product’s form. The pieces are then hand-fitted and finished with thread made of recycled plastic. Wentz has trademarked this innovative process which yields seamless, surprising shapes.
ABOUT LUMINAIRE Luminaire is a platform for discovery that brings into focus the stories beyond the surface of design to explore the nuance and poetry found within the work of the creative minds who enrich the world through good design. The company’s unwavering commitment to creating environments that affect people’s lives has helped make Luminaire one of the world’s leading design, education, and experimentation platforms. It’s a journey that began in 1974, born of a desire to curate a sanctuary for design discovers that both inspires and incites curiosity. From Luminaire’s roots in Miami, with showrooms in Coral Gables and the Design District, the company has expanded with spaces in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Menlo Park.
ABOUT WENTZ Born in Caxias do Sul in the South of Brazil in 1987, Guilherme Wentz began an education in business before endeavoring on a new creative path studying products. Soon after graduating, Wentz received the IDEA Brazil Award for his first product in the market, the Officer desk. He received further recognition with the iF Design Award in 2013 for the K Collection for Riva. With his notoriety increasing, Wentz ventured on his own with his design studio and soon moved his studio to São Paulo.
NEW YORK, November 28, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– Canadian Fertility Consulting is holding an event to help intended parents learn more about surrogacy and egg donation in Canada. The event will be held on Dec. 1 at Rosa Mexicano in New York City.
Canadian Fertility Consulting (CFC) is a full-service surrogacy agency dedicated to helping couples and individuals who have had difficulty or are unable to conceive and providing guidance and support while exploring alternative methods to building a family.
The event will feature talks from three experts on the topic of surrogacy: Leia Swanberg, founder of Canadian Fertility Consulting; Dr. Prati Sharma, an OB-GYN specializing in reproductive medicine; and Cindy Wasser, a lawyer specializing in fertility law.
Attendees will also be able to ask questions, get information about how to become a donor or client and learn about upcoming events hosted by Canadian Fertility Consulting. If you’re interested in attending this event, please RSVP by Nov. 30.
Our NFL Nation reporters react with the biggest takeaways and lingering questions coming out of this week’s matchups and look ahead to what’s next. Let’s get to it.
What to know:Tua Tagovailoa is back, but he has some rust to knock off before this offense can truly say the same. The Dolphins led the NFL in points per drive through three weeks to start the season, and displayed that same efficiency with a touchdown and two field goals in their first three drives Sunday night. Their offense sputtered from there, and Tagovailoa played like someone who hasn’t played in 24 days. At least four of his passes were dropped by Steelers defenders, and his timing with his receivers was hit or miss throughout the final three quarters. It’s nothing to be overly concerned about — although you have to wonder whether Mike McDaniel will remind him to slide after he finished a couple of runs by lowering his shoulder into a defender. The Lions’ NFL-worst defense seems like an opportune opponent in Week 8.
Will the Dolphins’ pass rush please stand up? The Dolphins have generated the fourth-fewest quarterback pressures in the NFL through 7 weeks — despite owning the NFL’s fifth-best pass rush win rate. Even more concerning is the fact that Miami blitzes at the 10th-highest rate in the league yet ranks 24th in sack rate. Defense is complementary, meaning coverage and rush help one another. But with the injuries the Dolphins’ secondary is facing, their pass rush will have to carry more of the load until their counterparts get healthy. Their nine blitzes Sunday night generated just one pressure — that simply won’t cut it moving forward. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Next game: at Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Steelers
What to know: After surrendering a big first quarter, the Steelers’ defense dampened Tua Tagovailoa‘s return on Sunday night. The defensive backs just barely missed four would-be picks, and after giving up 13 points in the first quarter, the Steelers held the Dolphins to just three points over the final three — including a shutout in the second half. The defense gave up big plays in spots to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, but in the second half, the Steelers held the Dolphins on fourth-and-3 and forced four consecutive punts — including two three-and-outs. While the offense struggled, the defense played soundly in the second half, giving up only 127 yards after surrendering 246 in the first half. It’s the second strong performance — including crucial halftime adjustments — by the defense after beating Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a week earlier. With T.J. Watt nearing his return from a Week 1 pectoral tear, the Steelers’ defense is shaping up to be a much stronger unit than it looked in the first month of the season.
