Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 108

What to know about Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to LA protests

By REBECCA BOONE

President Donald Trump says he’s deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to respond to immigration protests, over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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It’s not the first time Trump has activated the National Guard to quell protests. In 2020, he asked governors of several states to send troops to Washington, D.C. to respond to demonstrations that arose after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers. Many of the governors he asked agreed, sending troops to the federal district. The governors that refused the request were allowed to do so, keeping their troops on home soil.

This time, however, Trump is acting in opposition to Newsom, who under normal circumstances would retain control and command of California’s National Guard. While Trump said that federalizing the troops was necessary to “address the lawlessness” in California, the Democratic governor said the move was “purposely inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.”

Here are some things to know about when and how the president can deploy troops on U.S. soil.

The laws are a bit vague

Generally, federal military forces are not allowed to carry out civilian law enforcement duties against U.S. citizens except in times of emergency.

An 18th-century wartime law called the Insurrection Act is the main legal mechanism that a president can use to activate the military or National Guard during times of rebellion or unrest. But Trump didn’t invoke the Insurrection Act on Saturday.

Instead, he relied on a similar federal law that allows the president to federalize National Guard troops under certain circumstances.

The National Guard is a hybrid entity that serves both state and federal interests. Often it operates under state command and control, using state funding. Sometimes National Guard troops will be assigned by their state to serve federal missions, remaining under state command but using federal funding.

The law cited by Trump’s proclamation places National Guard troops under federal command. The law says that can be done under three circumstances: When the U.S. is invaded or in danger of invasion; when there is a rebellion or danger of rebellion against the authority of the U.S. government, or when the President is unable to “execute the laws of the United States,” with regular forces.

But the law also says that orders for those purposes “shall be issued through the governors of the States.” It’s not immediately clear if the president can activate National Guard troops without the order of that state’s governor.

The role of the National Guard troops will be limited

Notably, Trump’s proclamation says the National Guard troops will play a supporting role by protecting ICE officers as they enforce the law, rather than having the troops perform law enforcement work.

Tear gas fills the street as protesters confront Border Patrol personnel during a demonstration over the dozens detained in an operation by federal immigration authorities a day earlier, in Paramount, Calif., on Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Steve Vladeck, a professor at the Georgetown University Law Center who specializes in military justice and national security law, says that’s because the National Guard troops can’t legally engage in ordinary law enforcement activities unless Trump first invokes the Insurrection Act.

Vladeck said the move raises the risk that the troops could end up using force while filling that “protection” role. The move could also be a precursor to other, more aggressive troop deployments down the road, he wrote on his website.

“There’s nothing these troops will be allowed to do that, for example, the ICE officers against whom these protests have been directed could not do themselves,” Vladeck wrote.

Troops have been mobilized before

The Insurrection Act and related laws were used during the Civil Rights era to protect activists and students desegregating schools. President Dwight Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to Little Rock, Arkansas, to protect Black students integrating Central High School after that state’s governor activated the National Guard to keep the students out.

George H.W. Bush used the Insurrection Act to respond to riots in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped beating Black motorist Rodney King.

National Guard troops have been deployed for a variety of emergencies, including the COVID pandemic, hurricanes and other natural disasters. But generally, those deployments are carried out with the agreements of the governors of the responding states.

Trump is willing to use the military on home soil

In 2020, Trump asked governors of several states to deploy their National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. to quell protests that arose after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officers. Many of the governors agreed, sending troops to the federal district.

At the time, Trump also threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act for protests following Floyd’s death in Minneapolis – an intervention rarely seen in modern American history. But then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper pushed back, saying the law should be invoked “only in the most urgent and dire of situations.”

Trump never did invoke the Insurrection Act during his first term.

But while campaigning for his second term, he suggested that would change. Trump told an audience in Iowa in 2023 that he was prevented from using the military to suppress violence in cities and states during his first term, and said if the issue came up again in his next term, “I’m not waiting.”

Trump also promised to deploy the National Guard to help carry out his immigration enforcement goals, and his top adviser Stephen Miller explained how that would be carried out: Troops under sympathetic Republican governors would send troops to nearby states that refuse to participate, Miller said on “The Charlie Kirk Show,” in 2023.

After Trump announced he was federalizing the National Guard troops on Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said other measures could follow.

Hegseth wrote on the social media platform X that active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton were on high alert and would also be mobilized “if violence continues.”

Trump deploying California National Guard over governor’s objections to LA to quell protests

By MICHELLE L. PRICE, ERIC THAYER and MORGAN LEE

PARAMOUNT, Calif. (AP) — President Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom after a second day of clashes between hundreds of protesters and federal immigration authorities in riot gear.

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Sporadic confrontations broke out again Saturday in the heavily Latino satellite city of Paramount, south of Los Angeles. Agents unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls, and protesters hurled rocks and cement at Border Patrol patrol vehicles. Smoke wafted from small piles of burning refuse in the streets.

Tensions were high after a series sweeps by immigration authorities the previous day in LA’s fashion district and other locations, as the weeklong tally of immigrant arrests climbed past 100 and a prominent union leader was arrested while protesting and accused of impeding law enforcement.

The White House announced in a statement that Trump would deploy the Guard to “address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, objected to the move and said in a post on the social platform X that the move was “purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.”

In a signal of the administration’s aggressive approach, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened in a post on X to deploy the U.S. military.

“If violence continues, active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert,” Hegseth said.

