Robert Irwin, Alix Earle and Whitney Leavitt rocked, so too did Chicago, while one unfortunate couple rolled out of the competition asDancing With The Stars celebrated Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night.
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On Tuesday night (Oct. 4), all eyes were on Irwin, once again, as the Australian conversationist and his dancing pro partner Witney Carson hit the main floor.
Drenched in red light, Irwin, son of the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin and younger brother of Bindi, who won the 21st season of DWTS, in 2015, transformed into a matador for a paso doble to The White Stripes’ “Icky Thump.”
The judges loved the routine, as Irwin and Carson were awarded 38 out of 40, matching their season-high from last week’s Halloween Night. Only the teams of Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy, and Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas (both with 39/40), fared better.
No pairing has yet landed a perfect score in this 34th season of DWTS.
However, Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov failed to hit the right note with their contemporary dance to “Dream On” by Aerosmith, which came in at the bottom of the pack with 34/40. The lowest score of the night means elimination, so the actress and her pro partner are out. Live votes are cast during the East Coast airing and ends shortly after the final performance is completed.
Also on Rock Hall night, the group dances returned with a bang as the cast was evenly split in two, and teamed up alongside one of the co-hosts, Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro.
The winner wasRibeiro’s “Team Chicago” performance, with Danielle (team captain) and Pasha; Whitney and Mark; Jordan and Ezra; and Dylan and Daniella, earning a perfect 40/40.
Chicago, which was inducted into the Rock Hall in the class of 2016, provided the score with a rendition of “25 or 6 to 4.”
Dancing with the Stars airs live Tuesdays on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu. The finale will be on Nov. 25.
Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Night Scores
Dylan Efron and Daniella Karagach: 36/40 Alix Earle and Val Chmerkovskiy: 39/40 Andy Richter and Emma Slater: 30/40 Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 39/40 Danielle Fishel and Pasha Pashkov: 34/40 (ELIMINATED) Elaine Hendrix and Alan Bersten: 37/40 Jordan Chiles and Ezra Sosa: 38/40 Robert Irwin and Witney Carson: 38/40
The Lowdown star Ethan Hawke discusses the show’s season finale episode, “The Sensitive Kind.”
The actor teases what could happen next after the ending.
Plus, get an exclusive peek at an intimate conversation between Hawke and costar Kyle MacLachlan.
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for The Lowdown Season 1 Episode 8, “The Sensitive Kind.”]
The debut season of FX‘s ragtag noir The Lowdown, from creator Sterlin Harjo, came to an explosive ending as the mystery behind Dale Washberg’s (Tim Blake Nelson) death was unraveled by Tulsa’s resident “trusthstorian,” Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke).
The episode, “The Sensitive Kind,” opened up where the previous episode left off, moments after Lee had chased Akron businessman Frank (Tracy Letts) into the One Well Church helmed by Mark Russell (Paul Sparks). As Lee realized he’d stepped into some real potential danger amidst the neo Nazis, Marty (Keith David) entered the space and claimed he was undercover and taking Lee into custody.
The ruse lasted only seconds for the men to get out the door and into Lee’s van, but they didn’t get away unscathed as Marty got grazed by a stray bullet when the One Well group charged after them, guns ablaze. While the men ultimately got away, Lee faced the consequences of his actions when artist Chutto (Mato Wayuhi) broke his shop window in retaliation for his grandfather Arthur’s (Graham Greene) death, which was unknowingly put in motion when he called Betty Jo (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and she sent Frank in search of Dale’s lost will.
While Lee told Chutto the land Dale had wanted to gift Arthur belonged to him, the young man didn’t want it, and that left the reporter to rethink his next move. As he tried to piece his latest story together, Lee faced his relationship with his daughter, Francis (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), who read a poem about his breakup with ex-wife Sam (Kaniehtiio Horn), which also forced Lee to reconcile his role as a father.
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After he left Dale’s letters to his daughter Pearl (Ken Pomeroy), Betty Jo called Lee up, enraged and wanting answers, but that was exactly what Lee hoped for. The pair met in a neutral spot, and while Lee couldn’t say if the letters revealed that Donald (Kyle MacLachlan) was Pearl’s biological father, the conversation revealed that she had knowledge of Dale’s true death.
