President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are in Alaska on Friday for a high-stakes summit as the U.S. seeks a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
One key party who will not be in attendance Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said Thursday he hopes the summit will lead to a second meeting that would include Zelenskyy.
“I think it’s going to be a good meeting, but the more important meeting will be the second meeting that we’re having. We’re going to have a meeting with President Putin, President Zelenskyy, myself and maybe we’ll bring some of the European leaders, maybe not,” Trump said.
Taylor Swift‘s upcoming album release and her love of all things orange isn’t lost on her fans — or brands that are seeking a ride on what has become an enormous economic tailwind.
On Wednesday after Swift went on the “New Heights” podcast co-hosted by her boyfriend, NFL football star Travis Kelce, to announce the imminent release of her 12th studio album “The Life of a Showgirl,” major companies went into marketing overdrive.
Numerous corporations, from United Airlines to Olive Garden, began posting orange hued memes on their own social media accounts soon after the new album was announced. Shake Shack, FedEx, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cinnabon, Walmart and Netflix did, too.
That is because Swift appeared onstage wearing orange numerous times toward the end of her Eras Tour and she discussed her feelings about the color on the Wednesday podcast.
“It feels like energetically how my life has felt,” the 14-time Grammy winner tells co-host Jason Kelce.
Taylor Swift performs in orange at the Paris Le Defense Arena during her Eras Tour concert in Paris, on May 9, 2024.
Lewis Joly / AP
Many, it seemed, saw value in tying their brand to Swift.
More than a dozen NHL teams followed with posts on social media acknowledging Swift’s new album, both north and south of the Canadian border.
Even X got in on the action, declaring that it had a new profile pic: a glittery orange X. The post has garnered 5.5 million views so far.
Google is using its search engine to celebrate the October release of Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl.” Users search for “Taylor Swift,” are greeted with a stream of orange digital confetti, along with a flaming orange heart and the phrase, “And, baby, that’s show business for you.”
Swift’s tour appearances have become economic events. The singer’s Eras Tour two years ago was the first such tour to cross the billion-dollar mark, according to Pollstar’s 2023 year-end charts. Cities and their surrounding areas registered a sizeable economic boost after Swift appeared, with thousands of fans making the pilgrimage and spending money at hotels, restaurants and elsewhere.
Swift also mentioned during the Wednesday podcast that she had Lasik eye surgery. In response, the X account for LASIK.com wasted no time promoting the fortuitous namedrop. The post currently has more than 389,000 views and 15,000 likes.
About 500,000 Americans undergo Lasik every year, CBS News recently reported. And while the American Refractive Surgery Council says the complication rate is less than 1%, side effects are not uncommon and should not be taken lightly by those considering the procedure.
Swift’s two-hour chat with the Kelces’ marks the singer’s first ever podcast interview, a milestone moment for the medium.
By Thursday afternoon, Wednesday night’s talk had already been seen more than 11.7 million times on YouTube. Clips distributed on Instagram, TikTok, X and elsewhere have received more than 400 million views, and the episode was also available for streaming on audio platforms.
It has further to go to be a record-setter, though. The most-watched podcast episode ever on YouTube, and likely the most-consumed podcast ever, is by a company called Thmanyah, a Saudi Arabian Arabic podcast network and independent journalism platform, according to its website. The video has racked up 144 million views in two years.
We’ve all seen what artificial intelligence can do on our screens: generate art, carry out conversations and help with written tasks. Soon, AI will be doing more in the physical world.
Gartner, a research and advisory firm, estimates that by 2030, 80% of Americans will interact daily — in some way — with autonomous, AI-powered robots.
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, professor Daniela Rus is working to make that possible — and safe.
“I like to think about AI and robots as giving people superpowers,” said Rus, who leads MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. “With AI, we get cognitive superpowers.”
“So think about getting speed, knowledge, insight, creativity, foresight,” she said. “On the physical side, we can use machines to extend our reach, to refine our precision, to amplify our strengths.”
Sci-fi stories make robots seem capable of anything. But researchers are actually still figuring out the artificial brains that machines need to navigate the physical world.
“It’s not so hard to get the robot to do a task once,” Rus said. “But to get that robot to do the task repeatedly in human-centered environments, where things change around the robot all the time, that is very hard.”
Rus and her students have trained Ruby, a humanoid robot, to do basic tasks like prepare a drink in the kitchen.
“We collect data from how humans do the tasks,” Rus said. “We are then able to teach machines how to do those tasks in a human-like fashion.”
Rus’ students wear sensors to capture motion and force, which helps teach robots how tightly to grip or how fast to move.
“So you can tell, like, how tense they’re holding something or how stiff their arms are,” said Joseph DelPreto, one of Rus’ students. “And you can get a sense of the forces involved in these physical tasks that we’re trying to learn.”
“This is where delicate versus strong gets learned,” Rus said.
Robots already in use are often limited in scope. Those found in industrial settings perform the same tasks repeatedly, said Rus, who wants to expand what robots can do.
One prototype in her lab features a robotic arm that could be used, in the future, for household chores or in medical settings.
Some, however, might feel uneasy having robots in home settings. But Rus said every machine they’ve built includes a red button that can stop it.
“AI and robots are tools. They are tools created by the people for the people. And like any other tools they’re not inherently good or bad,” she said. “They are what we choose to do with them. And I believe we can choose to do extraordinary things.”
Tony Dokoupil is a co-host of “CBS Mornings” and “CBS Mornings Plus.” Dokoupil also anchors “The Uplift,” a weekly series spotlighting positive and inspiring stories for CBS News 24/7.
D.C. sues Trump administration over federal takeover of district’s police – CBS News
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D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit Friday against the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi over the federal takeover of the district’s police. Department of Justice reporter Jake Rosen has been following this closely.
Erin strengthened into a hurricane Friday as the storm continued on a path over the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said. It is the first hurricane to develop in the Atlantic this year, and it was expected to continue gaining strength, potentially growing into a major hurricane.
Forecasters with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami have been urging people in the Caribbean islands to monitor Erin’s progress, warning of the potential for heavy rainfall and life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Hurricane Erin is not currently forecast to impact the United States, but meteorologists continue to watch it closely.
As of 11 a.m. EDT, Erin was some 460 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands and heading west-northwest at 18 mph with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane.
Maps show Hurricane Erin’s forecast path
Forecasters expected Erin’s path to curve northward, with the hurricane likely passing near the northern Leewards over the weekend. The northern Leewards stretch from the Virgin Islands to Guadeloupe and include St. Martin, St. Barts and other islands.
A map shows the projected path of Hurricane Erin as of 11 a.m. EDT, Aug. 15, 2025.
CBS News
A “spaghetti map” of the forecast models show the storm pivoting to the northwest and north, skirting the islands and remaining well offshore of the U.S. East Coast.
A “spaghetti map” shows forecast models of the path of Hurricane Erin, curving to the north as it moves over the Atlantic, skirting the U.S.
CBS News
Erin is forecast to continue getting stronger, likely developing into a major hurricane, meaning at least a Category 3 with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph or higher.
First hurricane of the Atlantic season
Erin formed as a tropical storm Monday west of the island nation of Cabo Verde, a few hundred miles off Africa’s western coast. It is the fifth named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which started in June and runs through November.
So far this year, Tropical Storm Chantal is the only one to have made landfall in the U.S., bringing deadly flooding to North Carolina in early July. In June, Barry made landfall as a tropical depression on Mexico’s eastern coast.
Erin’s increased strength comes as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches its peak in September. According to the hurricane center, most of the season’s activity typically happens between mid-August and mid-October. In the eastern Pacific Ocean, hurricane season starts on May 15 with a peak in activity typically seen in late August.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, forecast an above-normal season for the Atlantic this year, expecting between 13 and 18 named storms.
Tropical storms have maximum sustained winds of at least 39 mph. Forecasters with NOAA anticipated between five and nine of the storms this year could become hurricanes, which have sustained winds of at least 74 mph. Hurricanes are rated on a scale based on their wind speeds, ranging from Category 1, the weakest, to Category 5, the most severe rating.
Storms with winds of at least 111 mph are considered major hurricanes and are rated Category 3 and up. NOAA forecasters predicted there could be between two and five major hurricanes in the Atlantic this season.
Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole, as Washington’s “emergency police commissioner” as she carries out President Donald Trump’s unprecedented decision to take over the Washington police department.
Bondi said she’s giving Cole the powers of police chief and the Metropolitan Police Department must receive Cole’s approval before issuing any orders. The capital city’s attorney general swiftly countered with a memo saying Bondi’s action was “unlawful,” setting up a potential legal battle.
Cole’s assignment comes less than a month after the U.S. Senate conformed him to be the DEA’s leader and he was sworn in as head of the agency.
Here’s what to know about Cole:
Three decades in law enforcement
Cole was most recently Virginia’s secretary of public safety and homeland security under Gov. Glenn Youngkin, according to his biography on the DEA’s website.
Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator Terrance Cole listens as President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
He’s spent more than 31 years as a law enforcement officer, including 22 at the DEA. At the agency, he worked in Oklahoma, New York and Washington. He spent time overseas in Colombia, Afghanistan and the Middle East. The agency said he fought drug cartels and transnational criminal organizations.