Trump’s order came after morning and afternoon clashes had died down in Paramount and neighboring Compton, where a car was set fire.

At the entrance to a business park, across from the back of a Home Depot, immigration officers faced off with demonstrators who set off fireworks and pulled shopping carts into the street, broke up cinder blocks and pelted a procession of Border Patrol vans as they departed and careened down a boulevard.

Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons told multiple news outlets that no immigration raids took place in her city and demonstrators appeared to respond to possible preparations federal agents outside Homeland Security Department facilities.

“They’re just frightened,” Lemons said. “And when you handle things the way that this appears to be handled, it’s not a surprise that chaos would follow.”

In other clashes demonstrators kicked at a Border Patrol sedan, and Los Angeles County officers also deployed flash-bangs.

Law enforcement personnel and protesters mostly stayed at a distance, kicking tear gas cannisters back and forth amid streams of white gas. Among several hundred protesters, a handful were bloodied by projectiles.

More than a dozen people were arrested and accused of impeding immigration agents, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, which the names and mug shots of some of those arrested on social media.

Trump federalized part of California’s National Guard under what is known as Title 10 authority, which places him, not the governor, atop the chain of command, according to Newsom’s office.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the work the immigration authorities were doing when met with protests is “essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States. In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens.”

Border Patrol personnel deploy tear gas during a demonstration over the dozens detained in an operation by federal immigration authorities a day earlier in Paramount section of Los Angeles Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)Protesters kick the side of a Border Patrol vehicle during a demonstration over the dozens detained in an operation by federal immigration authorities a day earlier in Paramount section of Los Angeles Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)Protesters confront law enforcement agents outside an industrial park in Paramount section of Los Angeles on Saturday, June 7, 2025 (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)Smoke fills the street as protesters confront Border Patrol personnel during a demonstration over the dozens detained in an operation by federal immigration authorities a day earlier in Paramount section of Los Angeles Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)A fire burns as a protester stands across the way from Border Patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks outside an industrial park in the Paramount section of Los Angeles on Saturday, June 7, 2025 (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)Show Caption1 of 5Border Patrol personnel deploy tear gas during a demonstration over the dozens detained in an operation by federal immigration authorities a day earlier in Paramount section of Los Angeles Saturday, June 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)Expand

The president’s move came shortly after he issued a threat on his social media network saying that if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not “do their jobs,” then “the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”

Trump signed the order shortly before he went to attend a UFC fight in New Jersey, where he sat ringside with boxer Mike Tyson.

Newsom said in his statement that local authorities “are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice,” and “there is currently no unmet need.”

“This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust,” he added.

In Paramount, some demonstrators jeered at officers while recording the events on smartphones.

“ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,” a woman said through a megaphone. “You are not welcome here.”

One handheld sign read, “No Human Being is Illegal.”

Protests continued into the evening in the city, where more than 80% of residents identify themselves as Latino. Several hundred demonstrators gathered near a doughnut shop, and authorities held up barbed wire to keep the crowd back. Flash-bangs went off, some protesters stared fires and the smell of chemical irritants was in the air.

The California Highway Patrol said Newsom directed it to deploy additional officers to “maintain public safety.”

In 2020, Trump asked governors of several states to deploy their National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to quell protests after George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police. Many agreed and sent troops.

Trump also threatened at the time to invoke the Insurrection Act for those protests — an intervention rarely seen in modern American history. But then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper pushed back, saying the law should be invoked “only in the most urgent and dire of situations.”

Trump did not invoke the act during his first term, and he did not do so Saturday, according to Leavitt and Newsom.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers executed search warrants at multiple locations Friday, including outside a clothing warehouse in the fashion district. The action came after a judge found probable cause that the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

DHS said in a statement that recent ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrest of 118 immigrants, including five people linked to criminal organizations and people with prior criminal histories.

Among those arrested at protests Friday was David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union. The Justice Department confirmed that he was being held Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles ahead of a scheduled Monday court appearance.

It was not clear whether Huerta had legal representation.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for his immediate release, warning of a “disturbing pattern of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their right to free speech.”

Mayor Bass said the crackdown was meant to “sow terror” in her city.

ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons chided her for LA’s response to the protests.

“Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,” Lyons said in a statement. “Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens.”

Lee reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Price from Bridgewater, New Jersey. Associated Press writers Zeke Miller and Eric Tucker in Washington and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed.

Pro Soccer: Soberg’s PK lifts Monterey Bay FC past Lexington

SEASIDE — One streak continues for Monterey Bay FC, while another comes to an merciful end.

The Union won their third straight match Saturday at Cardinale Stadium, erasing an early 1-0 deficit with goals from Adam Larsson and Anton Sojberg for a 2-1 win over Lexington at Cardinale Stadium.

The win also snapped a six-game winless streak in the United Soccer League Championship for Monterey Bay FC, who now finds itself within three points of the lead in the Western Conference.

The Union’s last USL win came on April 12 when they defeated the defending league champion Colorado Switchbacks. What followed was a streak of six matches without a win, ironically starting with a scoreless draw at Lexington (1-6-5).

Monterey Bay FC (5-4-4) climbs into a tie for fifth in a tight Western Conference, where five teams are within a point of each other, with New Mexico on top with 22 points.

Over the last two weeks, the Union have taken part in the USL Jagermeister Cup, having won both of their matches on the pitch, re-igniting their confidence.