Lee took that and went off to write his story, but he recruited Marty to get Donald to a neutral location at Cyrus’s (Killer Mike) office to allow the political candidate an opportunity to read it first and offer a statement. Lee explained that Dale had been shot accidentally and was originally meant to be scared into selling his land. When Lee relayed to Donald that he had an opportunity to do something good with Dale’s legacy, he decided to gift the land to the Osage and cut ties with the wealthy power players in the area.
The episode concluded with Lee attending Sam’s wedding to Johnny (Rafael Casal), where he wished the newlyweds well, and set a boundary with his daughter, putting her best interest ahead of his own by telling her to stay full-time with her mother and stepfather. It was both a buttoned-up and open ending in a way that leaves us satisfied and hungry for more.
Below, star Ethan Hawke breaks down the finale’s highlights on community, filming alongside a star-studded ensemble, and the importance of story. (Plus, get an exclusive look at an intimate conversation between Hawke and MacLachlan in the video below).
I loved that book shop moment from the beginning, where Lee interacts with Dale, and later in the episode, when Donald asks if they ever met, Lee says he never did. Was he lying, or did he just not remember meeting Dale?
Ethan Hawke: It’s kind of wonderfully mysterious, isn’t it? In my imagination, Lee didn’t remember that he’d met him until right then, all of a sudden. Sometimes that happens to you. You’re like, “Oh, wait, I remember something I hadn’t remembered before.” But he doesn’t have the confidence to verbalize it. Or maybe he always remembered, I don’t know. But it kind of gets at the wonderful nuance of truth-telling and how we all shade and hide the truth for when it makes sense to us and when we want to. And that’s how a lot of accidents happen.
That confrontation at One Well Church when Marty has to step in and save Lee is tense. How was it filming that sequence?
It was such a strange day of shooting to have all these unbelievably talented people there. I mean, Tracy Letts is one of the great American playwrights, and there he is acting with us, and Tom McCarthy is a brilliant filmmaker himself, and he’s there. Keith’s so genuine, a bona fide legend. I’ve loved Paul Sparks’ acting forever; he is one of my favorite actors. And so it was a great group of people. One of the fun things about playing Lee is that he’s just always thinking on his feet. He doesn’t really have a plan, and sometimes he’s really brave but in a stupid way. None of it’s thought out, and I don’t think he thinks through that moment. He’s just chasing [Frank] into that church, not really thinking about what he’s going to do, and then he’s just a cat trying to stay alive.
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Speaking of Lee not thinking things through, he ultimately got Arthur killed in the previous episode because he spoke too openly in front of Betty Jo, and Lee is on the receiving end of Chutto’s anger because of it. Was that a learning moment for him? Will he be more careful moving forward?
I think it’s what pushes the show into the deep end of the pool. It’s that sometimes all these characters — Lee and everybody — they’re breaking hearts and doing good and bad things simultaneously, and that’s the complexity and nuance of real life. Good guys don’t wear white hats and bad guys don’t wear black hats. I do think that scene that you mentioned with Chutto is the first real smack of humility that Lee gets. He sees himself as a caped crusader, and he’s forced to stare in the mirror and see that he’s not clean. And the great thing about that is if you can absorb humility the right way, it can lead to compassion. It’s what makes him able to make the necessary compromises to put aside the article he wants to write and write a different article that actually could serve a good purpose, and also helps him to be a good enough man and father to show up for his daughter at his ex-wife’s wedding.
Lee and Donald’s conversation in Cyrus’s office reveals that he didn’t know Betty Jo had gotten Dale killed. How important is it for Lee and Donald to share that moment of connection that leads to Donald handing over Dale’s land to the Osage?
Whether he’s doing that just to get out of trouble or whether he is doing it to be a good person, we don’t really know, but it doesn’t really matter. He’s doing the right thing. My favorite part of the show is when the season starts with Lee comparing Donald Washburg to Adolf Hitler, which is what we do when we want to demonize somebody today. The left wing calls people Adolf Hitler, the right wing calls people Nazis… And of course, at the end of the show, he realizes, this is a human being trying to play the cards he’s dealt. He thinks he’s a good person. He didn’t know that his brother was murdered; he wasn’t a part of it. He did look the other way when it was to his best interest, which is exactly what Lee’s done.
Shane Brown / FX
Did you know how Dale’s death really unfolded throughout filming, or did you learn when filming the finale episode? How did that process unfold?
