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  • ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump bring a street party vibe as GOP calls them ‘hate America’ rallies

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    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.(Video player above: Coverage of the “No Kings” protest in June) With signs such as “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” in many places the events looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People,” preamble that people could sign, and protesters wearing inflatable costumes, particularly frogs, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.Trump himself is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.Nationwide protests plannedDemonstrators packed New York City’s Times Square, Boston Common, Chicago’s Grant Park and hundreds of smaller public spaces. More than 2,600 rallies were planned for Saturday, organizers said.Many protesters were angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”“This is America. I disagree with their politics, but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country,” Reymann said, carrying a large American flag. “I believe they are misguided. I think they are power hungry.”More than 1,500 people gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, evoking and openly citing the city’s history of protests and the critical role it played in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement two generations ago.“It just feels like we’re living in an America that I don’t recognize,” said Jessica Yother, a mother of four. She and other protesters said they felt camaraderie by gathering in a state where Trump won nearly 65% of the vote last November.“It was so encouraging,” Yother said. “I walked in and thought, ‘Here are my people.’”Organizers hope to build opposition movement“Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts and Trump’s military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.“We’re here because we love America,” Sanders said, addressing the crowd from a stage in Washington. He said the American experiment is “in danger” under Trump but insisted “We the people will rule.”The national march against Trump and Musk this spring had 1,300 registered locations, while the first “No Kings” day in June registered 2,100 locations.Republicans denounce ‘Hate America’ ralliesRepublicans sought to portray Saturday’s protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.” They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut to appease those liberal forces.“I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana.“Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”Many demonstrators, in turn, said they were responding such hyperbole with humor, noting that Trump often leans heavily on theatrics such as claiming U.S. cities he sends troops to are war zones.“So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.Democrats try to regain their footing amid shutdownDemocrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, a key organizing group. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”

    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.

    (Video player above: Coverage of the “No Kings” protest in June)

    With signs such as “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” in many places the events looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People,” preamble that people could sign, and protesters wearing inflatable costumes, particularly frogs, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.

    This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.

    Trump himself is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

    “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.

    Nationwide protests planned

    Demonstrators packed New York City’s Times Square, Boston Common, Chicago’s Grant Park and hundreds of smaller public spaces. More than 2,600 rallies were planned for Saturday, organizers said.

    Many protesters were angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”

    “This is America. I disagree with their politics, but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country,” Reymann said, carrying a large American flag. “I believe they are misguided. I think they are power hungry.”

    More than 1,500 people gathered in Birmingham, Alabama, evoking and openly citing the city’s history of protests and the critical role it played in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement two generations ago.

    “It just feels like we’re living in an America that I don’t recognize,” said Jessica Yother, a mother of four. She and other protesters said they felt camaraderie by gathering in a state where Trump won nearly 65% of the vote last November.

    “It was so encouraging,” Yother said. “I walked in and thought, ‘Here are my people.’”

    Organizers hope to build opposition movement

    “Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.

    While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts and Trump’s military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.

    “We’re here because we love America,” Sanders said, addressing the crowd from a stage in Washington. He said the American experiment is “in danger” under Trump but insisted “We the people will rule.”

    The national march against Trump and Musk this spring had 1,300 registered locations, while the first “No Kings” day in June registered 2,100 locations.

    Republicans denounce ‘Hate America’ rallies

    Republicans sought to portray Saturday’s protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.

    From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.” They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut to appease those liberal forces.

    “I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana.

    “Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”

    Many demonstrators, in turn, said they were responding such hyperbole with humor, noting that Trump often leans heavily on theatrics such as claiming U.S. cities he sends troops to are war zones.

    “So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.

    Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.

    The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.

    “What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, a key organizing group. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”

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  • ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump planned across the nation today

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    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.They rallied with signs like “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” and in many places it looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People,” preamble that people could sign, and protesters in frog costumes, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.Demonstrators packed places like New York City’s Times Square, the historic Boston Commons, Chicago’s Grant Park, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of smaller public spaces.Many protesters were especially angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”“This is America. I disagree with their politics — but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country. I believe they are misguided. I think they are power hungry,” Reymann said, carrying a large American flag.Trump himself is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.Organizers hope to build opposition movementMore than 2,600 rallies are planned Saturday in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners.“Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in the spring and Trump’s June military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.“There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers. In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations.Before noon, several thousand people had gathered in Times Square, chanting “Trump must go now,” and waving sometimes-profane signs with slogans insulting the president and condemning his immigration crackdown. Some people carried American flags.Retired family doctor Terence McCormally was heading to Arlington National Cemetery to join others walking across the Memorial Bridge that enters Washington directly in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He said the recent deployment of the National Guard made him more wary of police than in the past.“I really don’t like the crooks and conmen and religious zealots who are trying to use the country” for personal gain, McCormally said, “while they are killing and hurting millions of people with bombs.”Republicans denounce ‘Hate America’ ralliesRepublicans have sought to portray Saturday’s protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.” They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.“I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.“Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”Many demonstrators responded to such hyperbole with silliness in part because they say Trump leans heavily on theatrics — like claiming cities he sends troops to are war zones — said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester.“So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Kalbaugh, who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.Democrats try to regain their footingDemocrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government. It’s also a way to draw a moral line in the sand, said Murphy, the senator from Connecticut.“Trump does think that he’s a king,” Murphy said at the Washington rally, “and he thinks that he can act more corruptly when the government is shut down. But he cannot.”The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said march organizer Levin. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”___Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Chris Megerian in Washington, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Safiya Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

    WASHINGTON —

    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people gathered Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “ No Kings ” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.

    They rallied with signs like “Nothing is more patriotic than protesting” or “Resist Fascism,” and in many places it looked more like a street party. There were marching bands, a huge banner with the U.S. Constitution’s “We The People,” preamble that people could sign, and protesters in frog costumes, which have emerged as a sign of resistance in Portland, Oregon.

    This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.

    Demonstrators packed places like New York City’s Times Square, the historic Boston Commons, Chicago’s Grant Park, Washington, D.C., and hundreds of smaller public spaces.

    Many protesters were especially angered by attacks on their motives. In Washington, Brian Reymann said being called a terrorist all week by Republicans was “pathetic.”

    “This is America. I disagree with their politics — but I don’t believe that they don’t love this country. I believe they are misguided. I think they are power hungry,” Reymann said, carrying a large American flag.

    Trump himself is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

    “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday, before he departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. fundraiser at his club. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.

    Organizers hope to build opposition movement

    More than 2,600 rallies are planned Saturday in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners.

    “Big rallies like this give confidence to people who have been sitting on the sidelines but are ready to speak up,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press.

    While protests earlier this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in the spring and Trump’s June military parade — drew crowds, organizers say this one is uniting the opposition. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.

    “There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers. In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations.

    Before noon, several thousand people had gathered in Times Square, chanting “Trump must go now,” and waving sometimes-profane signs with slogans insulting the president and condemning his immigration crackdown. Some people carried American flags.

    Retired family doctor Terence McCormally was heading to Arlington National Cemetery to join others walking across the Memorial Bridge that enters Washington directly in front of the Lincoln Memorial. He said the recent deployment of the National Guard made him more wary of police than in the past.

    “I really don’t like the crooks and conmen and religious zealots who are trying to use the country” for personal gain, McCormally said, “while they are killing and hurting millions of people with bombs.”

    Republicans denounce ‘Hate America’ rallies

    Republicans have sought to portray Saturday’s protesters as far outside the mainstream and a prime reason for the government shutdown, now in its 18th day.

    From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.” They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.

    “I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

    “Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”

    Many demonstrators responded to such hyperbole with silliness in part because they say Trump leans heavily on theatrics — like claiming cities he sends troops to are war zones — said Glen Kalbaugh, a Washington protester.

    “So much of what we’ve seen from this administration has been so unserious and silly that we have to respond with the same energy,” said Kalbaugh, who wore a wizard hat and held a sign with a frog on it.

    Democrats try to regain their footing

    Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.

    But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government. It’s also a way to draw a moral line in the sand, said Murphy, the senator from Connecticut.

    “Trump does think that he’s a king,” Murphy said at the Washington rally, “and he thinks that he can act more corruptly when the government is shut down. But he cannot.”

    The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.

    “What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” said march organizer Levin. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”

    ___

    Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Chris Megerian in Washington, Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, and Safiya Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this report.

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  • ‘No Kings’ protests getting underway across Southern California

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    Protesters are beginning to gather Saturday in Los Angeles and elsewhere in Southern California for “No Kings” demonstrations, a nationwide effort to push back against President Trump.

    In June, millions of demonstrators took to the streets across the nation for the first “No Kings” protests as the Trump administration’s agenda began coming into focus. At that time, the Department of Homeland Security had begun carrying out large-scale immigration raids across Southern California, and Trump deployed military troops to Los Angeles in response to mass protests.

    Since then, many Americans believe that Trump’s actions — doubling down on immigration raids in major cities, deploying National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and embarking on an aggressive campaign against political opponents — have only become more severe.

    Trump pushed back against the underlying premise of the protest in an interview with Fox News on Friday.

    “They’re referring to me as a king,” he said. “I’m not a king.”

    More than 2,700 “No Kings” demonstrations are scheduled across the country, roughly 600 more events than in June, in which more than 5 million people participated. Demonstrations are already underway in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Boston, drawing massive crowds.

    In an attempt to broaden the scope of “No Kings,” organizers are appealing to Americans upset over the rising cost of living, gutting of environmental protections, sweeping overhauls of federal agencies, and the government shutdown over looming healthcare cuts.