Can the Steelers’ offense find consistency? Rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett was inserted at halftime of the Jets game to give the Steelers’ offense a spark. In two starts since, the offense flickers like the flame of a lighter running out of butane. Occasionally, everything clicks — like the second-quarter drive in which George Pickens hauled in four targets and scored his first NFL touchdown. But other times, it quickly fizzles out, like the two would-be game-winning fourth-quarter drives that ended instead with red zone picks. Pickett’s offense is undeniably a work-in-progress, but the Steelers have struggled to sustain drives more often than not with conservative playcalls and costly, untimely mistakes, and playmakers like Pickens disappear for long stretches. The pieces are there, but the Steelers haven’t been able to consistently put them together. More time together could help the offensive cohesion, but partly because of the midseason quarterback swap, it has been a slow-developing process. — Brooke Pryor
Next game: at Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Seahawks
What to know: With an offense that’s still rolling and a defense that has finally caught up, the Seahawks look like legitimate contenders, but DK Metcalf‘s knee injury is a cause for concern. The Seahawks are now in sole possession of first place in the NFC West at 4-3 after a complete performance in their win over the Chargers. Their offense got another efficient outing from quarterback Geno Smith and a pair of rushing touchdowns from rookie running back Kenneth Walker III, including a 74-yarder. With three sacks and two takeaways, their defense looks like it has turned itself around after another miserable start.
Can the offense keep this up if Metcalf misses time? Metcalf was carted off the field in the first half and quickly ruled out. The Seahawks have the luxury of essentially having two No. 1 receivers in Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but Metcalf makes so many things happen with his ability to make contested catches, stretch defenses and free up teammates by taking up double-teams. Marquise Goodwin stepped up in this game with a pair of touchdown catches. Seattle will need Dee Eskridge to do the same if Metcalf’s injury is serious. — Brady Henderson
Next game: vs. Giants (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Chargers
What to know: The Chargers managed a couple of ugly wins in a three-game win streak but failed to show up Sunday and suffered one very ugly loss to the Seahawks. Squandering an opportunity to improve to 5-2 and earn their first four-game win streak since 2018, they instead drop to 4-3 and go into a bye week with an urgent need to do some soul searching in regard to who they are and where they want to go.
How do the Chargers manage their injuries? It has been a season marked by injuries, and now they can add two more significant questions after cornerback J.C. Jackson left the field on a cart because of a right knee injury and wide receiver Mike Williams suffered a right ankle injury. — Lindsey Thiry
Next game: at Falcons (Sunday, Nov. 6, 1 p.m. ET)
Jets
What to know: The Jets are 5-2 for the first time since 2010, their last playoff season, and have adopted the same style of play: fantastic defense, low-mistake offense. It’s not pretty, but it’s working for the Jets. They had no turnovers for the third straight game — they hadn’t done that since 2010 — letting their defense win the field-position game. They frustrated Denver backup QB Brett Rypien with excellent pass coverage, highlighted by a Lamarcus Joyner interception and three pass breakups by Sauce Gardner. Say this for the Jets: They now boast a 4-0 road record. They haven’t done that since … you guessed it, 2010.
Can the Jets’ offense manage without Breece Hall? This was a costly game for the Jets, as they lost rookie standout running back Hall to a knee injury in the second quarter. It would be devastating if it’s a long-term injury. Hall, who scored on a 62-yard touchdown run, is the face of the offense. He helps take the pressure off quarterback Zach Wilson, who struggled for the second week in a row. Michael Carter is a solid RB2, but he doesn’t have Hall’s home run speed. — Rich Cimini
Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Broncos
What to know: There was optimism in recent days the Broncos could find their rhythm on offense with backup quarterback Brett Rypien in the lineup. File that away because the Broncos had their sixth game of the season with 16 or fewer points and their third with 11 or fewer. Despite Denver’s defense keeping the Jets to under 300 yards, it didn’t matter.
