Lakers to sell for a record-breaking sum. Thu, August 13, 2026 at 4:21 AM PDT Good morning, all. Are you stuck on what to make for dinner tonight? There's something for everyone among these 11 pasta recipes. Now, on to the news. Need to know. The Los Angeles Lakers have new owners for the second time in a year, after owner Mark Walter elected to sell the franchise to businessmen Josh Kushner and Bob Iger. * The details: In a statement, Iger and Kushner said they were "deeply honored for the opportunity." The $12.5 billion sale requires approval from the NBA's board of governors, a process that could take weeks. The franchise was valued at a record-breaking $10 billion last year. [AP] * Background: Walter, who is also the Dodgers's lead owner, was reportedly approached about the deal on Sunday. The sale comes amid a reported federal investigation into his financial dealings and a cash crunch at TWG Global, his holding company. Walter denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged. [Yahoo Sports] In case you missed it. Globe-sweeping eclipse. This year's only total solar eclipse brought a spectacular celestial show to a swath of the Northern Hemisphere, with the path of totality stretching over Northern Europe. It was the first total solar eclipse in Spain since 1905. See stunning pictures. [CBS News] Karoline Leavitt steps down. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will leave her role at the end of the month to spend more time with her family, according to President Trump. She will remain "one of my top outside advisors," he said. Revisit memorable moments from her tenure. [Time] ICE electric-shock gloves. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to spend between $10 and $20 million to give immigration officers gloves that deliver painful electric shocks. The plan faced criticism from Democrats and civil rights advocates, who called it unnecessary and cruel. [AP] Nick Reiner indictment. Nick Reiner, the son of Michele and Rob Reiner, pleaded not guilty to murdering his parents, after officials yesterday released the grand jury's indictment. He faces two counts of murder and special-circumstance allegations involving multiple murders and lying in wait. [USA Today] Russell Westbrook retires. Nine-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA selection, former MVP and reigning triple-double king Russell Westbrook has called it quits at age 37. See tributes from some of the league's biggest stars, plus Westbrook's video announcement, narrated by Michael B. Jordan. [Yahoo Sports] What's happening Today. Now streaming. Paging all fans of Bridgerton: New period drama My Brilliant Career, now on Netflix, promises a timeless story, a boisterous soundtrack - and, yes, a few NSFW moments. [The Guardian] In the MLB. Philadelphia will face Minnesota at the "Field of Dreams" ballpark for the MLB Field of Dreams Game on Netflix from 6:30 p.m. ET. Here's what to know. [USA Today] In the WNBA. The Sparks' pathway to the playoffs got a little tougher last night after a 94-87 loss to the Mercury. Los Angeles will play New York at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video. [LA Times] On TV. A highlights special of the 2026 Patriot Games airs at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, including the announcement of the high school athletic competition's two champions, who each receive $125,000 in scholarship funding. [Yahoo Entertainment] And don't forget to... Today in history. In 1942, Walt Disney's fifth full-length animated classic, Bambi, was released in theaters. The movie recently made a cameo appearance in Toy Story 5, soundtracked by "Love Is a Song." "It started as a nod and became a full homage," said producer Lindsey Collins. [Gold Derby] Feel-good moment. David Rush recently took "layering" to a new level when he ran an entire marathon in 125 T-shirts, breaking a Guinness World Record in the process. The Idaho runner finished the 26.2 miles in just under six hours, despite the 43 pounds of sweaty shirts. His verdict on the experience? "I just so happened to look like a potato." [People] P.S. Your daily advice: Consider this your sign to turn your steak as much as you want, no matter what you've heard. Here's why more flipping might even be better. [Simply Recipes] Start your day with The Yodel to get caught up on weather, national news, politics, entertainment and sports - in four minutes or less.