    The protest in Los Angeles’ Grand Park is expected to begin by 2 p.m. In Orange County, demonstrators are expected to arrive at Centennial Park in Santa Ana on Saturday afternoon to protest not only Trump’s immigration actions, but also his policies on healthcare, environmental protections and education.

    “We the People have had enough of the illegal actions being carried out by this sham administration,” Amy Stevens, one of the Orange County demonstration’s organizers, said in a statement. “Change starts from the bottom up.”

    Organizers say the goal of “No Kings” goes beyond just getting Americans out on the streets, hoping to connect people who are upset and frustrated with the Trump administration to local organizing groups.

    “Getting involved in those groups, making those face to face connections and joining them will have a much larger impact over the next few days, the next few weeks, next few months, the next few years, than just one day of protest,” said Hunter Dunn, a spokesman for 50501, one of the “No Kings” coalition’s core organizing partners.

    Saturday’s rallies are happening amid a major disruption to one of Southern California’s major freeways.

    The state announced Saturday morning that it would close a 17-mile stretch of Interstate 5 for several hours after military officials confirmed that live-fire artillery rounds will be shot over the freeway during a Marine Corps event at Camp Pendleton.

    The unprecedented closure is expected to cause massive gridlock, but it is not clear what impact, if any, it will have on the day’s demonstrations.

    “Using our military to intimidate people you disagree with isn’t strength — it’s reckless, it’s disrespectful, and it’s beneath the office he holds,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Law and order? This is chaos and confusion.”

    Staff writers Jenny Jarvie and Nathan Solis contributed to this report.

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    Hannah Fry, Jack Flemming, Christopher Buchanan

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  • ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump planned across the nation today

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    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people will gather Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “No Kings” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and it is expected to be the largest. It comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.Trump himself is away from Washington at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.“They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday. He later departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.While the earlier protests this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in spring, then to counter Trump’s military parade in June — drew crowds, organizers say this one is building a more unified opposition movement. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.“There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers.As Republicans and the White House dismiss the protests as a rally of radicals, Levin said their own sign-up numbers are growing. More than 2,600 rallies are planned in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners. They said rallies are being planned within a one-hour drive for most Americans.Overseas, a few hundred Americans already gathered in Madrid to chant slogans and hold signs at a protest organized by Democrats Abroad, with similar rallies planned in other major European cities.Republicans have sought to portray participants in Saturday’s rallies as far outside the mainstream of American politics, and a main reason for the prolonged government shutdown, now in its 18th day.From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.”They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.“I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.“Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government.In a Facebook post, Sanders of Vermont, himself a former presidential contender, said, “It’s a love America rally.”“It’s a rally of millions of people all over this country who believe in our Constitution, who believe in American freedom and,” he said, pointing at the GOP leadership, “are not going to let you and Donald Trump turn this country into an authoritarian society.”The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent, unsure about how best to respond to Trump’s return to the White House. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations. The march Saturday will have more than 2,600 registered locations, Levin said.“What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” Levin said. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he wasn’t sure if he would join the rallygoers Saturday, but he took issue with the Republicans’ characterization of the events.“What’s hateful is what happened on January 6th,” he said, referring to the 2021 Capitol attack, as Trump’s supporters stormed the building to protest Joe Biden’s election victory. “What you’ll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like, people showing up to express opposition to the extremism that Donald Trump has been unleashing on the American people.”Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed.

    WASHINGTON —

    Protesting the direction of the country under President Donald Trump, people will gather Saturday in the nation’s capital and communities across the U.S. for “No Kings” demonstrations — what the president’s Republican Party is calling “Hate America” rallies.

    This is the third mass mobilization since Trump’s return to the White House and it is expected to be the largest. It comes against the backdrop of a government shutdown that not only has closed federal programs and services, but is testing the core balance of power as an aggressive executive confronts Congress and the courts in ways that organizers warn are a slide toward American authoritarianism.

    Trump himself is away from Washington at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

    “They say they’re referring to me as a king. I’m not a king,” Trump said in a Fox News interview airing early Friday. He later departed for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. Protests are expected nearby Saturday.

    While the earlier protests this year — against Elon Musk’s cuts in spring, then to counter Trump’s military parade in June — drew crowds, organizers say this one is building a more unified opposition movement. Top Democrats such as Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders are joining in what organizers view as an antidote to Trump’s actions, from the administration’s clampdown on free speech to its military-style immigration raids.

    “There is no greater threat to an authoritarian regime than patriotic people-power,” said Ezra Levin, a co-founder of Indivisible, among the key organizers.

    As Republicans and the White House dismiss the protests as a rally of radicals, Levin said their own sign-up numbers are growing. More than 2,600 rallies are planned in cities large and small, organized by hundreds of coalition partners. They said rallies are being planned within a one-hour drive for most Americans.

    Overseas, a few hundred Americans already gathered in Madrid to chant slogans and hold signs at a protest organized by Democrats Abroad, with similar rallies planned in other major European cities.

    Republicans have sought to portray participants in Saturday’s rallies as far outside the mainstream of American politics, and a main reason for the prolonged government shutdown, now in its 18th day.

    From the White House to Capitol Hill, GOP leaders disparaged the rallygoers as “communists” and “Marxists.”

    They say Democratic leaders, including Schumer, are beholden to the far-left flank and willing to keep the government shut down to appease those liberal forces.

    “I encourage you to watch — we call it the Hate America rally — that will happen Saturday,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

    “Let’s see who shows up for that,” Johnson said, listing groups including “antifa types,” people who “hate capitalism” and “Marxists in full display.”

    Democrats have refused to vote on legislation that would reopen the government as they demand funding for health care. Republicans say they are willing to discuss the issue later, only after the government reopens.

    But for many Democrats, the government closure is also a way to stand up to Trump, and try to push the presidency back to its place in the U.S. system as a co-equal branch of government.

    In a Facebook post, Sanders of Vermont, himself a former presidential contender, said, “It’s a love America rally.”

    “It’s a rally of millions of people all over this country who believe in our Constitution, who believe in American freedom and,” he said, pointing at the GOP leadership, “are not going to let you and Donald Trump turn this country into an authoritarian society.”

    The situation is a potential turnaround from just six months ago, when Democrats and their allies were divided and despondent, unsure about how best to respond to Trump’s return to the White House. Schumer in particular was berated by his party for allowing an earlier government funding bill to sail through the Senate without using it to challenge Trump.

    In April, the national march against Trump and Elon Musk had 1,300 registered locations. In June, for the first “No Kings” day, there were 2,100 registered locations. The march Saturday will have more than 2,600 registered locations, Levin said.

    “What we are seeing from the Democrats is some spine,” Levin said. “The worst thing the Democrats could do right now is surrender.”

    House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he wasn’t sure if he would join the rallygoers Saturday, but he took issue with the Republicans’ characterization of the events.

    “What’s hateful is what happened on January 6th,” he said, referring to the 2021 Capitol attack, as Trump’s supporters stormed the building to protest Joe Biden’s election victory. “What you’ll see this weekend is what patriotism looks like, people showing up to express opposition to the extremism that Donald Trump has been unleashing on the American people.”

    Riddle reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed.

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  • Dozens of ‘No Kings’ protests will be held across Los Angeles County

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    Building on the “No Kings” protests in June, organizations across the United States, including those in Southern California, are once again rallying and marching Saturday to protest against the Trump administration.

    On June 14, more than 50 million people across all 50 states joined in one of the largest single-day protests against “President Trump’s authoritarianism,” according to Studio City Rising, a local event organizer.

    The latest “No Kings” rallies and marches will take place in dozens of Los Angeles County locations.

    “Our community is peacefully coming together to push back against President Trump’s violent, authoritarian actions,” said Studio City Rising. “We’re standing with our neighbors and residents from all over our city to share a simple resolved message: We don’t do dictators or kings in America. Our diversity is our strength and empathy is our superpower.”

    The national event is backed by groups that include the American Civil Liberties Union, American Federation of Teachers, Common Defense, 50501 Movement, Human Rights Campaign, Indivisible, League of Conservation Voters, MoveOn, National Nurses United, Public Citizen and Service Employees International Union.

    An interactive map of “No Kings” events across the U.S. can be found online.

    Here is an alphabetical list of 30 of the “No Kings” rallies in Los Angeles County, the times and locations, along with notes for attendees.

    Alhambra
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: Alhambra Park, 500 N. Palm Ave.
    Event notes: Attendees will gather at the park on the corner of Alhambra Road and North Palm Avenue. There will be access to restrooms.

    Beverly Hills
    When: 2 to 4 p.m.
    Where: Along Olympic Boulevard at Roxbury Park, 471 South Roxbury Drive
    Event notes: Nearby on-street parking is available. Organizers encourage attendees to carpool to avoid any parking problems.

    Burbank
    When: 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.
    Where: Abraham Lincoln Park, 300 N. Buena Vista St.
    Event notes: Attendees will have access to restrooms. The event will take place mainly on flat ground.

    Covina
    When: 4 to 7 p.m.
    Where: Heritage Plaza Park, 400 N. Citrus Ave.
    Event notes: Attendees will have access to bathrooms and the rally will take place mainly on flat ground.

    El Segundo
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: Main Street and East Imperial Avenue
    Event notes: Organizers say this rally is slated to be a family-friendly, dog-friendly and nonviolent community event. Attendees are asked to stay on the grassy areas and off of the roads.

    Glendale
    When: noon to 2 p.m.
    Where: Public plaza outside the Social Security Office, 225 W. Broadway
    Event notes: The event will take place mainly on flat ground.

    La Habra
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: The corner of South Beach Boulevard and Imperial Highway
    Event notes: Attendees will have access to bathrooms and dedicated parking spots.