Larsson, who had a goal and an assist in the Union’s win over Orange County in the Jagermesiter Cup, tied the game with a goal on an assist from Alex Dixon — the team’s all-time leader in goals — midway through the first half.

With goalie Nico Campuzano shutting out Lexington in the second half — the fourth time this year he’s shut out an opponent in the second half, Anton Soberg drew a penalty kick, where he converted in the 75th minute to put the Union on top.

Compuzano continues to lead the USL in saves with 51. The Union, who were second to last in goals last season, are 13th among 24 teams this season, with Soberg producing his third goal in USL play.

Ilijah Paul leads the Union with seven goals — which includes all matches.

After four straight home matches, the Union will look to snap a five-game road winless streak when they visit the Las Vegas Lights.

NorCal DV baseball finals: Stevenson falls to Itna on bad hop walk-off single

ITNA — Perhaps the anguish Stevenson was feeling had more to do with the ride it had taken themselves on during a postseason of achievements.

Seeing it end on a bad hoop, walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh left the Pirates heartbroken after Saturday’s 6-5 loss to top seed Itna in the State Northern California Division V baseball championship.

“There were a lot of tears after the game,” Stevenson coach Nick Wilcox said. “The message after the game was it hurts when you do not end up being the winning team. This group established a legacy and we have to keep building off it into next year.”

For the first time in the program’s 50-plus years, Stevenson claimed a Mission Division title and a Central Coast Section Division VI crown in the same season, breaking the single-season school record for wins with 21.

A pair of wins in the Northern California tournament for the No. 2 seeded Pirates earned them a trip to Itna, which is 37 miles south of the Oregon border.

“Our kids were resilient and kept fighting,” Wilcox said. “This group worked so hard to get to this point. No one wanted the season to end, regardless of the outcome.”

Starring a 5-0 first inning deficit didn’t dampen the Pirates mindset, having come from behind in the CCS title game to post a 10-run win over South San Francisco.

After leaving the bases juiced in the first inning and runners stranded at second and third in the third inning, the Pirates touched Itna ace Emmett Stacher for three runs in the fifth with Phinn Thomas and Tono Borgomini driving in runs.

Stacher, who came into the game 7-1 with a 0.42 earned run average, hadn’t given up three runs in a game all season for the Northern Section champions.

“We’ve done a lot of that this year in coming from behind,” Wilcox said. “I think it helped us today. We never felt we were out of the game.”

The Pirates continued to chip away at the Itna lead when Henry Blaxter’s RBI single cut the deficit to one in the sixth, before Brady Mugan singled home a run in the seventh to tie the game.

“We were putting pressure on him (Stacher) every inning,” Wilcox said. “We finally got to him when he got to 102 pitches. He had a lot of velocity. But we put runners on the bases. Hats off to him, and their defense for making plays.”

One of those defensive efforts Wilcox was speaking about came in the sixth when Itna threw out a runner attempting to score on Mugan’s single, which would have given Stevenson a one-run lead.

“There was some controversy with that,” Wilcox said. “In the first inning, our catcher was called for obstruction in a rundown. So I asked the umpire why that wasn’t obstruction. Again, I got no clarification.”

The obstruction call in the first inning produced Itna’s first run, igniting a five-run uprising.

“I didn’t feel our catcher obstructed the play,” Wilcox said. “Honestly, I didn’t feel there’s did either in the seventh. But I had to fight for my kids. He (catcher) was basically in the same spot.”

Stevenson looked to be headed for extra innings before a routine ground ball took a bad hoop and rolled into the outfield, enabling the Lions to celebrate their first Northern California championship.

“The ball took a 45-degree angle to the right,” Wilcox said. “I don’t know what it hit, but there was nothing our players could have done.”

Itna came into the game having produced 65 runs in the postseason, while the Pirates had knocked off Miltida Torres and San Francisco Section champion Lincoln to reach their first NorCal title game.

The Pirates were the fourth sports program at Stevenson this school year to play for a Northern California title, joining the girls water polo team and boys and girls golf teams.

“This is a special group of guys,” Wilcox said. “I did not want the season to end. I have no idea what I’m going to do. I guess I get to be a husband and father again. I’m probably going to annoy my wife by being home so much.”

NorCal DII softball finals: Salinas brings home schools first NorCal title

SALNAS — Celebrating a historic achievement didn’t really seem to set in until the plaque was in place. Then the emotion kicked in — particularly for three seniors playing their last softball game for Salinas.

That’s when DeMarie Fernandez fought back tears when embracing fellow seniors Abi Jones and Ava Thompson, as a journey that began four-plus months ago was complete.

“It’s kind of hitting me, slowly,” Jones said. “I’m still in shock. The mindset all season has been to leave it all on the field. I’m not sure any of us want to leave the field.”

That was evident when two players went over to start raking the infield, before head coach Ron Guzman told them to stop and enjoy the moment.

The Cowboys brought home the school’s first State Northern California title Saturday after a 4-1 win over Liberty of Brentwood in the Division II championship.

“We had a fun and loose practice yesterday,” said Jones, who is headed to Grand Canyon University on a softball scholarship. “We were playing for the four or five other seniors who couldn’t be here. We wanted to bring this home for the school.”

Salinas, who graduated last Thursday, played the game without six players, including four starters, who had already made senior trip commitments months in advance.

“It doesn’t matter what nine you start with,” Guzman said. “I’ve been telling them in the playoffs, you have to continue to fight to play on. The plan was simple. We extend our season one game at a time.”