The process was so mysterious. It really started with Sterlin having this idea for a show, and I don’t think he really knew exactly where it was going. He knew how it was going to end, and he knew what the feeling was. How we got there was mysterious to all of us. In a lot of ways, the show’s really about community, and the mystery is in service of the characters, which is why I love it.
In one of our first conversations about it, we talked through the wedding scene with the daughter and knew that was what it had to drive towards. It’s Lee’s journey about what it means to be a good man and how we can view our sensitivities as strengths and not weaknesses. The whole murder mystery part of it had some movement as we told the story. I used to make up stories for my kids when they would fall asleep, and sometimes, when you just let your subconscious roll, great stuff happens. They would fall asleep [and I’d be like] I’ve got to go write that down, but then I could never remember it.
Where do you think Lee and Francis stand after he tells her to live with her mother full-time? Is there a sense of rejection there?
It’s wonderfully nuanced because for the first time, he’s really trying to see what is in her best interest, and he sees that she has a good stepfather and that they have a good thing going, and that might be a great resource and value to her. He’s not seeing her life as a reflection of him, but as her own life. And so, in a way, it’s a mark of wisdom, and in another way, it’s really disappointing to her. She wants to be loved wholly and completely and blindly. And I think the feeling I get from that last scene is that they’re going to find their way, but I would love to do a second season just because her character’s getting to be a really interesting age and her problems are going to get more complicated. It’d be wonderful to see Lee try to parent a teenage daughter.
The full-circle nature of Lee gifting Samantha the painting he stole in the premiere episode is so satisfying. Is there more to uncover in terms of their history?
I think so, definitely. I mean, Tiio and Rafael are such great actors, and I would love to see the ongoing dynamics between all three of them. I would love to see future parent-teacher conferences where they all sit there and pick her.
Have there been any discussions about where the show might go if it’s picked up for Season 2?
Of course, we can’t help but daydream, but the truth is, I feel really proud of Episode 8. I love the way the show resolves, and I’m excited for audiences to see it. And the TV gods have to decide whether or not there’s an audience for it.
Ride-hailing firm Grab will roll-out robobuses in its home city of Singapore in early 2026, building on its large investment in autonomous vehicle technologies.
Grab co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan made the announcement Tuesday during the company’s quarterly earnings, covering the three months ending Sep. 30.
“Grab will continue to build new partnerships with more global remote driving and AV leaders, participate in more pilots to understand the operational conditions for different driverless services, and be part of the regulators’ efforts to improve transport connectivity through driverless technologies,” Tan said in prepared remarks.
Grab ran a successful pilot of autonomous vehicles in September, rolled out in partnership with WeRide, a Chinese robotaxi operator. Earlier this year, Grab announced it would make a “strategic equity investment” in WeRide, to be completed in the first half of next year.
Then, in late October, Grab also invested in U.S.-based May Mobility, another provider of autonomous vehicles. May Mobility started to provide commercial rides on robotaxis in the U.S. earlier this year.
In an Q&A with analysts, Tan called the investments part of a “long-term strategy to lead the adoption of AV and remote driving across Southeast Asia.” Yet he admitted that self-driving vehicles may have a steeper hill to climb in the region, due to lower labor costs compared to developed markets like the U.S. or Singapore. “It will require considerable time for the unit economics to reach parity with human drivers.”
Tan also suggested how Grab might upscale its current human drivers as it explores self-driving vehicles. “We see new kinds of jobs emerging. For example, drivers could be remote safety drivers, data labelers; they could change LiDARs, cameras, and so forth.”
A bumper quarter
In its most recent quarter, Grab reported revenue of $873 million, 22% higher than the same period the year before. The tech company reported double-digit growth in all three of its business areas: deliveries, ride-hailing and finance. Ride-hailing revenue grew 17% year-on-year to $317 million, deliveries grew 23% to $465 million, and financial services had the fastest growth at 39% to $90 million.
The company also hiked its profits forecast for the full year; it now expects $480 million to $500 million in adjusted EBITDA for 2025.
Still, Grab shares fell by 4.7% in U.S. trading on Tuesday, perhaps due to low growth in profit for the current quarter. Grab reported $17 million in net income, just slightly more than the $15 million reported a year ago.