    Lakewood
    When: noon to 2 p.m.
    Where: Lakewood City Hall, 5050 Clark Ave.
    Event notes: Attendees are asked to meet in front of Lakewood City Hall at noon for a quick introduction speech along with a reading of the poem, “Bread and Roses” by James Oppenheim. Accommodations such as water and earplugs will be available at the first aid table.

    Long Beach
    When: noon to 3:45 p.m.
    Where: The corner of East Ocean Boulevard and Junipero Avenue
    Event notes: Attendees are encouraged to bring signs, water, lawn chairs and walking shoes.

    Los Angeles
    When: noon to 2 p.m.
    Where: Los Angeles Unified School District Headquarters, 333 S. Beaudry Ave.
    Event notes: Education Workers including school custodians, teachers, special education assistants, food service workers, principals, school maintenance workers, child care providers and others will rally and march from the headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified School District to join the massive “No Kings” rally in downtown Los Angeles.

    Los Angeles, downtown
    When: 2 to 5 p.m.
    Where: 200 N. Spring St.
    Event notes: The rally and march is hosted by Democracy Action Network and Indivisible DTLA No Kings. The event will be held mainly on flat ground.

    Los Angeles, downtown
    When: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
    Where: In the larger park, up the hill from the main crowd where the park intersects North Hill Street
    Event notes: No Kings Silver Lake suggests protesters join the event dressed as a taco. Anyone with an extra taco costume is encouraged to bring it for other attendees.

    Los Angeles, Pico Robertson
    When: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
    Where: The corner of La Cienega and West Pico boulevards
    Event notes: The event will take place mainly on flat ground.

    Los Angeles, Historic Filipinotown
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: Unidad Park and Community Garden, 1644 Beverly Blvd.
    Event notes: The rally will be hosted by the Indivisible – Historic Filipinotown / Echo Park and the Filipino American Lakas Alliance. It will be held mainly on flat ground.

    East Los Angeles
    When: 8:45 a.m. to noon
    Where: Salazar Park, 3864 Whittier Blvd.
    Event notes: Organizers encourage attendees to wear face masks as a flu and COVID-19 precaution.

    Southeast L.A., Lynwood
    When: noon to 2:30 p.m.
    Where: The corner of Atlantic Avenue and Imperial Highway
    Event notes: The rally will take place mainly on flat ground.

    Pasadena
    When: 1 to 3 p.m.
    Where: Pasadena City Hall, 100 Garfield Ave.
    Event notes: The event will include seven speakers including Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) and Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena). Music will be provided by the Nextdoors band and the All Saints drum circle. A long banner-style petition will be available for attendees to sign.

    Rancho Palos Verdes
    When: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
    Where: 1 Trump National Drive
    Event notes: The No Kings Harbor of Hope Rally will include parking access for attendees and will take place mainly on flat ground.

    San Dimas
    When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    Where: The corner of West Arrow Highway and West Bonita Avenue
    Event notes: The rally will take place on flat ground.

    San Pedro
    When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
    Where: The address will be shared upon submitting an online RSVP.
    Event notes: Organizers anticipate a large showing of demonstrators as a car show is taking place the same weekend. The rally will take place mainly on flat ground and there will be bathrooms nearby.

    Santa Monica
    When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    Where: Palisades Park on Ocean Avenue
    Event notes: Event hosts say parking is available at the beach parking lots and attendees can walk over the Montana Avenue or Idaho Avenue bridge to the rally. Attendees are encouraged to spread across Palisades Park from the California Incline to San Vicente Boulevard while staying on the grass. Santa Monica police officers will be in attendance to keep the event peaceful.

    Sherman Oaks
    When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    Where: 15233 Ventura Blvd.
    Event notes: The rally will take place across from the Sherman Oaks Galleria. Attendees will have access to restrooms and dedicated parking spots.

    Sierra Madre
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: 1 Kersting Court
    Event notes: An Indivisible group, Rooted in Resistance SGV, is sponsoring the event.

    Studio City
    When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    Where: The corner of Laurel Canyon and Ventura boulevards in Studio City
    Event notes: Attendees should line up on Ventura Boulevard.

    Torrance
    When: 10 a.m. to noon
    Where: El Prado Park, 2201 W. Carson St.
    Event notes: The march will begin at El Prado Park, which is directly across from Torrance High School, and end at Torrance City Hall. Participants are asked to keep sidewalks clear, stay on the grass and avoid blocking entrances and driveways. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own signs, flags, water, snacks, sunscreen as well as comfortable hats and shoes. Protest hosts, Indivisible South Bay LA, have provided the chants online so that participants can print them ahead of the event.

    Venice Beach
    When: Noon to 3 p.m.
    Where: The corner of Abbot Kinney and Venice boulevards
    Event Notes: Attendees are encouraged to bring water, signs and comfortable shoes.

    Westchester/Playa
    When: 4 to 5 p.m.
    Where: The corner of South Sepulveda and South La Tijera boulevards
    Event notes: The rally will take place mainly on flat ground.

    Whittier
    When: 4 to 5:30 p.m.
    Where: Whittier City Hall, 13230 Penn St.
    Event notes: The Whittier Indivisible Chapter is hosting the rally and march which will begin at the Whittier City Hall. Attendees are encouraged to wear patriotic clothing and bring handcrafted signs and flags.

    Whittier
    When: 8 to 9 a.m.
    Where: 605 Freeway overpass on Obregon Street
    Event notes: Attendees will rally on the 605 Freeway overpass.

    Wilmington
    When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
    Where: The corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Avalon Boulevard
    Event notes: Attendees are encouraged to create their own signs and help clean up when the rally is over.

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    Karen Garcia

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  • A killer targeted men using Grindr, police say. One survived to help catch him

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    When his date pulled out handcuffs, the man thought it was for consensual sex.

    He submitted to having his wrists cuffed and ankles bound together. Then the other man pulled out a baseball bat.

    The Feb. 22 incident, recounted in a detective’s affidavit, began on Grindr, a hookup app for gay men. It ended with the handcuffed man badly injured — but alive.

    With his cooperation, detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department said, they identified his alleged assailant as Rockim Prowell, 34, and suspected it wasn’t the first time he’d lured a victim using Grindr.

    Prowell was charged in September with killing two men whose deaths had gone unsolved for years, authorities said.

    “We needed to connect the dots,” said Det. Ray Lugo of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    Prowell has yet to enter a plea to charges of murder, attempted murder, carjacking, robbery, burglary and assault. His attorney, Deputy Public Defender Carlos Bido, didn’t return a request for comment.

    The trail of evidence that led detectives to Prowell began in 2021, authorities say, when a married father of five left home at 1 a.m. for a date with a man he’d met online.

    Inglewood police officers found Miguel Angel King’s white Toyota CHR parked on Queen Street the afternoon of July 22, 2021. The vehicle’s hatchback area, Lugo said, was covered in blood.

    King, 51, had been reported missing by his wife and children days earlier, Lugo said.

    A native of Tijuana who came to Los Angeles as a child, King raised five children, including three girls he adopted from foster care, said his daughter, Angela King. He worked hard, running a child-care business and helping his sister with a burger restaurant, she said.

    As the family waited for news, Angela King said she tried to convince herself that her father was just taking an unannounced vacation.

    “I didn’t know what to think,” she recalled. “I was scared. My father was home every single night, every single day.”

    Lugo and his partner, Det. Leo Sanchez, reviewed King’s phone data and learned it was last active near a lagoon in Playa del Rey. Sheriff’s divers searched the water but found nothing.

    On Aug. 14, 2021, police discovered a decomposed body in the Angeles National Forest above Glendora, Lugo said. Two weeks later, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner identified the remains as King’s. The cause of death was a single gunshot to the head.

    Then the case went cold.

    Robert Gutierrez left home in South Los Angeles the evening of Aug. 21, 2023, an LAPD detective wrote in a search warrant affidavit. He told his nephew he was meeting someone he’d encountered on Grindr.

    Launched in 2009, Grindr is now a publicly traded company that claims more than 14 million users in 190 countries and territories.

    In a written statement, a Grindr spokesperson said the company cooperates with law enforcement and encourages people to use its video calling feature to verify connections for safety before meeting in person.

    “We take our role as a connector for the queer community seriously and work diligently to provide a safe environment for our users,” the spokesperson said.

    Police around the world have investigated homicides where killers met their victims on Grindr. In London, authorities investigated the deaths of four men in 2014 and 2015 who were drugged, raped and killed by a suspect they’d met on Grindr, the BBC reported.

    In 2023, a Scottish father of two was killed by a 19-year-old he’d met on Grindr. Only after Paul Taylor’s death did his family learn of his double life.

    “I will never have the opportunity to hear from Paul about his lifestyle choices,” his widow told a court, according to the BBC, “but I do not judge him.”

    Two days after Gutierrez left home, his nephew reported him missing.

    According to a search warrant affidavit, LAPD detectives searched impound logs and city license plate readers for Gutierrez’s black Infiniti FX35, finding nothing. His bank records showed someone had used his credit card to pay the $132.60 monthly rent for a storage unit in San Bernardino.

    When detectives got a court order to search Gutierrez’s Grindr account, they saw he’d made plans to meet someone at an apartment building on Imperial Highway in Inglewood, according to the affidavit.

    The man’s name: Rockim Lee Prowell.

    Prowell had a modest criminal record, but nothing to indicate violence. Detectives from the Beverly Hills Police Department arrested him in 2021 for burglary and theft, according to a probation report.

    The previous year, police were alerted to an intruder at a vacant five-bedroom house. They found a shattered sliding glass door and two televisions missing, the probation report said. In April 2021, a real estate agent showing a $19-million, 7,500-square-foot home arrived to find the property burglarized and three televisions stolen, according to the report.