He was the DEA’s acting regional director of Mexico, Canada and Central America when he retired from the federal government in 2020.
Prior to joining the DEA, he was a police officer in New York State.
Bachelor’s in criminal justice
Cole graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He has certificates in leadership from the University of Virginia and the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business.
Late-night announcement of a new job
Bondi announced Cole’s new role in a directive Thursday evening. It said Cole would assume “powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police.”
Smith, the police chief, had hours earlier directed Washington police to share information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custody — such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint.
But the Justice Department said Bondi disagreed with the police chief’s directive because it allowed for continued enforcement of “sanctuary policies.”
Bondi said she was rescinding that order as well as other department policies limiting inquires into immigration status and preventing arrests based solely on federal immigration warrants. All new directives must now receive approval from Cole, the attorney general said.
District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s memo, written for Smith, said local officers must continue to follow her orders over Bondi’s. It said the Trump administration doesn’t have the right to “alter the chain of command” within the police department and all directives must be routed through the mayor.
Few things are more enjoyable than taking a long, relaxing soak after a hard day at work. However, if you want to elevate the experience to a luxury, spa-like level, you need to invest in a bathtub tray. They provide a safe place to store your reading material and spa essentials.
The Royal Craft Wood Luxury Bathtub Caddy Tray stands out for its attractive style, variety of compartments and ability to adjust to most tubs. There are many other great options, though, too, if you prefer something made of metal or plastic.
What to know before you buy a bathtub tray
Materials
Bathtub trays come in several types of material, which vary in their durability and aesthetic appeal.
Wood: Arguably, bathtub trays made from teak, bamboo and other woods are some of the most attractive options. They tend to be very strong too, however they can be susceptible to mold and water damage if they aren’t allowed to dry completely between uses, especially unpainted models.
Metal: Metal is another common material used in bathtub trays. Unlike wood, metal isn’t prone to mold, but it can be susceptible to rusting. This shouldn’t happen in high-quality stainless steel models, but it is a concern in lower-quality units made from other metals and featuring inexpensive chrome plating. Most metal models have a basket design, so you don’t have to worry about water pooling up on top of them like you may with bathtub trays made from other materials, but this does mean that small items can slip through their open spaces.
Plastic/Acrylic: You can also find bathtub trays made from plastic or acrylic, both of which are completely impervious to water. Oftentimes, though, these have less features than wooden or metal trays. Some may also find they don’t look very attractive.
Size
All bathtub trays are designed to fit basic tubs, but they do vary in width so it is important to measure your tub before purchasing any model. This is especially important if you have an uncommon or extra-wide tub. Many models are also adjustable, which not only allows you to increase their usable surface space when needed, but also ensures you can perfectly fit the tray to your tub. Some bathtub trays measure up to 42 inches long when fully extended.
Features to look for in a quality bathtub tray
Cup holder
If you like to have a beverage on hand while relaxing in the tub, you’ll be happy to know that many bathtub trays feature dedicated cupholders. There are even some models that feature holders specifically designed for wine glasses.
Media stand
Most bathtub trays have a media stand of some kind. Often, these are angle adjustable to hold your tablet or book at the optimal position for comfortable viewing. They also fold flat when not in use for more convenient storage of the tray.
Spa tray
The spa tray is where you can keep all your soaps, bath bombs, sponges and any other personal care product you like to use while soaking. Ideally, these should be removable so you can clean them off when you’re finished bathing.
All-purpose tray
In addition to soaps and media devices or books, you may like to keep other items close at hand while bathing. All-purpose trays provide you with a bit of extra space to do exactly this.
Nonslip grips
Bathtub surfaces can be notoriously slippery when wet. To reduce the chances of your bathtub tray slipping off the edge and potentially dropping your stuff into the water or onto the floor, look for a model that features nonslip grips on the bottom. These will be made of a high-traction material like rubber or silicone.
Handles
Handles make it easier to carry your tray to and from the tub, especially when it is already loaded up with your various toiletries, reading materials and a drink. On some models, these may be raised handles or integrated into the frame of the tray. Some trays are completely lacking in handles, which can be cumbersome to lift and carry.
How much can you expect to spend on a bathtub tray
Most bathtub trays cost between $15-$75.
Bathtub tray FAQ
Do bathtub trays require any assembly?
A. Most bathtub trays require little or no assembly. For those that do require assembly, the process should be very easy and, if tools are needed, they will come with them.
Will a bathtub tray damage the surface of my tub?
A. Bathtub trays shouldn’t damage the surface of your tub. However, if you are worried about this, make sure to choose a model that has a rubber, silicone or other soft material coating on any surfaces that will come in contact with your tub.
What you need to know: Smartly designed with tons of great features and available in a wide variety of colors, this bathtub tray makes a nice addition to any bathroom.
What you’ll love: It extends up to 43 inches so it can fit practically any tub, and it has a dedicated wineglass holder that prevents them from spilling if the tray is accidentally bumped. The spay tray is removable too, for easy cleaning.
What you should consider: It can feel a bit oversized in small tubs.
What you need to know: This stainless steel tray is a top option for those who prefer a minimalist style or are looking for something with added durability and longevity.
What you’ll love: It has nonslip handles, so there is no worry that it will fall into the bathtub.
What you should consider: Small items can fall through its grates.
What you need to know: This bamboo bathtub tray has space for all the things to make your bathtub experience luxurious.
What you’ll love: It adjusts to fit most tubs, and it has spots for things like a wineglass, a tablet and a smartphone. The adjustable bar lets you adjust the angle of a tablet on the tray.
What you should consider: It’s a bit heavy, and the middle slots may allow some things to fall into the water.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security has walked back what lawyers called an illegal attempt to fast-track the deportation of a woman who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 30 years and to expel her without an immigration court hearing, her attorneys said.
Lawyers for Mirta Amarilis Co Tupul, 38, filed a lawsuit earlier this month to stop her imminent deportation to Guatemala. A U.S. district court judge in Arizona dismissed the case Wednesday after the federal government moved the woman to regular deportation proceedings and agreed in writing not to attempt expedited removal again, her lawyers said.
The judge had granted an emergency request to temporarily pause the deportation while the case played out in court.
The case highlighted broader concerns that the Trump administration is stretching immigration law to speed up deportations in its effort to remove as many immigrants as possible.
Federal law since 1996 holds that immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for fewer than two years can be placed in expedited removal proceedings which bypass the immigration court process. Longtime immigrants, however, cannot be removed until they’ve had a chance to plead their case before a judge.
In a sworn declaration, one of Co Tupul’s attorneys wrote that a deportation officer told her the agency had a “new policy” of placing immigrants in expedited removal proceedings after their first contact with immigration authorities.
“This appears to have been a test case in which the administration attempted to enforce a ‘new policy’ against Ms. Co Tupul,” Eric Lee, one of Co Tupul’s attorneys, said Thursday. “The district court quickly shut down this effort in no uncertain terms. Maybe this has slowed the government’s efforts to expand expedited removal, or maybe the government is waiting for another test case where the non-citizen lacks legal representation.”
Emails reviewed by The Times showed that Co Tupul’s lawyer provided extensive evidence of her longtime residence. Immigration officials told the lawyer that her client would remain in expedited removal proceedings anyway.
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that after Co Tupul’s lawyers provided documentation verifying she had lived in the U.S. for more than two years, “ICE followed the law and placed her in normal removal proceedings.”
“Any allegation that DHS is ‘testing out’ a new policy regarding illegal aliens who have been in the country for longer than two years into expedited removal is false,” McLaughlin added.
Co Tupul, a Phoenix resident, was pulled over as she drove to her job at a laundromat on July 22. She remains detained at Eloy Detention Center, about 65 miles southeast of Phoenix.
The California Coastal Commission has unanimously voted against SpaceX’s plan for a dramatic expansion of rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, citing environmental and regulatory concerns.
“The sonic booms and their impacts on California’s people, wildlife and property are extremely concerning,” Commissioner Linda Escalante said at a hearing Thursday in Calabasas. “The negative impacts on public access, natural resources and environmental health warrant our scrutiny under California as a standard of review.”
SpaceX wants to boost annual launches from 50 to 95 per year, a massive jump from when SpaceX started at the Santa Barbara County facility in 2024.
But the accelerated timeline has increased friction between Elon Musk’s space company and state regulators, who question whether SpaceX is sidestepping normal permitting processes by operating as a federal contractor.
The commission argues that the majority of launches serve commercial rather than government purposes. SpaceX has contracts with U.S. Department of Defense to launch spy satellites.
Military officials maintain all launches benefit national security objectives, even missions deploying Starlink satellites for Musk’s commercial internet service.
However, commission staff argued the primary purpose of the launches is to expand SpaceX’s commercial telecommunications network rather than serve federal agencies.
A staff report emphasized that SpaceX now “owns significantly more satellites than the combined total owned by every country and every other company in the world,” supporting the company’s recent $400-billion valuation.
The report argued that while the launches may benefit the federal government, the question is whether they are conducted “on behalf of” the government rather than for commercial purposes.
It’s not clear what impact the California Coastal Commission’s vote will have.
If launches qualify as federal activities, Space Force, a branch of the Department of Defense, can proceed without coastal commission permits and only needs to attempt mitigation agreements.
