Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog

Horoscopes Sept. 30, 2025:

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Lacey Chabert, 43; Marion Cotillard, 50; Jenna Elfman, 54; Fran Drescher, 68.

Happy Birthday: Distance yourself from drama. A practical attitude and common sense will far exceed your expectations. It’s all in how you handle others and situations as they arise. Use your experience and knowledge to maintain insight into the possibilities, rather than letting outside influences interfere or suggest an exaggerated point of view that throws you off guard. Trust your instincts, and stick to what you know and do best. Your numbers are 7, 13, 20, 24, 32, 37, 41.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Consider your emotions before responding. You’ll receive mixed messages from someone close to you. Don’t overreact; give others a chance to sort through their differences before you engage. Tables will turn quickly, offering you an opportunity to adjust and make the appropriate choice. Balance and equality are necessary to achieve a positive outcome. 2 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Set yourself up for success. Let your charm, along with a healthy dose of preparation, lead you to victory. It’s your turn to shine, so put your best foot forward and trust your instincts. High energy, practicality and sound judgment will guide you in business; however, regarding personal and domestic matters, reason will be necessary. 5 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A change will do you good. Different surroundings, engaging in discussions with people from diverse backgrounds or beliefs, and setting boundaries to curb temptation and indulgence will contribute to a positive outcome. Be smart regarding health and physical risk factors. Don’t share your feelings prematurely. Take the time to get to know others before sharing secrets. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Keep moving. Being busy helps ward off stress and gives you a chance to recognize what’s advantageous and what’s detrimental. Discipline, hard work and persistence will set the stage for advancement. Your efforts will gain momentum and recognition. Let what you achieve be your introduction, and everything will fall into place. 3 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Monitor what’s happening around you, and you’ll get a glimpse of something new and exciting you may want to investigate. Lending a helping hand will lead to a unique circle of people who can offer a different perspective. It’s time to explore the possibilities and consider where you want to direct your time and energy. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Love who you are, and so will everyone you encounter. A happy disposition will break barriers that stand in your way. An event you attend will turn into a meet-and-greet session that leads to a great connection. Speak passionately about your likes, dislikes and concerns, and insightful questions and considerations will follow. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Tidy your space to accommodate your needs. The changes or moves you pursue will make your life easier and help guide you in a direction that allows you to utilize your skills and experience to reflect what’s marketable. Refuse to let hesitation stand in your way or hold you back. 2 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll need an outlet for your angst. Get to the gym or immerse yourself in work responsibilities to ward off potential clashes with individuals trying to use emotional manipulation to reprogram your beliefs or choices. Manifest opportunities that are sensitive to your needs, not to someone else’s. Finish what you start, and ignore those who meddle. 4 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Be careful with money matters; you can be generous without going broke. Offer your thoughts, guidelines and connections, nothing more. Chances are you need your resources more than those asking for too much. An interesting job opportunity will grab your attention. Check what’s available and update your resume accordingly. A pay hike, investment or windfall is apparent. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t sell yourself short. Scrutinize every possible outcome before agreeing to an offer, contract or resolution that comes your way. An opportunity is apparent, but it’s up to you to set high standards and to negotiate to ensure you get a fair deal. Use finesse and facts to get what you want. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Expand your interests, dig deep and prepare for whatever scenario might come your way. Refuse to let someone one-up you due to an oversight on your part. Do your work, and refrain from reacting openly to what others say or do. Use your intellectual savvy to outmaneuver the competition and win the position you want. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Relationships will face mixed emotions. Be observant, question what’s said and consider how you want to proceed before taking action. You have more options than you realize, and by venturing out and participating in events that interest you, you’ll gain a deeper perspective into what’s available to you. Focus on what matters, and maximize your time. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are resourceful, accommodating and sensitive. You are secretive and energetic.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.
2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others.
3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.
4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.
5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

Trump’s shutdown blame game: Democrats pressured to yield, while administration makes plans for mass layoffs

By SEUNG MIN KIM

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has had one refrain in recent days when asked about the looming government shutdown.

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Will there be a shutdown? Yes, Trump says, “because the Democrats are crazed.” Why is the White House pursuing mass firings, not just furloughs, of federal workers? Trump responds, “Well, this is all caused by the Democrats.”