What can the Broncos’ offense do to find some points? The Broncos were better Sunday when they bulked up on offense — formations with two or three tight ends and two backs. They moved the ball better Sunday when they were in those groupings and lost their way, again, when they got in catch-up mode and leaned on their three-wide receiver sets. They simply have to accept that they can’t play how they want to right now and have to play the way they need to. — Jeff Legwold
Next game: at Jaguars (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET)
Chiefs
What to know: There is life in the Chiefs’ pass rush beyond defensive tackle Chris Jones, after all. The Chiefs started slowly with their pressure against 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo but got their rush going, and it was productive — particularly in key moments of the game. Their defense will be difficult to deal with if they can continue this kind of pressure.
Can the Chiefs afford to continue using rookie Skyy Moore to return punts? No Super Bowl contender could afford to do that. Moore is learning on the job. He didn’t return punts in college and had his second fumbled return of the season against the 49ers. The first one helped the Chiefs lose a game against the Colts in Week 3. This one didn’t, but the Chiefs need to give him some time to learn his new craft on the practice field instead of in game action. — Adam Teicher
Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, Nov. 6, 8:20 p.m. ET)
49ers
What to know: Much was made of the 49ers’ addition of running back Christian McCaffrey, but general manager John Lynch warned last week that McCaffrey isn’t a magic cure for what ails the Niners. That was readily apparent Sunday, as the defense got torched by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the offense failed to keep up, settling for field goals when touchdowns were needed. McCaffrey can and will help, but at 3-4, the Niners are going to need plenty of improvement elsewhere.
What’s wrong with the 49ers’ defense? The Niners’ defense has come crashing back to Earth. That was to be expected as the opponents got better and injuries piled up, but Sunday was a rude awakening. The Niners had Kansas City in third-and-20 and third-and-12 in the second half with a chance to get off the field. They gave up a combined 91 yards on those two plays. Injuries aside, there’s enough talent here to prevent those types of things from happening. — Nick Wagoner
Next game: at Rams (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Raiders
What to know: The Raiders are ready to go on a post-bye run. While they were 1-4 coming into Sunday, just 3-16 after the bye since 2003 and had lost their past five such games by an average of 17.8 points, their talent suggested they were better. Much better. And after beating Houston, the schedule lightens up considerably, with none of their next five opponents boasting a winning record entering this weekend. In fact, ESPN’s Football Power Index favors Las Vegas to win nine of its last 11 games.
Is Josh Jacobs the Raiders’ MVP? Yes. Jacobs, who had his fifth-year option declined by the new regime, is playing for a contract. Davante Adams might be more explosive, and Derek Carr is at the controls. But Jacobs — who became the first player in franchise history with three straight games of 100 rushing yards and a rushing TD and joined Marcus Allen with his fifth career game gaining 100 rushing yards and scoring multiple TDs — kept the offense afloat again. He finished with 143 yards and three TDs on 20 carries, becoming just the third back in franchise history with multiple games with three rushing touchdowns, along with Allen and Pete Banaszak. — Paul Gutierrez
Next game: at Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Texans
What to know: Quarterback Davis Mills played his best game of the season. Prior to the bye, Mills looked shaky, completing 62.7% of his passes for five touchdown passes with four interceptions. But against the Raiders, he was much better. He completed 68% of his passes, threw two touchdown passes and logged a season-high 302 yards. Mills was also money on third downs, throwing both of his TD passes on that down. However, he did throw a pick-six late in the fourth quarter, which blew the game open.
What’s going on with the Texans’ run defense? The Texans have allowed the third-most rushing yards in the NFL (989), and their issues stopping the run cost them a potential win in a game they led 20-17 early in the fourth quarter. Jacobs rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns, two coming in the fourth quarter, against the Texans as Houston’s run woes looked eerily similar to the Week 3 loss to the Bears, when it allowed 281 rushing yards. The Texans have to figure things out — fast. — DJ Bien-Aime
Next game: vs. Titans (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Panthers
What to know: The rest of the NFL might have declared the Panthers (2-5) in tank mode after they traded star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, but interim coach Steve Wilks and his players aren’t going there, as they promised all week. They put together their most complete game of the season, finally getting enough offense to back yet another solid defensive performance. They showed they still have the fight to remain in the race for the NFC South, moving within a game of Tampa Bay (3-4) and Atlanta (3-4) with the Falcons next on the schedule. And quarterback PJ Walker showed he should remain the starter even when Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold return from ankle injuries. And, oh, that McCaffrey fellow. The Panthers got almost 200 yards rushing out of their new duo of D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard.
