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Thriving market town packed with independent shops and pubs — 1 thing ruins it | UK | Travel

Express.co.uk
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Thriving market town packed with independent shops and pubs — 1 thing ruins it | UK | Travel


I visited a thriving market town packed with independent shops and the UK’s oldest inn but 1 thing let it down (Image: Steffan Rhys/Getty)

It’s a stunningly beautiful market town in the heart of arguably the prettiest part of the UK. It is packed with independent shops and cafes, has a fascinating history strongly linked to past kings and claims to have the UK’s oldest inn.

It also has a unique feature said to have inspired part of one of literature’s most famous works by one of the world’s best-loved authors.

The average house price is close to £600,000 and the rolling countryside around it is home to A-listers like David and Victoria Beckham, David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson. The UK’s poshest farm shop, where Ferraris dot the car park, is a short drive down the road and the local schools are said to be “outstanding”.

A street of cottages built from Cotswold stone in Stow on the Wold, one is covered in ivy

Even in the staggeringly beautiful Cotswolds, Stow-on-the-Wold stands out (Image: Getty)

Read more: The beautiful UK town packed with 50 independent shops and no chains

Read more: I walked Europe’s most famous city for 8 days — there’s 1 thing everyone must do

It’s no surprise then, that Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds is considered an “exceptionally desirable” place to live. At its heart is Market Square, which has been an important site for centuries. It’s surrounded by traditional pubs, antique shops and coffee shops, a medieval church and the narrowest alleyways (called ‘tures’) I’ve seen in any historic town. They are barely wide enough to stand in for a selfie.

Like many other Cotswolds towns and villages, it’s the perfect combination of higgledy-piggledy and perfectly manicured, with many of the homes and businesses built in the mellow, honey-coloured Cotswold stone.

Stow-on-the-Wold's Market Square

Stow-on-the-Wold’s Market Square is a historic site and was once hugely important (Image: Getty)

Steffan Rhys stands in one of Stow-on-the-Wold's historic tures, narrow alleys between buildings just about wide enough to stand in

Stow-on-the-Wold’s tures are narrow alleys between buildings just about wide enough to stand in (Image: Steffan Rhys)

You could lose hours here slowly pottering around its streets, popping into its shops, pubs and coffee shops for a browse, a drink or a bite to eat. There is so much choice. I spent a weekend in the Cotswolds and spent most of it wandering around open-mouthed at how pretty it all was, with Stow-on-the-Wold a highlight.

History of Stow-on-the-Wold

Stow has a rich and important history going back millennia, thanks in part to its location as the highest town in the Cotswolds and at the point where six roads meet (including the Roman Fosse Way).

In 1107, King Henry I granted it a charter allowing markets to take place and in 1476 King Edward IV did similar. It became a centre for sheep trading and the famous 18th century writer Daniel Defoe remarked that 20,000 sheep were traded here in a single day, having been led into the square through the tures mentioned above.

The sign for The Porch House pub in Stow-on-the-Wold

The Porch House in Stow-on-the-Wold claims to be Britain’s oldest in, dating back to the 10th centur (Image: Steffan Rhys)

St Edward's Church in Stow-on-the-Wold

St Edward’s Church in Stow-on-the-Wold (Image: Getty)

It has also played a pivotal role in British history as the site of the last battle of the first English Civil War. In 1646, as a Royalist army passed through the Cotswolds in an attempt to join up with King Charles I at Oxford, they were confronted and defeated by a Parliamentary force in a bloody battle at Stow. Before an earlier battle, King Charles is said to have stayed in the Kings Arms, which still stands in a gorgeous building on Market Square today.

This sense of history is impossible to escape as you walk around Stow, which also claims to be the home of Britain’s oldest inn. The Porch House is yet another building it felt like a privilege to be able to walk into and settle down with a pint of the Oxfordshire-brewed Brakspear ale at a cosy table under its low, beamed ceilings. It’s obviously a popular place with tourists.

Things to do in and around Stow-on-the-Wold

The tures

There are several small alleyways in Stow-on-the-Wold known as tures. These were used to funnel sheep from the surrounding countryside into Market Square on market days, which were extremely busy. Today you can use them as shortcuts to and from the square.

St Edward’s Church and Tolkien’s door

This pretty church sits just off Market Square and was built on the site of a former Saxon church between the 11th and 15th centuries. It played a key role in the last battle of the first English Civil War when it is said 1,000 Royalist prisoners were held here. But its main draw for visitors is to see what has to be the second most-photographed door in Britain after 10 Downing Street.

You need to walk through the churchyard’s main entrance and around to the back where you will find “Tolkien’s door”. This is the church’s north door, which was put in place around 300 years ago and flanked by two yew trees said to be the inspiration for JRR Tolkien’s Doors of Durin in Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was a professor in nearby Oxford for years and was said to be a regular visitor to Stow.

Market Square

It has been here since 1107 and was, for a time, the heart of the UK wool trade with tens of thousands of sheep being traded here having been funnelled here through the tures from the surrounding fields. Today, it is surrounded by homes, pubs, coffee shops, restaurants, antique shops and gift and interior shops all made from Cotswold stone. You could lose a day popping in and out of them all.