The Department of the Air Force was not present at the hearing, and the commission’s unanimous objection does not prevent SpaceX from continuing its launch activities.
“I must say, I’m just a little disappointed that the Air Force didn’t want to participate with us,” Commissioner Dayna Bochco said. “I truly, truly hope that we can persuade them to conduct the monitoring, to do the work that it takes to understand how this rapid increase in launches is affecting not only the environment, but in this case now, the citizenry of the peoples that live around there.”
Representatives of the Air Force and SpaceX could not be immediately reached for comment.
The proposed expansion would nearly double SpaceX’s current activity at Vandenberg, which hosted 51 launches last year, with 46 conducted by the company.
The proposal includes 24 rocket landing events annually, which generate additional sonic booms that have drawn complaints from coastal residents.
Environmental groups including the Surfrider Foundation and Sierra Club opposed the expansion.
Jennifer Savage, a representative of the Surfrider Foundation, said Space Force is planning to proceed with the increase without providing the biological monitoring, sonic boom modeling or mitigation tracking needed to assess impacts.
The commission has identified deficiencies in current wildlife monitoring programs, particularly regarding impacts on marine mammals. Sonic booms from rocket launches and landings have been reported as far southeast as Ojai, with residents describing house-rattling effects.
Relations between SpaceX and the commission have been strained since October, when commissioners rejected a plan for 50 annual launches.
SpaceX responded by filing a federal lawsuit alleging the commission overstepped its authority and voted based on Musk’s political activities rather than environmental concerns. That lawsuit is pending.
Commission staff concluded that the Air Force “has not provided sufficient information to enable the Commission to determine that the proposed project is consistent with the enforceable policies of the California Coastal Management Program.”
DEL MAR – Over the years, Elias Anaya admits he has lost track of many members of his “family.”
“There are so many in my family,” the 60-year-old Anaya said Thursday at the Del Mar Racetrack. “Maybe thousands. When you do this, you fall in love with them all.”
For 35 years, Anaya has served the sport of racing as a groom. For 22 years, he worked for Bill Shoemaker. For the past 12, he has been part of trainer Doug O’Neill’s team.
And his family …
“My horses,” he says. “Every horse I’m with becomes family. I love horses. I think it’s the same way for all of us. It’s more than a job. The horses become part of you. They know me. I know them. It’s a family.”
Anaya now oversees the care of five horses in O’Neill’s stable. He is the first face they see each morning and usually the last they see at night. He is like the mother hen.
He arrives at the barn each morning at 5. He checks out after 4 p.m. “I get breaks in the middle of the day,” he says. “I have a siesta. But I’m always there for my horses.”
Anaya’s first order of business each morning is to check on the welfare of his horses.
“I look into their eyes,” he said. “I study them. I want to know if they drank enough water, ate their dinner. If I don’t like something I see, I tell the foreman or the assistant trainer. The groom is the foundation.”
Anaya goes horse to horse. He cleans their stalls. Prepares them for the exercise rider. After their daily exercise, his horses return to Anaya, who bathes and grooms them, prepares their breakfast and then “lets them loose for an hour to be themselves.”
“From 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. it’s pretty nonstop,” said Anaya. “Even when it is slower in the afternoon, you keep an eye on them all the time. When they rest, you rest. Then you feed them dinner.”
Race days, however, are different.
“You spend more time with a horse on a race day,” he said. “They know it’s not another day. Every horse has its own personality. That’s a great part of it. As a groom, you spend more time with each horse learning about the personality. You love them all. But you approach each horse very differently.”
Anaya admits there is a favorite member of his family — 2016 Kentucky Derby champion Nyquist.
“He was a winner and a champion,” said Anaya. “But he was also friendly and fun. He’d be very excited to see me in the morning. And he was always looking around to see what was happening. He had happiness.”
Although the days are long, Anaya sees no change in his lifestyle.
“Grooms stay around horses,” he said. “Even when they are no longer grooms, they love horses.”
Friday feature
Mrs. Astor, a 5-year-old mare who won the Grade III Red Carpet Stakes at Del Mar last fall, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite to win the$100,000 CTT and TOC Stakes — a 1 3/8-mile marathon for older fillies and mares.
Mrs. Astor (Umberto Rispoli) has won five of her last seven starts. Trainer Phil D’Amato will have three of the 11 horses in the field — Starry Heavens, Kentucky Gal and Sun of Hill.
The first post for Friday’s card has been advanced an hour to 3 p.m.
Notable
Baeza, the third-place finisher behind Sovereignty and Journalism in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, will not be racing in the Pacific Classic even though he is stabled at Del Mar. Trainer John Shirreffs is pointing him toward the Grade I Pennsylvania Derby.
• Rispoli scored just his sixth win of the meeting aboard Roselee May ($16.60) in Thursday’s feature — 1 3/8-mile allowance on the turf for older Cal-bred fillies and mares. The win was the second of the day for trainer Michael McCarthy.
• Jockey Armando Ayuso has been suspended for three days (Aug. 28-30) for crossing without sufficient clearance aboard Devil Among Us in Sunday’s eighth race.
Jayden Denegal and his San Diego State teammates warmed up Thursday evening for a Snapdragon Stadium scrimmage under the watchful eyes of the SDSU coaching staff.
It was two weeks before the 2008 season when Ryan Lindley found himself in similar circumstances at Qualcomm Stadium, which stood for half a century a long pass east of where Denegal and Co. went about their business.
Lindley was aiming to succeed Kevin O’Connell as the Aztecs’ starting QB at the time. A Union-Tribune report on the preseason scrimmage the following day described Lindley’s performance this way: “Redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Lindley did nothing to alter his status as the team’s presumptive starter, completing 11-of-13 passes for 124 yards. Lindley’s performance included a 38-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Mekell Wesley.”
Lindley was SDSU’s starter the following four seasons. He set numerous school records before he was finished, including becoming the Aztecs’ career leader in passing yardage (12,690) and touchdowns (90).
It was suggested Wednesday that the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Denegal could be the best quarterback the Aztecs have had since Lindley departed following the 2011 season.
“He’s as good a guy as we’ve had around here in a long time,” Lindley said. “He’s going to have lot of fun and we’re going to have fun doing it with him through the ups and downs. He’s a guy who has taken on every piece of it. You’ve got to be a leader. You’ve got to be a guy who is able to not only get down and dirty with the guys but at the same time be a guy everybody looks to when it’s going rough.
“He encompasses a lot of that. Obviously, he’s picked up a lot from the leadership styles of the people he’s been around. He’s still a local Southern California kid, so I think he takes a lot of pride in being back home and being with the Aztecs and knowing that he’s our guy and we’ve got faith in him and confidence. He’s going to take off and run with that.”
Denegal and backup quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr., who competed throughout the spring and into fall camp for QB1, alternated series during the first half of Thursday’s scrimmage, which was contested two weeks before SDSU’s Aug. 28 season opener against Stony Brook. An estimated 500 fans gathered to get a glimpse of the Aztecs.
The first two drives directed by Denegal (6-for-13, 55 yards) ended with 53- and 41-yard field goals. He had a pair of catchable deep throws dropped by receivers. He also missed on a couple attempts with receivers open for first-down yardage.
Emanuel’s first opportunity ended abruptly when senior safety Deshawn McCuin intercepted a tipped pass that would have been returned 40 yards for a touchdown had officials not blown the play dead when McCuin was at the 10-yard line. Emanuel (6-for-13, 134 yards, TD/INT) found wide receiver Myles Kitt-Denton wide open over the middle in the second period for an 86-yard touchdown.
Junior Kyle Crum was the first of three reserve QBs to get an opportunity in the second half.
Lindley wasn’t surprised Denegal won the job: “He’s been playing and carrying himself with that presence. You dress for the job you want. He’s been doing that with the way he’s been playing here in camp.”
SDSU coach Sean Lewis and offensive coordinator Matt Johnson told Denegal on Tuesday night that he earned the job. Lindley was asked if he remembered how got the news 17 years ago when he was named the starter.
“Oooh, man, I don’t,” Lindley said. “Way too many hits between now and then. I guess maybe for me, it was by default. I just went in with the confidence that I had it, then I figured it out from that point.
“I sure hope he’s better than me in my first year. I’m pretty confident in that. I know that. The No. 1 thing you look at is JD has the ability to create a little bit on the move. You can improvise with him.”
San Diego State assistant coach Ryan Lindley, right, watches as quarterback Jayden Denegal looks to pass during the FanFest scrimmage at Snapdragon Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Lindley was on the coaching staff at Utah in 2020 when the Utes were recruiting Denegal, whose older brother played basketball at the school.
“So that was always the comparison,” Lindley said. “Like, man, this guy is going to be that big, power-forward quarterback. To see him now, three, four years later, he can move. He’s probably more of the swing 3 than the big.
“He’s a big guy. But he can move around. He can create. I think that’s the No. 1 thing in the game now. Everybody’s so fast and defenses are so dynamic. You can’t have the old stiff guy throwing it from the pocket anymore. You’ve got to move around. You’ve got to create plays, and he’s shown the ability to do that throughout camp.”
Could Denegal reach a different level than SDSU fans have seen at the position for more than a decade now?