Of course, it doesn’t hurt when you have a Division I pitcher in the circle in Jones, who struck 12, including the side in the first and fifth innings for Salinas, as well as Fernandez behind the dish.

“I told them back in February this is what we’re going to do to build this,” Guzman said. “We have no starters. We have to continue to battle. That’s what makes us hungry. When we make substitutions, you don’t see any drop off.”

Champions of the SAC Joaquin Section, Liberty came into the game having rattled off 17 straight wins, including a 17-10 decision over top-seed Vanden Thursday to advance to the finals.

In fact, the last time Liberty tasted defeat was on April 12 when it fell 1-0 to Casa Grande, who Salinas defeated 5-2 to open up the Northern California tournament.

The Lions (25-4) had three players with 10 or more homers, with no one in the starting lineup hitting under .340 for them, while Kate Skinner came into the game with 209 strikeouts in just 126 innings.

For the second straight game, Salinas, who struck out 16 times in a 1-0 win over King’s Academy in the semifinals, was facing a left-handed pitcher with velocity.

Jones, though, was a tad nastier in the circle, as the Gabilan Division Pitcher of the Year tamed Liberty’s bats, setting the tone early by painting the corners, striking out the side in the first inning.

“My drop and change-up were effective,” Jones said. “I have talked to coach Ron all year long about my drop. Today, I said ‘coach Ron, we need to throw this pitch’. I was a stickler today. He trusted me and it worked.”

Jones handcuffed the Lions, allowed just two hits, retiring the last 13 hitters she faced after giving up a run in the third inning that cut Salinas’ lead to 3-1.

The right-handed throwing Jones got all the support she would need when Fernandez singled home Lily Munoz to put them up 2-0 in the third inning.

Insurance came from Gigi Rossi — whose walk-off double last Thursday put the Cowboys in the title game — as she took a pitch and sent it over the left field fence for a solo shot in the fourth.

“Going up to the plate, I said I need to pick myself up,” said Rossi, who finished with three hits and scored a pair. “I was looking for my pitch and found it. I’m pretty sure it was an inside pitch, and I turned on it.”

The Cowboys shortstop, Rossi has ignited the offense all year from the lead-off position, leading the team in hits, doubles and runs scored.

“I’m still in a little shock,” Rossi said. “We lost a lot of players for this game. But we all trusted each other. Maybe it will sink in next week, or at the banquet.”

Jones helped herself out at the plate in the first inning when she singled home Ava Thompson. Kelsey Domenighini, who led Salinas in runs batted in this spring, drove in Rossi in the fifth inning, putting them in command at 4-1.

Co-champions of the Gabilan Division, the Cowboys have won a Central Coast Section Division I title and a Northern California DII title in successive years.

SF Giants’ Chapman delivers walk-off home run to stun Braves

SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Chapman couldn’t tell off the bat if he got enough. At Oracle Park, it’s hard to tell.

The towering blast hung in the air for about five seconds. Eli White, the Braves’ left fielder, gave chase and scaled the wall. The Saturday afternoon crowd held its breath. Then, catharsis.

The Giants were one out away from wasting another excellent start from Logan Webb. Chapman shifted the vibe. With a two-run, walk-off home run, Chapman delivered a 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves, keeping San Francisco undefeated in four tries since Buster Posey’s roster shakeup in the process.

“It’s funny how things can change super quickly,” Chapman said. “It feels good getting four wins, being able to come back and walk them off two days in a row is huge. I think we’re just looking to keep it going.”

The Giants roster may have undergone a drastic transformation this week, but this team’s propensity to play barn-burners hasn’t changed.

San Francisco has now played 27 one-run games this season, tied with, coincidentally, Atlanta for the most in baseball. The Giants’ eighth walk-off win comes less than 24 hours after their seventh when Tyler Fitzgerald scored the winning run on a wild pitch. Their 15 total one-run wins are the most in baseball, and their current stretch of six straight one-run games is their longest since April 2014.

“Torture. It’s torture baseball here,” Webb said with a smile. “But you know, it’s just the way we like it.”

Added manager Bob Melvin: “We’ve seen it many times. We’re used to these type of games. It feels like with as many as we’ve had like this, we’re battle tested all the way to the end. Until there’s the last out, we have a chance.”

Chapman’s walk-off homer, his first since June 20, 2019 with the Oakland A’s, not only gave the Giants their fourth straight win but saved Webb from an undeserved loss.

Webb bolstered his case for the All-Star Game, allowing two runs over six innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks. This marks the third time this season Webb has struck out at least 10 batters without issuing a single walk, already tied with Carlos Rodón (2022), Kevin Gausman (2021) and Madison Bumgarner (2012, 2016) for the most such games in a season.

The right-hander doesn’t consider himself a strikeout pitcher, but Webb’s 101 strikeouts were tied with Boston’s Garrett Crochett for the third-most in all of baseball. Along with the punchouts, Webb is posting a 2.58 ERA and 2.12 FIP over 87 1/3 innings, the most in the majors.

“Other guys joke around with me because I’ve always said that I’m not a strikeout guy,” Webb said. “I think this year, just mixing things up and trying to do different things and trying to have a really good game plan has kind of elevated that. A lot of games left. I feel like I’m always due for a one strikeout game or two strikeout game. But hopefully I can keep that trend up. It makes things a little bit easier.”