    From surveillance footage, detectives identified the suspect’s car as a black Toyota Prius. In the video, the suspect appeared to be a white man with long curly brown hair, according to a law enforcement source who wasn’t authorized to discuss the case publicly and requested anonymity.

    Two weeks later, Beverly Hills officers spotted the Prius at Lexington Road and Beverly Drive, the probation report said. The car was outfitted with a stolen license plate.

    Prowell was behind the wheel. Inside the car, detectives found a brunette wig and a rubber mask resembling a white male that the law enforcement source said looked realistic enough to be “movie quality.”

    According to the probation report, Prowell, who is Black, admitted burglarizing the houses in Beverly Hills. He was homeless and had “fallen on tough times,” he said.

    He looked up properties that were listed for sale, knowing they’d be vacant, and burglarized them for televisions that he sold online, Prowell told police. With his background in construction, he said he knew that turning off the homes’ circuit breakers would disable their surveillance systems.

    The law enforcement official said Prowell was linked to burglaries in North Hollywood, Van Nuys, West L.A., Santa Monica, South Pasadena and Newport Beach, but there is no record of him being charged for those alleged crimes.

    Charged with burglary, grand theft and vandalism for the Beverly Hills break-ins, Prowell was released on bail May 6, 2021. He pleaded no contest four months later to two counts of burglary and one count of grand theft.

    When it came to the sentence that Prowell would receive, a probation officer wrote that his “callous and premeditated” crimes would have continued if he hadn’t been caught. But with no prior criminal history, Prowell was eligible for probation.

    The judge agreed with the officer’s recommendation of no jail time, sentencing Prowell to two years’ probation.

    By then, authorities allege, Prowell had already killed.

    Around 3 a.m. on Feb. 22, 2025, LAPD officers raced to 59th Place in South L.A., where they’d been dispatched by a report of “unknown trouble,” a detective wrote in a search warrant affidavit.

    They found a 40-year-old man with a broken leg, according to the affidavit and a statement by the L.A. County district attorney. The man, who is not named in the affidavit, told the officers a harrowing story.

    After messaging for months on Grindr, he and a man made plans to meet for the first time. His date, whose name he didn’t know, sent him an address. When he arrived, the man said he allowed himself to be handcuffed and have his ankles bound, thinking they were going to have consensual sex.

    Instead, his date pepper-sprayed him, beat him with a metal bat and demanded the PIN to his bank cards, he told police. After covering his eyes with a blindfold, gagging him with a sock and taping his mouth shut, the suspect dragged the man to a car, threatening to put him in the trunk.

    The man said he managed to get his legs free and ran out the garage door, screaming.

    The suspect — identified by police as Prowell — started the car and crashed into the man, breaking his leg. He got out of the car and tried to persuade the victim to come back inside, even removing the handcuffs, the affidavit said.

    Instead, the victim took off running and asked a neighbor to call the police. By the time the officers arrived, the suspect alleged to be Prowell had vanished.

    The victim recalled his date’s Grindr username, and detectives served a search warrant on the company, court records show.

    It’s unclear how detectives identified Prowell as the suspect, but Lugo said the surviving victim’s account was the break authorities needed.

    “Our case was a lot of circumstantial evidence,” Lugo said.

    When detectives searched a home associated with Prowell in Inglewood, they found Gutierrez’s Infiniti in the garage, according to a statement from the L.A. County district attorney’s office. His body has still not been found.

    Last month, prosecutors charged Prowell with murdering King and Gutierrez and attempting to kill the third victim who described being bound, assaulted and hit with a car.

    If convicted, Prowell faces life in prison without parole or the death penalty, prosecutors said in a statement. The district attorney’s office has yet to make a decision whether to seek capital punishment.

    Angela King said she wanted her father to be known for more than how he died.

    She cited the Gospel of Matthew: “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.”

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    Matthew Ormseth

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  • Kings open up preseason with rough showing against Raptors

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    Following a 175-day hiatus, Sacramento Kings basketball returned to Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.Fans in attendance got their first look at a new-look Kings team that featured newly-signed point guard Dennis Schroder, rookie wing Nique Clifford (24th pick in June’s NBA Draft), and big man Maxime Raynaud (42nd pick in the NBA Draft) against the Toronto Raptors in the first of four preseason tune-up games.Exhibition games are always a mixed bag–sporadic rotations, limited minutes, and in this case, no broadcast on local or national TV. Sure, the game was broadcast on Sactown Sports 1140 AM and Kings.com, but, like most preseason games, this one felt like a dress rehearsal for the real thing, which is a good thing from Sacramento’s perspective.As was the case last season, the Kings struggled to contain the perimeter against Toronto, falling behind by double digits during the first half — a deficit that Sacramento never recovered from — before pulling its primary rotation players early in the second half.Here are some thoughts and observations from the Kings’ 130-120 preseason-opening loss as we move closer to the season-opener on October 22nd.Sacramento Kings vs. Toronto Raptors recap & takeawaysHead coach Doug Christie kept his rotations and planned playing time close to the vest during this week’s practice sessions, but his plans were revealed on Wednesday.New Kings big man Drew Eubanks was Christie’s first sub off the bench for Domantas Sabonis, allowing Sabonis to re-enter the game with Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, and rookie wing Nique Clifford on the floor. Second-year forward Isaac Jones was Christie’s first forward off the bench, rather than veteran Dario Saric or sharpshooter Doug McDermott.Sacramento’s new-look rotations got off to a slow start early, falling behind by as many as 14 points during the first half as Toronto set fire to the nets from beyond the arc (11-of-20 from deep during the first half).Zach LaVine, who logged 15 minutes of playing time in his preseason debut, scored 16 points on five-of-seven shooting from the field (three-of-five from downtown) to act as the head of the snake for the Kings’ offense.Sacramento’s primary rotation pieces departed the game near the end of the third quarter as the Kings faced an 18-point deficit, allowing second-year guard Devin Carter, two-way center Dylan Cardwell, forward Daeqwon Plowden, and Eubanks to get more action.Fans in attendance could be heard audibly groaning, and in some cases, booing, as Sacramento struggled to keep up with the red-hot Raptors.While the Kings trailed by double-digits for most of the night, the bench unit of Clifford, Carter, Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud, and Isaiah Stevens injected life back into the building by opening up the fourth quarter on a 30-20 run that trimmed the deficit to single digits.“They brought the energy. Props to them,” Domantas Sabonis said of the late charge. “As starters, we should have done our job.”Cardwell put on a show in the fourth, scoring all 12 of his points on six-of-seven shooting while putting down a few rim-rattling dunks that helped make things interesting late.Although Sacramento’s bench unit scored 44 points on 65 percent shooting during the fourth quarter, too much damage was done early by the Raptors as Toronto held on for the win.Clifford, who has been rumored to be in the mix for some spot backup point guard minutes, finished the night with a team-high nine assists to go around with ten points. Raynaud added seven points and six rebounds over twelve minutes.The Kings struggled to defend the perimeter last year (as well as most seasons over the past 20 years), a trend that continued against Toronto as the Raptors finished the night 20-of-37 (54%) from three-point land. Chrisite has preached improvements on the defensive end this year, and although it was just one preseason game, Wednesday was a tough start to the 2025-26 campaign.Four of the Kings’ five starters–outside of LaVine’s 15 minutes–logged 24 minutes on Wednesday night, and those minutes are likely to increase over the final three preseason games.Rounding Out The Box ScoreDomantas Sabonis scored 19 points on seven-of-10 shooting from the field over 23 minutes.Dennis Schroder struggled from the field during his unofficial Kings debut, going one-of-five from the field while pulling down six rebounds.Sacramento finished the night 10-of-33 (30%) from beyond the arc during the loss.When is the next Sacramento Kings game?Sacramento will continue its preseason slate of games on Friday night when it travels to the Moda Center for a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.Catch all of the action on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 p.m. PT on Game Night before a 7 p.m. PT tip-off from Portland, Oregon.Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 seasonPreseasonFriday, Oct. 10 @ Portland Trail Blazers – 7 p.m. PTWednesday, Oct. 15 vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 7 p.m. PTFriday, Oct. 17 @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7 p.m. PTRegular SeasonWednesday, Oct. 22 – @ Phoenix Suns – 7 p.m. PTFriday, Oct. 24 – vs. Utah Jazz – 7 p.m. PTSunday, Oct. 26 – vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 6 p.m. PTTuesday, Oct. 28 – @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5 p.m. PTWednesday, Oct. 29 – @ Chicago Bulls – 5 p.m. PTThis story first appeared on Sactown Sports.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    Following a 175-day hiatus, Sacramento Kings basketball returned to Golden 1 Center on Wednesday night.

    Fans in attendance got their first look at a new-look Kings team that featured newly-signed point guard Dennis Schroder, rookie wing Nique Clifford (24th pick in June’s NBA Draft), and big man Maxime Raynaud (42nd pick in the NBA Draft) against the Toronto Raptors in the first of four preseason tune-up games.

    Exhibition games are always a mixed bag–sporadic rotations, limited minutes, and in this case, no broadcast on local or national TV. Sure, the game was broadcast on Sactown Sports 1140 AM and Kings.com, but, like most preseason games, this one felt like a dress rehearsal for the real thing, which is a good thing from Sacramento’s perspective.

    As was the case last season, the Kings struggled to contain the perimeter against Toronto, falling behind by double digits during the first half — a deficit that Sacramento never recovered from — before pulling its primary rotation players early in the second half.

    Here are some thoughts and observations from the Kings’ 130-120 preseason-opening loss as we move closer to the season-opener on October 22nd.

    Sacramento Kings vs. Toronto Raptors recap & takeaways

    Head coach Doug Christie kept his rotations and planned playing time close to the vest during this week’s practice sessions, but his plans were revealed on Wednesday.