The 'Tokien doors' at St Edward's Church in Stow-on-the-Wold

The stunning ‘Tokien doors’ at St Edward’s Church in Stow-on-the-Wold (Image: Getty)

Three people pose for a selfie in front of the Tolkien doors at St Edward's Church in Stow-on-the-Wold

But be prepared to wait if you want to take a picture with the door! (Image: Getty)

Guided tours

Stow Civic Society runs 90-minute guided tours at 10.30am every Sunday from April to September. It costs £5. They come highly praised, with visitors calling it an “excellent experience” with “lovely guides” and adding: “I would recommend this to anyone in Stow on a Sunday.”

Live like an A-lister 

Soho Farmhouse is the Cotswolds off-shoot of Soho House, the famous London members’ club. It is 30 minutes away. An eight-minute drive away, Daylesford Organic is an exclusive farm shop owned and run by billionaire Lady Bamford, who goes to the races with King Charles and Queen Camilla. I visited it and the food was not the first thing I noticed.

Moreton in Marsh Show

A short drive away, this is a celebration of farming and food. Expect sheep-shearing, show-jumping and delicious local food.

The Big Feastival

Focusing on music and food, The Big Feastival is held on Blur guitarist Alex James’ farm 10 minutes away. This year, the line-up included Faithless, Travis and Nelly Furtado.

Where to eat, drink and stay in Stow on the Wold

Stow is definitely not short of places to eat, drink and stay. It was almost impossible to choose which of the cosy, centuries-old pubs built from Cotswold stone to walk into and I wish I’d been able to visit them all.

I eventually went for The Porch House, said to be Britain’s oldest inn dating back to the late 10th century, where I settled down at a cosy table with a pint of ale. It also serves good pub food and has luxurious rooms to stay the night in. Other highly recommended options include the Queens Head on the square, and The Sheep on Sheep Street.

There’s also The Cellar, which looks more like something you’d find in Shoreditch or Covent Garden and specialises in wine alongside cheese and charcuterie plates. The Old Butchers is a highly-regarded restaurant with a “nose to tail” philosophy. And that’s just scraping the surface.

So what is it that lets down Stow-on-the-Wold?

To be clear, Stow-on-the-Wold is a beautiful, charming town and I’d live there in a heartbeat if I could. But the joy of walking around, revelling in its history and sampling its pubs and shops was diluted by the fact that the focal point of all that history, Market Square, now resembles a car park.

When I visited in early summer the place was full of tourists and I felt a bit guilty parking up (after a few stressful laps trying to find a space) right next to a couple having a coffee at a pavement table a foot or two from my wheels. At the height of summer, it’s even busier, with “coaches full of day-trippers” descending on the town, as they do in nearby destinations like Britain’s “prettiest village” and “the Venice of the Cotswolds”.

Stow-on-the-Wold's Market Square with cars parked in it

The magic of Stow-on-the-Wold’s Market Square is a little diminished by the number of cars parked (Image: Steffan Rhys)

It’s a feature that’s remarked on by other guests too, with one saying “unfortunately cars can park in the square which completely spoils the ambience created by the beauty of the village” and another describing the square as “one big car park”.

Of course, the square is far more than that and I have no alternative suggestions on where people should park, but I can imagine that a Market Square without cars would be even more magical.



This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk

The Russia-Ukraine war has reshaped global trade and forged new alliances | Money News

SkyNews
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The Russia-Ukraine war has reshaped global trade and forged new alliances | Money News


The vast majority of policymakers in Westminster, let alone elsewhere around the UK, have never heard of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the geopolitical grouping currently holding its summit at Tianjin, but hear me out on why we should all be paying considerable attention to it.

Because the more attention you pay to this grouping of 10 Eurasian states – most notably China, Russia and India – the more you start to realise that the long-term consequences of the war in Ukraine might well reach far beyond Europe’s borders, changing the contours of the world as we know it.

The best place to begin with this is in February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine. Back then, there were a few important hallmarks in the global economy. The amount of goods exported to Russia by the G7 – the equivalent grouping of rich, industrialised nations – was about the same as China’s exports. Europe was busily sucking in most Russian oil.

But roll on to today and G7 exports to Russia have gone to nearly zero (a consequence of sanctions). Russian assets, including government bonds previously owned by the Russian central bank, have been confiscated and their fate wrangled over. But Chinese exports to Russia, far from falling or even flatlining, have risen sharply. Exports of Chinese transportation equipment are up nearly 500%. Meanwhile, India has gone from importing next to no Russian oil to relying on the country for the majority of its crude imports.

Indeed, so much oil is India now importing from Russia that the US has said it will impose “secondary tariffs” on India, doubling the level of tariffs paid on Indian goods imported into America to 50% – one of the highest levels in the world.

The upshot of Ukraine, in other words, isn’t just misery and war in Europe. It’s a sharp divergence in economic strategies around the world. Some countries – notably the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – have doubled down on their economic relationship with Russia. Others have forsworn Russian business.