Is he concerned about the impact of a shutdown? “The radical left Democrats want to shut it down,” he retorts.

“If it has to shut down, it’ll have to shut down,” Trump said Friday. “But they’re the ones that are shutting down government.”

In his public rhetoric, the Republican president has been singularly focused on laying pressure on Democrats in hopes they will yield before Wednesday, when the shutdown could begin, or shoulder the political blame if they don’t. That has aligned Trump with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who have refused to accede to Democrats’ calls to include health care provisions on a bill that will keep the government operating for seven more weeks.

Those dynamics could change Monday, when the president has agreed to host Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Johnson and Thune. Democrats believe the high-stakes meeting means the GOP is feeling pressure to compromise with them.

Still, Republicans say they are confident Democrats would be faulted if the closure comes. For Trump, the impact would go far beyond politics. His administration is sketching plans to implement mass layoffs of federal workers rather than simply furloughing them, furthering their goal of building a far smaller government that lines up with Trump’s vision and policy priorities.

This time, it’s the Democrats making policy demands

The GOP’s stance — a short-term extension of funding, with no strings attached — is unusual for a political party that has often tried to extract policy demands using the threat of a government shutdown as leverage.

In 2013, Republicans refused to keep the government running unless the Affordable Care Act was defunded, a stand that led to a 16-day shutdown for which the GOP was widely blamed. During his first term, Trump insisted on adding funding for a border wall that Congress would not approve, prompting a shutdown that the president, in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting that played out before cameras, said he would “take the mantle” for.

“I will be the one to shut it down,” Trump declared at the time.

This time, it’s the Democrats making the policy demands.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, left, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, both of New York, tell reporters that they are united as the Sept. 30 funding deadline approaches, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

They want an extension of subsidies that help low- and middle-income earners who buy insurance coverage through the Obama-era health care law. They also want to reverse cuts to Medicaid enacted in the GOP’s tax and border spending bill this year. Republican leaders say what Democrats are pushing for is too costly and too complicated to negotiate with the threat of a government shutdown hanging over lawmakers.

Watching all this is Trump. He has not ruled out a potential deal on continuing the expiring subsidies, which some Republicans also want to extend.

“My assumption is, he’s going to be willing to sit down and talk about at least one of these issues that they’re interested in and pursuing a solution for after the government stays open,” Thune said in an Associated Press interview last week. “Frankly, I just don’t know what you negotiate at this point.”

Back and forth on a White House sit-down

At this point, Trump has shown no public indication he plans to compromise with Democrats on a shutdown, even as he acknowledges he needs help from at least a handful of them to keep the government open and is willing to meet with them at the White House.

Last week, Trump appeared to agree to sit down with Schumer and Jeffries and a meeting went on the books for Thursday. Once word got out about that, Johnson and Thune intervened, privately making the case to Trump that it was not the time during the funding fight to negotiate with Democrats over health care, according to a person familiar with the conversation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Not long after hearing from the GOP leaders, Trump took to social media and said he would no longer meet with the two Democrats “after reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats.” Republicans privately acknowledge Trump’s decision to agree to a meeting was a misstep because it gave Democrats fodder to paint Trump as the one refusing to negotiate.

“Trump is literally boycotting meeting with Democrats to find a solution,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., wrote on the social media site X before Trump reversed course again and agreed to meet with the leadership. “There is no one to blame but him. He wants a shut down.”

It was not immediately clear what led Trump over the weekend to take a meeting he had once refused. Schumer spoke privately with Thune on Friday, pushing the majority leader to get a meeting with the president scheduled because of the approaching funding deadline, according to a Schumer aide. A Thune spokesman said in response that Schumer was “clearly getting nervous.”

Another reason why Democrats suspect Trump would be fine with a shutdown is how his budget office would approach a closure should one happen.

The administration’s strategy was laid out in an Office of Management and Budget memo last week that said agencies should consider a reduction in force for federal programs whose funding would lapse, are not otherwise funded and are “not consistent” with the president’s priorities. A reduction in force would not only lay off employees but also eliminate their positions, triggering yet another massive upheaval in the federal workforce.