    New Kings big man Drew Eubanks was Christie’s first sub off the bench for Domantas Sabonis, allowing Sabonis to re-enter the game with Malik Monk, Keon Ellis, and rookie wing Nique Clifford on the floor. Second-year forward Isaac Jones was Christie’s first forward off the bench, rather than veteran Dario Saric or sharpshooter Doug McDermott.

    Sacramento’s new-look rotations got off to a slow start early, falling behind by as many as 14 points during the first half as Toronto set fire to the nets from beyond the arc (11-of-20 from deep during the first half).

    Zach LaVine, who logged 15 minutes of playing time in his preseason debut, scored 16 points on five-of-seven shooting from the field (three-of-five from downtown) to act as the head of the snake for the Kings’ offense.

    Sacramento’s primary rotation pieces departed the game near the end of the third quarter as the Kings faced an 18-point deficit, allowing second-year guard Devin Carter, two-way center Dylan Cardwell, forward Daeqwon Plowden, and Eubanks to get more action.

    Fans in attendance could be heard audibly groaning, and in some cases, booing, as Sacramento struggled to keep up with the red-hot Raptors.

    While the Kings trailed by double-digits for most of the night, the bench unit of Clifford, Carter, Cardwell, Maxime Raynaud, and Isaiah Stevens injected life back into the building by opening up the fourth quarter on a 30-20 run that trimmed the deficit to single digits.

    “They brought the energy. Props to them,” Domantas Sabonis said of the late charge. “As starters, we should have done our job.”

    Cardwell put on a show in the fourth, scoring all 12 of his points on six-of-seven shooting while putting down a few rim-rattling dunks that helped make things interesting late.

    Although Sacramento’s bench unit scored 44 points on 65 percent shooting during the fourth quarter, too much damage was done early by the Raptors as Toronto held on for the win.

    Clifford, who has been rumored to be in the mix for some spot backup point guard minutes, finished the night with a team-high nine assists to go around with ten points. Raynaud added seven points and six rebounds over twelve minutes.

    The Kings struggled to defend the perimeter last year (as well as most seasons over the past 20 years), a trend that continued against Toronto as the Raptors finished the night 20-of-37 (54%) from three-point land. Chrisite has preached improvements on the defensive end this year, and although it was just one preseason game, Wednesday was a tough start to the 2025-26 campaign.

    Four of the Kings’ five starters–outside of LaVine’s 15 minutes–logged 24 minutes on Wednesday night, and those minutes are likely to increase over the final three preseason games.

    Rounding Out The Box Score

    Domantas Sabonis scored 19 points on seven-of-10 shooting from the field over 23 minutes.

    Dennis Schroder struggled from the field during his unofficial Kings debut, going one-of-five from the field while pulling down six rebounds.

    Sacramento finished the night 10-of-33 (30%) from beyond the arc during the loss.

    When is the next Sacramento Kings game?

    Sacramento will continue its preseason slate of games on Friday night when it travels to the Moda Center for a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.

    Catch all of the action on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 p.m. PT on Game Night before a 7 p.m. PT tip-off from Portland, Oregon.

    SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Brandon Ingram #3 of the Toronto Raptors shoots over Keegan Murray #13 of the Sacramento Kings in the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game at Golden 1 Center on October 08, 2025 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

    Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season

    Preseason

    • Friday, Oct. 10 @ Portland Trail Blazers – 7 p.m. PT
    • Wednesday, Oct. 15 vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 7 p.m. PT
    • Friday, Oct. 17 @ Los Angeles Lakers – 7 p.m. PT

    Regular Season

    • Wednesday, Oct. 22 – @ Phoenix Suns – 7 p.m. PT
    • Friday, Oct. 24 – vs. Utah Jazz – 7 p.m. PT
    • Sunday, Oct. 26 – vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 6 p.m. PT
    • Tuesday, Oct. 28 – @ Oklahoma City Thunder – 5 p.m. PT
    • Wednesday, Oct. 29 – @ Chicago Bulls – 5 p.m. PT

    This story first appeared on Sactown Sports.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • News Analysis: Trump, showered by British royalty, airs political grievances overseas

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    WASHINGTON — At a banquet table fit for a king, but set specially for him, President Trump called his state visit to the United Kingdom this week “one of the highest honors of my life.”

    He then proceeded to tell guests at the white tie event that the United States was “a very sick country” last year before becoming “the hottest” again under his rule.

    During a news conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Chequers estate Thursday, hailing a bilateral deal on artificial intelligence investments said to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, Trump called America’s relationship with Britain “unbreakable,” bigger than any single esoteric policy disagreement.

    But he quickly pivoted from magnanimity on the world stage, denying the results of his 2020 election defeat and calling exclusively on conservative reporters, who asked questions about Britain’s Christian nature and his predecessor’s alleged use of an autopen.

    It was a familiar study in contrasts from the president, who routinely mixes diplomacy with domestic politics in his meetings with foreign leaders. Yet the sound of Trump engaging in fractious political discourse — not at the White House or a political event in Florida or Missouri, but inside Britain’s most revered halls — struck a discordant tone.

    The Mirror, a national British tabloid aligned with Starmer’s Labour Party, wrote that Trump’s “wild … political rant” at Windsor Castle alongside King Charles III “seriously broke royal protocol.”

    On Wednesday evening, as the formal banquet concluded, Trump took to his social media platform to designate a far left-wing political movement called Antifa as “a major terrorist organization,” describing the group as “A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER.”

    President Trump appears with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at a news conference Thursday at Chequers near Aylesbury, England.

    (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

    The move prompted a question to Starmer at the Chequers news conference from a right-ring reporter on whether he would consider taking similar action against leftist British groups.

    “We obviously will take decisions for ourselves. I don’t want to comment on the decisions of the president,” Starmer said. “But we take our decisions ourselves.”

    In another exchange, Trump repeated dramatically exaggerated figures on the number of undocumented migrants who entered the United States during the Biden administration, as well as false claims about the 2020 presidential election.

    “I don’t want to be controversial, but you see what’s happened, and you see all the information that’s come out,” Trump said. “We won in 2020, big. And I said, let’s run. We gotta run. Because I saw what’s happening.”

    The Royal Family went beyond its own rule book to show Trump extraordinary hospitality, honoring the president’s arrival with a 41-gun salute typically reserved for special, domestic occasions, such as the king’s birthday.

    King Charles was hosting Trump for an unprecedented second state visit — a gesture never before extended to an American president — after the king’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, greeted him at Windsor in 2019.

    “That’s a first and maybe that’s going to be the last time. I hope it is, actually,” Trump said in his banquet speech, prompting the king to chuckle and balk.

    At the stunning dinner, along a table seating 160 people in St. George’s Hall, guests were offered a 1912 cognac honoring the birth year of the president’s Scottish-born mother, as well as a whiskey cocktail inspired by his heritage. The president, for his part, does not drink.

    First Lady Melania Trump, President Trump, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer at Chequers.

    First Lady Melania Trump, left, President Trump, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Lady Victoria Starmer watch the Red Devils parachute display team at Chequers, the country home of the British prime minister, on Thursday.

    (Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images)

    But it is unclear whether the king’s soft-power diplomacy helped shift Trump closer to London’s priorities on foreign affairs. A growing chorus in Britain opposes Israel’s continued military operations in Gaza, and major U.K. parties are aligned on a moral and strategic need to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

    “Our countries have the closest defense, security and intelligence relationship ever known,” Charles said at the dinner. “In two world wars, we fought together to defeat the forces of tyranny.

    “Today, as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace,” the king added.

    A king’s request for Europe

    Trump’s reciprocal remarks did not mention Ukraine. But at Chequers, the president repeated his general disappointment with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the ongoing war, a conflict Putin has escalated with attacks on civilians and the British Council building in Kyiv since meeting with Trump in Alaska a month ago.

    “He’s let me down. He’s really let me down,” said Trump, offering no details on what steps he might take next.

    Starmer, pressing to leverage the pomp of Trump’s state visit for actionable policy change, said that a coordinated response to Putin’s aggression would be forthcoming and “decisive.”

    “In recent days, Putin has shown his true face, mounting the biggest attack since the invasion began, with yet more bloodshed, yet more innocents killed, and unprecedented violations of NATO airspace,” Starmer said, referencing Russia’s Sept. 9 drone flights over Poland. “These are not the actions of someone who wants peace.”

    “It’s only when the president has put pressure on Putin,” Starmer added, “that he’s actually shown any inclination to move.”

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    Michael Wilner

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  • Online dating murder suspect lured men into brutal robberies, L.A. County prosecutors allege

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    A 44-year-old Inglewood man allegedly killed and robbed two men he met through a dating website before savagely beating a third, prosecutors said Monday.

    Rockim Prowell was charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and multiple counts of carjacking and burglary in a string of attacks from 2021 to 2025, according to a criminal complaint made public Monday. In each case, Los Angeles County prosecutors said, Prowell met his victims through online dating.

    “Imagine the terror and horror these victims felt after being duped into believing they were meeting for one reason, only to face inexplicable violence,” Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “These were predatory acts that showed a total disregard of life.”

    In July 2021, Prowell met up with Miguel Angel King, 51, after they connected on a dating app, according to a news release issued Monday by the district attorney’s office. Prosecutors allege that Prowell shot King and stole his car, which was found a week later. Forensic evidence collected from the vehicle linked Prowell to the killing, according to the district attorney’s office. King’s remains were found in the Angeles National Forest the next month.

    At the time of King’s death, Prowell was awaiting trial on multiple counts of burglary and theft. He was arrested in May 2021, court records show, and allegedly killed King two months before the district attorney’s office offered him a plea deal that placed him on probation.