For as well as Webb pitched, he was outdueled by the Braves’ Bryce Elder. The right-hander entered play with a 4.56 ERA but struck out a career-high 12 batters over eight innings, his lone mistake being Wilmer Flores’ home run in the fourth inning that gave the Giants a 1-0 lead.

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Atlanta got that run back in the top of the fifth when Michael Harris II homered off Webb, then took a 2-1 lead when Marcell Ozuna legged out a potential inning-ending double play in the sixth to give the Braves a 2-1 lead. That score held until Chapman came to the plate in the ninth inning.

Heliot Ramos singled with one out in the ninth to represent the tying run. Following Flores’ pop out, Chapman called ballgame against the Braves’ Pierce Johnson.

“I wouldn’t love to play (close games) every single day, but it’s going to serve us because we know how to play those games,” Chapman said. “We know what it takes to come out on top. When the pressure is on, you have to make a play or take a good at-bat. Everything is heightened in those moments, so I think it’s good for us to get that experience, but it seems like we’ve played for three weeks straight one-run games every single day.”

Worth noting

Catcher Sam Huff cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento.Justin Verlander felt good after throwing a live bullpen on Friday. The team is determining his next steps.Jung Hoo Lee didn’t start due to a little bit of back tightness but pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth, striking out looking.

Herald Heroes: Dr. Joshua Sanchez provides dentistry to vets in need

Editor’s note – Recently, we invited readers to send in their nominations for “Herald Heroes,” an effort to recognize the heroics of people doing great things behind the scenes. We then pursued the nearly impossible task of winnowing the list to five finalists and one winner among them. In the coming weeks, we will feature a different finalist each Sunday, acknowledging the good work they’ve contributed on behalf of our community and finishing with a feature on our winning Herald Hero, who will receive a $500 award.

When he’s not working at his own dentistry clinic, Dr. Joshua Sanchez spends his Fridays in Marina working at the nonprofit Dentistry4Vets clinic. It’s something he’s done for the past three and a half years.

Herald Heroes (Arianna Nalbach - Monterey Herald)

Sanchez’s dad is in law enforcement and many of his dad’s friends were also in law enforcement and ex-military.

“I’ve always had a sense of gratitude to those who either have served our country or serve our communities,” he said. “I feel it’s such a wonderful thing to do and I want to honor that. Being a part of this program is a way I can express that gratitude.”

Dentistry4Vets, which opened about six years ago, is a full comprehensive care clinic at a significantly reduced cost for veterans – the only one like it in the United States. In 2024, they provided over 2,000 appointments to the veteran population.

“If they’re homeless or they can’t afford to pay, we just take care of them. We’re just trying to keep the lights on. Dentistry’s expensive, but we do quality care,” Sanchez said. “A lot of veterans who come here for work … but they donate too, and they come here because they want to support our program. It’s like veterans helping veterans and then we do what we can to bridge that gap as well.”

Sanchez was nominated by Dentistry4Vets’ co-founder Patricia Yellich, who said “the kindness and wholehearted compassion that Dr. Sanchez imparts on our patients is unique to Dr. Sanchez … He is a leader within our organization and a champion for veteran dental care in our community.”

Sanchez used to be an associate doctor in Watsonville, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a slowdown in dentistry and he was only able to work a few days a week. His wife was pregnant with their first daughter at the time, and Sanchez was looking to pick up a couple of extra shifts each week.

That’s when Sanchez found Dentistry4Vets and stepped into the role of clinical director of the program.

“ I just fell in love with the patient care here,” he said. “Practicing dentistry in a way that focuses just on the care and not like metrics is just a nice, refreshing change of pace.”

Then Sanchez had the opportunity to buy his own practice off a handshake from the doctor he had done his associateship with. He helped Sanchez get his office up and running in Soquel, while Sanchez and his wife bought and began renovating a trailer with a nursery.

During the floods in 2022, the trailer was ruined by black mold.

“ My wife and I ended up living in that back office on an air mattress for six months while we built our office up and we started from scratch with no money. It took like 10 months to even get a micro loan because nobody was giving loans at this time for practices.

Dentistry4Vets offers fully comprehensive dental care to veterans at a reduced rate. (Photo courtesy of Dentistry4Vets)

“ We cooked in there. We bathed our daughter in the sink. We made do and it really taught us a lot,” he said. “ I didn’t want to let go of that business, so we sunk everything into it.”

His wife worked as their receptionist and it was just Sanchez working in the back, but now they have 10 staff members, “ but we really had to put some heart into it.”

Through all that, Sanchez stayed working at Dentistry4Vets.

“ I feel this is a critical part to my professional happiness. For the rest of my career, I wanna be part of this program. I’m part of the board now, so I can make some suggestions on how the program proceeds forward and grows and I’m really happy,” he said. “I’m really proud to be a part of this program.”

“ I love coming here at the end of my week. I’m excited to come here with the staff and we have a great staff here,” he said. “We make veterans feel welcome and just as soon as they come in, we’re all smiles, laughing, joking, I’m blasting ’60s’, ’70s’ rock in here. They just feel at home here and I’m really happy to be a part of that.”

While the dentist is infamously scary, Sanchez and the team at Dentistry4Vets have worked hard to make all their patients feel comfortable.

“ What we do is that we approach every patient with empathy and care,” said Sanchez. “ We get to know our patients on a personal level.”

Sanchez said this is a practice he carries over into his private office as well.