“I think so, for sure,” Lindley said. “With what we’re going to ask him to do and, obviously, with the pieces he’s got around him … The supporting cast that he has is, I think, complete. We feel good about the guys that have carried over getting into Year 2 in the system. But top to bottom, offensive line, tight ends, running backs, receivers, I think he’s got a great group to work with, too, that we all feel like we’re playing fast.
“It helps to make decisions sitting back there when the bullets are flying when you trust the guys around you. I think he’s going to be able to do that, as compared to last year when we were all learning on the fly.”
San Diego State’s Byron Cardwell runs the ball during the FanFest scrimmage at Snapdragon Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Room to roam?
Running back Lucky Sutton got five carries all last season. He got that many in a series while starring at Cathedral Catholic High School and earning section Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Sutton’s workload will increase this season as the projected starter in the backfield. The first sign of Sutton’s time when the 6-1, 220-pound junior took a handoff from Denegal on the opening play of the scrimmage. The play was whistled dead almost as soon as Sutton touched the ball and a defender brushed him.
In an effort to avoid injuries, there was no tackling in the scrimmage. That made it difficult to draw much from the workout as far as playmaking.
Two other local products — senior Byron Cardwell Jr. (St. Augustine High School) and junior Christian Washington (Helix High School) — followed Sutton into the backfield.
San Diego State players take the field during the FanFest scrimmage at Snapdragon Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
A case for the defense
These annual scrimmages two weeks before the season opener have been dominated by the defense for more than a decade. That includes last year, when the Aztecs produced a pair of first-half field goals before scoring three second-half touchdowns.
With starters returning at virtually every position on defense, it was anticipated that the defense would be ahead of the offense in the scrimmage.
The difference between last year and this year on defense?
“There were a lot of big changes that needed to be made, whether it was weight, speed or ball knowledge,” said SDSU junior Krishna Clay, a returning starter at defensive tackle. “Right now it’s just refining the small details and doing them consistently good, not occasionally great.”
The 6-2 Clay, who had 40 tackles last season that included 1 1/2 sacks, said he has boosted his weight to 295 without a loss in foot speed. That and a year of experience in the 4-2-5 defense for so many of the defenders has raised expectations for the unit.
“The foundation we built last year is now the starting point,” Clay said. “The connection is something that is already there. It’s not needed to be rebuilt. That’s a huge, huge piece of defense.
“You’ve got to trust that everybody will do their job to get things done. I can’t play my game if I don’t trust the guy next to me. Knowing everybody around me makes it much easier to play more fluidly.”
San Diego State’s Chris Johnson breaks a up a pass intended for Donovan Brown during the FanFest scrimmage at Snapdragon Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Seasoned secondary
The last line of defense has the potential to be the biggest strength. Cornerbacks Chris Johnson and Bryce Phillips and safeties Eric Butler, Dalesean Staley and McCuin all are returning senior starters.
“Our whole DB room has tons of experience,” Butler said. “My expectation is to be the best in the league and one of the best secondaries in the nation.
He said a benefit of playing together is “presnap communication, getting everyone on the same page. That’s one (thing). Two, as probably all the fans could tell, we got beat on a lot of flea-flickers and a lot of reverses because we were aggressive in our breaks. We can take a step forward and make sure we really trust in what we’re seeing. … By aggressive, I mean we break off our man and get our eyes back to the quarterback too early.”
That’s when they would get burnt by a double move or flea-flicker, Butler said.
“So we just have to keep our eyes on our man a little bit longer,” he said.
The footprint is changing at SDSU Mission Valley as the first phase of residential/retail construction begins. @AztecFB fans will notice a section of the Orange Lot that was fenced off today just east of @SnapdragonStdm. pic.twitter.com/2VSVy6vbO6
The SDSU Mission Valley footprint is changing as the first phase of residential/retail development begins on the 135-acre property.
Aztecs fans attending the scrimmage noticed a large section of the Orange Lot fenced off just west of Snapdragon Stadium.
The area’s proximity to the stadium made it a favored tailgate area. The approximately 600 cars that parked there will now need to relocate to other parts of the Orange or Yellow lots or those fans may want to consider taking the trolley to the stadium.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week for the new project. According to the university, the development provides for 621 apartments and 30,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space that includes a grocery store.
A Menifee police officer made his first court appearance on Thursday, Aug 14, to answer to eight felony charges, including an allegation that he sexually assaulted a victim of domestic violence after he returned her to her home.
And the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said in a court filing that it plans to enter into evidence previous acts of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Juan Jose Pesina Jr., 32, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged. His scheduled arraignment on Thursday at the Southwest Justice Center in French Valley was postponed to Sept. 2. He wore a red jail jumpsuit, indicating he is being held in a separate inmate population at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.
Pesina, who was arrested on Tuesday, is being held without the possibility of bail. He is on administrative leave from the Menifee Police Department.
Two victims are listed in the complaint filed Thursday by the District Attorney’s Office.
The crimes are alleged to have started in February 2023, three months after Pesina joined the Menifee Police Department after four years with the Los Angeles Police Department.
A minor older than 14 was the victim of sodomy, rape, forced oral copulation, assault during a burglary and burglary of an inhabited dwelling on Feb. 9, 2023, the criminal complaint says. A second alleged victim of unspecified age was the victim of forced oral copulation, assault with the intent to commit a sex crime and sexual battery on Jan. 8, 2024, the complaint says.
The complaint lists aggravating factors. Among them:
“It is further alleged defendant … engaged in violent conduct … after returning a victim of domestic violence to her home and defendant entered her home and forcibly assaulted her,” the complaint says.
The complaint lists the address of that alleged assault as the Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes RV park.
The complaint also says a police report contains unspecified previous allegations of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Pesina has hired an attorney who was not in court on Thursday. Online records do not identify that attorney.
Pesina worked for the LAPD from June 11, 2018, to Dec. 1, 2024, according to the National Police Index, a database of peace officers. He was hired by Menifee police on Dec. 5, 2024.
“He applied with us and went through the background process prior to his departure from LAPD,” Menifee Lt. Paul Barbieri said in an email Thursday. “Once completed, he was extended an offer of employment, which he accepted and resigned his position with LAPD once he received a start date for Menifee PD.”
Amy McKenzie, a spokeswoman for the Riverside County DA, said her office did not know whether the LAPD was investigating Pesina. The LAPD did not respond Thursday to a request for comment.
PORTLAND, Ore. — PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny Knight have pledged to donate $2 billion to Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute, the school announced Thursday, describing it as the largest single gift to a U.S. university.
“This gift is an unprecedented investment in the millions of lives burdened with cancer, especially patients and families here in Oregon,” OHSU President Shereef Elnahal said in a statement.
The donation will help ensure patients have access to various resources, including psychological, genetic and financial counseling, symptom management, nutritional support and survivorship care, the university statement said.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the transformational potential of this work for humanity,” the Knights said in the statement.
The university described it as the “largest single donation ever made to a U.S. university, college or academic health center.” It surpasses the $1.8 billion given by Michael Bloomberg to Johns Hopkins in 2018, described by that university at the time as the largest single contribution to a U.S. university.
Bloomberg also donated an additional $1 billion to Johns Hopkins last year, covering tuition, living expenses and fees for students from families under certain income levels.
The magnitude of the donation will allow the Knight Cancer Institute to become a self-governed entity with its own board of directors within OHSU, the university said.
Knight, Oregon’s richest man, donated $500 million to the cancer institute in 2013 on the condition the gift be matched within two years.
Universities across the country are struggling with moves from President Donald Trump’s administration to cancel or freeze research grants at universities.
The Pennsylvania county where an explosion at a U.S. Steel plant south of Pittsburgh killed two people and injured more than 10 others announced Thursday that it is stepping up air quality monitoring in the area of the sprawling facility that has a troubled environmental record.
The Allegheny County Health Department announced that mobile air units provided by the state and Carnegie Mellon University will be stationed in the Mon Valley where the plant is Thursday and Friday. The county said these measures are part of its ongoing investigation into Monday’s explosion at Clairton Coke Works.
The county said the measures go “well beyond the normal and rigorous regulatory air quality monitoring” and will assess parts of the valley for different types of pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, PM2.5 pollutants and sulfur dioxide.
After Monday’s blast, the county health department initially told residents within 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) of the plant to remain indoors and close all windows and doors. The department lifted the advisory after its monitors didn’t detect levels of soot or sulfur dioxide above federal standards.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office also confirmed Thursday that the second person who died in the blast was Steven Menefee, 52, of Clairton. Earlier, the county medical examiner’s office identified one of the dead as Timothy Quinn, 39.
U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt said Tuesday the company is working closely with local, state and federal authorities. He would not speculate about the cause of the explosion.
The massive plant along the Monongahela River in Clairton converts coal to coke, a key component in the steelmaking process. The facility is considered the largest coking operation in North America and is one of four major U.S. Steel plants in Pennsylvania.
To make coke, coal is baked in special ovens for hours at high temperatures to remove impurities that could otherwise weaken steel. The process creates what is known as coke gas — a lethal mix of methane, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.
The plant has a long history of environmental problems, especially fouling the air in communities nearby the sprawling plant.