During the earnings call, Tan also re-affirmed the firm’s commitment to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its workflow, to enhance both “internal efficiencies and external innovation”. Over 98% of Grab’s engineers now use AI to code, which accelerates their development cycles.
AI technology has also boosted user experience on its apps, Tan added, with visually impaired users benefitting from its boosted speech recognition abilities, which now recognizes speech across regional accents with a 90% accuracy rate, up from 46%.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has not only celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 2000 film ‘Charlie’s Angels’ with a social media post but has also called for the first wave of nostalgia to be felt by the fans and indeed everyone else followed by the new calling of the times. There was presented the film stars Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu in a post, and it was very clear that the film was a pop culture icon and the audience still liked it after 25 years. The event has also unlocked to talk about the movie’s impact and the unquenchable thirst to see the original trio on screen again.
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The Sony Pictures official store at Home made the birthday announcement saying “Hello, Angels 👋.” The caption applauded the trio’s timeless energy by stating: “25 years later, and these ladies are still kicking a$$.” The post indicated the adding of films to the collection, but the video made the message more heart touching as it had the line, “All we have is a heart that is a muscle that grows bigger,” which is a perfect thought for the film’s legacy that is still growing.
The response from online people was immediate and very positive which was the justification for so many people loving the movie. One person even went on to say that she had a very personal connection and wrote a long tribute calling the film “Y2K jewel.” She mentioned the movies being “vibrant, colorful, fun, entertaining, and ahead of their time,” and the main factor being the amazing chemistry between Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu. The comment concluded with a hopeful wish that was in line with the general feeling: “I’ll never lose hope of seeing my all-time favorite duologies become one of my all-time favorite trilogies. We need #CharliesAngels3❤️🔥 The world needs the Angels more than ever.”
This enthusiasm for a third movie was far from being a solitary point of view. It quickly revealed itself to be the predominant theme in the comments section. Another person simply answered, “WE WANT CHARLIE’S ANGELS 3!!!” while others went straight to mentioning the stars’ accounts and saying, “We are still waiting for Part 3 @drewbarrymore @camerondiaz @lucyliu.” The demand for a reunion with the original cast is definitely strong and persistent among the fans.
Aside from the demand for a sequel, the comments also talked about and pointed out the aspects of the film that created and still are a source of comfort during childhood. A user said, “This movie made my childhood! I always wanted to grow up and be like one of the angels (actually Dylan🙈)! She was my favorite💖💖💖🧚.” Another one asserted, “Definitely one of my comfort movies!” to which the time presented in people’s lives was the reply. The movie’s impact was global, a subtle proof being a Portuguese comment saying, “There will never be better ones than them together 👏,” which not only affirmed but also solidified the trio’s legendary status.
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The 2000 film directed by McG was a tentative great box-office hit and a successful attempt at making the original TV series of the 1970s an action-comedy unplugged and upgraded version. The success of the new version resulted in the production of its sequel ‘Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle’ released in 2003. No third film with the original cast was ever made, but the franchise was rebooted with a 2019 film featuring a new cast. However, the overwhelming reception during the anniversary post has proved that the original Angels for the most part, will still be Barrymore, Diaz, and Liu. The collective voice of the audience is a powerful reminder of the film’s unceasing cultural impact and the expectation that someday these angels will be given another mission. The 25-year landmark of the film is not just a looking-back; for many, it signifies a hopeful future where these wonderful characters come back. Sabrina Carpenter recently hosted a show with a cameo from Drew Barrymore. In other news, Halle Berry discussed menopause liberation on the Barrymore show. Additionally, Drew Barrymore also attempted a vegetable stir-fry with hilarious results.
The Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) share price pushed up, hovered around parity, and eventually pushed down in after-hours trading on Monday 3 November.
The share price action followed the company’s third-quarter earnings. The company impressively beat expectations, but clearly not by enough to impress the market — this is weird phenomenon that has become more common since the AI boom.
To be precise, Palantir reported third-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $0.21, beating estimates by $0.04, on revenue of $1.18bn — up 62.6% year over year and $90m ahead of expectations.
Those are really good figures. But the market clearly wanted more, even though CEO Alex Karp described it as “arguably the best results that any software company has ever delivered”.
Shares are currently down 8% as I write.
Honestly, I think there’s good reason for it. It’s impossible to look at the results and not see the disparity between the earnings and the share price.