    A spokesman for the district attorney’s office declined to comment on the prior plea agreement or identify the dating app used in each attack.

    The L.A. County public defender’s office, which last represented Prowell in 2021, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

    Prowell was scheduled to be arraigned Monday, but his hearing was delayed to Oct. 16, according to a district attorney’s office spokesperson.

    In August 2023, prosecutors said Prowell met up with Robert Gutierrez, 53, after again using a dating website to connect.

    Gutierrez’s family reported him missing a week later and his body was never found, prosecutors said. But when Prowell was arrested last week, prosecutors said they found Gutierrez’s vehicle in his garage.

    This year, prosecutors say Prowell also lured a 40-year-old man to meet him through the same dating website, after which he “bound the victim, stole his wallet and beat him with a baseball bat,” according to the news release. The man escaped, but Prowell chased after him in a car, running him over and breaking his leg.

    Prosecutors could pursue the death penalty against Prowell, but a decision on whether to do so must be approved by a committee within the district attorney’s office.

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    James Queally

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  • Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday plans revealed, to ring in the special day with Ranveer, Alia and more | Bollywood Life

    Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday plans revealed, to ring in the special day with Ranveer, Alia and more | Bollywood Life

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    Shah Rukh Khan, the King of Bollywood, will ring in his 59th birthday on November 2. The actor enjoy a crazy fandom and every year, hundreds of his fans stand outside Mannat to celebrate his special day. All his fandoms have already begun preparing to celebrate his birthday with much gusto. Over the years, Shah Rukh Khan has celebrated his birthday by throwing a grand bash for his friends and family. It looks like this year isn’t going to be any different. Also Read – Shah Rukh Khan grooves with mother-in-law and Suhana Khan at an event, proves why he King of Hearts

    Shah Rukh Khan’s grand birthday plans

    If the reports in entertainment news are to be believed, Shah Rukh Khan is planning to throw a grand bash for his friends and family to celebrate his 59th birthday. The actor and his wife Gauri Khan are going to host a party at Mannat and many from the film industry would be attended the same. If the reports are true, the star couple’s team has sent out invites to more than 250 guests to come and be a part of the celebrations. Stars like Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt and many more are expected to be a part of Shah Rukh Khan’s 59th birthday celebration. Given that Deepika Padukone has just delivered a baby, it remains to be seen whether she attends the party or not. Also Read – Karan Arjun aagaye… Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’s film to re-release on THIS date

    Check out Shah Rukh Khan’s net worth

    Shah Rukh Khan is said to be among the best hosts and personally attends the guests. In one of the interviews, Gauri Khan had revealed that Shah Rukh Khan always ensures to personally see off the guests. On Koffee With Karan, she once said, “He is always seeing off the guests to their car. Sometimes I feel like he spends more time outside than inside during parties. Then people start looking for him. It makes me feel like we are having the party outside on the road rather than inside the house!” Well, that’s what makes him Shah Rukh Khan, isn’t it? Also Read – Deepika Padukone to Salman Khan: MOST expensive electricity bills of Bollywood celebs

    On the work front, Shah Rukh Khan will next be seen in a movie titled KING. Though the film is yet to be officially announced, King Khan has confirmed the title. It is expected that the film’s poster will be unveiled on his birthday. Fans are waiting.

    Stay tuned to BollywoodLife for the latest scoops and updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, South, TV and Web-Series.
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  • Shah Rukh Khan reveals he eats only one meal a day; ‘I go to sleep at 5 am and wake up around…’

    Shah Rukh Khan reveals he eats only one meal a day; ‘I go to sleep at 5 am and wake up around…’

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    Shah Rukh Khan, often hailed as the “King of Bollywood,” exudes a unique charm that has captivated audiences around the world for decades. Known for his magnetic screen presence and versatile acting skills, Khan’s appeal transcends traditional stardom. The Dunki actor has recently opened up about his lifestyle. The actor revealed that his schedule often sees him going to sleep at 5 am and waking up around 9 or 10 am. Khan also shared that after returning home from work at 2 am, he dedicates time to working out before heading to bed.

    In a recent interview with The Guardian, SRK reflected on his activities during the pandemic, noting that with limited options available, he encouraged everyone to learn Italian cooking and work out. He mentioned that he took his own advice to heart, building his physique through regular exercise. The Jawan actor shared that he typically “eats only one meal a day”, a personal preference unrelated to intermittent fasting, and spends about half an hour at the gym daily.

    He explained, “I go to sleep at five in the morning. When Mark Wahlberg gets up, I go off to sleep. And then I wake up about nine or 10 if I’m shooting. But then I will come home at 2am, take a bath and then work out before I go to sleep.”

    Meanwhile, on the work front, he will be next seen in Sujoy Ghosh’s King alongside daughter Suhana Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. King is a high-energy action thriller that follows the journey of a mentor and his disciple as they test their survival skills against numerous challenges. The title King reflects the plot, as it portrays Shah Rukh Khan’s character as ‘The King of The World… Underworld’ in this thrilling narrative. 

    In a recent chat with Variety, the Pathaan actor was inquired about his upcoming project. He revealed that it is King, directed by Sujoy Ghosh and creatively produced by Siddharth Anand, the director of Pathaan. Khan added that the film is an action drama and expressed that he had wanted to work on such a project for approximately seven to eight years.

    ALSO READ: Rajkummar Rao reveals he observed THIS about Stree 2 co-star Shraddha Kapoor; ‘She always carries a..’

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  • New York’s King of Falafel Is Planning a Chicago Expansion

    New York’s King of Falafel Is Planning a Chicago Expansion

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    Earlier in July, a vague Instagram post from Fares “Freddy” Zeideia brought joy to Chicagoans familiar with Zeideia’s famous New York restaurant, King of Falafel & Shawarma. Zeideia announced he was opening his first restaurant outside of the Empire State. He’s picked the suburban locale of Chicago Ridge and hopes to open in mid-September.

    Zeideia’s legend has grown since he opened his first food cart in 2002 in Astoria, New York. While Chicagoans may be familiar with halal street food carts — Halal Guys arrived in Chicago in 2018) — Zeideia says he declined expansion overtures. He objected to greedy investors taking control of what he built. “The Falafel King of Astoria,” as the New York Times called him in 2016, has built a kingdom of two food trucks and one restaurant.

    The Palestinian immigrant has family in the Chicago area, and Zeideia’s business partner lives there, too. Zeideia spoke about how Chicago is the Palestinian capital of America with the largest community in the country — it’s mostly focused in the Southwest Suburbs along Harlem Avenue through Bridgeview. That’s why he’s opening the first King of Falafel outside of New York in the suburbs, about 35 minutes from Downtown Chicago near that Palestinian enclave. The location will be for takeout and drive-thru only. Any upcoming locations would have dining rooms. Zeideia says he wants to open three or four in the Chicago area, including in the city proper.

    “Everyone over the years has been telling me to come to Chicago, come to Chicago,” Zeideia says during a mid-July interview. He apologizes for not immediately returning a message. He underwent open-heart surgery the week before.

    Blissfully unaware of Chicago’s restrictive food truck and mobile food cart laws, Zeideia says he also wants to open a food truck in town. After that, he’ll turn his attention to opening restaurants in Dallas. The New York operation has nothing to do with a similarly named San Francisco restaurant that closed in 2015. Zeideia also wants folks who have visited the New York restaurant to experience the same feel.

    “I’m not going to change anything,” he says. “It’s going to be the same, old Freddy; the same attitude, same personality.”

    That includes the restaurant’s branding, which now includes the phrase “Free Palestine.” Zeideia has celebrated his Palestinian pride more overtly in recent months as the war in Gaza continues. He’s plastered a cast of politicians — from President Joe Biden to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — on the floor for customers to step on; Zeideia calls them war criminals and blames them for the death toll overseas. He’s encountered backlash. Those disagreeing with his views have led a campaign to have Google erroneously list his restaurants as closed.

    However, Zeideia has found more supporters thanks to how social media spreads his exploits. He says random folks will approach him and ask, “Aren’t you the guy with the things on the floor?”

    Chicagoans know the type of restaurant owner Zeideia represents. He’s someone who connects with customers and shows up daily to build strong rapport with his customers. He was back at the restaurant a day after heart surgery. Zeideia says he didn’t want to be bored away from the restaurant. While he is excited to be in Chicago to see his six grandchildren more, he’s still a New Yorker to the core. Zeideia says he craves the city’s manic pace which other cities can’t match: “In Chicago, you can sit on a light and nobody honks their horn,” he says.

    King of Falafel and Shawarma, 6085 W. 111th Street in suburban Chicago Ridge, planned for a mid-September opening.

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    Ashok Selvam

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  • Bakersfield legislator Vince Fong wins special election to replace Kevin McCarthy in Congress

    Bakersfield legislator Vince Fong wins special election to replace Kevin McCarthy in Congress

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    In the race to replace former Rep. Kevin McCarthy in Congress, San Joaquin Valley voters Tuesday chose Vince Fong, a Republican state assemblyman who was endorsed by McCarthy and Donald Trump.

    The Associated Press called California’s 20th Congressional District special election for Fong at 8:17 p.m. Fong bested fellow Republican Mike Boudreaux, the Tulare County sheriff.

    McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) resigned from Congress at the end of 2023 after being voted out as House speaker. Fong will complete McCarthy’s term, which ends in January, representing a vast agricultural district that stretches through Kern, Tulare, Kings and Fresno counties.

    In a prepared statement, Fong said that he was “filled with humility and gratitude” at the early results.

    “With the campaign over, the real work now begins,” he said. “In Congress, I will remain focused on solving the tough issues facing our community — securing the border, supporting small business, bringing investment in water storage and infrastructure, unleashing our energy industry, and keeping the United States safe amidst the grave security threats facing our nation.”