Should PJ Walker remain the starter next week against Atlanta even if Baker Mayfield is ready to return from an ankle injury? Absolutely. Walker was allowed to do what he does best on Sunday in terms of getting the ball downfield, and he responded with two touchdowns on an efficient 16-of-22 passing. He’s now 3-1 as an NFL starter, 1-1 this season. Mayfield won’t like it, but this might signal the end for him at Carolina. It felt like it was the end even before today, given the league-low numbers Mayfield was putting up. — David Newton
Next game: at Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Buccaneers
What to know: For the second week in a row, Tom Brady and the Bucs were favored by 9.5 points, and once again, they stunk it up, this time against a team that fired its head coach and recently traded away two offensive stars. The Bucs’ offense looked absolutely dreadful with an abundance of dropped passes, miscues, questionable playcalling and, of course, protection issues, mustering three measly points. Perhaps the only positive: The Falcons lost too, meaning that at 3-4, the Bucs are still tied for first place. But what consolation is that when they’ve now lost four of their past five?
What went wrong this time? More like, what didn’t go wrong? Mike Evans dropped what might have been the most wide-open touchdown pass of his career on the opening drive. The Bucs were stonewalled once again in short yardage with Leonard Fournette going nowhere on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1. And Brady failed to connect with Evans, Chris Godwin and Russell Gage in the end zone on three straight incomplete passes from the 8-yard line. Defensively, they couldn’t stop the run — surrendering 173 yards, including a 60-yarder from D’Onta Foreman. Hosting the Baltimore Ravens in four days, they’ll also now likely be without Antoine Winfield Jr., who left Sunday’s game with a concussion. — Jenna Laine
Next game: vs. Ravens (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
play
0:34
D’Onta Foreman breaks free for a 60-yard run, and Chuba Hubbard runs in a 17-yard touchdown on the next play.
Cowboys
What to know: If there was a doubt — and by now there shouldn’t be — the defense will carry the Cowboys to success. Not even quarterback Dak Prescott’s return after a five-game absence could get the Cowboys’ offense rolling. But the defense came through. Again. After allowing two touchdowns last week versus Philadelphia for the first time this season, the defense did not allow a touchdown against a Lions offense that came in averaging 28 points a game. The defense changed the momentum of the game with five takeaways in the second half that the offense turned into 21 points: a Trevon Diggs‘ interception, an Anthony Barr fumble recovery at the Dallas 1, a Jourdan Lewis interception in the fourth quarter, a Sam Williams‘ sack/fumble and a DeMarcus Lawrence fumble recovery to end the game.
Will the Cowboys ever figure out their third-down woes on offense? If they don’t, they will not be a serious threat. They entered the game converting just 32% of their third-down tries, and things were supposed to be better upon Prescott’s return. They were 3-of-9 on third down. Through three quarters, Prescott was 0-for-1 with two sacks on third down. In the opener against Tampa Bay, he was 3-of-9 with an interception on third down. In the fourth quarter, they were stopped on third-and-1 when the Lions snuffed out a toss play to Tony Pollard. — Todd Archer
Next game: vs. Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Lions
What to know: Turnovers absolutely hurt the Lions in critical moments. Quarterback Jared Goff threw two interceptions — and added two fumbles in the fourth. Also, running back Jamaal Williams fumbled twice — including one at the goal line to start the fourth. Detroit was already facing an uphill battle after losing wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to a concussion during the first quarter. And the Lions were playing without receiver DJ Chark (ankle) — who was recently placed on injured reserve — and running back D’Andre Swift (shoulder/ankle), who has missed the past three games. So those mistakes proved to be costly while Detroit was undermanned.
Will the Lions’ defense improve from this performance moving forward? This season it’s been tough to get the offense and defense on the same page. Entering this game, Detroit’s defense was allowing a league-high 34 points per game, but during the bye, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn made some changes, notably having No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson work with both the linebackers and defensive linemen to position him better for success. It worked in Dallas, as he racked up 1.5 sacks. Plus, Texas product Jeff Okudah played inspired football with a career-high 15 total tackles. So, yeah, the Lions certainly can’t do any worse than the first four games, when the defense was horrendous. On a bright note, they allowed a season-low 24 points to the Cowboys — but a loss is a loss. — Eric Woodyard
Next game: vs. Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Titans
What to know: The Titans completed a sweep of the Colts to strengthen their lead atop the AFC South. The Titans’ defensive front dominated the trenches, harassing Colts quarterback Matt Ryan for most of the day. Denico Autry continued his revenge tour against his former team with a sack. Bud Dupree and Jeffery Simmons also had sacks. Pressure from Dupree led to two interceptions for the Titans. One of the interceptions was returned 76 yards for a touchdown by safety Andrew Adams. Tennessee has four more games within the division and now has a 4-2 record, thanks to a four-game winning streak.