Jeffries argued that Trump and his top aides were using the “smoke screen of a government shutdown caused by them to do more damage.”

AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro and Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

Ex-Republican South Carolina House member admits to distributing hundreds of child sex abuse videos

By JEFFREY COLLINS

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former Republican South Carolina Rep. RJ May admitted in court Monday that he sent hundreds of videos of children being sexually abused to people across the country on social media.

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May pleaded guilty to what prosecutors in court papers called a “five-day child pornography spree” in the spring of 2024.

May, who resigned earlier this year, is accused of using the screen name “joebidennnn69” to exchange 220 different files of toddlers and young children involved in sex acts on the Kik social media network, according to court documents that graphically detailed the videos.

“Bear with me. This is very hard to read,” U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said as he haltingly read a brief description of each video for television reporters outside of court since cameras aren’t allowed in federal courtrooms.

May, 38, pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing the videos and faces five to 20 years in prison on each charge. He will have to register as a sex offender and could be fined up to $250,000, according to his plea agreement.

The five counts represented the worst videos May shared, Stirling said.

Felony convictions bar May from voting or having a weapon

The felony convictions means the political consultant and National Rifle Association member cannot vote, hold public office, carry a gun or serve on a jury the rest of his life.

May’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 14 — the second day of the South Carolina legislature’s 2026 session.

The evidence against May included logs of his laptop and cellphone use, showing he was uploading and downloading the child sexual abuse videos at the same time he was emailing work files, making phone calls, doing web searches and messaging someone on Kik asking for “Bad moms. Bad dads. Bad pre teens.”

May mostly spent Monday’s hourlong hearing answering the judge’s questions. At the end, when Judge Cameron McGowan Currie asked May if he had anything else he wanted to say, May answered, “not at this time, your honor.”

May changed his mind about pleading guilty after hearing

May changed his mind and decided to plead guilty just hours after a Wednesday pretrial hearing in which he acted as his own attorney.

During Wednesday’s hearing, May made arguments to the judge to throw out the warrant used to search his home, laptop and mobile devices. She denied May’s request just hours after prosecutors filed documents detailing May’s plea on Friday.

Prosecutors showed May used his phone to upload and download videos through his cell network and home wireless network and also showed him charts explaining in stark, factual ways what was on each video May is charged with distributing.

May also tried to keep out any evidence about whether he used a fake name to travel to Colombia three times. Prosecutors said they found videos on his laptop of him allegedly having sex on the trips. A Homeland Security agent testified the women appeared to be underage and were paid. U.S. agents have not been able to locate the women.

May admitted to using the fake name Monday in court but was not asked about the videos.

May was a rising Republican political force in South Carolina

May was in his third term in the South Carolina House and was attacking fellow Republicans to go in a more conservative direction before he resigned.

“We as legislators have an obligation to insure that our children have no harm done to them,” May said in January 2024 on the House floor during a debate on transgender care for minors.

After his election in 2020, he helped create the Freedom Caucus. He also helped the campaigns of Republicans running against GOP House incumbents.

Kurtenbach: Kuminga’s contract standoff turns Warriors’ media day into a 10-man circus

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors didn’t have a media day on Monday.

No, they held a roster reveal party instead.

Did you know Pat Spencer was on the Dubs’ roster?

I didn’t, because he wasn’t when he came up to the dais of the press conference room inside Chase Center. He had signed roughly 10 minutes beforehand, but the Warriors had yet to send out the press release. It didn’t come for another hour.

What a fun surprise!

Spencer was one of 10 — yes, 10 — players the Warriors announced they signed on Monday. It’s easy to see how his paperwork was lost in the shuffle.

No, this is not normal. It’s not even remotely close to normal.

But heaven forbid anyone pretend that it wasn’t.

Draymond Green started his presser wearing funny glasses that said “BOOM” on them. Jimmy Butler made sure to get in a few unabashed plugs for his coffee company. Steph Curry maintained his politician’s demeanor until the very end of his media availability.

The message: Nothing to see here, everything is fine.

But it’s not. It might be in a few days, but as of Monday — the official start of the Warriors’ season — things are wildly off.

