Phyllis Akalin

I make $15,000 a month renting out my swimming pool ‘In the beginning it was a little odd’ — meet the Americans who have turned their backyard dips into passive income streams

Would you rent out your swimming pool to strangers? I spoke to three Americans who do — and have turned it into a profitable side hustle ⬇️

www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...

Do you track your friends’ location on Find My/any other apps? DM or email phyllis.akalin@the-times.co.uk if you’re happy to chat about it for an article (must be based in US or UK)

‘He has no fear’: my life jumping out of planes with Tom Cruise Wade Eastwood has worked with the Hollywood star for more than ten years on spectacular action sequences. He says audiences will never understand the danger

It was great to chat with Wade Eastwood, the man behind all of Tom Cruise’s stunts on the past four Mission: Impossible films. He told me why Cruise does all the stunts himself and how he is still doing it at 62

www.thetimes.com/life-style/c...

How did Beyoncé tour tickets go from a small fortune to $25 each? The Cowboy Carter shows were supposed to fill stadiums throughout 2025 — but fans who hold their nerve can save hundreds with a little patience

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour was expected to sell out within days. Now, last-minute tickets are going for as little as $25 —what happened? I found out for @thetimes.com
www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...

I painted Trump and Putin thanked me personally The Russian artist Nikas Safronov’s portrait of the president surviving an attempted assassination turned out to be a diplomatic coup. Is the King next?

I spoke with the artist who painted the portrait Putin gave to Trump. His dream subjects? The King and Pierce Brosnan

www.thetimes.com/us/american-...

Tamagotchi vape: the evil invention that could help you quit smoking Is this Black Mirror-esque reimagining of the Tamagotchi as stupid as its creators intended, or can it be reprogrammed and used for good?

My latest for The Times - was great to speak to the inventors of the “vape-o-gotchi”

www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...

Sam Fender on turning his life around: ‘I had to stop being a maniac’ The ‘Springsteen of the northeast’ talks about his new album People Watching, addiction, austerity and why Andrew Tate is seducing white working-class lads

Loved this interview by Jonathan Dean

www.thetimes.com/culture/musi...

Are you German and live in the US? Did you receive your postal vote? DM for a story in @thetimes.com #journorequest

Southport families: We’re looking for light in the darkness The parents of Bebe King and Elsie Dot Stancombe want the world to know what they were like — their joy, jokes and dreams — as they relive that awful July day

Such a heartbreaking interview by David Collins

Southport families: We’re looking for light in the darkness

www.thetimes.com/uk/society/a...

I was pushed under a subway train. This is how I cheated death Somehow, Joe Lynskey dodged electrocution and survived being rolled over by the wheels. It’s a mixture of pure luck and the quick thinking of his saviours

It was amazing to speak to Joe Lynskey, who was pushed in front of a subway train. Less than a month after the attack, he says he wants all New Yorkers to feel safer

www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...

Could Severance really happen? We’re not far off, neuroscientist says The brain cancer specialist who consulted on Severance thinks ‘two-edged sword’ memory-altering technology could be available in our lifetime

I spoke to Dr Vijay Agarwal, the neurological consultant on Severance, about how realistic the technology on the show is – and it’s not as far-fledged as you might think

www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...

How accurate is A Complete Unknown, the Bob Dylan biopic? Did a fan yell ‘Judas’ when Dylan went electric at Newport? And why did Dylan break up with Joan Baez? As the Timothée Chalamet movie is released, an expert explains the true story

If you’re like me, the first thing you do after watching a biopic is to look up how accurate it is. I spoke to Elijah Wald, the author of Dylan Goes Electric, to find out what really happened in Bob Dylan’s life in the early Sixties

www.thetimes.com/culture/film...

The year of the face-off: how celebrity lookalike contests went viral Doppelgängers for Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jeremy Allen White and Paul Mescal lined up in competitions organised online. We meet the winners — and you vote for your favourite

Slowly carving out a niche as The Times’s official look-alike correspondent…
www.thetimes.com/world/us-wor...

How to beat loneliness in a New York minute: chat with a granny Tourists and locals alike are tackling the winter blues in Central Park by opening their hearts to older women who provide free advice and hugs

Last week I poured my heart out to grandma – but not my own ⬇️

www.thetimes.com/world/us-wor...

It’s a tradition among American-Italians (and possibly even wider spread but I hadn’t heard of it) that the Baby Jesus cannot be displayed until Christmas Day, which resulted in lots of displays like this one

The famous Believe house

Went to Dyker Heights last night and it was a fever dream ⬇️

I sat in court at the Gisèle Pelicot rape trial. This is what I saw Gisèle Pelicot became a symbol of courage when she waived her anonymity to attend the trial of her husband and 50 other men accused of raping her — and ignited fierce debate about the law surrounding ...

Such a tough but important read

www.thetimes.com/article/5dee...

Not sure how these things work on Bluesky but I’m gonna give it a go: I’m looking for people in the US who have tried sibling therapy. How has it changed your relationship? Will be handled sensitively, for @thetimes.com
#journorequest

Angela Merkel exclusive: Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and me In a rare interview, the former German chancellor tells Decca Aitkenhead how her ‘certain ambition for power’ kept her in the top job for 16 years

A fascinating read. I grew up in Germany with Angela Merkel as chancellor. Although I didn’t always agree with her, I felt like the country was in good hands. Maybe that’s why they called her Mutti

@thetimes.com has compiled a great starter pack of our journalists in the UK and the US – follow to keep up to date with their work

bsky.app/starter-pack...

I gave my life to the CIA. They betrayed me For a decade, Blerim Skoro worked to infiltrate al-Qaeda and Isis — all under a promise that he would one day be reunited with his wife and daughters

One of the best stories I have edited since moving out to New York: Josie Ensor interviewed Blerim Skoro, a former CIA spy. He infiltrated al-Qaeda and Isis — all under a promise that he would one day be reunited with his wife and daughters in New York.

www.thetimes.com/article/5eff...