The stock is currently trading around 288 times forward earnings. The price-to-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio… 8.1!
The price-to-earnings ratio is projected to fall to 225.7 in 2026, 160.4 in 2027, and 109 by 2028. This suggests that earnings may gradually bring its valuation closer to traditional tech-sector levels.
Nonetheless, the valuation is almost entirely disconnected from reality. It’s born out of a belief that Palantir will dominate the data software sector.
However, there really is no guarantee that it will. It’s even got some pretty huge competitors to deal with.
A double whammy
It’s also come to light that Michael Burry — made popular by the film The Big Short — has taken bearish positions on Palantir as well as AI darling Nvidia.
This is according to the latest 13F filing for Scion Asset Management. It was made public shortly before Palantir’s third-quarter results.
The fund disclosed ‘put options’ on 1m shares of Nvidia and 5m shares of Palantir. A short position — or in this case, buying put options — is essentially a wager that a stock’s price will decline.
While most investors profit when share prices rise, short sellers aim to benefit when they fall. If the price drops, the put option increases in value, allowing the holder to sell at a higher, pre-agreed price.
However, it’s important to note that Burry has been an inconsistent market timer in recent years. Some of his warnings have missed the mark, while others have proved insightful in hindsight.
Nonetheless, his shorting activity carries weight among investors. I’d say this is particularly important now, a time when many are asking whether they might be buying into an AI-fuelled bubble.
So, should investors consider buying Palantir shares?
Personally, I think we all should look for safer options where the valuation, growth, and profitability data indicate a good business that could be manifestly undervalued.
Israel says it has received the body of a deceased hostage from Hamas.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said it received the remains from the militant group via the Red Cross.
A joint statement from the Israeli Defence Forces and the Israel Securities Authority said the coffin is being taken to the National Institute for Forensic Medicine, where identification procedures will be carried out.
Hamas said earlier on Tuesday that it had found the body of an Israeli soldier in Shejaia, an eastern suburb of Gaza City, in an area still occupied by Israeli forces. Israel’s statement did not indicate whether the remains were those of a soldier.
Hamas said the body was found after Israelgranted teams from the militant group and the International Committee of the Red Cross access to the location.
Image: Hamas militants and Red Cross members work at a site in Gaza City. Pic: Reuters
Ahead of Tuesday’s announcement, Hamas had returned the remains of 20 hostages since the current ceasefire deal began on 10 October.
Under the deal, Hamas returned all 20 living hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinians being held in Israel.
The militant group also promised to give Israel the remains of the dead hostages but said it would be difficult to find the bodies under the rubble in Gaza.
Image: A Hamas militant stands next to heavy machinery moving covered human remains. Pic: Reuters
If genetic testing confirms the remains handed over on Tuesday, it would mean the bodies of seven other hostages are still in Gaza.
For each Israeli hostage returned, Israel has released the remains of 15 Palestinians, handing over 270 bodies so far. Fewer than half have been identified.
A lack of DNA testing kits in Gaza complicates forensic work and the enclave’s health ministry posts photos of remains online in the hope families will recognise them.
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October: Egypt team enters Gaza to find dead hostages
The US-brokered ceasefire has largely held though the violence has not stopped completely.
The Palestinian health authorities say Israeli strikes have killed 239 people since the truce took effect. Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed.
Earlier on Tuesday, health authorities in Gaza said Israeli fire had killed a man in northern Gaza. Israel’s military said it killed a “terrorist” who crossed into occupied areas and posed an imminent threat.
The latest conflict began when Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages in their cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive in the Gaza Strip killed over 68,000 Palestinians, health officials in the enclave say. The figure does not break down the number of civilians and fighters.
Zohran Mamdani speaks to supporters during a gathering in June.
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Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and person of South Asian descent — as well as the youngest in over a century — to hold the position.
The 34-year-old, Ugandan-born democratic socialist defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in Tuesday’s election, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
It’s a remarkable ascent for Mamdani, who was a relatively unknown state assemblymember representing Queens when he entered the crowded mayoral race last year. He went on to win June’s Democratic primary by 12 percentage points, quickly becoming one of the country’s most popular and polarizing politicians along the way.