And in so doing, many of those Asian nations have begun to envisage something they had never quite imagined before: an economic future that doesn’t depend on the American financial infrastructure. Once upon a time, Asian nations were the biggest buyers of American government debt, in part to provide them with the dollars they needed to buy crude oil, which is generally denominated in the US currency. But since the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has begun to sell its oil without denominating it in dollars.

Read more from Sky News:
How Moscow and its allies are trying to display their immunity to Western pressure
How Trump and Modi’s bromance fell apart
Russia has made Trump look weak

At the same time, many Asian nations have reduced their purchases of US debt. Indeed, part of the explanation for the recent rise in US and UK government bond yields is that there is simply less demand for them from foreign investors than there used to be. The world is changing – and the foundations of what we used to call globalisation are shifting.

The penultimate reason to pay attention to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is that while once upon a time its members accounted for a small fraction of global economic output, today that fraction is on the rise. Indeed, if you adjust economic output to account for purchasing power, the share of global GDP accounted for by the nations meeting in Tianjin is close to overtaking the share of GDP accounted for by the world’s advanced nations.

And the final thing to note – something that would have seemed completely implausible only a few years ago – is that China and India, once sworn rivals, are edging closer to an economic rapprochement. With India now facing swingeing tariffs from the US, New Delhi sees little downside in a rare trip to China, to cement relations with Beijing. This is a seismic moment in geopolitics. For a long time, the world’s two most populous nations were at loggerheads. Now they are increasingly moving in lockstep with each other.

That is a consequence few would have guessed at when Russia invaded Ukraine. Yet it could be of enormous importance for geopolitics in future decades.



This story originally appeared on Skynews

Guatemala government says it asked for migrant children back : NPR

NPR
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Guatemala government says it asked for migrant children back : NPR


Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Guatemalan Minister of Governance Francisco Jimenez shake hands after signing a memorandum of understanding on a joint security program agreement at the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura on June 26 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images


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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

After planes with Guatemalan children were loaded in the U.S., then prevented from taking off by a federal judge’s decision to temporarily halt the children’s removal, the Guatemalan government said on Aug. 31 that it was responsible for recently proposing to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that the unaccompanied Guatemalan minors be returned to their home country.

In a statement published to the social media platform X on the evening of Aug. 31, the same day as the judge’s decision, the Guatemalan government indicated it wanted to prevent the children from staying in shelters and detention centers and that it supports coordinated action to reunify Guatemalan children with their families.

The Guatemalan government has plans to identify the needs of each of the Guatemalan children and intends to include them in social programs in their home country, the government stated. All actions that have been taken in regards to the unaccompanied minors have taken the children’s human rights into account and have complied with due process, the government alleged.

Staffers of the Attorney General's Office take the data of relatives outside of the Returnee Reception Center while waiting for the arrival of minors deported from the United States, at the Guatemalan Air Force Base in Guatemala City on August 31, 2025. (Photo by Johan ORDONEZ / AFP) (Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

NPR asked the Guatemalan government how many children it had requested be returned from the U.S., and whether all of their parents have asked that the children be returned to Guatemala, as a U.S. attorney indicated in a hearing on Aug. 31. The Guatemalan government did not immediately respond and did not directly address those questions in its statement.

The statement appears to contain a factual error. The Guatemalan government said it suggested the idea of sending back the unaccompanied minors to Noem while she was in the country in July. But Noem visited Guatemala on June 26, after making stops in Costa Rica, Honduras and Paraguay in a tour of Central America.

During that visit, Noem and Guatemalan Interior Minister Francisco Jimenez signed agreements, including one to potentially allow people not originally from Guatemala to seek asylum in Guatemala instead of the U.S., despite the fact that U.S. law permits asylum seekers to remain as they comply with court proceedings relevant to their case. Noem was also pictured on June 26 watching people being deported from the U.S. while at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, with U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (R) talks to ERO Regional Attaché Guadalupe "Lupita" Serna (C) and U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley as people deported from the United States disembark a repatriation flight as Noem is given a tour of Department of Homeland Security operations at La Aurora International Airport on June 26, 2025 in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Noem is traveling to several Central American countries where she will meet with political leaders and to learn about immigration programs and facilities backed by the US Department of Homeland Security in the region. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ANNA MONEYMAKER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem (R) talks to ERO Regional Attaché Guadalupe “Lupita” Serna (C) and U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala Tobin Bradley as people deported from the United States disembark a repatriation flight as Noem is given a tour of Department of Homeland Security operations at La Aurora International Airport on June 26, 2025 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Anna Moneymaker/AFP via Getty Images


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Anna Moneymaker/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NPR regarding whether Guatemala had suggested that the unaccompanied minors be returned to Guatemala while Noem was visiting the country in June.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks after a tour of a migrant return center and a demonstration of a dog trained to sniff out narcotics, at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City on Wednesday.

Some attorneys representing the Guatemalan children set to be deported disagree with Guatemala’s statement that the process to remove the unaccompanied minors has not disregarded their rights. In the attempt to send children away without allowing them to first finish pursuing their asylum claims, lawyers for the National Immigration Law Center, the law firm representing some of the Guatemalan children in the U.S., believe the U.S. has violated both federal laws and the U.S. constitution.