In 2018, a Christmas Eve fire damaged pollution-control equipment and led to repeated releases of sulfur dioxide, according to a subsequent lawsuit. The fire prompted Allegheny County to warn residents to limit outdoor activities. Residents said it was hard to breathe for weeks afterward and that the air felt acidic and smelled like rotten eggs. U.S. Steel settled a lawsuit last year with an agreement to spend $19.5 million in equipment upgrades and $5 million on local clean air efforts and programs.
Dr. Deborah Gentile, the medical director of Community Partners in Asthma Care, studied asthma levels after the 2018 fire and found twice as many patients sought medical treatment.
In 2019, U.S. Steel agreed to settle a lawsuit regarding air pollution from Clairton for $8.5 million.
The concerns about air quality also come as the federal Environmental Protection Agency moves to postpone new hazardous air pollution standards for coke plants, like Clairton.
Matthew Mehalik, executive director of the Breathe Project, a public health advocacy group in Pittsburgh, said the regulations were deemed to be almost insignificant to operational costs and would have helped protect the public with air quality monitoring.
The regulation would have required — like is already required at refineries all over the United States — fence-line monitoring for hazardous air pollutants at the Clairton plant, Mehalik said.
That information would have been “incredibly useful” when the explosion happened on Monday, Mehalik said.
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Associated Press writer Marc Levy contributed to this report from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
UNITED NATIONS — Sexual violence in conflicts worldwide increased by 25% last year, with the highest number of cases in the Central African Republic, Congo, Haiti, Somalia and South Sudan, according to a U.N. report released Thursday.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ annual report said more than 4,600 people survived sexual violence in 2024, with armed groups carrying out the majority of the abuse but some by government forces. He stressed that the U.N.-verified figures don’t reflect the global scale and prevalence of these crimes.
The report’s blacklist names 63 government and non-government parties in a dozen countries suspected of committing or being responsible for rape and other forms of sexual violence in conflict, including Hamas militants, whose attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparked the war in Gaza.
Over 70% of those listed have appeared on the report’s blacklist annex for five years or more without creating steps to prevent the violence, the U.N. chief said.
For the first time, the report includes two parties that have been notified the U.N. has “credible information” that could put them on next year’s blacklist if they don’t take preventive actions: Israel’s military and security forces over allegations of sexual abuse of Palestinians primarily in prisons and detention, and Russian forces and affiliated armed groups against Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon, who circulated a letter Tuesday from Guterres about the country’s forces being put on notice, said the allegations “are steeped in biased publications.”
“The U.N. must focus on the shocking war crimes and sexual violence of Hamas and the release of all hostages,” he said.
Russia’s U.N. mission said it had no comment on the secretary-general’s warning.
The 34-page report said “conflict-related sexual violence” refers to rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, forced sterilization, forced marriage and other forms of sexual violence. The majority of victims are women and girls.
“In 2024, proliferating and escalating conflicts were marked by widespread conflict-related sexual violence, amid record levels of displacement and increased militarization,” Guterres said. “Sexual violence continued to be used as a tactic of war, torture, terrorism and political repression, while multiple and overlapping political, security and humanitarian crises deepened.”
The U.N. says women and girls were attacked in their homes, on roads and while trying to earn a living, with victims ranging in age from 1 to 75. Reports of summary executions of victims after rape persisted in Congo and Myanmar, it said.
In an increasing number of places, the report said armed groups “used sexual violence as a tactic to gain and consolidate control over territory and lucrative natural resources.”
Women and girls perceived to be associated with rival armed groups were targeted with sexual violence in the Central African Republic, Congo and Haiti, it said.
In detention facilities, the report said sexual violence was perpetrated “including as a form of torture,” reportedly in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Libya, Myanmar, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.
“Most of the reported incidents against men and boys occurred in detention, consistent with previous years, and included rape, threats of rape and the electrocution and beating of genitals,” the report said.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic documented cases of rape, gang rape, forced marriage and sexual slavery affecting 215 women, 191 girls and seven men.
In mineral-rich eastern Congo, the peacekeeping mission documented nearly 800 cases last year, including rape, gang rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage, “often accompanied by extreme physical violence,” the report said. The number of cases involving the M23 rebel group, now controlling the main city Goma, rose from 43 in 2022 to 152 in 2024, it said.
In Sudan, where civil war is raging, the report said that groups providing services to victims of sexual violence recorded 221 rape cases against 147 girls and 74 boys since the beginning of 2024, “with 16% of survivors under five years of age, including four one-year-olds.”
The three may not go together in many people’s minds: partly owing to common myths about germs and partly because many viruses really do have lower activity levels in the summer.
But it is possible to get the sniffles — or worse — in the summer. Federal data released Friday, for example, shows COVID-19 is trending up in most states, with emergency department visits up among people of all ages.
Here’s what to know about summer viruses.
The number of people seeking medical care for three key illnesses — COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV — is currently very low, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Flu is trending down and RSV has been steady. But COVID-19 is trending up in most U.S. states. Wastewater data from around the country estimates “moderate” COVID-19 activity.
CDC wastewater also shows the XFG variant — nicknamed stratus — is most common in the U.S. Stratus can cause a “razor blade” sore throat and is considered a “variant under monitoring” by the World Health Organization. The WHO said the variant is only marginally better at evading people’s immune systems and vaccines still work against it.
The expectation is that COVID-19 will eventually settle into a winter seasonal pattern like other coronaviruses, but the past few years have brought a late summer surge, said Dr. Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at University of California Davis Children’s Hospital.
Other viruses circulating this time of year include the one that causes “hand, foot and mouth” disease — which has symptoms similar to a cold, plus sores and rashes — and norovirus, sometimes called the stomach flu.
Many viruses circulate seasonally, picking up as the weather cools in the fall and winter. So it’s true that fewer people get stuffy noses and coughs in the summer — but cold weather itself does not cause colds.
It’s not just about seasonality. The other factor is our behavior, experts say. Nice weather means people are opening windows and gathering outside where it’s harder for germs to spread.
But respiratory viruses are still around. When the weather gets too hot and everyone heads inside for the air conditioning, doctors say they start seeing more sickness. In places where it gets really hot for a long time, summer can be cold season in its own right.
“I grew up on the East Coast and everybody gets sick in the winter,” said Dr. Frank LoVecchio, an emergency room doctor and Arizona State University researcher. “A lot of people get sick in the summer here. Why is that? Because you spend more time indoors.”
For people who are otherwise healthy, timing is a key consideration to getting any vaccine. You want to get it a few weeks before that big trip or wedding, if that’s the reason for getting boosted, doctors say. But, for most people, it may be worth waiting until the fall in anticipation of winter cases of COVID-19 really tick up.
“You want to be fully protected at the time that it’s most important for you,” said Dr. Costi Sifri, of the University of Virginia Health System.
People at higher risk of complications should always talk with their doctor about what is best for them, Sifri added. Older adults and those with weak immune systems may need more boosters than others, he said.
Last month, the CDC noted emergency room visits among children younger than 4 were rising. That makes sense, Blumberg said, because many young kids are getting it for the first time or are unvaccinated.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in May that the shots would no longer be recommended for healthy kids, a decision that health experts have said lacks scientific basis. The American Academy of Pediatrics still endorses COVID-19 shots for children older than 6 months.
The same things that help prevent colds, flu and COVID any other time of the year work in the summer, doctors say.
Spend time outside when you can, wash your hands, wear a mask. And if you’re sick, stay home.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana sued the online gaming platform Roblox on Thursday, alleging the wildly popular site has perpetuated an environment where sexual predators “thrive, unite, hunt and victimize kids.”
The lawsuit, filed in state court by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, alleges that Roblox has failed to implement effective safety measures to protect child users from adult predators.
“Due to Roblox’s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana,” Murrill said in a news release. “Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety.”
The company has faced lawsuits and backlash for not doing enough to protect kids on its gaming services. Last month, a lawsuit was filed in Iowa after a 13-year-old girl was allegedly introduced to an adult predator on the platform, then kidnapped and trafficked across multiple states and raped.
In Louisiana, Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said his office has had multiple cases involving Roblox. In one, police allege a man used voice-altering technology to pose as a girl on the platform. Ard said there have yet to be any arrests made related to the gaming site.
Ultimately, Murrill said she believes Roblox should be shut down.
An email seeking comment was sent to the company Thursday.
The free online gaming platform has more than 111 million monthly users. Its website describes Roblox as “the ultimate virtual universe that lets you create, share experiences with friends, and be anything you can imagine.”
Roblox doesn’t allow users to share videos or images in chats and tries to block any personal information, such as phone numbers. However, as with other gaming platforms and social media sites with similar policies, people find ways around such safeguards.
Roblox, which according to its website has “a zero-tolerance policy for the exploitation of minors,” doesn’t allow children under 13 to chat with other users outside of games unless they have explicit parental permission. Because the platform does not encrypt private chat conversations, the company can monitor and moderate them.
However, Murrill said there is no age minimum or substantial age verification process once a user signs up. As a result, young children, teens and adults posing as children can sign up, she said.
The company says on its website that age verification “is a new feature that is currently in testing on Roblox.” Last month, it launched a feature that requires teenagers aged 13 to 17 to send a video selfie to verify their ages if they want to chat freely with people they know, called “trusted connections.”