Those 10 players the Warriors signed on Monday were the 10 players that the Warriors could sign. They’re league-minimum-contract guys. Players committed to the Warriors but poised to make more than that, like De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford, weren’t in attendance. (Though a Melton presser was on the books for a little bit. Whoops!)

And it all stems from Jonathan Kuminga’s contract negotiations, which have now dragged into the season.

The fifth-year forward is still, technically, a restricted free agent. But the rest of the NBA is closed for business on that front, leaving the Warriors and Kuminga to figure it out on their own.

However, because the Warriors and Kuminga cannot strike a deal, Golden State remains in Stage 1 of the offseason, even as the season has effectively begun.

Maybe they’ll sort it out by Wednesday night’s qualifying offer deadline. Maybe not.

But the Dubs cannot sign Horford and Melton (and, who knows, maybe there’s another couple of surprises in the offering) until Kuminga’s new deal or $8 million qualifying offer is officially on the books for the season.

And so we wait.

And so the Warriors remain incomplete. That’s not a statement on Kuminga’s importance to the Warriors, but rather a factual statement of roster-building.

But what a roster this will be, right?

“Hypothetically speaking, I like it. I love it,” Butler said.

“Theoretically, having Al Horford can help,” Green said.

“I think everything we do around here is unique… So (this) kind of adds to that journey,” Curry said.

Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy said nothing on the hypothetical, theoretical, unique matter because neither spoke at media day. Again, totally normal. We’re having a great time over here.

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The Warriors will practice all week before their first of five preseason games on Sunday against the Lakers. Perhaps you can go down to Chase Center and get in a run — the Dubs are looking for bodies until this Kuminga thing is resolved.

“We’ll be tired as hell going through practice,” Green said. “That will be a distraction and that will suck because usually as a vet, you can go slide to the back and let (the young guys) get a couple more reps. You don’t get that privilege. That will suck.”

That’s exactly what a team full of veteran players who ran out of gas last year needs: a tough, shorthanded training camp that will leave them “tired as hell” before the 82-game regular season starts Oct. 21.

But again, there are no issues here. This is all part of the plan, right?

Or perhaps Draymond was trying to tell us something with the glasses.

Fun? No. Those glasses were an apt description of the Warriors’ current state.

Everything has gone BOOM.

Clipboard: Salinas’ Adams invited to compete for Nigerian national U20 track team

Granted dual citizenship, Clara Adams has been extended an invitation to compete next year in the African Games as a member of the Nigerian under-20 track and field team.

The Salinas resident and a citizen of the United States, the 16-year-old Adams recently received dual citizenship with Nigeria, where her grandfather was born and raised.

Over the summer, Adams won AAU National Junior Olympic titles in the 18-under division in the 200 and 400 meters.

Having transferred this fall to Watsonville High, the former North Salinas sprinter established new Monterey County records in the 200 (23.42) and 400 meters (52.58).

The records she broke were set 25 years ago by Monterey graduate Sani Roseby, who went on to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2004 and 2008 in the 100-meter hurdles and 100 meters.

Last spring Adams won the CIF State 400-meter title, before having it stripped from her after taking a fire extinguisher to her shoes in a celebration after the race. She was also disqualified from the meet.

Adams’ family is currently taking legal action against the California Interscholastic Federation to reinstate her as the 400-meter state champion.

Adams, who also plays volleyball at Watsonville, finished her season as the sixth-ranked 400-meter runner in the world in the 18-under division.

Having won Central Coast Section titles in both the 200 (freshman) and 400 (sophomore) in her first two years, Adams has received interest from more than 30 colleges.

Having recently visited the University of Houston, where the sprint coach is Carl Lewis, Adams has visits scheduled for Miami, LSU, UCLA and USC.

Adams already has a Name, Image and Likeness deal with the Politely Raw podcast, whose founder is former NFL Pro Bowl defensive back Pacman Jones.

In addition to Adams being invited to be a part of the Nigerian team, her father and coach David Adams has been approached about coaching the boys and girls under-20 sprinters in Nigeria.

Currently a football and track and field coach at Watsonville, the elder Adams also has dual citizenship.

Career night for Stevenson’s Johnson

Evan Johnson. a Stevenson grad, changed the complexion of the game for Brigham Young University, returning an interception for a touchdown in the second quarter of an eventual 34-13 win at East Carolina.