“In the dead of night on a holiday weekend, the Trump administration ripped vulnerable, frightened children from their beds and attempted to return them to danger in Guatemala,” said Efrén C. Olivares, the Vice President of Litigation at the National Immigration Law Center.

The U.S. district court issuance of an emergency Temporary Restraining Order on Aug. 31 prevented the government from removing any unaccompanied Guatemalan minors in U.S. custody for the next 14 days. The National Immigration Law Center has vowed to continue defending the Guatemalan children’s right to stay in the U.S.




This story originally appeared on NPR

Kristi Noem Becomes A National Laughingstock After Interview Disaster

PoliticusUSA
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Kristi Noem Becomes A National Laughingstock After Interview Disaster


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This is the kind of thing that happens when a president prioritizes loyalty over competence when filling out their administration.

The Trump administration has been taking criticism for sending federal troops to Los Angeles at a cost of $1 million per day when there was no national emergency or civil unrest.

Donald Trump and members of his administration have tried to justify their waste of money by making regular claims about a crisis in LA.

Kristi Noem took those claims to a new, even more absurd level on CBS’s Face The Nation, “You know that always is a prerogative of President Trump and his decision. I won’t speak to the specifics of the operations that are planned in other cities, but I do know that LA wouldn’t be standing today if President Trump hadn’t taken action, then that city would have burned down if left to the devices of the mayor and the governor of that state. And so the citizens who live there, the small business owners in Downtown LA, they’re thankful that President Trump came in with federal law enforcement officers and helped support keeping those streets open, keep their homes and businesses from burning down, and made sure the law and order was restored.”

Video:

When CBS News’s Ed O’Keefe asked Noem to clarify, she kept exaggerating:



This story originally appeared on Politicususa

Apple's eSIM training prepares EU stores for SIM-free iPhone 17 Air

AppleInsider
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Apple's eSIM training prepares EU stores for SIM-free iPhone 17 Air



Apple is preparing to roll out at least one SIM-free iPhone 17 model to more countries, with retail staff in the EU now being trained on how eSIM works.

The eSIM is gradually replacing physical SIM card trays

Following the introduction of eSIM support in the iPhone, and the eventual release of an eSIM-only iPhone 14 in the United States, Apple has been preparing to eliminate SIM card usage in other countries. For the iPhone 17 launch, it seems Apple will be doing just that.

According to a source of MacRumors on Sunday, Apple is requiring employees at Apple Authorized Resellers in the European Union to complete a training course by September 5. That training course, which appears in the SEED app, is accessible to both Apple Store employees and resellers.

Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums


This story originally appeared on Appleinsider

The High School Catfish’ Is So Shocking

MovieWeb
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The High School Catfish’ Is So Shocking


You may have seen many catfishing tales in shows and documentaries, from MTV’s Catfish to Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare. But you have never seen anything like the latest Netflix true-crime documentary sensation, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. The story revolves around a young high school couple, a series of downright vile text messages that span years, and a tangled web of lies that culminates in a reveal you’ll never see coming.

The True Story Behind ‘Unknown Number: The High School Catfish’

Netflix

Lauryn and Owen are two kids growing up in the small town of Beal City, Michigan. They start as friends, then begin dating, and eventually become the “golden couple” at their high school. They’re the typical “prom king and prom queen” high school couple you see in the movies. Except these kids were just 13, 14, and 15 years old throughout the duration of the incidents.

One day, Lauryn begins to receive a series of horrible messages from an unknown number calling her ugly, telling her Owen wants to break up with her, and that she’s worthless. Owen eventually receives similar messages urging him to help them “take down” Lauryn. As the months progress, the messages get worse. It seems the mysterious person is stalking them, referencing things they wore that day in school, how they performed in their latest game, and even details about their upcoming plans.

The texts come in fast and furious and eventually escalate to devastatingly cruel, vile, and even sexually graphic messages. Both sets of parents are at their wits’ end. When the police come up blank after interrogating several suspects, from an old friend of Owen’s who might still have a crush on him to Owen’s cousin, they send the information to the FBI in hopes that they can help.

A trace of an IP address leads to a warrant for the cell phone company, and the officer can cross-reference the number with Owen and his mom’s contact lists. Only one number comes up as a match, and who it belongs to will shock you to your core.

The Aftermath Is Crazier Than the Reveal

Kendra in the dark on the couch on her phone in Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. Netflix

The number, it appears, belongs to Lauryn’s own mother, Kendra. It seems downright ridiculous to think she could have sent such awful messages to her own child. Nonetheless, the police receive a warrant for her laptop and phone(s) and pay her a visit. It doesn’t take long for her to confess to the crime.

What’s most wild about the big reveal in this true-crime documentary is not even that it was Lauryn’s own mother sending her messages calling her ugly and worthless and telling her to kill herself. It was her justification for it, which wasn’t much of a justification at all. The family was having financial troubles. She was laid off from two jobs and lied to her husband about it, saying she quit one, and he presumably thought she was still working the other. Her own cousin questions whether Kendra had even been employed with the company in the first place.

She referenced her own childhood trauma, including being raped at 17 and wanting to protect her daughter. She felt upset that her daughter was growing up and didn’t want her to have the same experience. How sending such messages to not only Lauryn but to the seemingly nice, polite young man she was dating would accomplish this is unclear.