    Fong, 44, began his career working for McCarthy’s predecessor, then-Rep. Bill Thomas, then worked for nearly a decade as McCarthy’s district director before winning a seat in the Assembly in 2016.

    Boudreaux, 57, has been the sheriff of Tulare County for more than a decade and serves as the head of the California State Sheriffs’ Assn.

    Boudreaux said in a statement that he called to congratulate Fong on Tuesday night. He added that he was “absolutely humbled by the outpouring of support from family, friends, and neighbors across Fresno, Tulare, Kings, and Kern counties who stepped up to volunteer their time and energy to our campaign and donated generously to spread our message for a better Valley.”

    Fong and Boudreaux will meet again in November, when voters will choose a representative for a full two-year term in Congress. Being the incumbent will give Fong a significant advantage.

    Although McCarthy was not on the ballot, the former House speaker had a hand in boosting Fong, using his political influence and fundraising prowess to help his handpicked successor.

    Fong placed first in the March primary for the full two-year term and the remainder of McCarthy’s term, and raised more than three times as much money as Boudreaux.

    Fong also had support from a political action committee called Central Valley Values, which reported raising $950,000 from McCarthy’s Majority Committee PAC and a new PAC funded by major Republican donors, including longtime McCarthy ally Barbara Grimm-Marshall of Bakersfield’s Grimmway Farms, the world’s largest carrot grower.

    Fong was also boosted by the endorsement from Trump in March, widely seen as orchestrated by McCarthy. The endorsement was a coup for Fong, who has largely avoided the culture wars that dominate factions of the GOP and sought to win over right-wing Republicans skeptical of the political establishment.

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    Laura J. Nelson

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  • Justice of the Pies Bakes Black Pride Into the Mardi Gras King Cake Tradition

    Justice of the Pies Bakes Black Pride Into the Mardi Gras King Cake Tradition

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    Bakers around Chicago, including Justice of the Pies Maya-Camille Broussard, were happy to flip their calendars to February. Carbs and sweets are easy targets for New Year’s resolutions, and that means business can be slower. She’s responded with more lighter offerings, like quiche.

    But Broussard is ready for Mardi Gras with two holiday-inspired cakes available this weekend, February 9 to 11, only.

    She explains that while growing up her father, Stephen, had King Cake shipped to Chicago from a Louisiana bakery — his family’s from Lake Charles and New Iberia, Louisiana. The tradition involves finding the tiny plastic baby baked inside the cake, it can mean good luck. In the Broussard household, it meant being crowned king.

    “If after biting into the pastry and my teeth hit something hard, I’d extract a little pink baby from my lips,” Maya-Camille Broussard says. “I’d win but most years, I’d lose.”

    Justice of the Pies is selling king cake.

    A circular cake with a hole topped with white frosting.

    Cream cheese frosting tops this dark stout cake made with chocolate and espresso.

    However, one year, the future baker, who many know from Netflix’s Bake Squad, says she bit into the cake and found a little brown baby: “I was so overjoyed to win a baby that was brown like me. It made up for all the years that I didn’t win,” she says.

    That memory meant a lot to Broussard, and as her bakery, 8655 S. Blackstone Avenue in Avalon Park, sits in a predominantly Black community, she figured other customers would enjoy that feeling. So she spent some time searching online for packs of little, plastic, brown babies. She consents that it wasn’t easy. But she achieved her goal.

    “I hope to share that joy that I received when I won as ‘king’ after finding a little brown baby,” Broussard says.

    A pack of brown plastic babies.

    Maya-Camille Broussard searched long and high for these.

    A close-up for a brown toy plastic baby sitting on a cake.

    Hi, there!

    She bakes her king cake with a cinnamon layer and folds dried cherries, blueberries, and raisins. She’ll sell them by the slices. And there’s an incentive for the customer who finds the baby — they’ll win a slice of Justice of the Pie’s famous key lime pie.

    That’s not the only holiday-minded treat the bakery will sell. Broussard is testing out a new cake that might appeal to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Her dark ale cake is made with stout ale, chocolate, espresso, and sour cream. It’s topped with cream cheese frosting. Broussard is hoping she can find a fandom among South Side revelers, and if it’s popular enough, she might offer it in March in time for the holiday. But for now, it’s this weekend only leading up to Fat Tuesday.

    Chef Maya-Camille Broussard dressed in a blue apron and sweatshirt in front of her shop.

    Maya-Camille Broussard is happy January is done.

    A slice of cake.

    Perhaps the stout cake could be part of future St. Patrick’s Day celebrations?

    A king cake.

    The king cake is a Mardi Gras tradition.

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    Ashok Selvam

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  • Groundbreaking progress in treating severe asthma emerges.

    Groundbreaking progress in treating severe asthma emerges.

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    Newswise — A landmark study has shown that severe asthma can be controlled using biologic therapies, without the addition of regular high-dose inhaled steroids which can have significant side effects.

    The findings from the multinational SHAMAL study, published in The Lancet, demonstrated that 92% of patients using the biologic therapy benralizumab could safely reduce inhaled steroid dose and more than 60% could stop all use. 

    The study’s results could be transformative for severe asthma patients by minimising or eliminating the unpleasant, and often serious, side effects of inhaled steroids. These include osteoporosis which leads to increased risk of fractures, diabetes and cataracts.

    Asthma is one of the most common respiratory diseases worldwide – affecting almost 300 million people – and around 3 to 5% of these have severe asthma.  This leads to daily symptoms of breathlessness, chest tightness and cough, along with repeated asthma attacks which require frequent hospitalisation.

    The SHAMAL study was led by Professor David Jackson, head of the Severe Asthma Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and Professor of Respiratory Medicine at King’s College London.

    Professor Jackson said: “Biological therapies such as benralizumab have revolutionised severe asthma care in many ways, and the results of this study show for the first time that steroid related harm can be avoided for the majority of patients using this therapy.” 

    Benralizumab is a biologic therapy that reduces the number of inflammatory cells called eosinophil. This is produced in abnormal numbers in the airway of patients with severe asthma and is critically involved in the development of asthma attacks. Benralizumab is injected every four to eight weeks and is available in specialist NHS asthma centres.

    The SHAMAL study took place across 22 sites in four countries – the UK, France, Italy and Germany.

    The 208 patients were randomly assigned to taper their high dose inhaled steroid by varying amounts over 32 weeks, followed by a 16 week maintenance period. Approximately 90% of patients experienced no worsening of asthma symptoms and remained free of any exacerbations throughout the 48 week study. 

    Similar studies to SHAMAL will be necessary before firm recommendations can be made regarding the safety and efficacy of reducing or eliminating high dose steroid use with other biologic therapies.

    The study was funded by AstaZeneca and carried out by researchers at renowned universities including Queens University Belfast, Université Paris-Saclay and Trinity College Dublin.

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    King’s College London

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  • Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan to shoot for King next year; other father-daughter jodis we want on the big screen

    Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan to shoot for King next year; other father-daughter jodis we want on the big screen

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    As Shah Rukh Khan and Suhana Khan are all set to share the screen, here’s a look at the BTown father-daughter duo we would love to see on the big screen.

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  • Weight loss surgery outcomes linked to inflammation, study finds

    Weight loss surgery outcomes linked to inflammation, study finds

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    Newswise — Research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has shown that higher levels of inflammation in the blood of patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery predicts poorer weight loss six months after the procedure.

    Published in Psychological Medicine and led by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, this is the first study to investigate the links between depression and inflammation in patients with obesity before and after bariatric surgery. The analysis showed a strong relationship between depression and inflammation in obese patients before and after surgery and it indicated that it was increased inflammation, rather than depression that was driving poor weight loss after bariatric surgery. 

    Lead author and Clinical Professor of Psychoneuroimmunology at IoPPN, King’s College London, Valeria Mondelli, said: “Our study has important clinical implications as it identifies specific targets for future personalised interventions which could improve physical and mental health outcomes after bariatric surgery. For example, our data showing that increased inflammation predicts lower weight-loss after bariatric surgery suggests that personalised treatments involving approaches that lower inflammation could enable better outcomes after surgery.”

    Obesity costs the NHS around £6 billion a year, and this figure is predicted to rise to £9.6 billion per year by 2050. Bariatric surgery physically alters the stomach and/or the bowel to reduce the amount of food people can eat and to reduce the absorption of nutrients: obese patients can lose up to 70 per cent of excess weight after surgery but there is variation in the outcomes. To help patients with obesity and ensure costly treatments are as effective as possible (private bariatric surgery can cost £4,000 to £10,000), it is important to understand the factors that can influence surgery.

    Depression and obesity are known to often occur together, and previous research suggests the release of inflammatory proteins as part of the immune response may be a shared disease mechanism that is driving both conditions. To improve the understanding of this relationship and its potential role in obesity and bariatric surgery outcomes, the study investigated the differences in proteins released in the body during inflammation between obese patients with and without depression undergoing surgery.

    The 85 participants in the study, enrolled from King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London, were all obese (BMI >35) and part of the ongoing Bariatric Surgery & Depression study.. Levels of proteins released during inflammation, such as C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), were measured before and after surgery in participants’ blood and tissue.

    Before surgery, 41 participants had symptoms of depression that reached the threshold of a clinical diagnosis, while in the remaining 44 participants, the symptoms of depression were below this threshold. The study showed that those with depression had higher levels of the inflammatory proteins CRP and IL-6 in the blood and lower levels of the anti-inflammatory protein IL-4. They also had higher levels of one inflammatory protein in their adipose tissue.

    Six months after surgery, the bariatric patients who had depression before surgery continued to have higher levels of IL-6 and CRP in the blood, despite no difference in weight loss between those with and without depression.