Amid mounting criticism in recent months, the company has implemented additional measures that it says will keep their young users safe.
In August, Roblox told AP that it was rolling out an artificial intelligence system to help detect early signs of possible child endangerment, such as sexually exploitive language. Roblox said the system led it to submit 1,200 reports of potential attempts at child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the first half of 2025.
Social Security celebrates its 90th anniversary today, marking a major milestone for the program that supplies monthly benefit checks to almost 70 million senior citizens, disabled people and surviving family members of deceased workers.
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law on Aug. 14, 1935, he guaranteed for the first time that workers could rely on continuing income in retirement after they turned 65. As it enters its 10th decade, the program is only growing in importance amid an aging population, with a record number of Americans now collecting benefits.
In the next 10 years, Social Security is expected to swell by an additional 12 million recipients, according to the AARP. But even as it grows in importance, the program is also facing mounting problems and growing questions over its long term viability.
While many policy experts believe the program should be expanded, its outgoings now far outpace its income. Some Democratic lawmakers are also questioning the agency’s ability to serve retirees after the Trump administration earlier this year made cuts to its workforce in what the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities referred to as the “largest staffing cut in SSA’s history.”
As these challenges have mounted, faith in the program has deteriorated, even as three-quarters of Americans say they believe Social Security is “one of the most important programs” the government offers, according to a recent AARP survey. Confidence in the future of Social Security has declined by 7% in the last five years, from 43% in 2020 to 36% in 2025, it found.
Asked about these concerns, the Social Security Administration pointed to a Fox News interview Thursday with its commissioner, Frank Bisignano, who said he’s optimistic about the program’s future and that the agency is working on improving its operations.
The White House also took issue with the criticisms, with spokeswoman Liz Huston telling CBS News that the administration is improving customer service and “preventing illegal aliens from accessing benefits. “President Trump has made Social Security great again,” she said.
Funding woes
A major headwind facing Social Security may not be new, but it is fast approaching: The possible insolvency of its trust funds as the gap between its revenue and expenditure grows.
For instance, in 2024, the program cost $1.49 billion, but total income was $1.42 billion, according to the 2025 Social Security Board of Trustees’ report.
Because of that trend — which is expected to continue given the aging population — the Social Security trust funds are forecast to be depleted by 2034, one year sooner than previously forecast, according to the most recent trustees’ report. This so-called “go-broke” date has been a major source of stress for Americans who worry that there won’t be enough money left by the time they reach retirement age.
While some workers believe that the trust funds’ insolvency means Social Security will cease making payments after that date, that is incorrect. Because the program is funded through payroll taxes, Social Security has a constant stream of income — although without the trust funds’ financial cushion, the program will face a shortfall, leading to a cut in benefits.
Without a fix, monthly benefits could be cut by as much as 23%, the Social Security Board of Trustees warned in its 2025 annual report.
But there are options for shoring up the trust funds. For one, there’s a current cap on the amount of income subject to Social Security taxes, which stands at $176,100 in 2025, meaning any earnings above that amount are exempt from the payroll tax.
One remedy would be to lift the cap on payroll taxes, an option that some Democratic lawmakers prefer. Another idea, floated by some Republican lawmakers, is to raise the retirement age, which currently stands at 67 for people born after 1960.
Changes under President Trump
President Trump has vowed not to cut Social Security, noting in a “Meet the Press” interview in December that “we’re not touching Social Security, other than we might make it more efficient.” Nonetheless, concerns have mounted over the Trump administration’s changes to the program, including cuts to its staff and the closure of some field offices.
During a press call Wednesday organized by advocacy groups, Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, claimed Mr. Trump and others in his administration are “working overtime to try to dismantle Social Security.”
Many Americans also say they’re worried about what sort of changes the new administration could make. According to a new survey from NerdWallet, 61% of Americans believe Social Security benefits will be cut under the current administration.
The White House, however, contends that Social Security has become more efficient under Mr. Trump’s leadership. In a statement released Thursday, the White House claimed that the agency is handling 70% more calls than last year and that it has cut down on wait times with the help of technology. It also said the average wait times for customers at field offices have declined by 23%.
“We have taken steps to reduce wait times, enhance security, and make it easier to navigate our programs,” SSA commissioner Frank Bisignano wrote in an opinion piece for Fox News on Thursday. “All the while ensuring we pay benefits accurately to those who are eligible to receive them.”
Mr. Trump on Thursday repeated his promises to protect the program.
The program will become “stronger, bigger and better” and is “gonna be around a long time” with Republicans in charge, he added in remarks from the White House.
Mary Cunningham is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch. Before joining the business and finance vertical, she worked at “60 Minutes,” CBSNews.com and CBS News 24/7 as part of the CBS News Associate Program.
Dr. Joel Bervell, a physician known to his hundreds of thousands of followers on social media as the “Medical Mythbuster,” has built a reputation for debunking false health claims online.
Earlier this year, some of those followers alerted him to a video on another account featuring a man who looked exactly like him. The face was his. The voice was not.
“I just felt mostly scared,” Bervell told CBS News. “It looked like me. It didn’t sound like me… but it was promoting a product that I’d never promoted in the past, in a voice that wasn’t mine.”
It was a deepfake – one example of content that features fabricated medical professionals and is reaching a growing audience, according to cybersecurity experts. The video with Bervell’s likeness appeared on multiple platforms – TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, he said.
A CBS News investigation over the past month found dozens of accounts and more than 100 videos across social media sites in which fictitious doctors, some using the identities of real physicians, gave advice or tried to sell products, primarily related to beauty, wellness and weight loss. Most of them were found on TikTok and Instagram, and some of them were viewed millions of times.
Most videos reviewed by CBS News were trying to sell products, either through independent websites or well-known online marketplaces. They often made bold claims. One video touted a product “96% more effective than Ozempic.”
Cybersecurity company ESET also recently investigated this kind of content. It spotted more than 20 accounts on TikTok and Instagram using AI-generated doctors to push products, according to Martina López, a security researcher at ESET.
“Whether it’s due to some videos going viral or accounts gaining more followers, this type of content is reaching an increasingly wider audience,” she said.
CBS News contacted TikTok and Meta, the parent company of Instagram, to get clarity on their policies. Both companies removed videos flagged by CBS News, saying they violated platform policies. CBS News also reached out to YouTube, which said its privacy request process “allows users to request the removal of AI-generated content that realistically simulates them without their permission.”
YouTube said the videos provided by CBS News didn’t violate its Community Guidelines and would remain on the platform. “Our policies prohibit content that poses a serious risk of egregious harm by spreading medical misinformation that contradicts local health authority (LHA) guidance about specific health conditions and substances,” YouTube said.
TikTok says that between January and March, it proactively removed more than 94% of content that violated its policies on AI-generated content.
After CBS News contacted Meta, the company said it removed videos that violated its Advertising Standards and restricted other videos that violated its Health and Wellness policies, making them accessible to just those 18 and older.
Meta also said bad actors constantly evolve their tactics to attempt to evade enforcement.
Scammers are using readily available AI tools to significantly improve the quality of their content, and viewing videos on small devices makes it harder to detect visual inconsistencies, ESET’s chief security evangelist, Tony Anscombe, said.
ESET said there are some red flags that can help someone detect AI-generated content, including glitches like flickering, blurred edges or strange distortions around a person’s face. Beyond the visuals, a voice that sounds robotic or lacks natural human emotion is a possible indicator of AI.
Finally, viewers should be skeptical of the message itself and question overblown claims like “miracle cures” or “guaranteed results,” which are common tactics in digital scams, Anscombe said.
“Trust nothing, verify everything,” Anscombe said. “So if you see something and it’s claiming that, you know, there’s this miracle cure and this miracle cure comes from X, go and check X out … and do it independently. Don’t follow links. Actually go and browse for it, search for it and verify yourself.”
Bervell said the deepfake videos featuring his likeness were taken down after he asked his followers to help report them.
A video with Dr. Joel Bervell’s likeness appeared on multiple platforms – TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, he told CBS News.
Dr. Joel Bervell via CBS News
He also said he’s concerned videos like these will undermine public trust in medicine.
“When we have fiction out there, we have what are thought to be experts in a field saying something that may not be true,” he said. “That distorts what fact is, and makes it harder for the public to believe anything that comes out of science, from a doctor, from the health care system overall.”
Alex Clark is a producer for CBS News Confirmed, covering AI, misinformation and their real-world impact. Previously, he produced and edited Emmy and Peabody-nominated digital series and documentaries for Vox, PBS and NowThis. Contact Alex at alex.clark@cbsnews.com
A State of the Climate report from the American Meteorological Society shares concerning updates about the planet. It shows that the annual global temperature, greenhouse gas concentrations and ocean heat all hit record highs last year. CBS News national environmental correspondent David Schechter reports.
California Democrats are preparing to counter Republicans’ attempt to reshape a series of Texas congressional districts for political advantage in a back and forth that could define next year’s midterm elections and with it, the final two years of President Trump’s second term.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he is moving forward with a redistricting plan Thursday as national tensions rage over changing congressional lines mid-decade. Districts are usually redrawn after the decennial census. Newsom has vowed his state would respond after Texas Republicans released plans earlier this summer to redraw five seats held by Democrats and make them more favorable to the GOP.