Can the Titans continue to win games in such an ugly manner? Although it counts as a win, the Titans’ victory wasn’t pretty. Tennessee won primarily on the strength of its defense with two interceptions, including the pick-six by Adams. The Titans don’t deliver many explosive plays, instead relying on long drives to get onto the scoreboard, as evidenced by their 31-minute time of possession on Sunday. Derrick Henry has three 100-yard rushing performances in Tennessee’s four wins. Simply put, this team finds a way to win. However, things will get tough for the Titans over the next five weeks, with matchups against the Chiefs, Packers and Bengals on the docket. — Turron Davenport
Next game: at Texans (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)
Colts
What to know: The Colts thought they had found a viable path on offense with their best showing in Week 6 against Jacksonville. But the heavy passing attack didn’t work as effectively against Tennessee, as the Titans harassed quarterback Matt Ryan throughout and dominated the Colts’ offensive line. Ryan threw two interceptions — including one that was returned for a TD — and now has 12 turnovers for the season. The return of running backs Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines from injuries didn’t change the outcome for the Colts, who are running out of time to salvage their floundering offense.
Can the Colts fix their offense? Against teams that don’t have dominant defensive fronts, the Colts likely have enough firepower to make things tough on opponents. But when they fail to win up front, as they did on Sunday, it’s easier for a defense to neutralize receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Parris Campbell. Their problems are fundamental: an offensive line that is playing at an unacceptable level and a quarterback who is shrinking in the face of the resulting pass rush. How do you fix that? — Stephen Holder
Next game: vs. Commanders (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Bengals
What to know: Earlier in the week, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said a three-game stretch against the Falcons, Browns and Panthers was going to define Cincinnati’s season. It represented three opportunities to bank victories in a tight AFC North race heading into the team’s bye in Week 10. Behind a record-breaking day from Burrow, who became the first player in NFL history to have five games of 400 or more passing yards in his first three seasons, the Bengals started out with a win.
Buy or sell WR Tyler Boyd‘s performance? Buy. Boyd had a career-high 155 receiving yards, with the bulk of that coming in the first quarter. Even with an offense that features Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Boyd showed why coach Zac Taylor considers him one of the best slot receivers in the league. — Ben Baby
Next game: at Browns (Monday, Oct. 31, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Falcons
What to know: On an ugly day all around, especially for a defense left short-handed by A.J. Terrell‘s hamstring injury, there might yet be good news for the Falcons: Not many offenses are as explosive as that of the Bengals. And with a stretch that includes games against the Bears, Commanders and Steelers and two against the Panthers coming up, the Falcons have to hope this was a bad matchup instead of a sign of problems to come.
Can Atlanta’s offense sustain when it gets into a hole? Based off what we’ve seen this season, it’s still a bit unclear. But Sunday did not provide much confidence. Trailing by 18 points in the fourth quarter, the Falcons appeared to stay in their same run-based offense. It worked in near comebacks against the Buccaneers and Rams, but against a more explosive offense in Cincinnati, and with the team’s secondary decimated by injury, it didn’t work. This is going to be something to pay attention to going forward but isn’t a huge concern. Yet. — Michael Rothstein
Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
play
0:19
Ja’Marr Chase goes 41 yards into the end zone for another Bengals touchdown.
Ravens
What to know: The Ravens still have fourth-quarter issues but finally got some good fortune at the end. It looked like Baltimore was about to give away another double-digit lead after running back Justice Hill fumbled with 3:12 left in the game. But Malik Harrison blocked a potential game-tying 61-yard field goal. Then Ravens safety Geno Stone forced a fumble on the Browns’ final possession as the game ended. The Ravens avoided becoming just the third team in the past decade to lose four times in the first seven weeks in games in which they held double-digit leads.