Mark Walter is selling the Lakers. What does that mean for the Dodgers? Despite Mark Walter's surprising agreement to sell the Lakers, people familiar with the situation say he has no plans to sell the Dodgers. 0 4 minutes read LOS ANGELES, CA - Mark Walter is getting out of the Lakers business almost as quickly as he got into it. Less than a year after acquiring a controlling stake in the Lakers at a $10 billion valuation, Walter has agreed to sell his majority interest to former Disney CEO Bob Iger and Thrive Capital founder Joshua Kushner in a deal valuing the franchise at $12.5 billion. For Dodgers fans, the obvious question came almost immediately: Is Walter about to sell the Dodgers, too? According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, the answer is no. Sources familiar with Walter's plans told the Times that the Lakers sale is specific to that franchise and does not signal a broader dismantling of Walter's enormous sports portfolio, which also includes interests in the Dodgers, Sparks, Chelsea, the Professional Women's Hockey League and other sports properties. That should calm some nerves around Dodger Stadium. Still, Walter selling the Lakers after owning them for such a short period is unusual enough that Dodgers fans have reason to pay attention. Walter has been the central financial figure in the Dodgers' transformation from Frank McCourt's bankrupt franchise into arguably the most powerful organization in Major League Baseball. Walter and his partners purchased the Dodgers for $2.15 billion in 2012, an astounding number at the time. Fourteen years later, Sportico values the franchise at approximately $9 billion. The return on the field has been just as dramatic. The Dodgers have won three World Series championships in the last six seasons, and ownership has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to spend aggressively to maintain a championship-caliber roster. That willingness has become one of the defining characteristics of the Walter era. The Dodgers have poured money into players, development, scouting, facilities and infrastructure while using the tremendous revenues generated by the franchise to support payrolls few clubs can match. Their spending has become such an issue around the sport that MLB owners are increasingly talking about mechanisms designed to restrain the financial power of teams like Los Angeles. So any major change involving Walter naturally matters. There is also some additional context surrounding the Lakers sale. CNBC noted Wednesday that the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors reportedly have been investigating potential financial improprieties involving two insurance companies controlled by Walter's TWG Global and Guggenheim Partners, the financial firm Walter co-founded. The Wall Street Journal also reported last month that Walter suffered a stroke in 2024 and that questions about his health had become a concern within his business organization. None of that means anything is happening with the Dodgers. In fact, the reporting Wednesday specifically says the opposite. But it does explain why the sudden Lakers sale will attract more scrutiny than an ordinary sports transaction. It is also worth remembering that Walter's ownership of the Dodgers has always been considerably more important than simply owning another expensive toy. The Dodgers were the foundation of Walter's emergence as one of the most influential owners in sports. His group bought the franchise when its finances and reputation had been damaged badly by the final years of the McCourt ownership, then turned it into a financial and competitive juggernaut. Timelines matter. The Lakers were acquired much later. Walter's brief ownership of them never developed anything close to the same institutional identity. And from a purely financial standpoint, his Lakers transaction appears to have worked out pretty well. He bought control of the franchise at a reported $10 billion valuation last October and is selling at $12.5 billion less than a year later. There is an enormous difference between deciding to cash out of that investment and deciding to sell a Dodgers franchise whose value has increased by several billion dollars during his ownership. For now, then, the most important part of Wednesday's news for Dodgers fans might be what isn't happening. The Dodgers aren't reportedly for sale. There has been no indication that the organization is preparing to cut payroll or change its baseball strategy. There has been no reported effort to unwind the ownership group that has overseen one of the most successful stretches in franchise history. Those are the things that would have an immediate effect on what happens at Dodger Stadium. The Lakers sale nevertheless adds a little uncertainty around Walter that wasn't there before. At 66, following a reported stroke and amid scrutiny surrounding parts of his broader financial empire, Walter clearly has some decisions to make about where he wants to concentrate his time and capital. That could eventually raise questions about succession, ownership structure and who becomes the primary decision-maker for the Dodgers over the long term. But those are questions for another day. Right now, the available reporting suggests Dodgers fans can separate the two transactions. Walter is selling the Lakers. He isn't selling the Dodgers. And until there is evidence that the financial philosophy surrounding the baseball team is changing, there is little reason to expect Wednesday's blockbuster Lakers deal to change the way the Dodgers operate. Considering what Walter's ownership group has built since 2012, that's the part of the story Dodgers fans should probably care about most. More Dodgers coverage: Have you subscribed to the Bleed Los Podcast YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows & promotions, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors! A lifelong baseball fan, Webb has been going to Dodger games since he moved to Los Angeles in 1987. His favorite memory was attending the insane Game 3 of the World Series in 2025 and hugging random Dodgers fans after Freddie's walkoff homer. He has been writing for Dodgersbeat since 2020.