”So I don’t see patients. We make friends, we make connections with everybody in here because I feel unless they really trust you, you can’t really care for them fully,” he said. “So just knowing that a lot of these patients maybe have PTSD or they have physical disabilities, they got in service or later in life too, we just can accommodate all that and they feel the love from this nonprofit.”

As a full-service dental office open five days a week, Dentistry4Vets does everything from implants to root canals to cleanings. Sanchez said there’s really no such thing as a typical day in dentistry, especially working with veterans, but that’s why he loves the work he does.

“ I’m here Fridays for the crazy hard cases. Just pitch ’em to me, like I wanna see the stuff that makes me scared,” he said with a laugh. “It’s funny ’cause even at 37 I don’t feel old, but I have some experience and residency especially helped prepare me for that,  so I can see some more complex cases.”

He said he may see someone for something as routine as a filling, or someone who just got into an accident and is in need of more complex repairs.

“ There’s a lot of veterans who come here that tell me ‘I haven’t seen a dentist since Vietnam. Doc, patch me up,’ and they’re missing most of their teeth,” he said. “ But we pull off miracles here. It just takes a little longer.”

Sanchez recalled a story of a Vietnam combat veteran he has previously worked with. His teeth were ground down, but Sanchez was able to give him implants. While the patient has since moved to Florida, he still periodically calls Sanchez to express his thanks.

Sanchez also shared that one of his patients has severe PTSD and is disabled.

“ When I first met him, he had substance abuse problems, but he had a bad toothache,” Sanchez said. “He just popped in one day and when I see people in pain, I will go out of my way to help them. It’s why I got into health care, I really wanna help people.”

Now, Sanchez and the team at Dentistry4Vets have his full trust. Sanchez said there are many other stories like his.

Another patient, Sanchez said, took a year before they could do treatment. He was told by another dentist he couldn’t be helped, so he didn’t go back to any dentist. Sanchez was able to fully restore his teeth with a few crowns, no implants.

A majority of his work is done pro bono, Sanchez said.

“ I wrote a letter to the founders that said, ‘we really need to help this guy. I really want to help him, can we do something? Can we write some stuff off?’ And we ended up doing that. He didn’t have a lot of means at the time and I felt inside me, we really had to help this person,” he said. “There’s a few veterans, I’ve written letters to the founders saying, ‘hey, this is why this person deserves this care.’

“ It’s just a wonderful program. It’s so cool,” Sanchez said. “I can’t say enough good things about this place.”

While other clinics may offer free or reduced cost dental care to veterans, Dentistry4Vets is the only clinic in the states with a full-time commitment to veterans.

“ A lot of places will do like one day a year, but we aim to give veterans care 365. Whenever they need us, we’re here as their dental home,” said Sanchez. “It’s a commitment to dental care for the veteran community. As far as we can see, there’s nothing else like it in the country.

“ We hope to be a model for other pilots like this all across the country to help veterans.”

Sanchez said the VA wants to get an idea of what it would cost and look like to provide veterans with general dental care throughout the country. Dentistry4Vets is hopefully going to become a pilot for that program.

“ If that happens and we get enough support in Congress and all this stuff, Dentistry4Vets could potentially be a nationwide program in the next 10 years,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it spread all over California in different spots just dedicated to veterans where a majority of veterans live.”

Sanchez said while obviously Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties all have large veteran populations, he would love to see the program spread to San Diego and other places where veterans live and “ provide the same quality of care at a much reduced rate for all veterans. So that’s the goal. This is what we’re hoping for.”

Dentistry4Vets means so much to Sanchez, he said it was hard to put into words.

“ I put my heart and soul in here …  I think being able to practice dentistry in a way where you are really trying to make a difference, not only in their lives but in our community, I think that’s the biggest thing for me,” he said. “ We have a large veteran community here, and just being able to feel like I’m making a difference and helping is a wonderful feeling. I love doing it, and I want to make this part of my career for the rest of my life.”

COVID and youth mental health: The stigma has diminished

MONTEREY – Ella Myers was 13 and in middle school when the COVID-19 pandemic shut schools down. Zoom school wasn’t for her. She tried to balance learning through a computer screen, being an outdoor person who wasn’t allowed outdoors and dealing with rowdy brothers at home – it was a rough time.

Then, schools were allowed to return in-person and that brought a whole new set of challenges. All of a sudden, kids who were at the beginning of their teenage years when the pandemic started were now entering high school, with no clue how to read certain social cues. They had been isolated and left to their devices (literally).

Even for Myers, a three-sport standout athlete, readjusting to life after the pandemic didn’t come easy. She had plenty of experience interacting with kids her age through sports before COVID shut them down, but like many students, she was at a loss as to how to interact with others once the lockdown ended.

In Myers’ words, “it was kind of a big shock.”

(Graphic by Arianna Nalbach)

The students who grew up during the pandemic have faced a myriad of challenges – remote learning, a lockdown, and, for many, increased awareness of their mental health.

According to Montage Health’s Ohana, a mental health program for youth and parents in Monterey County, mental health emergency visits increased up to 31% in kids aged 12-17 during the pandemic.

Five years later, the county is still dealing with the mental effects the pandemic had on kids, and trying to figure out solutions and best practices to keep kids’ wellbeing a priority.

An expert’s perspective

Ohana was established in 2018 following a $106 million donation from Bertie Bialek Elliott. Operated through the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, the program focuses on mental health care for children, adolescents and families.