What’s going on with Lamar Jackson throwing the ball? Defenses have turned up the heat with blitzes, and Jackson has not been sharp or decisive with the ball. On Sunday, he finished with 120 yards passing, the sixth fewest of his five-year career. Two completions — a 31-yard pass to Devin Duvernay and a 19-yard dump-off to fullback Patrick Ricard — accounted for 50 of those yards. Jackson said this week that the Ravens need to stop overthinking and just play. But Baltimore’s issues go deeper than that. Over the past four games, Jackson has thrown three TDs and four INTs. — Jamison Hensley
Next game: at Buccaneers (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Browns
What to know: Cleveland played arguably its best game of the season in Baltimore. But too many errors on a potential game-winning drive sank the Browns, giving them their fourth straight loss. An offensive pass interference call on Amari Cooper negated his go-ahead TD reception. Then a false start on a game-tying field goal forced Cade York to attempt a 60-yard try. The kick was blocked, sealing the victory for Baltimore.
Can Cleveland recover from four straight losses? The Browns desperately needed this victory to hang around in the AFC North race. Now, at 2-5 with arguably the league’s toughest remaining schedule, Cleveland’s season is officially on life support. A loss to Cincinnati next week on “Monday Night Football” would effectively be the death knell — before the Browns even reach their midseason bye. — Jake Trotter
Next game: vs. Bengals (Monday, Oct. 31, 8:15 p.m. ET)
Commanders
What to know: Quarterback Taylor Heinicke‘s game won’t win any beauty pageants, but he excels at ignoring the aesthetics and competes. It’s why he can have a brutal start — with a first-half pick-six and numerous ugly incompletions early — and later lead a win. It helped that Washington ran the ball for 167 yards, and receiver Terry McLaurin came through with a big second half with a touchdown catch and key completions on the final drive. But Heinicke’s grit allows him to ignore plays that could ruin other quarterbacks coming off the bench. It’s why Washington has won two in a row.
Has the defense turned it around? The Commanders have benefited from facing struggling offenses the past two games in Chicago and Green Bay. But they have played better largely because of their ability to stop the run; they’ve allowed only 3.67 yards per carry in the past five games — fourth best in the NFL. Also, with cornerback William Jackson III sidelined, they’ve been more consistent in coverage, especially in zone. With Chase Young possibly back within two weeks, the defense could be the reason for a resurgence. — John Keim
Next game: at Colts (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Packers
What to know: If the Packers can’t beat the New York Giants, New York Jets and Washington Commanders, imagine what the Buffalo Bills are going to do to them next Sunday in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills have the most explosive offense in the NFL. They lead the league in yards per game and rank second in points. Their defense leads the league in fewest points allowed and ranks second in yards. Oh, yeah, and the Bills were on their bye this weekend and play the Packers at home in a prime-time game. This was supposed to be a get-back-on-track game after two straight losses. Instead, the Packers have their first three-game losing streak since 2018.
Now will the Packers get another receiver? Yes, it’s the same question as last week after the loss to the Jets. The trade deadline is a little more than a week away, and without a significant addition, it’s hard to see how their passing game will improve. The return of Sammy Watkins, who missed four weeks because of a hamstring injury, didn’t immediately help. Aaron Rodgers had not attempted a pass that traveled more than 10 yards in the air until the final two minutes of the first half on Sunday, and when he finally did, Watkins wasn’t fast enough to run under it. It was so far off that flags for pass interference were picked up because the ball was deemed uncatchable. Their fastest receiver, rookie Christian Watson, missed a second straight game because of a hamstring injury. — Rob Demovsky
Next game: at Bills (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Giants
What to know: The Giants keep finding ways to win, even if it’s just by 1 yard. Trevor Lawrence and the Jags’ offense were on the doorstep late in the game, but Lawrence’s pass to Christian Kirk was stuffed at the 1-yard line as time expired. The Giants leaned for most of three quarters on the arm — and legs — of quarterback Daniel Jones, with Jacksonville concentrating on limiting Saquon Barkley (72 of his 110 rushing yards came in the fourth quarter). Jones threw for 202 yards and a touchdown and ran for 107 yards and another score. It’s what they needed against a Jaguars defense that has been strong in stopping the run. This was the kind of game that showed Jones (despite five dropped passes) has the ability to not only manage games but win them. He led his fourth fourth-quarter comeback this season.