Some of Mamdani’s main campaign promises include making the city’s buses fare-free, freezing stabilized rents, providing universal child care, increasing the minimum wage by 2030 and lowering the cost of living by raising taxes on big corporations and the wealthiest 1% of New Yorkers.
Mamdani has also said he would stand up to President Trump, who has frequently criticized — and mischaracterized — Mamdani as a communist and repeatedly threatened to slash New York City’s federal funding if he wins.
Zohran Mamdani takes a selfie with a young woman after speaking at a press conference on September 26 in New York City.
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Critics have pointed to Mamdani’s relative inexperience and the political challenges he would face in delivering on his ambitious, highly progressive agenda. And, despite his repeated disavowal of antisemitism, his vocal and long-held criticisms of Israel’s government and actions in Gaza have alienated some voters in a city that’s home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel.
But Mamdani’s vision of a more affordable city, articulated through savvy social media videos and upbeat in-person interactions, has clearly resonated with young and first-time voters (even outside of New York).
Less than an hour after polls closed on Tuesday, it was clear his efforts had paid off.
A recap of the race
New York City’s mayoral race unfolded in a series of dramatic twists and turns, clashes and unlikely alliances. It energized voters and, in the end, more than two million votes were cast — the first time since 1969, according to the New York City Board of Elections.
Current Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, initially ran for a second term, despite a scandal-ridden first term and all-time low approval ratings. After the Trump administration formally dismissed the corruption case against him, he announced his reelection bid in June, this time as an independent.
That allowed Adams to bypass the Democratic primary, in which Mamdani triumphed over Cuomo. Mamdani’s win was seen as an upset to the establishment, since the 67-year-old Cuomo is the son of a three-time New York governor and held the position himself for a decade beginning in 2011.
Angling for a comeback, Cuomo entered the mayoral race in March, saying the city was “in crisis” and in need of “effective leadership.” His platform emphasized issues like public safety, affordable housing, healthcare and fighting antisemitism — with a more centrist stance compared to Mamdani.
Cuomo reentered the race as an independent after his primary loss, seeking to appeal to more moderate voters. He also got Adams’ endorsement after the mayor dropped out in late September.
Eric Adams (left) poses with Andrew Cuomo during the game between the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden on October 22.
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At that point, the race narrowed to three main contenders: Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa, a 71-year-old radio talk show host and founder of the subway patrol organization, the Guardian Angels, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.
Sliwa, who ran against Adams in 2021, was determined to remain in this year’s race despite third-place poll numbers and mounting calls to drop out, from his own party as well as Cuomo himself. Their concern was that Sliwa would take votes away from Cuomo, propelling Mamdani to victory.
The three faced off in two contentious debates in October, in which Mamdani and Cuomo sparred over issues of integrity and experience while Sliwa sought to paint them as two sides of the same ideological coin.
Tuesday’s election marks a pivotal moment for liberal-leaning New York City and the Democratic establishment. Both have grappled with how to respond to the Trump administration, which has targeted blue cities nationwide (including the Big Apple) with funding cuts and National Guard troops.
The high stakes and voter enthusiasm of this election were evident well before Election Day: The city Board of Elections said 735,317 voters cast ballots during early voting, more than five times the number of early voters in 2021.
On her first day in office, Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency on homelessness.
The declaration allowed the city to cut through red tape, including through no-bid contracts, and to start Inside Safe, Bass’ signature program focused on moving homeless people off the streets and into interim housing.
On Tuesday, nearly three years after she took the helm, and with homelessness trending down two years in a row for the first time in recent years, the mayor announced that she will lift the state of emergency on Nov. 18.
“We have begun a real shift in our city’s decades-long trend of rising homelessness,” Bass said in a memorandum to the City Council.
Still, the mayor said, there is much work to do.
“The crisis remains, and so does our urgency,” she said.
The mayor’s announcement followed months of City Council pushback on the lengthy duration of the state of emergency, which the council had initially approved.
Some council members argued that the state of emergency allowed the mayor’s office to operate out of public view and that contracts and leases should once again be presented before them with public testimony and a vote.
Councilmember Tim McOsker has been arguing for months that it was time to return to business as usual.
“Emergency powers are designed to allow the government to suspend rules and respond rapidly when the situation demands it, but at some point those powers must conclude,” he said in a statement Tuesday.
McOsker said the move will allow the council to “formalize” some of the programs started during the emergency, while incorporating more transparency.