The 6-foot Johnson finished with a career night, intercepting two passes for the Cougars, while deflecting another, collecting six tackles.

Changing his number from 21 to 0 this fall, the redshirt junior has started all three games for the No. 25-ranked Cougars, who are 3-0.

In 21 career games at BYU, Johnson has 27 tackles, four interceptions, and three pass breakups, while returning one punt.

The Herald’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2022, Johnson excelled in four sports at Stevenson, finishing fourth at the state track and field championships in the 100 meters in a county record 10.41 seconds.

Johnson also earned all-county honors in basketball and football, while helping the baseball team to its first league title in 41 years.

As a senior at Stevenson, Johnson turned 35 receptions into 13 touchdowns in seven games, averaging just under 23 yards a catch.

Finley at Stephen F. Austin

Former Palma and Monterey Peninsula College defensive end Joey Finley has appeared in three games this fall for the Stephen F. Austin football team.

The 6-foot-2, 253-pound Finley has recorded five tackles for the Lumberjacks, coming within one tackle of his career-high for the program.

Used sparingly last year as a redshirt sophomore, Finley recorded six tackles, including a sack for an 8-yard loss.

Before arriving at the Division I school, Finley put up a monster season in his one year at MPC, finishing fourth in the state in sacks with 14, earning all-conference accolades.

Finley was a three-sport standout at Palma, where he was named to The Herald’s All-County defensive team in 2021.

Solid debut for Ellison

Seeing the field for the first time this fall, receiver Devin Ellision had an auspicious debut for Washington State, catching his first touchdown pass.

The conference’s Most Valuable Player last year at MPC, Ellison finished with three catches for 52 yards for the Cougars’ in a loss to Washington in the Apple Cup.

The 6-foot-2 Ellison emerged as a Division I prospect last fall at MPC, catching 45 passes for 837 yards and 16 touchdowns in 10 games.

Rated the sixth-best junior college wideout by 247Sports.com, Ellison earned all-state honors as well for MPC, which went 11-0 last season.

Lobo Hall of Fame awards

Monterey Peninsula College is taking nominations for its annual Lobo Hall of Fame awards.

The categories include distinguished alumni, outstanding alumni-athletes, distinguished retirees and rising stars.

Nominations will be accepted through Sept. 30. The Lobo Legends Celebration will be held on March 7 at the Monterey Marriott.

The nomination form and award criteria are available on the MPC Foundation’s website or by contacting the Foundation directly at MPCFoundationInfo@mpc.edu.

Officials needed

Peninsula Sports Incorporate is looking for high school and middle school officials for all sports this season. Varsity officials are paid $100 a game.

There is an immediate need for officials in the winter for boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer, and boys’ and girls’ wrestling. Training is provided. Call Tom Emery at (831) 241-1101.

YouTube to pay $24.5 million to settle lawsuit over Trump’s account suspension after Jan. 6 attack

By BARBARA ORTUTAY and MICHAEL LIEDTKE, AP Technology Writers

Google’s YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit President Donald Trump brought after the video site suspended his account following the Jan. 6, 2021 attacks on the Capitol following the election that resulted in him leaving the White House for four years.

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The settlement of the more than four-year-old case earmarks $22 million for Trump to contribute to the Trust for the National Mall and a construction of a White House ballroom, according to court documents filed Monday. The remaining $2.5 million will be paid to other parties involved in the case, including the writer Naomi Wolf and the American Conservative Union.

Alphabet, the parent of Google, is the third major technology company to settle a volley of lawsuits that Trump brought for what he alleged had unfairly muzzled him after his first term as president ended in January 2021. He filed similar cases Facebook parent Meta Platforms and Twitter before it was bought by billionaire Elon Musk in 2022 and rebranded as X.

Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle Trumps’ lawsuit over his 2021 suspension from Facebook and X agreed to settle the lawsuit that Trump brought against Twitter for $10 million. When the lawsuits against Meta. Twitter and YouTube were filed, legal experts predicted Trump had little chance of prevailing.