Just how bad are the injuries? Rookie right tackle Evan Neal (knee), tight end Daniel Bellinger (eye) and left guard Ben Bredeson (knee) all left the game in the first half. Those are three starters. Early indications are Neal and Bredeson avoided serious injury, according to sources. That’s a positive. Bellinger was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. The Giants’ offense was already limited entering Sunday. It can’t afford for any of these injuries to be long term. The injured trio from Sunday has started every game this season — Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Jaguars
What to know:Travis Etienne Jr. has taken over as the Jaguars’ top back. He started for the second consecutive week and had the breakout game that many have been expecting (114 yards rushing). Etienne averaged 8.1 yards per carry and scored his first NFL touchdown on a 7-yard run. James Robinson, who had started the first five games this season and 32 overall, didn’t have a carry or a reception in a game in which he has played for the first time in his career. He was targeted just once, on a pass that Trevor Lawrence overthrew in the end zone.
Where is the pass rush? The Jaguars’ pass rush looked formidable after putting up seven sacks in the first two games, but it has managed just six since — and only two in the past two games (just one against Daniel Jones). Head coach Doug Pederson said teams are devising game plans to stop No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker by chipping him or double-teaming him. But that means Josh Allen should be getting to the QB more. He did enter the week with 25 QB pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats, but he hasn’t had a sack since Week 4 and has just three this season. Those two have to be more productive. — Mike DiRocco
Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 9:30 a.m. ET)
play
0:22
Daniel Jones pushes his way through to the end zone to put the Giants ahead late in the fourth quarter.
Thursday
Cardinals
What to know: The Cardinals’ offense isn’t out of the woods yet. Yes, it played as well as it has played all season during Thursday’s win over the Saints, but Kyler Murray said there’s things that the offense still needs to work on. And he’s not wrong. The Cardinals were saved by the defense, which returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Take those away, and the Cardinals would’ve lost. Next week in Minnesota will be the true gauge for this offense to see if it’s making strides or still stuck in the mud. Having nine days between games will give guys such as DeAndre Hopkins and Robbie Anderson a chance to get acclimated more, and players such as James Conner and Rodney Hudson a chance to get healthy.
Was Thursday night the spark the Cardinals’ needed to turn around the season? It’ll help, no doubt, but the win was somewhat built on false pretenses because the Saints were down to their top two corners and top two receivers. If Arizona plays well and can beat the Vikings convincingly next week, then yes, the Cardinals will be on their way to turning around the season. — Josh Weinfuss
Next game: at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Saints
What to know: The Saints are a mess on both sides of the ball, but none of these problems are new. Turnovers, missed tackles and penalties have defined the Saints’ identity this season, and even wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith said self-inflicted wounds are killing the team. Smith said that Alvin Kamara told the team after the game: “We’ve got to really police ourselves, hold our own selves accountable, hold our teammates accountable.”
How does the coaching staff fix the team’s problems with multiple injuries? Saints coach Dennis Allen said the problem starts with him, and when asked how the coaches make changes going forward, he said it’s about “getting the right people in the right spots.” Allen admitted that is a tough thing to do, especially considering the health of the team is his biggest concern. With the Saints down three cornerbacks and several players on offense, there might not be many options for the Saints to turn to. — Katherine Terrell
By becoming UFC lightweight champion Saturday, Islam Makhachev fulfilled a prophecy.
Maybe it was really just a lifelong friend expressing faith and brotherhood, but when Khabib Nurmagomedov briefly interrupted a Makhachev news conference three years ago, it felt like something far more consequential. Let’s call it a coronation-in-waiting.
Nurmagomedov was still the champion then, having just defended his 155-pound belt that night at UFC 242 with a dominant finish of Dustin Poirier. Makhachev had competed earlier that evening in Abu Dhabi — scene of this weekend’s fight card, too — and also had put on a thrashing performance. Another thrashing performance. After beating up Davi Ramos to run his record to 18-1, Makhachev was sitting at the postfight dais explaining to reporters how he’d gotten it done.