The story becomes even creepier when it’s suggested that Kendra might have been infatuated with Owen. He looks back and finds her behavior towards him odd. She would go out of her way for him, even cut his steak into pieces. Even after he and Lauryn broke up, Kendra would still attend Owen’s games and would reportedly text him one-on-one on occasion to see how he was doing.

During her hearing, Kendra admitted to knowing she had a mental illness, though what mental illness is not specified. It’s suggested in the documentary that she may suffer from a form of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Those with Munchausen’s either fake or intentionally cause physical or psychological symptoms in themselves for attention or sympathy. Munchausen by proxy, most famously exemplified in the Gypsy Blanchard case, occurs when a person, typically a parent, intentionally causes harm to their own child.

Thus, the inference is that Kendra’s acts were a form of cyber-based Munchausen’s by proxy, notes Beal City superintendent Bill Chillman in the documentary. Kendra caused Lauryn to feel such psychological pain from the words in these messages and being constantly taunted, so she could be the one there for Lauryn to help comfort her. The documentary’s director, Skye Borgman, tells Time she feels that Kendra sent those messages to “essentially force Lauryn closer to her.”

So Many Questions Remain

Lauryn staring at her phone in Unknown Number: The High School Catfish. Netflix

Lauryn indicates in Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, one of the best new true-crime documentaries on Netflix, that while she hasn’t seen her mother in a year and a half since she was released from prison, they kept in touch while she was incarcerated. She still loves her mother deeply and wants to have a relationship with her, something most viewers watching simply can’t comprehend. Even in the body cam footage, when the police first reveal the discovery to Kendra, Lauryn can be seen hugging her mother and holding her hand while also clearly in shock.

Still, it’s tough to reconcile the lewd nature of the messages, many of which referenced inappropriate sex acts for teenagers who are so young. Furthermore, Kendra’s explanations don’t seem to express remorse for what she has done, nor do they acknowledge that it’s far more disturbing than some other, less damaging crime. “Realistically,” she says in a warped sense of justification, “a lot of us have probably broken the law at some point or another and not gotten caught. I’m sure people drove drunk, haven’t been caught.”

She doesn’t appear to comprehend that breaking the law isn’t the issue. It’s purposely, intentionally, heinously targeting her own daughter and an innocent young man in a sick and twisted game of catfish that plays on their vulnerabilities, drives them to have suicidal thoughts, as Owen admits in one of his text message replies, and strips away at their self-esteem. Not to mention the other innocent young women she hurt by having fingers unjustly pointed at them as possible suspects.

For now, Lauryn is 18 years old and thus a legal adult. Borgman observed, during her 2024 visit to Lauryn, a year after their initial interview, that she was “more measured” about how much she would let her mother into her life. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see Kendra yet, but admitted she still loved her mother.

It’s easy to judge, but it’s also a situation that no one can truly understand without being in it. Nonetheless, the entire story, from start to finish, takes you on a wild ride with unexpected twists and turns, evoking a range of emotions, from sadness to anger to outright disgust.

The most important message coming out of the documentary, according to Borgman, when speaking to Netflix Tudum, is to “listen to your kids, understand the threats that are out there, and give them the ability to make good decisions.” But it’s also clear from this incredibly unbelievable story that people are capable of doing things most of us can’t possibly ever comprehend. Stream Unknown Number: The High School Catfish on Netflix.



This story originally appeared on Movieweb

10 Comic Scenes Alien: Earth Must Include

ScreenRant
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10 Comic Scenes Alien: Earth Must Include


Alien: Earth is the latest chapter in the Alien series, but it is far from the first. Not only does the franchise live in its many movies, but the Alien universe also exists in comic books, the vast majority of which were published by Dark Horse Comics.

The Dark Horse era of Aliens comics significantly contributed to the broader lore of the series. Unfortunately, nothing that happened in those books is, strictly speaking, canon. But, as the Alien franchise continues to expand in the form of a television series, Alien: Earth has the power to fix that.

Many downright shocking moments in the Dark Horse Aliens comics would be perfect for a long-form canon series like Alien: Earth. So perfect, in fact, that it would be no surprise if fans asked themselves: if Alien: Earth doesn’t include these 10 shocking scenes, what’s the point?

10

Alien vs Ninja

Alien‘s Xenomorphs are known for battling Colonial Marines and Predators, but one comic shows Xenomorphs fighting a completely different type of enemy: ninja. In Aliens: Music of the Spears, ninjas break into a pharmaceutical company to steal an Ovomorph (Facehugger egg) and find themselves surrounded by Xenomorphs.

The battle between the ninjas and Xenomorphs is as epic as it is unique, especially for a Sci-Fi franchise. But the best part is that it happens on Earth, as Xenomorph knowledge and experimentation have become fairly common at this point in the franchise.

If Alien: Earth eventually normalizes the Xenomorphs’ existence on Earth the same way Dark Horse Comics did, then there’s no reason why this ‘Alien vs Ninja’ scene couldn’t exist in a later season.

9

Human/Xenomorph Hybrids

Bug-Men from Alien holding rifles.
Bug-Men from Alien holding rifles.