Council members had been concerned that the state of emergency would end without first codifying Executive Directive 1, which expedites approvals for homeless shelters as well as for developments that are 100% affordable and was issued by Bass shortly after she took office.
On Oct. 28, the council voted for the city attorney to draft an ordinance that would enshrine the executive directive into law.
The mayor’s announcement follows positive reports about the state of homelessness in the city.
As of September, the mayor’s Inside Safe program had moved more than 5,000 people into interim housing since its inception at the end of 2022. Of those people, more than 1,243 have moved into permanent housing, while another 1,636 remained in interim housing.
This year, the number of homeless people living in shelters or on the streets of the city dropped 3.4%, according to the annual count conducted by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The number of unsheltered homeless people in the city dropped by an even steeper margin of 7.9%.
The count, however, has its detractors. A study by Rand found that the annual survey missed nearly a third of homeless people in Hollywood, Venice and Skid Row — primarily those sleeping without tents or vehicles.
In June, a federal judge decided not to put Los Angeles’ homelessness programs into receivership, while saying that the city had failed to meet some of the terms of a settlement agreement with the nonprofit LA Alliance for Human Rights.
Councilmember Nithya Raman, who chairs the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee, said the end of the emergency does not mean the crisis is over.
“It only means that we must build fiscally sustainable systems that can respond effectively,” she said. “By transitioning from emergency measures to long-term, institutional frameworks, we’re ensuring consistent, accountable support for people experiencing homelessness.”
Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed to this report.
What happened in Wife Swap: The Real Housewives Edition Episode 3?
Photo Credit: Clifton Prescod/Bravo
Emily didn’t know how good she had it until she swapped lives with Caley. While her husband, Shane Simpson, does all the chores and takes care of the kids, Emily does whatever she pleases. But all that changed when she went to the Svensson household. She not only had to do the chores but also take care of the kids … and a farm too. That experience made Emily thankful for Shane and reminded her she needed to spend more time with her family. Meanwhile, Caley and her husband, Erik (aka Shane 2.0), were lost in the day-to-day grind of it all. Caley realized that she needed to not just prioritize time with the kids and animals, but time with her husband as well.
Shane wants Emily to appreciate all the work he does running the house
Photo Credit: Sami Drasin/Bravo
We kick off in Orange County, California, with Emily, Shane, and their three kids: Annabelle, Luke, and Keller. Annabelle is teenagering hard, which is putting a lot of stress on Emily. And we already know she is stressed about Luke. While Shane’s complaint is that he does the majority of the chores and feels underappreciated. He said, “The family that Emily is going to go be spending time with … I hope that that husband doesn’t do crap in the house.”
All the way across the country in Park Ridge, New Jersey, we meet Erik and Caley Svensson. They also have three young kids: Graham, Adelaide, and Georgina, as well as a fourth family member… a giant pig named Pikachu. Caley is a stay-at-home mom who runs the household, as well as takes care of all the animals on their farm. While Erik … doesn’t do much. Shane’s wish just came true!
Caley got the news she was headed to the OC. When Caley kissed the kids goodbye, she gave Erik the cold shoulder. There was definitely trouble afoot on the farm.
Emily also got the cold shoulder, but from Annabelle. She then headed off to Jersey. Emily hoped to be greeted by a dog, but she was pleasantly surprised to see their pig instead. However, she did not enjoy the equestrian vibe or the Crocs scattered about the house.
And Caley judged Emily’s home too. She threw some shade and said, “I feel like it felt bigger on TV … There’s not a lot of stories being told in the design of the house. It feels like I could have walked into Pottery Barn.” Welcome to the OC!
Gina Kirschenheiter sets Caley straight
Photo Credit: Casey Durkin/Bravo
Caley smiled when she read Emily’s note that Shane came across as “sarcastic and snarky.” She joked, “That feels very familiar.” What was surprising was the fact that Shane did all the chores. And the surprises continued. Once she met Shane, he told her they were having a date night. In her confessional she said, “I didn’t think these husbands exist.”
Over some pizza, Caley explained to Shane that Erik wanted her to be a “traditional wife” who stayed at home. However, she felt guilty not bringing in any income. Shane said, “I disagree with that. Of course I don’t know your household, but finance is not everything. Could he have three kids on his own? No. So, it goes both ways.”