After buying Twitter for $44.5 billion, Musk later became major contributor to Trump’s successful 2024 campaign that resulted in his re-election and then spent several months leading a cost-cutting effort that purged thousands of workers from the federal government payroll before the two had a bitter falling out. Both Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg were among the tech leaders who lined up behind Trump during his second inauguration in January in a show of solidarity that was widely interpreted as a sign of the industry’s intention to work more closely with the president than during his first administration.

ABC News, meanwhile, agreed to pay $15 million in December toward Trump’s presidential library to settle a defamation lawsuit over anchor George Stephanopoulos’ inaccurate on-air assertion that the president-elect had been found civilly liable for raping writer E. Jean Carroll. And in July, Paramount decided to pay Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit regarding editing at CBS’ storied “60 Minutes” news program.

The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability, the filing says. Google confirmed the settlement but declined to comment beyond it.

Google declined to comment on the reasons for the settlement., but Trump’s YouTube account has been restored since 2023. The settlement is will barely dent Alphabet, which has a market value of nearly $3 trillion — an increase of about $600 billion, or 25%, since Trump’s return to the White House.

The disclosure of the settlement came a week before a scheduled Oct. 6 court hearing to discuss the case with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez-Rogers in Oakland, California.

Who could become SF Giants’ new manager following Melvin firing?

SAN FRANCISCO — For the second time in the last three years, the Giants will be searching for a new manager.

The Giants announced on Monday morning that they have fired manager Bob Melvin, marking three consecutive years in which teh team has fired someone in a prominent leadership role.

“When seasons don’t go the way you want them, it’s never one person’s fault. It’s never one group’s fault,” said president of baseball operations Buster Posey on Monday. “But when they don’t go the way you want them, you can’t, in my opinion, sit there and say, ‘We’re going to come back and do the same thing that we did this year for the next year. Having said that, that’s part of why we landed where we landed.”

So, who will Posey select as Melvin’s successor? Posey said on Monday that he’s “pretty open” and already has candidates in mind, adding that there is no set timetable on hiring a manger. He also plans on drawing his from experiences with former managers Bruce Bochy and Gabe Kapler — two starkly different leaders — as he goes through the process.

“For me, age is somewhat irrelevant. The experience part, you can have different takes on that,” Posey said. “I’d say what I want … is somebody that’s going to be obsessive about the details, obsessive about work, obsessive about getting the most out of our players, getting the most out of our staff. Somebody that will inspire confidence in our players on the field and also all the interactions that happen off the field as well.”

Here are six potential candidates to become the Giants’ newest manager:

Skip SchumakerSchumaker, 45, will be one of baseball’s most sought-after managers. He spent two years leading the Miami Marlins in ’23 and ’24, posting an overall record of 146-178. He won 2023 NL Manager of the Year after guiding the Marlins to a surprise playoff berth, then elected not to return as manager after the team went 62-100 in his second season.

Schumaker spent this past year with the Texas Rangers serving as a senior advisor to president of baseball operations Chris Young, but it’s not difficult to imagine Schumaker managing again in 2026.

Mark HallbergHallberg, 39, jumps out as the most viable replacement for Melvin among the Giants’ internal options despite having no experience managing in the majors. Posey and Hallberg were roommates at Florida State, and Posey has been vocal about his belief that Hallberg will be a major-league manager at some point.

Since 2020, Hallberg has held several roles on Kapler and Melvin’s coaching staffs, serving as first-base coach over the last two seasons. When Posey was asked about Hallberg on Monday, Posey said he plans to “keep all my names tight.”

Bruce BochyThere has been no shortage of fans clamoring for the Giants to re-hire Bochy, whose contract with the Rangers ended at the conclusion of this season. Bochy’s legacy in San Francisco is already cemented in stone after leading the team to three World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

For all Bochy, 70, accomplished in the Bay Area, a reunion doesn’t likely doesn’t make a ton of sense for either party. Posey said “it’s not ideal” to have this much turnover among its leadership ranks, and it’s hard to imagine Bochy being a long-term solution at manager.

Craig AlbernazAlbernaz, 42, served as the Giants’ bullpen and catching catching instructor during all four years of Kapler’s tenure in San Francisco before joining the Cleveland Guardians (alongside Kai Correa) ahead of the 2024 season. After serving as Stephen Vogt’s bench coach in ’24, Albernaz was elevated to associate manager in ’25.