Alien: Earth explores the idea of human/synthetic hybrids. But what about human/Xenomorph hybrids? That’s a hellish amalgamation introduced in Aliens: Colonial Marines, and these alien hybrids had a name: Bug-Men. The Bug-Men traveled the cosmos as armed soldiers, spreading Xenomorph life wherever they went.

The Bug-Men weren’t products of human experimentation, nor were they created by the Xenomorphs deliberately. They were regular humans who had been mutated by drugs derived from the Xenomorphs, a horrific (yet fascinating) side effect of introducing Xenomorph DNA into their bodies willingly.

8

Xenomorph-Derived Drugs

Xeno Zip and Royal Jelly, 2 drugs derived from Alien's Xenomorph Queen.
Xeno Zip and Royal Jelly, 2 drugs derived from Alien’s Xenomorph Queen.

The Bug-Men mutated because they took drugs created from Xenomorphs, but Aliens: Colonial Marines is far from the only time fans hear about these drugs. The aforementioned Aliens: Music of the Spears and Aliens: Genocide also heavily feature Xenomorph drugs, two of which are called Royal Jelly and Xeno Zip.

Royal Jelly is a hallucinogen that taps human minds into the same frequency of communication as the Xenomorph, while Xeno Zip is an ‘upper’ that temporarily gives humans the strength and speed of a Xenomorph (but not the creature’s durability).

These drugs are why pharmaceutical companies are as obsessed with Xenomorphs as Weyland-Yutani or Prodigy, as they are cheap to make (indeed, the companies basically only need a Queen Xenomorph) and are highly addictive. Drugs like these would be a perfect addition to Alien: Earth.

7

Xenomorph-Worshipping Cults

Alien's Darwin Era cultist with a Xenomorph.
Alien’s Darwin Era cultist with a Xenomorph.

As confirmed in Alien: Earth, Xenomorphs communicate through high-frequency sounds that the human ear cannot hear, but that the human mind can intercept. When there are enough Xenomorphs around humans (ie, hives on Earth), some people are driven subtly insane by the Xenomorphs’ communication.

These people become increasingly fascinated by the Xenomorphs to the point where they long for the ’embrace of the Queen’ through impregnation. They worship the Xenomorph Queen, and they consider it a great honor and privilege to carry a Xenomorph inside of them.

Some cults use drugs like Royal Jelly to become more connected with the Xenomorph hive, which only increases their longing for impregnation. If Xenomorphs are going to stay on Earth in Alien: Earth, then the series should absolutely introduce these disturbing cults.

6

Xenomorphs Breeding Humans

Alien Breed Body

Xenomorphs have always been portrayed as highly intelligent, and they use their intelligence for one thing above all others: breeding. The Xenomorph’s primary function is to grow its hive in any way possible. And, in Aliens: Labyrinth, they found a truly disturbing way to do just that.

The Xenomorph hive featured in this comic was dying, and the aliens only had a handful of humans left for reproduction. So, the Xenomorphs kept the weak and starving humans alive by feeding them pieces of former hosts (ie, dead people) before attempting to breed the humans like cattle.

This could be the horrific fate of Netherland in Alien: Earth if a potential Xenomorph outbreak were contained on the island. And now that fans know that’s a possibility, it’s hard to imagine the series going any other way.

5

Alien’s Connection to The Terminator

Terminator/Xenomorph hybrid from Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator.
Terminator/Xenomorph hybrid from Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator.

Alien: Earth has taken the Alien franchise to Earth for the first time, opening the possibility of canonizing a connection made in Dark Horse Comics with The Terminator franchise. It’s revealed in Aliens vs Predator vs The Terminator that Alien takes place in The Terminator‘s future after humanity defeats Skynet.

Granted, it’s more likely that the Alien universe will become officially connected with Blade Runner as a result of Alien: Earth than The Terminator. However, the comics have already established the connection, and all Alien: Earth has to do is confirm it.

4

Further Exploration of the Xenomorph’s DNA Reflex

The Mantis Alien from Aliens: Space Marines.
The Mantis Alien from Aliens: Space Marines.

Alien fans have known for years that the Xenomorphs adopt traits of their hosts, although the movies (and now the TV show) rarely explore that aspect of their biology. The closest fans came to this was in Alien 3 with the Runner Xenomorph, which was born from a dog.

Alien comic books, however, have explored the DNA Reflex extensively, but none so thoroughly as Kenner’s Aliens: Space Marines. These comic books were packaged with Kenner Aliens action figures and served as in-story explanations for the variety of Xenomorph toys.

However, just because these comics were made to sell toys doesn’t make them any less lore-accurate. And now it’s time for Alien: Earth to explore what a Xenomorph would look like after gestating within a giant mantis or alien rhino.

3

Xenomorph Synthetics

Aliens: Stronghold's Jeri, the synthetic Xenomorph.
Aliens: Stronghold’s Jeri, the synthetic Xenomorph.

Synthetics appear to be a significant aspect of Alien: Earth, particularly in the context of human-synthetic hybrids. However, there’s a more interesting synthetic ‘hybrid’ in the comics that has yet to be brought to the screen, one that would be perfect for Alien: Earth – Synthetic Xenomorphs.