“California won’t stand by and watch Trump burn it all down — we are calling a special election to redraw our Congressional maps and defend fair representation,” Newsom said Thursday in a post on X ahead of his remarks.
Newsom, speaking alongside a number of California officials in Los Angeles, said Mr. Trump is “trying to rig the system,” adding that “as a consequence, we need to disabuse ourselves of the way things have been done.”
“We have got to recognize the cards that have been dealt,” Newsom said. “And we have got to meet fire with fire.”
The California governor said the effort is happening “in reaction to a president of the United States that called a sitting governor of the state of Texas and said ‘find me five seats.'”
“I know they say don’t mess with Texas,” Newsom said. “Well, don’t mess with the great Golden State.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom calls on voters to approve a ballot measure for redrawing the state’s electoral map, in response to a similar move in Texas being supported by President Trump, in Los Angeles, Aug. 14, 2025.
Mike Blake / REUTERS
Newsom’s team participated in a series of conversations with the state’s Democratic congressional delegation and the California Legislature as drafts of possible maps were discussed. According to U.S. Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, the conversations were initially centered on the question, “Is this even conceptually possible?”
California Democrats concluded that it was possible to gain five Democratic seats to counter Texas’ gains, according to Lofgren. “I’m confident that if we need to move forward, we will do that successfully. There’s tremendous unity on the Democratic side.”
Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress and hold the White House. At the moment, if Democrats were to win back as few as three seats in next year’s midterms, they could flip control of the House. That path would be threatened however if Republicans and Mr. Trump succeed in convincing GOP-led states like Texas, Indiana and Missouri to take some of their Democratic-held districts and alter them to favor Republicans instead.
The developments in California Thursday come as Texas Republicans struggle to pass the maps that have become a national issue. Breakaway state House Democrats fled Texas earlier this month, denying the chamber the quorum it needed to take action on the new maps during a special legislative session.
Since then, national Democrats have sought to call attention to what Republicans are trying to do in Texas, even as it’s opened the left up to accusations of hypocrisy. During the standoff, some Texas Democrats have spoken out from Illinois, a blue state that was criticized for drawing its congressional maps after the 2020 Census to give Democrats the advantage.
For both sides, the issue of congressional districts has become even more starkly partisan this summer. Various attempts have also been made in court to bring state House Democrats back to Texas, or to create a path that will help Republicans get their way.
During a floor speech — before the maps passed the Texas Senate earlier this week in what amounted to a moot effort, given the House’s obstacles — Republican Phil King bluntly said an objective of his “was to support a plan that, simply put, elects more Republicans to the U.S. Congress.”
With the special session in Texas set to end in just a few days, Republicans have been adamant about eventually passing the maps, even if it takes more time and special sessions. With Democratic power limited in the state, there is a sense that Republicans will eventually be able to get their way.
But the situation has left an opening for Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, to create a new front in the political fight, given that Democrats may have a path to redrawing Republican-held congressional districts in the blue state of California.
But California’s effort will likely prove to be far more difficult and time intensive than the Republican-led push in Texas.
In California, only nine of the state’s 52 U.S. House districts are held by Republicans. Earlier this century, voters in the state signed off on putting in the state’s constitution an independent citizens redistricting commission to decide new boundaries following the once a decade census process.
The state-level differences between Democrat-led California and Republican-led Texas essentially make it harder for California Democrats to redraw districts in their state than it currently is for Texas Republicans. In Texas, GOP leaders and Mr. Trump allies just need to go through the normal legislative process to change districts.
Because of California’s constitution, changing the redistricting process in the state ahead of the 2026 midterms would likely require a new amendment. To take effect, it would need to be passed by a two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and Senate, and then be approved by California voters in an election. That election could prove costly, with major implications for the country on the line.
Newsom said the difference between what’s happening in California and Texas is “we’re working through a very transparent, temporary and public process.”
“We’re putting the maps on the ballot, and we’re giving the power to the people,” he said, adding that California would affirm its commitment to the state independent redistricting after the 2030 census.
California lawmakers are scheduled to return to Sacramento on Aug. 18 amid the redistricting talk. The Legislature will have five days to conduct public hearings and formalize the process.
Hunter Woodall is a political editorial producer for CBS News. He covered the 2020 New Hampshire primary for The Associated Press and has also worked as a Kansas statehouse reporter for The Kansas City Star and the Washington correspondent for Minnesota’s Star Tribune.
Here is an opportunity to compliment and recognize your neighbors for their diligent work on maintaining their property.
Anaheim Beautiful’s Property Awards program is quarterly and the time is now to nominate for the next recognition of beautiful properties.
You can email or text contact@anaheimbeautiful.org with a photo of the property and contact information. There is a simple process, but if you are nominating someone besides your own property, you have to have their permission to recognize them (photo of house and street address).
Submit questions to the email above.
Miss Anaheim program is looking for participants
The Miss Anaheim Beautiful Scholarship Program 2025-26 is taking applications.
The program is not a typical beauty pageant or a one-time scholarship. It is a year-long commitment to participate in personal growth and development that includes an education scholarship. There is community service, public speaking and more.
The pageant is set for Sept. 7 and applications are due by Aug. 17. Reach out to the program at missanaheimbeautiful@gmail.com.
The organizers will need the contestant’s first and last name, the school and grade the contestant is attending in the fall, home address including ZIP code, email and cell number. They also want to know where you heard about the program. The application will be emailed to those reaching out for information.
Any questions, call 714-264-1014. The program is available to those in seventh through 12th grade.
Enjoy a tribute band concert at Pearson Park
The Anaheim Summer Series has been presenting the Pearson Park Summer Nights Under the Stars.
The Disneyland Resort is again sponsoring the summer entertainment series at the Pearson Park amphitheater on Harbor Boulevard.
There are free tribute band concerts throughout August, on Aug. 16 will be Britain’s Finest; and on Aug. 23 will be No Duh playing the music of No Doubt.
Tickets are available online at Anaheim.net/pearsontheatre. Concerts are in the amphitheatre and begin at 7 p.m.
Magnolia Science Academy opens new campus
Magnolia Science Academy is a public charter school in Anaheim and recently hosted three summer open houses for Anaheim families.
The free charter school offers a STEAM-focused curriculum (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) and a project-based learning model that emphasizes critical thinking and creativity. All families in Orange County are welcome to visit the campus.
For more information, visit msaoc.magnoliapublicschools.org or call 714-452-2440.
Library branches have stuff planned
A special horror literature and culture festival is planned Sept. 27 at the Anaheim Central Library.
Don’t miss the event and special keynote speaker, Tananarive Due.
Coming up this month is “Let’s Go Fly A Kite” for all ages, happening on Aug. 23 at the Sunkist Branch. Participants will be able to design their own kite and take it to the park and fly it. Supplies will be provided.
A computer workshop will go over the basics of YouTube for adults from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Aug. 20. Call 714-765-3576 to register.
Visit the website, Anaheim.net/Library, for more information on all the programs and activities coming up.
Free mulch and compost available
Compost and mulch are available to local residents through OC Waste & Recycling.
Supplies can be picked up from the Bee Canyon Greenery at the Frank R. Bowerman Landfill in Irvine, the Capistrano Greenery at the Prima Deschecha Landfill in San Juan Capistrano and the Valencia Greenery at Olinda Alpha Landfill in Brea. Make an appointment at OCLandfills.com/compost to pick some up.
Plan to take a shovel and containers that you can fill on your own.
Don’t dump, discard appropriately
Too many mattresses are illegally dumped along roadsides or in empty lots. In California, the Mattress Recycling Council manages a recycling program that is available to everyone.
It ensures free and easy recycling.
Visit Byebyemattress.com/programs-by-state/California for more information.
Also, if you want to get rid of large items, such as couches, old appliances or electronics, the city of Anaheim provides residents with a free bulky item pickup service.
You may dispose of up to 20 items, three times a year. Make a list of items, call Republic Services at 714-238-3300 and schedule a pickup appointment. Place items for pickup no later than 7 a.m. on the scheduled collection day.
Congratulations on a big birthday
Helen Gillis turned 100 years old on Aug. 5 and celebrated at the nearby Eli Everything and More Store, where she has been supporting its community work for years.
Helen and her husband, Jack, visited the store every day, holding hands and supporting the staff’s efforts. Jack was a fighter pilot in WWII and worked for Boeing in Anaheim for 40 years.
Jack died four years ago and Helen still can be found at the store, always dressed to the nines!
The Eli Home hosted a 100th birthday party at the store on East Street with friends and supporters. Happy Birthday Helen and thank you for all your community support!
Andrea Manes shares with her neighbors events and news about the Anaheim community. If you have an event to share, contact her at andreadeemanes@gmail.com or 714-815-3885.
The Hotel Bel-Air is ending the summer with a barbecue, but this isn’t just some backyard cookout. The food at this one-day event is being prepared by several respected chefs.
Tickets are now on sale for the hotel’s annual visiting chef series, which will take place from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 on the hotel’s Front Lawn. According to a release, nearly a dozen chefs will get together to create a variety of styles of barbecue, from traditional grilled meats to more innovative modern creations.