Albernaz was a finalist when the Marlins and Chicago White Sox had managerial vacancies, but he elected to return to work under Vogt with the Guardians, who have made the playoffs for a second straight year.

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Nick HundleyHundley, 42, has a prior relationship with Posey, having served as his backup catcher in ’17 and ’18. He, like Schumaker, currently works for the Rangers’ front office, serving as a special assistant to the general manager.

Hundley, the 2017 Willie Mac Award winner, was in attendance on Friday when shortstop Willy Adames was named the , and it’s not implausible to think that Posey gauged Hundley’s interest in managing.

Rocco BaldelliSimilar to Melvin, Baldelli was fired on Monday despite having his option picked up for the 2026 season. Baldelli, 44, spend six seasons as the Twins’ manager, ending his tenure with a 527-505 record, guiding the Twins to three postseason appearances and winning the 2019 Manager of the Year.

Minnesota lost 92 games in Baldelli’s final year, the most he’s accrued in a single season as manager, though that lowly record can be attributed to the Twins’ fire sale at the trade deadline.

Roadwork begins on Del Monte Boulevard

Following the closure of Marina Handcart Tours, construction has begun on the intersection of Del Monte Boulevard and Palm Avenue for the Del Monte Blvd. Medians & Downtown Marina Streetscape project. The project aims to reduce automobile speeds and improve pedestrian and bike safety. A portion of Del Monte Blvd. is currently reduced to one lane of traffic. (David Timonera – Monterey Herald Correspondent)Following the closure of Marina Handcart Tours, construction has begun on the intersection of Del Monte Boulevard and Palm Avenue for the Del Monte Blvd. Medians & Downtown Marina Streetscape project. The project aims to reduce automobile speeds and improve pedestrian and bike safety. A portion of Del Monte Blvd. is currently reduced to one lane of traffic. (David Timonera – Monterey Herald Correspondent)Following the closure of Marina Handcart Tours, construction has begun on the intersection of Del Monte Boulevard and Palm Avenue for the Del Monte Blvd. Medians & Downtown Marina Streetscape project. The project aims to reduce automobile speeds and improve pedestrian and bike safety. A portion of Del Monte Blvd. is currently reduced to one lane of traffic. (David Timonera – Monterey Herald Correspondent)Following the closure of Marina Handcart Tours, construction has begun on the intersection of Del Monte Boulevard and Palm Avenue for the Del Monte Blvd. Medians & Downtown Marina Streetscape project. The project aims to reduce automobile speeds and improve pedestrian and bike safety. A portion of Del Monte Boulevard is currently reduced to one lane of traffic. (David Timonera – Monterey Herald Correspondent)Show Caption1 of 4Following the closure of Marina Handcart Tours, construction has begun on the intersection of Del Monte Boulevard and Palm Avenue for the Del Monte Blvd. Medians & Downtown Marina Streetscape project. The project aims to reduce automobile speeds and improve pedestrian and bike safety. A portion of Del Monte Blvd. is currently reduced to one lane of traffic. (David Timonera – Monterey Herald Correspondent)Expand

Demonstrators commemorate the “Salad Bowl Strike”

SALINAS – In August 1970, the largest farmworker strike in U.S. history converged on Salinas, demanding decent wages and working conditions.

The “Salad Bowl Strike” rallied thousands of farmworkers to strike after the Teamsters Union signed a contract with Salinas Valley lettuce growers without the consent of the farmworkers it sought to represent.

Cesar Chavez with former Governor Jerry Brown during a UFW rally in Salinas on Aug. 11, 1979. (Monterey Herald Archives)

United Farm Workers (UFW), led by Cesar Chavez, opposed the deal, leading to months of protest, with Chavez spending two weeks in Salinas’ jail after he violated a court order prohibiting further picketing.

Just over 55 years later, a new generation of advocates from Salinas is joining in the assertion for farmworker rights.

The Hartnell College branch of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) commemorated Chavez’s historic demonstration with one of their own, as well as speeches from long-time UFW members and an art gallery of historic UFW posters and advertisements.