Dark Horse Comics introduced a synthetic Xenomorph named Jeri in Aliens: Stronghold. To be clear, this wasn’t a synthetic with the mind of a Xenomorph (like the hybrids in Alien: Earth); Jeri was simply a synthetic that resembled a Xenomorph. However, that alone offers some fun narrative possibilities.

In the comics, Jeri was used to infiltrate Xenomorph hives undetected. Plus, Jeri was a foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, gun-toting Xeno-Synth, and that visual alone is enough to warrant his live-action introduction.

2

The Black Goo’s Terraforming Capabilities

Prometheus scientist explaining Black Goo terraforming.
Prometheus scientist explaining Black Goo terraforming.

The Black Goo is a substance derived from Xenomorphs (specifically Facehuggers) that the Engineers used to seed life on worlds across the universe. Peter Weyland was obsessed with refining the Black Goo to grant himself immortality, which is why David dubbed the substance “Prometheus Fire“.

In Dark Horse Comics’ Alien, Predator, and Prometheus crossover miniseries Fire and Stone, it’s revealed that the Black Goo also has the power to terraform entire worlds, as it did to the moon featured in Prometheus, LV-223.

With Alien: Earth‘s heightened focus on scientific breakthroughs, it would be fascinating if the series delved further into the Black Goo’s terraforming capabilities, especially as Weyland-Yutani is canonically on the verge of launching its “Building Better Worlds” campaign.

1

The Introduction of Steel Team

Alien's Steel Team suited up in armor holding weapons.
Alien’s Steel Team suited up in armor holding weapons.

This entry actually isn’t from a Dark Horse Aliens comic, but rather Marvel Comics’ Alien: Icarus. Steel Team is a team of synthetic special forces. They utilize their heightened strength, speed, durability, and near-immortality to tackle missions that human soldiers could only dream of accomplishing.

Alien: Earth had already teased a similar team when Prodigy’s “Lost Boys” sprang into action following the Weyland-Yutani ship crash-landing in Prodigy City. Now, all Alien: Earth needs to do is expand on that idea with a legitimate synthetic special forces team, just like in the Alien comics.



This story originally appeared on Screenrant

Fuerza Regida awards scholarships to four Cal State San Bernardino students

LATimes
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Fuerza Regida awards scholarships to four Cal State San Bernardino students

Four Cal State San Bernardino students received the news of a lifetime this month: full funding to support their ongoing studies.

The prize came courtesy of the band Fuerza Regida and Street Mob Records. Frontman and label head Jesús Ortiz Paz unveiled the scholarship at an April event held at CSUSB. The scholarship is named after their latest studio album,”111xpantia,” which was released in May.

“If we can do it coming from the same city, facing the same struggles, then trust me, you can do it too,” Ortiz Paz said in a motivational speech ahead of the scholarship announcement.

The funding is intended to support the next generation of change-makers in the San Bernardino region, where nearly a third of the population has received a bachelor’s degree or higher — which is below both the national and state averages.

Among the recipients is Ronald Alvarado, a San Bernardino resident devoted to public service.

When he’s not investigating government fraud for the city of San Bernardino or acting as chair of the city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission, the 37-year-old is pursuing two advanced degrees: a master’s degree in public administration and another in science and information systems technology.

“Growing up on the west side of San Bernardino, everything was set up against us,” he said. “Systematically down to the point that the freeways exit on the other side of town.”

Last month, Alvarado launched his campaign to run for City Council’s 1st Ward. The region is currently represented by Theodore Sanchez, who earlier this year faced pushback from organizers amid claims of inactivity.

“There was some community activism [where I am from], but where I really saw [change] was being in government,” said Alvarado of his newly launched campaign. “Maybe if we could find a seat at the table, we can help move our city forward.”

The 111xpantia funding will help Alvarado alleviate the stress of having to take out additional loans and allow him to focus his energy and resources on his campaign, he said.

Another scholarship recipient, Alejandra Peres, admitted she’d been unaware of the total funding amount when she applied. She discovered the application through an Instagram post on the day of the July 31 deadline.

“I thought it was like a $500 scholarship — that’s [still] a lot of help,” said Peres, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in psychology. “But it ended up being a lot more than what I imagined, so it was a huge blessing.”

The 32-year-old from Duarte dreams of becoming a psychiatrist, a path that was inspired by her own experience navigating a chronic mental health condition. The 111xpantia scholarship removes one less worry for her as she gets her life in order.

“[The scholarship] gave me the ability to establish myself,” she said.

The other two scholarship recipients are a paraplegic student pursuing a degree in computer science who is motivated to create a more inclusive world, and a marketing student who will combine their passion for storytelling and psychology to support their community in the Coachella Valley.

This isn’t the first time Fuerza Regida has extended support to communities in Southern California. In 2023, the band kicked off its U.S. tour Otra Peda by donating $20,000 to Inclusive Action for the City, a nonprofit that helps street vendors.

In January, the band rented out a hotel to house families displaced by the wildfires. Amid the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement raids taking place across Southern California this summer, Fuerza Regida donated merchandise profits to organizations such as the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, which covers legal fees for impacted individuals.