Until Nurmagomedov entered the scene. The champ was carrying his UFC belt, and he placed it on the table in front of Makhachev, then walked off after speaking just two words.
“Future champ.”
Nurmagomedov’s emphasis was on “champ,” but the essential word here was the other one. That’s something Makhachev immediately made clear.
“I already waiting when he retired,” a smiling Makhachev said as he glanced over at the shiny strap. “I want to fight for this belt. This my dream.”
That dream came true Saturday in the main event of UFC 280, when Makhachev upstaged a star-studded fight card lineup with a stunning second-round submission of Charles Oliveira. It was an achievement that somehow became even more meaningful when the coveted belt was wrapped around the new champ’s waist by a beaming Nurmagomedov, who lifted his friend onto his shoulders and paraded him around the Octagon.
Then Makhachev tried to hand Nurmagomedov the belt that he had worn until his sudden retirement two years ago, which fulfilled a promise Khabib had made to his mother following the death of his father, Abdulmanap. Back in their native Dagestan, the elder Nurmagomedov had coached not just his son but also Makhachev, and the new champ wanted to honor his longtime coach with a touching gesture for Khabib, who now serves as his coach and cornerman.
“My belt for my coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov,” Makhachev said. “Many years ago, he told me, ‘Just train hard and you going to be champion.’ And I want to give [Khabib] this belt. His father make me, I know.”
Nurmagomedov would have none of it. “Yours,” he said as he draped the strap back over Makhachev’s shoulder.
This moment and all that led up to it signified the brotherhood between these two fighters. During introductions for the main event, Nurmagomedov appeared more nervous than Makhachev, more nervous than he’d ever looked before one of his own fights. And when his friend finished Oliveira, the UFC’s all-time leader in submissions, with a head-and-arm choke at 3:16 of Round 2, the typically stoic Nurmagomedov raced into the Octagon with an ear-to-ear smile to lift up Makhachev with a bear hug that could have squeezed the life out of a lesser man.
But Makhachev was up to the moment, just as he had been up to everything thrown at him during the fight. From the start, he did not hesitate to attack Oliveira, who was coming off consecutive finishes of Justin Gaethje, Poirier and Michael Chandler. And while the title was vacant going into this fight because Oliveira had been stripped after missing weight before his May bout with Gaethje, pretty much the whole MMA world considered the Brazilian the de facto champ.
And yet this result kind of felt predestined. Was it because of the endorsement of Nurmagomedov, who has never been known for flights of hyperbole? If Khabib said Makhachev was a future champ, many in the sport seemed to believe that it must be true. Khabib had repeatedly shown that he could do it all inside the cage. So why doubt that he could divine the future?
Sure, Makhachev had done his part to show himself worthy of accolades. He has been a dominant force since he entered the UFC in 2015, winning 10 fights in a row going into Saturday. But he certainly did not have the resume to match Oliveira, having never faced anyone on the level of Gaethje, Poirier, Chandler or Tony Ferguson. Yet Makhachev walked into the cage this weekend as a nearly 2-to-1 betting favorite.
And then he showed why.
It’s tempting to label Makhachev as Khabib 2.0, though that’s an oversimplification built on their friendship, shared heritage, wrestling skills and boundless confidence. But Makhachev has a well-rounded skill set that sets him apart from all others in his division. And he also has some extra promotional muscle in his corner.
That was evident during Makhachev’s postfight interview inside the Octagon. After he and Nurmagomedov tried to hand each other the title belt, Nurmagomedov interjected to put his friend’s accomplishment in context and to immediately build on it.
“Last couple of years, I told you guys Islam Makhachev is the best fighter,” Nurmagomedov said. “Not in lightweight — he’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter right now, today.”
No. 1 pound-for-pound, already? That is a hallowed spot that, in the ESPN rankings and the eyes of many others, is occupied at the moment by UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who happened to be sitting cageside at Etihad Arena. Nurmagomedov knew this. He wanted to pick a fight, a massive fight, for his friend.
“Now is our plan: fly all the way to Australia and fight with pound-for-pound king, Volkanovski,” Nurmagomedov said.
“Where the short guy?” Makhachev said. “Where?”
Volkanovski was promptly escorted into the cage and a global superfight was made on the spot.
Make that two brilliant performances in one night for Team Makhachev.