Over in Jersey, Emily noticed, reading Caley’s rules, that she would have to cater to Erik’s every whim. Well, that was going to change once the rules swapped. But first she had to abide by Caley and that meant heading out to the barn to muck the stall.
Caley’s mom, Sue, was impressed Emily knew what she was doing. Emily dished she was an old pro and had grown up with horses. Still, that didn’t mean she wanted to go back to farm living anytime soon. After saving a horse from escaping, Emily then put the kids to bed by herself. She was exhausted.
The next morning, Caley met up with RHOC star Gina Kirchenheiter for coffee. Gina was shocked to learn that Caley never took any time for herself and only talked with their pig. She said, “I feel like we can do better than that.” Gina advised that Erik could help when he came home so Caley could get some time for herself. But this was a foreign concept to Caley.
Emily had Erik’s number
Photo Credit: Clifton Prescod/Bravo
While Caley chilled with Gina, Emily was burning breakfast in the oven. She was a little out of practice. Afterwards she had fun with Adelaide as they wore matching outfits and collected eggs from the chickens. Emily made a note to boil one for later and throw it in her purse for a snack.
But now it was time for new rules! Emily put Erik right to work on taking care of the animals and the kids. Erik lamented the horse bites him and the goat is “cracked out.” On top of that, he had to make dinner for her for date night. Cans of soup it is!
As Erik scooped manure, he pondered, “How does she do this every day?” Graham just shook his head at his dad. Later on, the kids helped Erik cook dinner. They each had on waiter outfits and welcomed Emily to their restaurant, “Glorious.”
However, Erik was feeling anything but glorious. He shared he felt all the work he did supporting the family wasn’t noticed. Emily mused, “I think he just doesn’t feel valued, so he just doesn’t try.” She told Erik, “I can see my husband in you, and then it makes me sad I don’t recognize his feelings. And so maybe the same thing’s happening to her.” Erik responded, “Mic drop.”
As for Caley, her new rules were family togetherness… and limited screentime. Annabelle gasped. Caley wanted to make good on getting Annabelle to interact more, so she asked her to help make dinner. Annbelle scowled, but at least she wasn’t staring at her phone.
Soon after, Shane’s parents came over. They reminisced how eating dinner together used to be a normal part of growing up. Shane’s mom, Pary, shared, “Being together as much as possible, just priceless.”
Emily plans to prioritize Shane and the kids
Photo Credit: Clifton Prescod/Bravo
Caley’s rule of family togetherness worked like a champ as Annabelle finally warmed up to her. Caley dished, “This is amazing; I finally got through to her!”
Meanwhile, Emily wanted to make Erik feel special, so she took him and the kids fly fishing. Erik said it was one of his favorite pasttimes, but laughed the experience was a disaster because the kids were bored.
As Emily said her goodbyes, she told them how amazing they were. Spending time with the kids made her realize she needed to spend more time with her own. And Erik shared he learned to be a better husband. He said, “I’m excited to introduce her to this newer, better version of me.”
Back in the OC, Caley thanked Emily for taking care of her family. Caley told her she had the family sit together at dinnertime. And it took a while, but Annabelle warmed up to her. Emily was grateful and said she was going to turn off the TV and spend more time with the kids.
She told Caley she thought Erik didn’t feel appreciated. Caley struggled with how to begin, and Emily suggested a simple hug. Emily noted she also needed to let Shane know she was grateful for him.
One month later, Emily helped Shane with carpool duties … for a week. However, she did get some bonding time with Annabelle in Paris. Caley and Erik now have weekly dinner dates. And Erik does get some hugs, provided he washes those dishes.
New York City’s voters are deciding the outcome of a generational and ideological divide that will resonate across the country as they choose the next mayor to run the nation’s largest city. A victory for Zohran Mamdani would give the city its first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in generations, while elevating the democratic socialist to political stardom. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Rochelle Ferguson Bouyahi is pleased to welcome former New York Assistant Attorney General Reed Brody. Mr. Brody is currently an ICJ Commissioner, Human Rights Lawyer, War Crimes Prosecutor, and Author of ‘To Catch a Dictator’. “We have to put this election in a national context,” explains Mr Brody. “We have a president who is trampling on the Constitution, obliterating checks and balances, and sending the National Guard into Democratic cities.”