    Overall bariatric surgery led to weight loss in all patients in line with what is expected , and the majority of patients who previously had depression before surgery also experienced a reduction in their symptoms so that they were no longer considered clinically depressed. Out of 44 patients who had depression before surgery, 29 completed the six-month follow-up and only about one-third (34.5 per cent;10 patients) of those still had clinical depression after surgery. 

    Researchers analysed whether measures of inflammation and depression before surgery might be able to predict weight loss and depression after surgery. This showed that higher levels of CRP predicted reduced weight loss at six-month follow-up. However, levels of CRP in the blood before surgery did not predict levels of depression afterwards; instead, this was predicted by depression before surgery and experience of childhood trauma.

    First author Dr Anna McLaughlin, Postdoctoral Research Associate at IoPPN, King’s College London, said “Our study is the first to show that inflammation levels in the blood, rather than depression, play a significant role in weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery. Additionally, our research aligns with previous findings, emphasising that patients with childhood trauma may benefit from more psychological support after surgery. As we move forward, combining inflammation data with clinical insights will be crucial to pinpointing risk factors and improving outcomes for bariatric patients.”

     

    ‘Peripheral inflammation associated with depression and reduced weight loss: a longitudinal study of bariatric patients’ by McLaughlin, A. P et al was published in Psychological Medicine. Doi: 10.1017/S0033291723002283

    After the embargo lifts the paper will be available online: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723002283

     

    For more information and to receive an embargoed copy of the paper please contact: 

    • Franca Davenport, Communications and Engagement Manager (part-time), NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, [email protected]  Tel: ++ 44 (0) 7976 918968
    • Alex Booth, Communications and Engagement Manager (part-time), NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, [email protected]

     

    Notes to editors

    The paper is under strict embargo until Friday 1 September 2023 00:01 UK time

    The labels have been added to this press release as part of a project run by the Academy of Medical Sciences seeking to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf

     

    The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

    The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:

    • Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
    • Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
    • Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
    • Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
    • Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
    • Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.

    NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.

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    King’s College London

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  • Metabolic liver disease best treated with surgery

    Metabolic liver disease best treated with surgery

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    Newswise — Metabolic (bariatric) surgery is more effective than medications and lifestyle interventions for the treatment of advanced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

    A new paper, published today in The Lancet by King’s College London and the Catholic University of Rome, is the first to compare three active treatments of non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and to specifically investigate the effectiveness of metabolic surgery (weight loss surgery) in a randomised clinical trial.

    Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease, globally affecting 55% of people with type 2 diabetes and 75% of those with obesity. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the progressive form of the disease and is characterised by liver cell injury and inflammation, which induce liver fibrosis (scarring of the tissue). Left untreated, it can lead to liver failure and liver cancer, and is one of the leading causes of liver transplant in the western world. NASH also increases risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes.  NAFLD/NASH currently affects 12% of adults in the UK; in the USA it is estimated that the condition will affect 27 million people by 2030.

    The multi-centre randomised trial was conducted in Italy. The trial compared the efficacy of bariatric and metabolic surgery versus lifestyle modifications and best current medical care in 288 patients. 

    Pre- and post-operative liver biopsies showed that surgery was more effective in inducing complete reversal of inflammation and cell damage in the liver – the core characteristics of NASH – without worsening of liver fibrosis after 1 year from surgery. The probability of achieving reversal of NASH was 3–5 times higher with metabolic surgery than with medical care. Surgery was also more effective at achieving improvement of at least one stage of liver fibrosis, another pre-specified endpoint of the trial. The two surgical procedures appeared to equally improve NASH.

    Researchers say the ability of surgery to control and even improve fibrosis associated with NASH is of special clinical relevance as fibrosis is the main predictor of liver complications and poor cardiovascular outcomes and death in patients with NASH.

    Professor Geltrude Mingrone, first author of the report, Professor of Medicine at the Catholic University of Rome and a Professor of Diabetes and Nutrition at King’s College London said: “The results of our study support the use of metabolic surgery as a treatment of NASH, a condition for long considered orphan of effective therapies”.

    Professor Francesco Rubino, a senior co-investigator and Chair of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery at King’s College London and consultant surgeon at King’s College Hospital  said: “The presence of NASH predicts a significant risk of complications and mortality in people with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes. The results of this study provide a compelling case for prioritisation of metabolic surgery in this patient population”.

    Compared to conventional medical treatment, surgery also resulted in better overall health benefits. While both surgical procedures seemed to equally improve NASH, the gastric bypass group was more effective than sleeve gastrectomy at improving type 2 diabetes and reducing other cardiovascular risk factors associated with NAFLD/NASH.

    ENDS

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  • Research shows fatty liver disease endangers brain health

    Research shows fatty liver disease endangers brain health

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    Newswise — In a study examining the link between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and brain dysfunction, scientists at the Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, affiliated to King’s College London and the University of Lausanne, found an accumulation of fat in the liver causes a decrease in oxygen to the brain and inflammation to brain tissue – both of which have been proven to lead to the onset of severe brain diseases. 

    NAFLD affects approximately 25% of the population and more than 80% of morbidly obese people. Several studies have reported the negative effects of an unhealthy diet and obesity can have on brain function however this is believed to be the first study that clearly links NAFLD with brain deterioration and identifies a potential therapeutic target. 

    The research, conducted in collaboration with Inserm (the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) and the University of Poitiers in France, involved feeding two different diets to mice. Half of the mice consumed a diet with no more than 10% fat in their calorie intake, while the other half’s calorie intake contained 55% fat; intended to resemble a diet of processed foods and sugary drinks. 

    After 16 weeks researchers conducted a series of tests to compare the effects of these diets on the body and more specifically, on the liver and the brain. They found that all mice consuming the higher levels of fat were considered obese, and developed NAFLD, insulin resistance and brain dysfunction.  

    The study which was funded by the University of Lausanne and Foundation for Liver Research also showed that the brain of mice with NAFLD suffered from lower oxygen levels. This is because the disease affects the number and thickness of the brain blood vessels, which deliver less oxygen to the tissue, but also due to specific cells consuming more oxygen while the brain is becoming inflamed. These mice were also more anxious and showed signs of depression. 

    By comparison, the mice consuming the healthy diet did not develop NAFLD or insulin resistance, they behaved normally, and their brain was completely healthy.  

    “It is very concerning to see the effect that fat accumulation in the liver can have on the brain, especially because it often starts off mild and can exist silently for many years without people knowing they have it,” said lead author Dr Anna Hadjihambi, sub-team lead in the Liver-Brain Axis group at the Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology and honorary lecturer at King’s College London.  

    To try and combat the dangerous effect that NAFLD has on the brain, the scientists bred mice with lower levels of a whole-body protein known as Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 (MCT1) – a protein specialised in the transport of energy substrates used by various cells for their normal function. 

    When these mice were fed the same unhealthy fat- and sugar-rich diet as those in the initial experiment, they had no fat accumulation in the liver and exhibited no sign of brain dysfunction – they were protected from both ailments. 

    “Identifying MCT1 as a key element in the development of both NAFLD and its associated brain dysfunction opens interesting perspectives,” said Professor Luc Pellerin, director of the Inserm U1313 research unit at the University of Poitiers in France and senior researcher in the study. “It highlights potential mechanisms at play within the liver-brain axis and points to a possible therapeutic target.” 

    Dr Hadjihambi added: “This research emphasises that cutting down the amount of sugar and fat in our diets is not only important for tackling obesity, but also for protecting the liver to maintain brain health and minimise the risk of developing conditions like depression and dementia during ageing, when our brain becomes even more fragile. 

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  • Experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 associated with poorer mental health

    Experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 associated with poorer mental health

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    Newswise — Having symptoms of COVID-19 has been associated with worse mental health and lower life satisfaction.

    The study, which is part of the COVID-19 Longitudinal Health and Wellbeing National Core Study, is published today in The Lancet Psychiatry. The study is led by researchers from King’s College London and University College London in collaboration with several UK institutions. The study looked at the impact of COVID-19 infection on subsequent mental health and wellbeing.

    Data was taken from 11 longitudinal studies between April 2020 and April 2021, in which there were 54,442 participants with and without self-reported COVID-19.

    Researchers found that rises in psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and lower life satisfaction were associated with prior self-reported COVID-19. The associations with poorer mental health did not lessen over time after infection, highlighting the potential enduring impacts of the disease and the need for a longer follow-up process from healthcare providers. 

    Self-reported COVID-19 was consistently associated with psychological distress, regardless of whether people tested positive for antibodies to the virus. These effects of infection were felt similarly in different groups of gender, ethnicity and socio-economic circumstances.

    The study suggests that the infection of COVID-19 might impact mental health most in older people as people with self-reported infection aged 50 years and older showed a stronger association with poorer mental health. This might reflect that older people are more likely to experience more severe COVID-19 symptoms, greater worry around infection, and increased risk of blood vessel (microvascular) or brain (neurological) changes after infection. This contrasts to the effect of the pandemic overall on mental health, where previous studies have shown that women and adults aged 25-44 have had the greatest adverse impacts.

    Joint first author Dr Ellen Thompson from King’s College London said: “These findings suggest that there were prolonged mental health consequences of COVID-19 infection for some people at the beginning of this pandemic. Understanding why this is the case will be key to finding treatment strategies for those affected as well as preventing such effects in future pandemic waves.”

    Senior author Prof Praveetha Patalay from University College London said: “This study brings together many of the UK’s longitudinal studies to provide a comprehensive overview of the impacts of COVID-19 infection on population mental health. Compared to most studies to-date that have focussed on more severe and hospitalised cases, this study demonstrates the impact of infection during a pandemic on overall population mental health and wellbeing.”

     

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