Tickets are now on sale for the Hotel Bel-Air’s annual visiting chef series, which will take place from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Sept. 9 in the hotel’s Front Lawn. Nearly a dozen chefs will get together to create a variety of styles of barbecue. (Photo courtesy Hotel Bel-Air)
Some of the chefs on the lineup include Elijah DeLeon of Santa Monica’s famed Rustic Canyon, Burt Bakman, the pitmaster at the highly celebrated Slab barbecue restaurant, Alisa Vannah, of the Italian butcher-inspired restaurant Chi Spacca and Oscar Torres, of the fine dining Verse LA supper club.
But it’s not going to be cheap to eat at this high-end hotel cookout since tickets are $350 per person plus fees, although they do include wine and spirits pairings. And, according to a release, any extra dishes will be redistributed through the Chefs to End Hunger, a local initiative that provides meals to the hungry by donating excess prepared food from hotels, restaurants, and other food service operations to local charities that serve meals.
The Restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air is at 701 Stone Canyon Road, Los Angeles. For tickets go to sevn.ly/xJKL5AWX.
I sank into Randy Carter’s comfy couch, excited to see the Hollywood veteran’s magnum opus.
Around the first floor of his Glendale home were framed photos and posters of films the 77-year-old had worked on during his career. “Apocalypse Now.” “The Godfather II.” “The Conversation.”
What we were about to watch was nowhere near the caliber of those classics — and Carter didn’t care.
Footage of a school bus driving through dusty farmland began to play. The title of the nine-minute sizzle reel Carter produced in 1991 soon flashed: “Boy Wonders.”
The plot: White teenage boys in the 1960s gave up a summer of surfing to heed the federal government’s call. Their assignment: Pick crops in the California desert, replacing Mexican farmworkers.
“That’s the stupidest, dumbest, most harebrained scheme I’ve heard in my life,” a farmer complained to a government official in one scene, a sentiment studio executives echoed as they rejected Carter’s project as too far-fetched.
But it wasn’t: “Boy Wonders” was based on Carter’s life.
Randy Carter’s collection of historical photos and other memorabilia of A-TEAM, a 1965 program that sought to recruit high school athletes to pick crops during the summer.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
In 1965, the U.S. Department of Labor launched A-TEAM — Athletes in Temporary Employment as Agricultural Manpower — with the goal of recruiting 20,000 high school athletes to harvest summer crops. The country was facing a dire farmworker shortage because the bracero program, which provided cheap legal labor from Mexico for decades, had ended the year before.
Sports legends such as Sandy Koufax, Rafer Johnson and Jim Brown urged teen jocks to join A-TEAM because “Farm Work Builds Men!” as one ad stated. But only about 3,000 made it to the fields. One of them was a 17-year-old Carter.
He and about 18 classmates from University of San Diego High spent six weeks picking cantaloupes in Blythe. The fine hairs on the fruits ripped through their gloves within hours. It was so hot that the bologna sandwiches the farmers fed their young workers for lunch toasted in the shade. They slept in rickety shacks, used communal bathrooms and showered in water that “was a very nice shade of brown,” Carter remembered with a laugh.
They were the rare crew that stuck it out. Teens quit or went on strike across the country to protest abysmal work conditions. A-TEAM was such a disaster that the federal government never tried it again, and the program was considered so ludicrous that it rarely made it into history books.
“I used to joke that I’ve written a story for the ages, because we’ll never solve the problem of labor,” Carter said. “I could be dead, and my great-grandkids could easily shop it around.”
I wrote about Carter’s experience in 2018 for an NPR article that went viral. It still bubbles up on social media any time a politician suggests that farm laborers are easily replaceable — like last month, when Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that “able-bodied adults on Medicaid” could pick crops, instead of immigrants.
From journalists to teachers, people are reaching out to Carter anew to hear his picaresque stories from 50 years ago — like the time he and his friends made a wrong turn in Blythe and drove into the barrio, where “everyone looked at us like we were specimens” but was nice about it.
“They are dying to see white kids tortured,” Carter cracked when I asked him why the saga fascinates the public. “They want to see these privileged teens work their asses off. Wouldn’t you?”
But he doesn’t see the A-TEAM as one giant joke — it’s one of the defining moments of his life.
An old photo belonging to Randy Carter shows, seated at bottom right, his boss at the time, Francis Ford Coppola. “Everyone in this photo won an Academy Award except me,” Carter said.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Carter moved to San Diego his sophomore year of high school. He always took summer jobs at the insistence of his working-class Irish mother. When the feds made their pitch in the spring of 1965, “there wasn’t exactly a rush to the sign-up table,” Carter recalled. What’s more, coaches at his school, known at University High, forbade their athletes to join. But he and his pals thought it would be the domestic version of the Peace Corps.
“You’re a teenager and think, ‘What the hell are we going to do this summer?’” he said. “Then, ‘What the hell. If nothing else, we’ll go into town every night. We’ll meet some girls. We’ll get cowboys to buy us beer.’” “
Carter paused for dramatic effect. “No.”
The University High crew was trained by a Mexican foreman “who in retrospect must have hated us because we were taking the jobs of his family.” They worked six days a week for minimum wage — $1.40 an hour at the time — and earned a nickel for every crate filled with about 30 to 36 cantaloupes.
“Within two days, we thought, ‘This is insane,’” he said. “By the third day, we wanted to leave. But we stayed, because it became a thing of honor.”
Nearly everyone returned to San Diego after the six-week stint, although a couple of guys went to Fresno and “became legendary in our group because they could stand to do some more. For the rest of us, we did it, and we vowed never to do anything like that as long as we live. Somehow, the beach seemed a little nicer that summer.”
Carter’s wife, Janice, walked in. I asked how important A-TEAM was to her husband.
She rolled her eyes the way only a wife of 53 years could.
“He talks about it almost every week,” she said as Randy beamed. “It’s like an endless loop.”
University High’s A-TEAM squad went on to successful careers as doctors, lawyers, businessmen. They regularly meet for reunions and talk about those tough days in Blythe, which Carter describes “as the intersection of hell and Earth.”
As the issue of immigrant labor became more heated in American politics, the guys realized they had inadvertently absorbed an important lesson all those decades ago.
Before A-TEAM, Carter said, his idea of how crops were picked was that “somehow it got done, and they [Mexican farmworkers] somehow disappeared.”
“But when we now thought about Mexicans, we realized we only had to do it for six weeks,” he continued. “These guys do it every day, and they support a family. We became sympathetic, to a man. When people say bad things about Mexicans, we always say, ‘Don’t even go there, because you don’t know what you’re talking about.’”
Carter’s experience picking cantaloupes solidified his liberal leanings. So did the time he tried to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in 1969 during Operation Intercept, a Nixon administration initiative that required the Border Patrol to search nearly every car.
The stated purpose was to crack down on marijuana smuggling. Instead, Carter said, it created an hours-long wait and “businesses on both sides of the border were furious.”
In college, Carter cheered the efforts of United Farm Workers and kept tabs on the fight to ban el cortito, the short-handled hoes that wore down the bodies of California farmworkers for generations until a state bill banned them in 1975.
By then, he was working as a “junior, junior, junior” assistant to Francis Ford Coppola. Once he built enough of a resume in Hollywood — where he would become a longtime first assistant director on “Seinfeld,” among many credits — Carter wrote his “Boy Wonders” script, which he described as “‘Dead Poets Society’ meets ‘Cool Hand Luke.’”
It was optioned twice. Henry Winkler’s production company was interested for a bit. So was Rhino Records’ film division, which explains why the soundtrack features boomer classics from the Byrds, Bob Dylan and Motown. But no one thought audiences would buy Carter’s straightforward premise.
One executive suggested it would be more believable if the high schoolers ran over someone on prom night and became crop pickers to hide from the cops. Another suggested exploding toilets to funny up the action.
“The mantra in Hollywood is, ‘Do something you know about,’” he said. “But that was the curse of it not getting made — because no one else knew about it!”
Colorado River water irrigates a farm field in Blythe in 2021.
(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Carter continues to share his experience, because “as a weak-kneed progressive, I always fancied we could change the situation … and that some sense of fair play could bubble up. I’m still walking up that road, but it seems more distant.”
A few weeks ago, federal immigration agents raided the car wash he frequents.
“You don’t even have to rewrite stories from years ago,” he said. “You could just reprint them, because nothing changes.”
I asked what he thought about MAGA’s push to replace migrant farmworkers with American citizens.
“It’s like saying, ‘I’m going to go to Dodger Stadium, grab someone from the third row of the mezzanine section, and they can play the violin at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.’ OK, you can do that, but it’s not going to work,” he said. “I don’t get why they don’t try to solve the problem of fair conditions and inadequate pay — why is that never an option?”
What about a reboot of A-TEAM?
“It could work,” Carter replied. “I was with a group of guys that did it!”
Then he considered how it might play out today.
“If Taylor Swift said it was great, you’d get people. Would they last? If they had decent accommodations and pay, maybe. But it would never happen with Trump. His solution is, ‘You don’t pay decent wages, you get desperate people.’”
He laughed again.
“Here’s a crazy program from the 1960s that’s not off the map in 2025. We’re still debating the issue. Am I crazy, or is the world crazy?”