The need for expanded mental health services in the county had already been rising for years, which was what originally prompted Ohana, but the pandemic boosted those numbers, according to Executive Director Dr. Susan Swick.

Dr. Susan Swick, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and medical director of Ohana, Montage Health. (Courtesy photo)

Half of all lifetime mental illnesses have shown up by the age of 15 according to Swick and 75% of them have shown up by the age of 25. Also worth noting, she said, is the rate of illnesses like depression and anxiety disorders in youth has been climbing by as much as 50% over the last two decades.

So while COVID wasn’t the start of this climb, mental health professionals have charted a clear correlation between the ongoing climb to the effects of the pandemic and losing out on formative years in school.

“In the last five years, all of the challenges that children were facing that were maybe causing the rate of anxiety disorders to climb and the challenges accessing services or treatment, all of those have kind of gotten worse since COVID,” said Swick. “Except for one.”

Swick said she has noticed the stigma around mental health has diminished since the pandemic, with more people willing to speak up publicly about their struggles.

“There has been public shared discussion without shame or secrecy about how common these problems are, how burdensome they are and the need to ask for help and expand services when needed,” said Swick. “That’s gotten better in a way that was accelerated, I think, by COVID.”

Although the pandemic may have helped drop the veil in a positive way, being out of school for over a year still had serious consequences for the development of kids’ mental and social wellbeing, said Swick.

“School does a lot of extraordinary health building and it’s often by giving young people a chance to do critical work which builds social skills and develops their confidence skills,” she said. “They’re all the building blocks of mental health. We build them when we learn algebra or we learn the rules of soccer – they’re not just learning rules, they are also building social skills and patience, frustration tolerance… those are sort of the rudiments of good mental health.

“The capacity to face adversity and adapt and still experience positive emotions … that’s the muscle of mental health and school is where a lot of that happens, and kids were out of school.”

School solutions

School districts have made their awareness of mental health needs apparent in the past few years, from hiring more therapists and school psychologists to building dedicated wellness centers.

Salinas Union High School District, for example, opened its first wellness center at Everett Alvarez High School during the 2018-19 school year. This was in response to students telling the administration they needed to pay more attention to students’ mental health. When administrators saw an uptick in visits to the center upon the return to school, the district realized just how much students needed these spaces.

Salinas Union High School District is opened a number Wellness Centers, including this one at Everett Alvarez High School. (Contributed photo)

Students coming back from the pandemic reported feelings of anger, depression, anxiety and loneliness. The wellness centers offer check-ins, grief and anxiety support, stress management, crisis response and more. Salinas Union has now opened seven wellness hubs and aims to have one at each of its campuses.

Pacific Grove Unified School District used some of its one-time COVID relief funding to hire three mental health therapists to support the counselors already in place at its school sites.

When schools reopened, the district did see an uptick in students seeking mental health resources, but those visits have since leveled out according to Superintendent Linda Adamson.

“I think the awareness … has been the biggest shift in our approach and thinking, particularly since the pandemic,” said Adamson.

Part of Pacific Grove Unified’s approach was focusing on “the whole child” by emphasizing social-emotional learning in the curriculum starting at the transitional kindergarten level.

“We’re trying to build and give students the tools early on for them to really be able to address some of those emotional challenges that they may have and face as they age up,” said Adamson.

Monterey Peninsula Unified has dedicated wellness teams and counselors at each school site that offer check-ins, peer support opportunities and referrals to community resources. There are also posters hung up all around campuses with QR codes for students to understand the resources available to them.

“We had already seen an uptick in the needs around mental health before this,” said Monterey High School Principal Tom Newton. “Obviously, this was exacerbated on an exponential level from that point on. Kids were isolated at home.”

This transparency from the schools has made students more comfortable speaking up, according to Myers, a Monterey High student.

“I think people are more outspoken about mental health due to the pandemic,” said Myers. “From what I’ve seen, I feel like everyone is super upfront about it. You know that you can talk to anyone on campus, any of the teachers about it, and they will fully support you.”

Students weren’t the only ones impacted

The confusing and oftentimes contradictory information coming out at the time led to anxiety and fear among school communities, said Newton. On top of that, educators had to figure out how to keep their families safe while caring for and teaching their students.

“It’s hard to say it out loud now, considering how we recovered, but it was a really intense time,” said Newton. “Just a lot of almost hysteria and fear, but we had to do our jobs and do them well because kids were at stake.”

While she didn’t know the teachers of Monterey High before the pandemic, Myers was struck by their resilience.

“Overall, I think it was just really impressive how teachers, both in middle school and when we started coming back to actual school at Monterey High, how the teachers kind of adapted to it,” said Myers. “You could tell that it was stressful for them, but they held it together really, really well.”

Newton said this wasn’t without struggle. In the conversation about the effects of the pandemic on mental health, he said, the effects on educators need to be discussed. From dealing with pressures of dealing with new and ever-changing regulations in the classroom to their personal lives, educators had an immensely stressful and anxiety-inducing time throughout the pandemic, said Newton.

“I think that teachers have been more anxious as well,” said Newton. “I think that their mental health has suffered because of it all. Things don’t happen without them … the school doesn’t run without students but it also doesn’t run without the educators, and they’re suffering.”

What’s the lesson here?

For many, the willingness of the community to come together and speak about their challenges has been a highlight.

“I think that the more we can communicate, the more we can take advantage of the fact that COVID was a catalyst for these conversations, the better it’s going to be overall that we can educate kids and educate people,” said Newton.