More than 50 people joined the march down Alisal Street from Vineyard Church to Hartnell College, including community members, representatives from State Assemblyman Robert Rivas’ office, representatives from both Teamsters and United Farmworkers – some of whom marched with Chavez himself.

Olga Reyna was one of them, a lifelong member of United Farm Workers from Salinas.

Demonstrators showed up in force on Dec. 7, 1970 at the Monterey County Jail to express their opinions, pro and con, about Cesar Chavez's incarceration. Chavez, who was director of the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee, had been cited for contempt of court after he refused to call off a boycott of lettuce produced by growers who did not have contracts with his union. He was released on Christmas Eve. (Monterey Herald archives)

“I met Cesar Chavez when he first came to the [Salinas] Valley in 1970,” said Reyna.

“I was a migrant farm worker then and he told me that we could have rights, just wages, clean restrooms and clean water … he taught us to stand up, not be quiet and fight,” said Reyna.

Juan Moran, a member of UFW for 45 years, said he was encouraged to see Chavez’s legacy passed on.

“For me, it’s something great,” Moran said. “This way we remember Cesar and everything he did for farmworkers.”

The long legacy of farmworker organizing and its continued urgency was not lost upon Angelo Raya and Cici Gladys-Cabrera, Mecha de Hartnell co-presidents.

Raya, who grew up immersed in Chicano history books, was inspired by the activists of the past.

“I was fascinated…and I really wanted to make a difference…so I felt like I had to do something to remember (them),” Raya said.

For Gladys-Cabrera, public advocacy for farmworker rights is more important than ever, when much of the community is in fear of discrimination and immigration enforcement.

“To see how much our community is living in fear, it just felt right for us to be able to serve our community … We are representing so many people who can’t be out here,” Gladys-Cabrera said.

Guadaloupe Cruz, an organizer for UFW, hoped that Friday’s march would help spread the word to farmworkers that they have rights.

“A lot of people who are new in this area or are recently working in the fields are not aware of their rights,” said Cruz. “They’re not aware of where to go to receive help…(UFW is) still here to help out farmworkers.”

‘Beyond the Bridge’ comes to Salinas seeking solutions to homelessness

SALINAS – How can our nation find comprehensive solutions to homelessness?

That is the question that the documentary “Beyond the Bridge; a Solution to Homelessness,” seeks to answer. As part of a 40-city, nationwide tour, the documentary is coming to Sherwood Hall in Salinas on Tuesday.

The documentary follows a film crew as they travel over 40,000 miles around the United States searching for innovative solutions to homelessness.

Admission to the film screening and panel discussion is free, sponsored by the Community Foundation for Monterey County and Dorothy’s Place, a local nonprofit that provides support and resources to those experiencing homelessness and poverty in Monterey County.

The issue is particularly relevant in Monterey County where homelessness is on the rise, said Colleen Bailey, president and CEO of Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, which helped support the event.

“The problem around the unhoused in our community is getting worse and we can’t just stick our head in the sand,” Bailey said.

Bailey hopes that bringing together a wide range of community members to examine the problem will lead to new collaborative solutions.

This spirit of cross-sector collaboration is reflected in the makeup of the panelists, which will consist of Mike LeBarre, mayor of King City; Anna Velazquez, Soledad’s mayor and the district director for State Senate District 4; Tina Nieto, the county sheriff;  Meghan Marshall, executive officer of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness; Clement Miller, chief operating officer at Salinas Valley Health; Mark Drever, co-founder and CEO of organicgirl, LLC; Jessica Finney, community grants director at Central California Alliance for Health and Eric Johnsen, CEO of R3 – Rehabilitation, Restoration & Respite.

“The Salinas Valley is made up of problem solvers, so I can’t think of any group that’s better positioned to have intelligent conversations around this,” Bailey said.

“A lot of people think that (homelessness) is a challenge that’s beyond us as a community to fix and what I’m hoping is that we start a dialogue that brings the whole community together to figure out what we can do,” Bailey said.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for a meet and greet with event organizers, panelists and the film’s producers, Don Sawyer and Tim Hashko, with sandwiches and salads from Red Artichoke, provided by Dorothy’s Place. The film begins at 6 p.m.