This story originally appeared on LA Times

Baylee Lynn’s ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ Voted Favorite New Music

Billboard
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Baylee Lynn’s ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ Voted Favorite New Music


Baylee Lynn’s debut single “Cautiously Optimistic” tops this week’s new music poll.

In a poll published Friday (Aug. 29) on Billboard, music fans voted the 17-year-old singer-songwriter’s first-ever release as their favorite new track of the week.

“Cautiously Optimistic” earned 64% of the vote, beating out fresh releases from artists like Sabrina Carpenter (Man’s Best Friend), Hayley Williams (Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party), Zach Top (Ain’t In It For My Health), and Blood Orange (Essex Honey).

The Tennessee native’s debut, produced by AJ Pruis, is a country-pop anthem inspired by artists like Dolly Parton and Faith Hill that captures the emotional journey of navigating love after heartbreak.

“When we wrote ‘Cautiously Optimistic,’ I envisioned this song being one that most teenage girls can relate to,” Lynn said in a statement. “I know what it’s like to be the girl who’s scared of letting her guard down because she fears being hurt again — but also what it’s like to be the girl who’s so good at ignoring all the red flags. I am beyond thrilled for this song to finally be out in the world!”

The track was co-written by Lynn, Pruis, Kyle Sturrock and Brett Tyler.

Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend took second place in the poll, pulling in 26% of the vote. The pop star’s seventh studio album, produced by Jack Antonoff, arrives just over a year after her Grammy-winning Short n’ Sweet, which topped the Billboard 200 for four weeks.

Williams’ Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party, a collection of previously released singles with a brand new song titled “Parachute,” came in third with nearly 4% of the vote.

Check out the full results of this week’s poll below and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear releases.

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This story originally appeared on Billboard

Premiere Date, Cast, Trailer, and More Updates

TV Insider
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Premiere Date, Cast, Trailer, and More Updates

Motorheads raced into fans’ hearts with its “Fast & Furious meets coming-of-age” premise, as star Michael Cimino put it. Season 1 set up a promising mystery, tense conflicts, and burgeoning romances between its characters, who live in a small Rust Belt town obsessed with cars. But after its premiere in May 2025, has Prime Video told the Motorheads crew to start their engines again?

Shortly after the show’s debut, creator John A. Norris updated fans on X. He confirmed that the entirety of Season 2 has already been written up, which was exciting news after Season 1’s finale left so many questions unanswered. Did Harris (Josh MacQueen) die after his car flipped during his race with Zac (Cimino)? Will Zac and Caitlyn’s (Melissa Collazo) father come back after he disappeared before their birth?

There’s a chance fans won’t find out. Deadline reported Prime Video canceled the series months after its debut — but will it find another home? Check for the latest updates from the Motorheads team below.

Has Motorheads been renewed for Season 2?

Prime Video has called it quits on Motorheads, according to Deadline’s August 29 article. However, all hope might not be lost.
The producers got Amazon’s permission to try and take the show elsewhere. According to Deadline’s sources, they’ve “already started conversations with potential new homes.”

“While Johnny and I are disappointed Motorheads won’t be continuing at Prime Video, we couldn’t be more proud of what the team created,” producer Jason Seagraves said. “Despite going into release with impossibly low audience awareness, our passionate and vocal fan base led the charge and made the series impossible to ignore. Their enthusiasm has energized us and we’re optimistic we’ll find a home that believes in and supports the show.”

On July 28, Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of TV, Vernon Sanders, discussed the future of Motorheads, along with We Were Liars and Overcompensating. The company, he said, was “excited” by what they saw in terms of Motorheads‘ results.

“Each show has a really passionate fanbase, and we’ve been really pleased by the completion rates of Motorheads and Overcompensating — so we’re going to be in conversations with all three,” he told Variety. “All three shows are working on Season 2 writers rooms, and we’ll hope to have renewal announcements soon on some, if not all, of those shows.”

Further, Norris and Seagraves said they have an interest in expanding the universe beyond Season 2, according to Us Weekly. “We absolutely want to do a Motorheads prequel,” Norris said. “I already know what I would call it.”

“We want Motorheads: Germany,” Seagraves added. “We want Motorheads everything.”

Who is in the Motorheads Season 2 cast?

Since there has been no announcement yet that the show has been picked up by another streamer, the full cast list isn’t available yet. It’s expected that the actors who play the main four friends — Cimino, Collazo, Uriah Shelton, and Nicolas Cantu — will come back. Ryan Phillippe and Nathalie Kelley (aka Logan Maddox and Sam Torres) would likely return, too.

What will happen in Motorheads Season 2?

The creative team hasn’t divulged the plot details of a potential Season 2, but Cimino teased that it’ll be a “complete dynamic shift.”

“It’s going to flip the whole narrative on its head,” the actor told Us Weekly. “Now Zac is technically the head honcho in town. There’s going to be a dynamic shift regardless of what happens with Zac and how he approaches it. Whether he internalizes it or if he actually is dealing with it is the big question mark.”

Motorheads, Season 1, Streaming Now, Prime Video




This story originally appeared on TV Insider

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