As for what students need, Myers thinks it’s simple: just a little understanding.

“I think maybe older generations were raised on the principle of like, ‘you need to get over it, rub some dirt on it, hide it, you’ll get through it,’” said Myers. “But I think we need to really understand that, yeah, we will get through it, but we need help to get through it.”

Horoscopes June 7, 2025: Iggy Azalea, engage in community functions

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Iggy Azalea, 35; Michael Cera, 37; Bill Hader, 47; Liam Neeson, 73.

Happy Birthday: Make your home, family and friends your priorities. Engage in community functions and use your voice to ensure you have a say in the type of lifestyle your neighborhood offers. Use your intelligence to navigate your way into the mainstream. Now is the time to push forward with gusto and to stand firm in your beliefs. Choose brain over brawn, and success will be yours. Your numbers are 3, 10, 17, 26, 31, 33, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You are better off than you realize. Observe, and you’ll see a path forward that can help you infiltrate an interest group essential to reaching your goals. Speak up and do your part, and the returns will be better than anticipated. Take care of your health, and nurture connections that influence prospects. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Risks will leave you weak. Whether it’s a physical, financial or emotional chance you take, expect to face last-minute changes. Too much of anything will work against you. Keep your promises doable and your intentions to yourself until you can deliver. Focus on personal growth, moderation and looking and doing your best. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Choose to be vocal, to act and to stand behind your word. Make every motion you make and every penny you earn and spend count. Protect and service your home and take advantage of any efficiency rebates available. Put your energy and intelligence to work for you, and opportunities will come your way. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Stay fixated on what’s important to you, and finish what you start. Refuse to let outside influences distract or discourage you from doing what makes the most sense to you. Social events will lead to interesting connections that can offer insight into how you can avoid setbacks. Love and romance are in the stars. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Refuse to let stubbornness become your nemesis. Put ego aside and show resilience, integrity and foresight, and you will recover and surge ahead with the backing you require to reach your destination. Attend events that offer insight and connect you with experts who can point you in the right direction. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Say a little, do a lot. The less conspicuous you are, the easier it will be to address and achieve your agenda. You are overdue for a change, so visit a place that inspires you or someone who can play devil’s advocate to ensure you understand both sides of a situation. Romance is favored. 4 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An open mind will carry you forward. Listen, learn and launch something that can help you get ahead. Updating your skills and qualifications, attending a networking function and engaging in discussions that offer insight into trends will help you make wise choices. Expand your mind and your long-term goals. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Emotions will surface regarding your relationships. It’s time to assess what and who are good for you, and gravitate in those directions. Limit spending, overreacting and joint ventures. Concentrate on how you look and feel, and choose a path that offers peace of mind. Make romance and comfort priorities. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Get into the swing of things, attend functions that make you happy or spend time with someone who makes your heart flutter. Changes at home and surrounding yourself with positive people will encourage you to reevaluate what’s important to you and how to spend more time nurturing the lifestyle you crave. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You’ll meet with opposition, denial and false information. Get a second opinion, research and focus on maintaining a calm home environment. Avoid overspending or letting someone manipulate you into something you don’t need or want. Hasty decisions will lead to regret and lifestyle issues. Distance yourself from those tempting you with indulgent suggestions. 4 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Make your surroundings more efficient. Personal and financial gains are apparent. A social event will lead to interesting concepts you can integrate into your lifestyle. Put together a budget and get what you want in writing. It’s time to broaden your outlook and proceed with a positive attitude. Avoid taking a health risk. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Verify everything you hear before passing it along or incorporating the information into your plans. Changing your surroundings will positively influence how you see situations, people and plans unfolding. When in doubt, take a pass and protect your interests. Focus on your health, well-being and contracts that require an adjustment. 5 stars

Birthday Baby: You are strong, independent and vocal. You are engaging and resourceful.

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.

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‘That’s a first’: Ball thrown from upper deck causes confusion at SF Giants game

SAN FRANCISCO — There isn’t much that manager Bob Melvin hasn’t seen on a baseball field. Friday night provided him — and most of his players — with a first.

In the top of the fourth inning, Sean Murphy hit a bases loaded line drive at right fielder Mike Yastrzemski. Yastrzemski made the catch and fired home; Olson tagged up and burst for the plate. As Yastrzemski’s throw arrived and Olson slid home safe, a second ball entered the playing field.

From the angle of the throw, the ball appeared to be thrown by a fan from the upper deck. The throw did not interfere with the play, but the umpiring crew convened regardless. The play stood, giving Atlanta its first run of the game.

“That’s a first,” Melvin said after the Giants’ 5-4 win over the Braves. “I’ve never seen that before. I don’t know where it came from. I don’t know what the rule is. I think everybody was a little surprised by it. It didn’t affect the play, but it was extremely odd to see another baseball come onto the field.”

Hayden Birdsong, the pitcher at the time of the incident, didn’t see the throw come down from the stands.

“I thought it was the ball that was thrown home,” Birdsong said. “I was like, ‘Why is the ball way out there?’ Then I realized Patty had the other ball. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I had no idea.”

Birdsong, 23, said he had never seen anything like this before.

Color commenter Mike Krukow, calling the game alongside long-time broadcast partner Duane Kuiper, echoed Birdsong and Melvin’s sentiments.

“Came out of the upper deck,” Krukow said on the television broadcast. Some clown threw the baseball onto the field. I have never seen that.”